jasong Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 The swing arm definitely helps, but it's a bandaid. The real solution is simply less weighty coils and lower shafts. X Coils showed it was possible especially with the smaller coils, the fact that Minelab even 8 years later still has no offerings there for their long suffering customers shows to me how little they really care about us. Not that we needed another piece of evidence haha. Aside from taking up the only free arm, the other problem is that to pack mount a pick you can't use the most popular pick type here in the US - the Hermit Pick. I'm speaking from experience here, it's dangerous and will stab/slice you if you fall. I once sliced my scalp on an Apex pick too mounted to my back when I slid down an embankment so it's not just Hermit's but normal pick styles as well. My pick stays in my hand for speed, efficiency, and safety now, period. It's moot for me anyways though - I dislocated my shoulder and tore my rotator cuff years back. It never healed, I have no ability to grab a pick off my pack anymore since my pick arm doesn't bend like that anymore. If it wasn't for X Coils, I'd have sold this GPZ off before the 6000 came out even. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold Catcher Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 The swing arm helps me mostly for coil control, I never use the Z without it. It also alleviates some of the weight and takes some pressure of the shoulder, when combined with hipstick. Yes, I have my Hermit in my hip holster and manage to walk without be sliced. Once I have identified a target, I disengage the swing arm and have my pick in the other hand for the first surface scrapes. But I never do steeper hiking with the pick in my holster. Falling down would not be a pleasant thought. GC 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flakmagnet Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 A fall with a Hermit Pick is not advised. At least have it in your hand as you detect so you can jettison if you lose your balance. I speak from experience and no, I wouldn't trade the Hermit Pick for any other make. Same with the 7000 and the HipStick, they are the simply the best in their category at the moment. Wishing a good start to the New Year to everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Allison Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 Believe it or not, the NF 17x13 Z-Search coil, which we now have in stock (see classifieds for details) really balances out the GPZ 7000, even better than the stock 14x13. Nugget Finder did a very well job on constructing this new coil for your Minelab GPZ 7000. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan in Adelaide Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 On 1/3/2023 at 8:04 AM, phrunt said: The true potential of the GPZ isn’t realised unless run in normal where it shows the GPX who’s boss even on tiny gold with the right coil, yes it may miss some odd specci type gold but we don’t really have it here, more water worn little lumps the GPZ loves, the key to the GPZ 8000 will be getting normal like performance in difficult. If they can do that you’ll see what us “normal” people have been saying all along ? It seems they achieved that with the 6000, there isn’t much between normal and difficult. Lighter coils are key for me with the GPZ as I don’t use any swing arms or bungees and other gadgets, I found the hip stick very awkward as you dig far too often here and the ground is rarely flat. Everyone is different though, we obviously have different tolerances for detector weights. I like the heavy sturdy GPZ for bowling over long grass and bushes, something I can’t do with the 6000. Hi mate what coil you using? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phrunt Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 4 hours ago, Ethan in Adelaide said: Hi mate what coil you using? I mainly use 8”, 12” and the 15” Concentric coil on my GPZ, They need an adapter made out of an original coil that involves some risk to the detector if done incorrectly. Not something you would need to do if you bought a GPZ unless you had specific needs, it’s fine with the standard coil for general use. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aureous Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 On 1/10/2023 at 10:25 AM, Rob Allison said: Believe it or not, the NF 17x13 Z-Search coil, which we now have in stock (see classifieds for details) really balances out the GPZ 7000, even better than the stock 14x13. Nugget Finder did a very well job on constructing this new coil for your Minelab GPZ 7000. Unfortunately, its still the coil that most people didn't need. Same with the 12"....when everyone is screaming for smaller coils, flat-wounds and CC's, NF gave the 7000 users more DOD's. Maybe Minelab instructed Rohan this way???? Dunno. Whilst X-Coils got ahead of everyone and gave them what they wanted, those who didn't take the plunge and get an adapter made, waited for NF to deliver something similar....and didn't get it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aureous Posted January 13, 2023 Share Posted January 13, 2023 On 1/8/2023 at 11:01 AM, jasong said: It's moot for me anyways though - I dislocated my shoulder and tore my rotator cuff years back Yeah I've had something similar.....a calcified bursa destroyed my rotor cuff muscle and a 3-in-1 surgery only restored about 50% of my shoulders capacity to swing a detector. I've only ever swung a 7000 once and my instant reaction was 'F%ck this sh*t'....no way known was I ever going to own one. The ATX was bad enuff and the 7000 felt way worse. The GPZ8 is supposed to copy the design parameters of the 6000 in being significantly lighter, so lets hope 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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