VicR

Minelab said there were two gold detectors to be released in the next 18 months (now about 12 months). The GM2000 is the first one priced exactly against the AlgoForce - so i will be interested to see some comparison videos and tests between these two machines. I use the 6000 with the Coiltek 10 x 5 which is a killer combination for the small stuff (down to less than .01 of a gram blow away in the wind size) and still punches deep so I will need some convincing that i need the GM2000. Hopefully the second Minelab gold detector is the GPZ7000 replacement - now that will be the big talking point. Also don't forget the dark horse in the race - the Nokta Magnetar. Interesting times ahead.

Agree - Minelabs attention to detail (beyond the technology) has been abysmal for a long time now but just count yourself lucky that you have dealers to talk to - In Adelaide (the home of Codan/Minelab) the 2 longstanding Minelab dealers were given the flick over 6 months ago with no replacement. Had a new chum to this hobby go to Minelabs head office yesterday and even there he could not see the full range of detectors and talk to someone about what detector would suit his requirements. The only option are some big box stores who carry the low end products but who have no clue about metal detecting. Yes - i did talk to Minelab about this - response was there was a distributor at Naracoorte - about a 4 hour drive from Adelaide next to the Victorian border!

Not sure how a wireless transmitter will help with getting earbuds to stay in my ear and not fall out - but willing to learn.

I have tried for over 30 years to get an earbud to say in my ears - they all fall out after a minute or so of use (yes i have tried everything) - must be the shape of my ears so the included earbuds are going to be an absolute waste for me.

Ok - that answers a few questions.

So we have two new Minelab Trademarks listed on IP Australia today. 2550953 - Echo Wave 2550937 - Multi-AU Echo Wave - maybe amplification of faint signals? Gold machine or a new relic VLF? Multi-Au - so multi gold - certainly in favour of multiplying my gold finds! This one must be for a gold detector but the $1m dollar question is it the mythical GPZ8000 ? The logo is interesting - maybe a visual dig/no dig indicator for gold target? Note - no new trademark registrations for an actual metal detector ie GPZ8000 - just some new system names like Geo Sense I am sure others will have better guesses than mine as to what they could be.

I agree - for my comments about "follow the money" to be correct the GPZ8000 at the $15000 AUD price point would need to be "finding new gold on existing well worked gold fields" type technology that cant be easily replicated by competitors. If it was just a reboxing and minor review of existing GPZ7000 technology (and cutting out the use of X-coils) i doubt there would be much demand at $15000 AUD. It needs to be like an ME262 - first operational jet fighter in WW2 that changed everything and instantly made all piston powered fighters obsolete.

I agree that AI has a way to go. I zoomed in on Google Earth on a patch of ground at Tibooburra, New South Wales that had a very heavy covering of white quartz which is quite common for the area and ask AI to comment on the picture - AI replied there was hail on the ground.

Follow the money - is there more gross margin dollars in a GPZ8000 selling for $15,000 AUD or a SDC PI replacement selling for say $5000 AUD tops. Minelab would have done the math already based on their forecasted sales for each prospective new model - the decision on what to manufacture then becomes easy. Minelab are the only ones who know their profit margins and sales forecasted sales volume for each model - so we can only guess what the second gold machine will be.

Yes - you may be right with regards to the Gold Monster 2000 being a VLF but i just go back to comments made by Minelabs CEO (Alf Ianniello) who has a Electronic Engineering and Manufacturing (not marketing) back ground and who was my boss for 10 years (in another Adelaide based company) - my ears picked up when he said that the two new gold detectors will take performance to another level. I know Alf is very careful with his words and a straight shooter so i am very interested to see what these two new detectors will be - hopefully a revolution not an evolution. Time will tell.

Any take over offer for Codan (Minelabs listed parent company) would be reviewed by the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board against the Foreign Acquisitions & Takeovers Act and i am sure that the recommendation to the government of the day would be that a takeover would not be in Australia's National Security Interest (because of all the military work Codan does) and the government would block any takeover.

Brand awareness of the GPX and GPZ logo's denoting particular technologies is a pretty strong argument to keep on using it - companies spend a lot of money on brand recognition and are very protective of their brands. I would only go for a new brand if the technology used in a new detector is leaps and bounds (pun intended) ahead of what is currently being used - and you want to completely differentiate between old and new technology. On a side note - i just realised that in the US you would be pronouncing GPZ completely different (GP-ZEE) to what we would in Australia (GP-ZED) maybe Minelab will have a GP-ZED_ZEE.

Minelab have two pending trade mark applications in Australia - the X-Terra Intrepid and Gold monster 2000 and no new design applications. So no sign of a high end gold detector name in the works.

I can see where you are coming from but i take you back to Codan's CEO February comments " all (of the 6 new detectors) will be leap frog technology" then he singles out the two new gold detectors " performance of next generation gold detectors will be at another level". So i believe the leap frog technology will be in both new gold detectors.

But how does a VLF Gold monster 2000 provide the leap frog technology? From a marketing perspective you already have "Gold Monster" brand awareness that you don't have to invest more money into.