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yea, if you're in ground the EVO's on the GPX 4500 were noisy I think you would find the same with the spirals and it's the reason X-coil make standard bundle DOD coils too like the Z-search coils, the sensitivity would be the main benefit other than being able to pick the size coil you really want to use rather than the Z-search which is almost the same size as the stock coil, if you don't need that it's a pointless exercise. As Lesgold was pointing out he was able to find gold deeper with the 12" than the 14x13", that makes sense as at the right size gold there is always a cross over a smaller coil will do better than a bigger one on some gold, even if it's only slightly smaller, pretty hard to find that sweet spot in the wild but I guess they were able to do that with various target checking between the two. As we all know different ground changes results. I cruise around in HY/Normal with a sensitivity of 19, I can easily run 20 with any of the X-coils so I'm one that benefits a lot from the extra sensitivity as it doesn't change my stability at all and we are a place that tiny gold is the gold you're going to find 99% of the time, but I find 19 sensitivity has a more stable threshold which I like and going that extra notch to 20 doesn't seem to provide anything much more than a little bit more unstable threshold. In saying that, the 7000's a dream even at 20 to run for its stability over the 6000. I was just using the 7 with 8" yesterday after not using it for a few months as I wanted to get my money's worth out of the 6000 as if it plays up out of warranty, I'm just getting rid of it, I may even offload it before the warranty runs out as I don't have a lot of faith in it being a long lasting detector, what a smooth nice running detector the GPZ is by comparison, I'd forgotten how smooth it runs compared to the 6000, in fact it was just purring along perfectly.

Any time you place ferrite near a pancake coil it causes the flux lines to bend more. This is why mineralized ground reduces depth, it increases the flux curvature and reduces flux density at depth. Placing a ferrite shell on top of the coil certainly does what you envision (reduces the top-side field); at the same time it increases the bottom-side flux density very close to the coil but this advantage is quickly lost and at depth the flux density is reduced. Here is an FEM plot: Here is the same coil with the ferrite set to air: It's possible the ferrite-shelled coil would be good for shallow tiny nugget detection. Another (lighter) possibility is to design an anti-Helmholtz coil, where an anti-phased bucking coil placed just above the TX coil to "focus" the field downward: Unfortunately it tends to also reduce flux density at depth compared to just a single TX coil. .

I'm envisioning the opposite of a ferrite core, more like an exterior casing to concentrate flux such that the amount of magnetic field energy is maximized towards the ground and minimized towards open air. Since half of the field of a coil radiates upwards and thus is not particularly useful for detecting, it seems to make sense to put it where it's more useful - if possible? Here is a cutaway diagram. Would this not have any benefit, at least for near surface flux density concentration? At the field strengths of PI machines I'd guess something like fairly thin 24 gauge steel would be more than enough, saturation is probably ok since the goal would just be some improvement, not capturing all the upwards flux. Is there a way to use that other half of the "wasted" (using that term loosely) magnetic field energy more usefully downwards if this doesn't work? Sort of like the idea behind a Halbach Array, except whatever the EM version would be? Weight alone doesn't have to be a deal breaker. For instance if a hypothetical 12" coil with flux shaping components weighed the same as a 20" standard coil, can it be made to obtain similar depths? If so, then it'd be worth it due to maneuverability with all other things being equal.

A very interesting thread. Jason: No, adding ferrite won't help, it'll just make the coil heavy. The only exception is in a pinpointer where a ferrite rod is used to concentrate the field. This works well in a PI or energy theft pinpointer which use a mono coil. When you use an IB coil the RX must be air-cored so, ferinstance, the White's TRX has the TX coil wound on a ferrite rod but the RX coil is on a plastic bobbin. If this concept were used in a regular detector, you would have a big long ferrite for the TX coil with the RX underneath, so the coil is 8" thick and weighs 20 lbs. Chet: Have you ever tried using FEM software?

