Steve Herschbach

Hi Keith,

I thought about plastic but decided to go metal for better EMI resistance. Not sure if it will make a difference or not but with a PI it can't hurt.

Best buy in a rod kit - the White's Space Saver Rod Kit at https://www.whiteselectronics.com/product/space-saver-rod-kit/ They sell the whole assembly for less than some people charge for a lower rod alone! And it will work with any lower rod, like the Minelab compatible rob I will use for my FrankenCoil, or the Garrett rod I will use with the Infinium coils. The rod has detents to mount a box forward of the grip, or under arm. I plan on under arm for balance purposes. The box will dismount to hip mount or chest mount so I will mount D-rings for a harness or belt clip on the box.

Well, the hard part is done. Got the setup pretty well figured out, now I just need to put it all together. Waiting on the box mostly but I can finish up the coil in the meantime.

Gotta love the internet. Thirty minutes of Googling and I found a box I think will work for me at http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/BUD-INDUSTRIES-CU-592-A-/28-8598 Converta Project Box - 2.5'' x 9.5'' x 5.0''

It is on the way.

I want it and I want it now! Home Depot folding set for $10.00

So the coil. The rod assembly easily comes apart if you have the spanner wrench to take the cams apart, but the lowermost rod is glued to the stubby connector on the coil. I just cut it off with my Dremel tool.

I want the coil to mount in the center (like a coil should!) and I want to keep the scuff cover from collecting debris. I had a well used Commander 15" x 12" DD sitting around I would be lucky to sell for $90 so it became working parts. I cut the top out, again with the Dremel tool, then trimmed it up with tin snips. Looking good so far.

Well, coffee and tools in hand I got going with the fun part - taking stuff apart! Many photos in this thread will enlarge if you click on them.

You can probably see where I am going with this. Circuit board in a box with single AA battery holder and control panel tacked outside with controls. All in one box that can be rod mounted or hip or chest mounted. If rod mounted, I want to be able to use stock DD coil, or Infinium 5" x 10" DD and 4" x 7" DD. Not willing to pop for another ATX 8" mono at this time as the one I have stays as it is to use with the other ATX I will be getting. We will see how this works out first.

In theory I would like to do a real professional box with drop in battery, just like a White's TDI SL but the box would have to be longer. I may however go cruder than that, more like a Surf PI with a lid I need to open to replace batteries. Be nice to use rechargeables and rig to just plug detector in to charge it but again, I may not want to work that hard at it. Paul would do a bang up professional job. I am all about expediency myself.

If anybody want to see a closeup of anything or has any questions about how this thing comes apart ask away. I know I had to go buy yet another stupid tool to remove the Torx security screws!

Scott

  Do you think it would be a good detector for snipping in creeks?

Wes.

I sure do but as much as it was on the "to-do" list Chris and I just never got around to it. I have the waterproof phones but have yet to stick my head underwater with them.

Hi Greg,

The scuff covers help. It smooths the ride over rough surfaces and makes it impossible for the inner edge of the coil to snag a rock. It also provides a slight buffering effect. It does not eliminate the problem but it helps. In the Nevada outback the ground surface seems to often have just a bit of grass or weeds and I let the coil ride on the ground, with almost no false signals. The covers do collect grass and twigs - I am putting a plastic lid on mine.

JP, so far it mostly is about nooks and crannies. The mono works better in tight spots because the sensitivity runs around the outside edge, whereas on the DD coil it is hotter in the middle. http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/topic/200-nugget-hunting-with-garrett-atx-8-mono-coil/ It handles our ground as well as the DD but I would have to believe in Oz the DD would be the better choice. Depth and sensitivity here is on par with that of the stock coil as one would expect of a smaller mono versus a larger DD. I like the mono more for water hunting though, the DD suits me fine for most prospecting. The DD coil does have that disc option the mono lacks and it is one thing that I do think Garrett has done better than Minelab. The disc function is more intuitive and gives me a higher degree of confidence. I am going to be using the ATX to target area where I might normally use a VLF as it does seem to handle common surface trash fairly well. Still lots to learn in that regard.

My ATX rebuild project would be a step ahead in the weight area if I went with the mono but I am not willing to buy another one just to cut it down.

Yeah, what Jim said about the lack of threshold on the GMZ. And $499.95 - seriously? That's about $200 too high for the feature set. Maybe you are paying for what you don't get!

