Get this man's book it's like 300 pages. I learned a few things i didn't know already and then gifted it to my nephew who is just beginning metal detecting/ prospecting.

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

I hope you and your nephew are both very successful.

Chris I agree. It takes time and when you know better you do better. Prospecting is no different. Personally I prospect because I enjoy nature and being out in the wide open spaces. The things I've seen, the animals I've witnessed doing things I'd never have seen in my living room and the amazing places it has taken me. The precious metals and gemstones are just one more perk for me. It takes a special person to stick to this hobby and maybe one day your hobby could become the dream job. Until then I just enjoy the ride. I never know where each trail is going to take me and that's why I do it. It's the experience that I enjoy most.

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Very true. Enjoy the ride, enjoy the quest.

Thanks for the video. You mentioned 2 things that hit home for me - its got to be enjoyable and you've got to be hungry to keep learning. I prospect in Utah and don't pay the bills with what I find lol. For me its enjoying the adventure and activity in God's beautiful creation. Thanks for the video.

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

I Totally agree with what you say. Enjoy your time.

About a Year ago I Bought a Little Gold Pan to take down to the local creek and find a few specks. Then I got got the 'Gold Fever'. I got it real bad Doc. I went on to buy or build DIY the following... -A Hungarian Riffle Sluice -A Blue Bowl Cyclonic Separation System with Temperature Control (my own addition) -A Keene Style River Sluice (Immediately Modified, of course) -A VDR Sluice...best thing ever! -Bought a Cheapo Metal Detector -Built my own Miller Table, Battery Powered, Portable, Illuminated, with 3 different Surface Types that can be clipped in place -Bought a Milwaukee M18 Vacuum Lunchbox -Assembled a 110V/Battery Pump Control Box and Suction Dredge Head -Bought a 1.5" Gas Powered 54cc Water Pump (app 14kg) -Purchased a Propane Furnace Melting Pot for Smelting -Use the same furnace for Cuppelation and for Roasting Rocks and Sulphides -Purchased an Electric Graphite Crucible Furnace so the neighbours don't have a clue what I'm doing -Purchased the full Chemical Dropper/Scratch Plate test for Gold -DIYed a Microwave Furnace Chamber but haven't used it yet -Built a Dual 2" Channel Recirculating Cleanup Sluice -Have started to Mentally Invent some kind of Inductive Heating Selective Sluice...or something. It just sits there tickling my brain. -Am Currently Building my first High-Banker -and Finally...Started working with Mercury and building a Mercury Retort Yesterday..... So yeah, I am in FULL ISOLATION because of the Gold Fever. And because People are just....People.

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Wow - you have a lot of equipment. Be careful with that mercury.

@iinezlee6534

11 күн бұрын

😃👍DANG !

I practice Guerilla Prospecting and Mining in a Major City. Check spots like Bridges over Streams and Rivers Built before 1970-ish (here in Canada). Bridge Builders often Dredged the River Bottom in that area and sprayed the muck under the Bridge to Support it. This is the Only Opportunity anyone has to check the Bottom of a River in such detail. Dredging is generally Illegal nowadays.

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

"Bridge Builders often Dredged the River Bottom in that area and sprayed the muck under the Bridge to Support it." Now that is one that I have not heard before. Great idea!

I appreciate the honesty. Even back in the day, the people who made the most money during the gold rush were those that sold the supplies to the people rushing for gold. I live within 5 miles of the first gold mine in the US. There have been at least 25 mines within my county for gold, but I still think that even if I were to detect gold on my property, the best way to profit from it would be to charge others to seek gold on my land.

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

There were those who did make big strikes. They were not the majority, but there were some.

@williamp2359

5 ай бұрын

@@ChrisRalph That's why I mentioned where I live. They found a 17 pound, and later a 26 pound nugget of gold there.

5 years ago I was such a newbie. Thanks to you and others I gradually learned a great deal about gold, where to look, and how to use equipment. I'm still no expert but I have gone onto find many deposits in my area and have a respectable nugget collection. Not to brag too much but very few people find nugget gold here these days. I'm rather proud of the progress but I will never forget how helpful you have been in my journey to fists full of gold! Thank you Chris!

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Thanks for letting me know, glad to hear you are making progress in your journey.

So fun to see you! Glad you're explaining the reality of prospecting. ❤❤

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

I enjoyed the talk on the phone. Enjoy your grandchild.

raining here. no desert. this weekend. try again soon. 1/13.

