New Arrival from Mornington Peninsula

Hi everyone,

Have finally got myself my first detector, a 4500 with 11' Commander Mono and Rooster Booster.

I've been following the site as a visitor and now I have some gear, have decided to become a member of the forum.

Had some basic training at Maryborough and been at it in the triangle for about ten days over the last month. Had some luck after the first couple of days and fluked a little 0.4 or thereabouts, near the surface on the very edge of old diggings.

Since then I have to say, I've been on Struggle Street. I have recovered an untold amount of .22 bullets and casings, shot gun cases and lately, plenty of shot gun pellets and air rifle slugs plus a considerable amount of other garden variety scrap.

My real concern is that everthing recovered is either on the surface (below the mulch where present), or at best no deeper than say 75mm in the ground. The only exception would have been shot gun case at say no deeper than 125mm. All of this is in areas where previous visitiors have clearly dug targets a lot deeper.

I understand that there is lots of information on the 4500 on the site and I am intend to read all of it over the next couple of days. Maybe I am expecting to much of the coil or my setup and technique is floored.

I am certainly determined to do better and I'm sure as you will have already worked out, a novice in the true sense of the word.

Not looking for big heaps of gold, just the ocassional small success to maintain the enthusiasm as they say. I love being out there where the phone does not ring just enjoying the peace and quiet of the bush.

Hi Determined1,
and welcome to the forum.
You have a very good detector (same here) and 11 inch mono is all round coil.Very good and capable to find lot of gold.
Do little bit of research and get some maps and read some post and everything else will slowly fall into places.
Do not make most mistake as all of us when we started and never read the manual or read it years later.Its your little booklet to read and study and put that in practice.
Its good to get a small piece (and bigger) and practice in fields for a depth and different settings.You will never know everything and you will never stop learning.
Gold is a funny thing and had so many different response sounds.

Rule no.1 DIG EVERYTHING.

Go low and slow.
Pay attention to any change of threshold.

Hope you got your miners right.Fill up the holes when detecting.Respect the nature and enjoy it.

Here is one site you can search the old newspaper articles and find something about goldfields.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/

If you like detecting with mate/s joining a club is good as well.Monthly trips, more experienced guys/girls to learn from.

Enjoy the forum and read as many posts and ask any questions.
GoldEN

Hi Golden,

Thank you for the welcome and your advice.

I have got my Miners Right (went the ten year option).

Will be joining a club in Melbourne which I am quite excited about as it seems a lot of the members do have a lot of knowledge. The only downside their is that the focus is on panning for April so it will be at least May before they will get out for a detecting trip. In the meantime I will soldier on by myself I guess.

Have got some maps and been reading lots.

I now believe I need to slow down in all aspects, reading, swinging and thinking my way through the process rather than just plain going for it.

I have lots of different things to try both from your advice and reading 4500 posts etc. but I am still a little unsure of the order in which I should go through the set-up of the machine. This is in relation to set ground balance, adjust threshold, adjust RX and then stabilise.

I hope I don't come accross as being dumb by asking, but do people think the way I have listed these items is the order which should be followed.

I hope to get back up to the triangle this week and see how I go.

Thanks again

I now believe I need to slow down in all aspects, reading, swinging and thinking my way through the process rather than just plain going for it.


It is only in the years to come will you appreciate the sentence above!!! It shows you have gotten over the first flush of the gold fever ! Now you are starting to think like a prospector !!! I wish you well in the days ahead and can't offer any technical advice on detecting as I don't detect but a detector is only a tool used to prospect and as you have said " thinking my way through the process" is the most important thing you will ever say about looking for gold!

Welcome to the group mate. You will find the best bunch of guy's on the net here. cheers james

Read the manual and read it again and again.
Then put everything in factory settings.

Depending of the conditions of the day play with factory setting implementing knowledge from manual.

GoldEN

Thank you Golden and Whiskers for your advice.

I am off again tomorrow morning to Maryborough area for at least two days maybe three.

My plan is to pick a spot work it over in FP, sit down think about it, work it again making operating manual recommended adjustments, sit down think about it and then work it again as many times as necessary to implement the suggestions learnt here. I will not use the Rooster Booster for this test, but run standard external speaker.

We will see what we get. Regardless, I intend to enjoy the experience and maybe learn a lot.

I will also take shot gun pellet, bury it at the location and check performance of each option before starting. I'm guessing there is no more whorthwile test than the one that you do at the actual location.

Thanks again,


Bernie

G'day Bernie,welcome to the forum..great to see another Peninsula "local" I use a 5000,so anytime you wanna get together over a beer and chat about all things prospecting,just send me a PM

Good luck out there and hope you find some yella

Cheers...Dave