Want to Increase your Finds.... Here's How... But Depends on Location and.....

Over a week ago was Detecting out from Tibooburra had not been there since 93 and a couple of times in the 80's.

Went to a place that a friend of mine had found a patch and he and mates had cleaned out. Asked him had it been chained (per my WA experience) No he replied. He... so there is still gold there I thought.

Anyway first late afternoon up there (Tib) drove out and found his spot, met a fellow operator who was just driving out, he had found quite a few bits ( over the hill?) and was not coming back (Ha Ha)

Anyway next day detected on the common, when past Jim and Cheryl's Flyspec hill that he found and wrote the article in Gold Gem and Treasure ( that made the hill famous) when  Margaret and I were detecting/Camping with the Mount Gambier Club in the mid 80's. Now its sign Posted in White
Rocks.

Next day went to the patch, after detecting for around 3 hours for not a signal and hearing the fellow operator of 2 nights ago constantly digging signals, I walked over and had a yarn ( 2m apart) explained that I has not heard a signal with my 7K and he was getting signals all the time.

His reply(with his 2300)...."Dont Swing... Prod" and he showed me, pushing his coil on the ground thru the rocks, this area was rocks and rocks, so my 7k was giving his 2300 something like 6inches of depth, and my estimate of his detecting area over the previous 3 days was a slope of 15m wide by 40m long. His tally for the morning 6 small pieces and 4 specimens.

We left at lunch time to find lead shot at Evans Gully, had a look in on the way home to find him still there, cultivating his patch.

Incidentally there were campfires in the area so it had other visitors prior to us.

Peter

HI Pete, I don't think I have tries prodding with the SDC, could be worth a go. I usually kick most of the rocks out of the way or knock them aside with the coil, then scrub the coil on the ground. The wife and I have worn out a couple of dozen skid plates and 3 coils with this method but it does work. If the powers that be ever let us out of pris.. Victoria, I will give it a go up there.
I had a dream last night, I was detecting WA or Tib or some such and someone discovered I was from Vic. !! Christ I though they were going to forcablely run me out of the state.
Anyway I suppose it will all end one day and we can "all" get back to it.
Sparrowfart.

Re ( I usually kick most of the rocks out of the way or knock them aside with the coil, then scrub the coil on the ground.)

These rocks are so close that I would not be surprised if during the prod the rocks on either side of the coil are lifted off the ground. The side of his coil was taped up for protection. ( with black tape... not my preference).

Re Going to Tib, even though the common and Easter Monday have been thrashed, unlike places in Vic its still relatively easy to find very small gold with a 2300 and Z. A friend (2300)found a 61 piece patch and a 40 piece patch on the common, my biggest patch was 4 pieces (plus 1.3gmer and a very small piece that wife found). My wife uses a paint brush along with her 2300 to find the pin head sizes pieces and above in the vertical angled slate. So with Tib, for us you go for the experience, seeing the country where the oldtimers toiled, and detecting with friends for around 5 hours a day ( not the dawn to dusk of some).

Peter

Only about four years ago it was possible to find good patches on the common. That year we found several patches on the common some with as many as 100 plus bits, almost all were sub grammers, though. This year we stayed only 2 weeks, took days off and when we worked we only put in a maximum of 3 hours. We found 159 bits of the smallest gold we have ever found. The 159 bits weighed a total of 8.8 grams. But as a very wise man once said, gold is the thing of least value to be found in a desert. We simply love being there and find the gold a bonus. I'm sure you feel the same way, Peter. And we remember well the trip there with you all those years ago

I know this is an older post, but when I chained in WA, I also raked the top rock stubble off, to get to the dirt, as it was an extra 2-3 cm, and rub the skid plate right at the dirt. Yep, I also tested the rock piles I made too.
Tibooburra sounds like a good place I hadn't thought if near SA. Will check it out.

Re ( I also raked the top rock stubble off, to get to the dirt, as it was an extra 2-3 cm)

The rocks that I walked on were 10 to 15cm, you could not see the ground. Some desperate prospectors had shovelled the rocks off the ground for say 1/2 a cricket pitch.

Wow, that is deep. No wonder you could miss any little pieces.