I've Been Looking Through My Old Pictures Again, Some Made Me Cry...

[Gerry in Idaho]

Doc, You are to kind my friend.

Yes our wives have had many a dinners in various countries talking about us and our silly detecting passions of helping others. 

We've had some wonderful yrs and memories in this industry and shared some fun times. 

It amazes me to this day why you still work so many jobs when you don't need the $$ or headache? We do enjoy the large selection of detecting tools and accessories you build and offer to the public.

You're a one of a kind Doc, I love your desire and enthusiasm to this day. 

Hopefully Minelab has one more whoorah so we can enjoy each other's banter again and look at all the newbie wet behind the ear dealers, just like we were 25+ yrs ago.  Oh my gosh, it's been that long.

The Gold Lady- An amazing energetic lady who was never short of wearing jewelry.  She'd sink to the bottom of the ocean in a heartbeat from all the heavy metal....and full of charisma. 

[Doc]

Gerry,

Minelab Partner Conference Adelaide Australia, May 13th to the 19th 2025!

Be there or I'll be lonely.

I'll probably be there alone this time around.  My wife has our new Grandchild to take care of, and I intend to go for 30 days and go detecting if I can find and pay a guide to go one on one in the Outback.

I had it all lined up the last time and Co-Vid happened and I lost around $5000 in airline tickets.  Because while they were supposed to issue vouchers, instead they just went bankrupt.

Doc

[Lanny]

Doc, nice write-up!

You did a great job of paying wonderful tributes. As well, thanks for the back-story of some great Minelab dealers, your trips and outings with them, and thanks for the extra information about the Gold Lady--she seemed like a real treasure.

You've always been a great guy not only to help out others, but also to show genuine appreciation for others, all the best,

Lanny

[Gerry in Idaho]

15 hours ago, Doc said:

Gerry,

Minelab Partner Conference Adelaide Australia, May 13th to the 19th 2025!

Be there or I'll be lonely.

I'll probably be there alone this time around.  My wife has our new Grandchild to take care of, and I intend to go for 30 days and go detecting if I can find and pay a guide to go one on one in the Outback.

I had it all lined up the last time and Co-Vid happened and I lost around $5000 in airline tickets.  Because while they were supposed to issue vouchers, instead they just went bankrupt.

Doc

Wonder why I and a few other dealers were never provided this info.  Maybe only select dealers got the invite? Please forward me the details at gerrys1det@gmail.com as I look forward to seeing the heavy brass again.  I'll probably do like you and stay a while as I want to grab some heavy metal in the Gold Fields and then swing the beaches for a few gold rings.

Looking forward to it.  Thanks

[Steve Herschbach]

"Minelab Partner Conference Adelaide Australia, May 13th to the 19th 2025"

Sounds like a GPZ 8000 introduction to me.

[phrunt]

They might be in a rush to release an under $2000 GBPI challenge detector.

At the moment they're losing sales to an unexpected competitor, one that would give a bit more of a sore spot than ordinarily.  

Garrett has dropped their Axiom price a bit, Nokta is coming and Minelab know it.   Times ticking and sales are going to other brands than their own.  They're certainly losing any dominance with VLF's, they'd hate the fact they are losing potential sales of their gold prospecting machines to other brands, an area they've mostly had to themselves for some time.

I'm surprised they've held onto the Gold Monster so long when the Garrett 24k is clearly a better machine, I guess the GM still sells well enough and the 24k just doesn't have the same level of popularity even if better, this has a lot to do with Garrett's international pricing structure more than anything else I think with the GM being cheaper and from the bigger brand for prospecting gear.

I maybe dreaming but it would be great if they were doing an under $2000 GBPI detector, I'd be happy with a modernized GPX 5000, maybe tweaked a bit to be a little better on the prickly gold and other types of gold its very weak on.  I just hope if they do they keep the vast array of settings that makes the older GPX series what it is, but just have it in a nice menu system on a screen, they may need a screen like the GPZ for that.  I know they'd never allow older GPX coils work on it, but it would be best for everyone if they did unless performance dictated they change them.

[RONS DETECTORS MINELAB]

Simon,

All good points which prompted me to start a new thread and not take away from Doc’s great post. 😪

 

[Doc]

2 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

"Minelab Partner Conference Adelaide Australia, May 13th to the 19th 2025"

Sounds like a GPZ 8000 introduction to me.

All they have to do to make a splash is repackage the GPZ7000 in a form factor like the GPX6000 make it lite, and add discrimination.

They do that and Ebay will have a glut of used GPZ7000's up for sale.

Doc

[Steve Herschbach]

1 hour ago, Doc said:

All they have to do to make a splash is repackage the GPZ7000 in a form factor like the GPX6000 make it lite, and add discrimination.

They do that and Ebay will have a glut of used GPZ7000's up for sale.

Doc

I don't know. At this point I think all that will make a splash is a genuine performance boost to the point where we can go back to places pounded with the 6000 and 7000 and have some reasonable gold start showing up. If the patch is dead to a 6000 and 7000 with X coils a lighter 7000 is not going to cut it. I bitch about the weight all the time but fact is I can still swing a 7000 all day long. If a GPZ 8000 does not give me a genuine better shot at gold coming out of currently dead ground then I don't need it, no matter what it weighs.

 

[Gold Catcher]

That's right. Weight alone would not cut it for me neither. After a full day of detecting with the 7000 I need 4 Advil to feel almost good at night. That would give me 137 years of pain free detecting, assuming I spend 8k on advil ($0.04/pill) and detect every day, instead of spending 8k for a light weight (and otherwise nothing) gpz 8000. 😁

GC