Hi Rob, it sounds as if you would like to detect for gold which can be done - but . . . .
as a classic stanza from the Music Man says "but ya gotta know the territory".
In my 40 years here I have found that personal friends provide the contacts, of course you have to have ex-miners as friends and be able to contribute to the conversation. I have met very few miners below 50, 70 is a typical age of those who went through the last cycle and the reason is apparent: No way to legally mine in CR, one can prospect their own land but nothing is open. And if you find a nugget (not at all difficult), beware of customs as you leave CR -> they seize raw gold. period, along with sea shells, rocks, wood, etc.
The nice thing about CR is that there is gold just about anywhere, all placer to my knowledge. I am on the Osa (Drake) and there is gold anywhere, one tests with a pan and 3-5 specks will justify setting up a sluce but fine gold is work indeed. Isla Violin has coarse gold, little water, and the property is owned. Understand that all creeks have been prospected and worked, lots of bedrock with stacked rocks on the sides and too often filled with soft dirt from the ongoing landslides (12' rain/yr); and always tramp iron from those before.
I have a GPX4000 but more often use it to select where to dig, my detector knowledge (??) is dated but it is difficult to earn one's investment back (try a cesium mag for a challenge). I dig every target but do get tired of iron and will often simply quit at a foot into packed rocks.
Rob, where are you in CR?
Bill
