Dutchman4

3 hours ago, Jonathan Porter said:

Biggest issue with going larger coils with an extremely sensitive PI is the conductive signal. Open areas like WA are really bad for conductive signals and will punish an operator if they go too big. You can use a GPX 5000 with a large coil for prospecting which is less prone to conductive signals but then you lose that tiny nugget sensitivity of the GPX6000 which can be the on;y clue to a good patch or gold being in the area. The GPZ7000 has the same limitation which is why NuggetFinder built the Zsearch 17x13, a good compromise between sensitivity and coverage in vast open spaces.

I’ve used one of the early proto 16x10 Nugget Finders in WA and found it to be a very nice blend of quiet running and good coverage with very good depth, it’s like a plumped up 12x7 Xceed. It’s still a work in progress and had to be put aside all of last year due to a number of factors. There are only so many hours in a day, the demand for the 12x7 was off the charts and still is by all accounts.

JP

Can you please give technical explanation of "conductive signal"?  Is that a ground condition?

3 hours ago, strick said:

Late to the thred Dutchman PM sent on the 17 inch coil...

That NF 12x7 sure is a smooth running coil and does well on small gold but I've found the Coiltek 10x5 to be the better of the two on the smaller stuff...It really surprised me on a heavily hunted patch that had been gone over with the NF 12x7

strick  

 

 

 

Thanks for the feedback. 

Finding a 0.023 gram nugget, at around 1 to 1.5" deep, with the NF 12x7 is small enough for me and I have no need or desire to find anything smaller than that.  If one didnt already own the 12x7 then the 10x5 might be a consideration but for me there is no need to own both.

Thanks for all the feedback guys. 

I spoke to two of my fellow prospector friends, (Chet and Art) who both own the GPX17 coil, regarding pros/cons of this coil.  Based on their inputs as well as all of yours, I have decided to wait on purchasing a larger coil for the following (personal) reasons.

One, I really like the performance and stability of the NF 12x7 mono coil on the 6000.  It has been my primary coil since the day I put it on at the beginning of last year.  Most of the time, I run it with gain of Manual 8 to 10, in normal or difficult, with the threshold volume turned down to where it is just audible using head phones.  The NF coil appears to stabilize the chatty threshold inherent of the 6000 (yes, my 6k also has the audio/emi fix), especially when set to high gain.  With this setup I investigate any slight threshold change and if repeatable then I dig.  I found my personal best nugget of 19.6 grams, around 14 inches deep, a few months ago with this setup as well as a 0.023 gram nugget for my smallest.  The NF coil has really boosted the confidence in my ability to find gold as long as I do my part.  The elliptical shape allows me to get into spots that the 11 inch round coil wont and that is another significant advantage.  Anyway I guess I am sorta hooked on NF coils performance and quality so I will see if the NF 16x10 mono will be released this year and if it has similar performance characteristics as the 12x7.

Two, the Coiltek 14x9 option is too close in size to the NF 12x7 (imo) so just the simple math tells me that there is not enough to be gained regarding depth and coverage.

So I read all the old reviews on here for the GPX17 coil for the 6000.  Is everyone still in love with this coil like the old reviews indicate?

The 6000 is my primary gold detector and I dont have a 7000 or 5000, and I also know the 6000 will never match these machines regarding depth on larger gold.

Is the GPX17 still a good coil to have for patch hunting in open ground and some extra depth compared to the stock 11 inch or the NF 12x7?

I was patiently waiting for the NF 16x10 mono coil to be released but it does not appear like this is going to happen any time soon and maybe never.

Please advise if the GPX17 is a worthwhile investment now or should I wait for another year to see if the NF coil will be released. 

I have not seen any field test results comparing the GPX17 to the NF 16x10 even though it appears that JP and maybe others have tested it.

Please advise,  Ceril 

33 minutes ago, phrunt said:

Yes DD’s do little for hot rocks on the 6000, but are much better for EMI and maintain small gold sensitivity.

For my gold fields and ground the NF 12x7 mono is plenty sensitive and is stable/quiet.  I read that PI machines benefit with handling hot rocks and mineralized ground better when a DD coil is used but the 6K appears to not exhibit these chacteristics so that means I have no need for a DD coil.

The only question that remains (and has not been answered) is if I can get "significantly" better depth on larger gold with a larger mono coil on the 6K.  If the answer is yes then I was hoping it could be the NF 16x10 since the 12x7 is such a great all around coil.  

