Minelab's next gold machine

[mbasko]

Whilst the 6000 is a lightweight machine, the use of larger coils may offset that advantage for some.

Still need to use a harness & bungy if detecting with the 17" or 14" DD for long periods IMO. Even if just to help with coil control.

 

[Goldfreak]

I know its a bit of an out there idea but imagine a detector that isnt really a detector. Bare with me.... That for instance can see all gold on the surface near surface. Might not be that impressive but when you can see all gold in this way that makes it easy you will be suprised how much is actually front of you. those white points are tiny peices of alluvial amoungst rocks and sand of all colours and densities. Imagine a pair of goggles that could do this instead of the clunky contraption I bodged up. No reason why it cant be done but would need some one with programing and small electronic skills that I dont have. As far as detectors go, some thing like a sdc with 6000 capabilities thay doesnt fall over when you put it down and a few other minor changes would be good Imo.

 

[glenno11]

glenno, I just finished reading the problems you experienced with noise on the GPX6000 early on. Mine was exactly the same, just a noisy mongrel machine that could never be tamed. I had the coil replaced when it failed and then again after another letdown. When it was replaced the second time they also replaced the control panel and upper shaft but the reason for the replacement was never resolved.

Recently the DD coil got sick while I was waiting for the third replacement mono to turn up so Minelab sent me a complete unopened GPX6000. So far the difference has been very clear. I just posted my finds last week swinging a beautifuly quiet 14" DD. I've never had a stable threshold on the GPX6000 so at first I had my doubts about its detecting ability. This machine is totally different. It starts first time when turned on, needs a scan only once in a while and runs smooth and quietly. Hopefully the mono will perform in a similar way but so far if've not had the chance to check it out.

Hi Money box I don't think I had a problem with the 11'' they are known for being a bit noisy and I have used the 14 DD under power lines on a patch of mine and found it a great coil as well. But I think the 14x9 Coiltek Mono is just a far better coil than both by a long shot and it goes deeper. Just my thoughts it might out perform the 7000 for depth with the same size coil but not sure as I don't have a 7000 to test with cheers Glenno.

 

[gef12]

I like the 6000 with its flaws .. just needs some improvement
Simple things like Pulse Delay switching between small and large targets as the 6000 has only short pulse delay for small gold
can be software upgrade change with additional icon switch on screen.
Also the shafts should be upgraded to take the clip .. same as its GPX cousins not hard .. have done it to my unit. ( i would use the plastic ones )
Just my 2 bobs worth ..

 

[Hawkear]

I know its a bit of an out there idea but imagine a detector that isnt really a detector. Bear with me.... That for instance can see all gold on the surface near surface. Might not be that impressive but when you can see all gold in this way that makes it easy you will be suprised how much is actually front of you. View attachment 10208 those white points are tiny peices of alluvial amoungst rocks and sand of all colours and densities. Imagine a pair of goggles that could do this instead of the clunky contraption I bodged up. No reason why it cant be done but would need some one with programing and small electronic skills that I dont have. As far as detectors go, some thing like a sdc with 6000 capabilities thay doesnt fall over when you put it down and a few other minor changes would be good Imo.

Hi Goldfreak.
I have often thought about that possibility too. The light emitted and reflected by elements have different characteristics that allow them to be identified spectroscopically.
Gold only looks gold because it absorbs blue wavelengths of light and reflects the rest which we see as a gold colour.
This is much the same phenomenon as with leaves which we see as green because the absorb all the other wavelengths red, yellows, etc for their photosynthesis and only reflect the greens.
We can identify the elemental composition of stars by analyzing their very faint light over galactic scale distances so don’t see any scientific reason why not at distances of a few meters.
I can just see you walking around the goldfields of WA at night time scanning the ground with your special goggles looking for that big bright thing over there behind that “oops“ shaft.

 

[Hamsy]

Hi Goldfreak.
I have often thought about that possibility too. The light emitted and reflected by elements have different characteristics that allow them to be identified spectroscopically.
Gold only looks gold because it absorbs blue wavelengths of light and reflects the rest which we see as a gold colour.
This is much the same phenomenon as with leaves which we see as green because the absorb all the other wavelengths red, yellows, etc for their photosynthesis and only reflect the greens.
We can identify the elemental composition of stars by analyzing their very faint light over galactic scale distances so don’t see any scientific reason why not at distances of a few meters.
I can just see you walking around the goldfields of WA at night time scanning the ground with your special goggles looking for that big bright thing over there behind that “oops“ shaft.

