are they easy to use

Howdy

I want to get to know some more about metal detectors that i could use on my placer claim
up north.
i'm sorry buddy's but i have no clue about metal detectors i use the old ways to prospect
for gold, i have a bull dozer and wash plant, does me real fine but its hard now im 72 years old.

Can i just buy one and use it easy ?


Thankyou bob

i had no experience getting into metal detectors and the first 6 months was purely self taught using a gp extreme. i went on a trip with Nuggets from Down Under , Mudgee and observed how effective the gpx 5000's were to use, so with little experience behind me i went out and bought one.

all i can say is the new machines are easier to use than the older ones. almost everything is on a LCD screen and most of the settings you can get off the net (and this forum). to keep it real simple, there are only a couple of settings you need to remember on the GPX 5000 / GPX 4500 that you will change from gold field to gold field.

the rest is down to your hearing and learning the sounds that the machine produces, nothing beats 'on-the-field-time' for this.

Yeah Bob
As Goldbait said the GP series is a good place to start.The three detectors in this series GPextreme Gp3000 and Gp3500 all have tracking which automatically groundbalances the machine,A slow and level swing is important.Minelab PI machines are the leaders in the market place and we pay for it.Gp series machine ranges between OZ $2000 and $3000.They can detect a 1 grammer at 6 to 10 inches and a 30 ouncer at 36 inches.Points of a gram can be found in the first few inches
The latter Gpx series machines are more adjustable and run thru to double the price.Personally I think the Gp series is a good place to start.The hardest part in gold is not the machines but understanding the dirt.
Under Suppliers on this site you will find Aurum Australis (Jonathan Porters) site.His Dvd on the GP series is worth looking at.
Hope this info helps
Cheers Dig

Thanks for your replies guys i will look into buying a Minelab.


Bob