The 6000 needs more DD coils than anything else.

I tried the ML 14 DD and there was no improvement on my collection of hot rocks so it appears the 6K does not appear to benefit much from a DD coil with the exception of EMI rejection. 

On 9/11/2023 at 5:18 PM, phrunt said:

I figured I'd contact Nugget Finder to see what's going on with the other GPX 6000 coils, I quite like my Xceed 12x7" so intend to buy the 8x6" also, I think it'd be a weapon on the 6000. 

So, to save anyone else wasting Rohan's time replying to endless emails about when the coils will be available, I thought I'd post it here.

This was his reply.

Hi Simon

 Releasing the 16x10 is our priority at this stage, I don’t expect to have the 8x6 ready for sale until sometime in 2024.

I understand these delays may be frustrating and I appreciate your patience.

 Regards

Rohan 

Perhaps that means the 16x10" may be released this year, but the little guy is a fair while off yet, a shame as spring/summer (now) is when I do most of my detecting so I'll miss out this season.  I'll stick to my GPZ and 8" X-Coil for the most powerful small coil detector for now.  

Any updates on the NF Xceed 16x10 coil release date?

Has there been any field testing results of the 16x10, in particular for larger/deeper gold vs the stock ML 11 inch mono coil or the NF 12x7 or the stock ML 17x13 mono?

Some have said that the stock ML 17x13 mono was not that much deeper than the stock ML 11 inch mono, is that true?

Is the GPX 6000 one of those machines that has limited depth improvements when using larger coils similar to the SDC 2300? 

Yep, Iron.  Almost every tiny target that I have had trouble recovering or lost, has been iron. 

Small rusty iron targets sound like a nugget a lot of the time.  If I cant see it in my scoop after sorting then I just drag my scoop across the magnet on top of my pick and it will drag any iron target out of the scoop and mystery solved.

Persistence 👍

Great story to the poem. 

Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Regards,  Ceril

7 minutes ago, Ndplumr said:

Dutchman4, did you have the newer style enclosed coil, or the older style open?

Older style open.

I had an ATX a long time ago, for about 6 months.

Mine was knock sensitive also and after I sold it one possible cause came to mind.  The coil cable runs inside the shaft and maybe it moves around inside the hollow shaft when the coil hits an object.  On most detectors if the section of cable, that is close to the coil, moves through the magnetic field created by the coil then it will generate a false signal.  With hind sight I had wanted to do an experiment to secure the coil inside the shaft by inserting a length of solid foam core/tube (like a mini pool weeny, or foam water line insulation) inside the spiral coil winding to anchor it to the internal walls of the shaft so it could not move side to side.  I never got the chance to try this since I finally sold it.  I loved the electronics of the ATX but I grew to hate the package it was in and the awful ergonomics.

On 12/8/2023 at 9:55 AM, Steve Herschbach said:

Most of the people I know favor a desert type boot. I get into wet places more often so I favor waterproof boots. I can recommend the Keen Targhee II as light weight, lug soles, waterproof, and totally metal free. Lots of toe space, which I appreciate.

Steve,

I used to backpack in water proof boots and my feet would sweat to the point that feet were getting wet from the inside out.

What has been your experience with these boots when used in warm weather regarding sweating feet? 

I looked up the ventilated version of this boot and it appears to have a metal hook for the top lace point which is not a deal breaker for me but something to consider.

On 12/7/2023 at 12:27 PM, Doc said:

Well I have to get my two cents in.

$99.95 Doc's Nugget Stalker Pick.  plus s&h  Made in the U.S.A.

Made with sturdy forged metal. The wide blade with curved edges moves dirt quickly and efficiently.  The wide blade is sharp, it will cut through bushes and brush with ease.  Comes with a 1 inch X 1/2 inch approx. Super Magnet.  The magnet is screwed to the top and can be removed.

The handle is 24 inches long.  The width of the wide blade is 5.5 inches, and from the point to the edge of the wide blade is 11 inches.  The handle is made of Ash and has a little larger area at the end of the handle for a better grip.

If you order the Nugget Stalker pick with a magnet, the magnet will be mounted with a screw on the top of the blade between the point and the wide blade.  Or you can request we send the magnet loose so you can decide where to mount it.

