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I`m still not getting out for a great deal of hours and it is ages since I got a nice piece at depth but I went out for about 1½ hours yesterday and got one similar to the last one I got. The bottom one is yesterdays piece. It was only 1" down and a very iffy signal with the 7000. These two came from 2 different spots maybe 5 miles apart.

New PB for me 35 grams, bit over a foot deep, very happy! ??

Had a great day hunting in West Texas at a very target-rich environment. I was using the 800 equipped with the 6-inch coil, that's a deadly combination ?

The "Recovery speed" feature of the Equinox detector consists of 2 parts (Ground filter + a certain filter refresh rate): this is determined by a predefined Ground Filter associated with a certain - Optimal Recovery Rate of the used Ground Filter - for a given "Recovery speed" ".. The ground filter of its used grade is responsible for the depth, but also for the mineralization work - while the higher ground filter stage filters out more ground mineralization. The High Ground Filter is shallower, but it also feels less sensitive to side signals from the iron. + allows a faster response from the Ferous to Nonferous ..- This, combined with the + high-speed recovery of the given Ground Filter, allows excellent separation in both the iron and the 11 "large coil. .... It works as if the detector used a smaller coil.... Conversely (Low Ground Filter + Low Recovery Speed Groud Filter) = Low "Recovery Speed"Equinox ..setting ...allows you to reach a deeper depth - but at the cost of a lower detector speed but a weaker Separation .. But the practical depth of such a low setting will also depend on the mineralization of the terrain. therefore, the lowest setting may not be the deepest. Therefore, use "Recovery speed" 4-5-6 in Equinox ... at the beginning of "Universal" on different types of terrain. Later you have the option to set it to lower or increase the "Recovery Speed" settings according to your own experience of detection on that terrain...

Rob you’ve answered your own question in your post and most everyone else’s questions as well. There are VERY good reasons why ML have not gone down the path of more coils for the GPZ, as a dealer the complaint of what a detector does coil wise is answered in the options of products made available. If you WANT a smaller coil and better sensitivity in tight areas then use an SDC 2300, that is what they are designed for, conversely if your an SDC user looking for more depth then I as a dealer would be encouraging the owner to look into the GPZ to cover off on their need for more depth. Both these units have been designed for a specific purpose. The SDC has what is known as ‘narrow band width’ timings, this means they are very good in extremely variable ground conditions with minimal noise, thanks to MPF they are also incredibly sensitive to fast time constant targets (tiny or prickly gold). Narrow Band width means they do not react to a lot of ground noise and salt signal that ‘wide band width’ units like the GPX and GPZ react to! Putting a larger coil on an SDC will increase depth to some degree but open up a whole lot of other issues that go against the original design, in effect fighting against the MPF concept and special tuning of the coil that was required for the SDC to work properly. The SDC was never designed to have coils swapped out so this also opens up a can of worms with regards to warranty etc. An SDC user who goes over some deep ground with a larger coil will still miss a lot of deeper gold that a GPZ will easily find, this comes back to the timings of the SDC and what it was purposely designed for. BTW yes I carry stocks of these coils, customers want what customers want, but I always inform our customers of the draw backs involved and I’m very reserved about installing a coil on an in-warranty unit. In the case of aftermarket coils for the GPZ, I can see Minelab being very unhappy about connectors being cut off other coils to get past the security chip, in essence this is a direct hack against their IP so I’m not sure how this would go legally speaking, unless as Steve has said they are experimental and not offered as an aftermarket option. Minelab take a very dim view of counterfeit and other attacks on their IP. I suppose its a ‘watch this space’ on this subject awaiting further developments. Lastly Steve, IMHO the GPS functions in the GPZ are a carry over from the CTX. I do not even use the GPS function because to my mind it is a resource hog, I would rather my GPZ focus on the act of sensing metal not telling me where I am. If you look at any online GPS forum they are full of hacks on how to deal with data and mapping associated with GPS! Minelab make metal detectors and I feel they should just focus on improving them not worrying about a thing as complex as a GPS! I carry a GPS with me at all times for safety and can do a whole host of different things including interfacing neatly with a PC when I get back to camp. This is just my opinion and I understand everyone has a different viewpoint. JP

