I will be hitting the road full time in around 4 months, and i was thinking of a useful hobby to pursue whilst travelling this great land.
I got to thinking about gold detecting.
Obviously, plenty of researching needs to be done around the subject of the best locations, and with that a useful history lesson is also learned.
I have started to look into prices of the various items of equipment that will be needed to actually do the prospecting, and while it is not a cheap hobby, it can certainly be a rewarding one.
If you have decided to try your hand at this, what gold detector did you purchase? If you want to share some info on the better areas to look out for, by all means do so.
I will have a caravan set up for off grid living, so the remote places arent really a problem.
Many thanks.
TravellerBob said
05:32 PM Mar 10, 2022
Hi
Detecting for gold is not as easy as they make it out to be on the TV shows beleive me.
If your serious about getting into gold detecting you will need to get a decent gold detector. I would suggest a Minelab SDC 2300 , Its basically turn on and detect. It will work in all the gold fields of Australia with out a problem. New they cost around $4400 and a secondhand unit will set you back around the $3000 mark. Its also waterproof to 10 feet so you can use it on the beach hunting for coins.
Anything cheaper , like the Gold Monster will have issues handling alot of the mineralized ground out here in Australia.
A GPX5000 or a used GpX 4500 is another great choice but there is a bit of a learning curve with these machines as there are numerous settings that have to be understood to maximize their potiential
These 2 detectors will find gold deeper than the SDC.
If money is not a problem then a gpz 7000 at $10 000 or a GPx 6000 at $8000 are worth looking at.
Im currently detecting fulltime out here in WA. I have a GPX 4500 and a SDC2300 .
Other things that have to be looked into are the rules and regulation for each state that you want to detect in.
In WA you will need to buy a Miners Right that cost around $30 for a lifetime permit and you can only legally detect on certain areas. The penalties for detecting where your not allowed to be can be up to $155000.
On the saftey side of things , its recomended that you carry a Personel Locator Beacon when out swinging just incase you need help. I carry one on the back of the detector harness along with a snake bite kit
Researching an area to go detecting in can be very interesting, learning about what went on in the area, life at the time and what gold was found there. I tend to look for area a little off the beaten track, some of the lesser known areas that have been overlooked.
My avatar id a nice 36 gram nugget that I found last year just out of Leonora WA
cheers
Bob
PeterInSa said
06:05 PM Mar 10, 2022
Some very good info from Bob above. I have used the SDC2300 and the GPX4500 both great detectors. For a newbie, and money is not a problem, I suggest the GPX6000 over the GPz7000, the 7 is heavy and to me not so sensitive on very small gold as the 6000, but the 7000, can definitely to me go deeper for rusty bolts and bits of brass.
Definitely buy a handheld GPS and learn how to use it, ditto a CB a more powerful CB than the cheapies if going out on your own.
Always Mark the location of your vehicle with the GPS, prior to going out to detect, its very easy to get lost in the bush, especially if these is no wind, cloudy so you cannot see the location of the sun, and all the tress in the area are the same height and there are no high hills etc in the area.
SoloMC said
06:36 PM Mar 10, 2022
If you want to find gold and not just wave a detector around, get the newest model of minelab available.
Its a great pastime and you can still find a bit out there.
I found the research very interesting as actually finding gold
Remember that there is a lot of digging involved
Go low and slow
I know plenty of people who found lots but that was years ago
I saw one bloke get 96 oz from an area that was basically a car park.
It will hook you in so be prepared
Have all of 5he safety devices on you.
Aussie1 said
07:35 PM Mar 10, 2022
SoloMC wrote:
If you want to find gold and not just wave a detector around, get the newest model of minelab available. Its a great pastime and you can still find a bit out there. I found the research very interesting as actually finding gold Remember that there is a lot of digging involved Go low and slow
I know plenty of people who found lots but that was years ago I saw one bloke get 96 oz from an area that was basically a car park.
It will hook you in so be prepared
Have all of 5he safety devices on you.
