Minelab GPZ7000 information and questions

[Heatho]

Do it, do it, and don't worry, I have lots of things I want to buy that I can't afford. New car, boat, European holiday....

I should hey, but don't like playing with others expensive equipment sometimes just in case Murphy's Law comes into play........ Which it has for me lately but I can feel my luck getting better again.

Car, Holiday, boat, I think GPZ comes way in front of those, I can live without them but the best detecting technology geez, can't do without that, I'm sure I don't even realise what I'm missing right now, though will if I use one.

 

[AusFX]

So I was heading up to sydney for a friends Bday and thought I would bring the GPZ along to see how it would handle my old stomping ground of Coogee Beach.
MrCornford and myself only had about 50 minutes on the beach, only found some small change and a lot of trash.

Since I didn't have much time I could only try out a few settings, but for it to be able to function on the dry sand I had it on general and the sensitivity on 3, even that was giving me squealing 5c coins at 30cm.
I figured it could be a good tool for doing the wet sand, trying to find some of those deeper heavier rings people love to lose. But as soon as I got onto the wet sand, even with the sensitivity on 3, it wouldn't shut up.
Has anyone else had a chance to play with the settings and get the GPZ working on the wet sand? Because at this point my 705 handles the beach better.

 

[grubstake]

According to Bruce Candy's recent Knowledge Base paper on ZVT Technology (http://www.minelab.com/__files/f/266297/KBA_24-1 ZVT Technology.pdf), "Whilst the GPZ 7000 does not have a dedicated salt detection setting (saline soils), the best gold mode setting for salt soils is Extra Deep". How well this might work in wet sand at a beach, I have no idea.

 

[toecutta]

how did it go on the calipo wrapper tops?
only loose change and junk silver only on coo-gee... too many cheap backpackers <giggling lots>

 

[AusFX]

I thought I tried extra deep, although that may have been before I turned down the sensitivity. I'll give it a shot next time I'm at the beach.

toecutta- Only found one, new record! I've found much better than change and junk at coogee

 

[toecutta]

yer.. on occasions and after a big blow sometimes it does OK... i live pretty close... next time you are over this way Id love to see the GPX (every time i see that i think of a motorcycle) in action
cheers, jason

 

[Heatho]

I found $50 in a couple of hours with my 5000 on a beach one day after the last decent East Coast Low that came through, all the coinswere were in a line below the erosion line and within 1 metre of it, but generally only seem to find bobby pins and other junk, so gave up with PI's on the beach. Next big low that comes through I'll buy a CTX, too much overburden at the moment on the Northern Beaches.

 

[mbasko]

Some info:
Watch "Minelab GPZ 7000 Hearing Deep Gold Rings" on YouTube
Minelab GPZ 7000 Hearing Deep Gold Rings:
[video=480,360]https://youtu.be/nzJwt9XZDKc[/video]

 

[Heatho]

I dunno Matt I heard a pretty good signal on all 3 before he turned the gain up.

The 5000 has some pretty formidable depth in coin/relic mode on the beach, I reckon it would easilly pick up those 3 targets no worries.

Here's a couple of pics from me beach detecting with the 5k and 11"DD when I first joined up here. The key was deep and nowhere near the deepest target beach detecting in coin/relic, pity CR is too unstable for the goldfields........ post 10

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=15099#p15099

 

[PhaseTech]

On the 5000, Coin/Relic is useless on wet sand, but Salt/Gold works a charm!

 

[LC76]

So just how "Weatherproof" is the GPZ?
I know the coil is "waterproof" to a point but what the hell is "Weatherproof"?

Can i safely spend all day detecting out in the rain?
And i might be being harsh but i think minelab are being a bit cheeky using such a vague term.
What do you all think?

 

[mbasko]

Pretty clear in the manual?

"The GPZ 7000 detector is weatherproof for detecting in
rainy/wet conditions, but is not waterproof and cannot be
submersed.
The GPZ 7000 detector, WM 12, and headphones
are not waterproof Do not immerse in any liquid or
allow water ingress.
The GPZ 14 coil is waterproof to one metre (3 feet)
depth.
Minelab recommends that prior to use, care is taken to
ensure the battery seal (o-ring), the seal seating groove
and the mating face of the battery are undamaged and
kept clean so that the detector remains weatherproof."

 

[LC76]

Yeah clear as mud.

"The GPZ 7000 detector is weatherproof for detecting in
rainy/wet conditions, but is not waterproof and cannot be
submersed.

The GPZ 7000 detector, WM 12, and headphones
are not waterproof Do not immerse in any liquid or
allow water ingress."

Contradictory at best....

 

[Guest]

Hey LC,

This is my take on the manual.

If it stops working from the result of detecting in the rain, warranty will be honored.

If you take it underwater with snorkel and flippers and it stops working, warranty will not be applicable.

All to do with water pressure ingress ability, which it does not have.

Rain OK: Underwater detecting NOT OK.

Is this how you see it?

Cheers

RS

 

[mbasko]

Thats how I read it? I could be a bit fuzzy from nightshift though?

What the hell is weatherproof?
Weatherproof: Capable of withstanding exposure to weather (sometimes specific types of weather) without damage I.e. rainy/wet conditions. In this case I take it as the product resists the ingress of water under rainy/wet conditions & its recommended to maintain the seal mechanism to keep it that way.

Can you safely detect all day in the rain? From what I get from the manual I would say yes.
I don't see weatherproof as vague & have seen it used on other outdoors type products as well?

Waterproof: Incapable of damage/impervious to water even if submersed/immersed. Resists the ingress of water in wet conditions or under water to specified depths. In this case I take it that the GPZ is NOT to be used under water or otherwise submersed/immersed in any liquid.

 

[LC76]

I guess what worries me is if it gets water damage in the rain how is minelab going to know the difference?

And with the very vague term "weatherproof" they have a way out of honouring the warranty.

I want to trust minelab .
But with a $10000 detector I really didn't want to gamble.

The reason for the questions is yesterday I got dropped off near a spot I hike to and I knew it would be a bit wet, but when the rain got heavy I started getting paranoid about buggering up my investment and came back early.

I really didn't want to let the rain stop me from detecting but that vague term "weatherproof" kept messing with me lol.

 

[patchfinder]

Why you want to detect all day out in the rain? gold will not go anywhere, you can always go back another day, electronics and water do not get along, and I will not risk a $ 10,700 metal detector using it in the rain, despite what the manual says.
Cheers

 

[LC76]

Why you want to detect all day out in the rain? gold will not go anywhereCheers

Why would i want to sit at home all day in front of the telly when theres gold out there waiting to be found?
Would rather some rain than 40c heat.

 

[mbasko]

I can see your point LC. Nothing worse than traveling to a spot then the weather turns - I wouldn't let light-moderate rain stop me but if it got too heavy I think the cue may have to go back in the rack. Been caught in light hail once & that almost stopped me :lol:

 

[Goldpick]

As with the CTX, there is also mention in the instructions that you can fit up waterproof headphones to the 7000 by removing the headphone module and fitting them up to the waterproof socket vs using the WM12. The WM10 unit was not weather or waterproof on the CTX, so no surprises on the WM12 not being weatherproof.

Personally if I owned a 7000, I would be confident of it being weatherproof when used with optional waterproof headphones, so long as the battery seal is correctly maintained/fitted, even then it won't be subjected to any sort of water pressure. There are also some pretty rugged water resistant detector covers out there to suit both the 7000 and WM12 for added insurance against moisture.

Seems a bit of a waste to not use the 7000 in adverse conditions, considering the ability to do so is partly why it commands high $$$ in the first place, though that is purely up to the individual.