Gerry in Idaho

Bill,  I'm not the brightest guy to answer your question on what Audio system works best to hear those deep faint signals with a GPZ-7000 as I don't like trying all the new boosters, signal enhancers, airtrees, ipods, earbuds, noseplugs and such.  But, I do seem to hear and find my share of "iffy nuggets" and at depths most don't believe.

1st off,  I'm not a gadget guy and most certainly not saying those items my Field Staff guys and others use, are of no good.  In fact I do see times when those Avtress and others have their purpose.  Who knows, maybe eventually I'll get some ear buds that want to stay in my ears and not jump out.

I feel Steve H, Rick (Lundy), Klunker, Prunt and a couple others are on point with my thinking.  It's the operator of the detector and what you are doing wrong and or not thinking correctly.  My pet peeve is "Coil Control" and "Stay Focuses on the task at hand"

I tell folks gold detecting is partially a mental thing and many laugh at me.  "mental"??? Really.  Most Certainly, I feel it is.

When I'm hunting old sites that's been productive for me the last 25 yrs, I know its history of what's come from the ground, from ridges, side hills, ravines, bedrock etc. I know where, how deep were most and what size was average.  I have those 1000+ nugget retrieves all stuffed in one of my last remaining brain cells and I seem to bring that out for my next hunt to that site.

My 1st 15 years of detecting I was all over the place.  Next 10 year I starting dialing things in and the last 20+ yrs, I'm one with my machine.  The detector becomes an extension of my arm.  I swing a little faster than most and don't recommend my speed to others, it's to fast for you.  Swing it slow and then slow down again. Coil Control is of MOST IMPORTANCE and make sure that thing is "on the ground".  On that old patch, visualize your coil as the bottom of an ice cream cone "V" and realize a foot down that pattern (depending on coil size) could only an inch wide. Paint every inch of that old nugget patch an inch at a time and from different directions. Listen to the ground, the detectors electronics (yes I can hear the electronics of a 7000 working) and try to make every little iffy signal become a target.  As been said by others, turn that iffy into a semi repeatable target by multiple sweeps of the coil from many angles.  Scuff an inch with your boot and do it again.  If there is any kind of repeat whatsoever, scuff some more and another inch or two and spend more time slowly swinging across the spot of the so called potential signal/target.  Do not walk away until you are 100% certain there is nothing there.  I've spent 5 minutes and 5" removed before I sometimes give in. On a rare occasion (usually on really windy days) I've even walked away and came back later to in fact finally hear it and dig down and sure enough it's gold. 

Stay focused and then some.  If you are trying to figure out the next site to go...you missed one.  If you are dreaming about a cold beer, you missed one, worried about what's for lunch, you missed another.  Most importantly, if you wonder how your buddy is doing or what he's finding, you missed the "iffy targets" because you allowed your mind to wander off the task of hearing that next deep iffy.

Threshold (my opinion).  It must be on at all times and as the day goes on, I usually turn it up a little.  I start my day fresh and the Threshold is a soft hum (just above the warble) that is mostly smooth. I like to run my Threshold at 38 setting and usually go up 1 or 2 as the day lengthens and the noises of ground and air start acting up.  Yes your detector is more quiet in the morning than most afternoon.  Yes the ground heats up in the later afternoon and cools off in the later evenings.  Best time to hunt is when ground is most quiet and that's early morning or late at night.

My choice of Headphones. I hate cheap headphones and prefer the brand Killer Bee and the like the Wasp model with dual volume control for each ear.  Made in USA and Lifetime warranty.  Yes he'll back them up if you do your part when 1st purchased and fill out the warranty.

These are 150 Ohm headphones and the guy "John" who builds them also used to make the very popular SunRay Gold. These headphones and the Black Widows are fantastic at blocking out ambient noise.  In fact I think the Black Widows are even better than the Wasp, but Wasp are more comfortable to me, I wear glasses quite a bit. 50 yrs my ears (yes I have bad hearing). 

