Prospecting & Detecting
Talking Metal Detectors with Brent Weaver of Garrett
June 2022 by Chris Ralph
… I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Brent Weaver, Garrett’s chief design engineer to talk about gold-oriented detectors, how they work and how prospectors can get the most out of them.
Feather River Gold
I didn’t think too much of our dredge hole and we were both considering a move when we hit bedrock. There was a good quantity of flakes and fines, but no nuggets.
It's Another 'Ben Day'
I looked over and saw Ben on his knees, digging at the edge of the Manzanitas, almost underneath them. I thought back to the previous weekend when we were planning this trip—that day had been a “Ben day.”
Q&A With Detector Designer Dave Johnson
...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.
Ask the Experts
• Using drywashers to work desert gravels
Dredging Therapy
The big moment finally arrived. With Norm suited up, I pulled the motor to life and felt instantly better. There’s really something relaxing about the sound of a dredge running—they don’t sound like anything else.
My Lucky Thirteen Nuggets
Even with my favorite top-of-the-line gold detector there were several false digs. Many of the hot rocks gave a solid signal that was too much like a nugget to ignore. After trying several tests I just dug everything because it is better to be safe than leave a big, deep nugget for a more diligent gold hunter.
Metal Detector Testing Methods
It will not be any easier than on your table at home, and so testing a very small test target like the ballpoint pen can tell you immediately if a detector is suitable for looking for tiny gold nuggets.
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The Bawl Mill
• Why The Paper Change?
• Ask The Experts - When do I use detector discrimination?
• Ask The Experts - Is gold found in limestone?
• Ask The Experts - Can pyrite crystals be the same color as gold?
• How to Use BLM’s New Mineral and Land Records System
• A Short But Productive Hunt
• Blast from the Past: Jeff Casserly Tells His Own Story
• Old Dog(Fighter), New Trick
• Strategies for Detecting Heavily Pounded Areas—Part III
• EPA Recommends Against Reissuing Permit for PolyMet Mine
• The Highs and Hazards of Desert Prospecting
• Just Feel The Heft of It
• Proposed Nebraska Mine Has Sizeable Deposit of Rare Elements
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
• Melman on Gold & Silver
Free:
Introducing ICMJ’s New Owners: Josh and Sherrie Reinke
• Legislative and Regulatory Update
• PLP Update
