Platinum undetectable on a PI machine.

[Aussie MXT]

Hi all,

I had been told that a PI machine couldn't detect platinum and I could hardly believe it. My MXT can pick it up. I recently took a lump of Platinum on a weekend away and got my mate to test it with his GPX 4500 and what'dya know not a sound. Can anyone explain to me why this is so?

Thanks Dicko..

 

[Infiniumexplorer Excalibur]

I have read from those who found platinum with a minelab pi that ti sounds like ground noise, this is from about two people. A pi will perform better when the target is in situ and it maybe that platinum is hard to hear in the first place. The 4500 may not have been adjusted properly either, or the nuggett is porous etc. etc.

Interesting though.

 

[GunnarMN]

[size=x-large]Do you mean a platinum ring??[/size]

 

[Aussie MXT]

I tested it on a peice of platinum that I had rolled out to make a ring. This was the offcut from one end weighing 0.7g. Plenty big enough to get a booming signal.
This was pure platinum straight from the refiners.

Dicko..

 

[Wantmoregold]

G'day Dicko,

I have not browsed this forum for some time and after reading your observation and test with the GPX4500 on Platinum it reminded me of a similar observation and test my mate told me about. Now my mate also owns a GPX4500 as well an XT18000 VLF and what he found was his 4500 could NOT get a signal on a "hypodermic needle" you know the ones they stick into us. Anyway I said what size coil did he have on as I thought the smaller the better. He said he tried both a 10" Mono and 9"x5

 

[wally]

No Platinum in a hypodermic needle.They only cost about $3.00 in Australia they are a Medical grade Stainless Steel

 

[w6pea]

Interesting subject. Maybe I should read these forums more often.

 

[hanging rocker]

Hey Dicko
I pinged a 19 gram platinum nugget in Clermont last year on the 4500 not a problem, it was 15" down and it screamed.

 

[Jonathan Porter]

Hey Dicko
I pinged a 19 gram platinum nugget in Clermont last year on the 4500 not a problem, it was 15" down and it screamed.

Are you sure its platinum? I've never heard of anyone detecting Platinum around Clermont or anywhere in Australia for that matter, plenty of Galena here and there but not platinum.

JP

 

[hanging rocker]

Hi Johnathon,
I apologize, I am wrong in hindsight it probably galena , the nugget has a thick black coating of oxidation on it a the small section I cut of the end tarnishes pretty quickly. As a matter of fact you have actually held the nugget in your hand, on the day you had a difference of opinion with Andrew under the old tree of bull dust in the park.We had been talking of gold and things when I pulled this out of my pocket and showed you but this piddly little nugget was somewhat overshadowed by the bag of AU that you had brought in. You may remember me as the bloke you told (jokingly I hope) off for borrowing the mates copy of your DVD and not buying it. I also showed you a few nuggets I had found on the way to Clermont.
Has there been any new gpa's opened and are they worth looking at or have you cleaned them up, how long is the grass this year.
all the best
Marty

 

[Jonathan Porter]

Hi Marty, yes I was joking mate. Bit of a dampener that day when it all went pear shaped, everyone was enjoying themselves until that happened, I haven't been back since. I remember your interesting find and also the gold you had on you. The grass is the worst I have EVER seen it up this way and for the first time year I actually trod on a brown snake which had both of us doing some interesting ballet in amongst my legs when we were trying to get shot of each other. No new GPAs have opened and the ones that are there are under threat along with the bulk of them being closed all summer due to the rain. Had another 17mm yesterday, all of it in the shape of drizzle with no sun for three days now!!!

Regards

Jonathan

 

[B.T]

A few small Platinum nuggets have been found in central Vic over the years. Several of around 2 gs were found not far from Dunolly and one or two from Moliagul about 1 gram. These were a few years back in the VLF days and were verified as proper native Platinum nuggets.

 

[hanging rocker]

Hi Brett
Some time ago I spoke to a fella down Wellington NSW way and he told me of several small platinum nuggets he had found but I never saw them but he swore it was true?. In the area I live in there is one small area (5O mtrs) long in the local creek that produces small grey/ silver heavy flakes and I was told it could well be platinum or one of the other minerals associated with platinum as our area is (was) rich all sorts of goodies antimony,gold scheelite,saphires etc.I have not seen to many articles in G.G.T. of late, I had just purchased my x-terra 7o when your articles on the same were being published. I got to say I am indebted to you for teaching me the basics of that machine,Ive moved on since then to a 2100 then to a 4500 and have not looked back although I still like a coin/relic shoot occasionally but gold has got me by the boo boo.
cheers
marty

 

[XT18000]

Can't belive a PI will knot pick up Pt. but who knows? Here is a test you can do to tell if it is for sure Pt.
1. Place .5 gram sized particle or cons. in a test tube.
2. Add 1cc Nitric Acid and 3cc Hydrochloric Acid ( Aqua Regia )
3.Boil over lamp flame 5 minutes or more; then let settle
4. Place about 25 drops solution in a clean evaporating dish
5. Place over lamp flame to dry; allow enough time for it to dry thoroughly
6. After dish has cooled, add 3cc distilled water and reheat to boiling
7.Filter solution into another clean evaporating dish
8. Add .1 gram of Potassium Iodide
Results: If Pt. is present, a rose-colored solution, at once or after dish has set for 30 minutes or more
Note: The presence of Sulfides may give a red color. In that case proceed as folows
9. Let dish set until dry: add 2 or 3 drops distilled water
Results: A rose color if Pt.; no red or rose if sulfides

 

[Aussie MXT]

Or you could hit it with the blow torch. Platinum won't melt untill it's white hot.

Zaqq has a video on youtube where he detects a large platinum nugget that he got from Russia. It gave a good signal but he says its got iron in it as part of that particular deposit. If anyone has a platinum ring they could test that. Most are a platinum/palladium mix never less then 94% platinum. These should be invisible to a PI detector.

Dicko..