Norvic

Personally I found the Extreme a far better detector than the 2200, whilst the 2200 got gold no drama, I preferred the 2100 over it. But suspect that was because I was a slow adapter to auto GB, used all my PI`s in manual GB almost exclusively. The GPZ being my first detector I use the auto GB all the time except when pinpointing and when I wish to hear the ground changes, those ground changes I found important over the years whilst hunting new patches, slows you down and forces you to check all ground changes. Sometimes those ground changes are not so easy to see with the eye. eg color of ground or just ground features don`t change on surface. Not a firm rule, but ground changes get my attention and heart pumping.

Vanursepaul, Many thanks for your offer I have PM`d my address.

Yes my backyard is a puzzle to all re geology, it was under the sea thus the sedimentary, limestone, slates etc, but intruded and uplifted during the eons. Lots of granites, you`ll note my photo of rock wallabies on the granites. Thing is you can`t discount anything, I remember at school we were taught granites are purely igneous but now we believe they can be metamorphic, in 10 years they also may prove to be sedimentary (you doubt it so do I but heh), thing is to keep an open mind, only one constant "Gold tis where tis". You name it`s here, minerals, rock type. A hot potch, that has made it one of the richest areas in the world in mineral diversity but very complex and costly to process, after 150 years of mining there has only been one profitable large scale mining venture, the Red Dome or Mungana Mine of the 1990`s, that was thanks in part to Ian Plimer of " A Journey in Stone".

No I could not burn them out and mount, unique and magic as is. Sacrilege.

Hip-stick have to investigate, am finding 4 hours continuous with the GPZ is near my limit with just a bungee. It used to be there was not enough daylight in a day, just have to learn to age gracefully, I guess. Ddancer I don`t see it as a silly question, now using a scoop!!!!   Only joking JP put down the axe.

Used a bungee with the Minelabs PI`s on and off, much the same with GPZ. Found a bungee the way to go on flats and slopes but in steep sided gullies, working around boulders usually wind it out of way around shaft. Tried the pro swing that comes with the GPZ, but country I detect in doesn`t allow the freedom a bungee gives. Certainly as I`ve aged found it is a must to put in the hours.

I imagine there would be an amazing story, if only that coin could tell its journey. Congrats.

That`ll certainly help convince those who are on the fence.

Yeah I tried a USB Supereyes microscope, but I think it might perform better in totally dark just using its variable in built light, sort of overexposure of raised gold and underexposure of that on the lodes surface, at best setting. Must try again, if successful will post. Certainly helps John, give it another go.

Yeah RB7 from Bounty Hunter early 80`s, Gerry, it got the first gold there, but they were big pieces, it was many years later when I revisited with the Whites GM2 that I really scored, lots of small pieces. The RB7 was par with the Whites 6000, IMO, but would get a lot of arguments when I suggested that back then. 6000D and Deepseeker were kings in OZ. I was happy with the RB7 then the RG10, still have the RB10 and perhaps of interest, it was modified by Bounty Hunter of OZ with the forerunner of auto ground balance that would have been around 85. Often wondered who did that way back then, perhaps someone who later got Minelab going in that direction. Bounty Hunter disappeared in OZ not long after

DDancer, your query got me off my rear end and I found some info on mine, was not a complete report but certainly of interest and answers your question. quote "Although only 30cm wide at its widest point, the lode consists of calcite, fluorspar and kaolin and mineralised with arsenopyrite , produced over 2500 OZs of gold between 1931-35, from less than 100 tonnes of ore".

That explains why the mullock was rich although the size of one specimen from the mullock was near cricket ball in size and shot through with gold, the miners must have been in a hurry. I had this report amongst a lot of other mining reports I have collected over the years, just had forgotten about having it. Excuse -  Another senior moment but I did have an inkling I would find info amongst my "rats nest". Always had the intention of filing them away in a filing cabinet, maybe now I will. Been interesting but sorting through those old reports.

Spencer@wy, no definitely have not got it figured out, just had a business that paid the bills and did not need all my time, detectors came along and loved nothing better then spending all my spare time out there. Fortunately I was there at right time in a magic part of OZ and the Goddess of Gold came across on occasions. A great era we live in, detectors, 4WDs etc. An old OZ TV add said it all, was for a dish washing liquid, showed a housewife with her hands in the foamy solution, with the comment "you know your soaking in it". That's the fortune of our era, we can soak in it.

Very fine grained even almost no grain, shears off in flat thin flakes, with a slight gloss. I`m fairly geology impaired, marble is mined in close vicinity to mine today, also fluorspar back a bit. I`ll put my money on sedimentary slightly metamorphised, limestone almost marble. Imagine granitoid is not immediately soluble in acid, think this is maybe, will try a flake in acid. But must look further for a geological report of mine.

Prices on that web site are sure good. Some of the ironstone covered nuggets have a smooth coating on them and are a well waterworn nugget, suggesting they have been coated long after shedding from the reef. Unfortunately have smelted down the few I`ve found thus cannot post photos, but will endeavour to do so in the future. Never checked if a magnet would attract them so am curious, but have heard of modern alluvial plants that use magnets on their tables to remove such. Wonder how many are gold in disguise?

The books author brings in comparisons of world wide geology to explain mineral formation, St Helens as an example, I think AjR you`ll find it a great ref book. Imagine Amazon would have it, think I got it from Fishpond came from UK. 2nd hand  and well read but all there.

