Relic Hunt With GPX 5000

[Guest Paul (Ca)]

Have tested the GPX at an old site and picked up several pistol balls but this really was my first serious all day relic hunt with the GPX 5000,  Got out for a day up in gold country,  Wasn't planning on going just worked out unexpectedly getting together with a newbie in metal detecting from the area.  In fact,  I need to get Ray from Ca. and Lawernzo out there too hopefully soon time is against us with snakes and tall grass. With the Newbie, Had offered to help him with his detector in the future and if he was game for relic hunting lessons to give me a call,  He calls me 2-3 days ago after getting permission from his wife and turns out yesterday (SAT) was perfect. 

 

So up the hill we go packed with our gear, Go over to the property owners home and introduce David to the owner.  From there , Off we go into relic tertiary on the 1500 acre property.  David did extremely well being his first time relic detecting, He scored four Chinese cache coins, Several pistol balls and his first powder flask top. At the time, I had picked up four cache coins too and a couple of broken pieces of Chinese coins, Several pistol balls and a few other interesting finds with the GPX 5000 using the 5"X10" DD commander coil.  Before we new it was getting late, Long hike back to my pickup and as we were starting to leave he mentions let's stay longer. 
 
 It's getting late and I remember finding another patch of ground 8-9 years ago from a brief sampling digging several square nails,  So rather than stay and continue hunting mentioned to David of another site about 1 mile hike away and through a forest of trees was a meadow with great potential.  We arrived at the meadow, Unpacked our gear and started to detect.  Square nails everywhere great we're on the right ground, David is using a Whites V3 and I'm still swinging the GPX.

 

 Later, Switched over from the GPX after working the outer areas going to the Deus to work the inner area of the meadow laced with iron.  When I say Laced with iron that's an understatement the inner area is thick with iron and rusted tin about 70-80% of digging was iron or rusted trash, But the new comer to relic detecting didn't care he was digging up gold rush era finds even if it was mostly iron.
 
Somewhere between this mess of iron, got a clean signal and what popped out really surprised me. What looked like a quarter half dollar size coin was the prettiest target I've seen all day, new it was coin but what was it and based from the size it had to be foreign.  From help of others on another forum, The coin is a 1793 King Louis XVI 12 Deniers France Coin 18mm and made of bronze my first bronze coin find in my career.
 
Have to share the GPX is one dynamite PI,  So glad to have made the investment it's one serious relic machine. Wanted to slap on the 11" DD but was having so much fun with the 5"X10" DD commander for this type of hunting it stayed on.
 
Also, Have heard from several GPX users and even the manual states Coin/Relic mode will not work in mineralized soils.  For some reason my 5000 has no problem it handles this poor dirt well in fact was running Gain pretty high normally between 14 to 20 Gain in Coin/Relic mode. Looking so forward to getting out more often with the GPX and my trusty ATX, Both are well worth the investment.
 
An adventures day for sure,  Got my first bronze coin in my career.
 
HH, Paul (Ca)

[deathray]

Congratulations on a first buddy! Looks like you got another dude hooked!! Snakes are already thick around here...what I need is time! Got a brand new f19 sitting on my desk. Can say the recession really is finally over. The only thing I will miss about that,was having time to fish &detect. I take that back,forgot I sold all my detectors when $hit hit the fan,lol. Anyway,snakes dont bother me,well get together sometime soon. Congratulations! Ray

[Steve Herschbach]

Wow, Paul, that is pretty amazing! How much ferrous junk did you have to dig? And congratulations on your find!

[ddmk6]

Outstanding day..... in what looks to be an outstanding spot.  The 5000 really is an amazing detector.  I have yet to use it for relic hunting but I don't think it's going to be long before I give it a go.

 

Nice finds.  I bet the newbie was having a blast.

 

Kenny

[Guest Paul (Ca)]

Thanks Ray, Steve and Kenny,

Ray,  That's great news glad to hear business is picking you for you.  I hear you on missing out with fishing and metal detecting due to work but that is were our priorities are,  Work is an important part of our lives and if time and finances allow it's ok to get out the have fun    Congrats with getting an F19,  Hear allot of positive things on the unit especially from serious relic hunters.  We'll get out and if not this spring maybe in the fall before winter sets in.  Have more territory for us to detect so we'll always have something good to go too.  Thanks Ray!