Very good point. Make sure you carry a PLB.
gdayjr said
08:03 AM Mar 11, 2022
TravellerBob wrote:
Hi Detecting for gold is not as easy as they make it out to be on the TV shows beleive me. If your serious about getting into gold detecting you will need to get a decent gold detector. I would suggest a Minelab SDC 2300 , Its basically turn on and detect. It will work in all the gold fields of Australia with out a problem. New they cost around $4400 and a secondhand unit will set you back around the $3000 mark. Its also waterproof to 10 feet so you can use it on the beach hunting for coins. Anything cheaper , like the Gold Monster will have issues handling alot of the mineralized ground out here in Australia.
A GPX5000 or a used GpX 4500 is another great choice but there is a bit of a learning curve with these machines as there are numerous settings that have to be understood to maximize their potiential These 2 detectors will find gold deeper than the SDC.
If money is not a problem then a gpz 7000 at $10 000 or a GPx 6000 at $8000 are worth looking at.
Im currently detecting fulltime out here in WA. I have a GPX 4500 and a SDC2300 . Other things that have to be looked into are the rules and regulation for each state that you want to detect in.
In WA you will need to buy a Miners Right that cost around $30 for a lifetime permit and you can only legally detect on certain areas. The penalties for detecting where your not allowed to be can be up to $155000. On the saftey side of things , its recomended that you carry a Personel Locator Beacon when out swinging just incase you need help. I carry one on the back of the detector harness along with a snake bite kit
Researching an area to go detecting in can be very interesting, learning about what went on in the area, life at the time and what gold was found there. I tend to look for area a little off the beaten track, some of the lesser known areas that have been overlooked.
My avatar id a nice 36 gram nugget that I found last year just out of Leonora WA
cheers
Bob
Thanks Bob.
I am aware of all the rules and regulations, and i am indeed looking at the two high end detectors you mentioned.
I am having a look at them both at Miners Den in Penrith on Saturday.
Good hunting, maybe see you on the road later this year.
Graham
gdayjr said
08:05 AM Mar 11, 2022
PeterInSa wrote:
Some very good info from Bob above. I have used the SDC2300 and the GPX4500 both great detectors. For a newbie, and money is not a problem, I suggest the GPX6000 over the GPz7000, the 7 is heavy and to me not so sensitive on very small gold as the 6000, but the 7000, can definitely to me go deeper for rusty bolts and bits of brass.
Definitely buy a handheld GPS and learn how to use it, ditto a CB a more powerful CB than the cheapies if going out on your own.
Always Mark the location of your vehicle with the GPS, prior to going out to detect, its very easy to get lost in the bush, especially if these is no wind, cloudy so you cannot see the location of the sun, and all the tress in the area are the same height and there are no high hills etc in the area.
All good advice, thanks.
I do have a pretty good drone as well which helps to get a better perspective of the surrounding ground.
gdayjr said
08:10 AM Mar 11, 2022
SoloMC wrote:
If you want to find gold and not just wave a detector around, get the newest model of minelab available. Its a great pastime and you can still find a bit out there. I found the research very interesting as actually finding gold Remember that there is a lot of digging involved Go low and slow
I know plenty of people who found lots but that was years ago I saw one bloke get 96 oz from an area that was basically a car park.
It will hook you in so be prepared
Have all of the safety devices on you.
All good advice.
I have done plenty of research on equipmentr, and methodolgy etc, the next step is getting hands on with the equipment.
I am fortunate enough to to be able to afford the best tool for the job.
I am a single guy (at the moment anyway) and i will have a pretty well equiped set up that will be home for the next??? 10 years or so.
I have watched my shares and superanuation bomb by 58k over the last three months, so i thought i would find a better use for it.
A hobby that can potentialy pay for itself, has got to be a winner.
TravellerBob said
09:11 AM Mar 11, 2022
Hi Graham
You also want to look at buying the Australian Geology Travel Map app. It will show you your location via gps on your phone / tablet as well as the geology of the area your in . It will also show you the current Live / Pending leases and can be updated daily if required. Its now the go to app for prospecting as has Australia wide coverage.
Let me know when youre comming over to WA. Ill be somewhere between Kalgoorlie and Sandstone and Laverton this year. Ill be heading back to the east around October.
