Quick park hunt with the GPX 5000

Been having a good run with using the ATX for relic sites and coin shooting parks for deep coins, After seeing first hand what a good Pi can do cracked open my piggy bank and picked up a used GPX 5000 and boy is it deep on relics a little more than the ATX.

Today, Hunted with a friend over at an old park for about 1.5 hours. That was enough time to test out the GPX 5000 for deep coins, Of the nine targets I dug three were iron and six were conductive one of them a 1900 V-Nickel. The nickel was down a measured 9" inches, For the GPX 5000 that's nothing sounds like a coin only a few inches down and that's with using a 5"X10" DD coil.

I'm starting to feel our future turf machines will be PI, It's going to take a Pi to get what our Explorers can't reach. Overall, Todays ratio of iron was low snagging that V-Nickel. About the same ratio as last months hunt with the ATX when it picked up four V-Nickels and one buffalo from the same park, Over all a good day had a blast even though we hunted a short period.

The GPX 5000 is a remarkable Pi, Deepest detector in my stable and iron discrimination is not too shabby. A joy to use!

Thanks for looking,
Paul

Nice digs for park hunting with a PI machine Paul!

Paul you da man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good stuff. Your really going to love that 5000 once you get some more time with it. It's an amazing machine.

I only use mine for chasing nuggets, I keep telling myself I'm going to try it looking coins. How was the EMI? Coiltek makes an 11" round DD, AI (Anti-Interference) coil. It's supposed to really cut out most EMI without losing much depth. You can really pick up some deep targets if you can get it to run quiet.

Only real problem I can see with it in a park setting is being able to dig a big enough hole LOL.

Kenny

Thanks Wanye, Harold and Kenny,

So far been lucky hunting these old parks, each trip in has nabbed an old coin sometimes several without digging too much trash.

On the relic side of pi hunting, wow hands down a good pi with some form of discrimination is the best detector for unreachable targets, and now with the GPX its become my main detector for relic hunting.

Kenny, thanks for sharing Coiltek has an 11" DD for reducing EMI, my little 5X10" Commander DD did alright with EMI in the city park. Auctally may be the perfect size for this type of hunting, gets serious depth and because the coil is so narrow its great for trashy areas.

Granted, had to deal with the abundance of surface targets especially underground pipes and other large metal objects. The only areas I could detect were the clear areas not effected with masking, a person need patience using the ATX or GPX for park hunting. Overall, its well worth the hassle snagging an old coin with a good pi.

Tske your GPX out for a park hunt Kenny, it may suprise you . May get the Coiltek 11" EMI coil, Will give it a try in areas with EMI.

Thanks again forum friends,
Paul

Hi Paul,

If you can run that 5x10 without EMI issues, that's probably the one I would use in a park. Just way easier to manage and like you said, the narrow footprint should be better in the trash. The 5000 doesn't have the recovery speed like a VLF. Bigger footprint of the 11" DD will null when using discrimination and probably miss some targets. If EMI is too much for the 5x10 then (from what I have read) the 11" DD AI coil might just do the trick.

I'm on the fence which coil to try. Talking with a buddy of mine today about the Joey coil (5x10 DD), he used to use one. Said he (surprisingly) found it to null on too many bullets and shell casings when using discrimination. Not a good thing when looking for nuggets.

I will probably go with the AI coil. If it doesn't work out for me coin hunting I can always use it at a couple nugget spots near powerlines I have been wanting to give a go.

Let me know if you pick up the AI. I'm interested to know how well they work.

Kenny

Thanks Kenny,

Wasn't aware of Coilteks 11" DD AI coil until you shared this information the other day, Get a google search on the coil and it looks impressive to eliminating EMI. I may get one even thought my 5"X10 Commander DD coil was working great with full discrimination set at 10.

You mentioned your friend using the 5"X10" Joey coil and he noticed nulling when using discrimination, I too noticed nulling when using discrimination but that's what it takes to weed through the iron trash. However, you've got me thinking maybe I should run without discrimination at these old parks and when I hear that certain audio for deep coin like signals then will flip on discrimination with a quick rotation of the knob. Apprentice you sharing this, This may help reduce nulling and increase recovery speed enabling the GPX to get better separation that I like.

