Have Detector Companies Hit A Wall

[RONS DETECTORS MINELAB]

Looks like everyone is having a different copy version made of all the older Minelab technology. A definite sign Minelab needs to start filling the demand for newer better detector technologies unless of course they have hit a wall.

I doubt that is the case as they have the largest electronics engineering team ever known for hobby detector development and have had these engineers on board for a long time now. Surprising they have had no new releases for such a long time in the gold detector series.

So what has happened in comparison to the early years when the SD/GP/GPX releases were quite frequent, seems every 2 years or sooner then. Even though they were mostly minor upgrades until the GPX series they were enough to get the buyers interested. 

The GPX-5000 is about 14 years old and has been still a great selling detector, now it’s not available in the U.S. and you can only get a fake on the knock off marketplace now.

SDC-2300 is 12 years old and still no Platypus coil for it. ZED is 9 years old. GM-1000 is 7 years old and still single frequency.

So other companies have had plenty of time to make similar designs in a lower price range.

Seems like we should have had had an upgraded wide variety and selection of the above mentioned models out by now.

Give me a GPX-5500 in a light package and includes the SD2200d or original GPX-4500 depth range and Micks mods incorporated into it and you would have the professional gold hunter market covered.

The GPX-6000 should have been called the GPX-auto lite since it has no larger coil options and would of been a great entry level for beginners with a lower price point than the above professional option mentioned.

Hopefully things change for the better with the current Minelab corporate leadership and that they get back into the top player market again.

[GotAU?]

14 minutes ago, RONS DETECTORS MINELAB said:

Looks like everyone is having a different copy version made of all the older Minelab technology. A definite sign Minelab needs to start filling the demand for newer better detector technologies unless of course they have hit a wall.
 

I doubt that as they have the largest electronics engineering team ever known for hobby detector development and have had these engineers on board for a long time now. Surprising they have had no new releases for so long in the gold detectors.
 

So what has happened in comparison to the early years when the SD/GP/GPX releases were quite frequent, seems every 2 years or sooner then. Even though they were mostly minor upgrades until the GPX series they were enough to get the buyers interested. 

The GPX-5000 is about 14 years old and has been still a great selling detector, now it’s on the knock off marketplace now.

SDC-2300 is 12 years old and ZED is 9 years old. GM-1000 is 7 years old and still single frequency.

So other companies have had plenty of of time to make similar designs in a lower price range.

Seems like we should have had had a wide variety and selection of the above mentioned models out by now.

GPX-5500 in a light package and includes a SD2200d or original GPX-4500 depth range with Micks mods incorporated into it.
The GPX-6000 should have been called the GPX-auto lite since it has no larger coil options.

Hopefully things change for the better with the current Minelab corporate leadership and that they get back into the top player market again.

Ron, the problem is, they wouldn’t want to make too good of an expensive detector, because then just a few people could buy it and they would suck up all the gold, and then nobody would want to do it anymore.😉

[phrunt]

7 minutes ago, GotAU? said:

Ron, the problem is, they wouldn’t want to make too good of an expensive detector, because then just a few people could buy it and they would suck up all the gold, and then nobody would want to do it anymore.😉

Might be some truth in that, as soon as the gold is gone, so are their sales. They sell products that eventually end their usefulness so they've trickled out the technology over the past decade or two.

[dig4gold]

The GPX 6000 should not have been called a GPX as it is nothing like a GPX. Doesn't even take the same coils. The 6000 has the 17" coil. That is a fairly large coil. Feels even larger on the 6000 making it out of balance & nose heavy.

I don't think technology has hit a wall but more likely that worthwhile detectable gold has hit a wall. 

D4G

[Lead Detector]

I think the algoforce e1500 has some interesting new technology going on with it. @phrunt seems to have confidence in the target I.D. I think it's a start to seeing some improvement on the PI machines anyways.

[phrunt]

I think we will see target ID on all PI's in the future, why leave it out when it can be so useful, I just don't get why it was left out so long when they were experimenting with it so long ago.

[dig4gold]

3 minutes ago, phrunt said:

as soon as the gold is gone, so are their sales.

The gold is mostly gone now. But as we know, no one gets all the gold so there will still be rats & mice getting caught which will keep the punters keep on playing the game. Albeit in declining numbers if making money from gold found is the goal.

D4G

[dig4gold]

14 minutes ago, Lead Detector said:

I think the algoforce e1500 has some interesting new technology going on with it. @phrunt seems to have confidence in the target I.D. I think it's a start to seeing some improvement on the PI machines anyways.

Maybe. But is it up there in the same league with the GPX 6000 in finding gold? If finding gold is the game.

D4G

[RONS DETECTORS MINELAB]

4 hours ago, GotAU? said:

, the problem is, they wouldn’t want to make too good of an expensive detector, because then just a few people could buy it and they would suck up all the gold, and then nobody would want to do it anymore

That’s a great point for sure as the electronic gold rush is slowing down here for sure.

Just silly that Mick is making the professional detector market about as good as it gets. I guess Minelab is more concerned about the average user and does not worry about the few professionals who get mods or add x-coils to bring in some extra beans to the table.

[dig4gold]

6 minutes ago, phrunt said:

I think we will see target ID on all PI's in the future, why leave it out when it can be so useful, I just don't get why it was left out so long when they were experimenting with it so long ago.

Because at the end of the day when chasing gold the only way to know for sure what the signal really is, is to dig it regardless of what numbers are telling you. That means digging all signals, like it has been for decades.

D4G