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

No rain here, the storm moved south to hit SoCal.

It's better to have a prospecting club membership or private claim. Plus a small to larger crew with their own vehicles and equipment. In case some one's vehicle breaks down and they need to be towed out or taken to the autoparts store to buy part/s.

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Very true about claims. I also have a satellite communications device (not a phone) that I can get help on.

Hi Chris! I’ve learned so much watching your channel, you certainly seem to be the professor of prospecting. I really appreciate all the content you post, it’s helped me a lot. I’m following in your footsteps so to speak starting out prospecting and just started a KZread channel. Thanks for the inspiration.

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Thanks 👍 Best of luck to you in your efforts.

FINALLY the perfect video for everybody !!! I tell people 2 things keep it a hobby and and always look for the majority of the gold. The majority 95 + % of all gold is 100 minus. Ive watched many of these you tubers and the cold hard truth is the pickers and nuggets they find are in the minority but good for them they put the work in and found the good streak. I too one day will find some nice size gold. Keep it a hobby keep looking keep learning and eventually it will pay off. Great job as always Chris and yes i saved this one so i can pass the link around.

@ChrisRalph

4 ай бұрын

Thanks much and glad you enjoyed the video.

Thank you, Chris, for another year of fine videos. God bless.

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoy them. A Happy new year to you and yours!

Thanks from Australia happy new year

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Happy new year to you and yours!

The guy who found the 20lb silver nugget up by globe Arizona metal detected for 7 years and found all of three grams of gold.. In seven years lol then one day he found the 20lb nugget and the deposit up there.

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

I know about the silver dog, and used a photo of it in a recent video.

@foxmulder7616

5 ай бұрын

@@ChrisRalph no, not the silver dog the 417 project. But.. point being he searched for 7 years and found basically nothing, then he found a 20lber and they eventually found a 417lb chunk..

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

No, I'd not heard of that one. Thanks.

@foxmulder7616

5 ай бұрын

Arizona geological society I believe it is has a presentation on it. They staked 100 some lode claims up there lol after the initial find. ​@@ChrisRalph

Thank you for your videos, I have been learning about prospecting for fun for thirty years now

@ChrisRalph

Ай бұрын

Glad to hear it and that you enjoyed it.

4:00 "so you're telling me there's a chance"- Dumb and Dumber. 18:25 I agree that patience and perseverance are essential keys to success, but my favorite key to "success" is just enjoy and love what you do. Does a person like to work outdoors? Hard manual labor? Hiking and camping, making do with minimal equipment, improvising? Living far out from civilization, maybe even comfortable living alone for days or weeks or months? Mysteries and detective type work? Survival skills? Then maybe they have what it takes to be a prospector, a rare and somewhat unhinged breed. "Decent health" is a good one, highly underestimated. Best things I ever did for my health were quit smoking, intermittent fasting, keto diet, organic vegetables, no processed foods. Lost 50 lbs over the years. In better shape now at 50 than I was at 37 ironically. A fair price on the book also, might have to get one.

@ChrisRalph

2 ай бұрын

If one enjoys and loves what he does, then persistence is easy.

Ralph I have been doing for two years, my friend has for five years to us it is getting out in nature, and enjoy it . if we find gold that is a plus. most of what we fine is flower gold with pickers thrown in every once in a while. It ranges from 1/10 of a gram to a gram a day. Not getting rich but rich in finding how to pick the better spots

@ChrisRalph

2 ай бұрын

Sounds great! The journey is to get better and better.

@user-kf7tt3dr4b

2 ай бұрын

@@ChrisRalph one of us is 71 the other is 70 and we seldom come home with less than 0.3 grams

Great advice again Chris, keep the videos coming!

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Thanks, will do!

Excellent advice, thanks Chris

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

Thanks for all your work Chris, much appreciated Sir!

@ChrisRalph

3 ай бұрын

Glad you like them!

Love this channel

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Thanks, glad you enjoy it.

👍 May God bless all the prospectors and this channel 🙏☝️🕊🔥👑🙌

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Yep.

Sounds like anything else worthwhile that is rewarded with good money. Takes a long time of learning and doing to get good at. And lots of sacrifices are made in the process. I'd move to Alaska to increase my odds 😂

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Alaska is a great place to prospect in the summer. Pretty dang cold in the winter.