Thanks so much, Great information really appreciate this allot! And well do, Keep you posted with running no disc at the parks and if I get the Coiltek 11" DD Al coil.

All the best, Paul

good report Paul, just curious in that it would seem you are having to dig craters in those parks for the depths you're getting.

If I did that in my local Toronto Parks the residents would be in an uproar and I'd be collared, tazed and hauled away pretty quickly (well, maybe not that rough).

would be fun to give one a try in our older parks though...

cheers..

Paul

The discrimination doesn't work real well at depth. I rarely use a DD coil or any discrimination when nugget hunting. If I do, I only use maybe 2 disc. Deep nails etc will have to be dug, when you get close enough for the disc to work, the detector will null. So you need to be able to (big enough hole) get the coil close enough for disc to work.

My buddy was talking about the Joey coil seemed to actually null on some bullets themselves. Maybe there was iron or something close the he did not see. Had to be something else going on there for it to null on a bullet.

I would definitely try running as little disc as possible, if you can get away with it.

Kenny

Thanks canslawhero, Actually my holes are quite small. Deep but normal size same diameter as a hole from VLF detecting, The ATX is better with monition pinpointing though but over all both holes from either PI are quite small diameter wise. Thanks again

Kenny, Want to THANK you for putting me onto Coilteks 11" DD AI coil. I found one today and just purchased it from a dealer for a great deal, $129.00 plus $9.00 shipping and it's new only been tested. Appreciate you sharing tips with using the GPX, You're right best to hunt with no disc with the GPX and that I'm already doing with the ATX since it operates in all-metal then with using the iron check feature. With no disc on the GPX, It should reduce masking/nulling in which improves recovery speed thus get better separation.

I can run with no disc, Like I was saying the ATX is already running in all-metal and only use disc as the iron check feature. Can't wait to get out there again at the same park in two weeks, Should have the Coiltek 11" DD AI coil by then will compare it against the 5"X10" DD Commander coil.

Thanks again,
Paul

What its actually happening isn't the iron discrimination. Coins will put out a much better signal than a nugget will. What is happening is the detector is being over powered and is overloading on the strong signals. In our mind, we think we have to run a lot of gain and such to get depth. When in reality, a gain setting of 1 or 2 is already deeper than any VLF machine on the market. When you start getting the higher gain and get the coil close to a strong signal, it will overload...aka simply null or break up over top of the target. People assume its iron and never investigate it.

I stumjled onto this with a belt plate I have buring in my yard. I put it around 6 inches to see what it would sound like...and it breaks up over top of it. I thought the same thing about the iron disc so I kept lowering it and it didnt help the signal any. The only things that helped....reduce gain and or to lift the coil several inches above the target and sweep over it again. Deeper targets are much easier to get on the GPX becsuse they sound so smooth and unbroken. A minie ball at 10-12 inches is easy...a minie at 4-5 inches will break up/null because most people are overpowering the machine.

Holy cow Paul....that's a smokin deal on that coil....they don't have any more laying around does they lol.

Daniel....I don't use the DD coil often but if I remember correctly there is a difference in a null on iron (discrimination) and the overload. A mono coil will overload on larger targets, not blank out. People have passed up some mighty big nuggets because it overloaded and they thought it was trash....there is no discrimination with a mono and sometimes you just get tired of digging trash. Using the DD coil and some level of disc the signal will actually blank out (go silent) on smaller targets like nails. But you have to be within range for disc to work....say 10" just as an example. If it's a larger target...like the buckle it will probably just squall in overload. Hard to describe the disc sound...it will start to signal then go silent then signal again. Just blanks out. Overload is just a constant squall. Use caution on your volume levels in the headphones using a GPX. It will rattle your cage...

I agree 100% on the gain levels. The GPX is a crazy powerful machine. It will go way deep. When nugget hunting I will run the gain as high as the threshold will let me. Sometimes as high as 16. I have dug some horribly deep square nails with an 18" mono coil. You can imagine the size hole it takes to get that coil down in it LOL. It's all worth it though when that nail turns out to be a nugget.



