Gold Prospecting with the Gamma 6000

[ToddB64]

Hi All !

Perhaps this post should have been done in The "Prospecting" Forum , but since it also deals with the Gamma's capabilities for prospecting I wasn't sure and put it here.

I recently acquired a Gamma 6000 and have been re-reading the manual and hunting for coins & jewelry in the parks this winter when the temperature is acceptable.

On page #17 of the manual, down at the bottom of the page under the subheading MANUAL GROUND BALANCING it says the following: "However, for gold prospecting, searching on a wet saltwater beach, or searching in an area with so much metal trash that there is no clean ground for the detector's internal computer to sample, we recommend that you manually ground balance.". My focus isn't on GB'ing the Gamma, but rather on gold prospecting with it since this is mentioned in the manual.

So far, I've never used the Gamma 6000 to prospect for gold. In the charts at the back of Andy Sabisch's book The Treasure Hunter's Handbook, published 2010, this machine is classified as
G (General Treasure Hunting) and C (Coin Hunting). However, in view of the above statement in the manual about gold prospecting, I'm guessing that this is referring to gold nuggets if they are large enough, but probably not small granule-size placer gold.

Has anyone out there used the Gamma 6000 to prospect for gold and if you found some, what size was it ?

Thanks,

ToddB64

 

[johndoe1]

I've had mine since November and haven't yet had the chance to do any prospecting, how ever I have a trip set up for spring to go west just for that purpose. Sorry I don't have any helpful advice as of yet.

 

[ToddB64]

Hi johndoe1,

Thanks for your reply.

Hope you find lots of gold on your trip out West !

When you return please post your finds, with pics if possible.

ToddB64

 

[amcjavelin]

we'll the frequency is going to work against you unless your nugget hunting i suppose but match head stuff i really doubt it but everything else i really like it i've prefered it over the Omega

 

[ToddB64]

we'll the frequency is going to work against you unless your nugget hunting i suppose but match head stuff i really doubt it but everything else i really like it i've prefered it over the Omega

amcjavelin,

Thanks for your input !

ToddB64

 

[Ed in SoDak]

Some portions of the manuals are more or less copied for the various models with similar features, such as the section describing the primary uses for manual ground balance. The Gamma might do fine for you, but I don't think prospecting is a primary design goal for it. The coil you're using plays a part, as well as the place you've chosen to search, your experience and the settings of the detector. Having a manual GB is a big plus and probably a requirement for stable performance in mineral-rich gold country. I wouldn't hesitate to try it and see how well it works.

When I was getting started, the best answer for me was to purchase a couple small nuggets. I put one in a small ziplock bag and taped that to a piece of heavy cardstock to make it more visible and easier to keep track of. I added a length of string to the card so I could bury it and easily retrieve it after testing. I still bring it along to toss down for a quick check of the detector's response to it. You'll probably notice it has a different sound than the typical junk target you come across, mostly due to it's relatively small size and low conductance. Larger nuggets will be naturally harder to pass by, but it's often the small bread and butter nuggets that escape many searchers.

If you can't easily procure a test nugget, you can substitute a small piece of lead from a fishing sinker or pellet gun.

Finding a likely area where gold may be near the surface has been the bigger challenge for me.

-Ed

 

[ToddB64]

Ed,

That's interesting information you posted..........Thanks a lot !..

ToddB64