Minelab GPX4500 tips, settings, questions

Mono coils in Enhance, Sens Smooth or Fine Gold, always try to use Fixed BUT don't be scared of Tracking if conditions dictate.

When would I consider using Tracking?

1. When I find my unit is constantly going out of balance
2. After your third or fourth hole for charcoal or clay dome
3. When you are more prospecting, so covering a lot of ground rather than gridding a small area

Can you track targets out when using Tracking?
YES, but it isn't as common as some would lead you to believe

How can you avoid tracking targets out?
1. Keep a wide sweep over the suspected target area
2. Move coil to the side of the suspected target area, pump coil up and down and press and hold the Quick-Trak button to lock the tracking
2b. Alternative to "pump coil up and down" is to do a sweep around the suspected target area in Tracking, then lock it
3. Don't sweep over the target area so many times, just dig

GypsyGoldAu said:

Tracking = \/ \/\/\/\/ /\/\/\/~~~/\/\/\

Fixed= ----------/\---------/\---------

which is easier to look at/hear?...

For my $$$ it's fixed all the way, & regular balancing as the ground alerts to changes.

I find tracking just too exhausting to listen to and define the response, especially those whisper quiet threshold breaks that aren't really a weeoo or wooee response, just a break in the audio.

Gypsy

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I don't understand this at all?
In tracking it shouldn't be any harder to listen to & in fact some areas could be smoother with the right tracking & motion speeds. To me there is no difference in response from a correctly balanced machine in fixed or one set up correctly for tracking. The only difference on very faint signals is that in fixed they can't be tracked out but there is a possibility of it happening in tracking if you continually sweep over the target hence why you should flick to fixed or hold the quick track button in.
At the end of the day it's mostly individual preference but I have no doubt tracking has it's place just like DD's can despite what some drum into us.

well the general opinion seems to be fixed and that does not surprise me considering some of the people I have talked to as well. l will try it out next week.
thanks nenad for a good reply that is what I have been thinking, other people have been finding gold around us while we are getting zip
so must be doing something wrong (probably just not swinging over it) ,so have to try something different.
hi mark,i will be up at Wedderburn one day next week,(maybe) so p.m. me with phone number if you like.
thanks all jim

mbasko said:

I don't understand this at all?
In tracking it shouldn't be any harder to listen to & in fact some areas could be smoother with the right tracking & motion speeds. To me there is no difference in response from a correctly balanced machine in fixed or one set up correctly for tracking. The only difference on very faint signals is that in fixed they can't be tracked out but there is a possibility of it happening in tracking if you continually sweep over the target hence why you should flick to fixed or hold the quick track button in.
At the end of the day it's mostly individual preference but I have no doubt tracking has it's place just like DD's can despite what some drum into us.

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Well like i said (wrote)....'for my $$$' & 'i find'....these have been 'my' experience on lots of attempts in various GT regional gold fields with 'my' machine and mono vs DD coils and which suits my hearing & style of operating...the OP asked what 'we' did/used and 'why'...& thought that was what i did...I won't go into specifics as to the 'why' this works for 'me' here.. :8

If you have a specific interest feel free to PM and i will expand my method, just don't wish to go off topic for the OP's sake...

Yes, your mileage may vary in 'your area's of attention' (other areas have different conditions to here) and 'your machine', and what it is specifically 'you' or I want to achieve while using it....

As to using Tracking...sure it has it's place & purpose, both of which are outside the parameters of where i detect, how i detect and get 'results'. Could those results be better you may ask?....Well sure, however it may not come down to just one option like that above as to making that occur,..(cover more ground, more time on ground etc to name just a few)...i've just had better luck with mono's + 'fixed with bal. as req.' where i walk. i wasn't in any way 'trashing' even the thought of using 'tracking', i just haven't walked the ground some get the best out of it..

In short & my final point regarding the original post.....OP, you have nothing to lose and more to gain (knowledge) by finding a faint & 'iffy' target in which ever mode you use now, and prior to retrieving it, change the settings and even the coils (mono to DD or vice versa) and learn to understand that each and every combination of settings & accessories used has it's place in use, and no single one set-up will be 'ideal' for all situations...this is the only way i know in how to get the best understanding of your set-up. And it will, at best, cost just a days testing to cover all bases if you have a range of coils on hand....and will end up being a much different set-up to what 'i' use...guaranteed. :lol: (PM me if you'd like the firearm simile)....

For me, i don't need to do so much of that these days as i usually walk 'known' ground and usually only have to make minor changes each time out (due to atmospherics mostly)...it's still not 'set & forget detecting'......

