Minelab GPX5000 tips, settings and questions

[Simmo]

I have a mate who is a full time prospector and he has his 2 5000's and swears by his modded one.
He was given a 7000 to do a review but he gave it back. The review was never published!!

 

[shakergt]

Davent Maybe this tread should have been called the 4500 5000 vs the 7000 Anyway this thread has got me thinking about what detector to purchase for my first one. I was looking at a SD2000 or SD3000 but they have gone out the window considering I can get a GPX4000 or 4500 for not much more. A 5000 is out of my price range and so is the GPZ7000. I have been using a 5000 so I am used to it and I know the machine and the 4500 is very similar. So for about $2500 I can get a good entry model machine and if I want to later down the track I can either mod the thing to the hilt or if funds are good to me by then purchase a 7000.

 

[Tathradj]

shakergt,
You have just answered your own question.
4500 all the way.
Put a Sadie coil on it,
That close to an SDC it is not funny.
Put a 17 x 13 on it.
Deeper bigger gold you will find.
Versatility coupled with one of the best PI machines ever built.
Then 12 to 14 months later,
Go all out and get an SDC.
I know this as it is what I have done.
Armed with these two machines with the veritable collection
of coils you will collect.
Pretty impressive arsenal. :Y:

 

[davent]

I think that in the right areas, the 4500/5000 is better than entry level.
From what I've seen, the zed allows better depth, inso far as it filters out the clutter and ground noise in my area to allow you to hear the signal that other detectors find difficult.
A really good operator with a 5k or 45 might be able to find find settings that can do similar, or even better, but for my level of experience, I can't work out those settings.
The problem is that up here, (Darwin) we get so much water on our gold fields, that minerals get washed into deep pockets, or down to bed rock level, the same area that the gold finds its way into. My mates with the zeds "see" them, but I don't. The SDC also does pretty well, but on small shallow areas. I have done well in some areas, but in others , not much chip, I really struggle finding bigger deeper bits, the zed boys find pretty regularly.
Cheers for all the replies, some great info here!

 

[shakergt]

I found the video. It is quite long but here it is

https://youtu.be/RZzsei4j7K0

 

[mbasko]

You're a better man than me shaker to be able to sit thru an hour of that

 

[Nuggetbuster]

You're a better man than me shaker to be able to sit thru an hour of that

I think I literally watched the grass grow in that video.

 

[shakergt]

Must admit fast forward was used a fair bit

 

[Nuggetbuster]

I did find this. However ozzieau is right on the money. by the time you spend $2200 on a 5000 to mod it you might as well have brought a 7000. But if you do have a 5000 already it is a cheaper option than buying a 7000.

But it's probably a wiser option to sell the GPX 5000 while it's still working and worth decent money, and just buy a used GPZ 7000.

The following is quoted from a detector mod site

"when we upgrade the GP and GPX series detectors we have found superior depth and small gold performance than the SDC and GPZ. As an example, an upgraded and fully modified GPX4500 will detect deeper than the GPZ7000 and will also detect smaller gold deeper than a SDC2300."

Marketing guff

 

[Sourdough Moe]

If i drop my gpx5000 in the fourm of it sldeing down the wall will it break

 

[Rockhunter62]

Hi Moe,

Can't quite understand the question but I would have to think it would depend how hard the GPX landed and onto what..

Cheers

Doug

 

[Tathradj]

Now moved here.
Can I ask what do you mean. ?

 

[mbasko]

If you mean that it slid down the wall onto the floor then it should be ok Moe. They are pretty hardy. I would imagine quite a few get accidentally dropped or slide over off the side of vehicles etc. when out & about without any ill effects.
Picking it up & forcefully slamming it into the ground or a tree might be a different story though ]

 

[ctxkid]

put it in a box cover, absorb more bumps

 

[Sourdough Moe]

Thanks mbasko i feel way better bout it

 

[Heatho]

I remember someone (Diggerdude I think) accidently ran over his 5000 control box with his 4x4 and it still worked, wouldn't recommend doing that thouigh. Was pretty mangled too.

 

[Guest]

I remember someone (Diggerdude I think) accidently ran over his 5000 control box with his 4x4 and it still worked, wouldn't recommend doing that thouigh. Was pretty mangled too.

That would have been his 4500 he bought from me and from memory, he closed the door on it.

 

[Heatho]

No he actually backed over his detector with his 4x4 as it was leaning against the back of it. Nothing about jamming one in a door, that must be a different unfortunate incident.

 

[HarryHoudini]

I remember someone (Diggerdude I think) accidently ran over his 5000 control box with his 4x4 and it still worked, wouldn't recommend doing that thouigh. Was pretty mangled too.

That would have been his 4500 he bought from me and from memory, he closed the door on it.

That is one way to get a new detector

 

[Westozadventures]

I dropped mine onto a big rock so hard that the black plastic around the control box got bent. Works just as good as before.