Chris Ben

Buzzards, I struck out a long time in GB, before I finally found gold there. I use a GPZ 7000. The nuggets were not that deep, though I did dig a few 20 Inch holes for the bullets. My best advice is to just cover a lit of ground and use a GPZ. Lol Chris

I had a couple of productive days in a new area me and my buddy Dave have been checking out. First was last Sunday, I found a wash that gave up 8 nuggets, 6 for me and 2 for Dave, then I found a few small pieces in a couple of nearby tributaries. Ended up with about 8.8 grams. Then today we tried an area nearby, and I guess I got the lucky wash. I was able to dig up 11grams, biggest was 4.9. Two nuggets came out of the same hole. Dave and I hiked a lot and dug a bunch of bullets. Deep ones on bedrock, a bunch of heartbreak digs. Worn out we called it a day. It was a beautiful day to be out prospecting. Chris

I bet more than a half a gram. Chris

Hi, I actually never did the update. For no reason other than I haven't gotten around to it. I usually use the same settings, but lately I've been noticing different sounds. Just seems to be running different. Unfamiliar responses to familiar ground is the best way to describe it. Not sure, may be in my head lol. Chris

Couple more pics.

We'll i finally got to join the 1oz+ club!! My buddy Dave and i headed to Gold Basin for a half day trip. We hit our usualy spot and split up. I headed to a wash that i found a 5.4 gram piece a couple of weeks ago. I didnt hit the whole wash, so i figured id start where i left off. A bit later, i get a nice signal by a bush in the middle of the wash. It turned out to an 8 gram specie with some dark host rock mixed in. 10 feet away in the bank of the wash i get another screeming signal. This was the flat nugget, also about 8 g. I radioed Dave to tell him the good news. The next couple of hours there was nothing except a couple of meteors. I decided to hit the bottom end of that same wash on my way back to the truck. After a bit i get a nice signal in the wash, it was the .8g flat piece. The wash had widened out, and the bedrock was deeper, so i wasnt detecting to slow wgen i got a slight sound. I thought it was just ground noise because i was running the GPZ hot at 18 sensitivity and high yield and normal ground. I did a scrape and the sound was still there. I took about 6 inches off with the pick and the sound seemed more distinct. I fugured it wasnt mineralization but rather trash because the dirt was silt, not hard pack. I kep widening and deepening the hole and when i got to over a foot it was screeming. I was figuring tin can ir something. After about 6 more digs and around 2ft deep. I get it out of the hold. I did reach bedrock so i was feeling hopeful. It turned out to be a 1.41 (OZ) nugget and a pretty one at that, with a bit of quartz. I finally joined the club. I feel like i deserve a patch or something lol. I radioed Dave to tell him the good news, and he was eccited for me. (He was already a member pf the club) a bit under 2 oz for the day. I took Dave to the wash, with his big coil on the GPZ, to try to score him a big nugget, no luck. We packed up and headed home. oh and i finally paid for my GPZ in nuggets ...and some. thanks Chris

Brian, glad you have become a believer in the GPZ! I was out on Sunday and finally peeled the screen cover off....WOW, its literally a night and day difference! Completely visible in sunlight. We still have to do some detecting together next time im up there! Chris

Mitchel, thank you, i did soak them for a couple of hours in CLR. That was it. Chris

Hi Chuck, Thank you, the GPZ works great for me. I do have a 9 in metal plate and 17 screws in my hip. That is a lot of metal. I seriously doubt you would have a problem with your shoulder. I only had a problem with the big coil. Interestingly when i turned the sensitivity to 18 on small coil if i wasn't careful i could get a signal on my hip, but nothing that was a hassle. It was something i didnt notice on a setting of 12 sensitivity. Which i would infer that the GPZ on the super hot settings would pick up more gold, if you could ignore the noise. I am trying to get a hip replacement, so im not sure if that will make things better or worse? Yes this spot is interesting, i do think i am getting closer to the source, nut not sure how to locate it. We've found gold all through the wash, and up the side of the bank, and now, well up the hill. Chris

Made it out for half a day yester to an old patch. My buddy dave let me borrow his big coil for the GPZ and i wanted to give it a shot. Good news, i scored 3 nuggets with it, bad newsI have a 9 in metal plate in my hip that sounds off every time i moved the coil to my right. Almost impossible to hold the coil far enough away to avoid the signal. Put heavy strain on my back trying to do that. So I switched coils and tried bumping up the sensitivity to 18 ground normal. I managed to get a couple more pieces. 4.6 gram total. Big was 2.2. I had found out my girlfriends brother is a closet prospector lol. He watches all thr shows but has never found any color. So i lent him my GMT and taught him my dig, rake, detect technique and he got 7 pieces for about a gram and a half. We werent getting cell service where we were and he didn't want his wife to worry, so we packed in early at 1:30. I text my girlfriend we were on our way. She asked why so early, and i told her Jason got sick. She text back with concern asking if was the heat? I replied "hes got a bad case of gold fever" lol in which she replied that i am a dork. I guess i am. Chris

Thanks Steve, i really enjoy seeing people succeed as well!

Made it out for a half day this past weekend, covered a lot of ground, but was worth it. The biggest was 5.4g and was over a foot down, 3 inches into hard caliche. Loving the GPZ. Did well with the meteorites as well. Chris

I went out to Gold Basin last Sunday for a few hours. Covered lots of ground and was able to dig up 3 nuggets and a meteorite. Gold Basin is finally showing me some love. One was a nice 1.4 gram heart shape, and the other was a 2.5 gram specie. 4.2 g total. Chris

Yeah, I always wonder about the planted gold. Regardless I have wondered how good I could do up there with the GPZ lol. Chris

Good job on both accounts.white sea bass is on my bucket list. I have a 3.5 day trip coming up out of San Diego. Chris

Great job! Great detecting!! Still never made it up there....one day! Chris

Great job! Great detecting!! Still never made it up there....one day! Chris

Great job! Great detecting!! Chris

Congratulations! That was a big score!!! I still haven't found a nugget at Gold Basin Chris

Yes good call, a leopard lizard

I'm watching, I like seeing people take chances, I like pondering the possibilities. I like seeing people succeed. I try not to get caught up in the sensationalization, be cause I figure that is created by the producers. "Gold Rush" is actually what got me into prospecting. Think what you want about the Hoffmans, but they took a shot and seem to be doing ok for themselves. Big risk knowing so little about mining and going for it. They all have messed up and overcome big mistakes, not an easy thing to do. I like seeing Parker kick their butt and Mature a little bit. I like seeing the big piles of gold lol. There are a few really good people on the show, as well as some characters. Such is life. Chris

I cannot confirm nor deny that statement ?

Thanks Chuck, Dave, and Mitchell. Mitchell, I'm actually not used to digging much trash lol. Yeah Steve I'm with you, I like seeing nuggets posted, it fires me up to go looking. Hope you get out soon. Let me know if you ever get down to Vegas. Chris

Hi all, I want out yesterday to an area that has some gold , but also lots of trash....i dug a lot of trash. Deep nails were my nemesis with the GPZ, but I did manage to dog up these 5 nuggets. Largest was 2.7 grams. Thanks, Chris.

I think you got the last piece, no more gold out there? Awesome looking specie! Chris