Would you buy an sdc to compliment your gpx?

[nuggetino]

Been on the fence for a while now on purchasing the sdc. I have a 4500 and plenty of coils small and large to keep me busy but having a long 6 month+ break from work to spend time in the goldfields has me thinking the sdc might just pay for itself even if it is in small gold. What do you guys think?

 

[Ronk]

well for me so far I think it would find lots of small on old ground but wouldn't it be great in a new patch in WA or even tibooburra , a bit closer than WA

 

[Teemore]

Really depends on how often you can get out ..... I bought a 4800 (around $1500 cheaper than a 5000 package) to complement the SDC with which the small nuggets are slowly mounting up ....... idea is to find small stuff in worked areas and then go back with the 4800 to check for deeper treasure (I live in hope).
Alternative if you've found gold with the 4500 go back to those spots with a SDC and see what's left ..... I've picked up tiny pieces in old refilled holes .... guess they either got a big one and walked away or heard a signal but couldn't actually pinpoint the tiddler.
If I were in WA I'd just stick to looking for bigger stuff .... long way to go just to search for small stuff, time better spent looking for that elusive WA whopper.
Have fun out there, T.

 

[Swinging & digging]

If i could afford one YES!
They have WAY BETTER sensitivity to small gold so i would end taking home gold occasionally?
Yet to find a nugget with my GPX 5000 after 6 months of trying?

 

[WalnLiz]

If you've got the spare cash a 2300 will certainly pay for itself, and makes a great cleanup machine. Little bits are much more prolific than bigger bits....But remember that if you put yourself in the position of mainly hunting the little bits...then that's all you will generally end up getting.

Hunt you're main areas with the 4500 and a coil around the 14" mark, and go over the successful areas with the 2300 and you should clean up quite handsomely. Hit your small creeks with the 4500 and a 8"x 6" coil, and then go over it with the 2300, and you will not leave much for blokes following behind you.

 

[condor22]

I bought a 12x7 Nugget Finder for the 5000 2 weeks ago, first time out I ground balanced, took 3 steps and found a 0.1 nugget.

$290 for the coil v $4,300 for a detector (with a fixed coil) to answer the question NO, not unless I find at least 3oz to pay for one.

 

[Redfin]

Yes, we already have.

 

[Guest]

I would buy a SDC to compliment any deep seeking PI, not just a GPX, if you have the spare cash. In my opinion they would be great used in conjunction with anything from SD series through to GPX series & in many ways could make it unnecessary to upgrade from SD/GP series to GPX especially if your finding gold with & happy with your older PI anyway.
When the SDC first came out I was thinking it would be a great machine just for mopping up after the GPX's have been over areas, which it is, but now realise that the opposite can also be true I.e. after going over an area with the SDC using a SD/GP/GPX to then clean up deeper bits, if any, is also a viable option, in my opinion anyway, having used the SDC as well as a SD2200D & GPX5000. In fact having sold my GPX & not having the funds to get another I am on the lookout for a GP3500 or similar for this reason if one comes up at the right price. Permanently attached to a 14-16" coil will see me cover a lot, if not all, local scenarios as well as other areas too.
I have noticed some experienced &/or fulltime prospectors that share similar thoughts to mine for detecting in a lot of areas - they are now using the SDC first & then following up with their GPX etc. not the other way around, so rather than "mopping" up they are seeking out runs or patches with the SDC first.
My gold finds with the SDC, using it in my area, are more frequent & would go close to outweighing my GPX finds in a much shorter time period & for that reason it will remain my first choice detector regardless of what other machine I get including if I had another GPX!
NOTE: if I was permanently based in WA or another deep nugget location my machine & opinion would no doubt be different. Location, depth & size of gold in your main detecting area need to be considered. If your in an area of mostly small, shallow gold its a no brainer to me.

 

[WalnLiz]

Sound advice there mbasco,... only thing I disagree with is seeking out patches first with a very small coil. Extremely time consuming as you need to generally cover a lot of ground reasonably quickly to get consistent patches, and this is best done by a 14"-16"coil or even a 20" patch finding elliptical coil.

If I ran around with a Sadie coil looking for a patch I'd need a lot of spare time up my sleeve.....my experience only.

 

[Guest]

I did say in a lot of areas not all. Big, open areas you would obviously need a big coil to efficiently cover the ground but then patch hunting isn't always about big, open areas & big coils is it?
Electronic loaming of hillsides above known patches or below reef lines, further investigating reef lines, searching for or following leaders/stringers, specimen gold of a type that is undetectable to the GPX which is a known issue (have seen 3 x examples of patches of speccis being found where at least some of it didn't raise a murmur with the GPX. At least one of these patches has led to a leader & one other has produced no further gold with a GPX to date but about an ounce with the SDC), uneven ground particularly near washouts/gullies/old surfacing are all areas where a SDC could be more beneficial to "patch" or "run" hunt. Some of these areas aren't overly big coil friendly + using a big coil may mean you miss the smaller gold or specci that eventually may lead to a run or patch.
Patch hunting WA would be a lot different to looking for a run or patch in a gully or the side of a hill at Hargraves for example?

