REPORT ON GPX 5000

Hi All,
I now have 6 hours up on my GPX 5000 and are now giving some details for those that are thinking about one.
Conditions today were cloudy and windy, which would normaly mean some EMI, but this unit just purred.

First, the cons :
The awful startup noise is still there. Minelab have done nothing to clip the audio.
You still get an awful noise swapping between some timings, especially when the ground is hot.
The LCD is still hard to read in bright sunlight. Minelab need to look at the new mobile phone screens to improve the viewing in sunlight.

I found that I dug a lot of ground noises to a few inches in fine gold mode. I then checked in smooth mode and the " target " noise was largely gone. It was a little frustrating and slow going !
The ground was damp, variable, clay based and heavily mineralised, and was giving false noises in enhance and less in smooth mode. I wonder if fine gold timimg was ever tested under these conditions ?

Now the Pros :
It is very smooth running, even more smooth than my very good 4500.

The new fine gold timing really does work on relatively shallow noisy ground. I managed to find today an 0.85 gram nugget at 9 inches in a small area that I have done to death with every coil and timing combination on my 4500 from 14x7 N/F adv up to 20 inch round N/F advantage.
I was using a 12 ich round N/F adv in fine gold mode. I switched over to enhance and could not hear the target over the ground noise. After I had dug a few inches I switched to smooth mode and could hear the nugget.

I am looking forward to seeing how well fine gold goes when the ground dries out a bit !

All timings are noticeably smoother running than on the 4500, and this itself will lead to more gold being " heard ".

In summary, it is a bloody good machine, but is it that much better than a 4500 and does it justify the hefty price tag ?
Take away fine gold and you basically have a very smooth running 4500.

For some people I suspect that fine gold will be of little or no use and therefore can not justify the price. For them, a good second hand 4500 will be a good choice.
For others that have a lot of shallow noisy ground available it will be a winner.
The jump in performance, in my opinion, is less than from the 4000 to the 4500, which incorporated enhance for the first time.

Hope this helps you all !

Cheers,
Rick

I don t no why everyone wants to update, the 4500 will find gold just as good as the 5000 course they are going to say it s better why buy if it s the same, same as car or house etc .Minelab detectors are great nobody doubts.I don t no why they can t make a real gold detector that only finds gold instead of everything else who whats to dig 2 foot holes to find a horse shoe,alumimiun,bullets,etc thats what a gold detector should be I would pay double the $6000 plus they slug you for a 5000 if they make one. I am still baffled as to why they can t invent a gold only detector.

pedro wrote:. I am still baffled as to why they can t invent a gold only detector.

then it will be borring as...you could be walking around for days on end not even pick anything up...gold isn't eveywhere...i don't mind finding old buttons and old coins as some are worth pretty good money. and if they maxed the detectors out so they couldn't do anymore they might as well do a big stock up and shut the doors, as every model comes out they just do little more to improve more than the last so then people go out and buy them...
cheers
stoppsy

Thanks for the post Rick, great to hear others opinions/results.

I think they developed this detector when we were in drought. Now that the weather has changed we are hearing ground noise from pockets of water logged red clay which sound sharp and sweet similar to small shallow targets. As you say slow going and frustrating. Jumping from a 4000 to a 5000 I noticed a HUGE difference in threshold smoothness. Another thing I noticed was the absence of EMI pings every now and again, I didn't get one all day, so thumbs up.

Looking forward to summer drying up the ground.

AraratGold wrote:
Take away fine gold and you basically have a very smooth running 4500.

Pedro, What rick has stated above tells you that there is an improvement!

I am keeping my 4500 as I just love it.

What gets up my nose is those that slag off something, whether it be a detector or a car etc etc. and have not driven the model to truely know what they are saying to be correct. If you don't want to buy the new detector then don't!! If you have bought one and then are not happy by all means give it heaps.

As for making just a gold detector, you need to be aware that there are two types of metal, 1. Ferrous 2. Non-Ferrous. Ferrous being the steel etc that we call junk.
Non-Ferrous being gold, aluminium, lead etc. so to just be able to detect gold would be a real challange and a money maker for who ever is smart enough to come up with the technology.

A detector that only picked up gold would leave you missing coins and all sorts of other historical treasures burried in the sands of time.

