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See That Nugget Before Digging It - Minelab Dual Sensor Detector With Gpr


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From the Codan news release at http://www.codan.com.au/Portals/0/investorpubs/22 AXS Announcement - Minelab awarded $6.7m contract.pdf (copy below):

"Cooperating with NIITEK Inc., the HDD will combine Minelab’s new Multiple Frequency Continuous Wave metal detection technology and NIITEK’s advanced ground penetrating radar."

 

31 August 2016

MINELAB AWARDED CONTRACT TO DEVELOP NEW HANDHELD DEVICE DETECTOR FOR THE AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE

Minelab Electronics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Codan Limited, has been awarded a $6.7m contract by the Department of Defence to develop a new Handheld Device Detector (HDD). The funding received under this contract is to further develop a dual sensor metal detector which incorporates ground penetrating radar. It will partially offset the development costs of the product, and the project is expected to be completed by 2018.

The development of the HDD builds on Minelab's success in technology development and product innovation for use in military programmes.

Codan is particularly pleased to be of service to the ADF and to provide an enhanced capability that currently does not exist. Once the HDD enters into service with the ADF, we are confident that other militaries will seek the same level of capability, broadening our market for countermine products.

The contract supports Codan's stated strategy of growing its profitability by improving and broadening our product offerings while ensuring our value propositions remain relevant and leading-edge.

Previous to this award, in March 2014, Minelab was selected by the Department of Defence's Rapid Prototype Development and Evaluation (RPDE) programme to receive

$1.0m in funding to further integrate metal detection and ground penetration radar technologies into a lightweight and compact mechanical platform. In December 2014, RPDE provided an additional $1.3m in funding, and Minelab subsequently produced an advanced prototype of the HDD.

Cooperating with NIITEK Inc., the HDD will combine Minelab's new Multiple Frequency Continuous Wave metal detection technology and NIITEK's advanced ground penetrating radar. The HDD was designed taking into account the comprehensive requirements of the ADF, supplemented with feedback from Army User Groups. It will include advanced detection technologies as well as new standards of compactness and ergonomics.

On behalf of the Board

Michael Barton Company Secretary

MORE INFORMATION ON THE NIITEK/MINELAB GROUNDSHARK

Minelab Mineshark

niitek-minelab-groundshark-dual-sensor-metal-detector-ground-penetrating-radar.jpg

niitek-minelab-groundshark-dual-sensor-metal-detector-ground-penetrating-radar-image.jpg

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 This could be just the thing for a lazy prospector like me. I would assume that the price for a prospecting variant would be very reasonable if the R&D has already been paid for.

 Dang! It looks like my sarcasm has dripped onto my keyboard once again.

One the serious side, (yes I have one) their specifications sound like a prospectors dream.

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No digging arm but I'll take it ! I can see the price on this one already and it's anything but cheap. 

Get ready guys for another price cut on the GPZ. We all may have to join the Army to get to play with one.

Chuck 

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Been kicked around for awhile now. A bloke in Australia enquired about 12 months ago with Minelab & was quoted $30,000 for what was available at the time. :ohmy:

I think it might be out of the range of the average prospector although  $10,000 seemed a lot not too long ago. The prospecting worth is yet to be seen too with GPR not ideal for small gold nuggets?

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I was curious about what GPR is good for in demining and found a couple of research papers.  Here's one

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.111.9077&rep=rep1&type=pdf

it appears that in a combo such as the Groundshark, the objective is reducing the number of "false positives" - these are the weak part of either a pure GPR or pure metal detector tool.

The GPR can "see" the presence of plastic case and explosive charge of the mine, but it might be confused with a stone or other non metallic feature. in combination, the detector would differentiate between these based on the metal content of the mine.

The metal detector alone would pick up every piece of metal junk, each of which would have to be evaluated as a possible mine. The GPR's shape recognition reduces this problem.

Hard to see what value it would have in nugget hunting, but relic hunting has real possibiliite, finding structures where interesting relics can be located.

 

 

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All research and development into mine detecting technology so far has eventually paid dividends in the consumer detecting end of things.

One thing rarely seen in natural gold is straight lines. Picking up all metals but then seeing the outline of a square nail? Could be useful.

Jewelry detecting. Can GPR be tuned to see through aluminum but highlight gold? I think that is very possible due to the density difference.

Relic hunting as Rick notes has obvious applications.

Yes, cutting edge and very expensive now, but the nature of electronics over time is more capability at lower prices. I sure am not holding my breath and may never see it in my lifetime. But ten years from now? Twenty years?

Just knowing something is possible is half the battle.

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Yeah I reckon it would be good for relics. Having got some info off a GPR company I'm thinking there would need to be a substantial improvement in GPR tech to be of any practical use to most in gold prospecting. It is used by some companies for trying to identify possible large deposits but it sounds hit & miss. They said a metal detector is a much better option for gold nuggets. While ever the technology is being developed there is hope of something great to come though. 

I'm not holding my breath for a cheap version to come about within 20 years. Look at the SD series thru to the GPX then GPZ. Analogue changed to digital, mass produced cheap electronics componentry, machines now cheaply assembled in Asia etc. etc. & no reduction in end user price for PI/ZVT tech yet over 20 odd years. No real improvement in weight or ergonomics either even though most other electronics have shrunk?

I love the concept & possibilities though! The mind boggles at what could be reality in the future.

 

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10 minutes ago, AussieMatt said:

no reduction in end user price for PI/ZVT tech yet over 20 odd years

Metal detectors is not a mass market and Minelab has a near monopoly on PI prospecting detectors. I can also assure you cost of production has no direct bearing on retail prices for many manufactured items. The idea is get the best margins you can. Minelab has maintained what for shareholders has been great pricing and margins.

We also lived through a gold rush that supported the high prices. The bubble has burst and now Minelab PI prices are plummeting. Careful shopping in the U.S. can get you a brand new full warranty GPX 4500 for close to $2000.00 Even the GPZ took a $2000 price cut within a year of introduction. On the flip side GPZ sales have exceeded expectations so no feeling sorry for Minelab.

No matter how you slice it, you can by more detecting capability right now for less money than ever. If you do not like big bucks the $499 segment is sizzling right now. New Teknetics T2 or Makro Racer for $499. Fisher F75 only $599 at the moment!

We all agree it is what it is and things will happen in their own sweet time. Never underestimate however what newer more powerful batteries coupled with more powerful microprocessors can do, especially if you add the magic ingredient. That would be the new crop of young engineers coming on board who grew up with this stuff. I still think great things are ahead in the metal detecting world from a technical standpoint.

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