Anyway, the video does not specifically say anything about discrimination. The demonstration and point made is that the nugget makes a huge overload signal, just like a buried can. An experienced GMZ user would be every much at risk as would any detector user of just thinking it was junk and walking away. The problem is while detecting we get huge targets, find out they are junk, and we get trained into thinking that huge sound means junk. Obviously that is not always the case.

Would I have dug it? Probably. First off, I am convinced I have indeed walked away from a big nugget thinking it was junk. I am very sensitized to the issue. The reality though is it depends on the context. If I am in old old campsite, look around me, and see 40 cans, I may very well not dig that boomer target. In this case the guy was in a patch and had already dug several nuggets. Yup, I would have dug it. If you are in a patch, dig it all.

No, you do not need discrimination. I did a whole article on how much it sucks http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/topic/326-metal-detector-discrimination-really-sucks/ That said, if I want to dig it all, then personally I am going to use a PI detector because a VLF digging everything will miss far more gold than a PI digging everything. The only real reason I use a VLF anymore is to do recon work in trashy areas so the discrimination is really all a VLF offers me these days. If the VLF pops even a single nugget, now you kill the location with a PI detector. And that is why I personally do not need a GMZ.

Welcome to the Bureau of Land Management(BLM), General Land Office (GLO) Records Automation web site. We provide live access to Federal land conveyance records for the Public Land States, including image access to more than five million Federal land title records issued between 1820 and the present. We also have images related to survey plats and field notes, dating back to 1810. Due to organization of documents in the GLO collection, this site does not currently contain every Federal title record issued for the Public Land States.

http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/default.aspx

This site is going to eat up a vast amount of my time!

You mean can I find gold with it? Sure. Not that it is ever going to happen but if a GMZ was all I had I would go find gold with it.

White's GMZ Metal Detector Details

I have the 8" mono for the ATX and 5" x 10" Infinium DD. Main plus for the mono is the depth is about the same as the stock 10" x 12" DD coil. The Infinium DD coil gets less depth, but I have not done serious testing to determine by how much. Significant though. The plus for the Infinium coil is it appears to be impervious to false signals compared to the ATX coils, probably because it is not as on edge tuning wise.

Hey Rick,

 

The bottom of your 2300 is a removable coil cover that you can replace.

Minelab coil cover, or scuff cover as I call them, or skidplate as Minelab calls them part #3011-0254

My SDC is about halfway to looking like yours JP. The knuckle despite what some thought early on looks like it will wear for a very long time with no ill effects.

Based on recommendations on other forums I got some 303 Aerospace Protectant. With a little work my wore out SDC ended up looking almost new using this stuff. It is supposed to be good for UV protection so good for desert climates. Lots of alternatives of course but this stuff I will vouch for. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KN0UOEE/

"Originally engineered for aerospace and aviation applications, 303 Aerospace Protectant is a premium surface treatment that provides superior protection against harmful UV rays that cause discoloration, fading, embrittlement, cracking, chalking and/or loss of mechanical properties. Key benefits include keeping treated surfaces looking new, prevents fading and cracking, restores lost color and luster, powerful UV blockers, anti-static, repels smudges, dust, soiling and staining, matte finish with no oily residue. Easy to use just apply and wipe clean. Safe and Effective on vinyl, clear vinyl, gel-coat, fiberglass, carbon fiber, synthetic/natural rubber, plastics, and finished leather."

Minelab does make a carry bag for the SDC 2300 part number 3011-0257

My SDC ended up fitting well in a satchel I got free for attending a mining show last year.

On 12/1/2014 at 7:55 PM, strick said:

Well I'm glad to see that I got 3 out of the six you posted....CTX, SDC and the Deus. Traded the ATX a while back for the SDC. That darn Deus is not as easy to learn as my CTX but I'm slowly starting to like it for it's detecting abilities. The light weight and look's caught my attention early on. I've found a few things already that I missed with the CTX in heavy trash. Or maybe I'm just digging more with it then the CTX.  Did the XP Deus make the cut  on your detector team?

