Prospectors Research Tools

[Clay Diggins]

Prospector's Research Tools

I haven't been around much this summer and with the desert prospecting season just starting it's a good time to show off what I did this long hot summer. I have been working with a few friends on a new non-profit organization to give you a single place for all your land research.

The result is MyLandMatters.Org. This is the gateway to your land information repository. Maps, books, tutorials, community resources and quality, easy-to-access information about the land around you.

No ads, No memberships, No log-in required.

This past spring while sitting around with some friends we came to the conclusion that most of the important and useful things that we want to know about the land around us was difficult to locate and tough to understand. Despite the many sources of information there was no single place to find the information available.

We decided we could do something about that. We agreed to put our time and energy into creating a single place that anyone could find the answers to questions about the land.

It's a big project. It has taken a lot of work, learning and resources to get things started. But after six months of long days, and more than a few nights, the Land Matters repository is ready for you to use.

Land Matters is all about the land. You can find Land Status Maps, Active Mining Claims Maps (with live direct links into the current LR2000 claims database), A great collection of mining books, Land Laws, Geology books and maps, Forest Travel Plans and a whole lot more.

Land Matters is for land users. Our collections are guided by community input. That's you. Let us know what kind of material you would like to find in our Library or a particular map you would like to see. Help us build Land Matters to best serve the community.

We've already got a lot of things that prospectors have been asking for - the claims maps alone were almost universally requested. Land Matters isn't just for prospectors and miners. But you can help prioritize our efforts and drive the content of Land Matters. Prospectors now have a unique opportunity to help guide and build an information resource designed by prospectors and for prospectors.

We are just getting started filling the Library but there will be hundreds of books, maps and items added in the next few weeks. We've even got a Newsletter so you can get regular updates about new additions to the Land Matters repository.

Check it out and let me know what you think. Here are a few good places to start:

Tutorials - the current focus is on understanding Land Status.
Maps - We all like maps and we've got some you will love.
Library - search for something.

Heavy Pans
Barry & Leigh

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

DR.ÖTEK Metal Detector, Waterproof Gold Detector, Pinpoint & Terrain Modes, Professional Metal Detector - Grab it through Amazon!

[Clay Diggins]

New Video!

Land Matters has offered downloads of all the Historical and current Topographic maps for a while.

You can actually pick which year of topo you want for any area as well as the new style layered topos with aerial photo backgrounds. All of that with a few clicks on the Land Matters Topo Search Map.

With more than 280,000 topos available from that one interactive map some people have been a little confused on the process for getting any particular Topo map downloaded. We've put together a short video to show you just how easy that can be.



There are more informational videos on the Land Matters youtube channel and we have many more planned.

Heavy Pans

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Treasure of Victoria Peak - Grab it through Amazon!

[Clay Diggins]

Mining Claims Updated with a BONUS!

All of the BLM LR2000 Mining Claims Maps have been updated on Land Matters.

We update the claims maps on the 1st and 16th of each month. This time we added a new feature.

A lot of you asked how you could see what size a claim is. Until now you had to download the current BLM case file from the link on the Mining Claims Map to find out how big each claim was.

Now with every information click on the map the claim size will be listed along with all the other claim information.
Claims are now listed with the acreage of each claim right next to the claim name and type!

If you see a claim with a size of 160 acres listed in the NE of the section you will know that quarter section is claimed. A section is usually 640 acres so four 160 acre claims and the whole section is claimed.

No more guessing or downloading a bunch of files. All the claim sizes for each section are listed in the same column in the RESULT window.

Keep those suggestions coming. There is a lot more coming soon to Land Matters.

Heavy Pans

 

[goldenIrishman]

All I want is a land Matters app for Andriod. One that will allow me to move around the maps and resize them. My driod browsers just won't do it.

 

[Clay Diggins]

All I want is a land Matters app for Andriod. One that will allow me to move around the maps and resize them. My driod browsers just won't do it.

