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GPX Carbon Rods?


nighthunter

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I got the first carbon rod made for the Minelab PI series, the “Otto rod” and still have it. Half the sales pitch was not the weight savings but the idea of getting the metal away from oversized coils. I never had an issue with the rod per se but would probably pass if I had to do it over. The weight savings is so small as to be unnoticeable, and any worries about metal in proximity to a large coil are overblown. Long story short no reason not to get one but after having one I can’t say a person really needs one either.

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The stock upper rod has always been metal. The lower rods I think are fiberglass but I could be wrong as changes have been made over the years. I assumed all this time you were talking about replacing the upper metal rod with a carbon fiber alternative. If all you are talking about is lower rods then I have not found aftermarket to be any better than stock, unless you need more length.

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  • 2 weeks later...

My lower rods (4 of them) are starting to split at the top. My upper rod snapped on me when I tried to use it as a tool to push some reeds down flat. My fault on that one, but it made me notice how fragile the top rod is because of the adjustment holes. It snapped right at one of the holes. In reality, I was not pushing the reeds very hard. Bottom line is they are too thin and have very little strength to then. I will not buy anymore carbon fiber rods from anyone again. The only reason I wanted to try them was that my stock rod for the GPX did not lock anymore I have 2 of them and both do not lock anymore, so I thought I would spring for the carbon fiber.

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schoolofhardNox --

As a maker of carbon-fiber rods for both the CTX and EQX, I found your statement interesting that "you will not buy any more carbon fiber rods from anyone again."  

While I must say that I am totally unfamiliar with the rods/shafts on the GPX, I will say that I'm really surprised if someone sold you carbon-fiber rods/shafts that "have very little strength to them."  The ones I use seem to be EXTREMELY strong; I can't imagine them "breaking" like what you describe.  Furthermore, I used a Minelab Explorer for years, and now run a CTX 3030 -- both of which utilize carbon-fiber rods/shafts, and I never had one break on me.  Furthermore, carbon-fiber is used in a wide variety of applications that require substantial strength, including military, aerospace, sporting goods, and other industries where high strength and light weight are required. So, I'm surprised at the experience you had with the breakage.  Is it possible that the one you were sold by whomever you bought it from, did not use the standard (roughly 2mm) tube thickness, or used a low-quality tube -- and hence it was a weaker tube than what would otherwise be expected?

I am currently very close to being ready to start selling carbon-fiber upper shafts for the Equinox, to go with the carbon-fiber EQX lower shafts I already produce.  If you are interested, I'd love to have the opportunity to "change your mind" about "never buying another carbon-fiber rod from anyone again."  Perhaps I could send you a couple of "complimentary," small sample pieces of the carbon fiber tubes I use, so that you could evaluate them yourself?  I'd love to change you from a skeptic, to a customer!  ?

Just a thought; let me know if you'd like me to do so...

With respect,

Steve

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Hi Steve, I'm not trying to diss anyone for selling carbon fiber rods, and that is why I did not state where I bought them. Here are a couple of pictures of the breaks.  You can see one upper GPX tube is extremely thin and that is why it snapped when I put some pressure on it. If it wasn't for the adjustment hole being a weak point, it probably would have survived being used that way. The other pictures are of the lower shaft for the GPX. I bought a bunch of them so that I could have all my coils available without changing them over. That one is thicker, but split just the same. I'm going to put this statement out there as just my opinion, but I can't think of many inventions in recent history that were supposed to be great, only to have them cheapened out before they get to market. I agree, carbon fiber is a very strong material, I'm just not sure the carbon fiber I received was like the original versions that were developed. I really comes down to suppliers. I'm confident you have tested your supplier's batch, but others probably shop by price. Now for the CTX shaft :laugh:..... Here is how you break one. Put that 15x17 coil on it, wade into the water just where the waves break onto the beach, swing it relatively quickly (as quick as the waves allow) and in a while it will snap directly where it exits the machine itself. I found a picture of that from 2016. And for good measure I've thrown in a picture of the never ending snapping handles on the GPX. They can not handle swinging a 12x15 coil as your primary coil. These are examples of what can go wrong. There a tons of examples of what has gone right, and was designed brilliantly,  performed like advertised, etc.... The good far out way these issues pictured here. 

 

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schoolofhardNox --

I KNOW you were not trying to diss anyone, and you didn't!  ?

I was responding to your post as much from "surprise," as anything.  I had never heard of a carbon-fiber detector rod/shaft "snapping," or breaking, and while it does not surprise me that it COULD happen, under extreme circumstances, I was surprised that you knew of numerous instances...

In your first two pictures, with the crack running along the length of the shaft, that one makes ZERO sense to me.  Carbon-fiber tubes are made by wrapping sheets of woven carbon fiber, with glue/epoxy on them, around a metal rod that acts as a "form."  Multiple layers of this woven carbon fiber are wrapped, as I understand it, and then allowed to cure/harden.  Point being, the "weave" of the carbon fiber, in those multiple layers, should absolutely preclude such a straight-line "split" as is shown in that first picture -- to the degree that it makes me question whether that is actually a carbon-fiber tube at all...

The second two pictures show more of what I would expect a broken carbon-fiber tube to look like -- i.e. the rough/uneven edge of the break.  HOWEVER, in that second picture, that tube looks EXTREMELY thin...hard to tell in the picture, but it looks like it might even only be a millimeter or so...and so I'm not entirely surprised that one broke.  A normal "standard" wall thickness for a carbon-fiber tube is 2mm; the ones I use on my CTX 3030 lower rods, for instance, are actually 2.6 mm thick...which brings me to your next picture.  I've never seen a CTX rod break; even the factory Minelab rods are fairly stout/high-quality.  I understand that there could be significant forces applied to the rod, when hunting with a big coil in heavy surf (LOTS of drag/leverage applied to the rod, focused at that "connection point.")  Still, that's a surprising break to me; I wonder if sand was involved, such that over time, sand "wore down" the tube, right there at that connection point -- progressively introducing a small/focused "weak point" in the tube and thus facilitating that break.

IN ANY CASE, thanks for sharing the pictures.  I can see why you'd be a bit spooked by those experiences.  I can tell you that on my end, I have never had a customer with a tube breakage failure, and can't imagine that I will.  I'll never say "never," but I think it would be an unusual/rare circumstance.  

Like I said, I'm more than happy to send you some sample pieces -- I have lots, that I've cut off the end of my tubes when building rods, and you could have a look for yourself (IF, that is, you think you ever might want to purchase a rod/shaft from me for your CTX or EQX, and feel that it could be helpful toward easing any concerns you might have).

Otherwise, thanks for the interaction!  I appreciate it!

Steve

www.stevesdetectorrods.com

www.facebook.com/stevesdetectorrods

 

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