Rick thanks for the info!

Cheers

I have had a run with the 5000 and find it is no improvement over the 4500 and we are testing it against the 4500 on every target. On fine gold it picks up burnt tree roots and this will drive anyone completely bonkers after a few hours. The 5000 will find the tiniest of gold if fine gold mode but i do not want to chase 0.1 gram in the dirt for half an hour. I find that the detector has lost some of the personality of the 4500 by being too quiet, i do not mean quiet in a good way but in a dead sort of way that makes it near impossible to interpret the ground or target. The 4500 gave a much clearer signal on objects worth digging and i had a greater chance of identifying junk with the 4500 than the 5000. I have been prospecting for over 20 years and know the game backwards, I know what i am talking about. I feel that there is realistically, no great leap forward with this detector, to get the gist of it i would compare it to a level of improvement like the gp extreme to the gp3000. There are a lot of cheap 4500 detectors on ebay and i would say that they they will not remain cheap when the rest using the older detectors realize the 4500 is probably the best detector that minelab ever produced. I am sticking to the 4500 as it is less sensitive to ground noises and charcoal.

No Copyright so re-posting is no problem.

G'day Paragold.

Get to know the 5000 better and the more familiar you become with it,under real live conditions (and i mean not just practice targets) you'll find it overall a slightly better machine than the 4500 under most ground conditions.
Some live and moist tree roots,as well as clay domes or buried charcoal give off a positive target response with mono coils,but that's happened on just about every pulse detector i've used in the past.More so when the pulse timing rate is increased,making the machine more sensitive to smaller targets(similar to that of a high frequency VLF).
Since the GPX 5000 is designed to run quieter and is more sensitive than the 4500,it's not just the 0.1gm fly spec that you're listening for,but that faintest of signals that might turn out to be what i call "the tip of the iceberg".
Just like all new model detectors,some re adaption is required so that one familiarizes themselves to all the new whistles and bells,the machine makes.
Although i can't help thinking if Bogene himself had a hand in designing this new detector(Bogene's Settings)=0 threshold x maximum gain =GPX5000.Nahh, just kidding.

Cheers kon61.

I do not think anyone is going to find the "tip of the iceberg" in the fine timing mode, and i cannot find any depth advantage in the other modes except that the 5000 is quieter. The lack of feel in the audio does not help, especially if used to using a gp or 4000 4500. I will be sticking to the 4500, the reason is that i do not feel confident using the 5000 and with that in mind i feel that i will be going backwards in any further attempts trying to prospect using the 5000.

paragold wrote:I do not think anyone is going to find the "tip of the iceberg" in the fine timing mode, and i cannot find any depth advantage in the other modes except that the 5000 is quieter. The lack of feel in the audio does not help, especially if used to using a gp or 4000 4500. I will be sticking to the 4500, the reason is that i do not feel confident using the 5000 and with that in mind i feel that i will be going backwards in any further attempts trying to prospect using the 5000.

Paragold,
You have noted exactly what I noted in my report in terms of it's quietness, and as I said, " All timings are noticeably smoother running than on the 4500, and this itself will lead to more gold being " heard "".

That is part of the machines advantage, which will give you more "depth", because you will now be able to hear more deep faint whispers that sometimes turn out to be deep gold.

I have already proved fine gold's advantage over enhance, and am confident that I will find a lot more gold on old patches that are fairly shallow and noisy.

Which ever way you look at it, the 5000 is an improvement over the 4500, but for some, on a tighter budget, or only occassional forays out, the cost will not be justified.
For me, it is a no brainer. I have already found gold that I missed with the 4500 !

Cheers,
Rick

We all have our own opinions on detectors and i think that anyone spending $6700 would have have to justify their outlay, particularly in their own mind and to peers. A couple of years back i paid $38000 for a new car but it was no better than the previous one. I had to play it up to my girlfriend and my mates, but in my own mind it was a poor financial decision. I know why the owners of the 5000 have to justify the exorbitant purchase price, been there and done that. There is a lot of mixed opinion about this detector out there in cyberspace. I for one did not find it better than my 4500 and if anything a step backwards financially and in detector performance.