It sounds like a javascript problem.

Have you turned on your droid browsers javascript Jeff?

Hope that helps.

Heavy Pans

 

[goldenIrishman]

JAVA is on Barry but I'm still having the same problem. That being that once I zoom in so I can see the map I can't move the map.

 

[Maitland]

I'm on a Galaxy S5 using Chrome, and I don't have any problems with Land Matters maps or my local county's GIS maps. I've noticed that using them on a phone is a lot different than a computer, and I'd definitely prefer my computer than a smartphone. But in a pinch it can be done. You can't move around on these (I presume often Java-based) maps like you can on a computer. On Land Matters maps for example, I have to select the little navigational crosshairs icon with the four arrows and tap on the area/direction I want the map to move towards. You can't actively tap and drag the map on a smartphone like you can click and drag it on a computer, the smartphone can't process it like that. Now, if there was a Land Matters App then of course you could use it much more like you can on a traditional computer; but something like that would probably be quite an extensive project to not only program, but to transfer the data contained in the maps as well I'm sure.

 

[goldenIrishman]

Well I'm now outfitted with Verizon MiFi for the laptop to use out in the field provided the area I'm in can get signal. I hope to be able to catch a cell tower out of Meadview.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Prospector's Research Tools

Well I'm now outfitted with Verizon MiFi for the laptop to use out in the field provided the area I'm in can get signal. I hope to be able to catch a cell tower out of Meadview.

Consider adding an external antenna. If you google external cell phone antenna and cell repeater ...or go look in the RV forums you can find all kinds of info on how to grab signal when in the boonies.

Here's an example: http://roadtreking.com/adding-a-cell-phone-booster-for-my-on-the-road-rving/

 

[Clay Diggins]

Jeff it's not JAVA it's javascript. Two very different code languages.

I don't have an Android device but I have tested Land Matters on several emulators as well as having several friends who access Land Matters from their Android pads and phones. The site works as expected there. The Android interface isn't designed to support standard mouse gestures so the interface is more limited than a computer as Maitland pointed out. Your symptoms really sound like you don't have javascript enabled.
_______________________________________

Explanation of why you will never see a Land Matters Android App made by myself. (CAUTION boring code discussion without any gold pictures follows)

JAVA is the programming language that most Android apps are written in. Dalvik is the operating system code for Android and it's a clone of JAVA. I consider JAVA evil and I won't even allow installations on my work computers. JAVA is a powerful, mature and flexible code group that is a delight for programmers. It's absolutely a horrible security risk for the consumer though. For that reason alone you won't see any of my programs written for Android. I'd rather see JAVA dry up and fade into obscurity than ever see another user exposed to the potential hazards in JAVA code. You can make that double for Flash code for the same reasons.

Both JAVA and Flash are geared towards companies looking to gather more of your information than they "give" back to you. This is the Google model of the internet track, track, track and track your users some more and then sell the user information to anyone who has the money. It made Google rich and brought you Youtube, Google Earth and Android and an internet bloated with targeted advertising.
_______________________________________

Land Matters and MinerDiggins do not track their users - ever. No Google analytics, no JAVA no Flash.

Nuff said

Heavy Pans

 

[Clay Diggins]

Well I'm now outfitted with Verizon MiFi for the laptop to use out in the field provided the area I'm in can get signal. I hope to be able to catch a cell tower out of Meadview.

Jeff we use a Wilson booster amp with a 12 inch antenna on the FootPrints mapping van. Verizon MiFi unlimited account. It's remarkable how well they work.

Imagine being between halfway between the tower at Kingman (I 40) and the one at Quartzsite (I 10) buried in the mountains and still getting a reliable signal throughout the day. It's that kind of good.

Heavy Pans

 

[goldenIrishman]

Hey Barry,

I'm asking you this question here instead of in a pm so others can share in the answer.

