GPX 5000 Coin/Relic Timings

[Daniel Tn]

Just got my 5000 in yesterday and have been playing with it a little. The only thing I can really tell you about it is that I think it runs smoother than the 4500 did. I also like how they flipped the front panel upside down to where it's easier to read when your out in the field. When I first saw it I thought I had a "Friday Job" assembly line detector until I actually got outside and then I saw where it's handy to just raise the detector up and you see everything right side up once your arm is in the arm strap and you point the coil toward the sky.

Now for the questions.

I know the manual says the new coin/relic timings are for areas of not so heavy mineralization. My question is, HOW do you determine that? Is there a give away that shows the ground is too hot to run in those timings? Case in point, I put the 11" DD on and went to my test garden. I'm a relic hunter by the way, so I have some Civil War relics out there.

At any rate I wasn't able to put the coil any closer than 2-3 feet from the ground without it blanking out like I was over a large piece of iron with the iron reject set high. I couldn't get the coil to GB at all. In the other timings it worked just like the 4500 at balancing. Then I swapped coils out and put the mono on. I didn't have a mono coil with the 4500 so I was just curious as to how it did on relics. I was impressed with the response from the targets but then I decided to try that coin/relic timing again. Well with the mono coil on, I was able to get the detector to balance....you'd think it would be the opposite for bad ground, that the DD coil would balance and the mono struggle. I thought this was kind of weird.

So now I have to ask about the mono vs dd coils. I know that the mono coils get better depth. Most of you gold prospectors use them exclusively. I didn't think I would like the mono because I can't use the iron disc, which for relic hunting that's a real big deal. BUT in my testing I noticed that I couldn't get a good signal on a square nail even with the mono loop on and iron disc at 0. I thought that was odd but I was wondering if maybe that was normal if the ground is rich in natural iron, that the pulse detector is canceling the ground out and also small bits of iron as well. Any thoughts about that? I was able to tell large iron from non ferrous objects as well so I think I'm actually going to go play with the mono coil at a relic site for a while and just see what happens. If I dig a few signals that sound good and turn out as iron then I'll swap to the DD. Other wise if the mono coils handle pretty well then I am really interested in some of the other mono coil offerings. Particularly the 8" and smaller ones.

[notoriouskelly]

Congrats on your new 5000, Daniel!

[nuggethunting]

Hello Daniel,

Welcome to the forums and congrats on your new GPX5000!

Yes, you will need to use your DD coil on the GPX5000 if you want to discriminate, but don't let that make you feel you're using too much depth. The DD's have became much more popular on the GPX series, especially with the new timing such as "Sharp." Sharp timing allow you to have a stronger electromagnetic field on the DD coil, which will help you with better depth and sensitivity. I was impressed with this timing while using a DD.

As for the smaller coils, such as the Mono's, they will help you with greater sensitivity. They also can work in tighter locations and help seperate out targets better in really trashy areas.

Sorry it took forever to see this post.

Talk with you soon,

Rob Allison

[El Dorado]

I don't know if the 5000 has a Special Ground balance like the 4000-4500's do, but you might want to try that.

[FlakMagnet]

El Dorado and Daniel,

the 5000 does have Specific Ground Balance.

Might be a good call to try that Daniel.

Flak

[Daniel Tn]

Since having more time under my belt on the 5000 here is more info.

I was incorrect about the mono coil working in the coin/relic timing. When I originally posted this, I didn't realize I didn't have my toggle switch flipped to the Special timings.

If you flip the toggle to Special and then go to the rear cap menu and select Coin/Relic timing...it wont balance no matter which coil I have on the machine. So I take it my soil must be too hot for the Coin/Relic timing. Since then I have taken the detector to several different locations and various soil types. I have YET to find a single place I can balance the machine in the Coin/Relic timing. I'm wondering why Minelab even put this timing in the machines; I have talked to other hunters across the US that have bought the 4800 and 5000 and I haven't found ANYBODY that has been able to balance their machine in the Coin/Relic timing. But man oh man it air tests like crazy and PI machines normally don't air test worth a flip.

I have been using the Sensitive Extra timing for most of my hunting. This is what I used on the 4500 and I really like its response to Civil War relics. I have dug bullets and buttons at scary crazy depths. With the 5000 I have also been playing with the Fine Gold timing and although it does give an increase target response on the deeper/smaller objects, the offset is that it amplifies EVERY small thing. Which if you're gold hunting I guess this is a BIG BIG plus but for relic hunting it will drive you crazy. Because now, those little pieces of lead that we normally would pass over, sound REALLY good. I guess it's a trade off but for now the Sensitive Extra timing is working very well for me. I just wish the Coin/Relic timing would work because by air testing depth, it blows Sensitive Extra away.

[tundra]

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