I would be happy to meet up and show you around some of the ground
cheers
Bob
gdayjr said
10:25 AM Mar 11, 2022
TravellerBob wrote:
Hi Graham
You also want to look at buying the Australian Geology Travel Map app. It will show you your location via gps on your phone / tablet as well as the geology of the area your in . It will also show you the current Live / Pending leases and can be updated daily if required. Its now the go to app for prospecting as has Australia wide coverage. Let me know when youre comming over to WA. Ill be somewhere between Kalgoorlie and Sandstone and Laverton this year. Ill be heading back to the east around October. I would be happy to meet up and show you around some of the ground
cheers
Bob
Thanks for the info Bob.
I pick up my new home in July (hopefully) from a dealer in Melbourne, then after it is sorted i will hit the road.
Destination unknown at this point.
Bicyclecamper said
12:44 PM Mar 11, 2022
I have a Minelab 18000 XT series that I paid $1200 new for in 95'. I have found all up over 9 ounces of gold, but have not used it for 10 years, am giving it to my son in/law, as it is just going to waste not doing anything. The other thing, it has a depth of 24 inches, of detecting, and some of the ground I have found that gold, or sometimes just lead shot, has been very hard to dig up, so will not be doing anymore detecting. One piece of advice I will give that makes it easier to detect not only for you but your fellow detectorists, is to carry a trash bag, for stuff you detect that is worthless, put it in your trash bag and take it out with you, so nobody else gets caught with detecting rubbish metal objects. It is the only fair thing to do, and most if not all detectorists do the same.
-- Edited by Bicyclecamper on Friday 11th of March 2022 12:49:24 PM
gdayjr said
02:06 PM Mar 11, 2022
Bicyclecamper wrote:
I have a Minelab 18000 XT series that I paid $1200 new for in 95'. I have found all up over 9 ounces of gold, but have not used it for 10 years, am giving it to my son in/law, as it is just going to waste not doing anything. The other thing, it has a depth of 24 inches, of detecting, and some of the ground I have found that gold, or sometimes just lead shot, has been very hard to dig up, so will not be doing anymore detecting. One piece of advice I will give that makes it easier to detect not only for you but your fellow detectorists, is to carry a trash bag, for stuff you detect that is worthless, put it in your trash bag and take it out with you, so nobody else gets caught with detecting rubbish metal objects. It is the only fair thing to do, and most if not all detectorists do the same.
-- Edited by Bicyclecamper on Friday 11th of March 2022 12:49:24 PM
Good advice. Thanks
Aus-Kiwi said
02:28 PM Mar 11, 2022
I just with some gold diggers would digging up the roads though !!
SoloMC said
03:21 PM Mar 11, 2022
Don't laugh
I remember talking to a grader operator who had a detector connected to the caravan he towed behind the grader on some outback roads. He told me that he often got good signals while 'working'.
I still look at the ground while driving about and think 'that is worth a go'.
It gets in your blood, gold fever
Bicyclecamper said
06:41 PM Mar 11, 2022
I actually loved doing it as well. Especially camping out with the wife, and taking turns with the detector, had great times. Whenever we went to the coast, I used to hit the beaches and always came home with either keys rings, the odd wallet and coins. All the wallets, keys and rings I handed over to the police, you don't have to do this, but morally you should. Had six rings given back to me from the police when the owner did not come forward within the allotted 3 months.
rgren2 said
01:17 AM Mar 13, 2022
When you find all this gold you seek, who do you sell it to? Genuine question.
TravellerBob said
09:21 AM Mar 13, 2022
I usually sell my gold on Gumtree to start with or advertize it on one of the many prospecting forums.
There are plenty of people out there that want to buy gold nuggets for various reasons
-- Edited by TravellerBob on Sunday 13th of March 2022 09:22:37 AM
Bicyclecamper said
10:25 AM Mar 13, 2022
I have a jeweler that I sell to. I sold 5 X 1 ounce ingots to him, and have kept 4, for a rain day. Very handy to have some gold, if ever the SHTF, and you don't have access to cash or banks, atm's
rgren2 said
10:42 AM Mar 13, 2022
Do you get current market value for the gold or is there a pricing scheme? Is there a purity factor? I used to go panning with my dad when I was a kid, he kept it and must have sold it as we used a bit. Never thought about it until now. I do know that the mountain streams used to be bitterly cold, even in the summer.
