[meteorite-list] What great hobby!! + microwaves to detectmeteorites?

From: Graham Christensen <voltage_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue Apr 12 00:50:19 2005
Message-ID: <006101c53f1b$f0025a00$c3e13b8e_at_megavolt>

What was it that you found? Magnetite? That stuff frustrates me. I once
found a piece of farly fine grained rock that stuck to a magnet and even
looked like it had flowlines...but it turned out that it was dark all
throughout and it had crystals.

I might give up on the metal detector and start going places where I can
just walk fast and keep my eyes on the ground. I never seem to find anything
of interest with the detector and it takes me so long to cover even a small
area thoroughly.

I'll have to try that string dragging idea. I know you can get really
powerful neodymium magnets on E-bay. If I tied a bunch of them to my belt
loops as I walked that should easily pick up small pieces, although I'm sure
I'd look like a total goof!

Happy hunting!
Graham
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Graham Christensen
voltage_at_telus.net
http://www.geocities.com/aerolitehunter
msn messenger: majorvoltage_at_hotmail.com




----- Original Message -----
From: "Maria Haas" <dragonsoup_at_msn.com>
To: <Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Cc: <voltage_at_telus.net>
Sent: Monday, April 11, 2005 6:33 AM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] What great hobby!! + microwaves to
detectmeteorites?


> Dear Graham,
>
> Unfortunately, I am unable to swing a detector right now and haven't been
> able to for some time. All of my hunting is done by sight and I do have a
> telescoping magnet on a stick (thanks to Mark Bostick) and hard drive
> magnets on a string that I drag behind me as I walk.
>
> I think I'd be pretty frustrated if I dug for five minutes to reach a
> piece of scrap metal but I sure can't wait for the chance!
>
> About a month ago while I was out hunting I came across this curious
> little 63 gram stone slightly sticking out of the ground. When I got my
> trusty magnet near it it went "click" and my heart jumped. I had been
> taking artifact pictures and GPS coordinates all day so as luck would have
> it, I now only had two good batteries with me. I had to abandon an "in
> situ" picture but was able to get GPS coordinates before that died as
> well. I was at the backside of 500 acres so I stuck it in my pocket and
> pointed myself home. I must have taken 20 pictures of it on and off the
> scale before I headed twards the saw to window it. I pulled it back from
> the blade and had to remind myself about someday. Someday it'll be real
> and I'll be doing the chicken dance all over my basement.
>
> I have lightly discussed with another listmember about using GPR (Ground
> Penetrating Radar). Perhaps someone could offer some info on how
> beneficial that is in the field.
>
> Kind Regards,
> Maria
>
>
>
>
>>From: "Graham Christensen" <voltage_at_telus.net>
>>To: "Maria Haas"
>><dragonsoup_at_msn.com>,<Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com>
>>Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] What great hobby!! + microwaves to detect
>>meteorites?
>>Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 23:07:27 -0600
>>
>>Are you using a metal detector or just visual? I do both. I use a metal
>>detector but at the same time I have a magnet on a short flexable stick on
>>my belt so that if I see anything on the surface I can probe at it quickly
>>and then return to sweeping with the detector. I hate it when the detector
>>goes off and I dig for 5 minutes to find a pipe or something.
>>
>>I wonder if it's possible to use microwaves to detect meteorites?
>>Conductive metal will backscatter microwaves and can be detected by an
>>appropriate instrument (this is how radar works). Perhaps it's possible to
>>send a beam of microwaves into the ground over a large area and see what
>>comes back. If you use a fairly short wavelength you might be able to
>>resolve images of what's under the ground. Short wavelength microwaves
>>would probably be needed to detect a chondrite because long wavelengths
>>would probably not couple to the metal very well and be reflected. An iron
>>however should show up quite easily. The only problem with short
>>wavelengths is that they are absorbed pretty quickly by water so they
>>would have trouble penetrating wet ground. It would work great in a sandy
>>desert though I'm sure.
>>
>>Just a thought
>>
>>Graham
>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>Graham Christensen
>>voltage_at_telus.net
>>http://www.geocities.com/aerolitehunter
>>msn messenger: majorvoltage_at_hotmail.com
>>
>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Maria Haas" <dragonsoup_at_msn.com>
>>To: <Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
>>Cc: <voltage_at_telus.net>
>>Sent: Sunday, April 10, 2005 10:05 PM
>>Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] What great hobby!!
>>
>>
>>>Graham Christensen Wrote:
>>>>btw, I went meteorite hunting today for the first time in a couple
>>>>years! And I found...*drumroll*...scrap metal!
>>>>Graham
>>>
>>>
>>>Maria Sheepishly Adds:
>>>I am so desperate to find "something" walking fields every single day
>>>looking for meteorites that I have started to fill my rock bag with scrap
>>>pieces of metal, miscellaneous junk, gum wrappers, fast food containers
>>>and the occasional bolt, screw and nail. While I may not be ridding the
>>>world of those pesky meteorites laying everywhere, I am providing some
>>>job security to our garbage collection service employees. (Of course I
>>>look the metal stuff over really carefully one more time just in case
>>>space rocks could actually weather to look like one of those rusted old
>>>metal pop lids.) Sick.
>>>
>>>
>>>______________________________________________
>>>Meteorite-list mailing list
>>>Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com
>>>http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
>>>
>>
>
>
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Received on Tue 12 Apr 2005 12:56:07 AM PDT