The Subject Of The GPZ 7000

[Jonathan Porter]

As has been evident in recent weeks, the subject of Minelab's latest offering garners a lot of highly emotive and oft times erroneous comment, embarrassingly most of the noise comes from my own home country. This post is an attempt to quantify my thoughts, ideas and personal experiences on the subject of GPZ in an attempt to help the genuine people who I really care about and want to do right by. 

Firstly let me say, I've waited 19 years for the opportunity to see a totally new technology like ZVT to come to the fore, I've known about it for a very long time and have been involved in its development right from the start, so my levels of intimacy with this detector are very acute. A small part of me is intertwined with every detector that Minelab ships, that intimacy is shared with a lot of very special people at Minelab who don't have a public voice but who do have the same connection as me, to those people I want to say thank you for your dedication and hard work in getting the GPZ 7000 to where it is today.

The core focus behind GPZ was simplicity, to that end they had to take a VERY complicated technology and make it as simple to use as possible, I feel they have done an amazing job. The GPZ has a lot going on under the hood, the very fact it works so well is a testament to Bruce Candy's genius and the willingness of Codan/Minelab to get behind the technology monetarily and develop it to the level of refinement its achieved in its first iteration, a very expensive exercise in this day and age.

Each time I turn the production version of the GPZ 7000 on I just grin in true appreciation, it is gob smackingly good. Even after weeks of exposure I still find myself tingling with delight at its intricacy, I just love listening to it purr, the subtleties of the audio response are music to my ear. Why, you ask, can I wax so lyrical about the GPZ? Its simple, I have unwavering faith in its performance and the people behind the design. I have seen with my own eyes what the GPZ with ZVT can do, I have experienced the subtle grunt of this detector on more occasions than I can count! I know it is "livening up targets" at depths never achieved before by a PI machine, even with the supplied GPZ14 Super-D coil. I know every time I go detecting its just a matter of time and a little patience and I will be tapping into the future success story of GPZ all over again.

"Bang......real world"........ The real world does not work like what I've written above, the real world is hard work and perseverance!! The real world kicks you in the proverbial's and screams "GET UP YOU SLACKER!!!" But I have a secret weapon against the real world, I have a weapon I carry with me each and every time I go detecting, its the same secret weapon I've carried with me since I first started out. Its called the human condition, the ability to visualize success and reward, the ability to take on the real world and "get up and stop being a slacker" when the going gets tough. Maybe this is why the release of the GPZ 7000 is such an emotive subject, because all of you have the same monkey on your back, the "Real World" monkey.

The GPZ 7000 is what it is, you can either believe or not believe. I believe!!! I'm listening to what the GPZ has to say, I'm all ears to the nuances of its wireless audio stream, and I'm primed for when it livens up a target missed by the PI's!!

"The wise old Owl sat in an oak, the more he heard the less he spoke, the less he spoke the more he heard, why can't we be like that wise old bird". No one ever learns anything with their mouth open, me included!!!

 

JP

[Steve Herschbach]

JP, Thank you so much for your friendship and for sharing whatever you are able here as time allows. The depth of your knowledge on this subject is without equal and it is greatly appreciated. People who question your honesty and integrity simply do not know you and do you a great injustice. They are not welcome here. You said it best, this is the forum to "help the genuine people who I really care about and want to do right by."

 

Thank you again.

[fredmason]

Jonathan, you dog; you had me all juiced up for your secret settings.

 

This missive was way better!

 

again I thank you for all the time and effort you put into helping us...

 

fred

[Steve Herschbach]

We have been sworn to secrecy Fred about the hidden "Turbo" function. Sorry! 

[Condor]

The sheer stupidity and overblown egos continue to amaze me.  Every time Minelab comes out with a new machine, the same tired blathering of armchair prospectors find their audience.  "Minelab are money grubbing whores, JP and the product testers who share their knowledge and experience are on the Minelab tit, my other detector can do all that and more, blah blah blah."  Heard it all before.

JP takes so much of this crap, and all of us benefit from his willingness to step into the fray and provide hands on knowledge and experience.  I remember the old Finders Forum, good lord you would have thought that JP was the anti-christ.

There is a reason that Minelab relies on JP to do the beta testing.  He's out there day in and day out, every year.  While it is unlikely that JP gets a commission on detector sales, he well deserves one.   Not many people can say they have earned a living, kept a family clothed and educated, all from gold prospecting. He's also helped me and hundreds of others with his timely advice and guidance.

 

We need a category of "JP says..." so that we can skip to the important stuff and bypass the thoughtless drivel. 

 

To all the GPZ haters.  "DON'T BUY IT" and tell your story walking down the road. 

 

Steve has done a great job at keeping this forum on the track of a thoughtful and meaningful exchange of ideas.  People should be free to express criticism and opinion, but do it nicely.  As Pink Floyd says: "I mean good manners don't cost nothin do they, eh" (Us and Them)

[Reno Chris]

JP, you have thanked the folks at ML for their long efforts in bringing this detector to the market and indeed that is appropriate. However my friend, I would like to thank you for your very important part in making this complex new technology practical and easy to use for the every day prospector. It is no small effort and your voice is a most important one in the product development process. It is because of your passion for the best which can be achieved that there is within each ML detector a little bit of your good self intertwined and woven in.

Thanks for doing all you do.

[flakmagnet]

Jonathan Porter doing one of the things he does best;

speaking with clarity and knowledge about a new step in detector technology.

Another example of why he is admired by so many prospectors worldwide.

 

Thanks for taking the time to help JP.

[jez]

Well said Jp, don't worry about the spice girls on the Aussie forums , crying all day about the GPZ its this its that and most don't have one or even have the money to get a gpx5000 let alone a gpz . Just b4 the gpz was out all the 4500 users where bagging the 5000 now the 5000 is the best detector and they still have a 4500 haha bloody dreamers good luck on the gold with the turbo power GPZ

[Sourdough Scott]

Im all for a JP locked thread. Where he can give us straight up insight and tips. Without the negativity and wingnuts crying for a wambulance. It is good to have constructive criticism. But it seems to go further than that at times.Thanks JP for all you do.

[Steve Herschbach]

JP can have his own sub-forum anytime he wants, but having discussed it so far the problem is he is too busy digging gold! The offer stands however. Until that time I promise there will be no problem here from those who lack respect for others.