Prospectors who are thinking about investing in a metal detector, are probably curious about the chances you have to find gold with this tool. Metal detectors – and electronic prospecting – are among the most useful tools for both beginners and expert prospectors when appropriately used.
To use a metal detector to find gold, you should first choose between a BFO or VLF detector. Then you’ll need to get headphones and a shovel, run some tests, tune your detector, use the proper sweeping action, pinpoint the gold location, and recover the gold.
However, knowing some other tricks can drastically increase your chances of finding gold on your outings. Read on for the details!
Table of Contents
How Does Electronic Prospecting Work?
Electronic prospecting is one of the many different methods prospectors use to find gold. This activity is usually carried out through the use of a mineral/metal detector. However, these pieces of equipment are rarely designed only to find gold[1].
Therefore, knowing how to set them up properly, tuning them, and testing them in advance can increase your chances of identifying gold in a placer rather than other metal and mineral objects.
Finding the right location to search through a metal detector is undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges beginners face. Indeed, unlike other prospecting tools, you will only be able to scan a small portion of terrain at a time.
However, ideally, you should pay attention to locations that boast none to little streambed material[2]. While some detectors are waterproof today, they are most efficient when the coil can search the ground as carefully as possible. Additionally, you should aim for locations that are already proven to be gold-bearing until you gain more experience prospecting with a detector.
Below you can find a detailed guide that can get you ready to start your electronic prospecting activity right away.
Step 1 – Picking the Best Metal Detector for Your Prospecting Needs
Without a doubt, the choice of metal detector is the single most important thing aside from knowing the location you wish to prospect for gold. Indeed, these pieces of machinery can be highly effective in retrieving deposits, but not all of them will suit the needs and budgets of all prospectors.
If you already have the metal detector you will use on your outings, head to the next sections to find out how to tune it properly to find gold. Alternatively, read on to discover the perfect detector for your needs.
BFO vs. BLF Detectors
There are two main types of metal/mineral detectors on the market: BFO (Beat Frequency Oscillator) or VLF (Very Low Frequency)[3].
BFO detectors are the simplest types of tools for electronic prospecting. The level of technology they boast is adequate to find most minerals and metals, yet you might struggle to identify gold sediments. Indeed, these detectors will scan through the surface, but they don’t react well to interferences created by eventual highly-mineralized grounds that surround gold.
Therefore, if you are specifically searching for gold, you should consider investing in a VLF. Very-Low Frequency detectors boast a state-of-the-art technology that allows them to cancel out interferences created by highly-mineralized ground and sound better on gold.
In the case of VLFs[4], your detector will create a visible or auditory sign when running across a valuable deposit. It is then in the prospector’s hand to interpret this sign and continue with the pinpointing and extraction of the nugget.
There are several types of VLF detectors on the market, which are also designed for gold prospecting specifically, such as the Garrett at Gold Waterproof Metal Detector and Fisher Gold Bug Pro Metal Detector.
Multi-Purpose vs. Specialized Detectors
As we have seen, different types of detectors are more suitable for certain prospecting activities. Indeed, if you are only looking for gold, a specialized sensor might be the ideal companion for your outings. Oppositely, if you spend time looking for other objects and deposits such as jewelry and valuable metals, you should consider the functionalities of a multi-purpose detector.
In any case, they can both work equally well if tuned and tested correctly before your outing trip. However, a specialized metal detector boasts particular circuits that cancel out the interference created by materials such as bottle tops and nails[5].
It might seem a subtle difference at first, but, as we are about to see in the next section, gold is not one of the best sounding materials on a detector. This characteristic might cause many prospectors to miss the auditory signal sent by the sensor or confuse it with other sounds. Additionally, if the indicator gives out signals for several different materials, it is easy to misinterpret the type of deposit you are dealing with.
Gold Targets
Some challenges are explicitly associated with gold targets such as nuggets and flakes. This metal is known for not reading well on a detector, so it will send out a weak auditory signal to the prospector[6].
Moreover, potential high-mineralized grounds surrounding the location you are searching can create interference. Together, these two factors can make the identification and recovery of gold nuggets particularly challenging, especially when compared to other metals.
Aside from investing in a detector that is specialized in identifying gold, you can improve your chances of detecting valuable deposits through proper tuning of your equipment.
Depth Capabilities
The depth capabilities of your detector are another factor that could impact on your chances of success. Depth capabilities refer to the ability of the sensor to identify deposits at a greater depth. There are two factors to take into considerations regarding the depth capabilities of a sensor[7]:
- Paying a higher price of your detector does not necessarily guarantee you to benefit from greeted depth capabilities. Therefore, you should make sure that the standards of the equipment you have chosen are adequate for the soil you will analyze. Speaking to a local prospector can help in this case.
- The size of the nugget or deposit in question can influence the depth capabilities of your detector. The smaller a deposit is, the closer to the surface it will need to be appropriately identified. By the same principle, you will be able to pinpoint larger nuggets at a deeper depth.
Step 2 – Select the Right Headphones
Aside from the detector, there are other tools that you will need to include in your kit when deciding to prospect for gold. First and foremost, the headphones[8].
Depending on the detector’s model, this will come with an included pair of headphones, or you will have to buy one separately. In any case, purchasing a pair of headphones for your prospecting outings is not something that you should skip.
Indeed, most of your prospecting activities will take place in the open and in natural surroundings, where it is easy to misinterpret the detector’s sounds. This statement is even more true in the case of gold deposits, which will only cause the detector to release a weak auditory signal.
Other tools to include in your kit are:
- Rubber boots
- Magnifying glass
- Sack or bag to store the deposits
- Shovel
- Hammer
Step 3 – Perform Drills and Tests
Testing your detector is a step that no prospectors – weather experts or beginners – should skip. Indeed, it can give you an indication of the tool’s capabilities and help you recognize the sound it will produce while you are on your outing.
