GP 3000 & Extreme - Fitting a Ground Balance Button

Gday all Iam interested in having my 3000 fitted with a ground balance button on the handle I have seen 1 done this way but I cant find any info anywhere (makes it quicker to balance in fixed) also can any one point me towards a manual for the 3000 .I am very happy with this machine and are wanting to hear how a 16" dd nugget finder Xp runs on 3000.Thanks Dave

The mod is called the "Gold button". It should come up if you google it but I think there is a thread on the Arizona site as well. I did the mod to my extreme, cost me less than $10 dollars with bits from jaycar and only took a bit over an hour to do. Would recommend the mod as it does save a lot of fiddling around when out detecting.
Rowdy

http://www.arizonaoutback.com/goldbutton.html
(This is the only thing I could find.)

I do not know where you can download the manual for the GP3000? Maybe off of Minelabs web site?

I also have a GP3000 and a just bought a NuggetFinder 20" SL DD XP Fiberglass last year and only used it once for part of a day so far and it was a very smooth and sensitive coil as I found lead 2 bullets with it. The 16" DD XP should really be very good too. NuggetFinder quit making XP coils and I heard that they are now making a new(non-XP, because the 4000 and 4500 have a built in phase switch) 18" SL DD and should be out now or very soon. The older DD coils were Fiberglass and the new ones are Plastic but I think they both have the exact same performance, wound with Litz Wire, so if you find a second-hand(used) Fiberglass 16" DD XP, it should be fine. I do love the quiet DD's, such a pleasure to work with. They are sensitive and deep too and under-rated in all this Mono craze going on now.
(A NuggetFinder SL DD at work)>>3 OZ nugget Dig
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=nDSInWgPsJ8&feature=related
About the video:
"Sold for $4400au" and "gpx 4000 ML. 16"NF XP DD coil was the finder. GP extreme was the detector for pinpointing the dig. Cheers"
I cannot figure out why they pinpointed with a GP Extreme and not the gpx 4000?

I would like to know why DD's are much hotter down the center and weak on the edges when coil wire runs in the edges?? (Is the wire wound very sparsely on the edges and more heavy down the center in a double row is why, I do not know??)

Jon Porter says a person can use the combination of the XP(Normal/XP) switched on with Mono switched on(DD/Mono switch) to combat interference. Jon just wrote a very great post on explaining Mono coils on this Forum here below under CT GoldStalker vs NuggetFinder SL, make sure you read it if you can. It is one of the best posts explaining about Mono coils that I have ever read.

Between the big round coils, the Commander 18" DD, the CoilTek 18" Pro DD, and the NuggetFinder 16" and 20" SL DD's(now 18" SL DD). I am not 100% sure but I think the NuggetFinder SL DD's are the lightest in weight of the 3 brands? Can anyone confirm this please??

Both CoilTek 14" Pro DD and NuggetFinder 14" SL DD make 14" sized round DD's also for comparison.

Hope all of this is of some use!

here's the manual



http://www.minelab.com/consumer/files/manuals/GP3000%20Manual.pdf

Hi all,

I have decided to fit a tracking button on my extreme to save the sometimes yoga like positions I get into when trying to G/B in the field.

Has anyone else done this themselves.........is it a hard mod to do without any real technical skills? I have a list of parts that I gleaned off the internet: However they are from an American forum and in a form/terminology that local Jaycar agent couldn't help with. (he only had the momentary switch in stock and would order the rest in for me.....could take a couple of weeks)

Does anyone sell the kits, or does anyone have an Aussie list of parts required for the mod that won't freak my local Jaycar dealer out.......

I appreciate your advise and comments.

Regards to all.

Jim.

Hi Jim

It is a fairly easy mod to do your self. Parts from Jaycar or Dick Smith and only cost a few $.

Here are a few links with plenty of info when others have done this mod.

http://australiangoldfields.freeforums.org/bluetooth-system-for-speaker-gb-switch-mod-for-3000-extrem-t647.html

http://australiangoldfields.freeforums.org/gb-switch-mod-for-gp-3000-extreme-t656.html

http://australiangoldfields.freeforums.org/gb-switch-on-extreme-t1189.html

http://goldandcoindetecting.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=243&hl=



Below is a set of instructions that I used to do the mod on my GP extreme

The parts came from Dick Smiths and are only a few dollars

This is a copy of the set of instructions that I ussed for mine, (thanks to Chris, Cactus)

Disclaimer: I accept no blame if you fry your machine. You do it at your own risk like I did!

"You're going to need a reasonable soldering iron. It doesn't need to be one of the real fancy units. I have done a couple of certificates in electronics and I still don't have a fancy one! ;o) A 20-25 watter should do the trick... one that doesn't get too hot. You're mucking around with some delicate stuff there that doesn't like getting hot so don't be under the impression that bigger is better. Sorry if some of this is a bit basic, but I have no idea as to how much that you know. A reasonable multi-meter is also mandatory, and you can get a good one that wont break the bank and will also serve you in keeping a check on your batteries and the like. You'll need it to make sure that your circuits are sound.

