Beach Detecting Minelab GPX detectors

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They sure do but you'll need to use the DD coil if you are anywhere near suburbia. Also you'll end up digging a lot of junk, tiny junk, as they only discriminate iron, apart from that they are a great beach detector and will punch deep. They are more at home on the goldfields though, I gave up using my 5000 on the beach, all the junk was too frustrating.
 
No worries mate, you could try the monos and see how they go but any EMI will cause you problems, in suburbia it will be impossible (almost) to use a mono. DD's can be found pretty cheap second hand, some will have never been used.
 
If you run it in the Salt timing, this will ignore a lot of the small junk targets. Use a mono coil if away from powerlines, or a DD in Cancel if the EMI is bad.
 
Been reading and just wondered if the GPX 4500 can be an all rounder in beach detecting. It seems that it covers what the SDC 2300 can do, so why not beaches?
 
there was someone on here that uses a 4500 for the beach as well, i have thought about trying mine on the beach but haven't yet as i have a garret infinium as my dedicated beach kit
 
I've used my 5000 on the beach before, it can punch very deep in the mild mineralisation, total PITA without proper discrimination though.
 
If I could ever afford one, there's no way I'd take it to the beach. Recently I'v bought a couple of non-working 'tectas, and the reason-beach related corrosion. I could tell by the sand inside, which as we all well know gets into everything. The salt air alone is devastating on metals- resistors especially. With a modern compact circuit board the gaps between circuits are tiny, and a grain of sand or trace of salty dew would be devastating.
I haven't been to the beach for about 5 years now-since I've owned the Infinium, but last summer down the swimming hole at the river I used the GC3080. Although not super-hot, still a versatile machine-especially for the price. I got mine for $150 new. They're $250-300 now. Hard-wired 10" coil and phones.
Perhaps if I sold my 16 detectors, I might have enough for a deposit on a 4500.....? 8.(
 
If you're careful and stay away from the water then the GPX's can be used for beach hunting without much worry, don't get them wet though and be mindful not to get sand in them and all should be fine. Mine still works flawlessly after a quite a few beach hunts.
 
main reason i havent used my 4500 at the beach is the cost of it and not water/sand proof and i have a completely sealed unit with the infinium so dont see the need to use the 4500 there, even tho the infinium was almost sacrificed to the sea last night detecting, just couldn't get it to run right
 
OK with the weather too hot for me to detect in the GT I'm keen to give the beaches another go.

Have had limited success in the early days with the Xterra 705 but want to give the SDC and 4800 a run. was thinking of sticking the ML DD coil on to hopefully avoid all the wire from the 100's of sparklers that would have been around on NYE.

Any advice as to start up settings that people use with the 4500/5000 would be appreciated.

Any info/sdvice welcomed.

Cheers Tom
 
G'day T

Same boat I have started beach detecting with SDC only advice I can give is get a good psych mate as 2 foot holes for bobby pins are doing my head in ! But getting some old rings and coins make it worth it along with the scenery :D

Cheers and good luck
 
Should do ok i have seen z's working on the beach. Dug a 5c peice at over 2ft. He did ok as i had done the area with my at pro 5 days prior so punches deep on the dry sand. Salt settings he said. Cheers.
 
General settings are pretty much the same as you'd use for the goldfields, though using a DD coil is best if your near a town, just try to pick the deepest timing you can use while getting it to run smooth. Or use a salt/gold timing if the beach is really salty and mineralised, I normally use coin/relic timing on my 5000 on the beach, that timing gets some serious depth.

If coin/relic doesn't work due to EMI or Black sand I usually drop it back to "sharp" or "normal".
 

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