Minelab GPZ7000 vs SDC2300

[madtuna]

Also Mr AUinAU you wrote in another thread back in August...

"..... strange that because I can pull out the tinniest birdshot from 1 foot down with the SDC..."

Now while I wouldn't call 1' deep ground, I would call it reasonable depth and detecting 'the tinniest birdshot' at that depth is pretty damn impressive!
It would have to be extremely benign ground in Utopia with all the planets aligned combined with my holding my tongue the right way in my mouth for me to achieve that with either my 7000, 5000 or my 2300.

Maybe all 3 of mine are duds or maybe I've not walked over the tinniest of birdshot at a foot deep or maybe I'm deaf

 

[Ridge Runner]

Has anyone ever weighed any of them tiny bird shot ?.

J.

 

[aussiefarmer]

Well that was well said Aussie Farmer.

I have only ever used the 14" coil so I can't comment on the weight with the 19".

I don't know why your ZED goes off if shaft isn't extended, I am 5-11 and have phone in pocket, metal belt clip, pick in metal clip on left hip etc etc. Even a backpack loaded with stuff but I have no problems re interference.

Pinpointing with ZED takes time to learn and once you do it is not much harder than the SDC considering coil sized difference.

The feedback that ZVT gives over MPF is also a big big difference and why I can't see the SDC comparing. To me, the ZED talks to me a lot more and lets me know what is going on, and like I had said, I can cover a lot more ground than using the SDC.

From memory the 19 inch is 1.25 kg heavier than the 14 inch , so its a big difference on the end of the shaft . In the right place its awesome but even harder to pin point targets, get your tape and mark 19x14 on the shed floor its massive, but it is super sensitive, i had a can of drink on a log and the coil was pinging it from 8ft away and wobbling your pick around at chest /shoulder height was even giving warbles.

I am no expert as i have only done 50 hours with a Z and i love it but i still love the sdc aswell :Y: , the right tool for the right job , no point having a rattle gun if you can only get a open ender on the nut :lol: .

 

[Goldfreak]

Very interesting read. Thank you for every ones input. Found a used sdc for sale. The GPZ is still out of my league price wise ( ie my car is only worth 500 dollars ) Have yet to confirm with the seller serial number before going to check it out but if its all good I have some little bits of gold to test it with. Should it be able to some of these bits individually ? Also what web site do you use to check serial numbers ?

What other faults should I look for in a used machine ?

 

[Goldfreak]

Sorry for blured image. The largest is match head size.

 

[Danny13]

Sorry for blured image. The largest is match head size.

It will pick up smaller size pieces than what I can see in the vile. Fly shite size

 

[Goldfreak]

I would be very happy with blow fly shite size but fly shite size would be super impressive

 

[aussiefarmer]

Match haed sized that is paper thin will signal in air test and if its as thick as a match head it should signal at 1 inch .
Minelab website should tell you all about checking numbers .
If you can get one with a few months warranty left :Y: :Y:

 

[grubstake]

An SDC should find the largest of those bits easily (and probably many of the smaller ones). To check the serial number, just phone Minelab HQ in South Australia.

 

[hAyyoUinAU]

Always up for a beer Doug and thankyou! :Y:

Mr AUinAU can you please explain what you mean by this?

"SDC is specialised for its portability and water proof features, thus its lack in finding anything deep."

Because that reads to me like it wont find anything deep because it's portable and waterproof? Even though the SDC was by no means designed as a deep gold large nugget detector I can assure you it will find reasonable size pieces at reasonable depth if it passes over them.

But as I said that's not what it's designed for and not what I use it for. I use my GPZ for that, and if the ground is suitable I put on the 19" coil.

You also wrote..

"I can cover a lot more ground than using the SDC."

Yep 14" vs 8" not much of a contest there.
Except when you are reef or specimen hunting in amongst the rocks and boulders or around quartz or ironstone blows. Then you realize how much more ground you can cover with that little 8" than you can with the GPZ's 14".

Often it's not a case of how much ground you cover, it's how well you cover it.

For covering ground I'll head out with the GPX and an 18" coil.

SDC has good depth on big targets but so does a million other detectors, it is limited by coil size and power, and it will not pick up targets at depth period that ZED will scream on. PERIOD
The field from the 14" coil is great and I have not had any problems at all covering ground well..or squeezing into tight spots..under branches...etc....that doesn't make sense to me at all. SDC is for portability, and ruggedness, period, otherwise for that price, a 4500 with small coil can achieve similar outcomes tuned for small fine gold.

What I was saying is that ZED will find what the SDC finds and the 4500s and 5000s stock..., SIMPLE. If you can't believe that or think you also need a SDC to clean up what your ZED missed than something is wrong.

To me the ZED is like having a SDC and a GPX in one. And that is pretty much what it is really.

 

[Goldfreak]

This will be my new avatar if I get one.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Match haed sized that is paper thin will signal in air test and if its as thick as a match head it should signal at 1 inch .

We have seen the Zed and SDC pickup bits smaller than that, :Y:

 

[hAyyoUinAU]

Also Mr AUinAU you wrote in another thread back in August...

