I have an opportunity to buy a detector for use in South America

[junglegut]

Hello all I just signed up on this forum, hopefully it's ok for me to make a new thread already

A little back story. I used to live in Guyana, South America (NOT Africa) in a gold mining town for several years. I was not there for mining so i never really did any myself, but I have really good contacts there. Right when i left i did buy a detector (minelab) to have someone, i thought i could trust, run for me where i would get the customary 50% return on any gold. Long story short, he got rich, i didn't. However i did get it back and sold it and overall came out ahead, albeit after a lot of headache.

NOW, i have another possible opportunity to do the same haha. For the sake of simplicity, lets just say that we can trust this new guy 100%. And in searching this forum i've seen many of you are familiar with the rough conditions in the jungle in Guyana, and while i would not recommend foreigners go there for gold: my friend is a known local, has grown up there and is not a big white target so no need to worry about safety or legality issues in this case.

This new guy is very very experienced in prospecting in the jungle as he spent most of his life doing it. He has managed to avoid going in the bush for many years now but now due to economic circumstances, although he is in his late 50's, he will need to get back out there again and has asked if i could buy a detector and we would split the profits.

I highly value experience in anything. However, proven techniques from around the globe no doubt can add to any amount of experience. First question: Are there any videos or movies that I can share with him to perhaps add to his knowledge of how to find gold? Books or magazines may also be of help, but due to language (a different kind of english) differences, video might have more impact.

Second question: My budget is pretty limited, what do you think would give me the most bang for my buck when it comes to detector, coil, and headphones? To start, i would love to stay between 400-600usd. But wouldn't mind investing the first couple finds to get better gear, maybe coils, etc? I have been directed to the wonderful directory "Steve's Guide to Gold Nugget Detectors" but would like any further opinions you may have. I've also been told that a PI detector might be best, but its out of my budget now.

I would love to start at this base and eventually as the gold comes in to invest in something like a GPX 4500 or something to run alongside it...if things go well.

Last question: Do any of you know what kind of soil he would be working in? Is there a "classic jungle" soil? This might help me in doing more research also. I've seen phrases like "hot soil" and things like that thrown around, and since his only knowledge is through use, he wouldn't know how it compares to anywhere else.

He would most likely spend most of his time detecting in untouched jungle and near streams, if that helps at all. And I will not be traveling there myself, i would either find a way for him to buy the things there, or mail them to him.

Thanks for any help you can provide

 

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[Terry Soloman]

Back out of this deal now, and DON'T LOOK BACK! You are going to lose your@#$

 

[junglegut]

Back out of this deal now, and DON'T LOOK BACK! You are going to lose your@#$

I appreciate your concern, but I view this as I view any investment and I don't invest anything I'm not prepared to lose. More than a normal investment though, this is a way I can help a friend who has helped me tremendously over many years, it's well worth the risk.

 

[meMiner]

This kind of deal is not uncommon in many third world situations. I knew people in Jamaica who would have liked me to buy an old car as a taxi which they would drive and split the proceeds. The problem is when you are not on site to collect your share (daily?) and keep an eye on things. Anyway, you know the risk and the person, so if you want to proceed, here are a few thoughts.

I am not aware of any videos or books in Guyanese Creole. There are lots of videos on Youtube about detecting, but not in your preferred language.

Due to your limited budget, I would suggest buying used and forget about multiple coils. Typically, the coil that the detector comes with is the best general coil for that detector and other coils are for specific situations. If you buy used, you run the risk of a "knock off" detector which looks like a real one. Look up some of the posts on how to avoid this.

You will want a very simple detector, as the fellow has no experience. Get one that is specific for gold prospecting. You are looking at a VLF. Perhaps, the Gold Bug Pro or SE.

There is no classic Jungle soil. If you do not know the minimization, he will find out rather quickly, but it will change in different sites. Also important is the size of the gold and depth to get at it. "Untouched Jungle" is a bit of a concern as gold may be too deep. Sometimes, it is better to get into spots that have been dug.

Anyway, good luck with your investment.

 

[junglegut]

This kind of deal is not uncommon in many third world situations. I knew people in Jamaica who would have liked me to buy an old car as a taxi which they would drive and split the proceeds. The problem is when you are not on site to collect your share (daily?) and keep an eye on things. Anyway, you know the risk and the person, so if you want to proceed, here are a few thoughts.

I am not aware of any videos or books in Guyanese Creole. There are lots of videos on Youtube about detecting, but not in your preferred language.

Due to your limited budget, I would suggest buying used and forget about multiple coils. Typically, the coil that the detector comes with is the best general coil for that detector and other coils are for specific situations. If you buy used, you run the risk of a "knock off" detector which looks like a real one. Look up some of the posts on how to avoid this.

You will want a very simple detector, as the fellow has no experience. Get one that is specific for gold prospecting. You are looking at a VLF. Perhaps, the Gold Bug Pro or SE.

There is no classic Jungle soil. If you do not know the minimization, he will find out rather quickly, but it will change in different sites. Also important is the size of the gold and depth to get at it. "Untouched Jungle" is a bit of a concern as gold may be too deep. Sometimes, it is better to get into spots that have been dug.

Anyway, good luck with your investment.

Thank you very much for this info! I appreciate it! I didn't know of that kind of risk when buying used, i will be extra careful if i go used.