Minelab GPX4500 tips, settings, questions

I used the SDC2300 in WA about 4 weeks ago, and I didn't like it.
I tried it out as I thought I'd use it on the motor bike and long hikes, but the ergonomics just put me off.
Nothing wrong with the performance, it was great, but ended up using the GPX as it is really nice to swing all day long.
Small gold is great, but bigger gold is better.

I'd go for the 4500 every day of the week, more options, better detector for those long days. I also think the build quality is better.

im bias there two sides to it really, ive said a million times if i knew nothing about prospecting and bought an sdc2300 and got started i would be 100% happy with the investment. Fact is you can go out with an sdc and hit mullock heaps and worked areas and find gold 99% of the time.

You can also slap on a small coil and find sub .1 gram gold with a 4500 yet you cna put a 22 inch coil on a 4500 and punch DEEP!!! real deep they are different beasts.

another huge benefit of the sdc is it will pickup disseminated gold so if you are interested in getting into rock crushing this is a huge bonus. You can take the sdc with you in a backpack without a second preparation, so for hiking or even flying interstate its awesome. as i found out its not so good in crushed rock areas and again the 4500 runs laps around it in this situation.

but timing wise and bang for buck... GPX 4500 every day of the week, between you and me the 4500's come with two coils, a mono and a dd but dont tell anyone

As a SDC owner, I would say the 4500 package gives some great bang for the bucks and would be very tempting at that price.

I guess the targeted goldfields may give you the best indication on what way to go. If you are working turned over workings or surfaced areas for leftovers, I would go the SDC but if you have vast virgin dirt areas as well I would go the 4500.

Either way, both find gold.

I know of a couple of brothers, who have a business in Bendigo, both have 4500's fitted with sadie's and average an ounce a month in the whipstick,
just by being pedantic and going very very slow.

Hmmm two coils... Sounds even better Do you know what size the DD is Golddigg@?

Beleive the dd is 11 and the mono the 15x12

I'm confused; is the re-introduced price for the GPX-4500 the final value or is it going to shoot upwards of $3299 after Aug 31?

Time enough to weigh it against the SDC-2300; though the price difference of $450 + aftermarket accessories I admit is tempting coin to keep in the pocket for a more versatile item after properly learning how to use it.

I had not considered the 4500 previously as I'm not keen on second hand purchases, and it seemed to be out of favor against the 5000 in the pre GPZ 7000 days from what I've read whilst saving my coin.

Minersden have a bargain that is tempting me atm; $3,549.00 for the basics, the New Coiltek Mono Elite Coil that seems to be worth the extra from what I've read so far and a 3 hour training session. Bendigo would be my nearest MD store, anyone who has used the store/session there is welcome to send me feedback via private message with aims to keep the thread clean and on topic-ish.

Any thoughts about a newbie like myself grabbing that, new coil and all, and doing the hard yards learning the ins and outs of using the tried and true (given similarities to the GPX5000) or should I go with a SDC 2300?

For those needing the geology and basic history for me specifically; the ground I stare at lies on private property south of Ballarat. Definitely not virgin ground though the rush had a mix of surface and deep lead mining where works stopped in the lead up to The Great War (WW I), property itself however wasn't worked extensively as the old timers concentrated on the deep leads. The area in general still gets some activity, including iconic places like the Enfield state forest a stones throw down the road which I might also visit once I've solved the "is there any gold here" puzzle.

Apologies for changing the direction of the thread a little; but I think other people might find value in it if they are also looking at either of these two products.

In short: should new people to metal detecting look at the GPX4500 or go with the easier to learn, yet limited growth potential, SDC 2300?

Just wondering if there is a warranty at this special price?

Just about all the main Minelab dealers have all the details of the GPX 4500 on their websites ...

But in short: after Aug 31st, price will go up to $4199; 3 years warranty; the 2 coils are 11" DD GP Series & 15"x12" Mono Commander (some dealers are offering the Coiltek Elite 14" Mono for an extra $250 on top).

Noone can make that decision for you mate both are great machines any prospector woukd be happy with both. Both will find gold and both are darn good at it.

The $3200 price is a promo price then tehy will go up to $4200. And yes absolutely any product that falls into consumer electronica sold in Australia must have a warranty. Minelab always offer a warranty and this would be no different. Ask your dealer.

I was out with a mate today swinging the 4500 with elite coil. My mate was swinging the sdc. First target was on the road into tgis area i got a good solid signal. Turned my detector off and teemore swung his sdc over it. He got a small signal just off to the side that i missed but he couldn't hear my signal.

So i fired back up and dug the target it was iron about 30cm down in hardpack once cleared teemore retrieved the small target. Think it was lead scrap from memory.

So what are you looking for? Big gold deep? Both can work here 1 '3 grams deep 4500 will kill the sdc on depth. Sub gram both very capable but the sdc will run laps around the 4500 on pinpointing and size of small gold.

Noone can make that decision for you both great machines.

Sniffy, w3bgold and others faced with a decision on which to buy .....