Geez Rick, it seems like it's only you, JP, Qld Sandy, me and my wife Jo that reckon the 5000's any good. That's fine by us.
Jo HATED it on day one. She wanted her 4000 back. Now she won't part with it as she's learnt to use it.

Another 4.5 grams today for Jo. Sh*t, I wish I had one too!!!

BTW, like you Rick, we don't have to justify buying it as our previous detectors paid for it and we don't give a rip what our peers think of it.

Robert

Have a look at this gem from behind the wall of secrecy on Duggly's-do-no-prospecting-in-oz forum :
Dug states that the following comment of mine is silly :"I have already found gold that I missed with the 4500"
Dug says that unless you have made side by side comparisons on the 4500/5000 then my comment is just meaningless!
Dug also reckons that it is a case of some people trying to justify to themselves and others why they "upgraded" .
Then he says that all the good and successful operators that he knows are not rushing to trade their 4500's for 5000's "

Well know it all, what is so silly ? I have been flogging this noisy patch for the last 3 years with the 4000, the 4500 and now the 5000.
I got gold on it with the 4000 until I could get no more.
Then I flogged it with the 4500, getting heaps more in enhance until I could get no more.
And now already I have found an 0.85 grammer in fine gold that enhance could not hear.
You don't need to be a rocket scientist to realise that each model has been better than the one before !
And as for having to justify it, well I don't. As previously reported, I have paid for the upgrade to the 5000 12 times over in gold found. I bought my 5000 outright and still have my oh so good 4500.
If you read my report again without your anti-minelab blinkers on, you might just see the bit where I said that for some people the fine gold setting will be of little benefit, where for others like myself, it's already proving its worth.
And last of all Duggly, just remember that this thing we call prospecting is a HOBBY, not an enterprise where you must cover costs !
And as for BlueBush's comments that all the positive posts are coming from dealers, well just goes to show that she doesn't know what she is talking about either.

Oh, by the way, how much gold has the Minelab killing QWED thingy found lately ? Oh that's right, you can't buy one, can you ?

First paragragh edited because Duggy got upset that I " breached his copyright " !

Cheers,
Rick

Well said Rick

Regards Johnny

Rick, I read on another forum that you are a past minelab dealer and are legally gagged by a contractual arrangement between minelab and yourself. A person on the other forum states that you still are bound by the contract for some time to come and thus cannot say anything negative about minelab. I can understand this being the case with active dealers and people like jonathon porter and marco nero but as an ex dealer i find it hard to believe you are still gagged.

paragold wrote:Rick, I read on another forum that you are a past minelab dealer and are legally gagged by a contractual arrangement between minelab and yourself. A person on the other forum states that you still are bound by the contract for some time to come and thus cannot say anything negative about minelab. I can understand this being the case with active dealers and people like jonathon porter and marco nero but as an ex dealer i find it hard to believe you are still gagged.

paragold,
Not quite true !
As you will note in my report above I HAVE criticised Minelab for failing to clip the awful startup noise, for the noise that happens when changing between some timings, and the hard to read LCD.
I wouldn't be able to do that if is was gagged, would I ??!!

Cheers,
Rick

I am not a dealer and I have no particular bias one way or the other for Minelab
and my 5000 is better than my 4500, my 4000 and my 3500.

really...


Flak

Flakmagnet wrote:I am not a dealer and I have no particular bias one way or the other for Minelab
and my 5000 is better than my 4500, my 4000 and my 3500.

really...


Flak

Well said Flak, and I suspect that your views are shared by the silent majority, other than the anti-minelab crew at Duggy's QED sycophant's club.

Cheers,
Rick

I have not used the 5000 yet so will write with that in mind. I have come to the conclusion recently that I think it the wrong decision to spend the money on an upgrade to "squeeze" a couple of little tiddlers out of a "thrashed" patch. My focus is now going to be data gathering, map building to give me an increased probability of finding gold out in the open. I have tried the going back to the old patch trick and find it a little debilitating in the fact that it tends to hold you back from research and open ground hunting. I made the mistake a few years ago of falling into the hype and I suffered for it as I believe I swapped and changed around too quickly not giving me the opportunity to learn my equipment properly. I believe this has cost me in gold and in change overs etc.

Chris.

A couple more constructive criticisms that Minelab may want to take on board :

Minelab need to look at lengthening the standard shaft. It is too short for tall blokes. I am 5'11" and it is too short for me, so how does a bloke of 6'4" go ?