Hey Steve, I have to agree with you on your statement about the GPZ. I doubt Minelab will promote any aftermarket coil on these units, which in a sense is unfortunate. Many customers since the day the GPZ was introduced were hoping for a option of a few more coils, such as a smaller and larger. They eventually introduced the 19" Super DD Searchcoil, but never anything any smaller. It's always been a debate of mine, as I have found such tiny gold with the GPZ using just the stock 14x13. However, it's not the easiest sized coil to work tight areas, pinpoint in tight locations, or just be a coil that you run on bedrock all day to pick up small gold nuggets (dinks). I personally think a smaller coil would have sold well on the GPZ, maybe something even as small as a 11" Round. The Coiltek/Minelab debate on the SDC is kind of weird. Since the early 90's Coiltek started designing aftermarket searchcoils for the first SD 2000 and on. I was one of the first Coiltek dealers in the US, working under Doc. I still remember the times where I couldn't keep enough coils in stock, the demand worldwide was super high. Doc, in my opinion did an amazing job as a US Distributor and I couldn't see anyone else filling that shoe at that time. Coiltek in my opinion, has always represented Minelab to the highest degree and their coils and detectors always worked great together. I understand the warranty issue on the SDC and maybe the GPZ, as it requires you to do more than just unplug and plug a coil into a connection. The SDC 2300 requires you to remove a side panel, unscrew the cable, remove the cable through the shaft and such, and do the same steps to attach a new aftermarket coil. I do feel anyone that has a SDC 2300, these new coils will give you more performance and options on the SDC. I have sold a good amount of them, mostly the larger ones as customers are looking to achieve more depth and coverage vs. the stock 8" round Mono. I have done some testing to prove this is the case, the larger 11" Round and 14x9" do in fact get more depth, especially on larger gold Gram+ size. I don't recommend anyone buying a larger coil for the SDC to get the same performance on small gold as the 8" Round. I think it has always been a old "rule of thumb" as you increase the coil size in length and width, you will loose some sensitivity to small gold, but start getting a bit more depth on larger gold and move coverage per swing. Just my ramblings ....

Lets just say it was in the Golden Triangle ? 14 inch coiltek Elite was the coil, GPX 4500 the machine

It would be great if we could get an official written statement from Minelab on both their repair stance after using these coils and wether or not they are ever coming out with a smaller coil themselves for those of us who prefer to keep their factory warranty. If they don't read these forums anymore it would be great if a dealer or similar could encourage them to do this, all my connections there have now apparantly moved on. It's a flagship product that was clearly designed with software and hardware upgrades/accessories in mind, yet they've been silent for years. Just on general principal they should have made some statement one way or the other, especially if they do not intend to make anything except the 19" coil which is tepidly used at best.

More on this subject.....I'm just going to attach the files, as I find them Jim TDI SL Tests.doc

Hey Jasong, I have emailed my Rep, so I will let you know what Minelab has to say about those questions. It's very possible they will not answer the questions, beyond anything done to the SDC or GPZ to accommodate aftermarket coils could or will void the factory warranty. I will definitely let you know what I hear back and hopefully it's able to be posted on the public forums.

My favourite. Mine's looking a bit the worst for wear these days- but still gets the gold. Mitch: There's more than one bit hiding down under - - - ?

I am sure the Deus and Orx are fantastic machines, just not a good upgrade for me as I tend to use more all terrain machines. I even looked at the Anfibio, Equinox and AT MAX. For any water hunting the XP machines fall short for my use unless I pick along the shoreline. I really considered the Orx but the stock 9" coil is a little small and as soon as you go for the larger coil then the Equinox is more competitive and better performer in poor soil conditions where it is a true multi frequency. XP has their niche and great innovations, just seem a little pricey when compared to the latest lineup of machines out there.

I've been selling Minelab detectors for 20+ years and most of the major brands as well. One of my biggest gripes was their Customer Service and how crappy it actually was. I do not expect miracles, but when other manufactures can have a detector fixed and returned within 2 weeks, why did Minelab need a month and sometimes 2 or even 3 months? At the last Minelab Conference I was promised things would change and the new man in charge would get things going in the right direction. Phil Beck was the name given to take over. I can honestly say that this promise has been met with all smiles. I sent a clients GPZ-7000 in for repair and was notified by my shipping supplier the day it arrived. That afternoon I received an email from the Service Center in PA. Later that afternoon I got a call from John (the service tech) who informed me of the fix and that he wanted to speak with me to double check if there were any other issues before he sent it back. I was quite shocked at their speed, desire to make it right and professionalism. The next business day my detector was headed back to me with an email showing Tracking info and a few days later I had it in my hands. Folks this was Same Day Customer Service from a REPAIR FACILITY..... Heck, if this is what I have to get accustomed to, then it is now up to the other manufactures to get even better. Actually I realize it is not possible to get much better than what they do and I am ok with 1 or 2 weeks. But for Minelab to go from shitty ass last (and they were for many years) to fighter jet FIRST FAST and even take the time to call me? I'm speechless (me... never), and very impressed and happy. Thanks Peter for selecting Phil Beck to be the one to tackle such a huge thorn. Thanks John at the Service Center in PA for being a Professional.

