Tortuga

Looks pretty good but needs full coverage in the back too. I have no need for a pouch either but some guys do.

I think what someone should be working on is a better armrest strap for the GPZ. Something along the lines of what Eureka Worx sells for the GPX. The one that comes with the machine is a joke.

And what kind of coil you got there on your GPZ? 

They're on eBay too.

Now we just need some good control box covers and we'll be set.

My lower shaft lock is keyed and will not rotate, the upper shaft lock allows my zed s coil to rotate an inch or so when the shaft is fully extended. occasionally I find it's not quite lined up straight when Im out swinging it around too. It takes a little force for it to move, so I haven't been really bothered by it yet, but it seems like it should be made to lock solid.

That's pretty much what we're talking about, it turns a little bit. The whole coil doesn't spin 360 degrees around or anything major like that.

Yeah the way the coil twists around on the GPZ is kind of odd. I haven't really had any problems with it, I've gotten used to it like the floppy coil (which I kinda like now) but I was surprised there wasn't a tight lock-up on it like a GPX.

Tortuga,

Can I just pop the skid plate cover off and clean it?

I found that I can sometimes run at #4 if I am willing to put up with a little noise. Threshold usually at #1 or #2. The ground I hunted yesterday was fairly mild so #4 Sens was o.k. but I like a stable threshold sound so I backed it down to #3.

Thanks and good luck!

Dean

You can pop it off to clean it but when I did that on mine it kind of bent the cover out of shape so I just replaced it, then sealed the new one up with coil cover tape. Replacement coil cover was $20.

Run your Threshold at the second mark and your sensitivity as high as you can. Here in Arizona I can usually only run it in 3 before it starts getting unstable.

I also found the coil cover collects a TON of dirt, it might have to do with the waterproof design for drainage. So I got creative with the skid plate tape and sealed mine up as best as I could.

I also have a B&Z Booster for mine because I'm kind of hard of hearing but they're really just made for running an external speaker. With headphones you have to play with the volume on the booster a lot and your headphone's volume to get rid of the background noise. Makes the Threshold nice and loud tho.

Big, deep nuggets are extremely rare too.

I think anything that's large, metallic and detectable in the ground that's buried in known goldfields regardless if you have an SD 2200 or GPZ 7000 has probably already been dug up at this point over the last 20 years.

I think it'll take a very special big, deep nugget under unique circumstances for anyone to dig anything really valuable with a GPZ. In the meantime most of us GPZ owners will be digging a lot more common, smaller nuggets that were too deep for a VLF or SDC 2300 and too small in tough, mineralized soil for a GPX.

That seems to really be the trend lately in the heavily detected patches out there.

There still may be some big ones lurking out there but it'll have to be in a spot where someone with a GPX and a big coil didn't swing that day and where someone REALLY good with a GPZ has

If you do the Minelab cuff/Excaliber armrest mod you can still pack the SDC down into a backpack. Just take the cuff off and store it in a pouch. It still works better for me than the little straps on the Aussie SDC cover. Just food for thought.

Gotcha, thanks Steve.

Obviously there will be a reduction in signal response if you bounce the coil right on top of the target especially if you trigger the Quick-Trak. I am referring to general use of the detector in a manner as per the instruction manual, obviously there will be exceptions if you go against good procedure.

JP

http://youtu.be/2Qf_MUQKyjo

Little confused on what they're describing in this video.

The fast walking and swinging is what you do right after you hit the power button? This is for the benefit of the auto-tracking?

Or is the fast walking and swinging what you do after you go to the quick start menu, do noise canceling then squeeze the quick-track button? The walking and swinging is going on while the quick-track button is being depressed for the initial ground balance required during quick start?

Maybe I need to go back and re-read my manual. I may have been using my machine wrong...

Great video.

Does John have something plugged into the back of the screen?

The GPZ has a socket there, just don't know what it's for.

Bado1-

I'm in Arizona too, down south, out of Tucson.

Are you in southern Arizona as well?

Sometimes it's not worth detecting those old gulches with all the trash unless you're willing to comb out all of that iron rubbish and maybe find some nuggets hidden underneath. Atleast with all the trash you can be confident no one else has probably detected that spot very hard. I usually just work higher up on the sides of the gulches where some of the gold eroded down from. A lot less trash up there.

Also you should check YouTube for an Aussies video on modifying the armrest on the SDC with a neoprene Minelab arm rest and plastic Excaliber arm cuff. It turns the SDC into a proper metal detector, it'll make it just as comfortable as a GPX. Then wrap some tennis racket grip tape on the handle and you can swing in comfort for hours.

I am now wearing a belt with a non-metallic buckle. Good for being around the GPZ and for air travel.

http://www.amazon.com/TRU-SPEC-Mens-Security-Friendly-Belt/dp/B00FNR2FOY

The GPZ is the first machine I've owned that doesn't like it when I wear my pick on my belt.

For most of the weekend I had to keep it up on my shoulder.

It's amazing how sensitive and powerful it is.