Des D

"I'm going to wait for the Z-Lynk set to come into stock, early 2017 I believe?

The PRO-SONIC set is rumored to be two to three times the cost of the Z-Lynk"

Steve is a very nice and genuine guy. I've had the pleasure of meeting him a few times at various UK Rally events as he travels there regularly on 'fact-finding' missions to garner useful info on what ' the UK & Euro hunters want in detectors and stuff'

I've also dealt with him on a regular basis as I tested 3 Garrett Products these past two years and if I had any questions they were answered by Steve [ same day, once from his breakfast table ever before he got to his desk ] in usually very informative e-mails.

He's on top of his game and I always enjoy his videos. 

I always enjoyed Mr. Garrett's books as well.

"I'm excited about a New MInelab coin machine due out next spring?

Maybe they're finally introducing the GPX2600 to the African market?"

Thanks. Great explanation Tom.

Having said that Tom, I applaud your video work. 

When I shoot test videos they're usually done in real-life situations and the 'junkier' the better.

Case in point: my Garrett Ace 400i in Heavy Iron: I thought I had deff picked out [ a non-ferrous piece ] in a lot of iron "sounds" and it transpired a barn door hinge with 3 round top bolts complete with washers "tricked me" into believing I had a coin! The 'eddy currents' on the 3 round tops AND the washers ran around and around and fooled me. A barn door hinge! What a huge target! A small wrench came from nearby and then at the edge a large non ferrous wick round kerosene burner...all in the same 2 square feet.

I concur with you not taking expensive gear out in the rain. What are "Chuck Taylor's?"

Are you shooting on a DSLR? Which mic?

BTW: thanks again for showing your Go Pro set-up. I haven't found that attachment in any store and did come across it on a New York camera outlet @ $19.99 

But Taxes & Shipping etc took it over the edge of $120.00 so I didn't press the 'Buy' button!

Psssttt...'tween you and I, I've spent about $10,000 grand on camera gear, software, computers, Royalty Free etc thru the years!!! Just bought another laptop and thinking about going the DSLR route...Yikes!!!

Loved the video quality & editing Tom.

But, having done similar tests for more years than I care to remember, it didn't make me wanna run out and get one. Most VLF's today can do that. And, it's not a huge priority for me as I rarely look for steel brushes.

 Nails and coins buried over time in soils  = scenarios that cannot be replicated on this type of video.

No love lost between the two of them....historically.

Around 2000, when Explorer S/XS came out the other outfit published the same name.

The Explorer makers took umbrage with that hence why it abbreviated today to 2 letters and an alternative spelling of the same word.

Since leaving the company I'm a bit out of touch.

But. remembering the question always asked by consumers: "why are they cheaper in the USA?", I can't help but thinking something is really strange if this new unit can be bought for USD$680.00 which is equal to GBP£540.00 and  EUR€624.00 

While a New one in the UK w/9" coil, remote, small headphones and NONE of the other accessories being supplied will set you back USD$1734.00 or GBP£1378.00

After all, it's the SAME device albeit with different colored plastics and software.

And...money is still being made by the manufacturer AND the supplier!!!

I'm sure ML would have factored in the draw down drain of the larger coil, but large coils can draw current faster especially if ground noise and false signals and interference create a lot of actual 'noise' Each 'noise' causes drain.

Maybe that's why ML have introduced the New Mini 3 hour battery to allay drop down in the field causing a shut down of search time? (I'm not sure if this battery is an actual New Product and available at this time?)

If I was using the set up, I'd ensure any 'unwanted Functions & Options were Off > thereby saving Power

(just realised this New battery is for the GPX and not the GPZ...Duh!)

Nice video Tom.

I've been thinking lately of "toying" with a TDi S/L (sounds surprisingly like the GP's)

'Chuck, good to begin hearing some +++positive+++ comments on the MXS.

Despite the bad press I had the feeling it was going to be ' a sleeper machine' that many will aspire to own!"

"Well done Ringo!" 

"Thanks Tom. Will do.

Thanks too for your comments on my video. I appreciate that loads.

Best of luck with the re-release.

Even if they won't send another, I'll buy one next year as I thought it was a really fabulous concept.

Best regards"

Des D

"Anyone in the UK using a GR for hammies? I'd like to hear about it!"  Des D

1 hour ago, tboykin said:

I'll see what I an do. Maybe something specific to Detector Prospector? Also still willing to send Steve H. a new one with our 7" Detech if he's interested. I hear that coil is killer on small gold...

