Minelab GPX5000 tips, settings and questions

Use 2 bungee cords the normal half way down the shaft make up another one just below the control box and hook the 2 together I use this system on my detector even though I use the minelab battery regards john

Whis will explain it

I don't think a carbon fibre shaft will make a great deal of difference Wolf? The shaft assemblies are fairly light anyway. Most get the carbon fibre upper due to using larger coils not to lighten up?
The "Little Ripper" battery set up is a lot lighter than the normal Minelab battery so I don't know that you would need or want to be "strung" up like above. Sort of negates having a wireless set up to start with I reckon?
I'd give it a few more outings & see how you go with it before ordering a new upper shaft or setting up an elaborate bungy system? Unless using large coils for extended periods you may find that you don't require either or what you already have will do the job?

All sorted and the purchases has been made.

Thanks for those that have replied and helped me with this.

Heatho said:

If it runs smooth and stable you have every chance of getting Gold.

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No good if your machine just runs smooth, yes smooth is great but how would you know you are getting the best out of your machine? keep ramping everything up and have you machine run smooth but just on the verge of chattery then you will know you are achieving the most out of it......not all area's have the same ground, the ground can change with every few steps or so...ask anyone in the earth moving game.

pol said:

Heatho said:

If it runs smooth and stable you have every chance of getting Gold.

Click to expand...

No good if your machine just runs smooth, yes smooth is great but how would you know you are getting the best out of your machine? keep ramping everything up and have you machine run smooth but just on the verge of chattery then you will know you are achieving the most out of it......not all area's have the same ground, the ground can change with every few steps or so...ask anyone in the earth moving game.

Click to expand...

Constantly ramping things up is not always the way, you could pick a deeper timing and ramp it down a touch and get better performance in certain ground types. Just my opinion.

Hi Guys I know this topic has been covered SSSo many times but i was asked by as club to write some very general points for the setup of a GPX 5000 Of course there is so much more to know but here is a basic setup up for those who want to read it.

PS. If any of you PRO's disagree with anything mentioned please comment ok.

Thanks .

Some general points for the setting of the GPX 5000.
By Marcus De Santis. The ZakMan

Always read the manual a few times and get very familiar with the menu layout and settings, selections the FP in each menus represents the factory default settings.

From your manual perform an Auto-tune. This will eliminate the EMI interference, if its still slightly their after then Auto Tune, change the manual tune numbers up or down a few numbers, this should settle things down.

Now when you arrive at your new location you should make the time to carefully run through this test and setting procedure. You will save time by making time to do this every time.

With one or two small test samples around the size of a lead 22 bullet, dig a hole around 6 inch and another around 8 to 10 inch.

Cover these with dirt. Then set your detector, Front panel switching to General and Special, if your using a mono coil select Mono and tracking to Fixed. Then from the digital menu ( back side ) run down the setting, Backlight around 2 volume to FP with audio set, Normal and Special selected to Fine Gold as a starter with the (Part A) RX gain starting at around 7. NOW Ground balance the detector, by pumping (moving up and down 5 times) it slowly over the ground while pressing and Holding the green handle button In, then stop at around 1 inch off the ground pause for 2 seconds for the sound to stabilize to a steady HUM then release then green button.

Now slowly increase the RX numbers till you hear an audio change a very slight signal break down in the steady HUM then back it off 1 2 numbers.
RE:- Ground balance.

Then with the stabilizer, again start at around 7 then slowly increase it till you hear a slight miss in the HUM then back it off 1- 2 numbers.

All the other setting can just be set to FP but and make sure Iron Reject is off.

Now Re Ground balance.

Try wave the detector over the ground, if its quiet (if its noisy see Part B) then you have it well set so now try the test target, check for an audio sharp sound over then target each time you pass directly over the target in both direction (this is very important, both direction make a repeatable sound) directly over the target now as your swinging left to right (slow and level) raise the coil so to determine the depth and change in sound which you can expect with these setting when your detecting.
Your set to go, so Good luck.

BUT!!!
If you wont to really fine tune your set up then; I now try selecting under Special Sensitive Extra possibly try Sharp re Ground Balance and see if its still quiet over the surrounding ground then the test target (check if you can get any more depth from these settings) if its noisy ( Part B ) as you move over the area you will need to go back to Part A then readjust the Rx and reduce the setting by a few number and then reset the stabilizer the try again.
OR prior to doing this try changing the Audio setting to Quiet this may settle things out directly. Re Ground Balance.

