Minelab GPX5000 tips, settings and questions

[Roel]

Gravity - did you find gold before you got the GPX 5000? How much did you pay if I may ask?

 

[Rustydog1]

Just asking for a little advice .... A good mate of mine wants to get into gold detecting and was looking at the GPX 5000 .I own a GPX4500 And very happy with it and the way it finds gold .... I told him that he might be better of getting a 4500 as i do not no if there is a big enough difference between the two to go and spend an extra $2000 . ..... he is only learning and will only be going out 3 -4 times a year ...... What do people think ? is it worth the extra money ? Thanks

 

[old hand]

Yes for a few times a year a new 45 save some money ,there has been a few second hand 45 on the forum lately ,there is a person thinking of getting a sdc and was asking about trading his 45 in on the forum last week the new 45s are a very good detector regards john :Y:

 

[RM Outback]

3 to 4 times a year, get the 4500 and put the savings in to extras :Y: coils, booster/enhancer for starters. See how he likes it and upgrade down the track.

 

[Derka]

If only 3-4 times per year get the Gold Monster then upgrade at a later date.

 

[ctxkid]

buy once , spend the money (if ya have it) don't leave yaself wondering

it will take you sometime to learn to use a 5 with what comes with it by then you will have more cash for bling :idea:
the only thing i would get at purchase is a control box cover erfect:

 

[The geezer]

Get the 4500 and buy a new coil .i love my nf 15 round,and feel very confident that if there is a target there it will pick it up. The 14 round coiltek mark has plenty of admirers up here ( NQ). Mark

 

[LORD]

How about an SDC if he is just getting into it and not detected before. No real learning curve, just turn on and go. and he will soon know if this is for him.
Can always buy a GPX later as a second machine or the SDC resale price holds itself pretty well.
It's not like your buying and inferior machine, it's just a different good machine

 

[Jarrod84]

3-4 times a year, just hire a 5000. Save a lot more than buying one that will lose value and he might not enjoy it anyway.

 

[jon_m]

Last trip my 5000 lcd screen blanked out a couple of times (and it otherwise kept working). Bit scary when 1000's klms away. But it came right on rebooting. Rang Minelab and they were to call me back and advise, but never returned my call. Tried searching but not finding any cases. Being intermittent and rare - like twice in around 90 days think it maybe hard to diagnose. ...but remains scary with memory from my photographic days that lcd screens had a life ??

 

[m@ttACT]

Did you lose sound and everything when the screen blanked out?

If so it might have been turning off maybe a loose battery plug lead. I hear those leads are pretty fragile. Im gonna order a spare just in case

 

[AuMan]

Last trip my 5000 lcd screen blanked out a couple of times (and it otherwise kept working). Bit scary when 1000's klms away. But it came right on rebooting. Rang Minelab and they were to call me back and advise, but never returned my call. Tried searching but not finding any cases. Being intermittent and rare - like twice in around 90 days think it maybe hard to diagnose. ...but remains scary with memory from my photographic days that lcd screens had a life ??

Hi Jon_m,

When it has happened, if you turned one of the encoders, do you get the little blip noise in the audio?

If you get the blip noise, then this is not good and would indicate a fault with the LCD board/screen, however, if there is no sound when you turn the encoder, then it indicates that there is no power going to the screen, which would most likely be a fault with the connector strip behind the rear panel(more likely).

One good tip for GPX owners, don't remove the power cord from your detector. Every time the cord is removed/fitted, this causes movement in the plug which in turn pulls on the connector strip eventually causing it to crack, normally at the power switch causing the detector not to turn on at all. Disconnect from the battery end instead, or go wireless

Cheers Mick

 

[jon_m]

Hi m@ttACT
No, I didn't loose sound - everything was working and from memory, for both times it happened I'd been swinging and would have gone to change a setting then noticing the blank lcd.

Hello AuMan
Not understanding what you are referring to as "encoder"? If correct in presuming either 'Function Select' or 'Setting' knobs then I never noticed anything strange like a blip noise.

Your tip re not removing the power cord concerns me, having done it many many times. Made it a 'discipline' to circumvent accidental knocks to the plug or hard bends to the cable when commuting elsewhere. Have to start some other preventative means when it goes in the car. Do take a lot of spare stuff; handle, shafts, batteries (wireless) etc but don't wish to afford a spare control box?

Prospect of the detector not turning on at all is terrifying, esp as my trips have become longer sojourns!

Thanks for your knowledge.
Jon

 

[sprintz25]

Hi,

I need to buy a speaker for my GPX5000 so myself and my wife can both listen at the same time. Does anyone have a recommendation for a good cheap(ish) speaker?

Thanks in advance,

James

 

[RM Outback]

Check out the SteelPhase SP01 signal enhancer SteelPhase also supply external speakers to suit. SteelPat (Pat) is a site sponsor and manufacturer of the SP01 just search SteelPhase using the search icon top left and jump on the website. Let Pat know your new to it all and I'm sure he will explain the benefits.

 

[Jaros]

https://www.steelphase.com.au/index.php/front-page/products-list

 

[Guest]

ive got a couple of sets ring them as above good service good gear go the twin ones Flatlander

 

[sprintz25]

Thank you all for the advice, i'll check it out, much appreciated.

 

[Redfin]

No need to spend heaps to share a target.
Most detector shops sell these.
This one from Miners den

 

[shakergt]

Gme speaker