[meteorite-list] RE: OK - So, What, Where, When and How?

From: Gary K. Foote <gary_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon Dec 19 08:59:38 2005
Message-ID: <43A6765B.712.23B99C_at_localhost>

Thank you Rob - especially for the safety reminders. Time to widen my Christmas wish
list a bit. Need a GPS.

Gary

On 18 Dec 2005 at 20:43, Rob Matson wrote:

> Resending from my home e-mail address -- the List is not accepting
> posts from my work e-mail address... --Rob
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Matson, Robert
> To: 'Gary K. Foote '; 'Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com '
> Sent: 12/18/2005 5:40 PM
> Subject: RE: [meteorite-list] OK -So, What, Where, When and How?
>
> Hi Gary,
>
> > This might be a silly batch of questions regarding meteorite hunting.
> > Y'all might feel proprietary about your personal hunting grounds,
> > methods, etc., and I'll understand if you do. But here goes...
>
> > 1.) Where would you go to seek out new finds in the USA? Or where
> > would you consider the best known and most productive strewn fields?
> > [Details on how too]
>
> For new finds, your best hunting locations will be in the desert
> Southwest: Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. More
> specifically, your greatest chance of finding a meteorite will be
> at some location where they've been found before. Search through
> the Meteoritical Bulletins of the last 4 or 5 years and you will
> see what I'm talking about.
>
> > 2.) What is your favorite metal detector and how do you prefer
> > it's settings?
>
> (I'll leave this question for others more qualified to answer; I
> have a metal detector, but I rarely use it.)
>
> > 3.) Do you find the use of rare earth magnets helpful as a hunting
> > tool [not a post-find test tool]?
>
> For a new hunter, yes. As you get more experienced, less so.
>
> > 4.) Have you invented any techniques you want to share?
>
> Can't say I've "invented" any special techniques -- mostly common
> sense stuff that you learn by doing. The most important factors
> for success are good research (to pick promising places to spend
> your search time), proper equipment (maps, GPS unit, camera for
> photodocumentation, etc.), patience and perseverance.
>
> > 5.) What would you avoid doing at all costs?
>
> Getting myself injured or killed. Safety cannot be overemphasized
> when it comes to meteorite hunting. Good search locations are
> often far from "civilization", so you need to have enough
> provisions to be self-sufficient in case of a mishap. Redundancy
> is the best way to avoid single point failures: two people are
> safer than one, two vehicles are safer than one, and a cell phone
> *and* 2-way radio beats having a cell phone alone. (Many desert
> locations have poor cellular coverage.)
>
> If possible when visiting a location for the first time, you should
> try to go with someone who has been there before (or at least ask for
> advice from someone who has been). You can get important pointers
> such as best approach routes, nearest places to get gas/food/water,
> info on any flora/fauna to be mindful of -- e.g. rattlesnakes,
> coyotes, scorpions, yahoos with guns --, and whether to expect cell
> phone coverage or not. If you end up on any dry lakes, get a good
> weather report before you go -- high winds can not only make for an
> unpleasant day, they can ruin your car's paint job and windshield.
> If rain is a possibility, you do not want to be caught on a playa
> far from the nearest exit in a downpour -- playa clay turns to
> gumbo when wet and becomes undrivable even with all-wheel drive.
>
> Good luck! --Rob
>
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Received on Mon 19 Dec 2005 08:59:07 AM PST