Minelab GPZ7000 information and questions

[bushpig]

I like digging up old buttons, matchboxes and other relics along with the gold.

 

[douro]

I heard of rumors that ML will announce something special on 3rd March 2016!

 

[tryhard1968]

Ooooohh can't wait.

 

[user 4485]

Probably just the bundles & Minelab promotional prices being run for March on GPZ, GPX5000 & SDC2300

 

[Nuggetbuster]

Probably just the bundles & Minelab promotional prices being run for March on GPZ, GPX5000 & SDC2300

The ones that will be extended from April through to June?

 

[user 4485]

Probably just the bundles & Minelab promotional prices being run for March on GPZ, GPX5000 & SDC2300

The ones that will be extended from April through to June?

Yep that'll be them :lol:

 

[PhaseTech]

Price drop!

 

[LC76]

I should have asked for lube :8

Even comes with a control box cover...something Minelab should have supplied to begin with.

 

[douro]

Wonder if the price drop is to entice sales of the "old" Z stock considering they're developing a new one with Fe cancelling???

 

[user 4485]

:lol: the "new" one is still a lab project & could be years away. We're still waiting for the coils for this one.

 

[Claws]

Picking up my new Gpz tomorrow from Central west prospecting supply's. $9499 is pretty good and even comes with a free Go Find 60 for my 11yr old daughter to relic hunt with.

How much different is the Gpz to use compared to the SDC?

 

[Brumble-Gum]

My opinion only, $9500 is still outside the budget of the common man.

 

[user 4485]

I've only got about 10-12hrs up on mine but it's a different animal to the SDC theres no doubt about that. Stick to the quick start to begin with then start playing from there. They're not overly hard to get your head around but there is way more options than the SDC. Get into the manual, whitepapers & JP's ground balance video tonight. Getting the ground balance right with the ferrite could be the single most important thing with them IMO.
Get set up to use the bungy! If you are detecting uneven ground you'll definitely need it & even on flat ground it makes life easier. It does get heavy after awhile.
Good luck

 

[user 4485]

My opinion only, $9500 is still outside the budget of the common man.

You can put it into this perspective:
I gold prospect/fossick as my one main hobby. My gear, including a used GPZ, totals well under $10k
My brother has fishing as his one main hobby. His gear would total in excess of $30k. He's not rich, neither am I, but we both are passionate about our hobbies.
The big difference is I can legally get some return by selling finds - he can't & has licences, boat rego etc. I don't think $10k for your main hobby is that excessive for the average bloke when you look at what a lot of other hobbies cost or even what's laying around in a lot of blokes sheds not being used?
Most people with hobbies make sacrifices to maintain them. Plenty of common blokes with many more thousands of dollars tied up in their hobbies than $10k but it can & does in a lot of cases take quite a few years to get there. I started with a $100 VLF.....

 

[PhaseTech]

I've only got about 10-12hrs up on mine but it's a different animal to the SDC theres no doubt about that. Stick to the quick start to begin with then start playing from there. They're not overly hard to get your head around but there is way more options than the SDC. Get into the manual, whitepapers & JP's ground balance video tonight. Getting the ground balance right with the ferrite could be the single most important thing with them IMO.
Get set up to use the bungy! If you are detecting uneven ground you'll definitely need it & even on flat ground it makes life easier. It does get heavy after awhile.
Good luck

You'll soon get used to it. Get stuck into the GPZ info, tips n finds thread. Lots of good info in there

 

[douro]

Hey Mbasko,

One question if I may, although the answer can be pretty long. You don't need to elaborate if you don't have the time.

If you had a choice and also had the dosh..... which would you choose SDC or the Z for a newbie in the Blue Mountains and who travels/camps outback weeks and often months at at time?

Thanks

 

[JeffP]

My brother has fishing as his one main hobby. His gear would total in excess of $30k. He's not rich, neither am I, but we both are passionate about our hobbies.
The big difference is I can legally get some return by selling finds - he can't ..

I bet he makes more money than you by selling those beautiful lures he makes

 

[user 4485]

Hey Mbasko,

One question if I may, although the answer can be pretty long. You don't need to elaborate if you don't have the time.

If you had a choice and also had the dosh..... which would you choose SDC or the Z for a newbie in the Blue Mountains and who travels/camps outback weeks and often months at at time?

Thanks

Theres a lot of variables to that question. Main one is where abouts outback do you go?
In 9/10 of these questions I'd say the SDC for a newbie due to it's ease of use & gold finding ability. Once you get used to it's nuances, noises & put it over good gold bearing locations you will get some gold. For many that can happen on the first trip.
In saying that location will always play a big part in any detector decision. If by going outback your mainly talking about the eastern states or places like Tibooburra then Id still possibly lean towards an SDC but if your spending weeks/months or if your heading west frequently I'd be more inclined to say GPX or GPZ but as a newbie invest some time into learning the machine or even doing some paid training with someone.

 

[user 4485]

My brother has fishing as his one main hobby. His gear would total in excess of $30k. He's not rich, neither am I, but we both are passionate about our hobbies.
The big difference is I can legally get some return by selling finds - he can't ..

I bet he makes more money than you by selling those beautiful lures he makes

:lol: he would to but he reckons they can be a headache at times too. Can cut into his fishin' time when he's got a bit on....

 

[douro]

Thanks Mbasko,

Holding a trade and engineering degree helps me learn a few things quicker, but unfortunately it also delays making a final decision because of weighing up a heap of factors.

But your answer is certainly steering me towards the SDC. However, how would it go on the Len Beadell highways we plan to cover starting next year.

Do these areas change your suggestion in any way?