GPX 6000 notes- To dig or not to dig.

Just following up from a discussion on another thread.
I have been getting used to using my 6000.
Up to recently I had been running it in difficult soil and Manual 1.
Even with those settings in certain places and times the noise level was much higher and more uncomfortable to deal with than I had been used to with my 5000. I just hate being assaulted with noise and feel I lose concentration too easily and pass over sounds buried in that noise or chatter that represent very faint targets.
I recently started searching in Auto 1 where the threshold is silent. I felt this was more comfortable than having to contend with lots of chatter and noise that can present in the manual modes.
It still presented a good signal profile for the stronger targets, but the very faint targets seemed to be reduced to just chirps similar to other noises like those for EMI, knock noises etc. With a signal that "pulls you up" the decision to dig is fairly easy but with those faint chirps, devoid of any tonal quality, not so easy.
My first step was to ensure that a chirp was repeating over exactly the same point.
Acting on a tip from Northeast, I reread the 6000 manual (or more correctly just read it) and found when in auto mode the default nulled threshold could be turned back on, and also when in manual mode the default audible threshold could be turned off, by simply pressing the soil button for 2.5 seconds.
As I was running in default auto 1, I found I was able to check those suspect chirps by quickly turning the threshold back on and I found that many of those those faint chirp signals became more distinct signals making it an easy decision to dig them
I have found this search mode and process very handy in deciding what are real signals to dig and what are not.
The ability to search in all the manual levels with the threshold turned off also offers another set of search options.
Just wondering what others think.

Fair point, but if you are in Auto 1 and you think you may have a sound without gain.....why dont you just scroll down to say maybe manual 5-6 with gain to check??. Just a thought

That was an option and both are viable, but manual 1-6 also allows in a lot more noise than seems apparent in auto with threshold on which can only be accessed via the soil button.

Hawkear said:

That was an option and both are viable, but manual 1-6 also allows in a lot more noise than seems apparent in auto with threshold on which can only be accessed via the soil button.

Click to expand...

Awesome...... well now me and a lot more people have just learnt something new..... I'm definitely going to try that..... thank you

Thinking overnight how to put things better, the full sequence of modes seems to be as follows starting from the manual default mode.
1. Manual with threshold on (default)
+ button
2. Auto with threshold off (default)
Soil button (2.5”)
3. Auto with threshold on
- button
4. Manual with threshold off
The soil button (2.5”) then takes you back to 1.
You can also reverse back through the sequence by substituting the - button for the + button and vice versa.
There is no single button transition between 1 and 3 or between 2 and 4.
Just handy to know the 6000 is more than a two trick (man and auto mode) pony

Great information Geoff, you've saved we new 6000 owners a fair bit of time and head scratching with your efforts and trials, I'm heading to Bendigo for a week in early November so I'll be trying out the different settings you've pointed out when I find a target, when I used the 6 in WA this year, I just kept the same settings and thought " this works well" not thinking about trying to get the machine to work better, mind you, I didn't have a user manual to read, I just kept the settings the same as my old mate who lent it to me.

Hi guys I recently did a training day with one of the Pros in Clermont. I’ve always used manual/difficult and had similar experience with background noise bothering me. He showed me the only setting he uses is auto 2 no threshold and I’ve seen vids of him digging nugs @600 deep and also the tiniest of pieces as well and that’s how he makes a living.Of course his technique, exoerience and tuned ear also make a big difference to say someone like me. On my last trip there I just went with those settings it was so much quieter and I still found microscopic pieces quite easily. This setting is just one option of many as you have stated but worth a try if you haven’t already. I mite try with threshold on next time I’m out and see how that goes. Good luck!

I wrote this a while ago but after many more hours behind the 6000, my thoughts are still the same.

https://phasetechnical.com.au/blog/minelab-gpx6000-gold-detector-qa-with-nenad/

Great report Nenad, thanks for posting your observations and recommendations. I have one question, do you scrub your coil on the ground or keep it above and as close as possible. Regards from Dave

Lightly skim....just want to hear that it's close to the ground. But it's dependant on terrain. On pine needles with no rocks, I'll literally slide it across the ground.