 

strick

Bingo, you hit the nail on the head. Most detectors try and eliminate trash targets and what you do is try to find targets that sound good. The DEUS is biased more towards simply digging all non-ferrous targets and you have to work harder on trying to decide what not to dig. In a nutshell, the DEUS gives you less excuses not to dig. In good old metal detecting terms though from my perspective it simply has a person digging more "iffy" targets and guess what, by golly, you find more good stuff. And dig more junk also. Nothing remarkable going on other than it does get probably the best target separation possible, albeit at a sacrifice for depth, but that is a normal trade-off. Bottom line is I wanted to add it to my nugget detector review list due to all the interest in it and the new Goldfield mode. I can't do that unless I use it personally, so I got one. It is an adequate but unremarkable performer as regards gold nugget prospecting. That along with the pricey and limited coil options do not make it a machine I need in my collection, but I can see why people like it so much, especially those hunting in thick ferrous trash. Just a great little unit and good to see somebody shaking the market up a bit in the way of design and performance. Mine, however, just found a new home.

The team - http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/topic/454-going-to-get-garrett-atx-deepseeker-package/ Funny but most of them are on this good looking list, though I was not really thinking about it when I started this thread. I saw the F75 in black poster and thought "that is one good looking machine" and so the thread came to life.

September 1999. The Golden Hawk probably should have been called the Golden Turkey. It and the Relic Hawk were one of Minelabs rare market failures. As you say, basically an XT1800 with extra tracking settings in a very expensive housing. And an external battery. Seriously? Have to admit I kind of wanted one though!


Minelab Golden Hawk

 

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Steve Herschbach

I was rather shocked at how expensive the SDC 2300 turned out to be, and was initially convinced nobody would pay that much money for a detector with an 8" hardwired coil. Now I can't imagine not having my SDC - it works that well. That's the key - at least some people will pay the price if the new machine delivers the goods.

It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out the GPZ 7000 will probably set a new record for consumer detector pricing. That being the case there is no reason the GPX cannot remain for those not willing to spend whatever it turns out to be. The fact remains, the GPX 5000 is one great all around gold performer and that will not change.

I am slowly cleaning up most of my used detector collection and putting it up for sale. Only a few survivors will remain for now:

Fisher Gold Bug 2

Garrett ATX

Minelab CTX 3030

Minelab SDC 2300

Nokta FORS Gold

White's V3i

With the departure of my GPX 5000 (in anticipation of the GPZ 7000) I am temporarily lacking a PI with good ground coverage. And no telling what the GPZ will have for large coil options. So after much debate I decided to pick up a new Garrett ATX Deepseeker package, to get the 15" x 20" coil and the carry case. I like the ATX and have confidence in its gold finding capability, and I have to have a waterproof PI so it covers me on two bases.

I thought seriously about selling my current ATX to help fund the new one. But since I am selling so many detectors I decided to treat myself. The ATX has been frustrating me due to the packaging in a heavy duty military housing. So my old ATX is going to be sacrificed as part of a project to see just how light weight I can make it using the stock coil, but with the option of also easily mounting the Infinium 5" x 10" DD if I want to make it really featherweight. You are invited along on my step by step disassembly and reassembly project at http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/topic/462-garrett-atx-strip-down-rebuild/

All I am waiting on is to see what Garrett releases in the way of Christmas holiday packages. Any that appear may or may not include the ATX but it is worth waiting a bit to see. Once that happens the fun and games begins!

Finally, a bit different look, and one I was surprised with when my wife said she liked it. Kind of got that military thing going for it, and a unique color. The Garrett ATX.

The White's V3i is nothing spectacular as far as overall looks, but its display screen is by far the best on the market. Full color, bright, sharp - it really pops. Others would do well to try and at least match it.

On one hand the Minelab SDC 2300 is kind of goofy looking, but it is guaranteed to wow people when they see you unfold it for the first time. And so incredibly compact when stowed away!

Here is something completely different - the XP DEUS. The entire detector is in the coil, which is operated remotely by a control box or even directly by the headphones. It has a folding telescopic rod assembly that looks vaguely like the starship Enterprise when folded up.

Next up, the Minelab CTX 3030. This detector really wowed me when I put it together for the first time. Slip, twist, click, snick. Really cool and exposed wires are so 20th century.

Here is a subject you will rarely see. What makes for a good looking metal detector? There are many I have swung over the years that were downright embarrassing. Maybe that is why I try to make sure I detect when nobody can see me! These days though there are some good looking detectors out there, kind of like the sports cars of the genre. My favorite - the F75 Special Edition, also called the Limited Edition. Fisher can't make up its mind.