Doc's Nugget Stalker® Brand Gold Pick, the only pick for Metal Detecting you'll ever need. - Doc's Place (docsdetecting.com)

Doc

Hi Doc,

I have an Apex now and super sturdy but the weight is a bit much for the long hike exploration type of detecting I do.

What is the weight of your pick with the magnet?

I sometimes like to mod my picks and the Apex appears to be hardened steel and very difficult to drill.  What type of metal is your pick and can it be drilled/tapped without having to buy expensive cobalt bits?

With the wide blade on this pick can this pick be carried on the hip with a hammer loop carrier or similar nylon carrier?

On 11/29/2023 at 4:06 AM, Gold Catcher said:

We are dealing with the same type of hot rocks (mostly volcanic). Here is a flavor of what I am talking about. Literally every rock screams like a beer can. There is alot of gold in this ground. But good luck getting it. These rocks go all the way deep. If the old gpx with the Xcoils can work here and outperform the gpz in general/difficult, I am in! BTW, despite all that I have recovered small nuggets that were stuck to these hot rocks with the GPZ. Just to show the power of the GPZ timings. The 6000 is totally useless here, doesn't matter the configuration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After reading up on the benefits of DD coils on PI machines, I tried the 14-DD coil on the 6K to see if it was better with hot rocks and also saw no improvement.

The difficult timings of the 6000 don't do anything for the hot rocks that I encounter.

GC

Same here, no help on hot rocks of any kind that I have run into. 

Thanks guys for the info.

Now that there are many man hours on the GPX 6000 by experts, I would like to know opinion or field experience of using Manual gain vs Auto or Auto+?

I remember reading somewhere that the Auto settings can result in a higher effective gain result than even Manual 10 (max) but I dont know if this is a fact or just an opinion.

I have mostly used Auto from the beginning but wanted to know what other use and under what conditions.

10 hours ago, Gerry in Idaho said:

Sorry to hear of your misfortune but with all those machines on your Profile were you able to recover it?  I love water hunting and feel the bigger the ring the faster it falls off.  Funny, as I have yet to find a gold nugget ring though.

I lost that ring a good 25 years before I got my first cheap Bounty Hunter metal detector.  I do remember it was about knee deep water and the minute it dropped I did not move and started looking for it.  I thought for sure I would find it but it vanished.

My wedding ring was a Nugget Ring.  I lost it in the surf near Ocean Beach pier.  Some cold water and it slid right off my hand.

24 minutes ago, Nedkelly said:

Yes, I don't get a full day either. I have found the battery indicator at the top of the screen is only a rough guide at best. I now swap battery's halfway through the day when I go back to the car for lunch and a break, and put it on the charger straight away because they take so bloody long to charge, otherwise if I charge at night I have to get up during the night to change battery's. Backlight always off.

I do the same.  I modified the 12V DC charging cable by cutting off the battery clamps and soldering/heatshrink on a 12V car/cigarete lighter plug in adapter.  When I get back to my truck for lunch break I immediately plug the battery it in to my Jackery-300 to top off the charge during 1 hour lunch break and this way I can get a full day of detecting on one battery.

4 hours ago, okara gold said:

Nice chunky piece! Congratulations! Now to break that record!!

I know, that will be the challenge, but I am up to it.

Thanks

1 hour ago, Gerry in Idaho said:

Very nice size solid chunky gold.  When you get a chance go back over the area with a bigger coil on the GPX-6000 and listen for weaker signals.  You're certainly doing quite well. Keep it up. 

Waiting for the bigger NF coil to be released and see if it has an advantage over the stock 11 and 17.

1 hour ago, gef12 said:

Minelab .. would have scrubbed the part no and then painted it ...

 

Manufacturers typically dont remove the part information before painting or applying heat sink or anything like that.  In addition to the part number there is also a date code and sometimes a location code for the wafer fab it was made at or a revision code.

This is all very valuable information if there are field failures or a product recall or a safety concern with a product that leads to an investigation, so in my experience chips are normally never scrubbed.

6 hours ago, Valens Legacy said:

Great find and I know that you almost had an accident when you pulled that from the ground.

Good luck on  your next hunt.

I had to make sure I wasnt in a dream because I have woken up from some very real dreams and been disappointed.  It wouldnt fit in my nugget bottle so I put it in my pocket and had to check it every 5 minutes to make sure it was still there.