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When I was big in coin hunting most of the time I used a small coil. One reason was you had less trash under the coil and the ID work better. Another reason that small coil would detect the very small coin are gold ring. I knew I loss depth but I'd come back with the large coil to punch down deeper.

 We all know a small coil will detect the very small and it will detect something larger if in the ranger of the coil. The small and large  coil has a limit in relation to the power of the detector.

  I can take the GPX 5000 and put a small coil to detect the small gold. Now I got the small coil with the power of the GPX. Then I can pull it off  and go with the big one for the depth but loose the very small gold. Remember small coil small gold and large coil will detect some small gold with more depth over all.

 The SDC 2300 has shown it's hot for the very small gold and it's going to detect other gold in the range of that 8 inch coil. This detector has to have the power  but is limited by the size of the coil on depth. Again it's small coil small gold and in the case of the SDC very small gold.

  My thinking on the SDC 2300 is only limited by it's coil.Now if I could change out the coil for a larger one could it be near the GPX 5000. I think Minelab has a detector in the SDC 2300 that is so near being a GPX 5000. In having the coil on the SDC 2300 hard wired will keep the sales up on for both. detectors. 

  Oh if I could only put another coil on the SDC 2300. Then I just may save me two thousand dollars  buying the SDC. but right now Minelab will keep us in the dark on this subject.

  Here we are with a GPX that I can get a small coil to detect the very small gold. It's not a lot of trouble to change from one coil to another. I can get a lower shaft for the smaller coil and that's makes it less trouble  Oh the SDC is new it's blue and I fell in love with this new blue toy. Ha

 I can't blame you if you go get a SDC 2300. What's not to love in a new blue toy and waterproof.

   Chuck Anders

PS I'm sorry to repeat myself at times. That's the way life is after you go over a few hills. HaHa 

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Minelab couldn't price the S DC 2300 at $2000 because they know full well that every sale of one of these is a potential loss of a sale of the GPX 5000. If you don't have a PI detector and you're looking to buy one in the US it will be real hard to spend the extra $2000 or so for GPX 5000 when people like Steve truthfully explain that most of the gold can be found is small. So from Minelab point of view better to get you to pay extra for SDC 2300 if you're not going to buy GPX 5000 than to offer you one at a reasonable price and lose three or $4000 difference is you bought it instead of the GTX 5000.

Early tests by Jonathan Porter seem to indicate that the SDC 2300 is significantly superior to - for example the ATX in his Australian conditions. When people like Steve and other users get their hands on SDC 2300 and have a chance to compare them under North American conditions to detectors like the ATX and the TDI we will know a little bit more about whether it's worth the substantial premium over those other detectors.

Time will tell

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When I first heard of the SDC 2300, I thought the same - why would an owner of a GPX buy one? In the same way, why would the owner of an SDC buy a GPX? After having learned more, I feel differently. There is good reason for a GPX owner who wants to get the very highest level of performance to buy a SDC, because it will do things the GPX cannot. It will find gold the GPX with a small coil cannot.

There will be a lot more info coming out shortly, and I will have more detailed comments probably later next week. Its tough to wait for info, but its coming soon -

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I keep seeing the word versatility come up in relation to the SDC 2300 and I suppose when you consider it can be used in the water it is. But when I think about GPX vs SDC I see the GPX series as the versatile units with multiple timings and hundreds of coil options to handle almost anything. Along with that comes complexity in the form of choices that must be made and higher costs for a fully outfitted rig.

The SDC is pure simplicity. A minimalistic control set. Minimum tuning choices. No thinking about what coil to use. The machine is as it is and to be successful with it just put aside thinking about what it is not.

I will be honest - I thought the price was crazy when I first heard about it. Now that I have actually used the SDC, I don't think it is crazy any more. Premium priced, yes. Crazy, no. There are people this detector will appeal to in its simplicity. Others who want maximum prospecting versatility still have the GPX to consider.

All I know is the more options the better. Take your pick, whatever floats your boat personally. We do not all have to like and use the same things. There would be fewer types of vehicles on the road if that were the case.

I do not think putting a large coil on the SDC 2300 will give you GPX performance. That big battery actually has more to do with things than you might think.

I promise one thing. A lot of people simply will not "get it" until they see the SDC 2300 in person. It has a very undeniable "cool" factor. Some people will want it because of this. Yet from another aspect the unit also represents a real utilitarian type of design that I like. I do like stuff simple and to the point.

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Hi Chuck… interesting idea you have about the SDC 2300, and it very well may be the case… in the absence of factual information, we can certainly speculate...

