nuggethunting

Hello All, Here is a report on the new NF 17x13 EVO Searchcoil from AuWanderer - And this -

Hello All, We are offering some great Black Friday deals, but you must call us to learn about them. If you don't get us directly, leave a detailed message and we will get back with you tonight. 623.362.1459 ask for Rob or Dawn Thanks!

Hey AuWanderer, Excellent report and congrats with the new NF searchcoil.

Hello All, Just want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving 2016 today! Hope you're able to spend time with family and friends. God Bless all the troops away from their families during the Holidays. Wishing you all health, wellness and a few nuggets in the poke.

You Too Way2cool. Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey Andy, Right on. Just goes to show it will find more gold.

Hey Way2cool, Damn, if Doc don't have any, wish I would have known. I think I just tossed two of the old, square metal ones out about 2 weeks ago .....

Hi Tom, I just added it, had to delete some place to allow more pictures .... LOL

Hello All, There is always debate about detectors and what is better, so here is a picture of two short trips back in September of 2015. This is an area myself and 3 buddies discovered and pounded the hell out of. It produced a bunch of gold, most was shedding off a quartz ledge (at least be believe). We actually found the area with GP & GPX units with 14x9's and 17x13 inch elliptical coils. When the GPZ was released, this was one of the spots I wanted to revisit right away due to the characteristics of the gold. Majority of the gold was really rough, some contained ironstone and quartz. Two trips almost an ounce of the good stuff with the GPZ. I didn't have much experience on the unit at that time, but did revisit the area several more times and found many Grams of gold missed at depth. Both units are great, but I love the GPZ 7000.

Hey Auwanderer, I think anyone that is running a GPX unit, preferably the 4500 or 5000 aren't missing much of the gold within normal detecting range. The new Elite and EVO coils have bridged the gap a bit on the GPZ 7000, but that would be against the 14x13 (in my opinion). It's hard to compare a good user on a GPX 5000 with a 25-inch NF coil and say it's better than the GPZ 7000 with stock coil. It's kind of a no brainer on a larger nugget that a coil that size would probably detect deeper than the GPZ. I can tell you I missed hundreds of nuggets with the GPX 5000 using the Coiltek 14x9 Blitz Mono and smaller coils that I found with the GPZ 7000. Biggest to date are a 1.2 ounce specimen and 3 nuggets in the range of 1/3 - 1/2 ounce at great depths. All the other nuggets I found in old patches with the GPZ last Summer were in the range of .25 Grams to about 3-4 Grams.

Hey AuWanderer, Actually in my opinion, the GPZ 7000 is the simplest detector I have used since like the SD2000. The GPX is far more confusing with all the timings, settings and switches. All the training I have done in the last year, I can say I haven't had one customer call back about how to operate a GPZ, but could show you a hundred plus emails on questions on the GPX 4500 & GPX 5000. On the GPZ, they made it simple, you choose 3 ground conditions and three gold settings. The rest of the stuff like volume, threshold and such, you preset and leave it alone for the most part. Just my thoughts from training on these units over the last year.

Thanks Guys. I'm hoping to get back out within the next day or so. Wish me luck!

Hey Bob, Hope all is well. I agree, this would be interesting to try out. Curious what kind of price this item would cost?

Hey Flak, I agree Flak, great write up by JP. He has always been in my opinion a stand up guy and a amazing writer. Just my thoughts,

Hello All, A friend of mine shared this with me earlier today. Could this be the next detector harness technology?