I was hoping to be posting Gold Kruzer finds but haven't gotten to use it yet due to a missing part saga that is dragging out into week 4. So I took my trusty F75 LTD out this weekend and found this little white gold beauty. A nice solid 18 TID number on the F75. Resizing has clearly removed the K content. I'll have to have it tested to find out. Thought it was platinum at first but decided the stones dictate a white gold. Anyway....it made my day. Maybe it will juice up yours too. HH Mike

well done

I was really hoping that the challenge you had posted would be met as well; I've held off from any major detector purchase for years thinking that what you asked for would likely be right around the corner. The SDC, my primary detector, is close but again utilized a military framework inducing extraneous bulk, and lacks the depth of the said ATX circuit. It's not like you set an unattainable bar - any of the major companies could produce a detector meeting the criteria. ☹️

I have to admit I am getting extremely frustrated that no detector company is up to this challenge. I posted this nearly two years ago now and still no ground balancing PI detectors under 4 lbs, under $2K with the exception of the White's TDI models. White's TDI SL Special Edition There is the new Fisher Impulse AQ on the way soon, but the first version is a beach detector. It may or may not develop into a good dry land unit. It's all particularly maddening because I am perfectly satisfied with the performance of the Garrett ATX circuit. I simply want the electronics in a dry land design with simple dry land coils. It's an easy project, but Garrett is steadfastly not doing it. I honestly just don't get it. The machine I want would blow away ATX unit sales and with a lower production costs no reason margins would take a hit. Garrett is generally smarter than this so it is a puzzle. And where is Nokta/Makro? Like I said.... frustrated. If I ignore my under 4 lb under $2K criteria, what machine in my opinion gets the closest? That would be the Minelab GPX 4500. The battery is put on a harness and so the actual detector "weight on arm" is 5.3 lbs and you can get them brand new for $2699 or less. I just can't bring myself to go with the TDI SL because it lacks the horsepower and so if I personally had to get a GBPI detector tomorrow and wanted to get as close as possible to my under 4 lb under $2K detector I would have to settle for the GPX 4500 as being as close as I could get without shooting myself in the foot. Minelab GPX 4500

At a time when the trend is clearly towards having less detectors and one machine that does the job of a few detectors at once, that is a surprising statement to hear since I felt Minelab were actually the ones sort of pioneering this one detector fits all approach better than anyone else with the Equinox release. And I assumed the GPZ was the same way, one machine to combine performance of older PI's, SDC, and newer ZVT all in one package for those willing to pay for it. Grab one machine and go. Or at least it seemed that was the future promise. Buying an SDC doesn't do anything to solve the weight issue with the existing ML coils either, which as we've seen with the X Coils is a problem which is possible to be addressed if desired. An SDC also doesn't have nearly the configurability with settings as the GPZ does so why would we want to give that up? I mean, if Ford told people who just bought a new F250 that they couldn't put a offroad suspension or a supercharger in and had to buy a brand new Ford Raptor built for that purpose from the factory instead, yet couldn't tow a backhoe, couldn't take a yard of dirt in the bed, or carry a bunk of lumber, they would probably be laughed out of the truck market. No one wants two or more trucks when the one they have could work better than both combined and they already spent a song to get it. Am I wrong or is there really a compelling reason that it's better for the customer to go buy a new SDC instead of a new coil that effectively makes their GPZ do the same task? If Minelab made the coil themselves the IP issue wouldn't exist either, especially if they made a better product, for cheaper and killed the competition through capitalism and not jurisprudence. I just don't see any actual reason buying an SDC would be a better choice, especially when ML could be making lighter 14x13's and 19's on top of it if they came out with a new line of coils. I do see how it's better for Minelab though, especially if SDC sales are faltering. Am I off base? If so, why not just make a coil? I feel like there is some piece of the puzzle missing here...

Thanks for trying!

Phoenix as a user has said where I stand also as a user, and I suspect from the number of aftermarket coils out there this is so for most users. I`ve got a 11" coiltek for the SDC and have a 15"X coil in the mail. Having to cut a coil lead to make a patch, sucks big time, having to partially dismantle to fit an aftermarket coil sucks as much ( although this is not relevant in my case, below photo illustrates this, "The SDC the user wants"), but as users we`ll do it. Thus it is good to see this "debate" involve dealers as well as users, it should ensure ML are listening because as a user tis about getting gold foremost what lengths a manufacturer goes to protect their intellectual "rights" means little to the user and the users market, we`ll go to the product that performs.

