Minelab GPX4500 tips, settings, questions

Prospecting Australia

Help Support Prospecting Australia:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
No, can charge with engine off or running. Just don't have it plugged in while starting the car. Once started then plug it in.

I've never had a problem starting the car with the plug in...usually forget. But it's just a safety precaution to guard against a voltage spike if you have dodgey electrics I assume.

Disclaimer: could be wrong...often am.
 
yep..and to rub salt into your wounds....I'm damn prettier than you too! :D
 
all good, rather read about it .you learn after a few years of doing things the hard way cheers guys
 
On our way home from two weeks detecting with the 4500 in W.A .. I have only had the 45 since June and before this trip only used the machine on a few short trips to the GT area of Vic. Im still on a very steep learning curve with the machine, so this trip was a good chance to get out and use it on a daily basis at different locations etc
I had a lot of things happen with the machine over there that i would like to ask questions about when we get home and I have more time to orginise my thoughts.
 
nucopia said:
On our way home from two weeks detecting with the 4500 in W.A .. I have only had the 45 since June and before this trip only used the machine on a few short trips to the GT area of Vic. Im still on a very steep learning curve with the machine, so this trip was a good chance to get out and use it on a daily basis at different locations etc
I had a lot of things happen with the machine over there that i would like to ask questions about when we get home and I have more time to orginise my thoughts.
Click to expand...

That annoying noise you keep hearing when you swing it........you really should be digging those ]:D
 
Moneybox said:
nucopia said:
On our way home from two weeks detecting with the 4500 in W.A .. I have only had the 45 since June and before this trip only used the machine on a few short trips to the GT area of Vic. Im still on a very steep learning curve with the machine, so this trip was a good chance to get out and use it on a daily basis at different locations etc
I had a lot of things happen with the machine over there that i would like to ask questions about when we get home and I have more time to orginise my thoughts.
Click to expand...

That annoying noise you keep hearing when you swing it........you really should be digging those ]:D
Click to expand...
Yep when ever I dug those noises they often would yield gold ;)
Seriously, there were times when the machine would be really frustrating to use and nothing I did helped bar turning it off and putting it in the car.. :(
 
Took me a year to be confident with mine, once you get your base settings right, target volume, for eg, its mostly a matter of RX and stab adjustment until clean up time.
Probably simplifying it to much though, as I ran mine in enhance 95% of the time.
 
nucopia said:
On our way home from two weeks detecting with the 4500 in W.A .. I have only had the 45 since June and before this trip only used the machine on a few short trips to the GT area of Vic. Im still on a very steep learning curve with the machine, so this trip was a good chance to get out and use it on a daily basis at different locations etc
I had a lot of things happen with the machine over there that i would like to ask questions about when we get home and I have more time to orginise my thoughts.
Click to expand...

You mentioned noise with the wind nucopia somewhere,maybe on your other thread,im no detector guru but i know what your talking about,ya get it in the hotter months here,you can allmost predict a gust of wind cause the 45 starts barking a bit just before it arrives,i dont think theres a fix for it other then not to crank ya settings up to high,ill auto retune about every hour to,its annoying but managable most days......
 
Goldchaser1 said:
nucopia said:
On our way home from two weeks detecting with the 4500 in W.A .. I have only had the 45 since June and before this trip only used the machine on a few short trips to the GT area of Vic. Im still on a very steep learning curve with the machine, so this trip was a good chance to get out and use it on a daily basis at different locations etc
I had a lot of things happen with the machine over there that i would like to ask questions about when we get home and I have more time to orginise my thoughts.
Click to expand...

You mentioned noise with the wind nucopia somewhere,maybe on your other thread,im no detector guru but i know what your talking about,ya get it in the hotter months here,you can allmost predict a gust of wind cause the 45 starts barking a bit just before it arrives,i dont think theres a fix for it other then not to crank ya settings up to high,ill auto retune about every hour to,its annoying but managable most days......
Click to expand...
Thats it exactly ..
When ever there were gust of hot dry winds the 45 would make all kinds of noises, it was more pronounced on overcast days..
 