Yes, many times in the past I have dreamt of having a super power, this is one of them

 

[Mr Tee]

Not a bad idea. For all the hype battery technology advances have been a slow creep rather than fast paced.
Never had a problem dealing with a battery lead myself although one of my mates would almost strangle himself in a flurry of excitement when digging out a deep nugget. Had to ask him to stand aside once before he completed his own strangulation whilst I helped with the dig. Nugget came out first dig. I hit it dead centre. It was an ugly nugget even before I hit it anyway.
Given that the 6000 battery voltage appears the same as the 5000 external battery voltage maybe all Minelab might need to do would be to provide an external power socket on the 6000 to allow the external pre 6000 GPX lithium battery to be connected if desired.
Another thing I would like to see is more use of S bend shafts In detector configuration. Due to arthritis on my hands I find it difficult to use grip handles to support detector shafts having to keep grip pressure on that handle for long periods. With a S bend the shaft weight can rest on top of the hand and can be controlled more nimbly with less grip force. Have modified my 5000 shaft and the difference is terrific.
Whilst the 6000 is a lightweight machine, the use of larger coils may offset that advantage for some.

Hi Hawkear,

Any chance of a picture of your modified shaft?

Cheers - Mr Tee

 

[Goldfreak]

Hi Goldfreak.
I have often thought about that possibility too. The light emitted and reflected by elements have different characteristics that allow them to be identified spectroscopically.
Gold only looks gold because it absorbs blue wavelengths of light and reflects the rest which we see as a gold colour.
This is much the same phenomenon as with leaves which we see as green because the absorb all the other wavelengths red, yellows, etc for their photosynthesis and only reflect the greens.
We can identify the elemental composition of stars by analyzing their very faint light over galactic scale distances so don’t see any scientific reason why not at distances of a few meters.
I can just see you walking around the goldfields of WA at night time scanning the ground with your special goggles looking for that big bright thing over there behind that “oops“ shaft.

Funny you mentioned the possibility of falling down a shaft when using such a device not to mention sharp tree branches. Perhaps an fpv monocle display would be bettter.

 

[firefly]

Hi Steven.
I noted your concern with regard to the weight of both the 7000& the 2300 and rightly so at your 57 years of age. According to their website, the 7000 comes in at 3.32 kg and the 2300 at 2.3kg. Not much weight really? Well, those that are sniggering may I suggest you pop down to the local gym and put on a pair of 500grm boxing gloves for three minutes and see how that 500 grm feels like 5 kgs. You have brought out a very important point on two aspects, one, fitness and two, manufacturers providing a machine for older participants , which I suggest is the largest buyer of their products, and design the unit to suit both and not just the profit margin.

The 7000 with the 19 inch coil is insufferably heavy even when used with the bungy and a hipstick. The package should come with chiropractor sessions. Not excluding improvements to the weight issue, i'd like to see some iron discrimination capabilities added if possible on a new 7000/8000 detector?

 

[Moneybox]

The 7000 with the 19 inch coil is insufferably heavy even when used with the bungy and a hipstick. The package should come with chiropractor sessions. Not excluding improvements to the weight issue, i'd like to see some iron discrimination capabilities added if possible on a new 7000/8000 detector?

Yeah, iron discrimination might help if all the weight was iron

 

[Hawkear]

Hi Hawkear,

Any chance of a picture of your modified shaft?

Cheers - Mr Tee

Hi Mr Tee
Pictures as asked. Both sides and top.
Materials - old S shaft from a Minelab GT or XT bought at a garage sale,
- Quick track button (from Phase Tech)
- 90 degree bend 20mm electrical conduit (Bunnings) plus short
straight length.
- heaps of electrical tape.
I cut a lengthwise 20mm slot and partial crossway cut in the end of the 90 degree conduit to enable the end to folded back into two flat flanges which would fit either side of the S bend shaft. You need to use a bit of heat to soften the plastic to do this and I practiced doing this on a disposable straight bit first. The flanges give something solid for the 90 degree conduit to be taped solidly to the shaft. I also had to make an opening in the conduit to allow the coil lead plug to be threaded through when changing coils.
I originally was going to buy an s bend GPX shaft from a gold shop,but at the time, they were out of stock. This works well enough so reckon have saved myself $140.