 

I don’t know squat about metal detector electronics / software applications, but I’ll play devil’s advocate by suggesting the coil is not the limiting factor at all. But rather the electronics… for example, the pulse delay setting is a chief factor governing the coil size that can be used on a PI unit. Figure that Minelab has reduced the pulse delay below 10us (standard to the White’s TDI series) to achieve improved small gold sensitivity… hence necessitating a reduced coil size. 

 

I think the 8” loop was selected by Minelab as an optimal size / shape to work glove-in-hand with the electronics (including minimal pulse delay) to produce the desired results. Perhaps that’s the technical reason the coil is hardwired. Now if that technical solution fits with marketing objectives as suggested above, and it certainly does seem to… great for Minelab… a win-win scenario. 

 

Jim.

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Looks like you will be waiting a very long time for someone to take you up on that deal Pard. After a slow start the SDC 2300 is taking off as almost everyone that buys one immediately starts reporting gold finds with it.

I just had a well known dealer ask me why I thought he was getting many requests from people to sell their GPX detectors for them. Any serious prospector can go on at length about why the GPX is the better detector due to the overall versatility. In my opinion that misses the point entirely.

I sold detectors for a long time, and 99% of the people out there are not professional prospectors. They have a simple desire - they want a metal detector that will find gold. Not big gold or small gold, just any gold at all. And they want to find it consistently, not once in a rare while.

Many of these people are members of clubs, and attend group outings at well known, pounded locations. What is happening is people are showing up with all kinds of detectors, including many GPX detectors.

The fact is a GPX operator needs a small coil and considerable expertise to get small gold with a GPX 5000. You can hand any novice the SDC 2300 and will minimal instruction they can find small gold better than the best GPX 5000 operator. And put the SDC 2300 in expert hands, well, the results can be stunning.

I think people are going to group outings, seeing the GPX operators struggle to get a single nugget while the SDC operator looks like they are running a nugget vacuum. Yes, it is tiny stuff. But do not underestimate the psychological impact of my walking behind you finding tiny bits of gold you are missing. It imparts a deep desire to have the detector I am using.

The end result is people running in pairs, like husband/wife teams, are selling that second GPX and getting the SDC instead. Some GPX owners who have never really got the hang of the machine (lots of those out there) are selling theirs also and getting the SDC.

In sales, it is not always about what is best, it is about what works. You older types may remember Betamax - far superior to VHS. VHS won the day. There are many examples of so-called "not as good as" product outselling technically superior product.

I am not saying the SDC 2300 is going to outsell the GPX 5000 going forward. I just do not know. But in the US at least I do not think dealers should discount that possibility. If all a customer wants is a simple to use detector that can find gold, it is hard to think of a better solution than the SDC 2300. Yes, the GPX 5000 is more versatile. Yes, it finds large nuggets deeper. Yes, it covers ground better. But the SDC has magic all its own.

Take the average casual detector person and send them to Rye Patch this weekend with a GPX 5000 and the SDC 2300. They have two days to find gold, any gold at all. Which detector do you want to bet has the better chance of producing some nuggets for this normal run of the mill non-professional detector operator? Hands down, I am placing my bet on the SDC 2300.

And that, in my opinion, is why so many GPX units are up for sale right now. Toss in a few rumors about the new Minelab Super Detector for sale in 2015 and there you go. I have to admit I have been strongly considering selling my own GPX. Long story short it may be a good time for people to pick up a good deal on a used GPX detector.

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Steve,

I finally joined your forum, which I enjoy reading! Your statement above about hunting couples is so true. Both Robin and I, swing GPX's and know the ins and outs of them very well. Every now and then, we'd find a very small nugget (2 grains) and some small quartz and gold piece or host rock species with our GPX's. Knowing what type of gold on a giving patch would tell us the best coil to use for the day's hunt. But, the patches with the course, rocky and dink type nuggets, I knew we couldn't hear the gold our coils went over no matter what timing or coil you used. This new Minelab 2300 is no gimmick, it produces where all other detectors struggle to add to your poke. Yes, my GPX 4000 is for sale! Until the next hunt

LuckyLundy

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Hi Rick,

Welcome to the forum!

I am guessing you saw a 2300 at work in competent hands. Frankly, most GPX owners simply have to see it to believe it. It sounds like hype until you see it in action. The little machine really works, and works very well. It favors the methodical hunter and anyone used to covering ground has to shift gears and slow the heck down with the SDC to get the best out of it.

Hope you and Robin are well, best of luck to you.

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