1515Art

my son saw this on the news the other day, I guess the popularity of prospecting shows was the inspiration, now how to convince the kids this is Disneyland an micky’s inside the mine swinging a pick… 
 

https://mikesroadtrip.com/gold-mining-in-arizona/

There’s a guy who goes by the name “Pierogi” on his channel “Scammer Payback”, a cyber security specialist he baits these guys in and then reverses the game taking over their computers copying then deleting all their files before turning everything over to law enforcement. He’s got a lot of videos out there a real hoot to watch, google it if you have not had the pleasure of seeing him in action.

On 11/24/2022 at 8:04 AM, Gerry in Idaho said:

Steve H - 100% agree that Mr. Novakovich and his engineering team are making a difference.  This machine and it's price point are so great for the competition and having the features they provided us along with the performance is a real winner. Sure there will be the few who flat out will disc it (heck there's been well known dealers on this forum who were blowing it off at first) and find every way, wrong washer to down talk it.  They just assumed and we all know what what that means for they lack of knowledge.  Another part of your comments are well accepted from me as Garrett plans on staying in the game.  I sure hope they offer even more new and exciting technologies to come. 

Norvic - You know me well enough, always trying to make a bloke silly his cup while reading DP.  You also know, I've put my foot down on the dirt enough times to have a pretty good idea when something new and good is for us.  Will be interesting to see if "Axiom" makes it's way on your profile of "Gear Used".  Either way you decide, you of all know this will help keep pricing inline.

Simon - Sorry they did not price it so well for other countries.  I'm still trying to wrap my head around that one as I can't figure it out.  We would think, the price point would be comparative to US, but somethings surely off.  You are dead on about competition though and that's the bottom line.  We can look back just a few years ago and see how XP has done so well and that make Minelab step up their game.  The more options, the better the price point and that my friend is helpful to all.

Smigo - It's kind of a long standing joke and reputation I have with the mouth shot that started 25+ yrs ago.   I'm not sure if my body/gut has been so infected that is now used to it, that it doesn't bother me much anymore or I'm just stupid lucky.  Either way, you do bring up a great point (especially around old mine sites and free range cattle).  Thanks for pointing it out.

Northeast - You're another old timer who knows the ropes well.  As with Norvic, I hope you do give it (the Axiom) a true run and comparison vs the price point.  On a side note.  One of your interests is "Footy".  Do you wash her toes before you do that?

GR Guy - The 6 coil options are from Garrett and we don't have to worry about 2nd sourcing.  I'm all on board with NF coming out with the coils for the 6.  They sure have a way of stringing out their release though and not sure how that happened but a smart and strong company like them better make some changes next go around.  This release of the NF coils has really soured a crowd.  If/when the coils are in many hands then the more options we get the better.  My main point was from the manufacture.  Minelab offered 3 coils for the 6 and that is it. Garrett offered 6 which is twice the amount for 1 machine.  Another thing I expect about the coils from Garrett.  I'm willing to bet their price point in the US will be better as well.  Options are the bottom line that allows us more fun.  Thanks for asking my friend.

 

I grew up with and was friends and neighbors with a family in Saratoga California Matt, Dan and Steve Navakovich the oldest brother Matt was in my high school class and Dan worked with me in the fire Department, Dans dad George was a Captain in the local town fire department where I first started. The family owned and still runs a small farm a fruit orchard of 10 acres. Haven’t talked with any of them for over 25 years I’d guess,  I wonder and am curious if this is the same Steve Navakovich I grew up knowing as it’s kind of an unusual name outside of Slavonic nations and most hockey teams, lol?

Yep, unlikely I’ll need the booster pack but who knows? My first impression is this detector is well thought out, Garrett has nicely added extra touches beyond the minimum the booster pack seems unnecessary until the day it is, the back pack an unexpected bonus great for tossing in an airline overhead compartment and everything feels solid the shaft extension locks and carbon fiber shaft designed well and satisfying to use nothing at all to complain about here so far. Garrett (and Steve) great job.

So, that little charging like device is actually the clip on 8 AA battery booster pack… the headphone and Axiom charger use different cords with different connectors the headphones have a bright little charge indicator light and the unit main battery a small charging meter on the Axiom LCD.

will this Axiom unboxing link work?
 

