Steve's Insanely Hot GPZ 7000 Settings

[wirelessguy]

Super informative thread.  Thanks Steve, Jonathon and other contributors.  

[Lunk]

On December 4, 2015 at 0:27 PM, Jonathan Porter said:

Most people don't realise they need to adjust the detector to run smoothly over the chosen terrain not adjust the detector to produce the loudest response on a target in the chosen terrain. There is no point having a great target response on a known signal if you miss that target whilst walking around blind. The level of ground signal in your chosen Gold Mode/Ground Type mode will determine your success, I modified the detectors settings to compensate for the ground signal to allow me to take advantage of Steve's insane settings and it worked really well.

All in all I learnt a lot about the interplay of Volume, Audio Smoothing, Sensitivity and Threshold. I also learnt that Steve is genuinely insane.

JP

Great post, JP!

I also discovered the benefits of exploiting the interplay of the Zed's audio functions early on to produce the most distinct (not loudest) target response relative to ground response; coincidentally, JP's modified audio settings are nearly identical to my go-to settings, as detailed here: http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/topic/830-lunks-zed-settings/

[spinifex]

Thanks everyone for posting your experiences and settings. I now realize that I have been running in general/difficult and thinking I was cranking it by having audio smoothing off. I cant wait to get back into the gold bearing areas and explore my Z some more. YOU ARE MY MENTORS. THANKS.

I might add a tip from my hearing specialist. I had a hearing test and discovered I was below average on 4,6 and 8hz. I played JP's video finding the 4 gramer where initially he was just off the target. He could not pick the slight variation in the threashold either. I have cranked the 4,6 & 8hz on the equalizer on my computer, played the intial part of video hundreds of times and have trained myself to hear the slight variation.

The advice from the hearing specialist was that a hearing aid would not help because it is the variation in the threashold I am looking for and I should be able to detect it, now that I have zoned in on the force.

Bird calls and other sounds would be a distraction if I had hearing aids cranked to the higher hz's.

HIS SUGGESTION was to change the threashold pitch up or down a little every hour or two. This gives the ears a break because they do get tired. I thought this would be beneficial to anyone running insane.

All the best,

Pete

[Steve Herschbach]

Welcome to the forum Pete,

I have never considered my poor hearing to be an impediment as regards metal detecting for exactly the reason you bring up. If I hear the threshold, then I am hearing all I need to hear. It is variations in the threshold that matter, and ever people with poor hearing can hear changes in sound - once they have the sound set to where they can hear it! It may actually help me by mellowing things for me that others might find nerve wracking. Long story short is I do not normally wear my hearing aids while prospecting. Good thing to mention, thanks.

[Jackpine]

On November 15, 2015 at 8:03 PM, Steve Herschbach said:

Nope. As I noted volume is one setting that may need tweaking. If 8 works better for you use 8.

Hearing is funny stuff. I do not have good hearing. But I do have a finely tuned sense of audio change and what constitutes a target. I have always run audio settings on any detector I use quite low from a volume standpoint. All I need to be able to do is barely hear it, but I sure can pick up instantly on variations in what I am hearing. Or so it seems to me. How can I know what I am not hearing?

Kind of like in Chris post. It is not necessarily that I do not hear the stuff that sounds like noise to him and drives him crazy. I just lower the level of the "noise" to where it is comfortable for me to listen to, and the noise goes in one ear and out the other - until that magical difference that indicates a signal.

Hush now Steve.  You are letting out the secrets of a good VLF operator.

Tom

[Norvic]

Seems the more we use the Z the more we fiddle with settings, which is logical as we want to maximise our chances. I am currently having good success with Steves Insane settings except I run in difficult and general, and do not sweep too often over a target in Auto GB, have the User switch set to allow me to go to manual GB easily. Seems the Z with sens on 20, no audio smoothing, general, difficult and running in auto GB will take out positive fringe signals almost as well as it takes out ground noise, thus found I was leaving deep gold behind(nothing unusual there always have) either small deep sub grammers and larger deep multi grammers.

Am finding I`m running in manual GB more and more, in fact presently feel the quick track button could simply be replaced with the GB button that allows you to cycle from manual to auto as per the Xs. Have not quick tracked for many months, I think the upgraded software has made it somewhat redundant, well to me anyway. But I must add that the country I prospect has not many ferrous targets and that settings used are constantly evolving. The Z is very capable in its default settings and really sings as it is cranked up.

 

[Steve Herschbach]

Hi Norvic,

When you say you are running manual ground balance do you mean you are turning the ground tracking off? Is there a reason? I always run with tracking on and have not seen a reason not to.

[Norvic]

Nearly always run the Pi`s in manual, if not I found I was leaving gold behind, using the GB button to GB on occasions(this was so with the VLFs with auto tracking also). Am finding to a lesser extent this is so with the Z too. I found early in the use of the Z on recovery of those subgrammers it was better to switch into manual, thus having the user button programmed for that purpose. Now as I`ve cranked things up a wee, have evolved to when cleaning up patches, to leave in manual with occasional switching back to auto briefly when I start digging too many false signals.

When patch hunting I switch back to auto tracking to cover the ground faster. Of course none of this is written in stone, the Z is an amazing machine and am sure as time goes on my methods will change. But for now I have no doubt I`m recovering more deep signals because I am using in manual GB(auto tracking off) when cleaning up patches. It is very easy to trial, and somewhat frustrating to use in manual as you slow right down, but I don`t believe the slowing down is the only reason the Z is getting those fringe signals, but it helps for sure. When I think I`ve got it all, I switch to Bogenes (auto GB)and against the experience that a threshold is a must, up pop a few more nuggets. Next when on an old patch I am going to leave in manual and try using the Quick track button on occasions rather than use the User button to GB.

[Reno Chris]

I'm going to have to try running some areas in normal again, and see what happens - if I can stand the noise.