Palmer

[bushpig]

Hi all I am new to detecting and over the last few weeks starting out with a GPX4500 and I've learnt it probably was'nt the best machine to start with. At the moment I have information overload.
Any help would be more than greatly appreciated as I dont intend on giving up on this machine ever.
I spent a couple days in the Palmer QLD region which proved to be more frustrating than anything. Why would my minelab be picking up a bottletop and not a lead sinker on the surface?

 

[rc62burke]

Hey Bushpig
Welcome to the forum, the 4500 is from all accounts a great detector, I would suggest read your manual then read your manual then read your manual then read your manual, until you really understand it, then go & play with your detector then read the manual.
No idea about the lead not being picked up unless you somehow put it in cancel????
Where are you based?? this will help to find someone in your area that may give pointers.
Good luck.
Lee

 

[madtuna]

Hi Palmer,

As Lee said, read the manual, and when you think you've got it, read it again.
Always worth a look is the Jonothan Porter DVD "The SETA Project" which is on the 4500.

If you can't get any one on one tuition up your way, Google, forums and you tube are your best friend.

First thing I would do though, is next time you turn it on, hold down the on off switch to place the machine back into factory presets. Factory presets are there for a reason and WILL find gold.

With the machine in factory preset, point the rear of the control box down with the coil facing directly in the air so the settings are facing you and the correct way up.
Threshold between 1 and 2 O'clock.
Search mode - General
Soil/Timings - Enhance
Coil/Rx - Mono (if mono coil) DD (if DD coil)
Ground Balance - Fixed

Easy to remember as - middle right middle right

Ground balance often. Ground balancing the machine is critical and is something you can practice in front of the telly without even having the machine switched on. Again you tube is your friend here.

There's much more to it than that, but lets get the thing running first and worry about the rest bit by bit.

 

[TenOunce Tone]

Contact the seller. They should offer some kind of training. Or if your in the cairns area,give NQ Miners Den a call. George may be able to help or point you in the right direction.

Cheers, Tone

 

[bushpig]

Thanks everyone....tenounce went into miners den and spoke with George turns out I used to work with his son so he was more than helpful with some info on settings.
I'm thinking it may have been the mono coil I had on as I put the nuggetfinder dd on and buried some small gold very deep and was able to find the target loud and clear.
It still doesnt explain why the mono was picking up everything except lead and gold. Thanks again fellas

 

[Gail]

Mine was bumped to cancel (walked around for 2 days till I worked it out :8 ) and wasnt picking up gold or lead just everything else so learned to check setting always, but I think my partner wanted a head start lol & I like tracking better fixed lol

 

[nuggetino]

I also have a gpx4500 as a first detector. Started with the mono coil and got very frustrated with all the ground noise,emi so I switched to the 11"dd and found my first nugget. I don't know why your mono didn't pick up lead either but you will get the hang of it soon enough and may well find gold during the learning process.

 

[bushpig]

Thanks nuggetino
Yeah was very pleased to switch coil to the DD and actually have it pick up the gold deep down wish I took it up bush with me last time but oh well there's always next time and the time after that too.

 

[bushpig]

Heading out to the gold lease again. This time I'll be using a nugget tech 15x12.5" coil hopefully ill get that elusive first nugget. Thanks everyone for your advice I have been studying the manual, DVDs and YouTube.
Cheers