vaquero and gold?:ausflag:

[blowfly1967]

does the vaquero,being an all round detector,able to find real gold in the gold fields.has anybody ever tried?i ask only that,is because in december my wife and i will be travelling back by car from brisbane to cairns passing through many of the inland goldfields.so ,not to make it a boring trip,my wife sugested i take my vaquero along and do a bit detecting at various places along the way. i relise that there are purpose built detectors to do this ,however,how all round is it?genuine comments is what i'm after not an arguement this could be my one chance to experiance what you all have already tried .be gentle but honest! hh blowfly

 

[Beale]

I would think so. I mean in its pure form gold is a metal. Now as to how to hunt for raw gold I really can not help. I would say either in AM or very low disc. I wish you luck in the field. I hope you find some good stuff, Beale.

 

[tabdog]

I would think the Vaquero is a good choice.

It is as sensative or even more sensative than most

so called gold nugget machines.

The Tesoro machines are designed to find gold.

The Super Track, Sand Shark, Tejon and Eldorado

could be better choices in different environments.

But, I am learning that the Vaquero is right up there

with them and can out perform them, given the right

set of conditions.

Here's an air test comparrison on some small jewelry

I reacently found weighing less than one grain.

The V out did the Eldorado by 1".

One piece the V qot 4" and the E got 3".

Anyway, I think it'll work fine.

I'm not a prospector.

Most prospectors don't use MD's th find gold.

Happy Hunting,

Tabdog

 

[sqwaby]

In air tests my vaq is more sensitive to small gold in the all metal mode. If I use disc I have to be barely above Iron as a max setting if I go much higher It starts losing the signal depending how pure it is. Sens is set at 9. This info relates to various gold rings(small & med size) some are 10k others 14K, I have yet to hunting for raw gold in the field. Hope this helps.

 

[Wayne/TX]

Hi Blowfly1967. Most "dedicated" Gold detectors are made to search in highly mineralized
soils (ironized) with a MANUAL ground balance control, NOT a factory preset GB like most
detectors. Plus, the All Metal mode is used for Gold, since discriminate mode is not correct
to use because any disc'ing can ignore Gold. You will also be hoping to find Nuggets only,
since fine or "flour" gold can't be found with detectors, even in all metal modes. For that you
need other "sifting" equipment. Also, when searching for Gold, set your GB as close to neutral
as possible, not slightly positive as when coinshooting. This is because all Gold soils are very
mineralized and positive response is what you must try to cancel, so as to better hear those
nugget beepers.

Now the Vaquero? 1.. It has all metal mode, 2.. It has a manual GB mode. 3.. It is 14kHz, which
is an ideal frequency for Gold, especially smaller nuggets, which most are. For example, the
Garrett GroundHog is 15kHz and has found Gold in different fields, including Australia. One of
the brands for Gold is the Fisher Gold Bug II at 71kHz, since the higher frequencies are better
for small Gold.

BTW, in 1981 I spent 2 months in W.A. with a partner. I used a Garrett Master Hunter ADS at only 5kHz
and still managed to find 10 small nuggets in various fields totaling slightly more than an ounce troy.
I used a 10" coil almost exclusively, but the 8" can also be possibly more effective for those small bits in
some grounds.
My "mate" used a Garrett GroundHog and beat my luck early one morning in the Laverton area
(Hawk's Nest), with a beauty at 4 ounces! In May of '81 Gold was worth $420 per ounce troy (all
precious metal is weighed in Troy oz. @ 12 to the pound). So my friend and fellow detectorist, you
are residing in perhaps the best country in the world for harboring Gold! I only wish I'd been able to
stay longer on my trip to OZ, but work demands here took precedent, alas. By the way too, a large
nuggett is called a "specimen" and is worth more than it's weight to collectors. My pard brought his
4 ouncer home and sold it a few years later for $3000 bucks! His find was only 2 inches deep, btw!


May I give you a few tips about your search? 1.. Please stop at a good map store and buy some
7.5 minute projection maps for the areas you'll be in. Believe me, those maps are super accurate
and are really necessary for proper searching in the Gold fields as they have mining zone icons
on them (accurate right down to the foot!) and remember, you CAN GET LOST in the outback!
So please be careful. Good maps are your best tool for survival, believe me. Don't leave home without them
and a good compass!
Plus, you'll be pleasantly surprised at just how many Gold mining zones there are! The early days
prospectors were quite energetic and prolific. There are also several good books available to give you
some valuable leads! You can find those at a good detector shop, of course. In '81 I paid only $1.00
apiece for 10 different maps for WA, in a Sydney store. When I arrived in WA I discovered that all
those maps were sold out. Later in the fields, I was offered $20 bucks apiece for my maps. But I kept
them for souvenirs and in case I ever was able to return again to your beautiful country, which sadly,
I never could.

So just remember, "GOLD IS WHERE YOU FIND IT" and Mother Earth guards it well..!!
So get out there with your trusty Vaquero and make some great finds! Good Luck!

 

[trueblue]

good tips Wayne