Gold Catcher

Thanks, yes this has been my understanding as well. It's just that I probably would have changed to the 14DD way before having to go all the way down to gain 1 with the 11 mono

I like 2 the best 😁

That's an interesting observation. Is this really so? This would suggest that dialing down on sensitivity but keeping the 11 mono would be a better choice than switching to the 14DD when needed, to not loose too much depth. Unless of course it's so bad that even at sensitivity 1 the 11 mono would not be stable.

That's incredible, what a nasty stuff. I wanted to go to an area close to RP but after reading Steve's post (thanks again!) I decided last minute to drive down south to the El Pasos. Weather was supposed to be sunny and windy. I drove up a canyon and I was just about to gear up as a huge thunderstorm hit, out of nowhere. It didn't last long, but enough to make the ground soaked. Not a good weekend for prospecting.

Sounds good. I will be on the other side of RP in the Thunder Mountain area. Perhaps I stop by.

I will be in the Lovelock area tomorrow, weather should calm down by then. Good luck and be careful. Can't wait for that wet NNV salty ground tomorrow. Wish I already had my 6000/14DD !!

Got it, yeah that's a pretty amazing truck! To bad it's not available here!!

LC78 upover?

That sucks! This is the frustrating and awful part of our passion. I always have a lot of gear with me, including 3 ML detectors. I try to cover everything up, but still had break in's a few times. That will be a tough choice when having both the 6000 and 7000 in the car. Which one to leave behind? For now, I guess it is safer to take the 6000 (if it ever gets here). But still not good! 🤔

That sounds good too! Definitely a versatile combo! I am still debating what mule I should get with it. I love hiking, but traveling by mule is definitely more comfortable. As long as the truck is still there when I come back! The areas I go to are not always friendly.

I have to disagree with you on that one, LL. I just bought the 2021 4Runner TRD Pro and I love it. Best truck ever made for prospectors IMHO....👍

Just checked Ebay. I was totally expecting the 6000 would be offered for $20.000 or something like that. Was the same for N95 masks when the Covid sh.t hit the fan. The highest I have seen was 10 masks for $1600. Well, I am sure the 6000 will show up on Ebay soon, with no "sufficient" supply to the US coming anytime soon, apparently

One would for sure conclude that from reading the forum posts......

Yup. But the 14DD would be missing. Why is there always a catch with everything?🤔

I doubt they will do this soon though. It might eat into the 6000 sales.

Apparently, you can buy the 6000 online from Dubai. It says in stock. I placed a dummy order and it goes all the way to the payment page...And also cheaper. https://detectorshub.com/products/minelab-gpx-6000-gold-detector?variant=32965979308122

Soon someone will be the first to cut the cable on the 6000 to make a patch lead. I have no doubt. (Probably Simon....)

When I first saw the "40% depth advantage over the 5000" I knew this would just describe a general trend. I absolutely believe that this number was not made up but resulted from specific tests the ML engineers were doing at this time. However, I never thought of this number as something that is written in stone and that could be litigated in court as being true under all circumstances. Everybody who does metal detecting knows that these isolated test results don't mean much, if anything. Just like the star designation that ML gave their detectors. The message behind is the general trend that the engineers saw, nothing else. To me, the real field experience is all that matters, so what Steve has generously provided to us is so much more worth than any number, and his vast experience is all that matters to me. That being said, if one would be really anal about it, I am sure the ML engineers could reproduce their 40% claim with conditions they were originally using. But why doing this? The general sentiment and the extensive and yearlong field reports pretty much confirm the claimed advantage anyhow, albeit as a general trend only.

To me, even for small gold it is all about depth. The 7 hears 1 g nuggets as very faint whispers where no other detector can reach, i.e. in the desert with Caliche 2 feet down. As Steve said, the gold is mostly small here. But many targets are deep. In these situations the GZP has been shining, at least for me. I am very curious to see how the 6 will measure up at the detecting edge of the 7 for deep small(er) gold.

Thanks for stirring up the pot, Rob. I am waiting for the 6000 like a kid is waiting for X-mas (already fully pre-paid back in March...). But I would never give up my 7. It is fun- vs. gladiator style detecting. I happen to like both!

I always have long sleeve shirts for sun protection. These work really well: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JFPXBJM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 As for the hat, I went with MN's recommendation, excellent choice: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SPZ6237/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 My temperature limit for detecting is 100 deg F (38 deg C), unless it's cloudy then I can go up to 105. That's where most I know quit. Jasong, get used to desert prospecting, these temperatures are normal for AZ/CA/NV unless you only go hunting in winter time. No pain no game. 😁

Thanks for the brief preview. Looking forward to read more. How were you able to get a hold on the 6000? Did ML send you one? Good luck for the "surgery". I am sure your patient will survive and be well. 😁

Thanks, Northeast. Great review! When you compare Normal vs. Difficult do you think you loose a lot of sensitivity in Difficult? You said you still heard the small stuff well, even with the 14DD/difficult? I don't mind hearing targets a bit softer as long as the threshold is stable. PS: Finally someone who likes listening to the threshold like me 🙂 Don't like it gone.

That's why I tend to always go back to places where I found gold before. I know this is not always a smart thing to do, but in the desert finding areas that consistently make your jar rattle are not easy to find. When I get adventurous I often get skunked...

100% agree. In fact, IMO knowing where to look based on extensive research and knowledge about the location is perhaps 80% of what it takes to find gold. The detector, and how to operate it properly, contributes to perhaps 20% or even less. Many do this wrong and barely find anything. This was my mistake when I started years back. Not that now I find fistfuls every time I go out, but at least consistently, albeit mostly small stuff. I am sure I won't beat Steve though, nor will I ever. 😉