GPZ Settings Nome Ak Area

[Steve Herschbach]

The absolute number one mistake made time and time again by visitors to Alaska as witnessed personally at Ganes Creek and Moore Creek was people not learning or having sufficient hours on their detectors prior to arrival in Alaska. Extremely valuable time is wasted getting up to speed. I will never forget a guy at Ganes Creek running an MXT all week and finding no gold. Not until the next to last day did people ask what settings he was using, and he had the disc set so high as to almost completely eliminate any chance of finding a gold nugget. He did not like digging trash!

It seems to me long distance trips involve investments of time and money. It is like planning a big game hunt. It is hard to imagine a hunter on a safari who has not sighted in the scope and done lots of target practice before the big hunt. Spending lots of hours running your chosen detectors prior to a big adventure is no different.

I have a two week trip to a tropical island coming up soon for the express purpose of water detecting for jewelry. I know the machines involved already (CTX and ATX) but still have been making time to take them up to Lake Tahoe and get as many hours on both machines prior to departure as is possible. I have made a few finds but that was not the goal; the goal was to be sure I am up to speed and ready to go when it comes time to hit the water.

[fredmason]

I would like to clarify my comments. In no way did I intend to imply that one should not learn to use and understand their detector. My message is that sometimes local knowledge can save valuable time and much frustration by utilizing the hard earned information available through other's experience. 

A case in point is Steve's and Chris' trip to Oz. rather than wasting time learning appropriate setting on their own they got a quick start from Jonathan.  When I went to Oz in 2010 Mark Hyde lent me a 4500 and gave me the settings he used...that saved me a lot of time on the ground.

I would always defer to Steve's advise , If i had done so in 2005 my Moore Creek trip might have been more productive. NEVER take new detectors on a great adventure without thoroughly testing its reliability and learning how to use it.

fred

[WesD]

If you are looking for max depth on quite type ground, just  run in Normal ground setting, instead of Difficult. The rest of the factory default settings work amazingly well,  maybe bump the sensitivity up some, if you like.  Be prepared to dig deep holes!

[dgatleyDP]

Steve, Fred, and Wes -

Thanks, I really do get it, but much as Fred pointed out without saying it exactly.  ALASKA is not ARIZONA, nor Nevada, nor CA... It is more like going from the US to the land of OZ, much as Steve and Chris did - they got a "quick start" from Jonathan..  I have incredible respect for the knowledge they have shared and know they could figure it out, yet they still "asked" about this new-land where they are headed to save valuable time.

Finding out a bit more about the lay-of-the-land from someone who has been there before me, can save gobs of time.  That is exactly what I'm doing here - research. And, LipCa, I know how to find AU - with my ZED, but the last time I was in Alaska there was no such tool as the GPZ 7000 in existence....  So I'm asking, because this is new turf from where and what I do know about.

Wes cut to the quick, and that certainly will be tried, as will other advise given.  Fred also hit on it again, as did Steve - we all build upon the all the experience of others when we can.  

When I elevated my attack in my hunt for gold - with each new evelution of gear, I found that each detector had it's own complexities, abilities and responded differently from one local to another.  You build as you progress along.  So I ask, I read, I test, and I've learned from some of the best detectorists around; Gerry (ND), Jonathan (OZ), Lunk (Keith) Steve (H), Reno Chris, Chris G., and many many more.... 

So, thanks to all for the help, the settings, the suggestions and evaluations.  That's a major way I and others speed up our learning, our skills, our hardware.  So to LipCa, perhaps you understand a bit more now, perhaps you don't...  Good hunting always up there in N. CA.⛏. 

[LipCa]

i'll have to try one of those detectors one of these days.   good luck in Nome. 

My son has lived there for years.

[dgatleyDP]

LipCa, thanks!  I certainly hope you do try one.  I can almost promise that you can revisit your old favorite hunting grounds, and you most likely will find what you and others had missed.  

This is an incredible unit, expensive, but more impressive than all else I've swung. IMHO, the best so far for what I'm after.  You can run it right out of the box (in mineralized soil), and produce results.  You'll find small to large nuggets, shallow and incredibly deep, but after you also pull up a few pounds of tiny metal screening segments, and other trash equally small - you'll pray for discrimination.... Or well hunted grounds.

Oh - I'll be happy to share my settings also.  Good hunting my friend, with whatever you are swinging.

[LipCa]

After using my ATX, I know how those tiny metal pieces of iron/steel are..

I have a 2100 that I used once then I loaned it out and the entire battery system disappeared .. I guess someone needed it more than me.