karathound

We are starting to research places to retire too. It's still a ways off (maybe 5-8 years), but would appreciate thoughts on areas that offer the most accessible gold detecting areas. We are probably less sensitive to the climate. We like the water also (kayaking and fishing.) We definitely hope to spend a lot of time prospecting/exploring, so access to high-return areas would be ideal. Thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated. Bob

I ordered this one several weeks ago. http://www.ebay.com/itm/281674146159 Can't comment on quality yet as it hasn't arrived yet. They got updated measurements on the GPZ, so it was delayed a little.

Thanks Gold Hound, that is a good point, and there are some high-level changes in vegetation that are observable, the most common is the presence of evergreen vs. deciduous trees. That starts to mark the boundary of the more highly mineralized areas. Now I need to get to the next level and see what else changes.

Thanks again for all the great feedback. Unfortunately, my scenario is probably not a great one, but I think that I have some better idea of how to attack things now. I want something light and easy to navigate with as a first pass, knowing that I am going to be in high-trash areas as a starting point. Once I locate a promising area, I can then switch over to a higher-power detector like the GPZ and work the area more thoroughly. I will also spend time in low-trash areas with the GPZ and cover more ground quickly. The other challenge I have, compared to desert areas, is the land is harder to read vs. the western desert areas. What I mean by this is that the ground is covered with heavy vegetation or years of leaf matter, so the changes in the soil are not as obvious. There are other signs, but not as clear as what I am used to out west. Anyway, this is getting a little off topic, but it would be interesting to see thoughts from folks on terrain like this and how you approach hunting these areas. Hence my focus on starting in the immediate areas of the mines, it should at least be reasonable to think that there will be some close to the older mining areas. I will let you know how the MXT does in the area as a starting point. Best, Hound

Thanks again everyone, great ideas flowing here. The other reviews are very helpful also. I am definitely going to take a look at Steve's stories with the MXT. I have had a great run with that machine hunting coins. Good hunting to everyone.

Hi everyone, Thanks for the ideas. I have the original MXT, and may give that a spin to see how it does in these areas. I haven't really tried that as a prospecting detector, but it may find at least a starting point, then I can bring in some heavy-duty (Zed) equipment. Raking is a little tough in these areas as it is very overgrown with heavy roots and vegetation. If the MXT doesn't work out, I am leaning towards the FORS gold. I appreciate you all taking the time to reply, this is a great forum and the people here make all the difference. Best, Hound

Hello everyone, I am seeking some input for a detector purchase. I live on the east coast and have access to historic gold fields in my area. I had a GPX5000 that I used out west, but recently traded it in for a GPZ7000. I had at least some degree of discrimination with the 5000, but nada on the Zed. I am now looking to add another detector to the toolkit for the high-trash areas where I am detecting. This is strictly for prospecting, so I don't need an all in one detector. I am mainly interested in this for around the tailing piles and in areas close to the old mines. There is a lot of hunting on these properties also, so lots of shotgun shells, buckshot, birdshot, bullets, iron, foil, etc. Basically it is like a dump in some areas. The gold out this way is mostly small in size, less than an ounce for almost all nuggets. The soil is very mineralized also, red clays, with heavy mineral/iron content. I have been thinking about the FORS Gold, the Gold Racer (when it comes out), the Goldbug 2, and some other machines. I would really appreciate your thoughts on the best detector for my situation. The 7000 is great in the non-trashy areas, but I am spending more time lately in the thick of the trash and am going crazy. Thanks, Hound

Thanks for the feedback and additional comparisons on settings Steve. Yes, there is a correlation in ground type between Virginia and the West (to some degree) more so when you look at the heavier mineralization around some of the old mining areas in VA. I am interested in both the relic hunting and the prospecting, so the GPZ is a great machine from this standpoint. As you pointed out, the challenge is the heavy trash. The GPX at least had the iron discrimination to some degree, but GPZ has none. I have seen at least one article from the Aussie side that talks about using the tones on the GPZ to differentiate between gold and iron in a heavy trash area, that the surface trash is giving a quick sharp tone, where underlying co-located nuggets are giving more of the warbling tone, so there seems to be some way to distinguish. As of yet, I have not been out enough with the GPZ to pick up on this subtle difference in tones in a trashy area. The good news for the DIV crowd is that many of the areas where they are hunting have been pounded with VLF and PI machines, so the GPZ is mostly working in "clean" ground. The result, as seen in the article I posted, is greater depth over a range of GPX coils with the stock GPZ coil. This should "open up the relic fields." too. I'll post more from the east as I get out and learn the GPZ. Bob

Sorry if this is a little off topic, but I thought this might be interesting to the GPZ owners/prospective owners out there. There is an event held in Virginia several times a year called "Digging in Virginia" (DIV), and the dealer I bought my Zed from is involved in the hunt this year (Keith Leppert of Fort Bedford Detectors.) Anyway, an area scoured with the GPX series was scanned by Keith, and he found a large number of additional civil war bullets with the GPZ, at much greater depth. Here is a link to a blog with the results: http://detectingsaxapahaw.blogspot.com/2015/03/div-blog-day-3-going-deep-with-zed.html And a link to the DIV postings: http://www.mytreasurespot.com/main/read.php?5,650501,650501#msg-650501 Best, Bob

I think I just fell off the fence, but I don't know where I landed. haha. I really appreciate your candid thoughts Steve. I am a 5000 user on the east coast of the US. To be honest, I bought the machine to use out west and did pretty well (after a somewhat steep learning curve.) I am now concentrating on areas closer to home and I have been debating re-fitting for east coast hunting, with a smaller coil, and possibly also adding the 2300 to my list of detectors. The challenge here is the overgrowth and also the huge amount of trash. Then, the GPZ hit the streets, and it has been a two+ week roller coaster ride, re-evaluating which direction to go. There are things that I really like about the GPZ, the top being the consolidation of the capabilities into one machine. I am a part-time prospector, so when I get out, I may only get one shot at a location and there is a lot of competition to get to the accessible land, so I want to make sure I maximize my efforts. This logic is what brought the GPZ front and center. I also believe the machine will do well here with the mineralized ground. The water resistance is also a big plus. So, if you are in my position, and if you know a little bit about the east coast detecting, I would really appreciate any more insight into which direction makes the most sense? Thanks, Hound

Thanks ad. I don't have my Zed yet, but am keeping track of the settings for future reference. Keep posting the pictures. Hound

Very nice work ad! What were some of the depths for these, and what were your settings? Thanks, Hound

Hey everyone, In the quest to gather more info in order to make the leap, or to justify the money already spent, here is some more video showing the GPZ recovering gold from a previously heavily hit area. Again, the Aussies have a little more time in the field to date. Enjoy... https://www.facebook.com/FindersKeepersGoldProspecting