Kenny



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/14/2015 05:22AM by ddmk6.

The sound I am referring to, happens whether you have discrimination turned up or all the way down. It is a big ramping up of the signal, and right in the middle, it nulls or breaks up. Very similar to how it does on actual iron if the disc is on. It's all relative to how close to the target that the coil is, and how high the gain setting is. That's why I said that a minie ball is easy to distinguish with a smooth transitioning low tone with a high tail sound when it is deeper. But with the gain ramped up, it will break up on them if they are shallow. I am 110% certain this is what is happening at the organized hunts right now with so many running pulse machines. I heard some guys discussing their settings and they were running their gain maxed out trying for the most depth. I am guilty of running more than I should have myself...and now that I have discovered this blanking on shallow non ferrous things...it has me wondering just what in the heck I might have walked over thinking it was iron and kept walking. That belt plate I buried really opened my eyes. Just wish I would have thought of it before I went on the trip instead of after I came back. I had buried one REAL deep, to see just how deep I could get a signal on one. But didn't think anything about going in the opposite direction.

What clued me in on this...was digging two Eagle "A" buttons. They are very well made buttons and give a really good signal on the GPX. That is...if they are deep. These were barely 5 inches deep. And had been walked over by hundreds of hunters on about 9 or more different hunts. I actually wasn't digging much of anything at that point. I decided to investigate some weirder sounding signals instead of the cookie cutter signals I had been training my brain to listen for. I nearly fell over when one of those bad signals turned into a big green disc laying in the dirt pile...and there lay a big Eagle A coat size button. I ended up digging a bunch more of those signals with about a half/half rate on junk vs keeper. A lot of odd shaped iron would give the same signal...and I dug several fired bullets and such that were odd shaped from different impacts...that also gave that similar sound.

Hey Paul good info on the park hunt..

I aslo find the TDI to be the best pulse unit if I just want to cherry pick coins maybe the best out of the P.I. offerings lot..not as deep as a 5000 surely but better target selectivity..

Yes Daniel your right about the nail blanking but also the signal overlaod blanking...itsa double edhge sword and one thign that sort of got my goat on the 4800..I saw it null out bullets a couple of times in the spill pile...it wont do a nugget like that but it will strong signal..esepcially belt buckles still in the dirt ...

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

Is this a coin that other detectors couldn't see due to the mineralization or masking?

Hello Daniel, Kenny, Keith and Detectorist,

Detectorist, This recent deep V-Nickel find may not have been detected by a Minelab, It was at that depth were our Minelabs start to fizzle out and can't get an audio signal but may get a weak visual on the screen. That's were the ATX and GPX have an edge but one will be digging a high ratio of trash going after these deeper low conductive signals.

But thanks to Kenny and Daniel with their recent information, this may give me a little more of an edge getting the most out of my GPX. Work 10 days straight then of four days so my next park hunt will be in 11 days or so, Can hardly wait to see how the GPX does on the next park hunt using the Coiltek 11" DD AL coil and reducing sensitivity and no discrimination

Daniel, Thanks for the great information, Yeah I noticed that too when first using the GPX with high disc on the GPX at an old farm site. Good Conductive targets near the surface would blank out for a moment due to the overload, And appreciate you help big time with getting the GPX you steered me in the right direction especially recommending the DD coils and the smaller 5"X10" DD Commander coil.

Kenny, The dealer only had one of the 11"DD AI coils at this low price, It was new and won at a raffle so I'm assuming someone traded it in or maybe the dealer won it? I'll keep you posted with how the 11"DD AI coil does and with using no discrimination. Appreciative your help!

Keith, I may pick up another TDI, Owned one before but never really recorded depth results. It will be neat comparing it to the GPX, If memory serves me right it wasn't as deep as the GPX in my area. Plus, I believe the coils are unchangeable between the TDI and GPX series?

Really believe the future machine for relic hnting or for deep turf coin recovery will be a PI, Nothing else comes close.

Thanks again everyone,
Paul



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/14/2015 05:16PM by Old California.

