Skookum

Just got an email from a local dealer that 5 will be in stock this week…

I had a dream last night that I was on a first run with the GPX 6000. I couldn’t believe how simple it was. It felt just like running a GM 1000 only with better depth and more resistance to red mineralized soil. The targets were so bright and defined. The silent threshold was perfect. It was so easy I thought to myself why would I even care to keep my GPZ? Then, I realized I had been detecting with my coil upside down. Psychoanalytically, this could mean I believe it may exceed my wildest expectations. Alternatively, it could mean even when I'm not doing things right, I'm still having fun. Lastly, I sure hope it doesn't mean that just when I think I’ve got things figured out, I’m really just a fool messing around with an expensive machine.

Has any one had any experience with leaving the zipper on the Reebok Rapid Response boots or similar? I see DaveDolan took his zipper off. Was it as a precaution or was it messing with your signal?

Last entry, #4. It’s been interesting to see what other people are doing and finding. Thanks for the magnanimous Memorial Day contest.

Entry #3, today! Wishing you all a meaningful Memorial Day.

Gerry’s Memorial weekend contest, entry #2.

Two teeny bits. Dirty and then cleaned.

That’s what I’m picturing with potential 40 mph gusts. 😂

That’s an interesting thought. Do you have any experience with comparing the noise canceling buds to stock the over the ear cans? I’ve found the fit on the stock GPZ and SDC leave a lot to desire. They blunt the wind noise, but not enough for my liking.

The last couple of times I’ve been detecting gusts of wind were up to about 20 mph. Today is forecast for gusts up to 30-40 mph. How does it affect your approach... or attitude?

I did, but ended up back at the stock setting due to FOMG (fear of missing gold).

Thanks. I did. For me, the multifrequency setting seemed to handle the hot dirt and bedrock better in this area. These pieces were fairly shallow on significantly variable ground. Even though Minelab says Gold 2 is for difficult ground, it was too reactive here. Gold 2 also wasn’t as capable sniffing out the smaller specks. I found that Gold 1 mode was the way to go along with frequent manual ground balancing. I also did as some others here have mentioned elsewhere here by canceling out signals in the -9 to -7 range. That really helped to better handle the noise. It’s much more instructive to play around with settings when you know the targets are there! Sorry for taking the side jaunt in the thread. Perhaps a segue back is saying that I don’t believe a 5x10” would have helped me here. The 6” was perfect for the scenario. Still eager to hear what Minelab permitting their logo on an aftermarket coil means.

I use the GM1000 when I want to find smaller bits, go headphone free, or not think too much about settings. I use the EQX800 when I want to have better discrimination, manage heavier mineralization, or tinker with settings. In the picture, the inner ring are all GM1000 finds from the same area. Outside that includes some GPZ and EQX results. As a particular experiment, after thoroughly cleaning out an area with the GM, I came back to see what the EQX with the 6 inch coil could scrub up. A few larger leftovers were simply masked by mineralization that the GM seemed to be struggling with. I chalked those up to the EQX multifrequency magic. Can someone explain to me what the Minelab logo on these Coiltek coils means?

A tenth of a grain or tenth of a gram?

It would likely not be possible to use GPS to measure sweep speed. That could be done with an accelerometer. It would be more likely, and consistent with the picture, to use GPS to measure walking speed.

GM 1000: For the teaching me how to listen for nuggets of decreasing size all the way down to under 0.1 grain in variable, mineralized soils. The ability to quickly flip into and out of auto sensitivity was a super helpful learning tool.

To follow their own marketing terminology, what would the experienced user say are the best features for the SDC and the GPX 5000?

This is my comment/question, exactly. I’ve liked my short time with the SDC, but am sure hopeful for some improvement. The ever warbling threshold masks some of the tiniest targets for me. Anyone with past experience have a guess on how long Minelab spends repurposing the military model into a consumer version?

One of my biggest regrets is telling a couple of fellow club members about where I found a larger nugget. After all, one of the club’s mottos is “no secrets”! In trying to be careful, I gave the name of a small claim that was nearby and seldom visited. Later on, I decided the claim name I had given would be a desirable location to look into in more depth due to being closer to the source in the same drainage. Upon revisiting the “decoy” claim, the landscape had been totally changed. It had been intensely creviced and dredged to smithereens. Needless to say, I’m a lot more careful about sharing info with club members now. You live and learn, right?

So, jeally.

Sounds like they are pretty well hardened. The tip seems sharper than any other picks I've seen.

Swegin, unfortunately, no other picks and she’s in the Phoenix valley. I’ll PM you details in case you’re still interested.

I’m not sure! Yesterday, I met an elderly lady who had several storage bins full of prospecting tools to sell. They hadn’t been opened in years since her husband passed away. I really didn’t need anything, but the pick looked so pretty and pristine I bought it anyway. I had heard the name Hodan, but admit to not knowing anything about them. Without any for sale online (not even completed listings on eBay), I was curious if they had any inherent value. The metal head appears thicker than my Doc’s pick. The handle is hefty. But, it seems like the current trend in detecting picks is to have a broader spade/adze at the end. What’s the benefit of a Hodan?

I just came across a once-used 16” Hodan Pick. Any compelling reason to keep it vs. any value in selling it?

A great story. I was having some of these same thoughts just several weeks ago! “How long I am willing look for this $80 pick?” is really hard not to ask yourself out loud when it’s that versus a long drive. Thankfully, I recovered mine, as well. What actually kept me searching was the thought of how someone else would soon be coming across my nice, fancy pick and think it was a successful trip even without finding gold. By the way, your story has just reminded me of my personal commitment to paint my wooden handle a lovely hazard yellow. It also reminded me of my somewhat related story of having driven 2 hours only to realize I hadn’t brought any shoes. Prospecting in flip flops can only be justifiable as a decision to refuse driving home in defeat.