Another symptom of the spiral wound coil. The Commander is a lot more tolerant although you'll still get a spike come through just before the wind gust. I think it's EMI and there's no cure.

I have had those times when the 4500 was unusable. It just starts complaining like another detector is too close and no matter what you do it just won't shut up. I had it quite a few times last year when I was running the 14" Elite but I don't know if that had anything to do with it. It also happened right near sun-down late in the afternoon and I'm sure timing was critical. This year it never occurred but as I said before I ran the 11" Commander Mono nearly all this season for a much more relaxed detecting experience.
 
Yeah i was getting spikes on a swing to the left and nothing on the right swing and then for no reason a loud signal even when the coil was motionless..when ever the machine hummed i knew it was tuned and working to it optimum ability its also the times i got good target responce and some times found gold.. I have no doubts I realy need to learn a lot more about the machine and its idiosyncrasies..
I some time think i walked over gold but me or the machines reaction caused me to think it was an anomaly or false signal or some thing else. You know when you go ..hmmmm that sound like gold .. Then dig it and it turns out to be ground noise or some other trigger that sets off the machine.. Like is said when it was quiet and hummed I knew then the machine was running at its best..
 
nucopia said:
Yeah i was getting spikes on a swing to the left and nothing on the right swing and then for no reason a loud signal even when the coil was motionless..when ever the machine hummed i knew it was tuned and working to it optimum ability its also the times i got good target responce and some times found gold.. I have no doubts I realy need to learn a lot more about the machine and its idiosyncrasies..
I some time think i walked over gold but me or the machines reaction caused me to think it was an anomaly or false signal or some thing else. You know when you go ..hmmmm that sound like gold .. Then dig it and it turns out to be ground noise or some other trigger that sets off the machine.. Like is said when it was quiet and hummed I knew then the machine was running at its best..
Click to expand...

The spike in one direction is usually an SDC thing. We constantly have this problem and I blame the wind creating static electricity on the SDC's plastic frame. Sometimes it works to overswing so that the coil leaves the ground by a few inches before you change direction. This only works if you have clear ground to swing it wide. It can reduce it but it also makes the squark happen where you know there's unlikely to be a target. By the time you've got the coil back near the ground the spike has died off.
 
The fact that it was triggering on the left swing would indicate to me a possible cable issue. If you wiggle the coil cable where it plugs in to the control box the detector triggers. Check that your not bumping the cable near the control box on your left swing. I have a cable guide, an extra accessory you can buy, to prevent this issue.
Also check the coil cable is firmly strapped to the shaft and not getting caught on anything.
I'd also un plug the coil and reconnect just in case you have a lose connection.
Also check the battery cable connection at the battery and at the detector. I hook my battery cable through the Velcro tab on my control box cover to take the pressure of the detector connection.
Also check you haven't got dirt or water under your skid plate.
I had a brand new Nugget Finder 14x9 and had water under the skid plate. The coil is waterproof but it doesn't like water under the skid plate. It was brand new and I took it back to the shop. The shop owner rang Rohan at Nugget Finder and the first thing he asked was there water under the skid plate. There was because I just had it in a shallow creek. Got rid of the water and it ran perfectly.
These are all the little things that aren't mentioned in instructions ....... no instructions at all with Nugget Finder coils.
Hope this helps.
Cheers
 

Similar threads

L
Short Notice Trip Vic to Perth Esperance and Home
Replies
15
Views
1K
sand surfer
sand surfer
Dihusky
  • Locked
GPX4500
Replies
1
Views
1K
Dihusky
Dihusky
U
  • Locked
Minelab GPX 4500 SOLD
Replies
7
Views
3K
user 14190
U
Rustyone
GPX4500 Possible Coil Issue?
Replies
7
Views
2K
Rustyone
Rustyone
M
  • Locked
GPX4500 for sale
Replies
16
Views
3K
mbasko
M

Latest posts

Top