Steve,  Dug allot of iron with the GPX but honestly it avoided allot of iron as well.  Up in gold country or coastal range we deal with allot of iron, Even the best VLF will get fooled with a fair amount of iron but that's ok we just deal with it as part of the hunt. With the GPX and ATX, What I'm doing is detecting the outer areas outside the thick of iron it is here will get fooled less and in fact the ratio of getting fooled is considerably reduced. Another positive thing with a good Pi such as the ATX and GPX with relic hunting,  They will punch down deep were as masking from mineralization seriously effects depth even with the best VLF as with the PI it see's right thought the mineralization. With what little time I have with the GPX,  Very impressed and do see a slight advantage over the ATX for certain conditions and of course same as the ATX in certain conditions it has advantages over the GPX as well. 

The handle broke off my GPX shaft first day using it,  So for now the GPX is mounted onto a Deus shaft and actually like it allot. It compresses down for easy storage and fits into a backpack with ease, Will try and post a pic and if it can't take it will try and post above under the original post.  Thanks again Steve with your help and encouragement!

Kenny,  I feel you'll enjoy the GPX for relic detecting.  Detect the extreme older areas if possible, If you've pounded sites with the best VLF then try the GPX you'll eventually snag a deep target missed by a VLF.  It's here you will see the advantage of using a good PI, from this first experience you're hooked and slowly one by one those deeper targets will surface.

Thanks again,

Paul (Ca)

[Rick K - First Member]

I love your shaft adaptation – one of the things I really hate about ML is their refusal to really come to grips with the ordinary ergonomic issues around or detectors – you're about the 10,000 guy that is had the handle break off. When detectors were $500 that was one thing when the $10,000 that's quite another.

[Steve Herschbach]

Holy crap, that's awesome! I wish that DEUS rod was not so expensive, a lot more people would be modifying detectors to work with it.

Kind of gratifying and will take the opportunity to pat myself on the back. Over ten years ago I started pointing out what I thought was obvious - that PI detectors would see use for all types of detecting, especially relic detecting. From http://www.detectorprospector.com/steves-mining-journal/beach-detecting-minelab-gp3500-alaska.htm :

"I know these detectors are expensive, but if you have a serious need to get some REAL extra depth, you need to look hard at the Minelab GP 3500. These things would be awesome for hunting Civil War relics in a "worked out" location."

People thought I was nuts. Yet now at Diggin In Virginia (DIV) nearly everyone is using a PI. Big gun Minelabs are often seen at the beach. And yes, smart coin hunters can do amazing things with a PI. If high value targets are found, when the VLFs run out of steam, savvy operators will turn to a PI. I can't wait to see where ZVT takes us.

Thanks Paul!

[beatup]

Very cool adaptation,and congrats on the hunt i never really thought of using my GPX for relics.

[jasong]

Very cool mod, Minelab should take note of that photo!

[Guest Paul (Ca)]

Thanks Rick, Steve, beatup and jasong,

Rick,  I agree Minelab needs to come up with a stronger lighter shaft/hand grip setup.  Maybe breaking off the handgrip was a blessing, Had it not been for that break probably would still be using the stock shaft setup.  Really like the feel of the Deus shaft, And it collapses down to hardly nothing

Steve,  Thanks so much for attaching the link for the 3500 field test,   Just read it and goes to show what you seen back then digging up those 5 wheat back pennies and silver dime is what we're experiencing today with PI's.  Amazing,  You see it back then and you nailed it that's what it takes to recover deeper signals from pounded areas.  

Below are a few more pics,  Got to tell you breaking off the handle was a blessing,   Really like the Deus shaft and you're right on the money they are very expensive something like $250 bucks for a complete Deus shaft setup.  May order an extra one,  Been using a Deus shaft setup with my Blisstool V5 and it too feels much better balanced with this cool shaft setup.  By the way, Even remounted the GPX GB push button onto the Deus upper shaft above the hand grip, And it slides back with the upper shaft when collapsing the shafts. 

beatup and jasong, Using a Pi for relic hunting takes allot of patience, One has to have the mindset of it's ok to dig iron and it's going to be allot of iron and deep iron is NOT exempt it falls right in there with all the rest. 

With the handle setup, In time I feel Minelab will eventually do the right thing and revamp the handle setup for the GPX series or future models that is, And put out an after market shaft setup for users having the older models.  They have too, And they will just a matter of time

Thanks again everyone,

Paul (Ca)