I'm a creature of habit. For 20+ yrs I've been using the same 2 brands (Sunray and Killer Bee) of headphones built by the same guy.  My ears are used to their tones.  For 25 yrs my ears have been listening to Minelab PI's and I try to set the TONE so it's the same as or near the same I've been doing all those years.  On a GPZ-7000 I prefer 55 Tone PITCH Setting.

I prefer to plug my Kill Bees into the back of the detector, not the WM-12.  For some reason the WM adds extra noise and blanking blips that bug the living chit out of me.  I want to hear the detector and the ground..and taking out any other potential electronics is my desire.

No metal boots, no pick on the hip, no cell phone on the body, no pin pointer in your front pocket either.

Think Positive, smile, be happy... as gold enjoys seeing a smiling face when it's dug up.   Always stay away from Debbie Downers and negative people.

When detecting with the best headphones or whatever hearing device it is you prefer to use that blocks out the ambient noises around you, be sure to be thinking the next iffy is the one.

Reward yourself for your little stinking lead targets.  After all, those pieces of trash were missed by others and just as easily could have been gold.

There are many GPZ Setting people prefer and I'm happy if you have your favorites.  My own Field Staff have our favorites on the 7 and yes they are different.  But each of my guys are Top Notch gold finders with a GPZ-7000 and each of them have paid their detectors off multiple times over.  No magic #'s at all, just a lot of time in the field comparing.

Grow with your detector and never think you are the best and already have it (the detector) figured out.  Watch and listen to others around and especially those who are good with the same detector.  When I 1st started training with the GPZ-7000, the Settings I recommended and used are not what I use/recommend today.  I've learned more about the 7 by listening to great hunters around me and here on DP.  I've spent time comparing and testing and find new ways to get best performance from the 7.

My opinion and take it for what it's worth. One piece of advice I see many folks using on a GPZ-7000 that I feel their not optimizing.  Turn the filters OFF and if possible (depending on site and soil), run the detector open. OFF for the Ground Smoothing, OFF for the Audio Smoothing.  Those 2 Settings smooth out the detector (to much for my preference) and I feel I'm missing "potential iffy's".

Again,

- The iffy signals are missed by most folks because they don't have proper coil control and sweep. 

- Quit thinking the spot it already worked out, that's a negative.

- Most folks won't work an iffy to make a signal.  Ask Lunk what my 20 foot area looks like after a hard working with a 7000.  There's more boot scrapes, bent over bushes, dislodged rocks, and fluff/dust everywhere.  If it keeps giving, I keep swinging, boot scraping and smiling.

- Stay focused on the task.

Good luck

On 2/13/2023 at 3:41 AM, 1515Art said:

 I think it’s interesting but probably not the most attractive material for Jewelry.

Most attractive?  That all is in the mind of the person who wants it.  I'm all about different and unique and most importantly, the story of the treasure.  That's 2 different styles of hunts combined into 1 very cool treasure.  Well done my friend.

On 2/12/2023 at 8:31 AM, Steve Herschbach said:

So all you Equinox users - how often do you use single frequency modes really? Are they genuinely useful and how? Because that’s what this is, Equinox with multi left out.
 

I was in that meeting Steve H and when I heard, I called Lunk (who was in the meeting as well).  I wanted to hear him say exactly what I thought I was told and you are 100% correct. No more single frequency detectors will be built by Minelab. 

I'm getting fuzzy feelings Minelab is hurting and hurting really bad.  All the promos, then the big $500 price drop of the CTX-3030, then the $2000+ price drop of the GPZ-7000. Mine does not just do that out of the blue.  Getting a new EQ-700 or 900 is easier than getting the Manticore, but we didn't even know about the others until Christmas.  Heck we've been seeing manticore for nearly half a yr and still can't get them.  Now this new single frequency detector out of the blue.???

Desperate times for desperate companies is on the horizon it seems.

Hopefully things smooth out and in the end, it was all planned.  But this old Marine has seen plenty and even though I don't have a crystal ball, I do pay attention.

As for me, I think all dealers in the USA should SAY NO.  No testing it, no advertising it and no promoting it.  Let Cabelas do that.  Seems fair to me.

On 2/11/2023 at 7:17 PM, Rob Allison said:

 

We are a dying bread, small dealers will all go away at some point in the future.  

