Now Here's a New Business Idea....

[Knomad]

With 3D printing technology as advanced as it now is, and the quality of finished product now good, how about some of you young Whipper Snappers sell products to FIX the flaws we see in often high priced products..!

Ideas -- A new housing and general body to lighten up and improved the balance for the GPZ 7000.  A complete housing system for the 3500, 4000, 4500. 5000 to get rid of the heavy separate battery and cords nonsense,  A complete new housing for the Monster 2000 to get rid of the stupid one it has to correct the top heavy flipping and flopping, and add the missing Bluetooth.   A new housing for the Axiom with a Bluetooth, a better rear port access door, and a shade extension above the display.  For ALL detectors - How about a General Purpose universal telescoping shaft system with a coil wire going up the shaft and spring loaded to wind up at the shaft back end..?

Feel free to add your own ideas..!

Yes I'm a Born Again General Critic ...

   

[phrunt]

The housing of the GPZ isn't the cause of the weight, a 3D printed housing is likely to add weight.  A big part of the weight is the coil.

The GPX 4000/54500/5000 housing being alloy is used as part of the shielding process, a plastic housing is going to make for a very noisy detector, there are already battrery solutions with Lipo and Lithium to lighten up the early GPX series although really with it hanging off your butt you don't notice the weight of the battery at all and the detector itself isn't that much heavier than the GPX 6000, the coils often cause much of its weight over the lighter 6000 coils.  

Bluetooth is easily added with some adhesive Velcro to any detector with a module.

Those shade extensions are around on covers or 3D printed for many detectors.

I think your business idea would be a big flop, but by all means give it a go, see how you go, you could buy a printer and use it 🙂

 

[klunker]

14 hours ago, Knomad said:

With 3D printing technology as advanced as it now is, and the quality of finished product now good,

 I don't know much about 3D printing, or tecknallugee in general, but couldn't I just print 3D gold nuggets? 

[Aureous]

Aside from Simons comments, any warranty would be voided by such action also, provided the detector was still within its warranty period. There would be some weight savings in some cases, but the shielding issue would need to be solved especially.

[Reg Wilson]

Can't see how shielding could be such a big problem as from the 16000 to the 7000 and 6000 plastic has been the casing used. Lining the casing with metal foil should do the job. I was very tempted to 'hotrod' the 7000 as is is a ridiculously heavy beast, and by using Kevlar  just as a beginning, the weight could be reduced dramatically. I have used Kevlar in coil building and it is amazingly strong and does not require a very thick application as does plastic or polyester. Nuggetfinder and Xcoils have demonstrated that coil weight can be reduced and a Kevlar coil would reduce the weight even further.

Admittedly price would increase by using Kevlar, but I for one would be happy to pay extra just to avoid the 'Neanderthal' barge that we have been forced to swing. What sort of tester would give their blessing to a detector that could have been designed by the 'tea lady'? We are talking big money for these detectors, and the 7000 in particular falls short in design genius in the unnecessary weight this machine is burdened with. The electronics are revolutionary but the usability betrays the fact that not enough consideration has been given to the possibility of long term physical damage suffered by by the users of heavy detectors.

I sold my 7000 because of the pain in my wrist caused by a motorcycle accident where as my 6000 gives me no trouble at all even after long periods of time in the field. If an 8000 eventuates I hope that Minelab have learned to build a lighter version than its predecessor.

[flakmagnet]

17 hours ago, phrunt said:

The housing of the GPZ isn't the cause of the weight, a 3D printed housing is likely to add weight.  A big part of the weight is the coil.

isn't the estimated weight of the housing and battery around 4 pounds? 

If that's even close, that's pretty heavy imho.

[jasong]

What I'd have paid for is a cellphone case-style snap on TPU or rubberized control box protector, which would be lighter than these ill fitting, clunky fabric cover kits and allow for changing coils much easier on the GPZ.

Mine is so scratched up already that I don't really need one anymore though. But if the next detector suffers from similar lack of protection, that'd be the thing to make and sell IMO. Wouldn't void a warranty either. It could be 3d printed too. 3d printing anything not made of TPU intended for hot climates and rugged use is a recipe for failure due to layer bonding and deformation, but TPU is the one material without either of those issues. 

[Gold Ryder]

What the 7000 really needs is a longer shaft system, like the 5000s tall man. It makes a huge difference in swing balance and coverage.  Be a game changer

[Knomad]

Those are good ideas guys.

Warranty is not an issue once expired.

And there are now carbon fiber and other materials for printing.

Shielding is often now just Conductive Paint inside.

7000 coils, is the weight the coil wires, or the plastic covers, don't 3rd party coils weigh less..?