When Does New GPZ Gold Metal Detector Come Out?

[DolanDave]

For new detectors coming out from Minelab, keep your eye out on the patent, and trademark websites for names like Codan, Minelab, Bruce Candy, ect....

[mn90403]

There has been way more gold found without a detector than with one!

Mitchel

[Dubious]

If the GPX line is any guide (4000, 4500, 4800, 5000), the successor to the GPZ 7000 may well be the GPZ 7500, offering only incremental improvement. 

I'm not accusing Minelab of laziness, but the fact of the matter is that unless some of the other manufacturers do some impressive catching up in the high-end gold machine niche, Minelab probably doesn't need to do much to stay ahead.

[Gravelwasher]

 They like selling us 2-3" at a time..lol

 

[mn90403]

Yes, JW, I agree.  But look at all the clues that were left behind from the era before metal detectors!

My point was that we should and do seek out gold spots found WITHOUT a metal detector and we then try it WITH the 'easy find' tool as you describe.

Mitchel

[Norvic]

Interesting, talking about clues left behind, early days with the early VLFs we run around here and there, getting the easy surface stuff. I revisit over the years some of those isolated places with our deeper more sensitive detectors and in some cases Wow, we got some clues but we left more. How many such spots not revisited or forgotten or the original operator has moved on and of course how many clues taken out now with our "better" detectors, patches "almost" found

Makes you wonder about those patches that were almost found? What techniques should we be adopting to maximise our chances of finding them? Maybe the metal detector has spoilt us a wee bit but then again maybe we are not utilizing that detectors capability properly, sure we might believe we have mastered its capabilities and got our swing right but have we mastered what ground to use it on? Buh time will tell.

[jasong]

I spent a lot of time hoping for a GPZ update or new model but this last year I've found myself almost only using a VLF, in my case a GB2 and a Deus. I started in the "King PI" times and never really looked at VLF's as more than a relic from the past or a tool to clean up the little bits. But after my GPZ went to the shop I realized that I really enjoyed exploring with my GB2 and Deus because they were so light and easy to swing. When I'm exploring for new places it's a almost a better tool because finding those tiny bits are the best way to find new patches since they are so much more numerous and its easier to sniff out by tracing them. They are also the best way to find "new old" patches that have been forgotten because so many people only used PI's for so many years and those are the only indicators left behind now. The reality of today is that a lot of the guys who found these patches in the 70's, 80's, and 90's are gone and with them the knowledge and information is dying too so its up to the new guys to rediscover them. I think the era of taking the big guns to old gold fields and finding success is now also dying or dead, at least for me, I'm sure there will always be some producing nuggets from them though and saying "its still out there".

But mostly, I just remembered how fun detecting and exploring can be when you aren't tethered to a giant anchor and I can swing fast, all day, and still concentrate on looking at everything around me more. On the experience, on the geology, on the history around me, on life. Light and packable just feels right, it's how it should be today in 2019, it's how it should have been 10 years ago.

In a way I guess we are going back in time. I hope Minelab can find some way to bring this experience to the big guns like the GPZ but it doesn't seem likely due to physical limitations on the coil design and lack of competition. I'll always keep a PI or GPZ to clean up patches, but in the future I see a lot more exploration happening with the VLF's for me personally, like 25 years ago I guess we are going back to the future or maybe back to the past. I'll probably still buy a GPZ update if it's significantly deeper and hit old patches, but I don't see it (or a PI)  as my main machine anymore for the first time in my detecting career unless they make it far lighter or really advance it's ability to find deeper gold while reducing sensitivity to salt, minerals, and EMI.

I'm curious, after seeing Steve selling his GPZ, are you doing something similar with prospecting or are you mostly leaning towards coins and relics these days? Anyone else thinking along these same lines recently?

[SDMiner]

Hey longhn! I would buy Steve's GPZ if I were you. I would love to own anything the Gold Godfather Steve has touched! P.S. Steve you selling that fresh Walco pick yet ? -Mike

[Steve Herschbach]

Nope, the Walco goes nowhere! I am flattered by your portrayal - I am pretty good with a detector but there are many far better than I.

Jason, I like your thinking. I am selling the GPZ for no other reason than I have other things I want to pursue other than heavy prospecting this year. For a lot of the reasons you mention I am perfectly content using a VLF to look for gold so going awhile without a "big gun" does not worry me at all. The thought of going and chasing gold with a "VLF only" sounds quite refreshing right now. Honestly the way I run the GPZ is just grunt work. Days on end of careful gridding of "hunted out" locations. I have a hankering to do more of the just wandering around and exploring thing this summer, and a VLF stuffed in a rucksack as you noted can often serve better than a ton of theoretically more powerful gear.

But mainly I have my focus set on goals that are completely unrelated to gold prospecting or metal detecting this year. I decided to use the opportunity to clean house and start fresh again in 2020.

[flakmagnet]

Jasong, that was a killer post.