What an amazing group of eager customers we had on the 3 Days Field Training. The weather could not have been any better with temps in the 70's. Friday was so sunny many of us ended up with red face and a few days later peeling skins from the sunburn. Soil was still very damp and in fact some standing water in mud puddles on the way up to camp. My Field staff/I enjoyed a variety of detectors in the class. Gold Bug-2's, Gold Monster 1000, Equinox 800, Equinox 900, Manticores, GPX-6000's and a GPZ-7000. 1st day was mostly classroom and as soon as the students with a variety of backgrounds were able to witness the varieties of gold and how they respond to different detectors, boy did they start getting excited. As expected, the GB-2's coils respond to the tiniest of gold best, but as soon as you went to a small picker nugget, the Monster, Equinox and Manticore took over. Then it was seeing how the bigger 6000's & 7000 did on small, medium and large gold. It's amazing that everyone talks the depth of a PI or GPZ but how many of you have actually seen with your own eyes, one of those detectors respond on big gold at 2 feet, 3 feet and even 4'? Yes that's what we did one a couple big ones. Some people had no clue and wondered out-loud, if they could even dig a hole that deep??? Realize this was just an air test, but it's still impressive. Of the 12 customers, most found a piece of gold and a couple folks doubled down. I know 3 of them just quite didn't get that lucky but they tried hard and there is not much we can do about that. The good thing is they were able to find small foil and #8 bird-shots, so we know they are doing it right. No big gold was recovered as expected, but I know there still has to be a few chunky 1/4 oz'ers out there. I know a couple years back Arky's wife was running around with her 7 while he took the class with his 6 and she dug up an 8-gram solid chunk of Au. So yes, there are still a few but nothing like it used to be. A couple of the students mentioned that they had taken Ray Mills class (in CA) and was noticing such a difference. Ray knows Geology and so most of the 1-day class is dedicated to such. They realized this class is much more detailed on the detectors and how to get the most out of them. How to tell ground from a true target and importance of proper coil control. It's funny how I can toss a small nugget in front of a student and yet they can't find if, even though they just seen where it was tossed. At the end of the class, the students can find that same nugget and then some. That's just part of the reason our class is 3 days instead of 1. I totally agree with Mr Mills class as well and so if you desire more of the geology side, you might reach out to him. The main road along the lake was actually the best I have seen it in years. But those of you who know Rye Patch area (and Northern NV) know the rocks are treacherous on tires. There were 3 flats during training, 2 flats just after class and yes one guy had 2 flats, but I took home the cake. I had a slow leaking tire and was able to limp how, getting air at each little stop all the way to Idaho. Luckily my truck as tire pressure sensors and I can see exactly which tire and how low. The drivers front got down to as low as 22 pounds between air ups but still held until the next stop at Rome Station (they have a pump that uses quarters). Anyway, when I got to Boise and took it in, they pulled the tire and showed me a tear in the face that was to big to be repaired. To order the exact same tire and size, would take 3 days. Well, I knew those stock tires were only P rated (most 1/2 tons are), so I decided to get something more designed for my off-road travels. $1250 (after military discount) and I'm sporting some new heavier tires and better tread. I should have known that from many flat tires and years past. E rated 10 ply are some of the best for getting least flats, but they are expensive and heavy, so you lose fuel mileage as well. Moral of the story. If you are running around in N Nevada roads, you better have at least LT class tires or higher. Make sure you have at least 1 spare tire and the correct equipment to change it. I left my compact air compressor in my big truck, so dumb me on that part. Here's the truck with the new tread. Yes those of you running around that weekend did in fact see a semi truck driving out there. That lady has guts. UT Chris took advantage of the Anniversary Promo and $500 off. Gerry's Detectors hand delivered it to him right out there in the field. Below - Geno from NV using a GPX-6000 and CoilTek 14x9" GoldHawk coil finds gold. Below - Dave from UT shines a smile with his 1st NV gold using a Manticore and M8 coil. Below- UT Chris found the 1st nugget of the class early Saturday morning before we even got started that day. He scored it with a GPX-6000. Below - Geoff from NV was able to find a couple with his GPX-6000, here's his 1st. Below - Chris from Idaho started the class with a GB-2 but when he seen how the Identification System on the Equinox performed so much better than most other detectors, he traded up. Good for him for trading that last day, as he still was able to find his 1st gold. Below- Nancy the trucker is tough as nails. For someone of that age to be out there roughing it and go go go, with the never quit, it finally paid off with a little help from the Staff. She knows her Manticore can find small picker nuggets. Below- Dennis from CA was an interesting guy. His brother from Idaho took my class last year and so he knew exactly what to expect. We was happy as heck once he got the golden monkey off his back. He found it with his Equinox 900 and small 6" coil. He is also the same guy who ended up with 2 flat tires. Yes he drove a new F-150 with stock P rated tires. Below - Geno gets another RP nugget. This guy is getting the hang of it really well. Below - Horny toads were just starting to come out. We only seen one snake and it was at camp but not a rattler. Why do they call them Horny Toads? Below - Dave from UT find his 2nd nugget and it's pretty nice. He used the Manticore with M8 coil again. Did you catch the phrase on his shirt? My 1st piece of gold in 2024. No, it's not worth sticking in my mouth like some of my big dogs. It took all of 45 minutes to find right near the burn barrel. I used GPX-6000 with stock 11" coil. Below - Best looking nugget of the trip was Jill and her Gold Monster 1000. Again, The group of students was so enjoyable and upbeat. Geoff/Jill brought a box of smoky quartz crystals and told everyone to take a couple for good luck. Boy it must have helped as most folks found gold. What's more important to my Staff/I than customers finding gold. Customers understanding their detectors more, learning to tell the difference of a ground noise and a target, proper coil control, knowing when to ground balance and why, what machines do best on a variety of gold and most of all.... self confidence in your detector and abilities. Thanks Eli, Lunk and Spencer for your support again. I have already received a few emails on how happy the customers were with you guys. Anyone else wanting to take advantage of the Anniversary Sale and save $150 off the Equinox 900 or $500 off the Manticore..call Gerry's Detectors, as I have a few remaining. Also remember, those who purchase their detectors from me, get an additional discount of $150 off the 3 Days Field Training. You only pay for training when you show up. Happy Hunting. Gerry in Idaho

