eye ball method

[Bunk 4]

How many here hunt meteorites using the "speck" method and a stick with a magnet on it?

Bunk

[frank c 969]

Excellent topic, a good pair of polarized sunglasses, bottle of water or hydration pack, and a walking stick with a strong magnet affixed to it makes for a great way to "speck" an area and also gain some exercise at the same time.

[Paseclipse 3]

I speck more than I detect, I'll even speck and detect at the same time! It's the best way to hunt for meteorites since they're not all easily picked up with a metal detector and you cover a lot more ground. Once you learn how to spot them you won't rely on using a magnet cane as much because they will be very obvious to you. Of course this also depends on the area your hunting because some places you just can't get away from using a cane.

Sunglasses can be used in some locations but should probably be used sparingly since they can alter the color and look of a meteorite.

There's some more items you might want to add to the list of meteorite hunting tools- a good jewelers loupe, some sandpaper (for filing windows), a camera (for in-situ pics) and a good quality GPS (for logging find locations).

Del

[Regmaglitch 103]

Hi Guys,

Del is absolutely right. Even when you're metal detecting, it's common to eyeball the meteorite before you can sweep the coil over it. Also, there are locations like Holbrook or dry lakes, where a detector is useless and only experienced eyes are going to make finds. Also, regarding windowing a potential find with sandpaper; because it is light, it's the best for carring in your backpack. I used to carry a Diamond file for this but, it's heavier, and doesn't sand any faster than the sandpaper. HOWEVER.....something I learned from my son Erik, is that the best tool for windowing is a "sharpening block/honing stone". You can get the larger ones from Home Depot or Loews in the tool section. You can find nice small ones at a knife store in the mall. They have a coarse side and a fine side, and are VERY FAST at making a window in a stone - like right now! Check it out.

Ben

[fredmason 1,135]

I am always looking as I detect...

that stone is a great idea, I can put my drywall-knife stone back to work!!! It has been semi-retired for years...

Fred

[Randy CA 0]

Speck.

My problem is I start picking up nice rocks too.

Randy

[frank c 969]

Get a rock bag with an over the shoulder strap or rope carrying handle.....that way you don't weigh yer pants down with the samples ya pick up.

[Bedrock Bob 4,049]

Hi Guys,

Del is absolutely right. Even when you're metal detecting, it's common to eyeball the meteorite before you can sweep the coil over it. Also, there are locations like Holbrook or dry lakes, where a detector is useless and only experienced eyes are going to make finds. Also, regarding windowing a potential find with sandpaper; because it is light, it's the best for carring in your backpack. I used to carry a Diamond file for this but, it's heavier, and doesn't sand any faster than the sandpaper. HOWEVER.....something I learned from my son Erik, is that the best tool for windowing is a "sharpening block/honing stone". You can get the larger ones from Home Depot or Loews in the tool section. You can find nice small ones at a knife store in the mall. They have a coarse side and a fine side, and are VERY FAST at making a window in a stone - like right now! Check it out.

Ben

I use a similar tool. I take a piece of oak 6" long, 1/4 thick and about an inch wide and glue sandpaper to it. 80X on one side and 120X on the other. I use the heavy sanding belts or the wide belts. The paper is heavy and last a long time. I make round ones, triangle ones, flat ones and concave/convex ones for sanding details in wood carvings and sculpting. They work super for sanding a window on a rock too!

Just like a heavy fingernail file. They dont weigh anything, cost just a few cents and when they wear out I just throw them in the wood stove.

Oh, and I usually just use a ski pole with a neo magnet. The only time I use a detector is in the placers or in the Glorieta strewn field. Just like hunting artifacts. No difference at all and the eye training is the same. Even the sheen/luster you are looking for is similar. I only use the magnet to keep from bending over to pick up a suspect stone.

[Goldfinger 43]

Seems to me location would make a difference on how to hunt. If you were hunting one of the known strewnfields like Franconia , Gold Basin or Glorieta- you would need a metal detector since it's been heavily hunted and almost all the surface meteorites are gone. If you were hunting Holbrook- you would need a magnet on a stick and speck to be most effective. Same with the dry lakes. If you were searching for a new strewnfield, I would probably speck and use a detector. :twocents:

Steve

[Bedrock Bob 4,049]

Just a bit of wisdom and I am not opposing anyone here...

Using a detector outside of a known strewn field is a bummer. You wind up digging trash all day and it slows you WAY down. Most of us know how much fun nugget shooting is in an area with no nuggets? Well, imagine doing that for hundreds of days on end.

Even IN a known strewn field using a detector is a bummer. I hunt Glorieta for DAYS to find a meteorite of any size. Outside of the known strewn field you could hunt a lifetime and not find a meteorite.

The secret to finding new ground is covering ground. Anything that reduces the acreage that you cover is a liability. A metal detector is going to beep on every piece of trash and that is going to slow you WAY down.

Of course I suppose that there are many places that have been looked over and nothing is on the surface but a huge pallasite is waiting an inch deep. if time made no difference and was not a factor then we would all find meteorites with detectors and be as old as the hills. Since most of us wil never live long enough to find a strewn field with a detector my advice is to use your eyes and your feet to find one.

Again, I dont want anyone to be irate at me for offering this opinion. It is only my opinion and you can use a detector to look all you want.

[John B. 36]

Hi Bunkster and All

Hunting by eyeball is great in open light colored ground especially were there are minimum rocks :mellow: . I found Dos Cabezas and the King Tut in unknown meteorite locations looking for gold with a detector ^_^ . Yet in Oman it was like driving around in a giant kity litter box :huh: . If you saw a black spot on the horizon you drove to it and gave it a test :unsure: . We had 2 types of tests, the magnet which only could confirm it was a ordinary chondrite and contained metal and the taste test which would confirm it was a camel turd or not :whaaaa: ?? I Always hoped for ordinary chondrites :shrug: !! Happy Huntin John B.

[frank c 969]

Mr. John B. I always wondered if a meateorite tasted anything like meat !!!

[Goldfinger 43]

Mr. John B. I always wondered if a meateorite tasted anything like meat !!!

I'm told they taste like chicken.

[Kaimi 29]

Aloha,

Like Del, Ben and Erik I always am on the lookout for something that just seems to say "Hey look at me!" Cannot see why everyone doesn't look ahead about ten feet even while metal detecting. I have found some pretty nice specimens just sitting on the surface,even out at Franconia, while detecting some hard to get to spots. I guess once you know what to look for, them meteorites will start to stand out a lot easier.

Aloha and stay cool and safe this summer.

Stan aka Ka'imi