Question; ( Placer deposits)

[Blood Sweat and Beers]

When searching for placer gold in a dry creek bed,does it matter if i am using a PI or vlf detector?
My thoughts are, with a vlf detector and manual ground balance i would be able to pinpoint the more mineralized soils such as black sand where gold can be found.
If i decide to go with a automatic ground tracking detector such as the mxt would it track out the mineralized soil so i could not find the deposits?
Any books on this subject would be great. please steer me in the right direction Thank you.

 

[rexb]

vlf and PI detectors can both find black sand. PI's will penetrate deeper than vlf's. If the ground is very mineralized the vlf will have problems and sound off as if everything were black sand. If the creekbed is deep, they usually are, a PI will work better. However, if you are in a gold producing area that has had recent rains and the dry creek had torrents of flood water running down it there may be some shallow gold.

 

[Reno Chris]

For areas along creeks and streams with exposed bedrock and shallow gravels, the advantages of a PI are minimal. Often if this is an area worked by the old timers for gold, it will be trashy and therefore another reason to consider a discriminating detector like a VLF.

That said, I will say that searching for black sands is a poor way to prospect. I know that many detector makers tout this in their sales literature, but in practical terms, it does not work. You will not find prospectors saying this is how they found gold - because it is impractical and does not work. There are many reasons for iron concentrations, most of them have nothing to do with gold. Hot spots and mineralized ground are common enough and you will find these aplenty with your VLF whether you intend to or not. Most will not be associated with gold. If you are looking to find gold, consider the ability of your detector to find gold.

Chris

 

[Blood Sweat and Beers]

Thanks for responding to my post,
Ok I'm just a little bit worried about the automatic tracking on the detectors.I thought the PI detector would track out the minerals in the soil and therefore i would be missing any gold that might be present.

 

[Blood Sweat and Beers]

Hey Chris,
I diddnt see your post before i responded to the last message.
I appreciate the help thank you.

 

[Blood Sweat and Beers]

Thanks for all the responses,
I complety forgot about the mineral content feature on the MXT and GMT. It's purrfect.Thanks again.

 

[dave wiseman]

If you will look up the old and new threads on all the gold forums you'll find a pattern of most of the gold found with detectors in creek beds to have been found on exposed bedrock as Reno Chris alluded to.If your in the motherlode country there is much trash in the gravels,with an occasional artifact to be found.If your thinking GMT,it is the perfect thing for checking quartz veins that cross dry or wet creek beds,especially after a stormy winter season where the banks have been eroded.....Dave

 

[Hoser John]

There is an excellent analysis/discussion on this very subject on the Alaska Gold Forum. Steve from AMD has made some great points of interest for all detector owners.Tons a au 2 u 2-John

 

[Blood Sweat and Beers]

Thanks John,
I was probably the one that posted it.