He had 2 and I bought 1. I was hoping he still had the one left.

The metal tab is probably mounted in a plastic slot on the chassis and the slot has become loose. Might be able to bend it back with some long needle nose pliers??? You maybe able to open the case and super glue the tab back into position but if something goes awry you may void the warranty??? The best option is to send it to the manufacturer if it’s still covered by warranty. That way you won’t have any worries about ruining it permanently.

When I first saw this thread I thought you found more lead (Pb)! I wonder how many others think that until they see that great nugget. Mitchel

Nice to have you back Rob... your posts are always welcome! If Minelab ever produces a small coil for the GPZ 7000 and a import/export function for XChange I will consider getting another GPZ. I expected both those items by now and Minelab failed to produce. We should not have to be relying on the aftermarket for coils and software hacks to get support on the most expensive consumer metal detector ever sold. The idea I have to cut the end off a $1500 coil cable to make another coil work is ludicrous to me. Instead now all I have to do is hope for a 6 x 10 coil for my Equinox

Rob, since you are a dealer, if you get the free time or happen to be talking to Minelab already for other issues, could you try to see if they'll release some official statement to my two questions in my post above? As you mention coils were a robust aftermarket business for dealers, and there is certainly a demand from customers, so it seems like it'd be good for all of us to know one way or another what the future (or current) plans are here. Steve, these X Coils are already released and available for purchase, unless I misunderstood the other thread? Either way, it's still time, IMO, that they let us know if they are going to release their own smaller coil or not by now too, independent of wether or not anyone else is developing aftermarket coils. If so, I'd simply wait for that one (assuming its not years away) and case closed for me.

Hey All, Just a FYI, we now have the new DetectorPro Gray Ghost "Gold Series" headphones in stock for the Minelab Gold Monster 1000 or Equinox series. These are high end headphones and will give you the best audio available out there from metal detecting headphones. We snapped some quick pictures of the headphones below for you. Your Price - $125 plus S/H Rob's Detector Sales www.robsdetectors.com 623.362.1459 - office line

So you see something that you do not think fits the spirit and intent of the forum. Somebody attacking somebody else, off topic posts, political posts, or just plain spam. How to handle it? Please, do not go after the poster yourself. Maybe it is a misunderstanding of some sort, but now you have created hard feelings with somebody else on the forum. The main thing, unless I have made you a moderator, it is not your job to moderate the forum. However, it is everyone's job to report objectionable content. Let me decide what to do about the issue. Every post has a unfortunately quite faint "Report post" link. On mobile devices there is a tiny grey flag. If the problem is obvious, just click that link and hit "Submit Report" and you are done. I will get the message and look into it, but if it is my middle of night, it may be a few hours. Be patient - I am on the forum every day. If you feel you need to give me more details, there is a place there for that also. My default response to threads or posts that are an issue is to simply delete them without comment. People involved usually get the hint. Some may take offense, and while that is not my intent - oh well. Maybe it really was no big deal but if it is a non-essential post I will err on the side of caution and delete it. My apologies in advance. I have only had to ban a handful of people over the years, and if I have to ban somebody I may leave the posts in question up for a bit so people can see why I did what I did, but they also will be deleted eventually.

try asking in the bounty hunter/fisher specific forum.

Jim, there's a lot of useful information in your test document. It's opened up a lot of thoughts for me and my machines. Thanks for taking the time.

well no one has any ideas?, have you tried contacting the manufacturer? they might fix it. who makes it?

I think an important point is just how flexible a cell phone or tablet based system is. As a sometimes iOS programmer I am frustrated by the limited information displayed on my detectors. There are wonderful things I could do if I could import data into one of my iOS devices. As it is easy to import the audio, I am toying with what I might do with it including 3D maps, vertical profiles and trace stacking to reduce noise. There are technical issues, but I think I could overcome some of them. Maybe next winter. I'm hoping to someday see a mainline detector with data-out streams. I'll geek out if I do.

