Jin

Any tips for how to sharpen a pick correctly to keep its Hardening/Tempering properties? I've been filing my pick head with a hand file but it's so slow. Was watching the video below and it looks like I should have been grinding the whole edge of the pick not just the tip.

I can't remember if you used to run the 10" X-Coils but I find it makes swinging the zed so much easier weight-wise. Even though the zed with the 10" is lighter, I still use a Hipstick to carry the weight as it means I can detect all day.

Me too. Very happy with it.

Shrubs, trees, and geological features also help identify some areas.

Quote: "The main issue is it costs me gold. I've gone over the same ground using my SDC2300 and found pieces the E1500 missed" I think ultimately he felt the E1500 didn't perform as well as his SDC. Whether or not he worked the ground properly or even had enough time to get to know the 1500 properly is hard to say, but when you already have a detector that you feel works better there's little point in keeping the other.

I'd like to see all of the above as well. Atm I'm contemplating getting my 2200d modded, and or buying and modding a 5000. Tbh, I only bought the 2200d to see for myself if it has the best outright depth as many say it had. Bought it cheap so not too concerned if it doesn't. I already have a spiral 20" X-Coil for the zed which on testing out performed the gpz19 by a good margin, and is so much lighter to swing. X-Coils made a 26" CC, which if still available may be a good option also. The other option is the 32" Detech concentric for the sd,gp, and gpx. Not going to be many places these setups are going to be needed but it would be nice to have something that gives the best performance for when the need arises.

A few years back I spoke with the Australian Minelab CEO at the Codan stand (Avalon air show) He said they were looking into the feasibility of fitting SDC internals into a traditional style detector housing. (I assume the circuit board would be too large and need to be re-made to fit.) That never came to fruition but who knows, maybe the groundwork has been done and they could get it to market before AlgoForce does too much damage.

I used to use these clips on my 4500 that my local hardware store sold. (Bunnings - Australia) They were a tight fit but held the cable tight. Cheap also 😀 Bunnings: Products - Garden - Irrigation - Irrigation Supplies - Poly Pipe Fittings - 13mm Poly Fittings

Ruifeng Huang looks to have a bit of experience in making detectors by the look of things. This was from his Linkedin page.

Not far from where I live. There are a couple of spots in that area I've always planned on checking out. One spot with similar structures to those found in the Woods Point region.

Bit F'n rude. Not everyone reads something the same way.

Re: Tongue in cheek. Ok that makes sense now.

Umm, I'm a little confused. Not trying to be negative but isn't it the job of testers to point out things that may be a problem or could be improved? Anyway I'm sure there were other testers, surely someone said something. Tough gig being a tester i reckon. Plenty of people just waiting to rip into you, bit tough seeing as not all things recommended are listened to by minelab anyway. As a side note: mentioning the x-coil might open a can of worms. It sort of says indirectly that if you want a good setup get the x-coil. No mention of the z search or the standard setup. That's how i read it anyhow.

No updates?? Was interested to hear what you thought of the 6.

Yes, I knew a guy that used to work for me that drank a minimum of 25 coffees a day. We often spent 14 hour days together so i saw this first hand. Unfortunately he passed away a couple of years ago in his mid 30's. Got some pain in his back which ended up being cancer and he was gone 3 months later. I always wondered if the excessive coffee drinking and smoking was a cause

Just shows that you cant please everyone all the time. The videos were short and to the point. Most only being one minute or so in length. If some one has a problem with one aspect of the machine then there's a short video that covers the problem. No need to try looking for the section that covers your problem in a lengthy video. Anyhow, the videos wont please everyone but I'm sure they will help many

I thought all the videos Minelab uploaded on the how to use the 6000 were pretty good. Must admit I'm a bit jealous of the guys getting one now after watching all 13 videos. But will control my urge to buy until I get a chance to test one against my current setup. Deep down i feel that the geo sense thing is a game changer. 1st video here for those that haven't viewed the series

I guess this is the new JP we will be dealing with in years to come. That's if any gold is left from the amount of prospectors entering the hobby and machines becoming more idiot proof. (I sometimes wonder what the future holds for this industry/hobby.) Thanks for sharing some real live footage.