Spencer@wy if you break into the stone there is more inside, I`d imagine the original miner found many lb size lumps as he broke open the reef. Only a very small mine, probably 30ft deep 5ft diameter. Must have been a real jewellery shop, haven`t found any geologist reports on it, just passing references. Think the gold was deposited in a hot water solution, the area has a few hot springs that are slightly radioactive, good to ease the aches but as yet haven`t glowed in the dark.  . Long gone Uncle of mine reckoned you could put steel cans in the springs and over years would convert the steel to copper, dunno about that.

"A Journey Through Stone" by Ian Plimer, whilst about the area I live in, is a top read about the formation of mineral deposits through hundreds of millions of years. Written by a geologist who has the ability to write of such a complex subject in a easy to read and understand manner. It is out of print but obtainable snd/ hand on the net. 

He starts the journey off, 500 million years ago, writes of the 7 volcanoes that erupted here some 250million years ago, they "spewed" out an estimated 2000 cubic miles of material and how since than further movements of the earth through continental drift and other forces, formed the mineral deposits we see today.

A book I find rereading over and over by a very controversial character, his more recent books are about the conflicting evidence that his lifetime study of geology goes against the evidence of todays AGW. His writings just makes you think way outside the square, I recommend "A Journey Through Stone" might not get you more gold but I believe it will have questioning a lot of conventional thinking and have you looking in new places, thus increasing your chances.

A little story from this area. Originally mined in 1933, the miner got quiet excited about the amount of gold he got out of this mine(only shallow but rich) from folklore he flew over Cooktown at that time and threw out 10 shilling notes.

10 shillings can be equated to $1 OZ, of course in those days it would have bought many beers today for $1 you`d get a sip. I detected a fair quantity of gold from the tailings and a number of pieces in creek below. Is a small isolated mine that I must visit area with GPZ as always felt there would be undiscovered reefs in area. Did the tailings and area originally with RB7 and got a few larger pieces, sure got a pleasant surprise when I revisited with a GM2. The GM2 got the piece in photo, further uniqueness of this small area is there is no quartz which is probably why it was found 50 years plus after original rush.

Area is about 3/8 inch square. The gold from this area went 78% Au 22% Ag. Base material is limestone almost marble. No quartz in location of find. This is a small specie I kept for its uniqueness. As I have not got specialist macro gear this is best I could do, but you can see it is as if the gold replaced organic material, sort of a mineral fossil.

I know where you are Klunker, I bolt for a few days either fishing or prospecting get bugger all and tell the Missus had a lovely time with the Mistress. Just laughs and asks why I bother coming back home. Not good for the ego.

One way of doing it is instead of KMZ go for KML Ozi has no problem with that. As I understand it (may be totally wrong) KMZ is compressed whereas KML is not. When your in Google Earth look for the menu that specifies file format, default is KMZ. You`ll find the option of KML there. The other file formats I`m sorry I`m not familiar with.

See what you mean, that`s nifty. OZI is becoming very refined with each enhancement. One other thing I love about it, through all its progress over the years the base is still there no need to learn how to use new software from the beginning, just learn the new update features that apply to you.

Tit bit about Marble Bar, it competes with Coober Pedy both claim they are the hottest towns in OZ. Got to know the fellow at Marble Bar Service station, was telling him about escape and he said I was lucky also as had we been caught on that road would have been hit with a $1000 per wheel fine.

He was a real character, sold groceries and all general store stuff, I mentioned to him I`d kill for a Weekend Australian Newspaper to keep up with the news. Next visit he had one for me, couple of weeks old but much appreciated. When I settled for fuel and that I mentioned he`d forgotten to tally in the Weekend Australian, he said very straight faced, no I haven`t and gave me a written list of all those he wanted killed, mainly politicians. Characters you gotta love em.

Whats up Klunker!!!!! Getting old, too much comfort,  something in the water, dunno all was a great adventure and when you think of it that is what makes gold prospecting the magic journey for us. Plus as you recollect these memories you think more on the crazy things, I know one thing the Missus has had enough, can`t entice her out there anymore. She`s lost her sense of humour  or is she the sane one? Nah we`re not fools, just big kids.

No Gerry super magnet doesn`t attach to stone, just tried it. But it certainly looks like it should.

My stuff up Paul, but Steves kindly come up with a solution.

Tis a hard one that, I always asked that anyone I took out didn`t go back to spots shown without me, but unfortunately that never works. Certainly for safety reasons would be good to have company out there. But some "city folks" put comforts first, recall over in WA was travelling with a couple from Geelong, filling up with water from a bore tank and his missus had a peak in the tank, had a fresh dead parrot floating on surface.(probably dozens sunk) That was it the poor fellow had to drive back to civilisation procure a trailer and fill up with bottled water. But now down the years a bit they are still travelling around and "adjusted" and boil their drinking water. Good company around the camp fire, and they laugh about that experience now.

Yeah, it would not surprise me if Des has contacted Minelab re. my email to him about not being able to use tracks and waypoints from the GPZ on Ozi without going online. Hopefully they can work out a solution that will satisfy all, especially us users. Would be real neat if OZI was on GPZ screen, not likely on current one as probably hasn`t the memory, but Des worked a legal way to do such with Magellan mapping GPS`s, just a simple utility. I am not very fond of proprietary stuff, believe it is self defeating as it stifles tech advances in long term. IBM showed that with allowing PC compatibles way back. But it works for Apple, big time.

 Haven`t as yet put update on field notebook or smart phone, just have on home PC which I have not got a GPS on, use it just for manipulating and downloading maps etc. It has always opened on last map, think you can specify this in setup. One of those gonnadoos gottadoos.