A Day With The GPX 6000 Nf 12 X 7

[Gold Catcher]

So, I went back to a club claim that had been pounded for years with virtually all detectors imaginable, including countless times with the GPZ 7000, and that was essentially left for dead. It was a beautiful day, around 60 degrees but with fairly strong winds. There was not a soul out there, something that made the majestic landscape even more impressive.

 

I decided to use my GPX 6000 with the NF 12 x 7 and to do some slow scanning of an area where I recovered quite some gold over the years (mostly by using the GPZ). My settings were: Auto +, normal, threshold on, with ML headset. I was pleasantly surprised how stable the machine was with these settings, something I would not have expected in this area. I should mention that I did the audio fix as well, which I now believe contributes for sure to the overall improved stability of the detector, even when just using BT. One of my first targets was a thin flat piece that was obviously pounded by the force of moving mass including lava rocks.

 

Always nice to see it at first all dirty in the scoop, a feeling of joy that never seems to go away, doesn’t matter how many nuggets you have found before, small or large. After some "spit cleaning", the shiny yellow came out.

 

 

I am actually surprised that this nugget was not picked up previously. I would certainly expect that most detectors would have been able to see it, also considering that it was fairly shallow, about 2-3 inch deep. So, the day started good, and I continued to scan the close vicinity around my initial find. One thing that I noticed was how incredible sensitive the machine is, something that I was of course aware of having used the 6000 quite a bit, but that again came to my attention. One challenge is that the whole area is littered with bird shots, and I must have recovered at least 20-30 within just a few hours. This is clearly less of a problem with the GPZ 7000, even when run at full bore. I then decided to change tactics and once a target was heard to remove about 1 inch of surface material with my Hermit pick (one end with wide blade), and to only recover if the target would then still be there. This actually worked quite well, and my next “piece” was a super small, tiny flake at about 2-3-inch depth.

 

The flake was so tiny that it was almost impossible to pick it up with the fingers, and of course it did not register on the scale. But the fact that the 6000/NF12 x7 picked it up with a clear high/low signal at about 2-3-inch depth is truly remarkable, and shows once more the power of the 6000, combined with the excellent performance of the NF 12x7 coil. Would the 11-inch stock or the Coiltek 9-round have picked it up, perhaps. But I did not make a cross comparison of all three coils, as I wanted to focus on detecting. But I really have to say I am super impressed by the NF12x7. It is highly sensitive, not a bit less than the 11 stock, but with a more balanced response signal, smoother and it also appears more stable. All targets that I recovered that day were high/low signals, with only some hot rocks or areas of high mineralization giving a low/hi response. I picked up two more pieces, always by using the “1-inch scrape/discard technique”, something that really worked well for me and that I can recommend using for bird shot infested areas. Can you see the one in the next pic? 😊

 

I picked up four in total that afternoon, and I am sure there is more on this claim, considering that I only focused on a small area around my initial nugget and thoroughly scanned only in the close vicinity.

 

Overall, a great day in the desert. There is something magic about being out there, and every time I come back from it I feel I have been on a meditative retreat. Finding gold is an added bonus to me, and even without any I enjoy my trips every time! Here is the general area where I hang out. Go get some. 😉

 

So long, guys!

 

 

GC

 

 

 

 

 

[phrunt]

Nice report on your detector and coil, I'm so happy you went down the EMI fix path for your 6000 as you were very hesitant at the start, I just knew if you had it done you would notice the difference.

That looks a nice detecting spot, such a massive area of openness, having a coil cover that much ground well would be impossible so you've got years of hunting ahead in that area alone, I wish the GPS mapping of the GPZ was super accurate with graphical photographic satellite mapping using google maps or something showing coverage, they now have GPS accuracy that can work down to a couple of inches and in some cases in millimeters so it is possible...  Something on my bucket list for a detector as I'm terrible at covering ground accurately, probably why I can go back to the same spot and find more all the time 🙂

Do those bushes and things grow bigger?  One of the problems here is we are losing ground to growth of bushes all through the gold areas, mostly briar rose which is nasty thorny stuff and thyme which entirely covers the ground making it near inaccessible for a coil, my little 8" on the GPZ is the only coil suitable for the thyme areas and a little elliptical would be even better which is why I'm hanging out for the little Sadie NF for the 6000.  The 10x5" on the GPX is decent but a bit big so the Sadie will be my weapon of choice for the thyme.

