gpz7000 and its capabilities

i am back from my first good outing with the 7k, bloodgold2 commented elsewhere on this forum ----



Hi GC, yeah mate most areas can run in normal, Mate me personally, not into specks though they do add up Im more of a go for broke prospector because I do not need the bread and butter gold to make a living.Though the boys have found some good gold with with the 7k one at a very impressive depth though for me personally to many teething issues, and will wait for the bigger coil or the next machine which ever comes first.This is my opinion and mine only -----

this reminded me of one day walking back to the car after flogging a known patch to death for the fly shite.(i scored deeper and larger bits up to 2.2grams down up to 15 inches) travelling with the coil 4 to 6 inches above the ground to miss the tufts of grass etc, i was pleasantly surprised to come across a target, loud and clear (in general, normal, high sensitivy, threshold below buzz level to quieted the machine down). i thought, you beaut, jagging a piece like this always turns out to be at least a couple of grams. turned out to be a .3gram piece down 4 to 6 inches in the ground. WHAT!! shouldnt have heard that.

since been thinking - this should be a good patch hunting machine. i am looking forward to my next trip and hope to concentrate on patch hunting. (couldnt resist flogging the older patches to death last trip, but that took up most of my time).

very impressive machine, but a big trap to spend all your time picking up the very small pieces at the expense of searching for bigger pieces in new ground ... kev

Hi Kev, thanks for posting your feedback. Despite some of the bad press the 7000 has got I am impressed at how deep I am digging out small gold. I have detected mullock heaps covered in detector holes and found numerous signals that should have been dug and screamed out with the 7000, some were trash, some were gold.

I have also had to get out the crowbar alot more since getting a 7000 compared to when I had the 4500. I have dug targets out from 3-4 feet, unfortunately all were lumps of metal from the 1850's.

Re patch hunting, the machine will do well except maybe where you want to cover a vast amount of desert looking for the first nugget in a run or patch. Also in the very hilly and rough ground in the tablelands where I am, the detector can wear you out with all the up and down hill and lifting it over logs and rocks. Maybe a 12 inch coil on my 4500 may be a better choice for this situation and a bigger elip coil where kilometres of WA vastness extends around from your starting point. Once gold is found...then the 7000 is strapped on.

Either way, I like nothing better then patch hunting, its the best bet for giving yourself a chance to make a major find. And if you don't have luck then I give myself a break by camping near a spot where I can do some crumbing.

As for the noise/instability the machine makes some of the time, I have no issue with it as the targets still come through clearly. I am still on my P's when it comes to the Zed, however I am getting better at selecting settings for different situations. I am keeping the smoothing off nearly all the time and checking different settings when I get a deeper target.....I am slowly learning the machine.
Tributer

hi tributor - you must be my twin mate. i also prefer to patch hunt compared to picking up the crumbs. but i must admit when i do find a new patch i dont walk away from it too easily. its the feeling and drive you get when you get onto a new patch of just what it could turn into that i like.

i found three isolated nuggets, and two small new patches on my last trip, but they didnt turn into anything worthwhile.

gotta agree the weight of the new coil is definately a limiting factor, i found i could not comfortably keep travelling without the new harness and bungee cord (wrapped around the handle) and then lifting over logs etc, certainly took its toll. i was able to put in long days using the bungee, couldnt of without it.

definately minelabs best machine yet, but a bit disappointing about all the fellas haveing various problems, especially with the coil, be hell to pay without the warranty. happy detecting mate ... kev

I must be one of the lucky ones. I have no such problems, I use a 3lt hydration pack with 1.25 lts of water in it. and a bungee cord connected just below the handle. I don't wrap it around the handle as I have no need too. Cant see what all the fuss is about.