Minelab GPZ7000 information and questions

[Wintersnake]

By the sound of that the return signal has changed significantly.

 

[Guest]

The only ones that know if you can or can't is Minelab and an
Experienced coil maker.

 

[user 4485]

COIL ARRANGEMENT - AU2012101855 looks to be it to me? I'm no patents attorney though :lol:

The coil arrangement of claim 12, including: 0 a transmit coil for transmitting a transmit magnetic field; and a receive coil with three loops for receiving magnetic fields, wherein a first loop is positioned entirely within horizontal limits of the transmit coil, and the remaining loops of the three loops have parts overlapping turns of the transmit coil. 5 15. The coil arrangement of claim 12, including: a transmit coil for transmitting a transmit magnetic field; and a receive coil with two loops, each loop positioned at opposite sides of the transmit coil for receiving magnetic fields. 0 16. The coil arrangement of claim 12, including: a transmit coil with two loops for transmitting a transmit magnetic field; and a receive coil with one loop for receiving magnetic fields; wherein the two loops of the transmit coil and the one loop of the receive coil form a concentric arrangement.

If that isn't it I would still assume Minelab have protection in place for both the GPZ & Super D coil technologies of some description.

 

[user 4485]

I'm no expert on detector electronics but reading between the lines here is what my opinion is:
- the Super D coil has been developed for use on the GPZ series utilising ZVT technology to facilitate their use - thinking about putting one on a PI might be like thinking about putting your GPX coil on your VLF?
- while having a similar coil for a GPX, GP or SD sounds good, for the cost & without the ZVT technology there would most likely be very little or no advantage & worse case could be very unstable or even unusable. I think the current range of coils for a GPX etc. would more than cover most peoples requirements now in regards to depth, sensitivity at a lesser cost I.e. if the mooted price is correct, & I see no reason why they would be cheaper if made for a PI, then you could purchase a few various sized/shaped coils that will cover a broad range of situations. Remember these Super D would more than likely only work optimally anyway with ZVT technology driving them.
- Cost - if you look at current aftermarket coils there isn't a significant price difference so any aftermarket Super D coil will likely be the same. The advantage of aftermarket coils in my opinion is greater choice in coil size/shapes etc. That may be the key to any aftermarket Super D's - more choice for GPZ users.

This is my opinion only & smarter people might already be working on something but I just can't see there being any advantage of a Super D coil on a PI without the ZVT technology in the box to drive it?

 

[Wintersnake]

I'm no expert on detector electronics but reading between the lines here is what my opinion is:
- the Super D coil has been developed for use on the GPZ series utilising ZVT technology to facilitate their use - thinking about putting one on a PI might be like thinking about putting your GPX coil on your VLF?
- while having a similar coil for a GPX, GP or SD sounds good, for the cost & without the ZVT technology there would most likely be very little or no advantage & worse case could be very unstable or even unusable. I think the current range of coils for a GPX etc. would more than cover most peoples requirements now in regards to depth, sensitivity at a lesser cost I.e. if the mooted price is correct, & I see no reason why they would be cheaper if made for a PI, then you could purchase a few various sized/shaped coils that will cover a broad range of situations. Remember these Super D would more than likely only work optimally anyway with ZVT technology driving them.
- Cost - if you look at current aftermarket coils there isn't a significant price difference so any aftermarket Super D coil will likely be the same. The advantage of aftermarket coils in my opinion is greater choice in coil size/shapes etc. That may be the key to any aftermarket Super D's - more choice for GPZ users.

This is my opinion only & smarter people might already be working on something but I just can't see there being any advantage of a Super D coil on a PI without the ZVT technology in the box to drive it?

Exactly! It going to take some time for the electronic wizards to develop a mod to run a super D on a 5k and I'd suggest it wont be cheap even if it can be done.

 

[grubstake]

Could it be that the super D coil is the biggest upgrade difference ?

The whole platform (ZVT) is different from PI detectors so its not so much an upgrade but a completely new series of detector.

Nope - listening to the sounds of targets being located makes it obvious that the GPZ is basically a PI detector. ZVT is just the secret sauce that takes the previous GPX PI system to the next level.

 

[user 4485]

Its not PI mate.

ZVT (Zero Voltage Transmission) creates ultraconstant high-power opposite polarity magnetic fields, increasing gold sensitivity.
ZVT technology goes to the NEXT LEVEL for all serious gold prospectors, providing substantially improved depth. No longer will you be limited to using either sine wave continuous VLF transmission detectors, that struggle in mineralised ground, or square wave PI transmission detectors, that can be insensitive to varying gold sizes and compositions.
A quantum leap in gold performance with breakthrough new technology from Bruce Candy.

The audio circuitry has nothing to do with the detectors operating platform/circuitry except to let you know there is a target. To my knowledge they can make the audio sound pretty much like anything they wanted to but Minelab seem to stick to their signature warble & tones.

 

[Phantom]

Does the 7000 have any discrimination capability?

 

[user 4485]

No its All Metal - no discrimination

 

[grubstake]

Its not PI mate.

ZVT (Zero Voltage Transmission) creates ultraconstant high-power opposite polarity magnetic fields, increasing gold sensitivity.
ZVT technology goes to the NEXT LEVEL for all serious gold prospectors, providing substantially improved depth. No longer will you be limited to using either sine wave continuous VLF transmission detectors, that struggle in mineralised ground, or square wave PI transmission detectors, that can be insensitive to varying gold sizes and compositions.
A quantum leap in gold performance with breakthrough new technology from Bruce Candy.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/4485/1424835537_14248355068930.jpg

The audio circuitry has nothing to do with the detectors operating platform/circuitry except to let you know there is a target. To my knowledge they can make the audio sound pretty much like anything they wanted to but Minelab seem to stick to their signature warble & tones.