Points.
Coils :- If you have other coils then do all this over again so to determine the very best combo so to get depth and sound clarity. Trust me the time taken is worth while.
When wave the coil over the buried samples actually rub the coil on the ground and listen for the noise. Skid plates are cheap and you want all the depth below the soil that you can get.

When Im looking for the best combination of coil and setting for max depth I would now write the settings down and the max height combo, determine the very best set up for this location and environmental condition ON THIS day.

In noisy ground try a DD coil with the front panel switch set INto mono (yes Mono) and see how the depth and noisy is compared with the other coils.
After doing more tests latterly, it would appear that the smaller DD coils arent as good with these setting but from a 14 inch up its defiantly worth a try.

ZakMan motto Forget the sub gramers look for gram and above>.

Good hunting

The ZakMan

hi there all just in relationship to the nf 18 inch coil i bought the other day ..now i carried out a test with 3 grams of gold buried at 10 inches down ,the best signal i received was in special and sensitive extra..there was no response at all using fine gold mode,can anyone maybe shine some light on my query thanks all,john....

I have a 17inch elliptical DD coil which I used to use with my 3500. Have since bought a gpx 5000 and would like t use the DD on my next trip. Can any one advise me if I need to use any particular settings on the 5000. Thanks and regards Kurnalpi

Welcome to the forum, I moved your post to a more relevant section for those more experienced to comment on. Cheers

Using a DD you don't need any particular settings. Put the coil/rx switch in DD & away you go. Adjust settings to suit the location.
If you want to use the iron reject feature you need a DD & have the coil/rx switch in DD also.
You can use a DD coil in mono too. This will give you a pseudo mono where only half of the DD is used. It should be more sensitive but at a loss of depth.

I used these settings or a DD/5K combo as supplied by JP with reasonable results.
Are for highly mineralised soils of the Golden triangle.

Front end cap:

Search Mode: General
Soil Timings: Normal/Special
Coil/Rx: DD
Ground Balance: Tracking/Fixed

Menu Settings:

Main Menu:
Backlight: 0
Battery Test:
Volume Limit: 8
GB Type:Gen
Special: Sharp
Manual Tune: 128 (wherever threshold is stable)

General Menu:
Motion: Slow or Very Slow
RX Gain: 11
Audio: Normal
Tone: 60
Stabilizer: 20
Signal: 19
Target Volume: 8
Response: Normal
Tracking: Medium
Iron Reject: Off

Thanks Redfin. I will put that to the test as I will be out prospecting from the 7th of August for about 10 days. I will post what success if any. - Kurnalpi

Lucky you I have not been to Kurnalpi for at least 20 years .Another thing you can try with a DD Is run it in cancel crank the gain up and stabilizer up and run it in general soil timings I have found this OK its worth a try nothing to loose regards john

Hi All,

Quick question about tuning the brand new beast, which I'm looking forward to using next week.

Do I auto tune or manual tune and if I have a manual tune setting entered does that override an auto tune prior to GB?

Also using the 11 inch mono coil around the GT, any variation on the settings or go with Factory set up?

Thanks in advance.

Just manual tune to about 90 and it will stay there until you alter it manual or auto tune have you used a detector before 11 mono coil is a great coil if you are new to detecting stay with factory pre sets until you under stand what the detector is telling you this may take time, you can crank the gain and stabilizer up just make sure that the target volume is not to high about 12 regards john

Thanks John, much appreciated.

I've used a 5000 at a training day, and just got mine home to play with and looking forward to getting out!

That 17" will run best in the Normal timing, and keep the coil/Rx in Double D.

Also, if the detector is very stable (low EMI), then put your motion on Medium. This helps to ping the smaller bits

Stabilizer 11-15

Good luck!

Hi John a pity you didnt stay, 1990 to 1994 one person pulled out 1100 ounces, some nuggets around the 90 to 135 ounces. Admittedly the last 500 ounces or so a machine was used and most of the gold was only between a depth of of a few inches and 4 feet. Me,and a few others were the spectators going out every day and coming back with a thirst along with the .2 gram pieces. Cheers, Kurnalpi.

Have you got a time machine