Hello All, Here is a copy/paste version of Jonathan Porter's write up on VZT on the GPZ 7000 from Minelab's Treasure Talk Page. Great information from JP. Many customer have asked me about the ZVT, so this will really help you out. Better Understanding Zero Voltage Transmission (ZVT) November 21, 2016 01:00pm Jonathan Porter Following on from my last blog about the GPZ 19 coil, here are some further tips to help you get the best from your GPZ 7000, irrespective of which coil you are using. The GPZ 7000 is not difficult once you come to terms with the way the technology performs over the ground. It is a blend of behaviours which are dictated by ZVT technology, the Super-D coil design and the detector’s ability to tap into the full gamut of target information, thanks to being able to run a very low noise floor without any major trade-offs to audio stability. The key points for better ZVT understanding are: Conservative Sensitivity and target Volume settings Obtaining and maintaining a good ferrite balance Keeping on top of the Auto Tracking ground balance Effective range of coil motion relative to target depth Knowing your detector settings (recap from previous blog) Let’s consider some of the specifics… Conservative Sensitivity and target Volume settings It is important to understand it is the ZVT technology that is the driving force behind the GPZ 7000, not some insane amount of Sensitivity level or Volume control settings. Learn to be conservative when making adjustments. Deep signals do not improve greatly when the Volume or Sensitivity is increased, threshold noise and ground instability do. Imagine two lines one above the other, with your Threshold Level being the baseline volume and the maximum signal response as being the detector’s loudest possible response as the top line. Obviously you need to be able to clearly hear the threshold so that determines your baseline. However, by increasing Sensitivity or Target Volume or both, you will compress the important information that resides between your baseline and maximum volume. This is because the maximum target volume has a top out point so the detector’s target signal audio response has to live within those two physical constraints. Obtaining and maintaining a good ferrite balance At no time should there be any Ferrite signal. If the GPZ 7000 makes a signal on the Ferrite it will also make a signal on ground mineralisation that presents the response to the detector’s electronics. This can potentially mask good deep gold targets. Keeping on top of the Auto Tracking ground balance I generally operate in Auto GB mode, but I also configure the User button so I can quickly place the GB in Manual mode when I want to actually start removing soil to get the coil closer to a potential target. I do not recommend continually passing the coil over a target in Auto mode. Four or five times should be sufficient, but then I ‘pump’ the coil nearby to get the GB back to the local ground condition before passing the coil over the target zone again. Effective range of coil motion relative to target depth The transmit field of the GPZ 7000 is very powerful and travels a long way from the coil into the ground to effectively ‘liven up’ any targets within range. However, the resultant field generated by the target itself can be very weak and so requires careful sweeping of the coil to get the target signal in the sweet spot of the coil’s receive areas. This requires a good combination of motion range and sweep speed to achieve and is probably the most constantly changing aspect of my detecting sessions when using the GPZ 7000. The coil has to be in motion to generate a signal response. The more refined you can make your sweep speed and range of movement of the coil, the greater your chances of achieving a good clear target response. Knowing your detector settings The GPZ 7000 is a very powerful metal detector, but target signals do not always just ‘jump out’, especially the deeper ones, they require input and interpretation from the detector operator. The smoother and more controlled you are, the better the results. Learn to trust what ZVT is ‘telling’ you. It is the fundamental reason why ‘good gold’ is coming from the goldfields all over again. The typical settings I have used for best results are: Sensitivity: 9 Audio Smoothing: Off Volume: 8 for headphones/B&Z Booster, 12 for WM 12 Threshold: 27 Threshold Pitch: 60 Volume Limit: 8 to 12 Ground Balance Mode: Auto User Button: Ground Balance Mode Keeping the word “control” at the forefront of your mind at all times, while using the GPZ 7000, will pay dividends. Repeatability and consistency should be your mantra, combined with a decent range of coil movement to afford a subtle deep target every opportunity to be recognised for what it is. Best of luck out there using the most powerful detector I've ever encountered! Jonathan Porter Aurum Australis

Thanks guys for the comments. I guess I need to start cleaning the gold, it's hiding the characteristics.