Minelab's pretty pictures illustrate nothing meaningful and their description of ZVT provides no technical information to support your assertion that, "It's not PI", although it's abundantly clear that they want to create the impression of something wholly new and revolutionary. I suspect that Phasetech has a better handle on it with his above comment, "Half pulse, half vlf may be a way to describe it."

Whether you are correct in your assumption that the audio has been configured to mimic the familiar GPX noises or I am in my conclusion that the audio is indicative of a Minelab PI detection process, remains to be clarified by those with more technical knowhow.

 

[Heatho]

The tone minlab detectors make would be generated by a VCO most likely, Voltage Controlled Oscillator.

 

[dazza513]

Yes the audio and the coil hotspots where the winding's overlap seem very familiar....

 

[Teemore]

See a few vids are turning up on another forum, no expert but someone may confirm .... by the depth of these I would think a GPX would have found them ... Maybe the day the GPX was waved over the target the settings were wrong???
Just quietly I reckon the SDC may even have pinged them.
Still a good start for some (WA & Qld) and the signals did seem loud and clear.
When the real comparisons come out hope they swing well tuned GPX's over the same targets
Oh, Also a claim of a piece recovered at 33" .... no comment but !!!!!!
Cheers T.

 

[PabloP]

Does the 7000 have any discrimination capability?

No, designed as a gold detector and with the motto to dig every target.

Rob.

 

[user 4485]

Its not PI mate.

ZVT (Zero Voltage Transmission) creates ultraconstant high-power opposite polarity magnetic fields, increasing gold sensitivity.
ZVT technology goes to the NEXT LEVEL for all serious gold prospectors, providing substantially improved depth. No longer will you be limited to using either sine wave continuous VLF transmission detectors, that struggle in mineralised ground, or square wave PI transmission detectors, that can be insensitive to varying gold sizes and compositions.
A quantum leap in gold performance with breakthrough new technology from Bruce Candy.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/4485/1424835537_14248355068930.jpg

The audio circuitry has nothing to do with the detectors operating platform/circuitry except to let you know there is a target. To my knowledge they can make the audio sound pretty much like anything they wanted to but Minelab seem to stick to their signature warble & tones.

Minelab's pretty pictures illustrate nothing meaningful and their description of ZVT provides no technical information to support your assertion that, "It's not PI", although it's abundantly clear that they want to create the impression of something wholly new and revolutionary. I suspect that Phasetech has a better handle on it with his above comment, "Half pulse, half vlf may be a way to describe it."

Whether you are correct in your assumption that the audio has been configured to mimic the familiar GPX noises or I am in my conclusion that the audio is indicative of a Minelab PI detection process, remains to be clarified by those with more technical knowhow.

Yeah fair call I s'pose but I reckon there's enough info out there (patents, graphs, Bruce Candy explaining it, unrelenting "new technology" statements etc.) to conclude that the ZVT technology is different. If it were still PI you would expect it to be lumped in with MPF, MPS, DVT & Seta under Pulse Induction not under a whole new heading but like you say could be a ploy from Minelab to dupe us.
I can't find it now but I do remember reading when the SDC was released that the audio output was set to sound similar to previous machines to keep in line with the Minelab sounds people were used to. Not pretending to be as technically knowledgeable as others with this but that did suggest to me that the audio output on detectors can be set - most likely within certain parameters but adjustable or changeable to suit? Can't see why they would do any different with the GPZ although if they really wanted to dupe us they should have made it sound different so we all thought it really was new technology

 

[jezza28]

So whats the best setting people? Ive had the sensitivity on 17, depth on general and ground type on difficult around ballarat.
Is there any other settings that people are changing for better results?

 

[Heatho]

So whats the best setting people? Ive had the sensitivity on 17, depth on general and ground type on difficult around ballarat.
Is there any other settings that people are changing for better results?

I'd be using high yield mode until I got used to that setting and found some Gold, then I'd start looking at deeper settings where I found the Gold.

 

[jezza28]

Thanks Heaths, we found not much difference between high yield and general mode on the smaller gold but high yield wouldn't pick up the deeper gold when we tested it.
Will try high yield out a bit more though!!
Cheers

 

[grubstake]

Yeah fair call I s'pose but I reckon there's enough info out there (patents, graphs, Bruce Candy explaining it, unrelenting "new technology" statements etc.) to conclude that the ZVT technology is different. If it were still PI you would expect it to be lumped in with MPF, MPS, DVT & Seta under Pulse Induction not under a whole new heading but like you say could be a ploy from Minelab to dupe us.

Perhaps relevantly, Minelab haven't yet updated their patent claims page (http://www.minelab.com/aus/patents) to cover the GPZ, so it isn't possible to determine that way how much (if any) patented technology has been carried over from the GPX series.

 

[PhaseTech]

So whats the best setting people? Ive had the sensitivity on 17, depth on general and ground type on difficult around ballarat.
Is there any other settings that people are changing for better results?

If you are running General and difficult on Sens 17, may I suggest you try General, Normal and Sensitivity 11, or even as low as 6 if you need to.
The big advantage with the GPZ (for me at least) is in the Normal ground settings. Also, if you're in a quiet EMI area, have the Audio Smoothing off.