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.The Madonna Nugget
It was down deeper than I expected for surface trash. It wasn't until I was down six inches that the target screamed from my scoop.
Swing and a Miss
A very good baseball hitter might get a hit roughly one time out of every three at-bats, but for prospectors often the results are much sparser and it may take many trips before the prospector hits a home run.
Hard Rock Milling: A Matter of Scale
Most prospectors understand placer mining a lot better than hard rock mining and don’t realize the amount of work that goes into processing different types of hard rock ore.
Bedrock
I am going to break bedrock down a bit and explain my view of the varying scenarios I come across in the field.
The “Push” for Gold—The Great Nevada Adventure Continues
I got a signal but knew it was small. Still, I was very happy to find something. I continued and got another signal. Yes! A bigger nugget! Then I got another signal.
A Model Mining Operation
After he excavates the ore down to bedrock, he goes over the bedrock with a metal detector to ensure he didn't leave any gold behind before he backfills the area.
Finding Gold with a VLF Detector—Part II
It is this ability to hear and respond to the faintest of audio signals that I believe separates the best nugget hunters from everyone else.
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
