Hey bill how deep will it go?☺

I think you already know there is no one correct answer to that Robert, but I will add the the depth any detector will achieve is dependent on many factors including how the user has his detector set up for the area he or she intends to hunt. Ground conditions will in most conditions will be the main factor as to how a detector will work and the depth is will be able to "see" into the highly mineralized (or not) soil.... I can tell by that question and ribbing I am getting that you do indeed attend both my and Kevin's seminars.....

Sorry after spending time with you at the outing this weekend I had to

Quite alright my friend and see ya soon.....

Hi Bill, I have many questions but I think the one that would help me most is in regard to the threshold on the GPX5000. I understand settings that modify this ... Audio Type, Motion Speed, Gain, Stability .. etc. My question is, do you adjust these settings until you get an absolute 100% smooth threshold? Or do you find it ok to have a little instability?

Howdy Andy, with most PI detectors getting the threshold perfect is not possible, but getting as close as you can is indeed important so you are able to hear the slight disturbances in the thresholsd that may be a target. It is important to be sure if you are set up in "very slow" that you hunt very slow meaning about a 4 second sweep one way for me. Next the gain is VERY IMPORTANT many run it wide open and yes some do OK this way, but your gain is how you stabilize your detector and too much will cause you again to have a erratic threshold. Turn the gain up until there is instability while moving the coil and drop it back a click or two till it is more quiet and stable. If this setting is low like 5 0r 6 do not fret over it because it is not a loss of power! It is RF Gain not TX.....

If hunting with tracking on (I prefer manual GB) it is important to set the sweep speed the SAME as tracking speed or your detector will once again be unstable...

So to answer your question flat out NO, but it is important to get the detector setup to be as stable threshold wise as possible after tuning, you can also ust the stabilizer setting to smooth things out, but over use will decrease sensitivity in some cases.

Hope this helps and I always set my detector up for best stability in every new area. Great question!

That makes sense. Sounds like my sweep speed needs to come down a couple seconds slower. I assume this is for well pounded areas. When you're on the hillsides looking for patches, I imagine your sweep would probably go up to medium more for ground coverage. Right? Another thing I was not aware of is that I should be moving the coil while adjusting gain. I thought that was only for stability. I'll have to try this, too. I do a lot of detecting in the LSD areas ... well, before it started to heat up here. Thanks a bunch, Bill! I greatly appreciate the knowledge you share on all forums.

No I did not mean to be "moving" the coil while adjusting gain Andy after each adjustment if you start hunting and it is still unstable while moving, stop and readjust until it smooths out. Just that fact that you are asking these type questions to try and fully understand your detector shows you will likely become successful! Many folks just do not take the time to experiment and adjust their settings properly while hunting and quickly become frustrated as a result. Yes SLOW swinging is a must and not just in pounded areas, but when patch hunting in a new area I will often move a bit quicker to tag that first one then slow way down and hunt properly.

Thank you very much, Bill. I hope to see you in November or perhaps an earlier outing.

What is the best metal detector on the market today and why?

Howdy Ray, now this is a very hard question to answer because any good dealer will try to match the person to the detector best suited for them and their proposed hunting area and style. Each person new or pro has different requirements not limited to;

How much you will be hunting

Where you will be mainly hunting

Skill level

Budget

etc.

Now what I use are 3 different detectors with the main one being what I consider the best for the professional nugget shooter and that is the Minelab GPZ 7000, I also have a Minelab SDC 2300 and a Fisher Gold Bug Pro.

Can you give me a little more info on your plans and I will try to narrow things down for you as often the best out there may not be YOUR best choice for getting started.

 

Hi I'm looking for a good gold finder in the $500-800 range I am new so hope to find something fairly simple. I am usually hunting in the mid to high desert in AZ. Thanks

I'd say XTerra 705 or Gold Bug 2.

 

 

I wasn't very impressed with my 705. Just my opinion. I know a lot of people more successful with the Gold Bug 2. Just my opinion.

Hello All;

I am getting into metal detecting and am debating between the Garrett AT Pro and the Minelab 705 Gold.  I see that the operating Freq on the minelab can be changed by changing coils.  This seems like it would be an advantage depending on what you are looking for.  Thanks for any help or ideas on this.

Harry,

Depends.  Do you plan on using the detector as a dedicated gold detector or plan to coin hunt etc with it too?  However, either one you choose (the AT Pro or the 705) can be used for coin, prospecting or relic.  However the 705 would be better as a gold detector so if you are limiting your choices to those 2, I would go with the 705. 

 Also if you are looking for more of a dedicated VLF gold detector I would go with the Gold Bug Pro, or the Gold Racer.  But Whites MXT is one great machine as well and many gold prospectors swear by them.  If you are a Garret fan and want a dedicated gold machine then get the AT Gold.

Whatever you get, learn it well and use it often.  Learning and using your machine makes more difference than does your detector choice. 

New to GPAA. Been Detecting in Southwest Utah Desert for the past year with a Teknetics T2 SE, mostly relic and some coin shooting. Made a decision to focus on nugget shooting. I will eventually be shooting in the Gold Basin AZ area once a month as well as exploring and prospecting for undiscovered gold in NW AZ and Southern NV and UT. I am getting a PI and after much research I keep coming back to the ATX not wanting to wait and save up for a much more expensive Minelabs. Just wondering if you have had a recent experience using the most current version of the ATX? If so, has the falsing improved as they claim, better stability etc. Just wondering if it has evolved and improved to a level that so many seem to feel rivals or compares to a GTX 5000 for half the money? These are so many of the claims I hear from many these days... What is your opinion? Thx

I take it Bill stopped watching this thread LOL... If you ever see this Bill, I actually have e-mailed you directly. Someone going by GoldRushNuggets on Instagram referred me to you. I am Desert Detective.

You may have better luck contacting him on his Nuggetshooter.com forums or web page or facebook. "Bill Southern" 

I will message him and let him know you messaged him here.

Posted By Shane Edwards on 05 Sep 2016 09:11 PM
I take it Bill stopped watching this thread LOL... If you ever see this Bill, I actually have e-mailed you directly. Someone going by GoldRushNuggets on Instagram referred me to you. I am Desert Detective.