Ok, hope the 26" turns out to be a winner. Can you shed some light on why John retired from prospecting? Did he just grow tired of it? My old man used to be an abalone diver. He said it killed his love of diving that he had from an early age. I guess doing something day in - day out takes the joy out something after a while. For me prospecting is my life. The bush is my retreat from the pressures of business and all the other things in life. Couldn't give a hoot about the financial gain but find the challenge of finding something so elusive stimulating. The joy of seeing Kangaroos, echidnas, lizard, deer, NOT SNAKES makes me love being out in the bush. Its actually the only time my mind is peaceful and doesn't have a million thoughts going on at once.

From what i can make out there were 2 partners in the X-coils business. One decided to sell his share. I would be interested to know if they both had coil building experience (the original owners) Reg Wilson (ex dealer wrote this) I discovered that the Russian partnership competed with each other and he wanted me to be his dealer and to sell all Xcoils. This to me seemed a mad arrangement. Then the partner (Elnur) who had been supplying Dave sold his share and Dave got the chop and Simon got dealt out of the picture. The new partner (Alex) would appoint a new agent (you there Jonathon?) to compete against me, who at that stage was the remaining agent. To add to the madness both Russian partners had websites supplying direct at retail. So I had to compete with them as well.

I cant say I've dug many really deep targets in comparison to shallow bits but what you explain above is exactly what I've experienced. I remember once using the 10" on the zed at a pushed site. I changed things up a bit and decided to try general/difficult with a low sensitivity (cant remember exactly - but my fav sensitivity is rarely over 6 - many times at 1 or 2). The machine was dead quiet. I then heard a very faint groan, which after a couple of swings confirmed that something was there. I'm positive if the sensitivity was higher it would have introduced ground noise and i would of missed it. Long story short, I dug down 3 feet and came across a steel bar. (wasn't surprised as the area was full of junk) A few lessons i learnt from that experience. 1. The signal didn't improve much until a bit of ground had been removed. 2. Little coils can punch quite deep if the ground type allows it. 3. The biggest lesson was air tests are useless. After digging most of the way down (say 2 foot) the target was blanking out. I then wanted to remember what the initial target sounded like to pull me up. To my surprise it was a loud response at ground level compared to the faint repeatable (easily missed) groan at the start.

Seems odd that i put my order in for a 22" spiral ages ago after seeing Dave test one here in AUS, only to be told that the maker wasn't happy with the results. I got offered the 20" instead. Either the new owners don't give a stuff what they pump out or they're smarter at making coils. It will be interesting to see how the bigger 26" goes. Do you think on deep gold the zed with a 26" will be any match for those prototypes you guys swung 30 years ago? Especially that big ass bismark coil.

Thanks to James Beatty for mentioning this Russian site that shows pictures of the 6000"s internal circuit board. https://md-arena.com/razborka-minelab-gpx-6000-chto-vnutri-ochen-dorogoj-novinki/?fbclid=IwAR2q9Cll560LUXoC0arxPr8zDALHI-5LLDM0S5zCeLUJYs--_d9KraNCIq0 I was reading the comments (translated) and noticed that Steve and his comrads are held in high regards in Russia as well.🙂 Quote: The circuitry of this device and me, too, "amazed to the core"! Made "very good" (really good, no kidding!), BUT why done - absolutely incomprehensible! (SIXTEEN (!) IMPAD / Pirates "In one bottle" !!! IT'S COOL !!!) It will be interesting to know what The "result" of using this technology in real search? I think that Steve Hershbach "and his comrades" will discuss this device and will experience "the full program" - this is their "theme".

Having just had the LCD sceen replaced I was surprised that the actual cost was only $120 for the screen. (The whole job cost $287 which consisted of replacing the screen and postage to send it back)

Will dropping a detector have any other adverse effects, like breaking solder joints or upsetting other internal electrical components?