Voted No 1 Prospecting Shop in Victoria by prospectors. 

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Gold Metal Detectors

Tips On Striking Gold

Want to know whether you can strike it big with your metal detecting? You definitely can! Recently an amateur prospector came into Lucky Strike Gold with a nugget that he had found. He wasn’t sure on the value and asked the team to help him value it. It was a beautiful piece of gold and we were able to excitedly value it for over $240,000. We were honoured to have him come into store with it and our team couldn’t get enough of seeing the prized possession. Now for all the amateur prospectors out there, you are probably wondering when, how and where is it possible to get a nugget like this? Check out below out tips on striking gold.

TIPS ON STRIKING GOLD

Good quality equipment

One of the most important things that you need to be a successful prospector is to have good quality equipment. If you are lacking with equipment, you may be missing a lot of metals underneath the ground. With a huge range of metal detectors on the market, it can be difficult to decide on the best one for your needs. That is why the team at Lucky Strike Gold are here to help.

One of our best sellers is the GPX6000. The GPX6000 makes finding gold simpler and easier. With automatic features that help to continuously adapt to the different ground cover, it means you are not spending your valuable time changing settings. You are free to spend longer searching for gold and precious metals, rather than playing around with buttons.

When using your metal detector, it is recommended that you have a harness set as well, to help not only protect your detector but to make the activity more comfortable and better on your physical self. The harness can help to relieve the stress on the arms and keep you from needing to stop as often. At Lucky Strike Gold, we have a range of harnesses and bags to help make your gold detecting activities more enjoyable.

Along with your metal detector, it is a good idea to have quality accessories to help you along the way. This can include a sluice, bowl and sieve.

Patience

Heading out for a day searching for gold isn’t always going to wield results. You may go days, weeks or even months without finding anything of value. But this doesn’t mean you should stop. It means that you need to have patience and trust the process.

Patience is important when prospecting as without it, you may quickly become frustrated or lose interest in your new found hobby.

Taking your time, being patient and trusting that process will help you to not only enjoy the task but keep you motivated and wanting to come back for more.

Location

Location is a key factor when it comes to prospecting. There are always going to be areas where there are higher chances of striking gold and areas where there is a lesser chance.

When looking for locations to head out to, the first thing to check is whether you are allowed to search for gold and metals in the area. There are areas within Victoria and across Australia that where metal detecting is not permitted.

In Victoria you are required to have a Miners Right before you can search for gold and other metals. This can be purchased through Service Victoria and is valid for 10 years. You must have your licence on you whenever you are prospecting and show it if asked.

It is not everyday that someone will walk into our shop with a gold nugget valued at over $240,000. We can’t say it will happen again soon, but you never know. Gold prospecting is something we are excited about and enjoy being able to share the activities with both new and old prospectors.

For all your metal and gold detecting needs, why not get in touch with the team today. We are here to help.

Categories
Metal Detectors

Do You Need A License To Go Gold Mining

Metal detecting and mining for gold is a hobby that is increasing in popularity. There are more people getting equipment and wanting to get outside and enjoy the excitement that comes with finding a hidden treasure. Do you need a licence to mine for gold? Something that many do not realise is that in most states and territories across Australia, you require a licence to metal detect and for fossicking. This licence is to ensure that people are not only looking out for themselves but also for their surroundings. 

 

Getting your fossicking or mining licence

The rules for mining and metal detecting are different across the various Australian states and territories. It is best to check the requirements for your state before you get started. The different licence requirements for each state and territory are:

  • Victoria: A Miner’s Right is required.  
  • New South Wales: A Fossicking Permit is required for fossicking in state forests, otherwise not required.  
  • Queensland: A Fossicking Permit is required.  
  • Tasmania: A prospecting license is required.  
  • Western Australia: A license is required. 

States that do NOT require a license:

  • Northern Territory: No license required.  
  • South Australia: No license required.  
  • ACT: Most of the ACT is a national park where fossicking isn’t permitted

How much does a licence cost?

The cost of the licence varies depending on the state you are in, and the licence required. You can check out the details for the cost and length of time it is valid for on your local government websites. 

