6 months on

After switching from a GPX to a GPZ some stats thus far;

Average nugget weight has gone from 0.69 grams GPX, to 0.33 grams GPZ
Average number of nuggets found per day has doubled with the GPZ
Average overall daily weight has obviously remained the same.

The interesting thing was the GPX averages and daily finds were beginning to fall off and drag down the averages. (Patches being worked out and new ones becoming much harder to find)
The GPZ arrived just at the right time to maintain consistent finds.

This shows that the GPZ is indeed getting those smaller bits clearly out of range of the GPX.
I am finding nuggets up to 1.5 grams deeper than the GPX/18" round mono could find. What I need now is a bigger coil for the Zed and then the average weights will again climb as the GPZ hits on the multi-gram bits now out of range of the DOD14".

The key I find, is going extra slowly over ground that has produced in the past, especially deeper areas, and those with tuffty grasses and large rocks.
Making sure the coil is passed carefully from both directions on every bit of soil (two sweeps per step) and then over again at 90 degrees from the previous passes.  

I find the toroid works especially well with sodden ground, and I'm sure it has enabled me to locate very weak deep targets that only slightly stand out from the background noise.

The real fun will start once the other coils are released.

Cheers

A good follow up report there Alchemist, I have found pretty much the same findings, ( Well over doubled my seasons findings and some were so small and some so deep for their size ) I would like to see a smaller and a larger coil added to the arsenal to really open it up for the Zed. A bit of a bumpy start but a great detector for sure.
Cheers
Ashley

just did a quick count - average weight of nuggets found with the two machines is
almost identical for the first 6 months (0,57g for the Zed) vs. (0,58g for the 5000).
This is mostly going over areas that I have already been working with the 5000.
When I was on the gold the 5000 produced 0,65 nuggets per hour compared to an average of
1 nug per hour with the ZED...
Not counting the many hours of exploring with both machines for no results!
bedrock

Thanks Ashley,
                   I read on another site that the coils have been held up.

It got me wondering.......with all the issues seen in parts of the triangle and out West, getting a stable ground balance......what's the chances of getting a bigger coil to run quiet?

Hardly any...if any?

The wet ground from El Nino will be compounding testing issues.

Maybe this is the holdup, getting the software to cope.......maybe an OS upgrade will come with the coil?

I hope they don't hike the price, I hope I'm wrong in all my idle pondering.....but no news from Minelab is disquieting.


Hi Bedrock,
               I'm sure when I can get to my summer patches the 7s average weights will go up.

The problem is, the patches I'm presently on have been hit hard since the 80s with every make and model, it's a miracle that there's anything left at all, allbeit smaller, hence lower average weight.

Cheers.

Yep, 2 touch sensitive coils and a screen so far