 

[Allthatshines]

Hi Steven.
I noted your concern with regard to the weight of both the 7000& the 2300 and rightly so at your 57 years of age. According to their website, the 7000 comes in at 3.32 kg and the 2300 at 2.3kg. Not much weight really? Well, those that are sniggering may I suggest you pop down to the local gym and put on a pair of 500grm boxing gloves for three minutes and see how that 500 grm feels like 5 kgs. You have brought out a very important point on two aspects, one, fitness and two, manufacturers providing a machine for older participants , which I suggest is the largest buyer of their products, and design the unit to suit both and not just the profit margin.

You often will see detectorists using weight-supporting harnesses with a GPZ 7000, but almost never (if ever) with an SDC 2300. Obviously, when you swing a detector for hours, the wear and tear of that extra 1Kg on the user's shoulder adds up quickly. For younger people sniggering at an older guy in his 50s that wishes to protect what is left of his shoulders, talk to me again when you age a little. As someone else said, age quickly catches up with you.

 

[Mr Tee]

Hi Mr Tee
Pictures as asked. Both sides and top.
Materials - old S shaft from a Minelab GT or XT bought at a garage sale,
- Quick track button (from Phase Tech)
- 90 degree bend 20mm electrical conduit (Bunnings) plus short
straight length.
- heaps of electrical tape.
I cut a lengthwise 20mm slot and partial crossway cut in the end of the 90 degree conduit to enable the end to folded back into two flat flanges which would fit either side of the S bend shaft. You need to use a bit of heat to soften the plastic to do this and I practiced doing this on a disposable straight bit first. The flanges give something solid for the 90 degree conduit to be taped solidly to the shaft. I also had to make an opening in the conduit to allow the coil lead plug to be threaded through when changing coils.
I originally was going to buy an s bend GPX shaft from a gold shop,but at the time, they were out of stock. This works well enough so reckon have saved myself $140.

Gidday Hawkear,

That’s an excellent solution to a problem that you’re facing. I agree with you that the smallest increments in weight increase discomfort by a much larger degree over time when a person’s carrying an injury. This can be tens of minutes to an hour or two. I have carpal tunnel syndrome which can be pretty severe at times but I refuse to let it beat me………..and I usually end up using more pain killers than I would normally take. Typical dumb male, always paying the price.

Your setup looks to be exactly what companies should be delivering or offering not only to people with injuries/medical conditions, but the older Community as well. The older community must make up a large portion of their customer base. So it makes sense that they should be looking at the ergonomics of what they are producing. Your design nails it.
Thank you for sharing Hawkear, I will be needing that someday in the future for sure.

Cheers - Mr Tee

 

[Hawkear]

Gidday Hawkear,

That’s an excellent solution to a problem that you’re facing. I agree with you that the smallest increments in weight increase discomfort by a much larger degree over time when a person’s carrying an injury. This can be tens of minutes to an hour or two. I have carpal tunnel syndrome which can be pretty severe at times but I refuse to let it beat me………..and I usually end up using more pain killers than I would normally take. Typical dumb male, always paying the price.

Your setup looks to be exactly what companies should be delivering or offering not only to people with injuries/medical conditions, but the older Community as well. The older community must make up a large portion of their customer base. So it makes sense that they should be looking at the ergonomics of what they are producing. Your design nails it.
Thank you for sharing Hawkear, I will be needing that someday in the future for sure.

Cheers - Mr Tee

I just don’t know why Minelab went away from the S bend shaft for detectors they know people will be using for hours at a time. I can support my detector off the ground with a finger or two and still swing it.

 

[Mr Tee]

I just don’t know why Minelab went away from the S bend shaft for detectors they know people will be using for hours at a time. I can support my detector off the ground with a finger or two and still swing it.

Yes, you‘ve done a great design and should do something with it. I can see it having a place in the future especially with an aging population who enjoy getting out there.
Good job Hawkear.