SoloMC said
01:36 PM Mar 13, 2022
Re gold prices
You will get way more than gold weight value if you sell to jewelers and the collectors.
I knew a couple who used to set their own finds in gold settings, add a chain or make into a broach and sell at markets.
We used to sit around at night and look at the various finds at all angles to see what shapes our imagination could come up with. Rabbits were a favourite.
TravellerBob said
06:39 PM Mar 13, 2022
When I find a decent nugget I will price it at atleast $100 per gram and will deal on the price if I need the cash . On the every day small nuggets, mainly sub gram in size. I sell for spot price.
I currently have a regular buyer and we have agreed on a per gram price. I send him a photo of the gold on a scale and he deposits the money into my account the same day Once I have the money I send him the gold.
If I sell to the gold buyer in Kalgoorlie, he weighs the gold then places the largest bit into a machine that establishes the purity of the gold.
He then takes the spot price muiltiplies it by the total weight them multiplies it by the putiry then by 0.9 to workout my price
Example Spot price $80 , Total weight 10 grams Purity 96%
80 x 10 = $800 x 0.96= $768 x 0.9 = $691.20 So for the 10 grams I would get $691.20
On gumtree I would get $800 So I try to sell on Gumtree if I dont have a reguolar buyer
rgren2 said
06:42 PM Mar 13, 2022
Great info. Hope it helps others, too. Im not in the game, just very interested in how things work.
gdayjr said
11:01 AM Mar 14, 2022
Well i called into Miners Den in penrith N.S.W on Saturday and had a look at the GPX6000 and the GPZ7000.
There is a bundle on the GPZ 7000 at the moment, so i will probably go that way.
So pretty much everything i will need to detect in any of the gold bearing areas in the country will cost around $11000
As hobbies go, i must admit, not one of the cheapest things to do, but the potential rewards outweigh that.
PeterInSa said
11:54 AM Mar 14, 2022
Seriously as a 7000 user with a Nugget Finder Z Coil, a 10 inch Russian X Coil along with the standard coil, I would advise the 6000 purchase, the 6000 can more easily find small specs of gold than the 7, and there are a lot more specs than big nuggets out there, and finding any gold gives you hi..
Some of my friends with 7000's have traded them in for a 6 with no change on the swap over, others have kept the 7000 and purchased a 6. In our case, SWMBO has a 6000.
-- Edited by PeterInSa on Monday 14th of March 2022 02:57:11 PM
TravellerBob said
03:24 PM Mar 14, 2022
Graham
A good choice
Do you have a break down of whats included in the package? With the 7000 being worht $9800 I would assume that there is an extra coil as well?
The 7000 is alot heavier that then 6000 but balanced properly on a pro swing 45 harness you can swing it all day. Dont worry if you go to areas that have been flogged with the sdc and 6000 because yo will get all the deeper targets that those detectos cant find. There is still plenty of virgin ground here in WA that has never seen a detector
gdayjr said
04:45 PM Mar 14, 2022
TravellerBob wrote:
Graham A good choice Do you have a break down of whats included in the package? With the 7000 being worht $9800 I would assume that there is an extra coil as well?
The 7000 is alot heavier that then 6000 but balanced properly on a pro swing 45 harness you can swing it all day. Dont worry if you go to areas that have been flogged with the sdc and 6000 because yo will get all the deeper targets that those detectos cant find. There is still plenty of virgin ground here in WA that has never seen a detector
There is a package on Miners Den at the moment, have a look on their web site for the inclusions, but yet 4 coils up to 19 inch
Bicyclecamper said
07:00 PM Mar 14, 2022
TravellerBob wrote:
Graham A good choice Do you have a break down of whats included in the package? With the 7000 being worht $9800 I would assume that there is an extra coil as well?