P.S.  If you see me selling Lemonade along the roadside, don't laugh! 

Rob

I'll be standing in front of him to sell the cup that he'll be pouring the lemonade.

You are correct Rob in so many ways.  I do know that CT selling their coils will be at Retail not MAP.  Don't know how long that will last, as that's the starting point.  

As Steve H mentioned, the detector manufactures are slowly getting there as well.

Keep your hardhat on buddy as I think we're about ready for a serious ride.

14 hours ago, Northeast said:

I have never used my Equinox 800 underwater but now I happen to have the means to do just that.  Are you suggesting that if it drowned, even though it is outside warranty period, that Minelab should have to replace it as it is absolutely a known issue? 

 

As a dealer that works with Repair Facilities more than most, I "wound not" expect Minelab to cover an out of warranty leak.  I'm not saying they won't as each situation is different, but that's thin ice out there.

On a side note, I have customers who are hardcore detectorists and once they get under a year of remaining transferable warranty, they either trade in their detector towards a new one, or it becomes their Back Up and they order a new primary detector.

16 hours ago, gormanr.rg said:

Still waiting in Mountain Home. I’m hanging out until Gerry has them in. His service, training and support is outstanding and worth the wait. Blessings

Great to see you on Detector Prospector Richard and I hope to see you post a few of your detecting treasures.  Thanks for the customer loyalty.

On 2/7/2023 at 9:41 AM, okara gold said:

Jerry. Is this something you are recommending or Minelab? On my Nox, the 4 metal inserts broke away from, and tore out of the cracked plastic in the control pod. I was in the water at the time and was holding nothing but the pod in my hand. I called Minelab and they questioned if I had an after market rod and possibly over tightened the screws when attaching it to the rod. They were reluctant to replace the pod but said they would one time only. I blamed it on the constant torque while using it in the water. I have not unscrewed the pod as of yet on the Manticore and was wondering if they are using the same type of inserts to secure the screws to. I still say it was torque and corrosion that caused the problem. Thanks. 

I have never had your exact problem seen in the pics.  I'm not saying it's a reason for your issue, but I'm not going to take a chance.  After every serious water hunt detecting vacation, I strip my detector down in the hotel room and clean/rinse with fresh water.  it amazes me the amount of used NOX detectors I have taken in and when I remove the 4 allen screws what I've seen.  I'll be honest though, I have yet to see any broken or cracked bases and or screw housings.

Here's the 1st time I took one apart in Cancun back in 2018, I think.  I took it apart to get it into my Carry On to get there and everything was nice and clean.  When I went to go home, I took it apart and found this?  Now, I have yet to have any issues of leaking from this area, that I'm aware of.  Hopefully the change on the new EQ-700, EQ-900 and Manticore design will fix leaks, but I know for a fact the sand and water getting to this point still occurs on my Manticore.

Yes I'm telling all my customers who are hard core water hunters to take it apart and clean it.

I was more than a little surprised when I opened it and found below pics.

2 hours ago, Redneck said:

I waited 3 mo on a dealer list.  When I heard another shipment was coming to the states, I texted my dealer a week ago,  I still have no reply.  I noticed they arrived at Cabelas last fri am, I waited all day friday for a dealer response. Crickets.  I ordered fri nite, It has been shipped from a Cabelas store 200 mi away. Cabelas was sold out Mon am.  If the small dealers get their detectors from a distributor, that might be the problem . I would think the distributor will fill the orders from their fav dealers first, Just my humble guess. 

Sorry you are not getting communication from your dealer.  Just to update everyone who is on my list, my # is a landline and does not accept text.  Remember, I'm that old school Marine guy married for 35+ yrs and never had kids.  I have a cell phone in another room sits on a charger.  Guess I could be missing a few text, but most of my customers know me.

Anyway, glad to hear your wait is over.