You could perform several types of tests to find out whether the detector is capable of finding gold. Some of these drills will require you to have a basic knowledge of prospecting techniques – such as passing the detector on a deposit of mineral concentrates[9].
Alternatively, while it might require you to invest a little more on materials, you could use authentic placer gold for your testing. In this case, you will place the flakes in sheets of paper and other materials. Then, you will run the detector just above the pile, listening carefully to how the tool will sound when detecting gold[10].
Through this technique, you can also check at what distance the coil should be from the surface of the soil to intercept any potential gold nuggets underneath. Moreover, these tests can teach you how to set the detector to slowly cancel out interferences if you are using concentrates or deposits.
Ultimately, learning how your machine works in a controlled environment can give you a better idea of what to look for when you are in a gold-bearing location. Indeed, as you might have noticed through the drills, the detector will sound different and will emit different-strengths sounds when running over various types of metal.
Step 4 – Tune Your Detector
Tuning your detector before your prospecting outings is essential. Even if you have completed the tuning process before, it is vital to keep in mind that different locations and ground are varied and can act differently on the detector.
Therefore, after you have identified the location you would like to search, you should proceed to adjust the detector’s settings. Don’t forget that most detectors will need a short time to warm up and start functioning properly.
Volume
Since all detectors will boast different types of settings, it is crucial to follow the manufacturer’s instructions to achieve the best results. However, you should tune them at just below the hearing range regarding the detectors for which you can change the volume.
In this way, as soon as the detector runs over a deposit, you will be able to hear the sound it produces, for how weak and feeble it can be[11]. However, it is vital to notice that the volume settings on detectors can vary, and some will not allow the prospector to change the volume.
Ultimately, if you have this option, you should make the most out of it: on your prospecting trip, capturing a sound can make a difference in whether you will be able to find gold or not.
Sensitivity
Setting the sensitivity[12] of your metal detector is tricky, but it is one of the main tools you can use to attempt to cancel out the interference created by other minerals. In the case of sensitivity, it is essential to understand that too high settings will cause you to perceive any sound, even the one created by worthless metals.
Ground Balance
Finding the right ground balance setting[13] and keeping it right throughout your prospecting activity are the most critical factors to help you recover gold nuggets. Properly setting up the ground balance can require you a little practice, so you should first try in a controlled environment.
Start by identifying a neutral ground – which does not contain minerals or metals. At a standard balance, the detector should produce a weak “hum” sound through the headphones.
As you lower and lift the coil from the ground, this sound might change. If it does, you will need to tune the ground balance properly until there is no sound difference in the two positions.
Remove Interferences
Since the detector will already catch the interferences created by the several minerals and metals in the ground, it is suggestable to eliminate as much noise as possible. Therefore, you should avoid having jewelry and other items to distort the sounds while you are prospecting for gold.
Step 5 – Use the Proper Sweeping Action
The sweeping action[14] required to find gold depends on the size of the coil, as well as its functionalities. However, generally speaking, the key to properly analyzing the ground is to slow down your movement, to hear any sound produced by the detector as it runs over a deposit.
Indeed, it is extremely easy to run over a fraction of the ground too fast and miss the signal that the detector is scanning gold. When doing so, remember that the message often emitted to communicate the presence of gold is much quieter than others and can easily sound like a coin.
Additionally, it is essential to overlap your sweeping action. The size of your detector’s coil tells you the size of the portion of the ground you are scanning, but only at a surface level. Indeed, the searched area becomes smaller and narrower on deeper grounds.
This characteristic means that while you might have combed the surface, underneath, you might have missed out on essential sections where nuggets could be lying.
Step 6 – Pinpoint the Gold Location
Once you have found a reading target, it is time to pinpoint the right location of the gold nugget or flake. Since the coil can be larger than 8in (20cm) in diameter, the area that you would have to search can be quite extensive. Instead, with pinpointing techniques, you will know where your target is and how to proceed for the recovery.
Firstly, use your detector to ensure that it has identified gold. You can do so by running it through another piece of gold that you have with you and comparing the two sounds. If they are similar, you can add a test to identify the exact location of the nugget[15].
Start by sweeping the detector left and right and back and forth, to find out where the sound seems more reliable. Once you have identified this section, start to lift the detector upward slowly. As we have seen in the previous section, the coil’s detection span decreases at further distances.
Therefore, if the sound disappears when you lift the detector, the gold might have exited the detection radius.
Step 7 – Gold Recovery
Recovering gold from a location in the ground that you have pinpointed might not be a particularly straightforward process. Indeed, you will need to use your shovel to gently lift the portion of the land in which you believe the nugget of flake to be.
If you are equipped with a plastic gold pan, opt to transfer the material selected into the pan. While doing so, you should be extremely careful not to cause turbulence on the streambed material, if this is what you are examining. Indeed, the vibration can cause other gold deposits to sink further down into the soil, which will make the unretrievable[16].
Instead, with the material that you have dug up, you can continue the process by panning it for gold, as you usually would with other streambed material. In any case, you should avoid throwing away or disposing of any substance until these have proven that there is no gold in it through panning.
Indeed, some flakes and particles might be too small for the detector to produce a sound, yet they will be easily identifiable through panning.
Conclusion
Prospecting for gold with a metal detector can be a highly profitable activity, but some factors can influence the outcomes and results of your prospecting outings. Firstly, the type of sensor used and its design can make it easier or more challenging to identify gold.
Moreover, the prospector’s ability to finely tune the detector and read better on gold targets is a valuable skill. Lastly, understanding the location’s geology and gold-bearing potential can help beginner prospectors find a suitable place to practice their abilities