Hello Chris, Thank you for another great video! I took your unpopular suggestion several years ago after retiring from plumbing. I'm a disabled veteran with decent enough health & couldn't agree more, I just told my family the same thing before watching your video. It is the journey that is the best part! I pray your health remains decent for a long time. I'd love to run into you out in the field someday, if just to say thank you for the priceless knowledge you've documented in these videos. I've been amateur prospecting for several years, & the most gold I've found was when my daughter & I won the $500 pay dirt bag at the club potluck. So I guess you could say I'm one of those guys who never really had a good day, as far as finding any significant gold goes, although the experience I gained, wildlife & beautiful scenery I've seen has been more than good, it's been absolutely amazing! Plus, I've buckets of material that I still need to process & a few tiny specs from stuff I did process. But as you said, it's a learning process & I agree, I think I'll be learning this till the end & still not know 1% of all there is to know about recognizing gold & other valuable minerals/gems. Regardless, I just drove my first location Monument, for a small Placer claim located by the aliqout part of a rectangular survey, here in southern NV, after finding a bunch of purple rock loaded with what I believe is limonite pseudomorphs after pyrite in it, & several other signs of what I think are propylitic alteration zones. I may have to double stake & place a lode claim on top, but first, I need to get my NOL to the Recorder's Office, then file my COL & map with them & the BLM. All are currently closed for the holidays, but I've been in close contact with them several times, checking land status, & learning the process before placing my LM. I know the correct thing to do would be to properly assay the samples I have before staking a claim. But even if there is little to no gold in the assay, I feel it's worth the maintenance fee (maybe a small miners waiver after the first year) if for nothing more than just somewhere to hone my skills outside of the club's or others' claims. I've gotten two very strong gold signals from hard rock locations at this site, which could be heavy mineralization, but I practice detecting with the nuggets we got from the pay dirt bag, so I think I know the difference but I'm not sure. Your videos on detecting have been extremely helpful for this type of searching, and I will review them again & practice more. Plus there are obvious signs the old timers were doing some hydraulic mining in the exact spot I'm staking the claim, with stone monuments that appear to be 100 years older better sitting directly above where the suspected hydraulic mining activities were. Yet there are no claims active, closed, or historic except for one several sections away. I thought maybe they were benchmarks but haven't seen them on any old topo maps either. Like the BLM said, maybe they just never filed. The area you described in this video sounds very similar, with ancient volcanic activity all around it. The area I'm referencing is not inside of a mining district but near the Johnnie mining district. So if I didn't bore you with my 200 million word comment, is there any chance you could recommend places to search for reputable fire assay providers in NV? Or is this information I can find on your website? I've been looking at your website for several years or so & didn't know it was yours until I heard you talking about it in your videos. I'll probably go check it out again after writing this book of a comment, lol. Have a happy New Year! 🎉 God bless you and all that is dear to you. Mike

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Hi Mike - Thanks much for the kind words and a Happy new year to you and yours! For all my ore testing I use: ALS Minerals, 4977 Energy Way, Reno NV 89502 Their Phone number is (775) 356-5395. There are other good places that can be found with google, but that is the one I use and I've always been happy with them.

My theory is having fun for the cost of hard work.... low expectations but large dreams will keep you digging and not disappointed and 6 in from glory is a real thing

@ChrisRalph

3 ай бұрын

Well said...

Thanks for putting together this informative video, Chris. Appreciate the wealth of information ! I get asked these questions all the time. So, when the subject comes up again (which is often), I'll be referring them to your channel. Love the part regarding patience and persistence. It's mandatory ! I've been a prospector since I was a kid. Have I struck it rich ? Nope. But having a good time exploring. People tell me all the time how boring it is driving through the desert. I'm totally the opposite ! Can't stop drooling over all the great places to go prospecting. Lol ! Happy New Year !

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Been doing claims research and have a few targets I am excited about. A happy new year to you and yours!

One of my Favorite Channels! thank you for the wealth of knowledge for us young'r GeN! Mr Ralph! ...D.j.S . "Arizona...

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Thanks, I appreciate that

Thank you , I’m very determined…definitely going to check out your link on pyrite. Great video, I really enjoy your stories. I have 3 great places to find gold. I’ve found some gold at all 3 places. I wish I had more free time. Happy New Year!

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Time is the one asset that runs out for all of us.

