New to highbanking/dredge, questions

[matt_unique]

I'm looking to move into powered mining from my river sluice. I settled on a 3 hp, 4800 GPH water pump with 1.5" hoses. I was initially looking at a simple powered sluice head to bring the water to me...but I'm considering a highbanker/dredge combo.

I had a couple of questions:

1.) I assume with 1.5" hose fittings on my water pump, I need to stick with a highbanker/dredge combo that has a 1.5" suction nozzle and hoses (I know the tip is reduced to help prevent blockage).
2.) Does anyone have experience with the Martin Prospecting highbanker/dredge combo units and can share their experience?
3.) One of the things I wondered about highbankers is how well they clean rocks before they fall off the end of the grizzly bars. I know it's a well tested design but it seems like a short distance before falling off.
4.) My water pump does not have a throttle...it's either on or off. Will this be problematic for dredge use? I know if shoveling into a highbanker I can restrict the water supply via a valve. I suppose I could do the same in the water intake portion of the hose leading to the pump?
5.) I have a Keene A52 and considered adding a highbanker/dredge combo header unit to it, but I read recently there are river riffles and dredge riffles. I'm embarrassed to say I never knew there were different riffles for different sluice setups. I assume I would lose gold if I had a powered setup without "river" riffles.

Thanks

--Matt

 

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[russau]

If you valve the eng/pump down you will in essence LOAD the ENGINE up. It has to have a throttle to adjust the flow somehow!!!!. your pump is marginal so don't try to go deep or push water to far up hill if Highbanking. I build my riffles or what ever I plan to put into my sluice by the general size of the gold that I prospected in the stream and go from there. I have a supply of expanded metal , short riffles and various types of matting that I use when dredgeing.

 

[matt_unique]

Thanks for the reply. Looks like I need a new pump. Where I mine offers placer gold and if you're lucky a small picker.

 

[Goldwasher]

10" sluice width need 40gpm minimum with 1/2 to 3/8 riffles......never valve your intake.....you know you don't dredge with your intake hose right??

 

[matt_unique]

Ha ha ha! Definitely better safe than sorry with the question Goldwasher. Thankfully I do know sucking rocks into a pump would destroy it and the suction is created by the pump discharge routed through the nozzle.
I'll have to measure the riffles in my sluice box...

 

[Goldwasher]

Ok....some people see the particulate specs on trash pump and well.........

 

[matt_unique]

I went with the Keene hopper box, sluice riffles to replace the stock river riffles, 2" nozzle, and a 2" outfitted 9840 GPH Honda pump. Just need to finish the setup.

 

[NW-INDIANA-PROSPECTOR]

I went with the Keene hopper box, sluice riffles to replace the stock river riffles, 2" nozzle, and a 2" outfitted 9840 GPH Honda pump. Just need to finish the setup.

So...is it done?

 

[matt_unique]

Sure is....I ran it for 16 hours over two days earlier this season. I posted some pics of my cleanup (mostly fly poop but a fair amount at least for my own experience). I will be going again soon. Hoping for more gold and some more interesting sizes.

In addition to the above, before my first outing, I also added a rubber ribbed mat to the very top of the sluice, a rubber flap covering the first few riffles, and miners moss above the carpet/below the expanded metal.

The only change I am making since my first outing is to throw out the heavy, stiff hoses I purchased online (advertised as flexible but were anything but) for use as my water suction and discharge to the top of the Keene nozzle and replaced them with the good flexible hose I got with the Keene dredge nozzle kit (hose I used from nozzle to sluice). Not to be confused with the lay flat, but the Keene rigid/ribbed coil hose.