With my increasing (though still limited) knowledge of the goldfields I would today buy the 4500 without a second thought BUT,
if you're just starting out, have limited exposure up to now of goldfields and not sure about how often you'll actually get out then the SDC may be your best option.

I run both a 4800 and an SDC .... I rarely come home without (albeit small) gold when I run the SDC, it's a fun machine to run, keeps you busy (lot of shorty pellets out there) ..... although easy to use the ears do need to be tuned in to the VERY slight noise variations to consistently find gold, I believe a lot of people complain of only finding shot because they hear its very clear signal, gold will usually (but not always) sound a lot more "mellow" and sometimes be barely audible.
Infrequent goldfields visitor and only get out once a month ... have fun and get the SDC.

If you've been out there a bit,get out at least once a week, know how and where to look and how to recognise potential 'lies' of where the gold could/should be then gat a 4500 ... no brainer.
The option of purchasing the 14" Elite coil for a reduced price ($250 v $450) makes it even better.

It's really a choice you need to make yourself by being honest about what you want to get out of the hobby based on the time you can put in.

Either way it's great to be out there looking.
Good luck with your decisions, and let us know what you get and what you find.
Cheers T.

Excellent feedback thanks gentlemen. Apologies for the long posts but I like to think long and hard when, and how, I spend money like that asked for mid-high range metal detectors today.

I think that $1000 base price saving is a huge bargain indeed and makes the 4500 a very attractive choice.

I do agree that currently I'm in the recreational camp, since I make it out there once every few weeks, though that would increase dramatically to being a weekend hobby when I am finally staring at a sold sign out here. A 4500 would make more sense then as it would spend less time gathering dust between outings, but otherwise it would put an end to the what if's I get every time I take in the scenery out there.

I think most gold in and around Enfield NP was at a bit of depth so that may lean towards the 4500, the SDC2300 would still be useful to clean up surface junk so buying one of those would open things up a bit for heavy hitting with the deeper units IMO. I've no doubt though that either option would find gold if I, and any other in the same "which detector" conundrum, walk over it and pay attention to what the coil is saying from experiences of other people elsewhere online.

Right now I think the saving on the GPX4500, besides being a known good product with a bit of a learning curve, is almost too good to pass on and something that seems to sell itself to me in light of your posts on generally the same geology as I intend to try my luck upon. I keep mentioning the learning curve as it has loads of settings and combinations compared to the 2300; however given other people besides yourself may still be using it now I may have an easier time learning how to use it than people did back in 2008 (according to an article re-posted on another forum) when it originally was released.

The worst that could happen to me is buying the 4500; using it for a short while and reselling it with the introductory price drop absorbing most of the drop in value as being a second hand unit. The training session would ensure my basic knowledge of geology in relation to gold is up to scratch so it would be of benefit were I to grab a sdc 2300 later.

Best case; I learn the hard way and am better experienced when the next game changer comes along, whilst the next best thing to first division lotto is finding enough color to grab a 2300 and clean up any scraps missed by the 4500 plus for use by relatives (with that important permit of course) keen on seeing what all the fuss is about were I to achieve such a feat.

In short; I'm leaning on the 4500 and think it might be worth the while of others in the same boat, pending location and duration of use.

Let me know if I missed anything; or have other ideas I may have not covered, before I settle more firmly and part with the hard earned coin.

Been using a 5000, going to buy my own 4500 next week.Question....on a 4500 If I were detecting in sense smooth 15rx and changed to Enhanced..what Rx would be the equivalent of the sense smooth Rx of 15...ie Sense smooth Rx 15 =Enhanced Rx ? ..and Enhanced Rx? = Normal Rx ? When I change the settings I'm not sure what the break even Rx numbers would be so I know I'm actually getting better depth and not less..Sorry if it's a bit confusing..Cheers..

You need to set your rx & stabiliser to the ground not so much the timing used. You'll get the best depth by keeping a smooth threshold - there is no way of saying that if you use a particular rx in one setting that changing it to another set rx will be ideal for another timing. It will depend on ground, location, conditions on the day etc. etc.
In many cases a quick re-ground balance will be all that is required when changing between timings & possibly only minor adjustments to the rx/stabiliser if you find the threshold has become erratic just to smooth it back out.
http://www.minelab.com/gold-mining/knowledge-base/gpx-timings

http://www.minelab.com/aus/consumer/knowledge-base/faq#178499

Thanks for those sites,I haven't seen them before..I will have to do some more testing with a target I find that very helpfully..switching coils and timings and see what the difference is..Thanks again..

Update, waiting for my own GPX 4500 in the mail.

Next stop is a pair of permits to keep the park rangers happy, followed by another read of the manual and all the geology I can handle to get the most out of this product.

Many thanks again for the feedback given to me freely in this thread; and I hope with a little luck I may be able to share what I learn in kind.

Just picked up a new 4500,new and very Pretty..can't see where to post pic...A pic is worth a 1000 words..

the logo above your text that looks like and image

Any ideas what the dvt...seta means is this new..

Well Baldy, if the picture is worth a thousand bucks then you've got a bloody great deal on the detector itself mate :lol: :lol: Good luck and keep us posted with finds.