GPX 6000 Garrett Axiom TDI 14.4v Sub Gram Targets Test

[Jeff McClendon]

6 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

It would have been interesting to toss the VLF of your choice into that test. I think people would find that the new multi models like the Equinox, Manticore, and Deus 2 are on par or better than the TDI overall for nugget hunting. Given that they have discrimination and the TDI does not, well, I’d only really use a TDI for beach detecting these days, and then mainly because you can turn the ground balance off, giving it some real chops as a beach detector.  It as far as nugget detecting goes the TDI is easily outclassed by newer PI models. Not what TDI fans ( I am one by the way) like to hear, but it has actually been that way for a long time now.

I have used the Equinox 800/900 and the Legend running 1.11 software at both of the locations where this dirt comes from and found sub gram gold and low conductor targets with them.

The Colorado dirt will make all of those type of targets have iron responses if they are deeper than 1" or so. The Legend and Equinox 800/900 will hit all of the targets in this test easily with the 0.1 gram or smaller targets at 2" or less and the 0.25 and 0.75 gram type targets having real world depth numbers similar to the TDI's results. Both of those Multi VLFs have to be run in their prospecting modes with all targets accepted, with iron bias set as low as possible and with recovery speeds set on 4 or 5 at least. I keep a US copper Memorial penny with me for sites that have dirt like this. At 4" depth and even less, that high conductor penny sounds like iron with target IDs that are near or at the bottom of the iron target ID range using the Equinox 800/900 and the Legend. It's not their fault.

In the Arizona dirt those same type of targets can be detected with the Equinox 800/900 and Legend with similar depths as the TDI but the 0.1 gram and even smaller low conductor targets will be easy to detect with those Multi VLFs plus in the Arizona dirt those Multi VLFs are likely to display really good low conductor target IDs instead of the iron range target IDs caused by the Colorado dirt..

[Steve Herschbach]

13 minutes ago, Jeff McClendon said:

Both of those Multi VLFs have to be run in their prospecting modes with all targets accepted, with iron bias set as low as possible and with recovery speeds set on 4 or 5 at least.

Absolutely, a VLF will call non-ferrous targets as ferrous in real bad ground. Then don't do that. Use an all metal mode and dig all targets. The point being you still would be no worse off than using a low power PI and have a lighter weight and less expensive detector capable of hitting smaller targets. And discrimination for where it can work - the user has to know when and where the time is right or not.

[Jim in Idaho]

2 hours ago, Jeff McClendon said:

Hi Jim,

I did not say that the TDI Pulse Scan modded by Reg was running at 14.4V. I used the nominal voltage written on the Whites battery to make sure that readers  of this post knew that the TDI I was using was a big box TDI and not an SL. I charged up the battery using the stock Whites charger. Where that charger cuts off is the amount of voltage that the battery being used was charged to.

I have had an SL fry on me using jacked up batteries. I am not doing that anymore.

Th

The 0.1 gram gold nugget target was detectable by the TDI with the Sadie coil using those settings in air testing.

This was an in the ground test using containers of very mineralized dirt with plenty of magnetite particles and volcanic material.

I did not try to make the TDI I was testing look bad. However, its single channel ground balance system could not handle those dirt samples as well as the other two detectors. 

I understand, Jeff.  I'm curious what the actual voltage was. Also, I wasn't criticizing the test. And I agree air tests don't mean much. But my SL has often targeted a 1 grain gold bar at 3", in the ground. But, I have no experience with Arizona, or Colorado soil.

Jim

[gef12]

Thanks Jeff .. interesting reading s...

curious as to why the stock 11inch not used on the 6k .. and wind back gain may help in your area with emi ..

just curious

cheers

vktek gef

[Jeff McClendon]

26 minutes ago, gef12 said:

Thanks Jeff .. interesting reading s...

curious as to why the stock 11inch not used on the 6k .. and wind back gain may help in your area with emi ..

just curious

cheers

vktek gef

1. Did you notice the size of the other coils in the test.

2. The Coiltek Goldhawk 10X5” coil handles EMI much better than the stock 11” mono coil in my area.

3. The GPX already had sensitivity “dialed back” in relation to the other detectors even using the Coiltek Goldhawk 10X5”.

4. This testing was not about making one detector win the test. Running all of these detectors in a no EMI situation with their gains on maximum…….GPX 6000 wins.  It was just a comparison of the three PIs I happened to have in my possession at the time that had similar sized coils.

5. I mostly did this test for me to help me make some detector ownership decisions. I just couldn’t afford to keep three PIs and I wanted to know what I could expect on those size targets. I decided to post it since the results were so close on some of the targets.

[Nugnog]

The response to dirt samples is interesting. Ran the Axiom against 6000 (and occasional GPZ) over this last few months. We did do some testing, that showed the Axiom able to keep up on the small stuff with both set to highest gain but more difficult to keep there, to hear similar signals through the local ground conditions. I don't find the advice to simply turn down the gain/reduce noise on the Axiom would apply to finding the most gold, more just making a more pleasant experience.   In some places it was very noisy at mid-high gain, in others it was useable where the 6000 had a long tail that made it less than ideal. Axiom found every hot rock, 6000 no slouch there but Axiom very quick to dismiss them. Overall, and given the additional metal check- I came home thinking of what Steve had said regarding owning both. I agree ;  Good luck deciding. I'm selling my Axiom as I was given a 6000 as a gift and my disposable income will trump personal desires.