 

[nuggetino]

Thanks for the response guys and Mbasco that's a really good summary of how the sdc could work well in conjunction with a gpx or other deep seeking big nugget pi detector. I guess if the sdc doesn't bring in the goods and is taken care of one could sell it off again without a huge loss.

Being in SA I thought I'd take a very indirect route to WA by visiting the nearer goldfields on the east first. The golden triangle, then up to tibooburra, the territory and back down to WA. I'm definitely keen to spend some time in tibooburra as I really haven't seen much of inland NSW. Have to make a trip to miners den to buy a couple tid bits so will be eying off the sdc when I'm there.

 

[condor22]

JoshAU,

One thing that will affect 2nd hand price is the reason for selling.....

I guess, what I'm eluding to is, if any owner regardless of make or type because it is not doing what they expected, to then buy a different brand or better detector, then word of mouth will get around and affect the one they originally bought.

My first detector was a new Minelab Eureka Gold, I took a cheaper option and regretted it after my first trip out. I bit the bullet and bought the 5000 new and very quickly got results that satisfied my requirements. I'm not panning the Eureka, but it didn't perform as I wanted it to and I didn't have much knowledge when I bought it.

I also can't comment on the Garrett ATX, I've seen them, but never used one, but I can read what others say about it.

However if, hypothetically enough ATX owners were to sell and guy the 5000 for similar reasons above, it may well keep second hand prices down. Similarly the 5000 is at this point the latest offering from Minelab, when a new PI replacement is offered, it will lower the 5000 2nd hand price a little.

It's all largely down to supply and demand.

 

[WalnLiz]

The thread is about a SDC 2300 Josh.....nothing to do with an ATX.

 

[nuggetino]

thanks josh but yeah as WalnLiz said I'm interested in the SDC not ATX although I'm sure they're a great machine in their own right. I've seen a couple sdc's pop up used since their release and sellers are generally asking around $3500. If I can get one lightly used at near that price I'd snap it up but many other keen eyes are following the classifieds so I don't fancy my chances. Will probably bite the bullet and go for a new unit as time is of the essence. If I can unload the sdc for half it's cost some time down the track I'm willing to bet that with 6 months of full time prospecting there's every chance I can at least recoup the difference in finds. . Of course I will report on the SDC when it's been put through the paces and hopefully have some confidence inspiring words for some other fence sitters.

 

[Harmpit]

I will be selling my lightly used SDC shortly, cannot find the time to get out there Only been used about 10 hours

 

[joshAU]

And no, I've never used an ATX, or a SDC, for that matter, but, having used Minelab detectors almost exclusively, I'd go the SDC.

 

[Hatter70]

Well no I wouldn't buy a SDC, I don't why people are giving up on the GPX5000, with this machine with the right settings and coil selection you can pick up tiny bits of gold as well. Oh well each to their own, well what ever detector one chooses so long as they are having fun in this great pastime of ours, hope everyone stays safe while out detecting.

 

[nuggetino]

I didn't end up getting one. I do love the versatility and ease of use the SDC offers and if someone gave me one or I was buying it as a sole detector I'd sure hang onto it but I've concluded it's too expensive as an addition to the GPX so I haven't given up the the GPX.

 

[joshAU]

@Hatter70:
Hi, and sorry, I didn't mean to say I prefered the SDC over any other brand/model.
I have a GPX-5000, and I agree with your description of it.
It's my favourite.

Personally I'm not particularly interested in "tiny", "fine", etc ...
I'm after the bits you can see without resorting to putting on your glasses or squinting.
Tiny bits... that seems to be the only real, and so far untested and unconfirmed by me, benefit of the SDC over the 5000.
So, I'll stick with the 5000.

@nuggetino:
Fair enough.
Pretty pricey I agree.
Personally I'd prefer to get a Minelab Excalibur. I or II, or some other good waterproof detector as a secondary option.
I think, out of anywhere, underwater is probably the least - developed? explored? whatever, as most detectors aren't waterproof.
Especially those larger creeks that never dry out, so are less likely to have been cleaned out during the summer.

 

[RedDirtDigger]

Don,t own an SDC but have used one and detected along side them with my 4500. I am shocked at the lack of depth of the SDC and have seen it not respond to deeper undug targets that the 4500 hears easily. I know the SDC is geared for small gold however I would rather use my detecting time with a 4500 with a 14 or 18 on the end of the stick and use a Sadie coil to clean up small gold. So I think the more people scabbing small gold with a SDC the better it is for me with 4500 and 18 on. Also consider the new gold detector withan improved sSDC type platform will likely be released by march 2015. RDD.
PS'if you have the cash and detect a lot,sure go grab one and get some small gold.