10 hours ago, Daniel Tn said:

True.  But if you have a bad machine and or warranty issue, most dealers are going to deflect you straight to the manufacturer warranty department. Meaning you do all the legwork, and a dealer is of zero assistance.  I ran into it with a CTX 3030 that I had bought new. It had a bad display out of the box. Naturally, I contacted the dealer I had bought it from and he was like "sorry to hear that but it's out of my hands, here is the number for Minelab's service".  I won't lie. I was pretty ticked off. Definitely not how I would have handled it had I been a dealer. I would have swapped that unit with another one I had in stock (which he did have others in stock) and made sure my customer was up and going, then dealt with Minelab on my own about the defective unit. But, it is rare to find service like that. That's why I don't hesitate to order from Cabelas and such. I go by whomever has it in stock at the time I want one.  

Most of my 20+ yrs as a Minelab Dealer (15+) I and a select few dealers were encouraged to take care of the customer at whatever means.  Many times, I have handed a customer a new in box unit for one they found an issue.  I've sent my own detectors on a few occasions to customer going on a trip and or in the middle of a trip just so they could finish their detecting vacation.  I personally know the feeling as I have had detectors go down during a trip.  I've been in MX with a group of clients and had 1 week old detectors go down.  I was on the phone with Minelab and they sent a CTX 3030 to our resort in Cancun.  On occasion we'll be doing the 3 Days Field Training with a group of approx 12 clients and a detector or coil will be discovered that is bad.  No problem, as one of my Staff/I will allow them to finish the training with our own detectors and or coils.  Sometimes we just trade them out right then for a new one and I'll deal with the manufacture when I get back.

Today's Minelab is totally different.  They have detailed steps we need to follow and protocol with a step by step process.  There is no longer a good ol boy long time dealer, we'll do it on the side.  Todays Customer Care Minelab T: 1-877-SOS-MLAB is not the SOS you and I expect/deserve. The good news is Minelab Repairs has a dedicated Facility now and those folks are usually on top of things.

Minelab quit asking dealers for suggestions a few years ago.  Minelab quick asking us to grade their service a few years ago.  Different group of management with different goals.  Just get detectors out the door and let the dealers fight it out.  Heck, we have dealers who received Manticore and yet they don't even have a website that mentions metal detectors let alone the word Minelab?  Who polices this?

Minelab used to have a select group of dealers who were Managed Partners.  Not anymore, we're all equal and that's a fact.  So when I start getting treated equal to a lazy dealer who sits on his but and waits for a phone call to do a Drop Ship, then I do get upset.  When Minelab has a conference or training on a new product and not even 25% of the so called dealers show up?  Just goes to show how out of touch with dealers this company has become.  Don't believe me, ask the long term seasoned dealers how things are going?  Boy, Minelab won't dare ask that question. They can't handle the truth.

Am I more vocal than most dealers?  Do I push more buttons than most dealers? Most certainly and I get labeled as the trouble maker dealer by a select few.  Here's the deal with me.  I can back up most everything I say.  I don't sell detectors because it's my job.  I sell detectors because it's my passion and has been for longer than most.  Most folks working for a detector manufacture, it's just a job to them. After a while one quits and a new one it hired. It's a rotating door for many, but not this old rusty Marine, it's my life.  If you don't believe me, ask my wife.

I my not be the dealer I used to, but that's because of new rules and policies.  I'll still try my best to take care of my customers within means.  After all, my customers and their success is my future sales.

Glad you were able to get a Manticore and no bad feelings towards anyone who does, I personally know the passion and itch of a new detector, heck that's why I reached out to other sources outside of the US to get my hands on one back in early Dec. had to scratch the itch.

New times, new rules and same old Gerry's Detectors trying to keep up with change.  We'll see who lasts longer?

2 hours ago, Daniel Tn said:

I did.  Paid for it and had it the next day.  My dealer still hasn't received any, to my knowledge.  

Glad you were able to get one and sorry the dealer has yet.

1 hour ago, TampaBayBrad said:

I did Gerry....sorry don't string me up.

Couldn't help myself. After reading so much about it then waking up one morning at 4 a.m. and BAM! there it was available.

I threw away the vet discount and no tax that I may have been able to get if I waited.

I just wanted it. Like.....yesterday.

No need to apologize at all my friend.  I totally understand those who don't want to wait.  I'm just trying to get an idea of how many people actually purchased from Cabale's, which then was a lost sale to a dealer.

