Norvic

Eat your heart out Crocodile Dundee, here comes Bear Carl, love it, the world should have more characters.

Paul, You mention using moving map software called basic Topo. I wish to have a look at such, but cannot find on net. Have you the internet address of it? Whilst I use Oziexplorer I do note there is becoming more such software as user base expands, am always keen to keep up with this tech.

No harbour freight in OZ, but that is probably it. Your shaft must be different quality, have not heard of this problem in OZ, nothing on OZ forums wonder if US models are identical. Moving Map software on the GPZ screen, not on our models but maybe on a future one, would be enough if Minelab would allow the export and import of tracks and waypoints in a standard format that it seems most moving map software can work with. Not many prospectors are going to trust going online to view such as Xchange requires.

Jasong, no drama at all with mine and my nickname is "sandpaper", rough as guts on my gear, so can only think if you haven`t assembled incorrectly than there is variation in machines, which considering modern assembly lines is a wee unlikely. Extended with lock not engaged still cannot twist only time it can twist is when shaft is shortened. Talk about RSI, I don`t have to bend over too far now to touch the ground with right hand. Come on Klunker get that weightless coil mod on market.

Coil twist?, my coil will twist around only when fully retracted which is good and allows it to be put away in vehicle neatly, but once shaft is extended to user length it is firm, locked and doesn`t twist. Very happy with GPZ other than the GPS in its form is basically of little use to this prospector. After realising its failings there I sent a courteous email to Minelab with my thoughts and a similar one to the developer of Oziexplorer. Immediate answer from Oziexplorer still no reply, not even an acknowledgement from Minelab. Tis disappointing, with oziexplorer I have spent probably $300 over many years, upgrades are free, with Minelab I won`t bother adding the amount up, their products are tops just question their inability to reply. Perhaps this may be why their share price is going south, shame as one certainly can`t knock their products.

Not sure the 705 will be of much use discriminating hits behind the 2300, the 2300 has far better ground handling and depth capabilities, but in these early days of its use amongst trash areas, it has the ability to prove there is gold amongst the trash then come in with the magnetic rake and PI or GPZ. But Paul this is my take after running the 705 over a recent small piece shallow(for the GPZ) patch, found with the GPZ in tall grass and rocky surface, I thought with the small elliptical coiled 705 it would score, poking around the rocks, after 4 plus hours not a piece. I was a wee disappointed but not surprised, the GPZ is a gold magnet much like the 2300, don`t get me wrong I think I`m going to have a ball with the 705, the GPZ is taking my time currently, just "horses for courses". In NQ OZ`s gold fields are a lot of ghost towns, having picked up coins both silver and gold with gold detectors over the years, that is where I believe the 705 will really come into its own, amongst the trash where ones patience is tested with the PI`s and GPZ.

Yes, it seems even less than 10% will use the GPS on the GPZ. Being a long term user of GPS and moving map software as a prospecting tool I am surprised. But I do believe once the benefits of such becomes more apparent with time, (read- produce more gold) this will change. Much the same as there were a few of us wandering OZ with GPS, laptop and moving map software back a bit, now nearly every vehicle is fitted with a navigator, which is basically a GPS, laptop and moving map software in a more user friendly form (and a lot cheaper) I don`t think the cost or weight of the GPS in the GPZ is of any concern, lightweight and cheap as chips

Wow, that`s neat. Yeah normally I just skim through manuals and learn in the field, the 705 gold mode is no drama, pretty straightforward but I am going to have to do a wee more to get into notch discrim., tone recognition etc. It`ll be fun.

That`s a klunker, Klunker. I`m going for a button you push and a little fellow hops out and digs it up and of course the weightless coil. Seriously I hope they remove the proprietary crap re. GPS only assessable via Xchange2. But then again they may believe they are pulling an Apple.

Yeah, that piece "in maybe an amazing find", was about 1/2 metre in front of me or so when a 16" mono picked it up, plus it was 1/2 metre down a dry waterfall. Has your experience Dale shown DD`s are better at this then mono`s on smaller stuff, say around rocks ? That "look over here signal" not sure but have feeling, sometimes there doesn`t even seem to be a signal, sort of its calling you. Sounds weird and illogical, but they may be critters (re.Featherfisheads mate) and just want to be found on rare occasions. On thresholds I think as you get older, you cannot sense that pitch & volume change as well, my excuse anyway when my son scores a deepun where I`ve been.

