Northeast

This makes me wonder if Minelab look at that as an opportunity lost by not re-working the 10x5 closed coil on the Gold Monster to be an option for the Equinox way back when it was released. 1000’s of sales in a month on something that (probably) would have taken a few weeks to test, re-model and re-badge. Too late now. A 6000 is in my future.

Agree X 2 VicR. I think it is a quality control issue as I have a Pro-Find 35, use it often with the Equinox and have also used it with friends' GPZs and don't have an issue with it. It works perfectly pretty much every time. And to be honest, I don't actually even know how to change the sensitivity or use the discrimination feature - just turn it on, beep/beep and it works. I've even used it multiple times underwater in the river - no issues. I think others are getting units that have manufacturing faults with them. "It works perfectly pretty much every time". The one caveat - I have had one place where my 35 would sound off frequently all around the hole but this was highly mineralised ground and not a product fault - just a limitation due to mineralisation that most detectors have. If people have issues with their Pro Find I'd suggest returning it.

Great link, thanks 👍

A few months ago I suggested I was keen to get a copy of Reese's 'Nugget Shooter's Field Guide' but the shipping to Australia was a killer. Fellow forum member Chuck (aka Ridge Runner) took it upon himself to purchase a copy, reached out for my address and posted it to me. What followed was a comical travel itinerary of Chicago to Japan to Chicago to Sydney (actually in Australia!! 🤣) to Chicago to San Antonio to Chicago to Japan...and then for about the last 3 weeks...nothing 😳 I was starting to think that maybe it had travelled one leg too far and it had really lost its way. Until today, when it just turned up in the letterbox without any tracking notifications from within Australia. Who cares, it's here!! 🥳 🎉 So, thank you Chuck. Your kind gesture is truly appreciated. And thank you for providing your return address. I know you have asked nothing in return but my friend, when the right thing comes along that is commensurate to my appreciation it will most certainly be making its way to you. And thank you for the hand written note 😊 This is the second time in the past few months that several forum members (Chuck and a few from the Prospecting Australia site) have been very kind and giving. Information, helping and kindness are the great components of these forums and is something we can all aim for. Thanks again Chuck 🙏 Now, I've got some reading to do!!

I was going to Quote and respond to different parts Steve but then I just had to quote it all. Unfortunately everything you mention is reasonable, logical and sensible. How frustrating 🤣 🤪 Yes, I know where it sits in the line up and I’ll just get back to hurriedly waiting 😉

I watched that too Sheppo and to be honest there was very little in there that wasn't already known through this forum and the middle east videos from a month ago. Actual price (not just a guess) and the actual date of availability - surely we must be somewhere near being allowed to know. Even just a "it definitely won't be before April 20th" would be something. I just don't understand why Minelab do it this way, but I know I'm not the only one frustrated by them. OR MINELAB, just let your testers speak...?? If the units are already boxed and shipped to the middle east I can't see that there will be late changes? Happy to be advised what the reality is 🤔 😉

Well done JR, gold on the scales is the goal. Further to what JP has indicated, do you plan on going back over the same ground to see if there are any larger pieces lurking?

Yes but, in Steve's post is also states the Minimum Advertised Price of $6,000 in the U.S. Makes it approx $7,900 here in Oz which is somewhere between a 5000 and a GPZ. Still expensive but if it does everything that a SDC/4500 will do in one detector that is lighter, more ergonomic, wireless....😃 It's going to be a hard decision for some.

I had a look, it seems American? OK for the US guys. Sorry, I feel like I’m picking on your posts. I’m not meaning to 👍

Sorry geof but I can’t see a link or anything. Was there supposed to be something there? 👍

🤣 🤣 The bloody Poms. How on earth are we supposed to understand them when they are speaking.........English 😜

Yes, that might change things a bit. 95% of my detecting with the Z is in Difficult. Varies between High Yield and General (more General). Semi auto GB and no filters. But do plan on trying Normal more and bringing in the use of the audio filters as jasong has suggested.

Just check with Steve H and JP first. I was going to do the same thing and in the end we decided it was not the best thing to do - copyright issues, etc. Steve's site, JPs words, my manual - it just seemed messy 👍

Thanks Muddler - and welcome to DP 👍 I meant to respond to Gerry a few days ago and ran out of time. They have paid a dividend for a number of years now and it has also been ever increasing although this last 6 months it dipped slightly - not surprising with Covid though. Running at a P/E of about 44 at present.