Morning Gerry, I understand as the 7000 came out with a free goldmonster, so dealers stock up, then the next month they do a 25% of 7000 sale. Now you have to sell off your stock at cost. The Manticore 30% off sale probably caught many dealers that had a inventory at the old price. Wish we had an agreement that gave us a warning about sales a few months prior so we do not overstock. I have been doing more drop shipping lately to avoid this dilemma, but this also has its downside. When is the new gold release coming out Gerry, you mentioned soon?

So you just got that new Minelab and it has a three year warranty, right? Well, sort of. From Product Warranty | Minelab Metal Detectors (emphasis added) WARRANTY PERIODS GPZ 7000, GPZ 7000 accessories, GPX Series, GPX series accessories, SDC 2300, SDC 2300 accessories, CTX 3030, CTX 3030 accessories, MANTICORE, MANTICORE accessories, EQUINOX Series, EQUINOX series accessories, X-TERRA PRO, X-TERRA PRO accessories, VANQUISH Series, VANQUISH series accessories, Minelab branded bags include warranty for a period of 3 years (36 months) from the Date of Purchase. *excludes all batteries* GO-FIND Series, GOLD MONSTER 1000, GOLD MONSTER 1000 accessories and PRO-FIND Series are covered for 2 years (24 months) from the Date of Purchase. *excludes all batteries* Excalibur II, Excalibur II accessories, X-TERRA VOYAGER, PRO-GOLD and PRO-SONIC are warranted for a period of 1 year (12 months) from the Date of Purchase. *excludes all batteries* Minelab batteries and PRO-SWING 45 and some accessories are under warranty for a period of 6 months from the Date of Purchase. AFRICA: 3 year warranty period applies only to control box. 1 year replacement warranty on coils. 6 month warranty on batteries and battery chargers / AC adapters.