Thanks for another great, informative vid Chris. I've been subscribed to your channel for several yrs now and I think I've watched every one of your vids and I've never commented once on any until now. Just wanted to tell you, Sir that I sincerely appreciate you and what you do. No longer a lurking stranger hitting the thumbs up and scrolling on👍🏻 I love how you DO respond to all comments. Noble, Sir. Peace and God bless🙏🕉️

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

I do respond! Thanks much and a Happy new year to you and yours!

Thank You ❤⛏

@ChrisRalph

11 күн бұрын

You're welcome 😊

Cheers Chris 👍👍👍

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Thanks much and a Happy new year to you and yours!

Definitely get his book. He researched it for years before he wrote it.

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Thanks for shilling for me. Hope to see you in January.

I just love your channel Chris! Hopefully I can get back to Magalia from this ant farm in Southern California oneday. Your channel allows my mind to dream. Some of us only have dreams which keeps our energy positive! In the future... If I ever get a big nugget I'll give credit to you and post a video.

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

I had friends in that Paradise / Magalia area all 3 lost their homes - it was very tragic. All of them were gold prospectors and there is good gold in that area. Best of luck to you.

Thanks for your years of knowledge. Family health love and wealth to you sir

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Thanks much and a Happy new year to you and yours!

I like listening to this guy, he knows his stuff. I think in my case I live in Maine. And there is gold here like everywhere. But in what concentrations? I know a supernova is not picky where the gold goes. But I have seen people come to maine and find 10 bucks worth, and call it a pretty good day. People in the western states,like Nevada, Arizona ect.. are getting a half a gram or more. Though I'm new to this, I haven't found one spec. But it's fun being out there anyway. I'm not giving up.

@ChrisRalph

2 ай бұрын

There is gold in Maine, but there really is not gold everywhere. There is not gold everywhere in Maine, but there is in some places.

Happy new years Chris from ontario

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Thanks much and a Happy new year to you and yours!

Thank you for another enjoyable show. I always like your reality. Check that you give to people. Seems like I’m happy with just a pan and a pick on my motorcycle.

@ChrisRalph

4 ай бұрын

a pan and a pick on a motorcycle sounds just great.

Awesome video. I love gold and or precious metals most but it seems gemstones are more likely to find in this hell hole of Illinois. Geology seems to be the most wide ranged, convoluted, confusing hobby ever. I love it all.

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

There is glacial gold in Illinois. But part of the problem is the government there. Thanks for watching.

For the guy that found the quartz vein: The very first question is on who's property? If it is on somebody else's private property, get out of there and don't go back. If it is on state or federal land you better know the laws first before you start chipping away. If you intend on opening a mine, you better have about a hundred million and 10 years for all the permitting to go through.

@maryglo1

5 ай бұрын

You must be in CA. too!

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Difficulty of opening a mine depends on the scale you intend and the location you are working. In California - near impossible. Next door in Nevada - work, but not 1/10th as difficult.

I have a pretty lofty goal of finding a specimen of crystal gold one day. Not likey I know😅 But I gotta start somewhere. So from a newbie to an expert, thank you Chris! The nuggets of knowledge you are dropping is highly valuable.

@ChrisRalph

4 ай бұрын

Trust me, if you stick with it you can do it! Don't give up - but smooth and rounded nuggets are pretty good to find also.

Chris you are so awesome. A mentor with fantastic motivating/ positive advice. Core life advice Thanks for making these videos Today's was especially well received Thank you for making these videos. Long time listener first time caller

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

I appreciate that! A Happy new year to you and yours!

@shaneelvis1699

5 ай бұрын

And you as well:)

Cool philosophie 🌠

@ChrisRalph

Ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed the video.

I like your videos and bought your book. Suggestion you buy non glare eyeglases. Please keep this up.

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

I agree I need to work on the lighting reflecting on my glasses.

Go to known gold bearing areas and sample washes. Mother nature done the hard work already go to the collection bowls. Gold rides the iron horse! Look for heavy ironed washes sample take a pan shovel and water with you. I've sampled a lot of washes and came up with notta but have found a few specks in others.gptta stay at it sample sample sample😊

@ChrisRalph

3 ай бұрын

"sample sample sample" is the prospector's creed.

How about going around to the local gravel pits, and ask them if you could by some rocks. Ask if you could pick them out. fill up a few bucket full of quarts that look interesting. Take them home and crush them. Then pan them. I know this is Maine not Nevada. But I have bought some crushed stone from them, and there was alot of quarts in it. They are always blasting another hill side. Maybe there could be a very small amount gold a few of the rocks.

