Hi Prospecting Australia members

Hi everyone,
I live in riverina NSW and have decided to get into gold detecting (think I may have a few screws loose), way more involved than I thought. Being 4.5 hours from gold fields (Bendigo/Golden Triangles) and working full time it is hard to get the time in the fields I wish I could get. I purchased a Minelab GPZ 7000 about 2 months ago which I am sure will be awesome once I work out settings that work best for myself, however I wish I had of brought a SDC2300 first (might buy one when I have the dollars) as they seem to be more novice friendly. Have had about 6-7 full days in gold fields with it finding lots of trash (plenty of leadshot hence my user name) and 3 small pieces of gold (two pieces came from a patch a friend took me to so class them as being spoon fed). Setting up 7000 is part that I am finding most difficult as friends settings have got small pieces I have found but they are way different to everything I am being told to use. Three pieces I found have been shallow so probably not getting best out of 7000. Sure I will work it out.

Hopefully become a prospector one day
Cheers Jamie

The 7000 should do you good Jamie. Good hunting.
Jaros :Y:

Three pieces is three better than I have found with a detector :Y:

Sorry I did forget to mention I have had a bit of a look through this forum whilst I have been trying to gather information. A post from Loamer with photos and descriptions of what to look for in the gold fields was very helpful for newbies like myself, thank you. Also seems to be a lot of knowledgeable and experienced members to get their ideas off.
Cheers Jamie

Very true Jamie. :Y:

Welcome Jamie, Im fairly new to this site myself and think that the crew here are a friendly bunch. Ive been detecting for a few years but am only new to panning/sluicing.

I have a 5000 and was initially flustered with detecting because I was trying to understand how the detector works, how to find the best place to detect. and getting advice from others to use more advanced settings which only added to the confusion. I eventually realised that I should leave the settings at the factory default and get to learn how and why to ground balance. Getting proficient at that will minimise a lot of false signals and digging empty holes. You will have to work out the areas to avoid that have a lot of trash but the 7000 should pick up more signals than my 5000 so going over known flogged ground may still be beneficial to you.

Most importantly have fun learning.

Zol

Thanks for replies Jaros, Goldfreak ,Zol and anyone else that replies. Zol thanks for lengthy reply, you just touched on what I think I will continue to struggle with for a while. Balancing out my machine. Asking about more advanced settings is just trying to get the best out of your machine I think so you will get more signals from earlier models. You say "have fun learning", I know you have to but being 4.5 hours from Gold fields and trying to learn so much I am coming home as frustrated as ever. That's just my person though, try to perfect things immediately (expect to much to soon) but I am not a quitter so it happen sooner or later.

Cheers Jamie

welcome jamie
your detector is above my pay grade
but never fear someone on here will be only to happy to give you advise

Hi and welcome to PA
There are a few here that use the zed so help is out there if you feel you need any, but sounds like you are doing ok, just take your time and it will 'click' so to say

PS. great name mate lol

Cheers
Jamie

Hi all.About time i said gday.Have been following the forum for some time. Some great tips ,some great laughs.You all seem to be a great bunch people. Living on the Hunter Coast i don't get detecting as much as i would like. My lovely wife Debbie also loves detecting , so when i say i am going detecting,she says i am going to. It's great to have a wife who shares and supports your addiction. Have some new settings for my Gpx5000 .weather permitting i am setting off later this week for a couple of days. Still haven't found any gold, but will never give up. Just being in the bush having a swing and dig is great fun.Cheers All stay out there. GP

welcome Gp465 yes a great bunch on here and lots of laughs

More Leadshot said:

Hi everyone,
I live in riverina NSW and have decided to get into gold detecting (think I may have a few screws loose), way more involved than I thought. Being 4.5 hours from gold fields (Bendigo/Golden Triangles) and working full time it is hard to get the time in the fields I wish I could get. I purchased a Minelab GPZ 7000 about 2 months ago which I am sure will be awesome once I work out settings that work best for myself, however I wish I had of brought a SDC2300 first (might buy one when I have the dollars) as they seem to be more novice friendly. Have had about 6-7 full days in gold fields with it finding lots of trash (plenty of leadshot hence my user name) and 3 small pieces of gold (two pieces came from a patch a friend took me to so class them as being spoon fed). Setting up 7000 is part that I am finding most difficult as friends settings have got small pieces I have found but they are way different to everything I am being told to use. Three pieces I found have been shallow so probably not getting best out of 7000. Sure I will work it out.

