Minelab GPZ 7000 Treasure Talk Posts by Chris Ralph & Steve Herschbach

[Reno Chris]

in fairly neutral to mild ground, are depths/sensitivity essentially equivalent between the 5000 and 7000  given a 14" RM? Even if it's a slight difference is it more/less sensitive in these conditions?

 

I will also say that while the GPZ will outperform the 5000 on really big gold at depth, its my honest my experience is that with solid, medium-size gold say two to 10 pennyweight, in milder soils such as is more common here in the US, the GPZ will outperform but not in a huge way. The more mineralized the soils are, the more pronounced the out performance. The tests I did with Steve were very informal and hardly exact measurement stuff, but in no case did the 5000 outperform the GPZ, just that the GPZ only mildly out performed the 5000 with solid gold, medium sized and milder soils.

The GPZ way out performs the 5000 on mossy, wiry, porous or prickly types of gold - like the pieces I mentioned in my write up on treasure talk.

[jasong]

Thanks for replies.

 

One last question, generally speaking how much better is the noise/interference cancelation abilities? If you still have the machine could you for instance tune out noise standing directly under or fairly close to a transmission power line?

[Reno Chris]

However, I've asked questions like these in many places and many forums for many machines and more often than not received responses from people saying depth tests mean nothing, or you can't fairly compare X machine to Y machine, etc without receiving an actual answer.

I don't know what answers you have had in the past, or what your background is, but these are not simple questions that I just answer honestly and say something like detector A will see a quarter ounce nugget 2.3 inches deeper than detector B. There are just way, way too many variables. I can show you soils were you could not find a one gram nugget with a GB2 at 1/2 inch deep. Yet I know other soils where you could get that same nugget 4 or 5 inches deep. So what is the real answer? can a GB2 see that one gram nugget at 5 inches or can the GB2 hardly see it when its touching the coil? Depending on conditions, both answers are correct. And that's just the soil. The shape and nature of the nugget makes a difference too - not all nuggets of the same weight are created equal. I can show you nuggets of the same weight that give vastly different depth of detection  performance. A friend of mine has a mine that produced gold which in sizes of up to several pennyweight were totally invisible to the early minelab SD detectors, yet they screamed on VLFs. He called it "invisible gold" - but real gold is what those nuggets were made of.

 

 

generally speaking how much better is the noise/interference cancelation abilities?

It does a great job with low level EMI - background type stuff. It actually does a very good job with that. However, it does not have anything the equivalent of cancel mode for extreme EMI conditions. The one time I took it to a higher EMI area with homes and power lines fairly nearby, it was a bit noisy.

[Steve Herschbach]

I'm not prefacing it by implying I won't believe the answers at all, in fact I've been reading your detector reviews since you started writing them back on the AK forum.

 

However, I've asked questions like these in many places and many forums for many machines and more often than not received responses from people saying depth tests mean nothing, or you can't fairly compare X machine to Y machine, etc without receiving an actual answer.

 

Which is why I tried to tiptoe around it by saying I know these are controversial.

 

But apparantly that approach doesn't work either.

I do not consider the questions controversial in the slightest which is why I asked. There are certainly situations where a Gold Bug 2 or a GMT might be a better choice than a GPZ 7000. I am not selling my Gold Bug 2 for that very reason. As far as the GPZ vs GPX goes there are over 100 accessory coils available for the GPX. I would be a fool to claim the GPZ outperforms the GPX under all situations and under any circumstances. I am comfortable enough with the overall situation to have sold my GPX but I think it is fair to say that until many more people from around the world weigh in questions may remain. The only quantitative testing I know of was performed by Minelab in order to substantiate the figures they quote in their sales brochures and on their website. Anyone with doubts or concerns need only wait what I think will be a short while for a clearer picture to develop by way of cumulative reporting from what appears to be a large number of early adopters poised to hit the goldfields.

[G.B.]

Steve, Chis (and JP if you're tuned in.)

 

Having used these detectors, are you exited to be swinging one into the future. I've read your posts and understand the variables involved, leaving the larger nuggets aside what was your findings on the bread and butter nuggets of around 2 to 5 grams at depth. Do you think the 7000 could, would or should earn its keep on these.

[Reno Chris]

leaving the larger nuggets aside what was your findings on the bread and butter nuggets of around 2 to 5 grams at depth. Do you think the 7000 could, would or should earn its keep on these.

Please read the previous posts it will help us from answering the same question over and over - from an earlier question above:

 

its my honest my experience is that with solid, medium-size gold say two to 10 pennyweight, in milder soils such as is more common here in the US, the GPZ will outperform but not in a huge way. The more mineralized the soils are, the more pronounced the out performance. The GPZ way out performs the 5000 on mossy, wiry, porous or prickly types of gold - like the pieces I mentioned in my write up on treasure talk.

[G.B.]

Please read the previous posts it will help us from answering the same question over and over - from an earlier question above:

 

its my honest my experience is that with solid, medium-size gold say two to 10 pennyweight, in milder soils such as is more common here in the US, the GPZ will outperform but not in a huge way. The more mineralized the soils are, the more pronounced the out performance. The GPZ way out performs the 5000 on mossy, wiry, porous or prickly types of gold - like the pieces I mentioned in my write up on treasure talk.

Sorry Chris my mistake I should have done the conversion from pennyweight to grams before asking.  Only used to dealing in grams and ounces over here.

[Bada Bing]

Steve and Chris - I've read the manual and am wondering about the sound signal for large deeper targets.

The manual states :

"Large deep nuggets (typically ≥ 50 grams)

produce complex and subtle audio

responses"

 

What was your experience ? Any info appreciated .....

Cheers

BB

[Steve Herschbach]

Steve, Chis (and JP if you're tuned in.)

 

Having used these detectors, are you excited to be swinging one into the future. I've read your posts and understand the variables involved, leaving the larger nuggets aside what was your findings on the bread and butter nuggets of around 2 to 5 grams at depth. Do you think the 7000 could, would or should earn its keep on these.

I am VERY excited to have a GPZ 7000 and can't wait to spend every minute possible this season using it. There is no question the machine will earn its keep for anyone used to paying for their detectors will the gold they find. It is however all about being a good prospector and not about the detector. The GPZ 7000 will not turn a poor prospector into a good prospector. That is one function it lacks.

[Steve Herschbach]

Steve and Chris - I've read the manual and am wondering about the sound signal for large deeper targets.

The manual states :

"Large deep nuggets (typically ≥ 50 grams)

produce complex and subtle audio

responses"

What was your experience ? Any info appreciated .....

Cheers

BB

All the nuggets I found with the GPZ fairly well yelled out at me. I think all they are saying there is that those really deep fringe targets are not going to yell out and may have a very faint response. Nothing any very experienced hunter should find surprising but perhaps they felt needed pointing out in the manual. JP is better equipped to answer this one since he is the only person that has dug an over 50 gram nugget over a couple feet with a GPZ that I know of. We should be hearing from him soon.