They also need to look at supplying the detector with a composite upper shaft as standard, especially considering the sensitivity of these new machines with big monos.
You shouldn't have to spend another $160 to get a long lower shaft and new upper !

Cheers,
Rick

G'day AraratGold.

Now there's some constructive criticism that i too can agree with.I'm not 6' 4" but a mate of mine comes close at 6'2" and believe me,he's had to revert to using the longest Otto shafts available.Even myself at 5'7" use them constantly on the larger coils.

Cheers kon61.

Well I don't know you but I do respect someone that is brave enough to offer another opinion on a point of view not supported by the majority.
That is why I joined this forum because of varying opinions on a range of topics. I get disappointed when I see people "shouting" (caps lock) because someone refuses to support their way of thinking.
I own a 45 and come next season will by the 5000 as I need a second detector for the wife - it is neither here nor there but for me it is interesting to hear the various opinions of the people who have had a chance to compare both.
So paragold keep your opinions coming, it makes for interesting reading and it would be boring if we all thought the same.
As for the 5000, I don't doubt it is quieter than the 45 - has some pro's and also sounds like some cons but the way some people are reacting here it reminds me of an old nursery rhyme that had something to do with a king and his invisible pajamas.

Cheers

All the people using 5000s seem to be using longer OTTO shafts.

Why don't Minelab make a longer shaft? It's obviously necessary with a larger coil.

Nugget Meister, when did you get out, what were you in for.

Gulp, you can have any thing you want...Let me live

What are you on about Max?

I think he just has a bad attack of hemorrhoids.

I reckon he just field tested his brand new QED.

I have recently bought a GPX5000 (my first real detector) and have found it great. I found gold the first day i got it. I have used the 4500 and even though that is a good machine my 5000 is better. I have read all the comments that have been listed on this forum which is what encouraged me to join. Firstly I am not a dealer and never have been, I have hired my detectors and gone on tours. I decided to purchase the 5000 because at the time I could and I wanted the best to give me a good chance to find gold. I did not buy the detector with the thought of recouping the purchase price, I brought it for the fun of finding something, gold relics, junk. I am very please with the performance of the 5000 and I know that I can get even better performance out of it as I learn how to use it.

I am happy to read all the comments posted positive and negative and I hope people will benefit from reading my comments. I will post more when I can.

Cheers

Nick

bencld wrote:I have not used the 5000 yet so will write with that in mind. I have come to the conclusion recently that I think it the wrong decision to spend the money on an upgrade to "squeeze" a couple of little tiddlers out of a "thrashed" patch. My focus is now going to be data gathering, map building to give me an increased probability of finding gold out in the open. I have tried the going back to the old patch trick and find it a little debilitating in the fact that it tends to hold you back from research and open ground hunting. I made the mistake a few years ago of falling into the hype and I suffered for it as I believe I swapped and changed around too quickly not giving me the opportunity to learn my equipment properly. I believe this has cost me in gold and in change overs etc.

Chris.

Hi bencld and others, bensld is right, however if I could afford the cash I (taking this hobby seriously) would grab a 5000 quick as a flash. No doubt at some point I will. But as I can't then I will put my efforts to increasing my chances by other means. By having my 4000 tuned to within an inch of it's life (it will detect the iron in the blood of a well fed mozzie at 16 feet) and by shear determination such as searching those places that others might have missed.
Sparrowfart.

.... having my 4000 tuned to within an inch of it's life
Sparrowfart.

By This you mean having it modded ?

M

Martin R wrote:
.... having my 4000 tuned to within an inch of it's life
Sparrowfart.

By This you mean having it modded ?

M

HI Martin, no it is not modded but I do have a booster and have fiddled with the detector to increase it's sensitivity to little bits. I've done this by setting the threshold so it is just barely audible, turning the target vol down to 9 and the booster up so it is comfortable without having to much noise. Then practicing on a small nugget of .2 G till I get max depth. I am still changing things and will probably change the settings some more yet. I'd like to get it a little quieter re atmospheric and bump noise.
Sparrowfart.

so your air testing on your .2g nuggie?
never quite the same as in the ground , where have you got the TH set at eg;12noon , 1pm etc