Prospecting & Detecting
Q&A With Detector Designer Dave Johnson
September 2011 by Chris Ralph
...it’s been a little known secret that one man was involved in designing many of the most respected very low frequency (VLF) nugget detectors on the market. Dave Johnson has designed gold-oriented detectors for Tesoro, Whites, Fisher and others for more than 25 years.Breaking Rock the Old School Way
Prospectors have many reasons why they might want to break rocks. These include dividing up a specimen too large to carry.
Mining Claims: Breaking All The Commandments
So, I took the plunge. I decided on the maximum I would pay for the claim, then placed my bid. A day later I received a congratulations e-mail that I was the high bidder, and oh, by the way, send us your money.
Dredging Backwards?
Before I tell you what dredging backwards is, I’ll tell you why my team and I decided to give this very unconventional dredging method a try.
How Long Does It Take to Find and Recover An Ounce of Gold?
Some ask if a prospector can collect an entire ounce in a day. It is possible; I’ve done it before.
Ganes Creek After The Flood
Doug told me that there had been a 100-year flood that took place in October of 2013 and it washed out part of the mile-long landing strip. It also washed a large, wide gully down below and above the camp.
A Father and Son Prospecting Adventure
As I write this, I am still on a rush from taking my 9-year-old son, Jeffrey, prospecting for the first time this past weekend. It’s not that he hasn’t been along on numerous outings before: this is the first time that just the two of us went out for a day of drywashing and detecting under the desert sun.
Nevada's Lithium Boom
When prospecting for lithium, after confirming for macro attributes through research and field work, including examination of surface geology, the main tool is an accurate lithium assay.
Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill
• Our Readers Say
• Ask The Experts - Could I stake out a 20-acre claim with a waterway running through it just as I would a lode claim?
• Ask The Experts - Do I have any grandfathered rights that post FLPMA claim holders do not have?
• Legislative and Regulatory Update
• Dredging Tips From The Golden Rogue
• Understanding and Prospecting Benches
• Gold in the Slate Creek Basin
• Deductions: Get 'Em While You Can
• Endurance Is Golden
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes & Mineral and Metal Prices
• The Preacher of Sheeps**t Flats