I agree with that Dale but have also cut and paste most of JP's comments on DP re: the Z and some of Steve's also - there is another whole manual of info there that simply isn't covered in the original. Although it is funny that a few things in the manual were pointed out to me by JP but just put in a different way. Couldn't see the forest for the trees at times 🤦‍♂️

Ah, if I had a dollar for every time that has happened I would be broke 😉 Please bear in mind my answers are guesses and how I like to set up a GPZ. I'm sure JP will have the most relevant answers as he is possibly the only one on here that really knows what is happening 'under the hood'. Hopefully he has time to respond. Steve H - maybe as you were a tester they have told you some of the magic also? I always guessed Sensitivity on the Z was a Transmit control. Pumping more power to the coil to light up targets but at the same time lighting up more ground signal and catching more EMI. Mostly ran Sensitivity at a point where it starts to get jittery and backed it off 1. But, on occasion when there were tiny pieces to clean up in an area, I would go full noise at 20 and this would light up the tiniest of pieces. However, the noise was not something I could handle on a constant basis and I believe you would also be missing the subtler noises in amongst the racket. My theory would be putting Threshold much above 27 would be slowly limiting more and more targets as the Threshold went higher. And my view of Threshold must be the opposite to yours. I think moving the Threshold higher is taking the numbers higher. Lowering the Threshold and making it quieter is taking the numbers lower. Maybe it is due to being in different hemispheres 😄 Taking the Threshold numbers so low that you could no longer hear a Threshold seemed counterintuitive also as I wanted to hear the faint variation in that steady audio 'line'. The GPX 6000 is going to be interesting with it's couple of no-threshold settings. I always thought was just that - Volume. Just like turning your radio up. Purely increasing the loudness to your liking. I used a booster (B&Z) and ran Volume on the Z at 1. I found it worked great. The mate's Z that I use now simply has the WM12 and I really miss the control a booster provided. The same as Gold Hound described - just a ceiling for any given target. i.e. - whatever the size or the proximity of the target it simply won't go above 30 decibels or 45 decibels or whatever it is you have it set at. As I said, this is my simplistic view. I'm surprised more people haven't responded. It has been a long day and has taken this long to finally read all of your post and respond. Great topic though. I think most of us are only scratching the surface with the positive differences the various Z controls could have. Cheers, N.E.

I notice that Mitchel @mn90403 hasn't commented on this thread. Don't worry Mitchel, I'm sure your next item will get a bid, maybe even sell 😜

Yes, don’t think you could. I thought I’d asked that before - sorry 😏

It is good to see you back and posting Chris. I have no idea of the logistics/costs but is an ebook a possibility? Can then be purchased anywhere in the world with no shipping costs. I can’t imagine setting up an e version is more expensive than a hard copy 🤷‍♂️

Interesting Steve. The aftermarket coil manufacturers will have a little “Who moved my cheese” moment if they read that.

Great to see. Well done 👍

Don’t think you missed it as I haven’t been able to find it either. And that was my main query - across different packages and different continents - are we all paying the same price? Time will tell 👍

And this is probably where the question is easily answered for myself. Right now I only have an Equinox, so getting a 6K is a no brainer. If I still had a GPZ I would be sitting back and watching.

Yes, and that is fair enough if you've already got detectors and coils to do the job 👍 I'm sure Reg won't be too hard on me. The QED was certainly sensitive and found gold for me but there were some hot rocks and some ground that caused problems in my area. I have a brother in law in WA that is a prospector and I plan to do a trip at some stage and I was concerned re: if I was having some small troubles here then I might have big troubles there. Hell of a long way to go for your detector to not be suitable 😳 And the QED audio, for whatever reason, it just didn't suit me 🤷‍♂️ But now, back to the GPX 6000 folks... 😉

Evening Rick. Not trying to sell you on a 6000 but when details of it first came out I actually thought you would jump on this as a prospecting detector for WA, much like you tried with the QED. I have sold the QED for similar reasons to you and thought that this with its lighter weight, 17" coil, ability to run a DD in really bad ground, auto ground balance, wireless or speaker option, rainproof, more rugged than the QED, etc, it would be the perfect replacement. And it can double as a mop-up tool after you've found a patch, flogged it with the Z and then want to clean up the remainder. The only difference/negative I see is obviously the price being about 4 times as much as a QED. Cheers, Adam. 👍