I just wanted to add for those interested the Axiom baby is on the way Gerry sent the delivery notification today and in delivery terms the ups stork’s flying smooth as silk, it won’t be long… think I’ll name Gerry as the godfather he’s taken such good care up to date, why stop now. 
 

thanks Gerry

Thanks Jason for the reply, out detecting I tend to just lump them all into a generic class as hot rocks and ironstone, magnetite and other minerals with iron or iron looking qualities but doing so is not helping me use the information they give as it relates to finding gold. 
 

additionally a youngster maybe 8 or 10 yrs old the son of one of my doctors is crazy for geology I discovered when one time giving my Doc a gold basin meteorite on a day it just happened to be his sons birthday and he was thrilled to have this for his son… the boy was thrilled to get it and his dad was a hero bringing it home. I’ve since sent him a gold nugget and now I look for interesting rocks to send the kid through his dad but figure I should be able to at least identify the minerals if I can? So that’s the most important thing about this question, thank you.

The one in quartz is a light reddish brown streak and I visually selected it I don’t think the 6000 hit on it, the others definite dark streak I’d call black that the 6000 can’t ignore and very strong attraction to a magnet but not magnetic itself are the properties I observed. 
anyway thanks Jason very much!

Doing some testing I believe the black mineral inclusion in quartz, luster(y) polished, similar hardness to the black nodules, brown streak, not attracted to a magnet is hematite.
 

The other black nodules are strongly attracted to a magnet, have a black streak test, are dense and hard not scratched by quartz I am guessing are ironstone nodules? What say ye am I on the right track??

5 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Kind of interesting, this expectation that a $4000 detector will outperform a $6000 detector. If it could do that it would be selling for $6000.

Steve, if you are referring to my post I don’t think outperform was in my comment, I’m not expecting the Axiom to hit deeper I’m looking for different… After running the 7000 since first release and then the 6000 I guess I am curious to try something smother, a more stable threshold. Both the 7000 and 6000 I’ve run most of the time (99%) wide open lowering sensitivity on both never made huge differences I find both actively chattering away nothing like what I hear about the 5000 and listening for slight changes in threshold. I have no issues with the noise tiny targets with the 6000 are amazingly loud and I have no problem finding repeatable signals. It’s just having never used the 5000 or any predecessors I wonder what whispers I’m walking over… if any? 

This Axiom unless I misread reports and not only yours, brings a few things to the table but please correct me if I’m wrong… it runs smoother, may offer some useful information using the DD coil in the trashy locations I avoid now and feedback on ground mineralization (I am less sure of this last point as a useful benefit?) and of course it is reasonably priced.

Reasonable for detectors although still expensive compared to other consumer items a new harmonic drive for astrophotography capable of accuracy in fractions of arc seconds across distances in light years over long exposures carrying large payloads while being portable and lite weight for travel, a billet machined complex thing of beauty with software go to ability for any object in the universe that can plate solve its location anywhere for 1/2 the price of the Axiom, but admittedly no ability to find gold, just track telescopes on an object.

the wall in Cygnus a part of the North America nebula from Bortle 8 skies

I guess to sum things up as detectors go it’s priced right compared to the 600# gorilla, is more friendly to 3rd party vendors accessory coils should be less expensive and I’m taking a chance the Axiom will have an advantage in some conditions and complements the 6000 not replaces or outperform? Nothing in your reports suggests it is the best and most powerful I do believe you found it very capable and ergonomically a pleasure to use, I’ll be 70 soon and no longer found the 7000 pleasurable at the end of a long day.

I paid for my Axiom yesterday, no tracking number yet so a delivery date is tentative but as I understand it may arrive as early as Tuesday next week, I look forward to comparing it to my 6000. I expect they will both perform well with different strengths and hope the Axiom is better at pulling out the squeakers, those very faint signals… if in fact I’m really missing any of those in my hunting grounds covered by the 7000 and 6000. For now my plan is to keep both as I believe based on targets recovered my 6000 is one of the good ones. If in fact their performance is indistinguishable one may go, but it will be a tough decision I’ve come to really like the little gold hawk 10x5 coil and even if there is not much difference it would still be nice to keep both setup differently and if they favor different conditions and different gold, as I suspect based on test results that will be the outcome I hope for. 
 