I went to download the master platts for some areas I'm interested in and I noticed that they had a "JP4" file extension. I'm not familiar with this extension and was wondering which program(s) I can use to use to view them.

 

[Clay Diggins]

Those are JPEG 2000 file format.
Most image readers except the standard microsoft system readers handle them fine.
I would suggest Irfanview or FastStone viewers. Both are free, way faster than the system viewer and display just about anything you throw at them.

Heavy Pans

 

[goldenIrishman]

Thank you Barry. I downloaded both and will decide which one I like better. I always love adding new weapons to the gold hunting arsenal.

 

[Bodfish Mike]

Those are JPEG 2000 file format.
Most image readers except the standard microsoft system readers handle them fine.
I would suggest Irfanview or FastStone viewers. Both are free, way faster than the system viewer and display just about anything you throw at them.

Heavy Pans

I'll 2nd infranView.
Great viewer -- been using it for years

 

[Clay Diggins]

Alaska Mining Claims Updated!

Land Matters would normally have updated claims maps up today but it seems the BLM is having trouble getting their databases updated. Blm have been down a good part of the last three days so we can only hope we will be able to log into our account with them tomorrow and get those maps updated.

In the meantime check out the Alaska Claims Maps. They have been fresh updated today. The Alaskan Claims Maps also show the State claims and leases as well as displaying the Master Title Plats and BLM claims maps.

Heavy Pans

 

[Clay Diggins]

Mining Claims Maps - Advanced Search Function Tutorial

It's great that Land Matters shows updated mining claims by the section but sometimes doing good research means you need to sort out the information in some way other than a simple square on a map.

Recently Land Matters received a question about how to locate a particular claim or a claim owner. This is the sort of question we love to answer because we've already built the tools to do some pretty advanced research. Land Matters Maps have several advanced tools built in to help you find what you are looking for and help you visualize those results the claims map. This video will show you just one of the many ways to use these tools to your advantage.



This tutorial guides you through using the Advanced Search Tool on any Land Matters Mining Claims Map to quickly locate a specific mining claim. Search by Claim Name, Claim Number or any Claimant and Zoom directly to the section where the claim is located.

Once you understand the process for searching the map information I'm sure you will find many more uses for these tools.

There are lots of more tricks to advanced research on Land Matters. Consider Subscribing to the Landmark newsletter for the latest news or join the Land Matters Youtube channel to see all the videos as they become available.

Heavy Pans

 

[SLNugget]

Cool beans! Great feature and thanks for tutorial. Love it.

 

[Clay Diggins]

Mining Claims Maps Updated to August 1, 2015!

The BLM finally got their twice monthly claims updated to their secure server about noon yesterday. Late but complete.

Land Matters updated their Mining Claims Maps as of 10 p.m. last night.

That's better service than you can pay for.

Why not consider sharing some of the money and time you saved with Land Matters? Only you can keep the servers running to keep those free maps updated and available.

Heavy Pans

 

[Nitric]

Are there any ways for those of us that aren't having good financial times to help? Not sure how? But I'd be willing to put time or research or anything that I could on my off time to contribute?

If I ever make it? I don't ever forget how or where I got there, just haven't made it yet!

Wanted to clear that sentence up! I meant in general, not as a gold miner. Just in general!

 

[Clay Diggins]

Are there any ways for those of us that aren't having good financial times to help? Not sure how? But I'd be willing to put time or research or anything that I could on my off time to contribute?

If I ever make it? I don't ever forget how or where I got there, just haven't made it yet!

Wanted to clear that sentence up! I meant in general, not as a gold miner. Just in general!

These are tough times for many Nitric. There is a lot you can do to help Land Matters besides sending money. From their most recent Landmark Newsletter:

If you have computer skills, can work up a spreadsheet, like to do internet research or have special knowledge in one of our target areas and are willing to lend a hand on a Land Matters project, please contact us. We have a variety of projects that you may be interested in working on.

Heavy Pans