The 7000 is alot heavier that then 6000 but balanced properly on a pro swing 45 harness you can swing it all day. Dont worry if you go to areas that have been flogged with the sdc and 6000 because yo will get all the deeper targets that those detectos cant find. There is still plenty of virgin ground here in WA that has never seen a detector
Just remember deeper targets mean "stuffin hard work", so if you are going to be in the field for a week or too, what we use to do, a mate and I, would mark anything that with him using a GPx 4500, on a map with compass co-ordinates, and blaze a trail there on trees or bushes, and come back in a couple of days to try and dig them up. It is bloody hard work to do metre deep targets and you will need a mate, especially in quartz or hard ground. I did exceptionally well in the Hammersley Ranges, but extremely hard ground, and very mineralised. I was happy with only a 24 inch deep detector, due to the extremely hard work, of going deeper. We did dry slucing on one particular hill, actually on a rise, and came away, with 1.3 ounces of fine grains, over one ton of material, as we had spent a week slucing, I had had enough, and we pulled the plug. I have that spot marked for future use, but doubt I will ever go back out there.
-- Edited by Bicyclecamper on Monday 14th of March 2022 08:05:29 PM
The above link shows the current package deal. I will be adding a 19 inch coil and some other various bits and bobs.
The Penrith shop is also including a second battery.
Initially it will be just me on this adventure, but i will be Well equiped for reasonably long remote stays, and carrying "enough" tools to do a bit of digging.
I ain't getting any younger, so the sooner i start this, the better.
PeterInSa said
11:09 AM Mar 15, 2022
I would not buy the 19 inch coil, I doubt that anybody who has purchased one uses it on a regular if at all basis. If you want a bigger coil, I suggest you buy a second hand 15 x-coil. Or larger.
Suggest you carry out more research prior to your purchase, the 7000 has older technology and more settings to learn, than the 6000 with its GeoSense-Pi Technology.
From the Minelab website: With automatic features and an easy-to-use interface, you'll be an expert at finding gold from the moment you turn on your GPX 6000. Because Automatic Ground Balance continously adapts to changing soil conditions as you swing your detector over the ground, there's no need to adjust any settings.
-- Edited by PeterInSa on Tuesday 15th of March 2022 02:25:56 PM
gdayjr said
08:33 AM Mar 20, 2022
Well the GPZ7000 is now assembled ready to go.
A three hour traing session is at Wattle Flat N.S.W just after Easter.
I am not sure why people have said it's complicated?
I have not found that at all.
Maybe it's because I have not used a detector before, I am not comparing to anything else, so all of education is just on this one machine.
If you haven't used one or seen one in action you may be surprised at just how easy to use they are.
I did buy the 19 inch upgrade. Some of the areas I will be visiting over the next few years may have been worked over, but this new technology is making those grounds new again.
The detector does penetrate deeper, andI might be digging deeper, but I don't think gold falls from the sky and sink into the ground, pretty sure it works it's way upwards, so if it's there I should have a better chance than most of finding it.
I will go and practice in some local spots for a few weeks, and by the time I hit the road in 5 months or so, I should have it worked out.
Thanks for everyone's input and if you want to catch up and go swinging sometime please get in touch.
Graham.
I will be hitting the road full time in around 4 months, and i was thinking of a useful hobby to pursue whilst travelling this great land.
I got to thinking about gold detecting.
Obviously, plenty of researching needs to be done around the subject of the best locations, and with that a useful history lesson is also learned.
I have started to look into prices of the various items of equipment that will be needed to actually do the prospecting, and while it is not a cheap hobby, it can certainly be a rewarding one.
If you have decided to try your hand at this, what gold detector did you purchase? If you want to share some info on the better areas to look out for, by all means do so.
I will have a caravan set up for off grid living, so the remote places arent really a problem.
Many thanks.
Hi
Detecting for gold is not as easy as they make it out to be on the TV shows beleive me.
If your serious about getting into gold detecting you will need to get a decent gold detector. I would suggest a Minelab SDC 2300 , Its basically turn on and detect. It will work in all the gold fields of Australia with out a problem. New they cost around $4400 and a secondhand unit will set you back around the $3000 mark. Its also waterproof to 10 feet so you can use it on the beach hunting for coins.