A little 10x5 coil and 6000 gold from last week 3 pieces

2 tiny pieces from a few weeks earlier, one of which is only around .05g’s.

14 hours ago, Gerry in Idaho said:

Since I play with about 10+ different detectors that use USB and I sell hundreds each year, it really has not been as bad as an issue as with our 1st cell phones.  I attribute this to the actual amount of times we use/chare our cell phones vs the use/charge of a detector.  I've sold over 400 Equinox in the last 4 yrs and only had 3 or 4 calls of folks having issues with the USB.  So I think the USB is here to stay as it really is not as bad as we may think.

I'm 100% on board with your thinking of the Bluetooth.  Well maybe the Axiom-II coming out next year will address it.

A lot of time with cell phones anyways the USB connector is actually fine they just tend to collect pocket lint and it blocks the connection, a sewing needle reaches in and you can pull out a surprising amount of pocket lint, then they work again. 

2 hours ago, Doc Bach said:

That one looks like it has spent many centuries lying in the water and mud and possibly been in the fire? Very typical of what is found in certain areas of Clearlake here in Nor Cal.....just my opinion.

You are probably correct in the conditions it was found in, but the location’s probably not California or even in the United States, but who knows? I’m pretty sure we were in China at some friends Jade carving studio I just don’t remember what studio it was or even what city we were in, but I’m sure it was a gift. 

The reason I was asking it would not be out of the question for it to something unusual and I wanted to be sure it wasn’t a fossilized bone from the Gobi Desert or something like that, since I had no idea what the heck it was, lol.

20 hours ago, Jennifer said:

It’s called a Garmin 60csx or similar.

 

Oh, cool… will it zoom in close enough marking trails to show coverage the 7000’s did seem only OK with the little square blocks it dropped on the detectors small low resolution screen?

20 hours ago, Jennifer said:

Like when was the last time any of us used the GPS on the 7000, I’ll go first….. NEVER!

 

I actually liked using it sometimes and it was helpful keeping my wandering in check giving me better ground coverage staying in one place, it was really handy twice up in the high sierra one time allowing me to retrace my steps in a heavily forested area finding my prospecting pick after hitting my next target some distance from where I’d  dropped it off my belt holder when it snagged on brush and another time when I wasn’t planning on detecting far from my Jeep in heavy Forrest so my GPS was not on me and I’d walked a little farther than planned and got turned around in the trees, I followed the 7000’s gps back to the Jeep, although it was not as easy as using something made for navigation. 
 

I’d actually be a customer for a small stand alone device or phone application better designed (Minelab hint, hint) for gridding while detecting with better resolution and maps.

There is no doubt for my use the 10x5 is a great addition to my arsenal of coils on the 6000 it’s small size gets it closer to the ground in tight places, it has outstanding edge sensitivity and target recovery is easier and faster than the stock coils or 17” coil without giving up much if anything in depth. It may also have a slight edge over the other mono coils handling EMI, but my 11” runs excellent so for me the difference is minimal in that regard also the shielding on my 6000’s control box is effective I see no difference carrying my cell phone or anything else in any pocket, I carry my phone in my front jeans pocket same side as I detect there is no noticeable interference. My only complaint is no fault of the coil, it’s the tendency to twist more while detecting bumping rocks and bushes and while shoving it under bushes the longer thinner shape acting as a lever against the 6000’s thin round shaft while at the same time making it a little bit more difficult to align just holding it to the ground to straightening it out. With the shaft as tight as I can get, it most time needs my foot against the coil to get that done, the round 11” shape is less a lever and not affected as much and returns to center a bit easier. 

Thanks Simon, I’m not sure any coil I’d have had or detector would have faired well out in Arizona this last trip the storm conditions were as bad as it could get my Friday cut short as thunder and lightning overhead made me beat a hasty retreat back to my Jeep lest my pick would turn me into a lightning rod. It was the time to head out anyway as I passed a small flood of water building quickly in the culvert in my direction had the makings to shut down the main paved route out.

