DXBDave

Thanks to all of you who gave your opinions. Think I have decided to go with the GPZ and then take every last bit of training and advice I can get. Thanks again, and Steve thanks for such a great website

That is an awesome set up you have. Nice bit of engineering, and a great read in the ICMJ

Condor, Thank you for the offer to look you up. I really appreciate the offer and will take you up on it. Won't be back in the USA before November, but I will stay in contact. You pretty much pegged it, I intend to spend my time full time out dirt fishing. I will be retired but not looking to become a golf addict. If I spend 6 hours wandering in the desert I want to be swinging a coil not a club....I digress. Its not that money is no object as much as I want bang for the buck. And if I invest serious money I tend to take it serious. If my wildest plans come true I intend to spend 8 months a year working the deserts of AZ and in the summer feeding the mosquitoes in AK. Again, my sincere appreciation at your generous offer. Dave

As a total newbie, the more I read the more confused I become. I was leaning towards a 2300 as a first machine to use when I move back to AZ. But I was looking at the 4500 and 5000 as the price where I am are all within 100 bucks of each other. Makes for a tough choice........BUT then I keep reading about the GPZ and the size and depth increases it affords and I think that is the machine I will ultimately want anyway. I am new to the detecting(read zero experience since the 80's), but not to prospecting. Would I be getting over my head going straight to the GPZ? I am not talking about the price as much as I want to know if as a first piece of equipment is it too much? Do I need to work my way up the ranks before I get the big dog? I do not want to buy and then sell a 2300 or a 5000 or both only to arrive at the 7000 as an end game machine anyway. So if I bite the bullet and skip the retirement watch..... I defer to the experts.

Very nice. Congratulations on your find