 

Code of conduct

Not all of the states require licences, however all states and territories require you to comply with a code of conduct when undertaking mining or detecting. The code consists of:

  • Ask permission – if you are looking to fossick on private property, you must ask permission of the owner before undertaking any activities. If you are not permitted to enter than you can get in a lot of trouble
  • Cover up any holes – if you find something that is worth digging up, you should fill the hole back in once you are done. Where possible it is best to cut into the ground and pull it out as a plug, so that it can easily be lodged back in once you are done. 
  • Leave gates as you found them – if you enter through a gate that was closed, make sure you close it behind you. This includes on private property and fire trails.
  • Avoid national parks and heritage sites – You should always check for permission before detecting. Most national parks are off limits for metal detecting. 
  • Check with your local council – it is always best to check with your local council before getting started to find out which areas are off limits and where you are allowed to conduct your searching. 
  • Hold your relevant licence – if your state requires you to have a licence, ensure you have this up to date and can provide it if you are asked to show it. 

Gold mining and metal detecting is a hobby that can be enjoyed by all and it is important that when you are undertaking the activity that you do so in the right way. We live in a beautiful country that is surrounded by national parks, heritage listed properties and beautiful areas. The last thing we want to see is any of it getting ruined and not taken care of. You can undertake the hobby, without damaging the environment. 

For all your gold panning, mining and metal detecting needs, Lucky Strike Gold are here to help. With a huge range of products from beginner to expert you will have everything you need for your new hobby. 

For more information, advice on what equipment to use or to update your current equipment, get in touch with the team today. 

Categories
Metal Detectors

Metal Detecting For Kids

With Christmas just around the corner, now is the perfect time to start thinking about gifts for the kids. If you struggle with finding gifts that will keep your kids entertained, intrigued and interested than look no further. Metal detectors are a fun and exciting gift to give to a child of any age. They are not only fun, but they come with many other benefits. With specialised ranges now available for children, it means that they can have their own detector to take out with you. Here are some of the reasons metal detecting for kids is great. 

 

It is great exercise

Finding ways to get your children outside and exercising can be difficult sometimes. Getting them outdoors with their metal detectors can help to increase their exercise. Not only are they swinging their detector back and forth, but they are walking and digging through the dirt and sand to find their treasures. 

 

Skill development

Another benefit of metal detecting is the skill development that comes with it. Metal detecting is a skill that needs practice and patience to learn. The more that they do it, the better they will be. It can also help with various other skill development including hand/eye coordination, balance, patience and attention to detail. 

These are all skills that will not only help them along their metal detecting journey, but also in many other areas of their lives including schooling and their social lives.

 

Educational

Who said education can’t be fun? Searching for gold and metals with their detector is not only fun, but it is educational. Your children will have the opportunity to learn about the different metals that can be recognised with their detector. They will learn about the difference between metals and what items are made out of them. If you are searching along creeks and streams they will also be able to see different types of rocks and stones. Geology is a fun subject for kids to learn about and they will love seeing all the different types of rocks. Be warned, you may end up with a rock or two following you home in their pockets. 

There is so much to learn about the environment, the different elements and metals when you are metal detecting. Every time they go out with their detector, they will learn something new. 

 

Family fun

Metal detecting is fun for all ages and it is the perfect family project. It is a great way to have a family day out together. There will be lots of exercise, outdoor time, laughter and bonding to be had. 

It can be difficult to find activities that everyone wants to get involved in, so when you do find one – stick with it!

You may want to plan a weekend away somewhere and have a full weekend of gold detecting or you may want to just head out locally for a few hours on the weekend. Either way – there is lots of family fun to be had. 

 

Become environmentally aware

Not only will they have an opportunity to learn about the elements in the environment such as the soil and the rocks, but it will also help them to become more environmentally aware. During your time outdoors they will likely see rubbish (chances are a lot of the first metals they find will be bottle tops or pull tabs off cans)

But rather than letting this get them down, use it as a good way to teach them about being environmentally friendly and not letting their rubbish be left in the environment. 

As they find different elements that shouldn’t be in nature, by removing them they are helping the environment. They are both having fun and cleaning as they go!

 

Metal detectors are a great gift choice for kids. There are many different detectors on the market now with many of them designed to be used by children. The children’s ones are lightweight, durable and easy for them to use. A metal detector as a Christmas gift is a gift that keeps on giving. Not only do they get to open their gift on Christmas day, but they get to continue using it to find treasures for years to come.

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Metal Detectors Uncategorised

What Can Metal Detectors Be Used For?

What are metal detectors?