Anything cheaper , like the Gold Monster will have issues handling alot of the mineralized ground out here in Australia.
A GPX5000 or a used GpX 4500 is another great choice but there is a bit of a learning curve with these machines as there are numerous settings that have to be understood to maximize their potiential
These 2 detectors will find gold deeper than the SDC.
If money is not a problem then a gpz 7000 at $10 000 or a GPx 6000 at $8000 are worth looking at.
Im currently detecting fulltime out here in WA. I have a GPX 4500 and a SDC2300 .
Other things that have to be looked into are the rules and regulation for each state that you want to detect in.
In WA you will need to buy a Miners Right that cost around $30 for a lifetime permit and you can only legally detect on certain areas. The penalties for detecting where your not allowed to be can be up to $155000.
On the saftey side of things , its recomended that you carry a Personel Locator Beacon when out swinging just incase you need help. I carry one on the back of the detector harness along with a snake bite kit
Researching an area to go detecting in can be very interesting, learning about what went on in the area, life at the time and what gold was found there. I tend to look for area a little off the beaten track, some of the lesser known areas that have been overlooked.
My avatar id a nice 36 gram nugget that I found last year just out of Leonora WA
cheers
Bob
Definitely buy a handheld GPS and learn how to use it, ditto a CB a more powerful CB than the cheapies if going out on your own.
Always Mark the location of your vehicle with the GPS, prior to going out to detect, its very easy to get lost in the bush, especially if these is no wind, cloudy so you cannot see the location of the sun, and all the tress in the area are the same height and there are no high hills etc in the area.
Its a great pastime and you can still find a bit out there.
I found the research very interesting as actually finding gold
Remember that there is a lot of digging involved
Go low and slow
I know plenty of people who found lots but that was years ago
I saw one bloke get 96 oz from an area that was basically a car park.
It will hook you in so be prepared
Have all of 5he safety devices on you.
Very good point. Make sure you carry a PLB.
Thanks Bob.
I am aware of all the rules and regulations, and i am indeed looking at the two high end detectors you mentioned.
I am having a look at them both at Miners Den in Penrith on Saturday.
Good hunting, maybe see you on the road later this year.
Graham
All good advice, thanks.
I do have a pretty good drone as well which helps to get a better perspective of the surrounding ground.
You also want to look at buying the Australian Geology Travel Map app. It will show you your location via gps on your phone / tablet as well as the geology of the area your in . It will also show you the current Live / Pending leases and can be updated daily if required. Its now the go to app for prospecting as has Australia wide coverage.
Let me know when youre comming over to WA. Ill be somewhere between Kalgoorlie and Sandstone and Laverton this year. Ill be heading back to the east around October.
I would be happy to meet up and show you around some of the ground
cheers
Bob
Thanks for the info Bob.
I pick up my new home in July (hopefully) from a dealer in Melbourne, then after it is sorted i will hit the road.
Destination unknown at this point.
I have a Minelab 18000 XT series that I paid $1200 new for in 95'. I have found all up over 9 ounces of gold, but have not used it for 10 years, am giving it to my son in/law, as it is just going to waste not doing anything. The other thing, it has a depth of 24 inches, of detecting, and some of the ground I have found that gold, or sometimes just lead shot, has been very hard to dig up, so will not be doing anymore detecting. One piece of advice I will give that makes it easier to detect not only for you but your fellow detectorists, is to carry a trash bag, for stuff you detect that is worthless, put it in your trash bag and take it out with you, so nobody else gets caught with detecting rubbish metal objects. It is the only fair thing to do, and most if not all detectorists do the same.
-- Edited by Bicyclecamper on Friday 11th of March 2022 12:49:24 PM
Good advice. Thanks
I usually sell my gold on Gumtree to start with or advertize it on one of the many prospecting forums.
There are plenty of people out there that want to buy gold nuggets for various reasons
-- Edited by TravellerBob on Sunday 13th of March 2022 09:22:37 AM
I currently have a regular buyer and we have agreed on a per gram price. I send him a photo of the gold on a scale and he deposits the money into my account the same day Once I have the money I send him the gold.
