Gpx-6000 1 Year Anniversary. Is It The King?

[phrunt]

In the Minelab Service section of their website they have a section for GPZ 6000 Firmware updates, this gives me hope that one day they will provide a firmware update to improve stability of the machine, to improve on Geosense to make the machine more stable.  If they do this, I might start to like it more.

Other detectors that we know can be firmware updated by Minelab such as the Gold Monster 1000 which newer versions of it have a newer better firmware than the initial release (my one) do not have the firmware updates section like the GPX 6000 does, so that means the firmware updates if any are likely going to be for the end user to install. 

Detectors with the Software Updates Files category on the Minelab service website are all ones we update ourselves like the GPZ, CTX etc etc.

At least there is some hope.

[GotAU?]

18 minutes ago, phrunt said:

In the Minelab Service section of their website they have a section for GPZ 6000 Firmware updates, this gives me hope that one day they will provide a firmware update to improve stability of the machine, to improve on Geosense to make the machine more stable.  If they do this, I might start to like it more.

Other detectors that we know can be firmware updated by Minelab such as the Gold Monster 1000 which newer versions of it have a newer better firmware than the initial release (my one) do not have the firmware updates section like the GPX 6000 does, so that means the firmware updates if any are likely going to be for the end user to install. 

Detectors with the Software Updates Files category on the Minelab service website are all ones we update ourselves like the GPZ, CTX etc etc.

At least there is some hope.

Wait, there’s a USB or other comm port on it?

[jasong]

Based on the underwhelming firmware updates we saw with the 7000, I'm not holding my breath. 

If they had solid business ethics and not just unbridled greed, they'd fix the 6000 EMI issues, or at least give us a smaller DD to alleviate them, and gain a little customer trust back. We will see if they make things right, but prior history doesn't make it seem likely.

3 minutes ago, GotAU? said:

Wait, there’s a USB or other comm port on it?

It's hidden. When you discover another in a long line of GPX 6000 flaws and try to fix the problem, you'll find it. 

[GotAU?]

4 minutes ago, jasong said:

Based on the underwhelming firmware updates we saw with the 7000, I'm not holding my breath. 

If they had solid business ethics and not just unbridled greed, they'd fix the 6000 EMI issues, or at least give us a smaller DD to alleviate them, and gain a little customer trust back. We will see if they make things right, but prior history doesn't make it seem likely.

It's hidden. When you discover another in a long line of GPX 6000 flaws and try to fix the problem, you'll find it. 

Oh,  It’s behind the speaker grill! 

 (Not really!)

But it could be done with something like a special programming menu that uses a proprietary cable in the audio port or something…. Or maybe just a web designer’s page parking spot for a future release…

[jasong]

3 minutes ago, GotAU? said:

Oh,  It’s behind the speaker grill! 

 (Not really!)

But it could be done with something like a special programming menu that uses a proprietary cable in the audio port or something…. Or maybe just a web designer’s page parking spot for a future release…

Nope, you got it. It really is behind the speaker grill. By memory there was a rubber plug or cover you had to remove to get to it, which was basically the first thing I did once I got it opened up to reattach my control box that came undone. Oh...what's this doodad here, ah, USB port.

[phrunt]

yep, it has a rubber moisture/dust cover on it.  It would be considered a USB port that's accessible by the end user for updating, not a service only use one like on the Gold Monster which is deep inside the battery compartment and much harder to access.

[GotAU?]

3 minutes ago, jasong said:

Nope, you got it. It really is behind the speaker grill. By memory there was a rubber plug or cover you had to remove to get to it, which was basically the first thing I did once I got it opened up to reattach my control box that came undone. Oh...what's this doodad here, ah, USB port.

Not a typical end user port like what they have on the Nox then…

[GotAU?]

2 minutes ago, phrunt said:

yep, it has a rubber moisture/dust cover on it.  It would be considered a USB port that's accessible by the end user for updating, not a service only use one like on the Gold Monster which is deep inside the battery compartment and much harder to access.

And there were never any GM updates we could do, and too bad that quick ground balance update was a change in hardware, not firmware.

At least the Nox had a nice firmware update users could do themselves, that was pretty sweet getting a new additional frequency for it.

[jasong]

I got curious sitting here thinking about it and just popped the 6000 open and tried browsing as a hard drive on my computer. No luck, it doesn't show up. Anyone figured out if there is some magic button combo to press to be able to access it's storage or some kind of admin mode by chance? Or maybe it requires some Minelab proprietary software to feed it an encrypted code to access the storage and firmware?

[GotAU?]

2 minutes ago, jasong said:

I got curious sitting here thinking about it and just popped the 6000 open and tried browsing as a hard drive on my computer. No luck, it doesn't show up. Anyone figured out if there is some magic button combo to press to be able to access it's storage or some kind of admin mode by chance? Or maybe it requires some Minelab proprietary software to feed it an encrypted code to access the storage and firmware?

I bet you are right, a flash program only they can use.  So then there’s probably a service charge for shipping it to them for installing updates (if the have one) in the future as well!