Norvic

Yes I don`t know when the first DD coil appeared on a detector but the 15000, which was the first Minelab, I believe had one. I recall taking a 15000 owner to a spot the Garret A2B with a Dtex concentric had scored many nuggets around the base of large rocks in a raised old streambed, the 15000 scored many more because the front of the DD had depth over the concentrics, The concentrics had more depth in the centre but that first example of the DDs wedge type coil field showed a strength of the DDs along with their ability to handle mineralized soils better. The 15000 came onto the scene in around the mid 80s.

If it`s a CAT it excretes gold as waste, bloody elementary geologic........

Agree Rick, probably from their early dabbles in PI coils they got burnt thus have become too conservative towards coils, the X coils on the Z along with NF and Coilteks flat winding coils on the PIs have shown this. Obviously coils are not their forte, we know their detectors are because they are without doubt light years ahead of any competition in gold detectors, maybe they have a mental block in place regarding coils or it is just not worth them going that way. Buh when it comes down to sales thus corporate profits I don`t think us enthusiast are considered much, we are just a "side show".

Total guess 30 years back GB, I remember way back on my favorite piece of OZ being told something along those lines, I`m still there and have done only a small % of it, would love to live long enough to justify such a statement. Thus the golden rule of gold detecting....... NEVER take notice of negative comments/negative people in fact go the opposite stubbornly. Applies to fishing and probably every pursuit, oh!😉 and never say never............

From when I started gold detecting in 79 nothing has really changed, in those early days regardless of the sentiment you had to prospect to find gold, sure there was plenty coming along and flogging patches they`d heard/spied of but I suspect only a few of them found much more than scraps left, mostly they were in conversations that basically said "the detecting golds all been got". I`m talking Australia which has detectable gold from the big flats of WA, the massive nugget finds of Vic right through NSW up to the rugged mountainous areas of QLD and NT, and I see from maps similar in area to the US except you have 10 times our population, now as Jasong has illustrated in the US unless you have access to private property your restricted, tis the same here, we`ve messed in our nests and property owners have had a gut full of us. My perspective is from the early detecting days to today. If you have legs that can do the walking and an attitude that doesn`t accept negative thoughts you`ll help prove that I suspect with detector tech advances there is more detectable gold out there than has been got. But does that really matter when nothing beats a day out there although you were skunked.

Aye madtuna and Gerry, seems we go down the same track with time, I have put onto gold a fair few in my years watched with alarm as some have exploited this with bad behavior, but now when I`m asked to put someone onto gold I simply reply "after you put me onto gold". It sorts the genuine out but is a hard cynical stand although I admit in the past it has been very rewarding putting people onto gold especially first pieces, the look on their faces usually says it all. A quandary for sure.

Yeah Phrunt I understand where you are, many years back I`d agree and even argued with you 100%, but as Steve states is a quandary I just hope you go through without being "seasoned" as Gerry aptly posts, no doubt you add a lot of positive content to DP, perhaps us old campaigners have grown too cynical, isn`t wisdom at all.

Showing off photos or vids of gold is good for the ego, good for other forum members especially beginners for the confidence other peoples success may give them. Whilst gold brings out the best in mans ingenuity the old saying it also brings out the worst in his nature is unfortunately very true. Thus my reply and I repeat this is my reply to this threads Question, on balance it is not good nor wise to show off gold finds.

Coz I`ve done it often, not a habit that comes with age, have done it since year one. Ya just gotta be slightly scrambled to participate in this hobby, maybe a defrag of RAM would help but I think we are hopelessly but wllingly addicted to this crazy hobby.

Congrats Rick on retirement although think by looks of photos, reFirements the word.

Nah have forgotten the way to WA, FNQs the go for this old fella, plus I don`t think Oneguy needs our hints or anything as he`s on fire as is.

Follow you anyday with a Z, OutbackYank..............😉

WTG. Don`t get a Z you`d blow us Z users away for sure.😉

Minelab misplaced Chicago???? Have seen RVs called Chicago, have a Pot Belly Stove in Shouse called Pittsburg and made in NZ, but the anticipated GPX 6000 I want one for Xmas Minelab please............... don`t care where its made if it is Minelab quality but please without a coil chip, you make tough coils but not the most productive.

Way to go NVChris, along with the hipstick, a comfy backpack with the bungy hook up high straight off the shoulder and also a guide shaft as per MLs or Docs. Back 40 years ago plenty of armchair prospectors considered there was no patches left, not so then not so now.

I like it, bit like my Kindle Paperwhite, clear as. Digging the stuff !! scoundrel !! no respect these young generators. Judging by the size of the scraps I`m getting I`m starting to wonder if I`m in JWs and Phrunts back yard.

