Why Is A $1500 Pi Even Being Talked About?

[mn90403]

A new detector is not going to find gold that is gone.  Along with the gold some of the clues are gone as well.   New clues are made with dry wash piles, hand stacks and dig holes.

[ChuckScrivener]

7 hours ago, mn90403 said:

A new detector is not going to find gold that is gone.  Along with the gold some of the clues are gone as well.   New clues are made with dry wash piles, hand stacks and dig holes.

That's why I'm sorry for my grandkids who are just getting into this hobby. The early days with detectors were so much fun because the gold was there. Having been picked over it's hard to get anything but crumbs. New patches are still out there but the ones I've seen lately have come without the traditional indicators like dry wash piles or any old workings. They were the tough ones for even the old timers to find. I think the better finds for the future may come from better discrimination being able to search through old home sites or trashy tailings. 

[mn90403]

You said it better than I did.

I started late to this game and my kids won't have the 'clues' I did because they will look at a contact zone and not find gold and not get exited.  Everything will seem like a one-off event.

Not true everywhere but truer than in the past.

[Redz]

1 hour ago, ChuckScrivener said:

I think the better finds for the future may come from better discrimination being able to search through old home sites or trashy tailings

I'm with Norvic, the better finds are always in the patches nobody has found, including the oldtimers. They are not near mines and old placer patches. The only way to find them is put in a lot of miles, and be lucky. A lightweight detector makes that a lot easier...it doesnt have to be the deepest as you can bring in big guns after you have found it.

[geof_junk]

11 hours ago, Redz said:

I'm with Norvic, the better finds are always in the patches nobody has found, including the oldtimers. They are not near mines and old placer patches. The only way to find them is put in a lot of miles, and be lucky. A lightweight detector makes that a lot easier...it doesnt have to be the deepest as you can bring in big guns after you have found it.

That's the method to find patches, but some skill needs to be acquired first. I spent 10 hours a day for ten weeks with out a speck from detecting. I was about 50 years younger then, and had found over 4 ounces from panning and dredging. In the end I found one good patch in Victoria that yield a bit under 30 oz and one in West Aust. 30 odd Oz and another about 60 Oz  All of these would of been found with most Gold Detectors except for a few deep nuggets. I will try flogged ground in a new field, with a small coil and good detector. To get an idea how well the area was done and then walk, walk, walk and only stop when I find a new patch. I forgot to say gold prospecting was only a hobby for me and the wife.  

[Redz]

5 minutes ago, geof_junk said:

That's the method to find patches, but some skill needs to be acquired first.

True. I initially got a vlf, collected dirt samples from the gullys I detected, then spent about 10 years drywashing before I finally made it back to a PI. The drywashing, however, was invaluable in learning the ground where gold liked to be

[dig4gold]

On 2/9/2024 at 9:49 PM, mn90403 said:

A new detector is not going to find gold that is gone.  

No, but it will with its newer technology find gold missed by other detectors on old patches. Look at the success of the 6000. Most new release gold detectors/coils have that ability to bring old patches back to coughing up a few more bits. Maybe not as big but often lots of smaller stuff. It all adds up. 

D4G

[mn90403]

I went out last Saturday to a club claim where guys were finding big nuggets (up to 11 grams) 15 years ago.  I was using my X-coil and I'm pretty sure I was the first one.  It was the first time there for me and I didn't get any gold but heard lots of stories (clues from the past).  The regulars have reduced themselves to digging the banks and getting nuggets with the Gold Monster.

 

[Steve Herschbach]

4 hours ago, dig4gold said:

No, but it will with its newer technology find gold missed by other detectors on old patches. Look at the success of the 6000. Most new release gold detectors/coils have that ability to bring old patches back to coughing up a few more bits. Maybe not as big but often lots of smaller stuff. It all adds up. 

D4G

It’s also true that diminishing returns is a real thing. Spending ever more money for ever less gold is not sustainable forever. I did this for profit and made good money at it up until the release of the 7000 and for several years after. Yes, the 6000 kept the number count up, but the weight dropped off dramatically. I finally shut the doors a couple years ago on my small gold mining company business license after turning steady profits since 1979. I simply could not reliably cover expenses anymore, let alone turn a decent profit. The fact is the glory days are over but few want to admit it. I officially entered the ranks of hobbyist detectorist and still enjoy getting out and having a bit of fun looking for gold, but I’m far less motivated now than I was when I was getting 1/4 oz a day minimum. It’s been a couple years since I got more than an ounce in a day, something I used to do regularly.

[dig4gold]

I couldn't agree more Steve but that is the difference between doing this for money or doing it as a hobby. I would have at a guess that most hobbies don't make money but are done because the people doing it see it as an escape from their usual daily grind. Food for the soul. Be it fishing, hunting, hiking, skiing etc. A lot of those activities come at quite a high cost. Fishing involves having a boat with all the expenses that go with owning & running a boat. Would be cheaper just to buy the fish from a shop, but it isn't always about just catching a fish. It is the whole journey with some mates & the places you go to. Same with gold detecting. Depends how you look at it why you are really doing it. Gold detecting involves hiking, gets you out doors, you experience the 4 seasons in all its glory & what nature offers in those 4 seasons. The Autumn colours , the spring time blooming of wild flowers, the critters you see etc. Ok, the gold has a value but so to do the other things out there.  Like I said, food for the soul. Not everything is about money for everybody

But I get your point.

D4G