Hi Ron, Going back to early SD thru the GPX 5000, my favorite overall size was the 14x9 elliptical. I found it was sensitive enough to small gold, covered a fair amount of ground per swing and still maintained decent depth. Over the years this coil was either the Coiltek Goldstalker or Coiltek Elite or NF Advantage or EVO. On the GPZ 7000, my favorite overall coil for prospecting is the NF 12" Z Search Round. This coil is much lighter than stock 14x13. If I think their is potential for depth, then stock or NF 17x13 Z Search. On my GPX 6000, my favorite is the NF 12x7 Exceed Mono Searchcoil. You can still find very small gold with the stock 11" Mono for sure, but you get a bit of an edge in my opinion on small gold with the NF 12x7. What most need to consider when purchasing any detector is not only looking at the unit itself, but what is also available out there for it, aftermarket coils and accessories. Minelab has always been the main detector that everyone want to build stuff for, whether that is headphones, signal enhancers, speakers, control box covers, battery systems and a huge amount of searchcoils options that many other manufactures will not ever have. Just my thoughts, Rob

6000 - 10x5 Coiltek for creeks. My daughter pulled this piece from a crevice today. Due to the crevice shape, no other coil that I own would have been able to get into the narrow opening to hear it. The Nuggetfinder 12x7 is a bit better on depth range and is very sensitive. It would come down to location and gold depth before deciding which coil would be most suitable. 7000 - 12” Z Search. Sensitive on really small gold close to the coil and punches deep for larger targets. Found this piece today in a deep crevice only 1/4” wide under about 6” of river gravel. The 6000 only heard it when the gravel was removed. The rock had to be broken to access the gold. A small piece was also pinged from another open crevice that was full of gravel. It was too deep for the 6000 with the 10x5 to hear. The stock 11” coil may have picked it up but I’ll never know for sure.

7000 - 15" CC X Coil 6000 - 11" OEM GB2 - 6" elliptical OEM Those 3 coils hardly ever leave any of these detectors now, they suit my prospecting style perfectly. I use the 6000 almost entirely for exploration and thus I prefer the OEM over the smaller Coilteks for ground coverage and depth purposes. It was a hard call between the 15" and 17" CC's, but in the end I realized the times I was glad for a less weight and more mobility were more than the times I was glad for a little more depth, especially as I started working steeper ground.

Nugget Finder 12 inch Zsearch for the 7000 Coiltek 11 inch round for the 2300 Minelab stock 6 inch for the Nox 800