Patience grasshopper, your learning the ropes fossicking, next step prospecting, with the patience and willingness to learn you`ve willingly displayed you`ll find undiscovered patches for sure.

Righto, from my perspective on the most important piece of equipment for gold chasing here in my backyard. In 1986 I purchased a new Toyota Troop Carrier very bare most basic model naturally aspirated diesel engine that wouldn`t pull your hat off, it cost a wee over 50ozs. .Recently I ordered another new Toyota Troop Carrier but this time a fully decked out one diff locks, A/C, bull bar, side bars, winch, V8 turbo diesel that pulls like Hercules all these listed items weren`t on the 86 purchase, this new one now in 2020 costs 35ozs in May when I ordered it. because of production delays due to Covid it will not be ready to pickup until September at the earliest, go gold price go see if price will get down to 25ozs.

Gerry, the A2B from memory was an upgraded Groundhog thus a different model, although both were 15KHz detectors the A2B was more sensitive to smaller stuff and between it and the Deepseeker they got this electronic gold rush going proper downunder here, sadly after that early success Garret fell away. What happened to Garret? Nah I keep no detectors from the past, thus no wall hangers. Now Minelab have been so consistent with their new gold detectors having the edge on the previous model, I just put my name down with the local dealer to get me one soon as.

Current favourite because simply it gets the gold the GPZ7000, hands down. Favourite Sentimental detector Garret A2B because in its day it did as the Z does now, but more importantly the A2B gave me a life start to this most enjoyablepassion that continues to lead my life.

Interestingly over the years the Lithium upgrade that was available privately for the SDC was somewhat bagged by some ML dealers, now MLs adopted them imagine with MLS endorsement they`ll be the go. GB these lithium upgrade kits have been available in OZ for years, tis a simple matter of just installing them with their adaptor straight in as a replacement for the NiMh C cells.

I had no drama with the 19" as I`ve reported on this 4M, produced the goods. But I`ll lay a bet if they put those transmit and receive coils closer together made the electronic adjustments to suit it would be a far more productive coil then it is. But if we look back at the PIs it wasn`t ML who made much coil advances, ML to their credit made the most solid but not productive coils. I suspect ML have the tech expertise for gold detectors and coils but as they have shown when it comes to the practical bit of putting them into a ergonomic boxes and top productive lightweight coils...…. buh history answers that. Rob, you can use a brand new ML coil to make the patch coil, that coil becomes fully operational with a connector on its cable. But like Rick, local smoke signals say the NF or Coiltek will have the chip.

My first indication of the power of fixed especially in deep benign ground was with the 2200, following a narrow but deep creek upstream in Auto GB I got a very faint signal that after a few swipes was gone, thought just ground moved up a further 10m or so and got a solid of from memory about 8 grams, that turned me around and back to the original signal which I`d moved some sand out with the boot, still Auto GB took it out, but in fixed that lovely broad negative very slight signal, I knew before digging what it was and sure enough was a memorable 47 gram solid that mother nature had laid there many moons back. An eyeopener that showed the power of fixed in that situation. Now with the Z I`ve gained many ounces using fixed, and sometimes extra deep, as I have using Auto GB and other settings Experience has taught me there is no magic settings for any machine, tis up to the operator to judge the ground and with time and experience that becomes somewhat natural, but never to be taken for granted, is why most gold machines have plenty of setting options

There you go Reg, I`m one of those users that "adamantly" believes auto ground balance takes out some faint good signals, although I`ve found the GPZs auto is much less likely to do so then the VLFs and PIs that had auto ground balance. Mostly if I`m seeking deep gold thus in deep ground more then likely the ground will allow the use of manual GB easily which with the Z to GB is simply a few up and downs with the QT button pressed wheras the PIs required more up & downs. Hunted that way mostly throughout the Auto GB VLFs, PIs and after a year or so of using the Z in Auto. I say mostly simply because in some ground conditions or if I am feeling a wee lazy, then Auto GBs the go. Could be the ground I detect in but I doubt it as from my experience all over OZ, FNQ ground can go from benign to highly variable. Wedderburn had some of the most challenging ground I come across in Victoria for the 6 months I spent down there with a 2200 and 2100, I preferred the 2100. But you can have your weather, first stop in Vic was in the Whipsticks, lovely cool clear morn, found a lovely little patch then the sky fell down, shredded the camp. But the following days clean up of the patch eased the pain somewhat. Like you probably I consider the results speak for themselves, which is why most our detectors have many settings options that come down to settings that are personalised. Each to their own

On ya, as in OZ we say, may the Goddess of Gold favor you