| Metal detecting for gold nuggets is a pastime that | | | | detecting. |
| is fairly new. The old time prospectors who | | | | The depth at which a nugget can be detected |
| searched for gold decades ago, never had any | | | | varies quite a bit with size, density and shape of |
| piece of equipment remotely like a metal | | | | the nugget, the mineral content of the soil, the |
| detector. Modern technology however, has | | | | technology of the detector, the size of the coil |
| brought us this new device - the metal detector | | | | being used and a number of other factors as well. |
| and modern prospectors are finding some | | | | The world of metal detectors designed to detect |
| signifigant gold that was previously overlooked. A | | | | nuggets is dominated by two technologies one is |
| detector is an electronic device, which can sense | | | | called VLF or induction balance, the other is called |
| metallic objects buried in the ground. Since gold is | | | | PI or pulse induction. With the VLF technology, the |
| certainly a metallic material, metal detectors can | | | | electric energy into the coil goes up and down as |
| be used to find gold nuggets. In the last 20 years, | | | | a sine wave. With PI technology, the electric |
| detecting for nuggets has become a very | | | | energy into the coil turns on, shuts off for a brief |
| fast-growing aspect of the prospecting world. | | | | period of time, then senses the presence of any |
| Several companies have developed metal | | | | metallic object by its magnetic field. In general, |
| detectors specifically optimized to find nuggets. | | | | VLF technology is able to sense smaller gold and |
| Mind you, there is no such thing as a metal | | | | to discriminate gold from most iron trash, but it is |
| detector that finds only gold and no other types | | | | also more sensitive to negative effects from |
| of metal, but there are systems capable of | | | | mineralization in the ground. PI technology is able |
| distinguishing iron trash from gold in most cases, | | | | to sense large gold deeper and is much less |
| and technology continues to improve. | | | | sensitive to mineralization in the ground. Intense |
| Out in the western gold fields, the traffic of | | | | mineralization is common in many gold mining |
| electronic prospectors on the hills appears to be | | | | districts. As a result, detectors using Minelab PI |
| increasing every year. While a lot of factors are | | | | technology are the ones most commonly used to |
| contributing to this, probably the biggest force | | | | find gold nuggets in many parts of the Western |
| attracting these new folks is the continuing | | | | US. |
| increase in the price of gold. Many experts think | | | | Getting the best quality equipment isn't |
| gold is headed higher for the long term and the | | | | cheapwhen it comes to metal detectors built for |
| number of new prospectors out in the field will | | | | gold nuggets. The cost of a top of the line, brand |
| surely reflect this increase in the coming years. | | | | new Minelab GPX4000 with the typical accessories |
| There are many varieties of metal detectors with | | | | and a few extra coils currently runs well over |
| technologies and features designed for certain | | | | $4500, and that is no small chunk of change. Yet |
| characteristics and certain types of uses. All of | | | | in spite of that fact, there seems to be an |
| the technologies currently in use work by putting | | | | unending stream of new prospectors - often |
| electrical energy into a coil which creates a | | | | retirees - that are willing to shell out some |
| magnetic field and then sensing the response of a | | | | significant money to get involved in this exciting |
| metallic object to that magnetic field. Some are | | | | pastime. A surprising number are completely new |
| designed for hunting deep caches and treasure, | | | | prospectors. These are guys who have never |
| others for general purpose coin and jewelry | | | | panned, sluiced or dry washed a single flake of |
| hunting, and still others for underwater or beach | | | | gold previously, but are attracted to the possibility |
| hunting. The type we are most interested in is | | | | that sophisticated detector technology can help |
| those detectors designed specifically to prospect | | | | them find some trophy sized gold nuggets (I can |
| for gold nuggets. | | | | say from experience that staring too long at |
| Many folks considering the purchase of a metal | | | | photos of those trophy nuggets will give you a |
| detector will ask "which one is best"? This is not a | | | | bad case of gold fever faster than you can |
| simple question and the answer depends on your | | | | imagine!). |
| finances and what you intend to do with your | | | | In my mind, nugget detecting is the toughest |
| metal detector. When considering what detector | | | | form of individual prospecting to consistently |
| to buy it is important to consider what type of | | | | succeed at, but the attraction of the metal |
| detecting you want to do. If you plan to only | | | | detector is the fact that the yields can be very |
| detect for nuggets once in a while, you probably | | | | much higher - when you are successful, you can |
| will be most interested in a general purpose | | | | find a significant amount of gold very quickly. It |
| detector which can also be used for detecting | | | | takes time, however to learn those skills and gain |
| coins and jewelry at schools, parks and other | | | | the experience needed to be successful, so don't |
| locations. If you intend to focus only on detecting | | | | expect to just hit the field and suddenly strike it |
| for nuggets and have the cash, it is best to | | | | rich. If you work at it, in time you will be |
| purchase a detector which is optimized for nugget | | | | successful. |