You know I'm coming so you searched there first! haha That is excellent. Mitchel

The Deus is one of my favorites and I still have mine although I dont use it as much as I did with the Nox being out. It is one of the best built detectors I've ever had the pleasure to use. It is not as effected by EMI as one might guess...the Nox suffers more in that regard. A month or so ago my buddy was using his Deus and Me the Nox and we were not far from some power lines and I had bad EMI problems. He got like 8 coins and I only got one or 2. The only thing I never liked about the Deus is the menu on the controller...we just never really clicked...I still find it confusing some times. The Nox is nice and simple. strick

Test it...... maybe it's platinum strick

Very interesting post. Thanks for the extra insights as to your testing. The statement "Best depth was with the target moving vertically toward the coil. That was one of Reg's rules for the testing" is exactly the same technique I used. I can't explain why I did my test that way instead of sweeping the coin across the coil horizontally. There is a very noticeable different voltage if I use a fresh set of alkaline batteries. Good to see you noticed a improvements of about 20% while using the large coil.

I think what you are noticing is MODULATION (targets deep sound deep... shallow sound shallow). Mine seems to size the target well .. .. in 50 tones especially... but, compared to say and Explorer.. which used GAIN (modulation) with the max being 10 this machine is about 10. Headphones can make a difference..... piezos over speakers.... with piezos providing a bit better modulation. Having little modulation..... meaning most targets have the same louder volume works extremely well especially in trashy sites where you might just miss a weak signal if you had a lot of modulation. What i found was in 5 tones if i got say the 5 bin set at say 25....... beer cans and a quarter might sound very much the same and i couldnt tell size until i started digging.

Salt of the earth, gerry and i have never met nor have we ever even spoke until today, he and i done some horse trading today and i have to tell everyone about gerry. We corresponded back and forth threw emails for a couple days, he called me today and we talked for about an hour and i have to tell everyone here that he is a wealth of knowledge, and we talked like weve known each other for years.. what a wonderful man and the knowledge he has in this wonderful world of metal detecting is amazing.. hes prolly forgotten more then i will ever know, guys if anyone here is looking to buy anything in this hobby call gerry in idaho. I can honestly say ive spoken to the man one time and i have a friend forever..his passion for all things detecting is contagious and i believe you will feel the same, im lucky to have met this fella even though it was just threw emails and a phone call im excited to talk with him again. I just wanted to let everyone here know about my experience with gerry from idaho. Sometimes someone will come into yer life even briefly that truly leaves a mark, a positive mark and gerry done that for me.. check him out guys if u havent.

I think to properly critique the Deus, you really have to try one out to discover whether there are real shortfalls in the design/operation for your requirements. In theory the wireless design may seem to some to be prone to EMI when really it isn't, my Explorer and Etrac with a wired connection were a lot worse in that department, especially around buried electrics and transformers. The Deus is no different to other VLF detectors in that respect, with main EMI derived from using physically larger coils and lower frequencies rather than the actual wireless connection between components - can't say I have ever had an issue. Even then you have multiple frequencies and offsets to chose from if EMI is prevalent on a specific frequency. Despite the coils being expensive, combined with huge adjustability of the Deus they prove to be very flexible over different sites negating the requirement for several coils, the 11" and 9" is pretty much all I require. Some other VLF's will require multiple coils due to the lack of inbuilt adjustments like recovery speed, where changing out the stock coil for a smaller one is the only choice for improving target separation, or if a larger coil is required for increased depth performance (ie. no ability to reduce the recovery speed). Having to change out wired coils can also be a pain, on Deus it takes just seconds to just slide on a different coil, start it up and off you go. The battery and connector in the lower shaft of the HF coils is waterproof, so no issues there with water ingress. Initially I too thought the display was going to be hard to read due to the size, though that hasn't proved to be an issue when compared to other detectors I have used in the past.

Broken antenna. All fixed now.

Very nice save my friend and there are more reasons than most of us realize why certain targets do not read as we would expect. When you don't know because you never dug it? You can't learn what you don't find.

For what it is worth here is how I do it. I use both. My beach is mostly fairly uniform and when I am in that area I usually turn off the auto ground balancing just in case it starts to track out weak signals. The ocean as the ultimate sorter and classifier makes these wonderful pockets of sand that are really mineralized and "usually" has many more targets. When I get in these areas I turn on the tracking. Where I am on the far north coast of California there is abundant black sand. The less mineralized areas typically show ground balance numbers of 14, the high areas jump to 60 and more. I can't prove the auto tracking tunes out the really faint signals because that's the nature of really weak signals, right? I don't think you can go too far wrong running in auto ground balance it's what I usually do. Cheers, Tim

Steve, maybe I wear rose colored glasses but this is a good group and I've never seen any objectionable content on your forum. However, assuming that it's advisable for us to know how to report objectionable posts, maybe you should make this a "sticky" so that it stays at the top of the page?