My SP01 arrived on Friday. Thanks Nenad. Thought Id better get it attached to the gpx harness and start testing. Went to Bunnings and picked up a pouch for about $30.
I wanted a Velcro flap to cover the switches (as I bash through some pretty wild scrub) and this pouch covered all the bases. The SP01 fitted perfectly (with a bonus divider to hold a finds container)
A hole was melted through the mesh with a heated steel pipe to allow the input plug to be attached. This solved the fraying problem and gave an acceptable finish.
The final task was to attach the device to the detector harness. After looking at it for about half an hour, I decided that the best location was on the chest strap. This allowed all leads to tuck out of the way and still have the control panel visible. This location did not impact on the movement of the detector or get in the way of the pick or scoop.
To test the unit, I decided to use a small .3g gold nugget. The first step was to disconnect the SP01 and connect a mono speaker to the gpx battery. I then buried the nugget at a depth that barely produced a signal through the speaker. (About 6 deep with the settings suited to the area I was going to detect) The signal that I heard would not normally pull me up if it was windy or if the ground was noisy (crunchy leaves, noisy stones etc) I then changed to headphones to see if there was any improvement. With the outside distractions masked, the signal was marginally clearer. The SP01 was then connected to the speaker with mode 1 selected. I ran through the three filter options using a variety of volume settings. In all cases the signal was stronger and clearer than just using the speaker. I was impressed as each filter setting would have pulled me up if I was detecting and thats what I wanted to know. I performed the same tests using the headphones and the results were slightly better again.
The three filter settings provided different sounds. Its a bit hard to describe but Ill give it a go. Filter 1 was quite hard and sharp but the background noise was also of a similar nature. Filter 2 gave a crisp clear signal with a slightly smoother and less grating threshold noise. Filter 3 gave a soft mellow signal with very little background noise. Each one would have its own merits and uses. Varying machines and settings may alter the output sounds achieved. My personal preference was filter 2 with a volume setting of around 4. I reckon Id tend to go for filter 3 after a couple of hours detecting (as you tend to get tired and begin to loose concentration).
The verdict so far... pretty darn good. Ill be using it every time I go out. The unit was easy to charge using the USB cable and the location of the SP01 didnt hinder my detecting in any way.
PS. Did detect a new area for an hour or so and found some of the usual rubbish. Pulled a small bit of steel from about 6. The signal was crisp and clear. Looking forward to finding some yellow stuff with the new toy.
Cheers
Les