Oh no Paul it's not as deep..but in bad dirt it's a lifesaver to have a p.i. period ..at what I found is the TDI is a very effective silver picker in trash without digging any other items..very unique in a p.i. design.

good luck.

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

Way to go and PI units have their place but the Explorer goes as deep as any and gives a heck of a lot of info to dig or not....

I've never tried a PI unit, I guess I just cannot imagine detecting a park with one. I hear that someone tried a GPX at Golden Gate Park and it didn't work that well, but perhaps they didn't know the machine as well as you do. I can imagine one out in Big Rec, that would be something!!

I've never seen an Explorer or any FBS machine be able to detect a coin with a 6x10 coil at over 12 inches. If you put the 11 inch coil on them, you're now talking about depths surpassing 15 inches on the GPX for a dime. You might get what, 10 inches in good soil with an Explorer if all conditions align perfect? The Explorer or any other FBS machine ain't worthy of being in the same sentence when comparing depth to a GPX or even a TDI.

I wish I still had internet fast enough to upload videos. I'd show you guys some stuff with these pulse machines that would make your jaw drop.

Paul the TDI can use the GPX coils but the GPX usually cant run any coil build specifically for the TDI...

the TDI is more lenient than the GPX it so seems..

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

Thanks Dan, I agree the Explorer or any of the later series are one deep machine with the best ID out there for a park machine. These are hard to beat, The Pi has it's place and I'm starting to see the advantages of using these old pounded parks with the depth they are getting over the Explorer, Remarkable depths unheard of our VLF will never achieve in our soil. Thanks again.

Daniel is right on the money, With the GPX series using the 5"X10 DD Commander it'll hit on a 12" buried coin. We will never see this with the Explorer series in my area due to the soil and these are the depths my GPX are achieving with the 5"X10" DD coil. If I was able to run the GPX with 11" DD at this same park boy I bet it'll even go down deeper if masking allows, And thanks to Kenny do have another coil (Coiltek 11" DD AL) on route maybe this will even be the better coil over he smaller commander for park hunting? Will keep everyone posted, Next days off will be hitting the old park.

Brian, Let's get together soon, Maybe within the next two months!

Keith, Thanks for sharing the GPX coils are interchangeable with the TDI. Still up in the air with getting a TDI think my GPX and ATX will be enough for now but who knows maybe will find a TDI in the future at good price, Or maybe trade someone for a good used TDI, Have an Explorer SE I might trade someone for one?

Thanks again everyone for your help and encouragement!

Paul

So, you dug one good target out of 9. I'm not convinced I want to use a pi in parks.

Its the unorthodox challenge that's the real treasure find..

using a P.I. in areas its not meant to be used will at times surprise you...and challenge you...



Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

Keith Southern Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Its the unorthodox challenge that's the real
> treasure find..
>
> using a P.I. in areas its not meant to be used
> will at times surprise you...and challenge you...
>
>
>
> Keith


Awww - come on Keith - you know some people don't understand that concept!

They're only in it/this for the "finds" purely and solely and could care less about a "challenge and/or learning something" = they can't see past their tunnel vision of greed! lol

Hello Detectorist,

What I'm after are coin signals the Explorer can't reach, The parks been pounded to death so it's tough getting a deep signal from any of the explorer models. These recent coins recovered from this park were all beyond the depth of a CTX 3030, Was comparing several deep coin signals and not once could the 3030 get an audio signal but the ATX and GPX clearly heard them and sure enough a total of five V-Nickels and one buffalo nickel came out during these pass two park hunts.

So yes, The ratio of trash will be higher going after these weaker signals but it's well worth the challenge, To be rewarded with a cool find using a detector not intended for park hunting. It can only get better, Still learning allot with using Pi's at parks with using different coil sizes, sensitivity and Iron discrimination settings but in the process of all this eventually will get it dialed in. It's different and it's fun snagging an old coin with a good Pi the Mighty Explorer or CTX 3030 would never detect.

All the best,
Paul (Ca)

WTG O.C.! Hope to see a post soon with big silver.

Good luck