"..... strange that because I can pull out the tinniest birdshot from 1 foot down with the SDC..."

Now while I wouldn't call 1' deep ground, I would call it reasonable depth and detecting 'the tinniest birdshot' at that depth is pretty damn impressive!
It would have to be extremely benign ground in Utopia with all the planets aligned combined with my holding my tongue the right way in my mouth for me to achieve that with either my 7000, 5000 or my 2300.

Maybe all 3 of mine are duds or maybe I've not walked over the tinniest of birdshot at a foot deep or maybe I'm deaf

1 foot would be maximum, and yes the ground is not harsh in that area. it wasnt' screaming, but with headphones on, lead achieves deeper reach than say a nail or junk. I didn't tape measure it, what does it matter and who are you to be going through posts that don't even relate to this topic.

I have always been impressed by the SDC, hell I loved it, but it isn't a GPZ and not even close.

 

[hAyyoUinAU]

http://phasetechnical.com.au/putting-minelab-gpz-7000-gold-test/

 

[aussiefarmer]

Different gold signals different detectors , its that simple to me , you can rake and grid section a patch over and over , then a different detector on a different day will ping a nugget . I cant explain it . I have seen it, done it and believe it .
The sdc definitely gets some queer shapes that dont seem to signal other machines .
Is it worth having both ? Probably not. Unless you have all the time in the world to swing .
Is it good to have both ? You bet ya ballz :lol: "the one with the most toys when he dies wins " :lol:

 

[hAyyoUinAU]

lol

 

[Ridge Runner]

SDC has good depth on big targets but so does a million other detectors, it is limited by coil size and power, and it will not pick up targets at depth period that ZED will scream on. PERIOD
The field from the 14" coil is great and I have not had any problems at all covering ground well..or squeezing into tight spots..under branches...etc....that doesn't make sense to me at all. SDC is for portability, and ruggedness, period, otherwise for that price, a 4500 with small coil can achieve similar outcomes tuned for small fine gold.

What I was saying is that ZED will find what the SDC finds and the 4500s and 5000s stock..., SIMPLE. If you can't believe that or think you also need a SDC to clean up what your ZED missed than something is wrong.

To me the ZED is like having a SDC and a GPX in one. And that is pretty much what it is really.

In your own words you have only been Gold detecting since January, You Posted this on the 30th of July 2017, Two Months ago.

QUOTE:- AU Everyone, I am new to this forum. I have had the gold bug for over 6mths now and in that short time I have managed to achieve a little fortune. END QUOTE.

You are Arguing with people who have been in this game for decades, You got your GPZ on the 7th of August 2017, Less than 2 months ago, There is No way are you an Expert with it and know what you are talking about and you are repeating what you have read elsewhere, Trouble is some of that info is wrong, Some of the Guys here have owned their Zed's since they were released, and I would trust them over the people you are getting your Info from,

Yes the Zed can see very tiny nuggets but we have seen the SDC hit bits as small or smaller than the Possums noes on a 5c piece,

Buying the most expensive hobby detector on the market does not make that person an Expert or give them the right to dictate to talk down others who have forgotten more than most will learn.

 

[Wishfull]

Should be on Minelab web site I would think.

 

[Goldfreak]

Have read all the posts and appreciate every ones input in thread. Hayyouinau has used both machines so his opinion is relevent to me because I have owned neither. But if you want to talk gold prospecting with a spoon or making plastic sluice boxes I could add some thing.

 

[Danny13]

SDC has good depth on big targets but so does a million other detectors, it is limited by coil size and power, and it will not pick up targets at depth period that ZED will scream on. PERIOD
The field from the 14" coil is great and I have not had any problems at all covering ground well..or squeezing into tight spots..under branches...etc....that doesn't make sense to me at all. SDC is for portability, and ruggedness, period, otherwise for that price, a 4500 with small coil can achieve similar outcomes tuned for small fine gold.

What I was saying is that ZED will find what the SDC finds and the 4500s and 5000s stock..., SIMPLE. If you can't believe that or think you also need a SDC to clean up what your ZED missed than something is wrong.

To me the ZED is like having a SDC and a GPX in one. And that is pretty much what it is really.

In your own words you have only been Gold detecting since January, You Posted this on the 30th of July 2017, Two Months ago.

QUOTE:- AU Everyone, I am new to this forum. I have had the gold bug for over 6mths now and in that short time I have managed to achieve a little fortune. END QUOTE.

You are Arguing with people who have been in this game for decades, You got your GPZ on the 7th of August 2017, Less than 2 months ago, There is No way are you an Expert with it and know what you are talking about and you are repeating what you have read elsewhere, Trouble is some of that info is wrong, Some of the Guys here have owned their Zed's since they were released, and I would trust them over the people you are getting your Info from,

Yes the Zed can see very tiny nuggets but we have seen the SDC hit bits as small or smaller than the Possums noes on a 5c piece,

Buying the most expensive hobby detector on the market does not make that person an Expert or give them the right to dictate to talk down others who have forgotten more than most will learn.

Amen to that last paragraph RR