@ChrisRalph

Ай бұрын

Its possible, but I think the odds of success would be very low. Quartz is the most common mineral on earth, but gold is rare. There is loads of quartz out there with no gold in it.

Hey, love the videos. I am curious if you could leave some of your thoughts on the effect of dams on gold deposition on rivers in California. Is placer gold still viable to find below dams? It seems working above or at the top of a reservoir might be viable but unless gold is being fed into a tributary below the dam that might hinder the flow of gold down the mountain. Thanks!

@ChrisRalph

4 ай бұрын

Dams block the flow of all sand, rocks and gold moving downstream. If there are sources of gold below a dam, gold could still be found there. Also, gold deposited below a dam site before the dam was built is still there.

You have a AWESOME channel. Just curious, The Australian gold hunter shows show prospectors using large head detectors, Why do alot of detectors have small heads for gold ,verses the large ones used in Australia?

@ChrisRalph

4 ай бұрын

The large heads can't see smaller gold but punch down deeper on larger gold. Remember that the TV shows are for entertainment and not necessarily an exact representation of what a prospector should do.

Thanks for sharing your wisdom with us Chris. Patience and perseverance might not be the sexiest terms in gold prospecting but it works! Enjoy the journey mate! 👍🦘

@ChrisRalph

2 ай бұрын

If you give up too easy, you don't give yourself the chance to succeed.

This is hard to hear but true. Im a brand new prospector and hate hearing this but I need to be realistic. Hopefully starting at 35 isn't too late for me to learn the trade.

@ChrisRalph

2 ай бұрын

No its definitely not too late, but it does take time.

I love this video Chris! I mean I love it! Ironically I was talking to a member of my Gem & Mineral Club and her and i talked about what is needed to do this. Now I can send her this video! I also recommended your book as well to her. But this answers nearly all her questions she had. Do have a question though about "in my lifetime". When I was a boy scout (like 30-40 years ago not to date myself), I would take my mess kit dish and gold pan and would find a few flakes around with 30 mins of work in Idaho and Montana. I figure its likely not the case anymore today. Is that a fair assessment in my judgment?

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

What you find depends on where you dig. There are places where you could repeat what you did before - and others where you could not.

Chris is at the top of the videos I watch. He is a scholar in this field. Don't waste your time with the other clowns playing miner cosplay (looking at you, Williams)

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Thanks for the kind words.

Hi Chris. Have you found electrum in Nevada and is it a telluride because its 50/50ish gold/silver mixed together?..

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Yes I have found electrum, and no electrum isn't a telluride. Go though my back videos - there is one on Tellurides and one on electrum.

@patrickb2862

4 ай бұрын

Thank you for replying. I grew up and live in California gold country. Second generation gold miner. I have a gold claim and learn alot from you. Thanks again

Hi chris, the area with nuggets in alluvial place which is better to use gpz 7000 or sluicing ?

@ChrisRalph

3 ай бұрын

So many other factors determine which is best, that without knowing the exact situation, one cannot say.

@mustafe1230

2 ай бұрын

@ChrisRalph I am using excavator and gpz 7000 and so far I have 3 big nuggets one is 31, 27 and 6 grams and remain are between 3 to 0.4 grams because the area is desert and water is an expensive . What about dry washer sluice ?

Hello Chris is good idea to have 6000 gpx while having 7000 .is there any advantage apart from it's light weight

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

The 7000 will see larger gold deeper.

How’s your arm Chris?

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

My left arm (the one that was broken) can do most everything except when maximum strength is needed. Its good but just a little weak.

Aaargh, I don't wanna do that!

@ChrisRalph

4 ай бұрын

need to be specific - you don't want to do what?

Sir, yes sir.

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it.

excellent common sense. sir! Common sense is not so common!

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Thanks much and a Happy new year to you and yours!

Mountains of Quartz !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

Mountains of rock with veins of quartz and even rich vein quartz has only a few ounces of gold per ton of quartz.

I've also been at it for about 3 years and only have 2.20grams it's a hobby not a living. It will put an ass whooping on you at the end of the day😂 there is NO easy gold LOL

@ChrisRalph

3 ай бұрын

Its rare stuff - gold is difficult to find. You can be proud of that 2.2 grams.

😂I believe that gold is like a criminal who has escaped from prison and must be searched for everywhere. The big prize is for whoever finds it first

@ChrisRalph

5 ай бұрын

But there is lots of gold so there are plenty of your criminals.