You'll need a 3.5mm mono panel mount socket, a momentary switch (have a look at the one in Martin R's pics), some wire of the right diameter, a roll of good quality solder, some heat shrink tubing to do a proper job, and a mono 3.5mm jack plug. Oh, and of course some decent drill-bits and a small drill.

And don't feel too scared of dismantling the box... it's not that much rocket science in there compared to the average computer.

Six Phillips-head screws will remove the front cover off the box. Remove the box from the shaft to make your job easier. Gently pull the cover out... you may have to jiggle the wiring loom out to get enough room to work. There is sufficient wire there but it's pretty well poked in and can snag on the components on the PCB’s. Treat it with respect as it's all pretty much jammed in that small box and you don't want to pull any wires from where they live.

Now comes the scariest bit... well, for me anyway. Drilling the panel. Stuff this up and you will make a mess, and you don't want to do that! Look at Martin's pic of the panel... I changed the spot a bit to make it neater. Just remember that the socket must not foul the circuit boards. Choose your spot, and drill from the outside in as you will tear the front panel material if you do it the other way around. You might like to start the hole off with the drill-bit in your fingers for accuracy... that's what I did.

Don't worry if you tear the shield foil on the back of the panel as you are going to trim that back to make sure you don't have any shorts. Once you have drilled your hole successfully... which I should add should be the right diameter to take the socket, you are ready to progress to removing the wire to the tracking/fixed switch. When you are removing these wires just do one side at a time so you don’t forget where the wires came from. Cut the shrink wrap around the termination and carefully apply heat with the iron until the wire comes off the switch, remembering which terminal you removed it from. Cut two lengths of your wire that will safely reach from the switch to where you have positioned your jack socket. Grab one piece of wire and solder it to the wire you have removed and then place a piece of heat-shrink tubing over that then resolder these wires to the terminal you removed it from originally. Do the same for the other side. Once that is done, jiggle the heat-shrink tube down over the terminations so they can be shrunk after you have finished.

One of your new wires goes to the lug on the jack that is closest to the front panel. You will notice that there are three lugs on the jack socket. One is a switch for other circumstances... you don't need to use that one. Which one? Well, that's where your multi-meter comes in handy. It will go out of circuit when you push a plug into the socket. This is tested by pushing the plug into the socket and testing with the meter in low OHMS mode. It will beep when you have a completed circuit. If the terminal does not beep on that terminal with the plug inserted then that is the one that you don't use.

Solder one of the wires to the lug nearest the socket that goes through the faceplate. The other wire goes to the terminal that beeps with the plug inserted. Make sure that you have put a small piece of heat shrink tubing over both of these wires before you solder them onto the jack socket.

So you will have the socket now soldered to the wires and it is wired in parallel. You might be asking isn't there a right and wrong way of wiring the socket in? There isn't... It's not polarity driven, it's just a dumb switch in a circuit. What you have done is created a parallel switch that only works if the main switch is set to "fixed". The fixed/tracking switch basically switches the machine to ground balance in the tracking mode and when it is in the fixed position the circuit is non operational. You have added another switch that will do the same thing when the button you will install in the handle is depressed. The reason for fitting a jack plug rather than hard wiring the whole show in place is so that if the handle switch becomes defective you remove the plug from the jack and the machine can still operate as it did before the mod, to keep you running in the field.

So now is the time to fit the socket to the faceplate and then to test the circuit with the multi-meter to see if you've done the right thing. You might have read in Martin R's thread on this that he had trouble getting enough thread to go through the faceplate... well, yes there is barely enough, but you can get a bit more. You'll notice that there is a bit of raised plastic on the socket which prevents the socket from sitting flush on the faceplate. What we do here is get a larger drill-bit than the one we used on the hole, one that is a bit bigger than the plastic bit I mentioned. Using this drill-bit just held in the hand... we don't want to get too serious here, drill a little bit of the faceplate material off the back (inside the machine where the foil is) just so that the socket will now sit flush to the faceplate. Basically a small countersink.

Sit the socket in situ and mark around the foil. We need to remove that foil so that it won’t come into contact with any part of the socket to eliminate any chances of a short occurring. Once you have cleared the foil (a hobby knife or single edged razor blade will do the trick) it's time to fit the socket. Get it nice and tight but don't overdo it! They are not that strong. Needle-nosed pliers do the trick.

Now it is time for the test. Connect the multi-meter to the two poles on the fixed/tracking switch which have the wires on them. You should again be in the low OHMS mode (circuit continuity tester). When the switch is in fixed position the circuit is not complete hence no beep. Switch to tracking and the meter should now beep (circuit completed). If all is well there test from the wires soldered to the lugs on the newly installed socket. The results will be the same there when the fixed/tracking switch is operated. If all reads properly you have a successful installation.

Don't put the box back together as there is one more test to be done.