I see some great results from this little coil, I fully expected to find a piece here and there and I’m not sure why then I didn’t? It may have been the thunderstorms, limited detecting time due to the heat, the fact most of these (all) the spots I was on have had just about every detector and coil over them countless time by detectors for the last 50 years including by me with the 7000’s 14” and nugget finder 12” and then the 6000 with its assortment of minelab coils? My 11” coil is one of the good ones on a good day with clear skies it runs reasonably smooth enough I can pick target signals from the steady chatter the two videos are typical of how my 11” coil sounds off on fair weather days it was more susceptible to the EMI during the thunder than the 10x5 and most of my spots hunted the smaller 10x5 was not really an advantage the 11” mono or 12” nugget finder can get into just as easily. I’m curious in the two short clips I posted for those running the 10x5 is the stability in threshold similar to what others experienced?   

This I think after spending time searching for a target and the signal disappeared was just a wet pocket of ground?

Hitting on a hot rock

I gave it 3 hours today unlike your success Simon, I’m still waiting on my first bit of gold with the new coil, today I ran the little 10x5 and the 17” coil this new coil handled the EMI much better than the big Minelab although the 17 was useable it false signaled frequently the new coil performed with only a few small EMI peeps here and there.

It was toward the end of my day and after putting the 17” on the thunder had just started overhead.

The little coil indeed weighs less than the 11” it’s a good 80g less by my scale it just all compacted in a smaller package.

Simon, great review and nice hunting, my little 5x10 was delivered on Tuesday so I headed out to Gold Basin Arizona, despite the heat and thunder storms… and flash flood warnings! 
 

I started out early Wednesday around 6 in the morning the air was comfortable for about a hour, but the EMI was constant triggering the 6000 every couple seconds I was getting tired quickly swinging multiple times in the same spot trying to find repeatable signals in the oppressive humid heat, the bottom of the washes were the worst with the breeze blocked. I tried the 11” and 17” mono coils and the result was the same giving in I put the 14” DD on and it ran good enough I could put up with the EMI, but I don’t like the way that coil feels on the end of the detector shaft so after about two hours retreated to air conditioning until late afternoon when the suns rays were a little less brutal. Total for Wednesday trash similar to yours.

Today was a bit cooled the EMI greatly reduced, I had the 11” on the 6000 and started with it to compare it with the 10x5 and tested with a 1g nugget shoved down a critter hole, both the 11 and 10x5 had similar depth and both handled the EMI and helicopters equally well, the biggest difference was the 10x5 is very sensitive around the edges this is great for meteorites typically shallow larger targets the little coil hit them hard making up for it’s smaller size poking around bushes. Detecting around old tin and aluminum beer cans picking them up from several feet, I think more than when using the Gpz, the coil looks thicker than the other 6000’s coils I guess to accommodate the windings fitting into the smaller footprint it feels like the coil signal transmits in almost a modified hemisphere, pinpointing small targets out to the edge of the coil. 
 

it was slightly heavier than I thought it would be, it felt a bit heavier than the stock 11” although I have not weighed them it may be they a the same weight just the smaller size making it feel that way. For some reason it likes to twist more detecting in tight places on the 6000 skinny round carbon fiber rod I was using my foot frequently to take a twist out a little bothersome. 
 

6 meteorites but no gold yet perhaps tomorrow, all in all this is a nice addition to the GPX6000.

Guy in northern Nevada not far from mill city camped out on old gold workings, peg leg John was sitting in jail may still be for pointing a rifle and firing off a couple warning shots one night to scare off a couple guys stealing his stuff and terrorizing him, he’s handicapped uses a crutch to help walk with one foot and a his peg, he’s old and well he was scared. They reported him and… things didn’t go his way and that not even California.

No disrespect to the ferrite, my post was tung in cheek more about why we do things. Really good to know the in-depth reasons behind why they are essential in many situations and you’re the best to shed light on something many of us were confused on. As always I’m profoundly honored and appreciate anytime you share your knowledge without it there would be a giant hole that would be tough to fill… and we hate open holes, lol.

thank you for taking time out of you busy schedule, when you could be filling your poke.