It’s not that hard to find gold nuggets if all a person wants to do is be a hobbyist and find a few. It’s the making solid money detecting gold nuggets that has gotten extremely difficult. In a way it’s too little too late, but drying up does not mean dry, just getting there. Think silver coins. Not gone, but they sure are rarer finds than 40 years ago, even though machines are far better now. But on the other hand high PI prices have been a barrier to ownership for many; a good low price PI will find buyers, as Alfoforce has already proved. Also, rising gold prices is boosting interest in chasing even the crumbs that are left. Occasional large nugget finds keep the hope alive. Long story short there is still a market for a gold nugget PI, but as Minelab knows very well the heyday is long over. It’s just competition fighting over ever smaller pieces of pie 🙂 This is a real problem overall for all detector companies now. There is not one area of detecting that is not facing declining returns. People still beach hunt, still hunt for silver coins, still hunt for relics, still chase gold nuggets. Newbies are still enticed into the fold. But I doubt any of us here who have been at this long think things are as good as they used to be. In a way we are victims of our own success. Long story short Nokta has indeed missed the big bus with this detector that should have come years ago and now they will be fighting for a seat already taken by others. As a nugget hunter I know there is nothing they can do that will really matter except make a machine that clearly blows away a GPZ 7000 and I am not holding my breath for that. In the area of affordable PI AlgoForce is already taking sales from Nokta in Australia, and it’s only the delay in reaching the U.S. that’s giving Nokta any breathing room here. Yes, they are way too late compared to what they might have achieved just three years ago prior to the GPX 6000 release. What the market clearly lacks at this time, the machine that I personally would buy, is one that is a very good nugget detector but that also is a fully submersible water machine. Minelab only offers the SDC 2300 but it’s a joke for water detecting since it floats like a cork. Axiom, AlgoForce… not waterproof. Impulse AQ Gold dead before arrival. What I was hoping for from Nokta was a machine that would extend my nugget detecting by also being an excellent beach detector. I would sell all my other PI detectors to own that machine. I think others would also. If there is not a model that captures that desire, then not only will Nokta be late to the party, but they will have lost my interest in this detector. It’s the one thing really left to do, make a good alternative to the 7 lb Garrett ATX. Not a very high bar, but are they even going to try? The initial ad blurb is not promising. I need something better than this…..

I wonder if there is any benefit to be had by concentrating flux density via specifically placing ferrous components wound along with a coil (like a steel guitar string for instance). Or ferrite components maybe? Or if that would affect both the ground balance as well as the inductance of the coil such that no (or negative) benefits are gained?

There’s an old saying that goes something like this - “never walk away from gold to look for gold.” We knew that the detectable yellow in this spot was starting to hide itself away from us and the only thing that we could do was to work harder and try to change our approach. Joe and I decided to mix things up a bit during yesterdays playtime. We agreed that instead of both of us using the one type of detector, we would take one zed and one six. Joe had the 7000 with the 12” Nuggetfinder and I took the 6000 with the 12x7 attached. We also decided to wear waders so that we could focus on detecting the deeper pools and also protect ourselves from leeches. It was a beautiful, cool day which kept us comfortable while we were wrapped up in plastic. Joe still had problems with the zed giving false signals in the deeper water but he eventually solved the problem. We had thought that the issue was due to the pressure of the water compressing the coil and making it touch sensitive but we were wrong with our assumption. The actual cause was the slight flexing of the shaft due to the forces involved in keeping the coil submerged. Joe found that if he placed his left hand quite low on detector shaft and guided the machine with his hand, the problem disappeared. Repositioning the guide arm much lower than usual could be worth trying if we continue to detect in water. We started working our way up the gully after finding a couple of small pieces of flood gold on the bank of the creek. We had to stand in water to detect this area which made it obvious as to why they were still there. I made it to a pool that had produced some nice gold on previous trips and decided to detect it really well. Having waders on allowed us to take our time to cover areas well without having to worry about getting wet. The six ran reasonably well most of the time but wasn’t as stable as the seven. The mineralised black or red soil in any wet area would upset it but it generally ran well. The Nuggetfinder coil did its job and picked up a target in about knee deep water. Joe and I had to fluff around for about 5 minutes before a nice little piece ended up in the scoop. We moved up to another patch that had produced a lot of small pieces a few weeks ago. On our last trip we were not able to go over this area as it was still submerged. Joe picked up a good signal where rock and gravel had moved with the recent rain. It was an unusual signal that had a distinct wobble to it. As usual, we always try to analyse what we are hearing and have a guess at what the result would be. We decided that it would be gold and that it would have an unusual shape. A long, C shaped piece quickly ended up in Joe’s hand. A few more small pieces were recovered from this area after moving some rocks and gravel. We continued to detect our way upstream without finding anything but rubbish until Joe ended up with a beautiful low/high signal in a long pool of water. He called me over to have a listen and as we often do, both machines were put over the target before the surface was disturbed. Both detectors picked up the signal well with the seven giving a better response. As it was in water, the dig was a bit slow but after a few minutes the best piece of the day was in the rattle jar. A few more small nuggets were found upstream before we decided that the day was done. It was another good, productive trip out in the bush. We still have at least one more day to finish this area before moving on to a new spot.