It's time to invest in new scales, a GPX user has no business using scales that can't give weights on small gold 😉

I just ordered some new scales myself as my screen is starting to play up on mine, they had a 10 year warranty too but I threw away the receipt.  My new ones are going to be US Inferno scales and look exactly like yours in a different colour scheme but are more accurate weighing down to 0.001 of a gram like my old scales could so they're GPX 6000 compatible, even Gold Bug 2 compatible 😛

Very cool you came home with 4 nuggets too, and that big one at only a few inches is a good find, never understand how that happens but it's happened to me too and it was also with the 6000, a nugget I'd missed in the past and was sure I'd been over that spot and out it popped, easy shallow quite large (for me) flat nugget.  May on it's edge I don't know.

[Gold Catcher]

1 hour ago, phrunt said:

Nice report on your detector and coil, I'm so happy you went down the EMI fix path for your 6000 as you were very hesitant at the start, I just knew if you had it done you would notice the difference.

Thanks, Simon. And yes, I absolutely give you that. You were right, and I was hesitant and not quite believing. I think part of that was my fear to ship it off, considering how many packages I got lost. I did insure it on the way to the repair center, but the return was without insurance, just with a tracking number. Well, thank God it worked out and I am glad I did!

1 hour ago, phrunt said:

t's time to invest in new scales, a GPX user has no business using scales that can't give weights on small gold 😉

Yup, I guess I was a bit spoiled with my GPZ that usually only finds stuff that registers with double digits after the gram. Had I used the GPZ I might have only found the "bigger" one that day, which I am sure was just plain missed (including by me!!). 🙂 I mean I have of course found super small stuff with the GPZ as well, but not with the consistency of the 6k, that seems to find the small stuff all the time. You can of course ask the question (and some do) whether it is worthwhile to dig all that small stuff the 6k will find. In particular, because you can't often times tell by the signal response if something is tiny or bigger, since all sounds pretty loud. But on the other hand, I personally enjoy digging all gold, even that which won't register. But this is because I don't have to pay my bills from it. I think if you wanted to make the most efficient time/gold weight ratio then the 6k might not necessarily be your detector...The scale you ordered looks great. Did you get it on AMZ?

1 hour ago, phrunt said:

I wish the GPS mapping of the GPZ was super accurate with graphical photographic satellite mapping using google maps or something showing coverage, they now have GPS accuracy that can work down to a couple of inches and in some cases in millimeters so it is possible..

Totally agree, the GPS on the GPZ is not very accurate most of the times. I usually do the waypoint averaging on my Garmin GPSMAP 66i, then I transfer it to my Basecamp map. I have a "gold map" of the area I usually go to, but I wish I could make any sense of it as it all appears to be scattered without any predictability. But I am still hoping it will give me some cluses eventually.

GC

[GotAU?]

 A very nice day in a wonderful place!

[Norvic]

On ya GC got similar results with the Coiltek 10x5, waiting on son to get his 6K to run together before 6K upgrade. Still getting my head around the power of the Axiom, tis a magic machine with stabilty/extra punch in coils it seems only the aftermarket coils bring to ML. 

[beatup]

good on you

[glacialgold]

Beautiful scenery shots...also, nicely done on the small pickers!

[glacialgold]

6 hours ago, Gold Catcher said:

So long, guys!

 

 

Wait a hot hot second here, b/c I have questions...

Based upon your final pic, GC, you are able to wear headphones over a hoodie, top it off with a hat, and STILL have the headphones latch it all down???

This is a shocking development to witness. Per the assorted sets of factory-issued headphones (Garrett, Minelab, and Nokta) being marginally able to fit my big a$$ noggin...let alone extra head protection.

That said, my melon might just be too big, and YMMV accordingly. 

Cheers! 

[Gold Catcher]

30 minutes ago, glacialgold said:

Wait a hot hot second here, b/c I have questions...

Based upon your final pic, GC, you are able to wear headphones over a hoodie, top it off with a hat, and STILL have the headphones latch it all down???

This is a shocking development to witness. Per the assorted sets of factory-issued headphones (Garrett, Minelab, and Nokta) being marginally able to fit my big a$$ noggin...let alone extra head protection.

That said, my melon might just be too big, and YMMV accordingly. 

Cheers! 

Hi Glacialgold, yes I can do that when extending the muffs all the way down. I have no small head, but it works 🙂

GC

[mn90403]

GC,

Good report.  I love those long vistas as well.  There is nothing quite like it when the moon comes up full and the sun sets about the same time.  

Finding is a bonus as they say but rewarding in a different way.

I've got a few thousand in repairs to the 4Runner to consider before I'm able to 4x4 again.  I can stay on the big roads and walk the 15 to some pounded places.

Mitchel