If I sell to the gold buyer in Kalgoorlie, he weighs the gold then places the largest bit into a machine that establishes the purity of the gold.
He then takes the spot price muiltiplies it by the total weight them multiplies it by the putiry then by 0.9 to workout my price
Example Spot price $80 , Total weight 10 grams Purity 96%
80 x 10 = $800 x 0.96= $768 x 0.9 = $691.20 So for the 10 grams I would get $691.20
On gumtree I would get $800 So I try to sell on Gumtree if I dont have a reguolar buyer
Well i called into Miners Den in penrith N.S.W on Saturday and had a look at the GPX6000 and the GPZ7000.
There is a bundle on the GPZ 7000 at the moment, so i will probably go that way.
So pretty much everything i will need to detect in any of the gold bearing areas in the country will cost around $11000
As hobbies go, i must admit, not one of the cheapest things to do, but the potential rewards outweigh that.
Seriously as a 7000 user with a Nugget Finder Z Coil, a 10 inch Russian X Coil along with the standard coil, I would advise the 6000 purchase, the 6000 can more easily find small specs of gold than the 7, and there are a lot more specs than big nuggets out there, and finding any gold gives you hi..
Some of my friends with 7000's have traded them in for a 6 with no change on the swap over, others have kept the 7000 and purchased a 6. In our case, SWMBO has a 6000.
-- Edited by PeterInSa on Monday 14th of March 2022 02:57:11 PM
A good choice
Do you have a break down of whats included in the package? With the 7000 being worht $9800 I would assume that there is an extra coil as well?
The 7000 is alot heavier that then 6000 but balanced properly on a pro swing 45 harness you can swing it all day. Dont worry if you go to areas that have been flogged with the sdc and 6000 because yo will get all the deeper targets that those detectos cant find. There is still plenty of virgin ground here in WA that has never seen a detector
There is a package on Miners Den at the moment, have a look on their web site for the inclusions, but yet 4 coils up to 19 inch
Just remember deeper targets mean "stuffin hard work", so if you are going to be in the field for a week or too, what we use to do, a mate and I, would mark anything that with him using a GPx 4500, on a map with compass co-ordinates, and blaze a trail there on trees or bushes, and come back in a couple of days to try and dig them up. It is bloody hard work to do metre deep targets and you will need a mate, especially in quartz or hard ground. I did exceptionally well in the Hammersley Ranges, but extremely hard ground, and very mineralised. I was happy with only a 24 inch deep detector, due to the extremely hard work, of going deeper. We did dry slucing on one particular hill, actually on a rise, and came away, with 1.3 ounces of fine grains, over one ton of material, as we had spent a week slucing, I had had enough, and we pulled the plug. I have that spot marked for future use, but doubt I will ever go back out there.
-- Edited by Bicyclecamper on Monday 14th of March 2022 08:05:29 PM
https://www.minersden.com.au/minelab-gpz-7000-metal-detector
The above link shows the current package deal. I will be adding a 19 inch coil and some other various bits and bobs.
The Penrith shop is also including a second battery.
Initially it will be just me on this adventure, but i will be Well equiped for reasonably long remote stays, and carrying "enough" tools to do a bit of digging.
I ain't getting any younger, so the sooner i start this, the better.
I would not buy the 19 inch coil, I doubt that anybody who has purchased one uses it on a regular if at all basis. If you want a bigger coil, I suggest you buy a second hand 15 x-coil. Or larger.
Suggest you carry out more research prior to your purchase, the 7000 has older technology and more settings to learn, than the 6000 with its GeoSense-Pi Technology.
From the Minelab website:
With automatic features and an easy-to-use interface, you'll be an expert at finding gold from the moment you turn on your GPX 6000. Because Automatic Ground Balance continously adapts to changing soil conditions as you swing your detector over the ground, there's no need to adjust any settings.
The YouTube creator below owns a 7 and the 6.
www.youtube.com/watch
more info here:
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com.au/threads/gpx6000-versus-gpz7000.38115/
www.prospectingaustralia.com.au/
-- Edited by PeterInSa on Tuesday 15th of March 2022 02:25:56 PM