Everything is relative. Guys like Rick with a GPZ 7000 are disappointed by what they see, as if it was ever billed as a GPZ replacement. But compare to any VLF in tough ground and it’s a fine option. Certainly better than machines like the Infinium, TDI and QED.

I just ordered one of these new NF coils from Rob for my GPZ 7000 and can't find any US nugget hunter reviews or results from the field. The 17" x 13" coil weighs the same as the GPZ 14" DOD coil, so it should be very effective when used with a bungee. I know they have just arrived in the US and JP mentioned on FB he has used them with good results...been very quiet. I heard Lunk is using one in AZ now.🤔 Anybody got any info??? Bill

I also am extremely interested in what Minelab could offer to the table after 9 years of working on it. I am also trying to think of what Minelab could do to add a ZVT upgrade that would not take away from the sales of their other models but would indeed excel at performance even if they only added the CC and Spiral coil options. I hope there not trying to clean out the warehouses of all the 7000 prior to a new release because that could be another ten years at the rate they now sell. 😓 Oh! Problem solved as I remember Minelab will offer the new ZVT replacement at such a high price that everyone would still prefer buying their older models due to their personal budget constraints. Only fever stricken people like myself would buy the new model and possibly never make a return on the purchase though. 🤐

Keep in mind though - I said the same statement after using the X Coils (and I got flack for it too). I said to me the X Coils obsolete the need for the NF coil. And I still stand by that statement today. But the NF is good coil - great to those unwilling to cut a cable. But to me, that coil was obsolete before it was even released. Similarly, my 4500 hasn't left my closet since I got X Coils and especially since I got my 6000. The 4500 and 5000 are to me very obsolete platforms - I have zero interest ever running them again. And I believe as a platform, the 7000 itself in terms of electronics design and ergonomics is already close to obsolete if it had any serious competitor. It's an old, stodgy, dinosaur platform to me that feels like how the 3500 felt to me when I first started detecting for gold. If not for the X Coils, I doubt I'd use it much anymore quite honestly, but I also don't do a lot of ultra accurate patch cleaning anymore these days either, clearly there is no equal to it yet there.

The reason I am stating my opinion is based on what I am reading in the old and newer modified ZVT patents Bruce Candy outlines that technically speaking, ZVT should be superior to any type of PI due to the relative lack of X contamination during sampling without the pulse decay, as well as the lack of a decay time interfering with target sampling. That isn't what we are seeing today with current models though. At least not exactly. Given that the SDC (IMO anyways) has better or at least equal X ground performance generally than the 7000, and that the 6000 can almost keep up with the GPZ in terms of small bit sensitivity - it stands to reason that the 7000 implementation of ZVT was not optimal early on and has room for measurable improvement. From that, it would stand to reason that almost 10 years of development time should have resulted in a more optimal ZVT implementation by now. Especially in terms of dealing with X component in soils, as well as further refining target sampling improvements. If I've made an error in reasoning there, I'd be curious what it is. Because lacking insider information, that seems like the logical conclusion to make based on the data the public have at hand. I understand the whole withhold technology at a drip pace thing Minelab does, for sure. That's another issue, it's hard to predict what the business department does though, and I suspect it changes with the wind sometimes, so I refrain from speculating there. But if they release an 8000 with better X handling than the SDC, improved target response for both short and long time constants, and more ergonomic to match the 6000 then I stand by my statement - to me that would obsolete the SDC, 6000, and 7000 entirely - as in - I doubt I'd use any of those 3 again if I had such a machine. Improve the EMI filtering and my opinion would likely be strengthened.