Hopefully become a prospector one day
Cheers Jamie

Click to expand...

Welcome Jamie,
You will be really glad you brought the Zed once you start finding nice gold with it i assure you of that. Have a look in the detector section under Minelab, then you will find GPZ7000, info,tips,finds, started by Nenad Lonic who generously has put many hours of his valuable time into sharing information and vids to help everyone out that needs it on this subject. Mate i can tell you that i didn't have any experience with or own a detector before i brought my GPZ7000 and i found Gold with it on the very first day, so don't doubt yourself or your weapon of choice, time spent on the field experimenting with what works best for you is the key, best of luck out there, go low and slow.
Cheers Dolphin.
PS. If your finding lead birdshot often you certainly won't miss a nugget just a matter of running your coil over the top of one.

Hi Jamie

Welcome to the best forum on the net. Plenty to read. ask plenty of questions . We are a friendly bunch. I am sure you will get plenty of answers and advice from others to any questions you ask. All you have to do is ask.

Welcome Jamie
Don't doubt the 7000. Whilst I don't have one currently I have certainly used one. I did a Far North Queensland gold detecting tour earlier this year and went halves in a Z with a mate just for the trip (BigWave also a PA member). Neither of us could afford to buy one so we shared it and sold it on when we got back.
The Zed is a very capable machine and it will be just a matter of walking over the gold, which is a skill in itself, and the Zed will find it (given its not too deep).
The best thing you can do is play with settings and get use to what they all do.
When I started I found burying targets at different depths and testing response at different settings was the best way to learn. I'm a bit slow on the up take but once I did it enough times it started to sink in. Once I started finding gold of different sizes I sandwiched a range if different sizes between clear sticky tape along with a piece of string. It was real easy and quick to dig a hole, drop a test piece in, and test. It was comforting to know I wouldn't loose one of my precious nuggets, small as they were, because they were on a string. You could do this with any sort of metal target until you find more gold.
Having found 3 pieces you 'are' doing well. Keep at it. It's a matter of boots on ground.
I live 3 hrs from the Goldfields and struggle to get out detecting just because of the travel time.
But, boy it is great when I get out there finding gold or not. There is always the excitement of anticipation, every hole.
In between trips I read and research, probably every couple of days; plus read this forum.
I always have a new spot to go to.
Good luck.
Cheers

Jamie

I bought the sdc2300 first and now regret it.
I wish I had of saved a little longer and bought the 4500 or 7000.
You will find heaps..

Wow so many welcomes! Thanks 7.62 marksman, Jamie, gp465, Dolphin, pete165, Dig'n-it and NeilM. Thanks all for encouraging words, support and information.
Dolphin- thanks for advice on where to look for information.
Dig'n-it- read part of you gpz and far north QLD story (must have been on your sale add), thanks for information and test methods. I haven't really done any tests due to crazy hours with job I have and when I get time off I have rushed to goldfields since getting 7000, maybe should stay home a bit and do these tests.
NeilM- interesting you should say that about the sdc2300 as few people I have spoke to including a professional prospector keep talking about how each model are like having different tools in the toolbox. Sdc2300 supposed to be able to quickly go around and get fine gold and find patches then work patch with a deeper detector. Told that 2300 is basically a turn on and start detecting detector also.
Cheers
Jamie

Hey Jamie

Yep I think if I lived in Vic or nearer to gold (Closest is 5 hour drive) I would be doing better.
I don't get to see too much gold detected by anyone with the sdc when I am out detecting.

I keep reading people are smashing it but yet to see it.
It is easy to use and first time out I found small nugget but not much since.

Mate this is just my opinion now after 18 months.
Definitely not trying to put you off, more like thinking you bought the better detector first up.
Neil

Yeah Neil that was my thinking when I brought the 7000, expensive however I didn't want to buy an earlier model/another model than be wishing I had of brought the 7000. Recon if I/missus and I can get more time that I will get a sdc2300 to complete arsenal. If the yellow stuff was worth nothing you would see, hear and be shown a lot more.

Been a while since I have been able to get detecting so thought I would post image of my 3 small nuggets that I have found so far.
Cheers Jamie.