Hey Kevin and all, Here is a copy/paste from the Minelab Treasure Talk from JP. I think it's some pretty honest information on the new GPZ 19-inch coil. You can also visit the page at this link - http://www.minelab.com/anz/go-minelabbing/treasure-talk/practical-tips-for-using-the-new-gpz-19-super-d-coil With today’s release in Australia of the much anticipated GPZ 19 coil, I thought this would be an excellent opportunity to provide some practical field advice to enable early users to get the best results from this ‘beast of a coil’. I’ve been testing and refining it with the Minelab engineering team for quite some time now, and have to say, it’s worth the wait (weight), in more ways than one! Some key points for successful GPZ 19 operation are: Researching the best locations Having realistic expectations Physical comfort and sustainable use Fully utilizing the Gold Mode and Ground Type settings Understanding how a deep target signal sounds/behaves with ZVT technology Let’s now take a look at these points in more detail… Researching the best locations Targeting locations where your chances are increased will be the best approach. With the GPZ 19 this means looking for ground that has had a history of larger than 2 gram pieces at 10” plus in a reasonably confined area or working away from known ground into ground that does not have a history of nuggets being found, taking advantage of the increased depth of GPZ to allow for gold completely missed by others to come to light. It is best to plan your sessions to target dedicated areas and then spend time methodically and carefully going over those areas. Having realistic expectations Using the GPZ 19 coil does not automatically mean your gold take will increase unless you're prepared to first invest some time and thought in how you go about approaching its use. You will find there is a reduction in sensitivity to small targets which means the sub 2 gram pieces are going to have to be either shallow to pick them up or you’re going to have to be prepared to go without while you wait for a subtle deep target. Physical comfort and sustainable use The GPZ 19 coil is heavy. There is no avoiding its weight except for coming to terms with it and then gearing up accordingly. The GPZ 7000 comes standard with a dedicated PRO-SWING 45 harness, which when matched to your body will easily afford, even moderately fit people, the opportunity to swing the coil for hours at a time. If you step outside the supplied gear, there are other available options to suspend the coil for even greater comfort. I strongly encourage potential purchasers of the GPZ 7000 and the GPZ 19 coil to select a dealer who is prepared to spend time with you setting things so you can swing the coil effectively. Comfort and ease of use are paramount to successful GPZ 19 coil operation and this is something I focus heavily on during training sessions. Fully utilizing the Gold Mode and Ground Type settings High Yield High Yield is the Go-To gold mode for nuggets ranging in size from 2 grams through to approximately 2 ounces. However, this is dependent on the shape and size of the target, for instance a specimen containing many ounces can give a better response in High Yield compared to General due to the rough nature of the gold and how that irregular surface affects the way this mode creates a skin effect (eddy current) on the surface of the target. Testing the GPZ 19 coil in the field has shown to me High Yield is very good on nuggets ranging in size from 2 grams through to 12 grams with a very good percentage increase in performance. This is down to the reduction in ground signal relative to the target signal General General is better on the more solid type gold. General creates less ground noise than High Yield, especially surface noise signals such as Saturation and Salt but also general ground variation. General has quite good sensitivity to smaller targets so is probably a better choice than Extra Deep for average sized pieces. However, in Difficult ground type, General will be more prone to knock or rub sensitivity. Extra Deep Extra Deep is a gold mode that is better suited for extremely large nuggets in highly variable ground. It is not a mode for the faint-of-heart and should be seen as a more specialized approach to large nugget hunting in very specific locations where very large deep nuggets have been found before. Understanding how a deep target signal sounds/behaves with ZVT technology The GPZ 7000 in conjunction with the GPZ 19 is a very potent combination, but target signals do not always just ‘jump out’, especially the deeper ones, they require input and interpretation from the detector operator. The smoother and more controlled you are, the better the results. Learn to trust what ZVT is ‘telling’ you. It is the fundamental reason why ‘good gold’ is coming from the goldfields all over again. The typical settings I have used for best results are: Sensitivity: 9 Audio Smoothing: Off Volume: 8 for headphones/B&Z Booster, 12 for WM 12 Threshold: 27 Threshold Pitch: 60 Volume Limit: 8 to 12 Ground Balance Mode: Auto User Button: Ground Balance Mode For GPZ 19 users who take the time to set up their detector correctly and then listen and learn the signal responses from their own local conditions, this large coil will deliver more of the golden results you are after – just as I have experienced during the testing phase of the coil development. I’ll be following up with some more advice about settings and ZVT in general, in another blog quite soon. Good luck out there! Jonathan Porter Aurum Australis Comments To make comments you must be logged in, please note comments will not display immediately due to moderation

Hey Houghy, I would recommend reading the section on Ground Balancing the GPZ 7000 in the Instructional Manual. Its a bit different as far as how it samples the ground vs. other PI's. I would also recommend using the Ferrite Tube if you have one. I strongly recommend at least for beginners to not overpower the detector. Many seem to believe the higher the settings, the better performance. In some cases this could be true, but finding the highest setting level along with achieving a smooth threshold and minimal background noise is my recommendation. Hope this helps a bit,

Hello All, Well this Summer I probably only got out 3-4 times and only have been out a few times since the weather has cooled off. Here are some of the nuggets I rounded up in the last 3-4 months with the GPZ 7000 and GPX 5000. Nothing to jump off the seat about, but the gold is still out there to be found. Roughly 2.5 ounces of the good stuff displayed below. Mostly old patches playing with the GPZ and the GPX 5000 with the new Elite & EVO searchcoils. Looking forward to getting out a bit more after the Holidays. P.S. I might have posted a few of the nuggets in the last couple of months, this is the overall collection.

Hey Guys, It will be interesting to test in person as there are so many variables such as ground types, sizes of gold, personal settings/hearing levels and such. I know one guy that I talked with a little bit and he said he's impressed with the 19-inch coil, but hasn't found any lunkers yet. Many multi-grammers a few more inches deeper than the what he scanned prior with the 14x13 and prior with the GPX 5000. He stated in 4 trips to old patches he almost has the coil paid for with smaller gold. I think this will be the norm, a few lunkers will be found deeper, but majority of the gold will be Grammers at greater depths. Just my personal thoughts.

Hey Dave, I don't think it's practical at this location to do this, but funny you mentioned it. Several years ago a partner and I looked at a very rich placer mine in California that was up for sale. Since the ground was so rich, but the depth was crazy, they actually tunneled like hardrock under the pay layer and worked it from bedrock up, rather than digging 30-100 feet down through ancient gravel to get to bedrock. We are talking miles of placer tunnels like this, which was pretty amazing to say.

Hey Tortuga, I didn't catch it last night, but seen it several years ago.

Hey Afriscot, The Black Gold sure is interesting. Weird how it's isolated in certain areas, but others areas don't have the Black Gold. I'm still searching for one that is over one ounce, as I think the biggest we found so far is around 1/4 ounce with lots of little 2-3 Gramers. Congrats on your recent finds. Looking forward to our next hunt!

Hello All, Just want to Thank all the veterans out there that have served our great country.