jasong, please don't take it personally. Everyone is so sensitive these days. All Steve said was that what you want is unrealistic. I don't have any inside information on anything 😄 but even without it, Minelab has demonstrated that their strategy is to give you just enough to peak your interest in their newest machine. I learned that lesson quite well when I prematurely bit on the 6000, figuring it was going to be a better 5000. Maybe there will not be a 8000 that is better than the 7000, but different like the 5000 to the 6000. One thing seems evident to me and that is the detecting industry has only one way to go and that is to trickle what's left of new technology to us. Otherwise they will cease to exist. Right now they are tweaking of what's left to tweak. What else are they to do - give us a machine that can REALLY tell gold from iron from aluminum? It will never happen. That would be their death.

Not sure if it's a bean counter thing or an engineering thing. There is nothing to do but speculate since Minelab remains so opaque about literally everything they do. Based on their patents though, I suspect it's the former and not the latter, since the verbiage used in the 2023 patents seems to indicate exactly this - PI's should have no business being as sensitive or as good on X ground as ZVT machines. Yet, they seem to be competitive compared to the 7000, in the SDC's case it's handles X ground better I think while still being quite sensitive. So the logical conclusion to me would be a new ZVT machine improving measurably, at least in terms of ground handling.

Theoretically, the big thing with ZVT was it's immunity to X soil components due to the lack of contamination from having to sample during long decay periods like with a PI. While simultaneously having much greater sensitivity for the same reasons - no pulse decay to muddy the waters, sampling at zero voltage instead, thus it can hear ultra fast transient targets (tiny gold). This should mean that technically the GPZ should vastly outperform the SDC in bad ground. And the 6000 should have no business being close to as sensitive as a good ZVT machine, which means the 7000 was at least semi subpar for a ZVT machine if a PI can match it. I expect improvements. The 8000 seems like it should improve greatly on both sensitivity as well as bad ground handling (well, X anyways, maybe not C/salt). I think many people are expecting far too little from whatever this next machine should be, because all this stuff shoulda been doable by 2017. Now we have a decade of EMI mitigation hardware/algo advancements, better coils, better ergonomics. My expectations are high for this machine. If it ever shows up. I expect a machine that obsoletes the SDC, 6000 and 7000 entirely.

Very prescient, as it seems to be happening now. After having had both the GPZ and the 6000, it would be really hard to go back to any kind of heavier machine. The 7000 is cumbersome and unpleasant anywhere but in open spaces and the harness is a pain. What are chances that a replacement isn’t heavier than the 6000? Even if not, the price is assured to be astronomical and dissuasive for us novices. Sure would love to have a MF Gold Monster or to see what an updated SDC with a faster processor could do.

Agree totally with that. A 3000 was listed on our online auction site for NZ$800 & got passed in but it did sell so a deal must have been struck. I was very tempted myself. If your spot is virgin ground you are very lucky & a 7000 would be a killer. Even with the standard 14x13 coil. Whack on a 15" cc X coil & you just might be blown away from what I have heard about them. D4G

If all you are wanting to do is go over known patches while chaining to see anything missed at depth (and cant afford a 7000), then the 3000 with a large coil is a fairly decent option. The 3000 combo with the 24x12 UFO mono found buckets of deep gold years ago, theres no reason why it wont do the same now. Use whatever you can afford as a second machine. The 6000 will detect big bits at very good depths....I know of a 1kg bit detected at just over a metre. It all depends on what you think may be down at depth. I have no idea which machine (3000 with big coil v 6000) will detect a 3g deeper as I havent ever tried a test on that. But all things considered, generally bigger coil equals bigger detection depth but drops a bit of sensitivity on smaller bits. If I were in your situation (and I have been), I would use the 19" on the 7000 over everything else 🙂 But as you mention old machines, then the 3000 with a big coil may be an option as it "should" detected big bits at depth.....My 3000 doesnt really get much of a run these days as the 6000 is my general "go to" detector and I use the 7000 with the 19" as the depth detector on known patches to see if anything missed at depth.