Minelab asks of us dealers to start promoting the Manticore.  We do so, but when they start shipping, it seems some Sporting Goods Stores get more than the exact same people who are asked to promote it.

A while back, Minelab had a class to show dealers how to sell on Amazon.  I thought that was strange, since I used to be told Minelab is a premium product and they'd never go big box.  I guess Minelab is testing the waters and then who knows, they cut out the dealers totally.

Step by step it is slowing looking that way.

Seems Cabela's/Bass Pro is getting more than dealers but I can't prove it.

Just curious how many people on here have received their Manticore from them?  If you would rather message me and not post public, that's fine.

I have a Cabela's less than 5 miles away and a few times I could have purchased, but as a dealer who has many on order from Day #1, I expected to get decent amounts.

Thanks for your cooperation.

Gerry at Gerry's Detectors in Boise, Idaho

The 4 stainless Hex head screws should to be removed on occasion for those who are fully submerging their detectors for hours Underwater.  Fine sand gets in between the two black plastic pieces as well as water.

The Manticore is designed differently and the area the sand/water collects in the handle has a shallower pocket,  which is good, vs the Equinox.

To remove the handle control pod use a 3mm hex end tool.  As stated, the base is glued and is not designed to come off, like it did with Equinox. 

Glad you are enjoying the Manticore. 

11 minutes ago, deathray said:

Hey Gerry, guessing you, Steve and other old timers will know the answer to this....

The 18 inch coil, that came with the gp extreme, is that a mono or double D? The 11 inch that came with it, is the only coil I have that works good there. I was under the impression, that the 18 was double D too,but Improbably wrong. I bought the detector used years ago, and dude ripped me off on the big coil.

In the USA dealers where shipped GP-Extremes in a big black indestructible hard case and it came with a black 11" DD coil as well as 18" black DD coil as well. (look near the bottom of pic). It was part of the package when purchasing a GP-Extreme. 

They were DD pseudo MONO coils and did both with the flip of a switch.

Update 1st off, I need to apologize for not showing his best pic, the one he sent me in Dec., my bad.  It's the 2nd pic with all the nice picker nuggets.

One of my customers is down southern US right now and has been using his Coiltek GoldHawk coils with much success.

Here's a pic of gold he recovered on a hunt using the 10" Ellip.  He says it's a great coil and better than the stock 11" but he wishes it was a little larger.  I'll be updating with his picks of the GoldHawk 9" round and GoldHawk 14x9" as well soon.

He needs a cover to protect his detector it looks like.

On 2/3/2023 at 11:44 AM, GB_Amateur said:

I go to Gerry's place and get 100 brand new 'identical' detectors.  (I know he has that many Manticores sitting there, getting a laugh out of it watching us on his waiting list.  😄) 

 

Boy I wish so.  I have thought about Cabelas as I have one within 5 miles of my place.  Why they're getting more than me is very frustrating.

Your article is interesting and I sometimes wonder myself.  Now as Steve H. mentioned, yes the older analog detector most certainly had good/bad/ok units and coils.  When I used to take groups of 12 customers to Alaska and England, most of us were running the same detectors and coils.  It was amazing what we learned from those comparisons.  As Simon brought up, we would think digital detectors and chipped coils would have less variance, or does it?  Realize these were assembled by a person.  What if a certain chip component ran out.  Do you stop production or order some grade B components and get the line up and running?

Chuck,  Quit making me worry about potential issues with a detector I can't even get..  That's like me trying to figure out how I'm going to stuff a 1 pound nugget in my mouth before I even find it.

Very interesting read my friend, almost sounds as if it's out of this world.

1 hour ago, deathray said:

That was me, Gerry, that posted the ad. Will it work on gp extreme, and is it a double D?

Round wire so I'm sure that means MONO.  It will fit an Extreme though.

23 hours ago, RONS DETECTORS MINELAB said:

The sensitivity was still fairly good and I was picking up the little bits pretty good. 

I know your capabilities Ron as we've hunted together a few times and will in the future.  But when mentioning your finds, please share a pic or two.  I'm still frozen in Idaho, so seeing some of your Au along with your read is tops.