One of the things I've learned about the MX Sport in regards to prospecting - when in All-Metal or Prospecting Modes you have the ability to VISUALLY discriminate ranges of VDI. This doesn't silence the audio, but keeps the discriminated numbers from displaying on screen. So if you're in "Junk Town" you can notch out the junk, still hear the zip, but know you have a higher chance of a good target when the VDI displays the range you are interested in. Really helpful for places where there are bits of can slaw or iron that drive you nuts.

I'll probably bring mine to Rye Patch this weekend if any of you are interested (and will be there).

Tom,

I'll test it for you.

Scotland sent me one at the very beginning which I had to return and never did get it back.

I was 'water hunting' with my AT Pro a week ago and can put on my waders again real quick!

Des D

Hi JP,

That's exactly what I was thinking.

New coil, new materials, new construction methods, new expectations of them and being an unknown quantity over time some are bound to fail.

Send 'em back! They need to 'strip em out' to see what's up?

Des D

That really stinks! I'm sorry to hear about another example of no respect for the property of others.

Did you pop into any Pawn Shops if there are any in your area?

It's fairly obvious to me - the shielding has gone bad.

Coils can fail in stages and both coils have reached the first stage. Shielding can go bad over time and cause the dreaded 'wet grass' syndrome.

Send them in for Warranty replacement.

If they are out of warranty they still should be replaced to you because it's 'a New Product' and they need to get them back anyway to work out what's happened?

"Haven't logged on in a while - where are we regarding the MX Sport now?"

Can't find photos.

We used a few sub gram specimens Scotch taped onto aeroboard for testing the gold detector coils.

These were 'pupil of the eye sized' and larger

X-Terra 705 in Prospecting Mode had no trouble in signaling these where the CTX w/6" couldn't.

(could even get nuggetts from 2" - 4" away from coil's bottom w/X-705)

We even took CTX' to Africa but you'd have to be literally scrubbing and any gold just below the surface which didn't happen.

It's not marketed as a Gold Detector. Why do you ask? Thinking about using it for Prospecting?

We'll look forward to Steve's tests.

Hiya Roughwater,

Yes, I did that with the small 6" coil some years ago as a Priority test.

Going from memory (and not my Notes) what I observed wasn't very encouraging: the nuggett's had to be fairly close to the coil's bottom, almost rubbing the skid plate to get a / any signal / response.

I'll see if I can find photos of my test pieces and will post if found but they were small Tanzanian gold pieces.

However, someone else might have figured out a way to get better results?

Des D

Probably true Steve.

I heard it has the same GB algorithm as the GMT

If I was to use one for Prospecting I'd use a smaller 'elliptical' or even smaller...4.5" if there was one?

I've been using a Deus since day one and helped develop the CTX and have run all of them including the E Trac and X-Terra's, GMP's, F75's, T2's etc 

Last year I Tested several new detector models and the Top 2 other's used most often were the E Trac and latterly, the T2 as I liked it's 'hot zippy behaviour' in some of my good test sites that thanks to more recent modern farming practices grass gets cut more than once a year and other crops get harvested sooner thereby opening rough and stubble fields at summer's end.

Since testing the "Racer Red" (original) and more recently the "R2", it's curtains for all the others listed above as I just really like and appreciate what the "R2" does simply  and when it's language is learned has made me appreciate that "better or best" doesn't have to come in the form of the most expensive price tags in the marketplace today.

When I turn heel and march out of [ a field ] I get back into my vehicle and [ never ] have to second guess myself: "Was I using the right / the best settings today? Did I miss stuff?"

That dilemma is over.

21 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Seems like you have a fairly low opinion of Minelab these days Des. I guess if you are not a prospector it would appear they have been doing nothing as of late. My GPZ argues otherwise. I personally think the best is yet to come from Minelab.

Steve,

My apology.

I'm sorry for using your Forum as a Podium. It won't happen again. I was out of line.

Des D

PS: You're right, I'm not a a Prospector (but do have extensive experience in that field having worked with the SD's, Extreme, GP's, GPX' and with the artisinal gold miners in some African countries)

"It's actually a Mono coil Goldpick.

I also have a GF60 and lined up against a few others at the exact same price point it is a dismal performer.

Had I still been employed with ML it would never have got out the door like that. But that's what happens when totally inexperienced 'newbie' marketeers are let loose to run a project. That's what happened. People hadn't a clue about MD and neither did the mother ship!

As for the video...the penny has finally dropped loudly on their new polished floors inside that nice building that they have lost their way. But there isn't any plan and no new hobby machine being planned.

It's a 'knee jerk' reaction: "Go out and make a video and let's pretend we've got something on the boil!"

Naw...I don't buy it."