Lytle78

Nice clean example of this uncommon nugget machine. Predecessor to the Lobo - uses the same 4 pin male 20 kHz coils as the original Lobo - no other Tesoro coils will work. Works fine and besides the standard 10” DD coil, there is a pristine 6” concentric elliptical coil $300 shipped

Has anybody out there got experience of an area in south east AZ which has really bad dirt - high mineralization with lots of hot rocks? I want to torture test a few of my detectors. Not so much interested in the likelyhood of gold as finsing some really bad conditions. Thanks

Also, do the two detectors come each in the normal box and packing or are in one huge box? Thanks

What is included with the GPX-5000 in this package? Thanks

It apparently does a lot more than a GPS. As far as recording your tracks, you can keep adding to the same "record" on multiple visits to the site. You can take photos with the phone and they are saved as part of the track. Best of all, it uses google satellite maps. Pity it's for Android.

This looks interesting. An app for Android devices for tracking your detecting and recording finds. The possibilities for prospecting are really huge. Here's a post regarding the app. http://www.findmall.com/read.php?34,2069334,2069425#msg-2069425 Here's a link to the Android Play Store for the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trib.app.tectotraklite The IOS version is a Kickstarter Project and I went ahead and pledged $5 hoping he gets it done - cause I don't have an Android phone.

If they can get the pulse delay down to 8μ seconds with that 8" coil, it might find fly poop sized gold - less than 0.5 grains. That would be nice, but not at $3k or more.

Heard from a usually reliable source that the coil is the one and only. Also that they were thinking that $3,800 was a fair price for it. If so, good luck with that - with the ATX at about $2000. It is heavily based on a demining detector that sells for about $2000. Anything above that in the price can be attributed to Minelab's "tax on gold" pricing strategy. Codan is in a bit of a pickle at the moment - according to publicly announced data - sales, profits and the stock price are all way down, while inventory $$$ are way up. The way to change that is to stimulate sales. Most companies would cut prices to do so, but having raised the prices of their gold detectors to extreme levels while the going was good and the price of gold was soaring, they would look kind of silly now if they changed their profile by lowering the PI prices to the levels that "non gold" detectors sell for. It's hard to see how the build cost of the GPX5000 could be three times that of the CTX, but the price sure is. They make the world's most powerful and capable gold detector - just wish they hadn't gone off the deep end on their pricing.

Anywhere from $500 - $650 on Craigslist. Pawn shops are usually cheaper if you find one. A guy here in Phoenix got one for $200! If you are not hung up on a GB2 specifically, a GM vSat or GM3 or 4b can often be found for $300 or less.

The whole SDC-2300 thing smacks of a hurry up and do something effort pushed by Garrett's move with the ATX. Minelab's sales of gold detectors in Africa - by far their biggest market has dropped by 80%. That's catastrophic. Since the SDC announcement came out on the 9th, Codan's share price dropped 17.5% on the 9th, trading was suspended for two days, and today it dropped another 38%. Their public announcement today indicates that the SDC will come out in mid April and that a new technology super gold detector is years off.

I have located one of these and should have it in a week or so. Can anyone tell me about different coils for this machine? I have seen pictures of an 8" round and a 9" elliptical. Is it possible to use the White's 50 kHz coils on this 52 kHz machine? Any other info much appreciated. Rick K

I checked my fujitsu Tablet PC battery. The battery is 10.8 v. The car adapter puts out 18v and the battery charges fine. The AC adapter puts out 16 v. and works OK. The PC is stickered for a 16v DC input when running on external power through the car adapter or AC adapter. I'm no EE, but it looks like a charger should be somewhat above the battery voltage - so 14.4v battery and 18v wall plug dc adapter sounds plausable. By the way - these Fujitsu Stylistic tablet PC's are currently cheaper than dirt on ebay. I paid about $150 each for several of them (one included the car adapter). They run Windows 2000 and make great in car navigation displays with Ozi Explorer or any of the Topo map navigation programs. Models include 3400, 3500 and C-500. Don't buy one without the HD included. It will not have the cable for the HD and these are impossible to find.

As far as recharging from your truck or car's 12v system, a car power adapter for a laptop will probably work. My Fujitsu tablet PC adapter puts out 18v at 4 amps with a 12 v input. Rick K

N/T

Some stuff to consider while waiting for the GPX 5000. Some people will pay an arm and a leg for this stuff (humor intentional). All text from: http://www.minelab.it/cercamine/xstandard/...lab%2007-05.pdf The sensitivity of a detector can also be adversely affected due to the close proximity of overhead power lines (110/220/240 V 50/60 Hz). To eliminate this problem, Minelab detectors incorporate a “Noise Cancel†function in the electronics. When Noise Cancel is initiated, the electronics automatically scans the surrounding environment searching over 4,000 iterations of frequency until the source of interference is detected. Once completed, the detector will select an alternative operating frequency to reduce or eliminate the original interference. Unlike many detectors, Minelab detectors provides a varied tone depending on the conductivity of the metal being detected. With correct training and experience it is possible for a deminer to learn more about a potential target. Additionally, the varied tonal response provides an additional safety feature in that it improves an operator’s ability to distinguish between multiple targets. As part of Minelab’s ISO 9001:2000 accreditation, it maintains configuration management records for all detectors sold. This information is always available to customers if required so that any future modifications can be properly documented. Similarly, periodic technical instructions on operation and maintenance will automatically be issued. Price An important final consideration is price. As mentioned in the Introduction, the aim for any customer should be to obtain the best value for money. Minelab’s market research indicates that its detectors are very competitively priced in comparison to other vendors. Additionally, those clients given “preferred customer†status are extended further cost savings. This paper aims to provide objective information to assist procurement staff to make informed judgement when considering the purchase Minelab metal mine detectors. It is hoped that when all the “procurement considerations†are taken into account, it will be concluded that Minelab continues to represent excellent value for money.