5 hours ago, jrbeatty said:

Yes Jerry, personally had wonderful results with that coil, as did many.

Here's Ian Jaques with a few colours on the DBL:

Reg Wilson commented:

"Ian with some of the better slugs that we found with our brand new SD2000's on the first day we used them. Between the two of us we pulled over 60 ozs in 2 days. What a way to break in our machines!"

- From the Reg Wilson Gold Album topic:

https://www.detectorprospector.com/forums/topic/4335-the-reg-wilson-gold-album/?tab=comments#comment-46784

Most certainly the ones who jumped on the new technology 1st, were paid back handsomely.  Everyone says those days are gone and for the most part, I agree.  But why do I get this itch to hike the next mountain over just to see?  You never know.

Thanks for sharing.

13 hours ago, Aureous said:

Pieter was the first bloke I ever saw use the RBL coil to good effect. He got a 22oz specie with it at Bob Sargeants patch near Cement Tank in West Oz. He dug over 3ft for it when I was there. He was also the first (I believe) to cut out the plastic in wedges to lighten the weight....

The stories (and he is one who can back it up) he and his wife and tell is just astonishing.  I enjoy sitting around the campfire and listening to his adventures.  heck, I thought I was a well traveled detectorist and he puts me to shame.

1 hour ago, Swegin said:

Hopefully I'll see Pieter this weekend at the gold and gem show.

 

He's down there somewhere as he purchased a Garrett Axiom from me.  2 yrs ago we detected together for a few days.

On 1/30/2023 at 7:06 PM, Rob Allison said:

Hey Gerry,

    When the SD2000 first came out, several old-time electronic prospectors I knew couldn't wait to get this coil and Pulse Induction detector over some deep ground.  One guy I knew that traveled from Arizona, Northern Nevada, California and parts of old Mexico was doing a pound of gold per day with this set up.  He was smart enough to also get on one of the first flights out of the US to Western Australia and got 160 ounces the first season, which he claimed was a short season due to the time he arrived.  

I would guess 10's of 1000's of ounces were picked up in a few years from prospectors across the Globe using the Minelab SD2000 and the Trash Can 18" Mono (Fiberglass) searchcoil.  

I'm sure a lot of it was the right timing, the right ground with the right detector.  

Rob

Very Interesting to hear.  I know of 2 well traveled Electronic Prospectors who were swinging back then.  Would the guys name happen to be Chuck from TX and the other is the famous Pieter H.  I won't devolge the last name.

Fantastic videos Andrew.  What's cool is you were able to score a gold ring on your 1st dig.  You got me beat my friend as I dug that diamond ring the 1st day I used it, the 1st hour, but it was the 2nd target.

Anyway, I just watched a few of those videos and you really do a great job showing the results for that hind of hunt.   VLF's in that salt are actually better than the PI's as they get close to the same max depths but all targets less are providing more info to the VLF's.

Well done my friend.

My 1st gold finds with a PI were while swinging the green SD-2100.

I immediately noticed the depth difference vs VLF's and so I called Minelab to become a dealer.  The well known Kevin Hoagland (now with the GPAA) told me to wait a month and they would have the newer model SD-2200.  It was green as well but the 18" coil was a flat smooth hollow one.  Some of the deepest gold I've ever found was with that detector.  Not sure why I don't dig as many deep holes anymore, but I attribute it to, no nuggets of that size are left at that range?  You tell me.

Sure the newer technologies are finding smaller nuggets at depth, but I sometimes wonder on those 5+ gram solid slugs, why can't I seem to find those at 18 to 24"+ depths? 

Curious, if anyone has tested an old SD with big coil vs a GPZ on solid big gold?  I think it would be pretty close.  But then again, I could be dreaming and the GPZ might be doing it's job just fine.  I do know the battery size of the SD and the GP series was like a 4 or 5 pound brick.  I actually seen those batteries being used for Motorcycles.

Sure miss those deep holes, as many of the areas I hunted was no trash, so as soon as you hit the 6" and below mark, it was 99.9% gold.

Thanks for all your comments gents.