Headphones v external speakers with GPX 5000

Hi I'm really new at this - have invested in a GPX5000 with headphones and am presently watching JP's DVD Unwrapping the GPX5000. He wears dual externals and as my ears are already complaining, I'm tempted to do likewise. What brand is best (his has an on/off button) and what do you prefer?

Go to jaycar and buy a small mobile phone in car speaker I think they are around $20 solder on a stereo plug a couple of dollars and there you go. You can fit a switch if you want. all depends on how confident you are with a soldering iron ..... its pretty easy tho

Hi,

I run a dual speaker set-up similar to JP's and use a B&Z booster that has an on/off switch
that is also a volume control and it also has a switch that toggles between the amplified sound
and the un-amplified sound.
I don't think the speaker brand names are the same in the US as in Australia so I won't include it.
I love the ser-up for many reasons.
It also makes a great teaching aid.

fwiw,

this is the kit we have been using with very good results.
link to b&z kit from gold city detecting.

http://goldcitydetecting.com/Boosters%2C-Speakers%2C-Headphones.php

Hi goldsal . I have recently gone from a single speaker to dual speakers and it is a bit easier to hear the faint signals, particularly on windy days.
There are 2 ways to wire these , in parralel or in series .
If they are joined in Parralel the resistance seen by the battery / amp could be 4 ohms and I am not sure if this is ok for the batterys amp.
I have wrired mine in series which gives 16 ohms ( each speaker is 8 ohms ) and it works well.
Maybe Ismael or someone else who has done this could comment ?
DB

dryblower wrote:There are 2 ways to wire these , in parralel or in series .
If they are joined in Parralel the resistance seen by the battery / amp could be 4 ohms and I am not sure if this is ok for the batterys amp.
I have wrired mine in series which gives 16 ohms ( each speaker is 8 ohms ) and it works well.
Maybe Ismael or someone else who has done this could comment ?
DB

I have mine wired in parallel, this is the way they will be if you buy the complete setup from the detecting shops that sell the dual setup.

I have been using mine this way on the 4000, and now on the 4500 ever since it was released about 3 years ago or so. And it works fine. and your right it drops the effective ohms to 4 per speaker totals is still 8ohms which is what it is with a single speaker. I also use the B&Z booster.

I use GME Electrophone SPK07 speakers which are the same as the ones supplied by detector shops as optional extras for the GPX5000 or 4500.

cheers dave

Thanks Dave for clarifying that .
As I wasnt sure I played safe ! Sounds like the ML battery and amp will be ok with the 4 ohms if the commercial ones are wired in parallel.
I also use the GME SPK07 that the detector shops sell and they are ok. At the moment I put my hands over them to muffle the startup scream on the 5000.
Next project is to fit them with kill switches !
I have seen a few prefer the Jaycar speakers , so I might give them a try for a spare set.
Cheers
DB

davsgold wrote:

dryblower wrote:There are 2 ways to wire these , in parralel or in series .
If they are joined in Parralel the resistance seen by the battery / amp could be 4 ohms and I am not sure if this is ok for the batterys amp.
I have wrired mine in series which gives 16 ohms ( each speaker is 8 ohms ) and it works well.
Maybe Ismael or someone else who has done this could comment ?
DB

I have mine wired in parallel, this is the way they will be if you buy the complete setup from the detecting shops that sell the dual setup.

I have been using mine this way on the 4000, and now on the 4500 ever since it was released about 3 years ago or so. And it works fine. and your right it drops the effective ohms to 4 per speaker totals is still 8ohms which is what it is with a single speaker. I also use the B&Z booster.

I use GME Electrophone SPK07 speakers which are the same as the ones supplied by detector shops as optional extras for the GPX5000 or 4500.

cheers dave

Actually Dave you are wrong as 2 x 8ohm speakers wired in parallel will give 4 ohms total not 8 ohms, if they were 16 ohms it would be 8ohms. All depends on the amps you are attaching them to. With the amp I use in the little ripper battery system the lower the ohms the lower the output.

G'day Ismael

Your right, its 4 ohms, don't know why I tried to add them back together.

cheers dave

I use the standard harness and find it
quite easy to reach behind and partly pull the speaker plug
out, killing the sound.

Alan

Good tip allan ! Will give that a go . The switches might not be required !
Cheers
DB

A most popular unit is the Treasure Mate II can be found at
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Treasure-Mate-II-Amplifier-Minelab-Metal-Detector-/300600987348?pt=AU_Gadgets&hash=item45fd370ed4
cheers

I use Docs, GoldScreamer Power Pack. I use headphones on windy days, and use Dual speakers at other time and when the temperature climb up there. The main thing to check with either one is the length of the audio cable to your amp, or control box! My headphone are no problem when I sit my detector down and bend over to hand test for a target over the search coil. The dual speaker was just about 18 inches too short, when I would lean forward the audio jack would pull out. Finding a 3 foot or 1 meter extension was a pain. They do make them, but they are hard to find.
More Au to you, Robert

Hi,

If its not too windy I prefer an external speaker, much nicer in the sun without headphones. Once you get used it I think its more effective as well to be honest. Just bear in mind that they can be heard from a LONG way off depending on the topology of the ground you are on! Covert they are not.


themrburns

For the DIY's it takes a "mono" plug to trip the amp in the 45 an 5's battery.

detectoraid wrote:For the DIY's it takes a "mono" plug to trip the amp in the 45 an 5's battery.

Are you sure? I thought it took a stero plug to trip/activate the amp/booster in the 45's & 5's ML battery.

For example the B&Z booster has a mono plug which plugs into the ML battery there by, by passing the existing ML amp/booster ans allowing the B&Z booster to be the only active booster.

If you just want to use an external speaker directly from the ML battery, they have a stero plug which activates the ML battery booster suplied with the 45's & 5's

This is how I understand it works.

cheers dave

I'm kinda puzzled why you would put a boosted speaker to an already amplified signal coming from the battery pack of the 5000? I have an unboosted speaker that seems to work OK and I can see merit in having an on/off switch and a volume control, but why double the amplification?

davsgold wrote:

detectoraid wrote:For the DIY's it takes a "mono" plug to trip the amp in the 45 an 5's battery.

Are you sure? I thought it took a stero plug to trip/activate the amp/booster in the 45's & 5's ML battery.

For example the B&Z booster has a mono plug which plugs into the ML battery there by, by passing the existing ML amp/booster ans allowing the B&Z booster to be the only active booster.

If you just want to use an external speaker directly from the ML battery, they have a stero plug which activates the ML battery booster suplied with the 45's & 5's

This is how I understand it works.

cheers dave

Very simple what Davsgold said is completely right.