Regards - Mr Tee

 

[Hotrock]

Learn to listen to the 6000 it tells you all! I only use the 17" coil and scrape with a mini digger generally 3-4" depending on conditions. I work an area which is a virtual ocean of metal scraps from the old boys (thanks a lot guys!) the depth of topsoil cover in these areas goes from surfacing calcrete to depths of 1M in topsoils, river gravels and saprolite.
Get under the metal skin and things change, I find many sub grammers and up to 40 grammers which are buried in highly cemented calcrete to 500mm with the 6k.
Have compared with a 7k and minimal difference but the 6k won the smaller ones, 7k made no difference with the big ones and did not find any others the 6k did not find.
All gold makes a different noise with the 6k depending on the ground its buried in and once you get used to its idosycrancies you can pick it 50% of the time. (yodelling in topsoil = nice sized deeper nugget or the finest bit of wire which you can hardly see (fly wire) or a nearby tin lid) (scrape all soil away to caprock and deep low to high signal = 2 grammers plus deeper in calcrete, dug until you get the coil overload beeps which means they are close as), (digging 2-300mm and still low/high you are onto a payrock
Never discount the "aw man junk again!" noise, I recently passed over a 7g and a 34g in a creek bed twice on first passes, as some will know creeks love to collect every bit of rubbish each rain that exists for many KM, these were sitting in a creek that in an area that has been slaughtered since the 1980s.
Some of the bigger nuggets have been in 500mm of the most hardest cemented caprock and taken hours to hammer out with a demolition jackhammer (go wide to protect the nugget) and very hard to pinpoint with the 17".
Pinpointers are a gimmick and useless and I have just got a Sadie for the 4500 to help with this, I would suppose a GM with the teeny coil would be even better, these nuggets generally start at 2 grams and upwards so should work.
My experience is the 6k will pick up nice deep stuff and I have also dig up noises that said "hello I am ground noise" for a 22g.
Moral is learn the noises dont whinge about them no matter now they sound.
Using the 6k is like handling an SS Commodore and the 7k like driving a Kenworth and in my usage the performance is similar but each to their own.
I have massive bursitis problems in my RH shoulder issues which just operating my excavator aggrevates and then the decector on top of than so in my situation the 6K is a winner ( the 7k was unusable for me after 15 mins, yes harness and swingstick for both plus Panadol Osteo/Forte etc, dont comment on the pills etc, I try avoid my meds and are none of your business its just a small example and yes I try alternatives for the flamers).
To sum up the 6k is a very capable machine that the 7k can mostly do in a lighter package and I highly recommend it, but get over its waffling and you will love it.

 

[Deano]

Learn to listen to the 6000 it tells you all! I only use the 17" coil and scrape with a mini digger generally 3-4" depending on conditions. I work an area which is a virtual ocean of metal scraps from the old boys (thanks a lot guys!) the depth of topsoil cover in these areas goes from surfacing calcrete to depths of 1M in topsoils, river gravels and saprolite.
Get under the metal skin and things change, I find many sub grammers and up to 40 grammers which are buried in highly cemented calcrete to 500mm with the 6k.
Have compared with a 7k and minimal difference but the 6k won the smaller ones, 7k made no difference with the big ones and did not find any others the 6k did not find.
All gold makes a different noise with the 6k depending on the ground its buried in and once you get used to its idosycrancies you can pick it 50% of the time. (yodelling in topsoil = nice sized deeper nugget or the finest bit of wire which you can hardly see (fly wire) or a nearby tin lid) (scrape all soil away to caprock and deep low to high signal = 2 grammers plus deeper in calcrete, dug until you get the coil overload beeps which means they are close as), (digging 2-300mm and still low/high you are onto a payrock
Never discount the "aw man junk again!" noise, I recently passed over a 7g and a 34g in a creek bed twice on first passes, as some will know creeks love to collect every bit of rubbish each rain that exists for many KM, these were sitting in a creek that in an area that has been slaughtered since the 1980s.
Some of the bigger nuggets have been in 500mm of the most hardest cemented caprock and taken hours to hammer out with a demolition jackhammer (go wide to protect the nugget) and very hard to pinpoint with the 17".
Pinpointers are a gimmick and useless and I have just got a Sadie for the 4500 to help with this, I would suppose a GM with the teeny coil would be even better, these nuggets generally start at 2 grams and upwards so should work.
My experience is the 6k will pick up nice deep stuff and I have also dig up noises that said "hello I am ground noise" for a 22g.
Moral is learn the noises dont whinge about them no matter now they sound.
Using the 6k is like handling an SS Commodore and the 7k like driving a Kenworth and in my usage the performance is similar but each to their own.
I have massive bursitis problems in my RH shoulder issues which just operating my excavator aggrevates and then the decector on top of than so in my situation the 6K is a winner ( the 7k was unusable for me after 15 mins, yes harness and swingstick for both plus Panadol Osteo/Forte etc, dont comment on the pills etc, I try avoid my meds and are none of your business its just a small example and yes I try alternatives for the flamers).
To sum up the 6k is a very capable machine that the 7k can mostly do in a lighter package and I highly recommend it, but get over its waffling and you will love it.

