IDdesertman

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My biggest one is when someone tries to tell you where you can't go on public land like forest service or BLM.

Yup, I have experienced this many times with landowners who own some land nearby but try to act as if the adjacent public lands as their own. Fortunately I always carry a paper map with me and we are quick to "get to the bottom of it" once the map comes out.

The BLM Rangers I've dealt with are mostly Vietnam vets and pretty down to earth guys... though I know others have had different experiences.

Looks like you found a good one! Looking forward to those pics...  

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The investor has fronted money for purchase of recovery equipment, plus expenses, received nothing in return, yet is convinced that with more money to buy different (better) equipment he will realize his profit.

It's the "Sunk Cost Fallacy." When someone has already invested so much money they are easily convinced that just a few thousand more will finally get them the riches that they deserve. 

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/how-the-sunk-cost-fallacy-makes-you-act-stupid.html

Man that really sucks. Definitely not a genuine GPX.

Very valuable info and great advise. No doubt that they prey on the inexperienced with stars in their eyes about owning a mine without the first bit of knowledge about it.

Ebay and the internet, GPAA magazine, classified section of the ICMJ is not much different.

As always, buyer beware...

Just looking through some old pics and came across this one from a few years back... Some gold found by a couple friends that mine near Fairbanks, Alaska. Don't recall the total, maybe 10-15 ounces in the pic.

A little motivation for everyone...

23 hours ago, Hard Prospector said:

Counterfeiting dirtbags trying to cheat those poor hard working African miners that live one day at a time.

Couldn't agree more HP. For most of us that $600 would sting no doubt, but a lot of those guys over in Africa are spending several months wages to buy a detector, often going on as a group and working in shifts just to afford it.

A short rope and a tall tree is fitting for whoever made those things.

I own both detectors you mentioned, and if you already have a Gold Bug with the 5" x 10" DD I don't think you are going to find any improvement making the switch. As Steve said, although I do think the Fors Gold is a solid gold detector I find it the be kind of bulky with the design and extra weight. I would be perfectly fine with that if it was a "better" detector, but it's not really. Very similar in performance overall.

This is a close-up on a good sized AZ specimen...

Just thought I'd share this with everyone. I always like gold in quartz, but I really think it's neat to see gold in host material that isn't what you might expect to find it in. The black piece is from Arizona.

Here's a little piece from Batopilas, Chihuahua, Mexico.

I think you made a fine choice, the Gold Racer can be squirrely in some types of ground, but it's a hot detector so that is to be expected. I'm liking mine more the more I get out and use it. It's a great "crumber".

Please share some pics when you get your detector and are out exploring. It's always interesting to see different terrain and finds from different areas!

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I was told they will do chemical and other tests  to prove the gold is from a certain spot...not sure how much is myth and how much is true..but they are out there...in case you go downunder .

I have sold some nuggets and specimens to a professor at a major college that does analysis on gold from various locations and studies the difference between them. Some of the gold he looks at is from one of the districts in Arizona and he was telling me how he is able to identify which areas the gold came from through his testing. Most of what he was doing was over my head, but still interesting to hear about nonetheless. So I have no doubt what you are saying is correct Fred.

Wow what a character.

Rob almost never cleans his gold so it probably won't look much different even after he pops it out of the ground. It looks like its a dandy though!

That's exciting! Awesome high-grade there.. 

That is a real beauty Rick! I bet there are a few more still waiting for you on your next trip.

Rumblefish- He did a specific gravity test on it by comparing dry weight with the weight suspended in water. It determines the ratio of gold vs. quartz in a specimen and is actually quite accurate, particularly on a piece like this that doesn't appear to have any other matrix in it.

Interesting point Chuck, I hadn't thought of that but I bet the kids don't carry lunch money like they use to. I remember it was like 80c or something like that for me. I always had change with me for lunch.

Matt

Actually a pretty nice little bead he got for what looked like just a bucket of material he swept up. Hmmm, makes me think you could fashion some sort of a vacuum system on your car that would vacuum up fine road dust as you are driving, with a screen on it so you would only pick up the extra fine particles. When you get home from work you've got a container of fines in your trunk you could process.. Fun video. (I can see you are exploring some creative prospecting ideas now that you are back in Wyoming Jason. )

I like it!

I suppose calling it a hot spot is a bit confusing, but rather the sensitivity of the coil goes out further from the center. Thus, a small nugget will give a good signal, say 1" from the front edge of the coil, whereas the other might need to be 2" back from the front edge before getting a solid signal. Not a major difference, but something that takes a bit of getting use to with a new detector.

For what its worth I was quite impressed with the Racer and expect to be using it a whole lot more. 

I was out last week playing around with the Makro Gold Racer alongside my GBPro. I've grown quite accustomed to the "hot spot" on the 5" x 10" DD Gold Bug coil right at the tip, maybe 1.5" back from the very tip, and with the Racer it seems the strongest signal is right dead center on the 5" x 10".

All coils have that sweet spot, but it got me wondering why it would differ? I've never dug into a coil and looked at the guts but it would seem to me that they are all pretty similar inside(of the same type of course). In other words, I would assume the inside of both the 5" x 10" DD coils on both detectors would be about the same inside, so why would the hot spot location be different? Curiosity got the best of me.

Are there any bad ways to mine, or is it all "fair game" as long as minerals are being extracted for the cause of human development?

I agree, it's more than a bit hypocritical for us here in the US to scold 3rd world countries about deforestation when we already did (a few hundred years ago) clear cutting and plowing that changed the natural landscape, so we already had our turn, so to speak. Completely unregulated mining that pollutes drinking water with mercury, I'm not sure I can rationalize that to myself by saying that they will appreciate it when they have all the luxuries that come along with it.

Here's another article about mining in Peru I found on Mining.com. It's certainly not just the liberals and greenies who are reporting on this stuff.

http://www.mining.com/mercury-pollution-linked-to-illegal-gold-mining-in-peru-reaches-lethal-levels-73281/

Wow that sucker was loaded!