Purchase Some Prospecting Tools Today And Enjoy Your Time Outdoors

By Coleen Cote


There are many enthusiasts who enjoy getting out in the open air with their prospecting tools. If prospecting for gold and other metals interests you, you should consider buying a metal detector. These come in a range of models ranging from cheap and simple to pricey and highly sophisticated. Or you may prefer to try your luck with a simple gold pan.

Gold pans have been used for centuries but have never gone out of favour or been placed by anything else. For individuals, it is regarded as useful and effective. Sizes vary from nine through to fourteen inches in diameter. As a beginner, you may find the larger sizes heavy and a bit awkward to use. Smaller pans are less tiring to use but it does take longer to wash away the dross.

Plastic pans are now available as well as metal. The inside edges are riffled to help catch any specks of gold. While the choice of colour will not be large, choose one where any flakes of gold will stand out against the sides and bottom.

Most amateur prospectors choose a round shape. Ask someone experienced in their use to show you how to swish the pan around to wash the dirt from the gold. YouTube videos also give clear instructions and demonstrations. You can practice at home by adding lead shot to a little dirt.

A metal detector will provide a lot of fun. These can be very sophisticated and may have a number of features but these will cost you more. The weight of a detector is supported by straps over the shoulders and neck. Two handles allow the user to sweep the machine back and forth in front of them. There is a coil in the base of the machine which creates an electromagnetic field. The sound emitted by the detector changes when the coil passes over any metallic item.

If you are prepared to pay more, you can purchase a model which has a flat screen. Images of buried items appear on the screen. The depth of the buried article can also be ascertained as well as the circumference. By pinpointing more exactly the position of the buried item, a lot of digging can be avoided. Some models have a multi-frequency function. This can indicate the composition of the item and can be set to ignore the presence of junk metals.

Most operators wear headphones when using metal detectors. Some people find they are unable to hear particular frequencies and need to adjust the sound. If you can't hear both high and low tones, you may miss hearing the machine indicating a find. If you are looking for particular metals, sounds that indicate other metals can be filtered out. The types of metals being searched for can be specified by changing the settings.

With a little experience, you will easily differentiate between various metals as each produces its own tone. Natural minerals such as those found in sand sometimes interfere with the sounds made by cheaper models. Practise at home with your detector. Aim to have the coil a few inches above the surface and move it slowly in a fan-like sweep from left to right. If you want to enjoy some time outdoors, these are all the prospecting tools you will need.




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