Good report, if I understand correctly, part of what you are saying is the 6000 with the GPX 17 mono coil performs about the same as the 7000, but the 6000 is better on small tiny gold and is lighter weight but the threshold waffles a bit.
(I just purchased GPX 17 and NF Xceed 12x7 coils for my 6000 but never tried them yet. I should have all the bases covered for now, I’m going out detecting within the next week. Later on in the future I could get an Xceed 16x10, 8.5x6, and/or CT Goldhawk 10x5 coils.)

 

[guipago]

Learn to listen to the 6000 it tells you all! I only use the 17" coil and scrape with a mini digger generally 3-4" depending on conditions. I work an area which is a virtual ocean of metal scraps from the old boys (thanks a lot guys!) the depth of topsoil cover in these areas goes from surfacing calcrete to depths of 1M in topsoils, river gravels and saprolite.
Get under the metal skin and things change, I find many sub grammers and up to 40 grammers which are buried in highly cemented calcrete to 500mm with the 6k.
Have compared with a 7k and minimal difference but the 6k won the smaller ones, 7k made no difference with the big ones and did not find any others the 6k did not find.
All gold makes a different noise with the 6k depending on the ground its buried in and once you get used to its idosycrancies you can pick it 50% of the time. (yodelling in topsoil = nice sized deeper nugget or the finest bit of wire which you can hardly see (fly wire) or a nearby tin lid) (scrape all soil away to caprock and deep low to high signal = 2 grammers plus deeper in calcrete, dug until you get the coil overload beeps which means they are close as), (digging 2-300mm and still low/high you are onto a payrock
Never discount the "aw man junk again!" noise, I recently passed over a 7g and a 34g in a creek bed twice on first passes, as some will know creeks love to collect every bit of rubbish each rain that exists for many KM, these were sitting in a creek that in an area that has been slaughtered since the 1980s.
Some of the bigger nuggets have been in 500mm of the most hardest cemented caprock and taken hours to hammer out with a demolition jackhammer (go wide to protect the nugget) and very hard to pinpoint with the 17".
Pinpointers are a gimmick and useless and I have just got a Sadie for the 4500 to help with this, I would suppose a GM with the teeny coil would be even better, these nuggets generally start at 2 grams and upwards so should work.
My experience is the 6k will pick up nice deep stuff and I have also dig up noises that said "hello I am ground noise" for a 22g.
Moral is learn the noises dont whinge about them no matter now they sound.
Using the 6k is like handling an SS Commodore and the 7k like driving a Kenworth and in my usage the performance is similar but each to their own.
I have massive bursitis problems in my RH shoulder issues which just operating my excavator aggrevates and then the decector on top of than so in my situation the 6K is a winner ( the 7k was unusable for me after 15 mins, yes harness and swingstick for both plus Panadol Osteo/Forte etc, dont comment on the pills etc, I try avoid my meds and are none of your business its just a small example and yes I try alternatives for the flamers).
To sum up the 6k is a very capable machine that the 7k can mostly do in a lighter package and I highly recommend it, but get over its waffling and you will love it.

Have to disagree with your assumption pinpointers are a gimmick & useless, they are very useful when coin & relic hunting, which is what they were designed for, not for picking up gold, all about coil size & frequency for small gold.

 

[Hawkear]

I find pinpointing difficulty increases a lot with the size of the target and the size of the coil. Often have dug deep holes only to find the target to one side. Can’t carry a Sadie around with me but a pinpointer no problem and has already saved me a lot of time and wasted effort when using my larger coils.
Important as I get older.

 

[XLOOX]

The now unobtainable Whites TRX is one of the only true pinpointers - it only detects in the forward direction from its nose.

Most other pinpointers also detect strongly to the side of their head - sometimes upto 50mm up the side . So if you are not aware of this you can still go off track for a while - you poke it down the hole and it goes beep at the bottom & you think ok I need to go deeper and keep digging down instead of across.

They still work fine but it pays to play with some targets and see the field shape and effective distance of your pinpointer so you can visualise what it is telling you.