You'll now need a piece of two conductor wire about a foot long (300mm). I used a piece which had a central wire and a shield somewhat like co-ax. Bare the wires and solder one to the centre lug on the 3.5mm jack-plug that you have and the other wire to the other lug on said plug. Make sure this is a robust connection and then screw the shield back over the plug. Now bare the wires on the other end of this cable... this is the one that will be connected to the switch you are going to fit in the handle. Plug the jack-plug into the socket you have fitted to the Extreme/3000. Connect the meter to the bared wires on the other end and do the same test before. Beeps when the switch is in tracking and silent when in fixed. If this is the case all is well. Now it's time to shrink those little pieces of heat-shrink tubing on the socket you installed and on the switch. Use either a cigarette lighter or hair drier set on high but be careful not to get things too hot. I used a lighter... it was just easier to apply the heat in the confined area. Don't overdo it! Just enough to make the tube shrink nicely into place. You can now re-assemble the box being careful how you stuff the wiring loom back in there... it's pretty packed!

The box should be together now and it's time to remove the handle off the shaft to fit the new switch.

Once you have the handle off remove the top of the hand-strap if it is still fitted. You'll have to dispense with the strap as you need the space for the switch. Remove the foam grip as well. You'll need a file to take the material from the underside of the top of the handle. It's worth having a good look now at Martin R's pics to see how this is done and it's something I really can't explain that well. It's something you have to work out yourself.

File the underside of the top of the handle flat so it is the right thickness to accommodate the switches shaft you are going to install. You'll need to remove a fair amount of material below that on one side as well so that you can get the switch to slide into place. Use a drill for this purpose but don't go right through the handle as you don't want to weaken the structure of the handle. Mark a spot dead centre on top of the handle and drill a hole the right diameter to accommodate the switch. Do a few dry runs to test that the switch will fit into the hole from underneath... remembering that there needs to be room for the wires as well. Once you are satisfied the switch will fit you need to drill holes in the handle to accommodate the wire to the switch. Refer to the pictures again as it's a bit hard to explain. Get it so that it's nice and neat and so that the wire is routed neatly as well. Once you are satisfied there, grab the wire with the jack-plug on it and feed the bare wired ends through the holes you have drilled so that the bare wires are in situ where the switch will be.

Now solder the switch to the two wires... one to each lug un the switch and fit the switch to the handle and screw the retaining ring on the top of the switch. Connect the meter to the end of the jack-plug, one to the tip and one to the sleeve. Press the button and the meter will beep. If it beeps without pressing the button you have a problem and will need to backtrack to find where the short is. You may want to do this before you put the box back together as you can test with the new handle switch plugged into the machine. Same thing... do the test from the lugs on the socket or the fixed/tracking switch. When you press the button on the handle the meter will beep. If all is well, then you are complete!!

Put the foam back on the handle and re-assemble the whole machine and you're in business!

Use some tape to secure the new cable to the shaft and plug it all in. Ground balance is now just a matter of pumping the coil and holding down the new switch on the handle rather than searching for the fixed/track switch. You can also search in tracking mode by continuously holding the button down. It is the general consensus that the machine is best operated in fixed mode unless the ground is extremely variable."

Gold Button Installation:

http://www.arizonagoldprospectors.com/invision/index.php?showtopic=166910

Also:

http://www.arizonaoutback.com/goldbutton.html

Jim,
was at Mt. Magnet last year & the detector shop there
were selling a button mod, complete with handle. Don't know the price,
but contact is - Pioneer Prospecting & Outback Supplies
72 Hepburn St. (on the main Rd) Mt. Magnet.
08 9963 4222
e-mail pioneerprospecting@bigpond.com
cheers, Osama (the Irish one)

Woody has a utube video on the subject a step by step "For Free"
cj

Hi all,
wow, great set of instructions, that's very well worded. I have already copied & pasted that to a word document so as to print it for others to use. If you require a visual aid, take a look at Woody's video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbmjYxLDNNY&feature=channel_page

With the instructions and the video, you can't go wrong! Cheers, Dwt

Hi all,

Thanks everyone for your input and advice...........I will have a go at it this week, ready for next weekend detecting trip. I will let you know how I go!

Regards to all

Jim.

Will adding a "gold button" to GP 3000 or Extreme make it not serviceable by Minelab? i heard they are not taking modded units into service...
Otherwise it seems like a great idea.

I have a 2200d that has the button fitted. About 12 months ago, it needed a service and I sent it to Minelab. I spoke t the tech before that and he said that it's the only mod that they would accept but only if it was a clean and professional installation, without the hot glue everywhere. My was a clean installation and they serviced my machine.

Thanks CostasDee, its reassuring to know.

I was thinking (by looking at he pictures as I don't own either unit) that that switch can be removed and the wires attached to it extended.

Basically add another 1 foot of wire to the existing connections - at the switch end.

Then incase all new wire into a shrink tube. Mount existing switch into the handle or replace with a button, then mount into the handle.

Advantages of this method would be: no case drilling, no soldering onto the detector itself, and it would be very easy to reverse the "mod"... with no evidence left behind.

Will consider doing if come across a suitably priced extreme or 3000, but would love to hear if my thinking is wrong before I start

Doing it your way, although it is reversible with no trace, if you replace the flick switch with a button, you will loose the ability to have tracking (unless you continually hold down the button. One small 3.5mm socket drilled in a discreet place allows you to have the best of both worlds, and I am sure that any buyer of your detector afterwards will appreciate this mod, so long as it looks professionally fitted....but it's your detector to do as you wish.