Metal detectors are devices that are used to detect the presence of metals nearby. They do this through the projection of certain electromagnetic waves using a sensor probe, which is disrupted by the field around metal and then sent back to the detector. The detector then gives off a signal – either through the blinking of an LED, or the increase in tonal frequency and pitch in headphones. Some detectors also measure the depth of metal and indicate these on digital screens attached to the metal detectors.

The utility of metal detectors

Metal detectors are such a huge part of the operational procedures of almost every organization and field of stature in the present world. Think airports, banks and government offices; even on a grand scale, metal detectors are still being used to detect metal in the most crucial ways. As we know it, the security apparatus of most countries would crumble should metal detectors cease to exist today.

 

Let’s take it down a notch though; let’s consider simple metal detectors like pulse induction detectors, VLF detectors, and Multi-Frequency detectors. Although they may not seem as consequential as metal detectors used for security reasons in mainstream fields, they are just as important and even more useful in most cases. Below is a small list of things metal detectors are also typically used for;

 

  • Treasure hunting

Believe it or not, treasure hunting is a very popular, very lucrative field. While it may not be as stable or as promising as your regular nine-to-five job, whipping out the gold detector and trying your luck in odd places is one way to carve your way to financial independence. 

 

If you are sceptical about how profitable treasure hunting can get, do a bit of research on the Boot of Cortez, the Ringlemere Cup, the Crosby Garrett Helmet, and the Hand of Faith. Each of these are treasures that were found by unsuspecting folks doing simple metal detecting, and each was sold for over six figures (some of them were sold for over a million dollars even). 

 

The most fascinating thing about this field is that anyone can be a winner. A boy in New Mexico unearthed – with a simple metal detector built by his grandfather – a meteor piece that had been on earth for about 10,000 years. You do not have to empty your wallets on an overpriced metal detector to strike gold (literally!). Treasure hunting is a field for everyone and anyone. It may not be to your taste, but it is definitely an option worth exploring with a metal detector. 

  • Archaeology

To the dilettante, this is basically just a subset (or a composite of, if we’re being pedantic) treasure hunting. After all, a lot of research facilities, governments, and collectors would love to get their hands on every and any bit of history they could hope to find. To the expert though, this line of thought is heretic at best, a dismissal of the years of study and research that goes into the art of identifying, excavating and preserving historical artefacts for posterity’s sake. 

 

Regardless of whichever group you belong to, metal detectors would make the job easier. Ever since the 1950s, this device has been considered a standard requirement for the excavation of archaeological sites. As a survey tool, its presence on the field means that archaeologists would find it easy to unearth jewellery, ancient domestic utensils, jars, etc. You aren’t likely to find an expert in the field who doesn’t have experience using the best metal detectors.

  • In the military

Being in the military means consistently putting yourself in danger – one of the many occupational hazards of being a soldier is not being sure of where to even walk due to the installation of mines on territorial premises. Military dogs actually detect these things, but the casualty rate isn’t too encouraging even at that. The best way to avoid these dangers is to use a metal detector. It would help to detect the metal casing of the mines before you even get to them. 

 

Metal detectors are also used by the military for security reasons (like in airports and banks), but those are, of course, different from the hobbyist metal detector hires online. 

  • As a hobby

The art of metal detection does not need to be limited to a career or a goal. Sometimes it can be an outlet for people to revel in – a time when the headphones are on and the comforting but consistent beep of the metal detector is only interrupted by proximity to a potential score. 

 

You can also decide to tie it in with another hobby like scrap collecting or metal identification. The possibilities are endless and the sky’s the limit. You exercise your body by walking around and relaxing your mind by letting yourself focus on one thing only. You would find at the end of the day that the benefits you are getting by choosing to do prospects are immense. What’s more, there are metal detectors for sale online that fit your every need.

  • Underwater excavation

Yes, there are metal detectors that work underwater. Although they are mostly used by construction companies to locate pipelines and undersea cables, scuba divers with an interest in undersea metals and marine biologists also use them too. 

 

These underwater metal detectors are, of course, waterproof. Most are also able to adjust the search depth of the electromagnetic waves that are emitted by the sensor. These devices aren’t as expensive as you might think too – you could easily cop one for around $700 to $800. 

Metal detectors are also used in mining and construction, for obvious reasons. These devices are very versatile in their utility. 

 

Wrapping Up

If you are looking to cop for yourself the best metal detectors for gold, head on to Lucky Strike Gold and go through our assortment of options. If you need help in picking, feel free to contact us using our contact information. We look forward to helping you pick the best gold detectors Australia has to offer. Contact us today for your purchases and hires.