I found the DD coils on Minelab PI Machines had this more than the Mono`s, but I used the mono`s most (more depth & sensitivity). For this reason I found the DD good for poking around base of rocks as there sometimes be a nugget hiding under the edge of a rock, mono`s didn`t seem to be as good there. I found this was also so with the vlf machines, except I think they used DD & concentric rather than mono (from memory) I recall taking a new fellow to a spot he had a new Minelab 1500 (DD coil) I was using a A2B, he`d never found gold and called me over to check a signal at the base of a rock, the A2B didn`t register it so we rolled the rock aside and there under the edge of it was a 4 gram nugget, he was stoked, so was I nothing better than seeing a fellow get his first. The coil on the GPZ seems to be even better at this again.

Wow, that is some incentive for the young to get out there. I am a wee envious however, my Missus has got me making furniture.

My sentiments exactly, is magic to prove up a detector on own ground.

Tis the Goddess of Gold me lads, if you haven`t her on your side leave your detector at home, just go sightseeing.

Never noticed that chirp sound on the 5000, but have noticed similar bare change in the threshold of the Z from the very rear of the coil, so far has been deeper sub grammers. The front and centre of the coil do nor register it until you`ve scraped away with the boot and got the coil lower. Audio smoothing off, medium mineralisation firstly considered it may have been simply the wireless audio slight delay.

Son lives in the big smoke, just recently he bought a 705. A few coins from park near where he lives, those smaller goldy looking coins a the front are $2, a boon to the OZ detector operator.

I can`t think of a deep nugget of size that didn`t give a warbly response and sometimes a null over centre. I believe that is why a lot of such responses are left by operators, I know I did on a number of occasions and than next morn when bright and revitalised back and recheck and dig up another nice one. Just love those indistinct warbly signals, makes the heart pump. Their not all horseshoes.

After a few hours use of the Xterra705, just got to say it is a great little lightweight machine, sensitive on gold and the notch discrimination for coins Wow! Not having used a VLF since the 1700, they have certainly come a long way, have a lot of learning to do with this machine. Thank you for advice all.

Might be the secret, we give the machine a bit of "curry", which puts the Goddess of Gold in a good mood and bingo Now I only got a couple of scraps today, I`m bloody sure my GPZ`s playing up.

That photo certainly lays my concerns to rest. Keep the faith fellows, just a matter of guiding the Z over them.

Do you a direct trade your bro-in-law for mine. Bloody ants`d bolt from him.

Ditto here Featherdfishead, is very refreshing to know there are others who appreciate animals in the wild, something I feel all in this crazy fast moving world should stop and do for a bit. Even our flora, we have a insignificant twisted small bush-tree that just on the wet its white small flowers fill the air with a subtle fragrant scent we call it bush frangipani because that is what the scent is like, that is just an example. Mother Nature is amazing , makes our gold too, every nugget different.

I have nothing of size also but the ground I`m in hasn`t the depth to have hidden any from the GPX, but does have the depth to hide the subgrammers to grammers from the GPX which the GPZ is picking up no drama. I did think there was larger pieces out of range of the GPZ, and felt a little like you, but because it is getting those smaller ones that the GPX would have no trouble with shallower. I now believe those larger pieces have been got. A clue to this and I cannot remember exactly JP`s early words is he felt sometimes disappointed then it changed and it was like the GPZ was making gold. I think it may be just that, no larger gold there. But gotta keep an open mind and will as I get the hours up, think of this.

Thinking about the death I spoke of, it appears that what drives people to kill snakes is fear of them. It seems from stats most snake bites come about from people trying to kill them. It is illogical but you try to say that to someone who is intent on killing a snake. Me I leave them alone and they seem to reply in same manner, but I do have a suspicion that they can sense the RF field of our detectors and move away. Up till just recently had a carpet snake in shouse keeping the rats and mice population down. He/she moved on when the rats disappeared. Always welcome here but they are not venomous and are very docile. Your on the money Dale, respect, understand but don`t fear

Not a tick problem but last couple of seasons, every bush with green on it seems to be loaded with green ants in NQ OZ, and they just love protein. Give you hell, not deadly unless you have an allergy. They are also tasty and thirst quenching but kill em first or they`ll bite all the way down.