And for the doubters, ,i use an old GPX 4k, now with the update battery (45/5k), and for a quick cpl of hours one Sat arvo last year, Nenad can let you know how well i did in comparison to his fellow statesmen when they came for a visit and did their tally up at days end. Not sure about them, but for me it was the first time to visit the area & detect, and before i got the new battery.

Regards
Gypsy

well I am back from Inglewood and really tried out fixed and was pleased with the result. I found it more sensitive with a clearer signal. never set the world on fire but picked up a nice little .54gr nugglet for the week. experimented a lot and learnt a bit more. we had a good week though

Well done.

Hi I recently bought the latest coil elite 17x 11 for my 4500 but it quite noisy .
Does any have any good setting for the above .
Thanks for any help anyone can give me .
blackgold

I will go the other way can you tell us what settings you are running and what state you are in and area you are detecting regards john

Is it safe to use a 4500 inside a home or caravan without headphone attached so that I can familiarize myself with menu settings etc. I have had the 4500 for about 6 years now and have only ever used the fp settings as I had no real understanding of how to get the best out of my detector. Have found plenty of small gold in WA. but I'm sure Iv'e been missing some as well. So time to do some homework.

It will drive you nuts and you will never learn good settings in suburbia.
Use outside (away from any electrical circuits) and in cancel mode with a DD on at thevery least! Those things are way too sensitive to even the smallest EMI.
There's hundreds of reasons why we detect out bush, but the main two probably are:
1. That's where detectable gold is, and
2. That's where it's EMI quiet to let your detector work at its best.

I only want to use the menu side of things with no ear phones so as to have a better understanding of its layout as I have found the manual confusing. Would this damage the detector? I can experiment with settings in the field but need to know how to access everything first and want to take advantage of these long winter nights.

Nuggetunter said:

Is it safe to use a 4500 inside a home or caravan without headphone attached so that I can familiarize myself with menu settings etc. I have had the 4500 for about 6 years now and have only ever used the fp settings as I had no real understanding of how to get the best out of my detector. Have found plenty of small gold in WA. but I'm sure Iv'e been missing some as well. So time to do some homework.

Click to expand...

It's perfectly safe to turn on your GPX4500 inside to familiarise yourself with the menu settings without headphones to drive you nuts.
Once you get confident with where everything is go somewhere your familiar with & have a fair idea of what to expect from it when you've used factory presets - ideally somewhere you've found some gold before. Take a few small bits & start playing with the different settings etc. & once your happy with how it's going do a run over the area. If you pick up more or deeper in situ gold then you'll know your on the right track but don't be too disheartened if you don't. There may not be anymore detectable gold there or other reasons for not getting more. Playing with settings is all about trial & error + adjusting to suit different areas & the conditions that get thrown up.
One way of getting a good idea of what might work for you is to maybe give a general location & what coils you would use then ask if anyone nearby can suggest some. Most here are pretty generous with help on settings & these can be a good starting point to fine tune for yourself too.

Why does the main menu or upper part only shows special options in soil timings even though it is not selected on the front switch. To further explain, when soil timings switch is set in normal or enhance the main menu still shows special and its options. and not normal or enhance.

I have been looking in the forests just south of Maryborough mostly using a coiltek 17 inch eliptical mono the beigh one not the newer one.

Normal & Enhance are timings on their own i.e. they don't have any sub timings or ranges/groups to require a menu listing on the LCD.
When you switch into special it allows you to select from a range of other "special" class timings so it needs a LCD menu for selection.

Thanks for the clarification.

Yes it can be confusing I have seen 5000 running in fine gold on the LCD screen but not switched it special on the front switch and the operator wonder why the detectors not running as it should its in fine gold regards john

What should I be listening for when setting the gain and stabilizer, I tried altering the gain up and down the scale and didn't notice much difference but I'm unsure of what to listen for and how to set it correctly. This is after I have done an auto tune. I'm using the coiltek 17 inch eliptical mono (the beige one not the new one) in fairly noisy ground and would like to fine tune things as I have been getting lots of ground noise. My choice of coils is limited at the moment to a 12inch round mono and DD and a 12inch eliptical NF mono. For general searching I would like to use the 17inch mono. I have been looking around Maryborough Vic.

Nuggetunter the rx and the stab. many people have different ideas on where it should be set, all detector are different I am using a newer 4500 and prefer a quiet stable threshold, my rx is on 10 on 11 the threshold just get a small waver in it ,the gain is on 9.As fare as coils put the 12 round mono on and just use it until you get formilular with the detector and what its telling you this may take some time regards john

RX gain is basically sensitivity . the higher the number, the more sensitive.
Stabilizer is an audio filter. The lower the number the higher the filtering.