I Touched The GPX 6000

[Condor]

Based on Jasong's report that a GPX 6000 was on display in Quartzsite, Beatup and I drove up there this morning from sunny Yuma.  We did indeed see and touch the machine.  There will apparently be other opportunities in the near future including the Quartzite gold show in Feb.  Everything is up in the air, so don't count on anything I say as gospel as far as a schedule.  Nothing is firm, make your own plans accordingly.  The US release is still uncertain but it was suggested perhaps late spring or early summer.  I think mid Feb might be overly optimistic.  

However; we saw and ran the machine albeit in the gravel parking lot of the RV show.  Only the DD coil could be run because of the EMI.  As of now, the US sales will include the DD coil and an 11" mono coil.  There will be a 17" Mono available as an accessory for the machine, but it's US availability upon release of the machine is still in question.  The African market has a corner on the market at this point.

My observations are this:  As stated elsewhere, the machine is an ergonomic dream.  Well balanced when fully extended with really nice carbon fiber shafts.  The battery pack is detachable and has heavy duty rubber coating on the bottom to absorb shock plus the machine balances perfectly upright when setting it down to dig.  The Minelab spiel is no different than the star chart shown previously, so I can't really comment on the accuracy of those claims.   

We ran the machine in the DD mode to eliminate EMI.  We detected  .1 and a .2 gram nuggets in the parking lot at a height of about 4 inches.  All of that is meaningless as far as it's actual performance in real world conditions, especially as it pertains to the Mono coil.  This sneak preview was never intended as actual testing and it started raining while we were there.

From my perspective, I would seriously consider a trade down from the GPZ7000 purely from the ergonomics and portability.  I would hesitate if the 17" Mono was not immediately available.   I'll hit 67 yrs old this summer and just don't get up and down the rough terrain as well, especially with the weight and balance of the GPZ hanging off my shoulder.  

That's about all I can tell you from a 30 minute preview in a gravel parking lot.  

[flakmagnet]

Thanks for taking the time to inform us. Always appreciated.

[Chase Goldman]

Great report!  How did the audio compare to the GPX 5000?

[jasong]

Heeeyyy alright! Someone made it. 🙂

Thanks for the report. Sounds like a sweet machine to swing. That balancing while digging thing is another one of those small bonuses that makes a big difference, my Z takes tumbles a lot. Same with the rubber coating. Small things like these really polish a product off.

Hitting a 0.1 grammer at 4 inches, with a DD, in a parking lot with EMI (how many thousands of generators are running around Quartzsite now?), that's pretty good even if it isn't in situ field conditions.

[Condor]

2 minutes ago, Chase Goldman said:

Great report!  How did the audio compare to the GPX 5000?

We only used the external speaker, the audio was very good, I quit on GPX's at the 4000 never used the 5000.  The 4000 was always a little anemic, I generally used an amplifier to boost it up.   

[beatup]

What Steve Said goes for me also the machine was a dream for it's ergonomics and construction over all but without the large mono coil i would have to have a wait and see attitude as of right now, also the connectors are all 12 pin with large and small pins within so it looks like no using other coils right now . the rep said she would be in phoenix then utah then vegas then back to quartzsite for the gold show in february.

[Condor]

3 minutes ago, jasong said:

Heeeyyy alright! Someone made it. 🙂

Thanks for the report. Sounds like a sweet machine to swing. That balancing while digging thing is another one of those small bonuses that makes a big difference, my Z takes tumbles a lot. Same with the rubber coating. Small things like these really polish a product off.

Hitting a 0.1 grammer at 4 inches, with a DD, in a parking lot with EMI (how many thousands of generators are running around Quartzsite now?), that's pretty good even if it isn't in situ field conditions.

Re: the DD coil.  Apparently this DD design cannot be compared to our old understanding of GPX DD coils.  No discrimination at all and separate settings for either EMI or Salt/mineralized ground.  She emphasized there is no comparison to DD coils of old.

[jasong]

Interesting. With Beatup's 12 pin connector observation could it be a DOD? I guess not if it's nice and lightweight?

The smaller pins probably mean a wire for a chip in the coil, but that's just a guess. 

Very interested to learn more about the coil now. 🙂

[beatup]

the rep really had no comment on that at this time she said

[Jonathan Porter]

I’m still effectively gagged with no comment 😂