GS5 - A User Report

[Eric Foster]

Here is an interesting post that appeared on a new Australian forum
I thought that I would repost it, as it is hidden amongst a thread dealing with DD v. mono coils. Other good reports are coming in as more Goldscans get into the field, and users become accustomed to operating a new machine in the goldfields.

Eric.

Hi Guys,
I am a die hard mono man, my favourite being the 24 inch S/L Nugget Finder elliptical mono. We are lucky around Alice Springs in that our ground is 99% quiet, with only the only occasional pocket of noisy ground. I have found gold down to 0.1 grams with the big NF, and picked up 12 grams the weekend just gone.
Where Tammy and I were, was Winnecke goldfield, north-east of the Alice. There is a pocket of extraordinarily noisy ground there, where a GP3500 running a DD is barely useable, due to the loud groaning and moaning. I knew there was gold in the area, due to its proximity to a mine, and the fact that we had run our GP's with small DD's all over this small pocket earlier this year and managed to pick up a small sunbaker of about 0.5 grams, but nothing below the surface. This weekend I decided to give the new Goldscan 5B a run over the ground, just to see how it would go. I used a Coiltek 11inch mono, which after ground balancing just purred along! I could not believe just how quietly it ran and about 10 minutes into my scanning, I got a distinct signal. At about 2 inches down, out popped a small nugget of 0.5 grams ! Now, bearing in mind that my 3500 could barely run with a DD, let alone a mono, I was stoked. And all of this with a mono coil ! This was the very first non planted target that I had found with the Goldscan 5B. I continued scanning and found a few little bits of rusty metal, but no more gold. Not one of the signals was audible with the 3500. Just think of all the noisy ground in Australia where you will be able to use a mono with the Goldscan 5B. I must point out that the GP's beat the Goldscan by a good margin in quiet ground, but there is definitely a niche for the Goldscan. I must also point out that we are dealers for both Minelab and Goldscan, and therefore are not biased towards one machine or the other. These are truthful observations in actual field conditions.

Cheers,
Rick Bryant

 

[Sabra Jim]

G,day Eric and All,

Interesting report.. For folks who want to read another report titled: GS5 vs Minelab or Vise Versa..
It is posted on the MSN forum under Gold Detecting -General by Flokagold1..

Two key features of prospecting with the GS5 were left out, (undoubtly on purpose) because of the potential for very large gold finds using the machine in not only Australia but here in the States...

Cheers to all, - Jim -

 

[bakergeol]

Quote from Jim "Two key features of prospecting with the GS5 were left out, (undoubtly on purpose) because of the potential for very large gold finds using the machine in not only Australia but here in the States..."

The GS5's strong suit is in IDing larger gold(all gold above 1/3 ounce)as non ferrous which I do not believe any other PI can do.

So what's the second one? Pulse delay at 10 better for non solid specimen gold?

HH
George

 

[Sabra Jim]

Hi George,

I probably should been a little more clear.. I was referring to types of gold bearing locations, where using the GS5/GS5b would be far superior to anything on the market at this time...

Sorry for the confusion..

Regards, - Jim -

 

[Eric Foster]

Hi Jim and George,

Two possiblities are -

1) Locations where there is very high and variable iron mineralisation, including hot rocks.

2) Areas near power cables - buried and overhead, r.f. transmitters, electric fences, military radar.

1) and 2) can of course be the same area.

A case was recently reported to me from Western Australia where at a certain time each afternoon, a powerful "over the horizon" military radar switches on. After switch on, it is impossible to use a SD/GP, but the GS5 just purrs along undaunted. This user has, found 5oz of gold with his GS5B in a short space of time.

Eric.

 

[Sabra Jim]

Hi Eric and all,

I think I have experienced all or most of those detecting "hazards" so to speak, either in AZ or here in NV during the year I have owned my GS5 and the unit certainly performed quite well..

There is some serious $$ to be made in Australia with your GS5b. Here is one small example: During my last 3 1/2 months in Leonora, W.A. I got to hunt with an Australian fellow, who had been at it since 1978.. One can only imagine how good at finding nuggets this guy was. He was using a SD2100 with a Coiltek 14" DD round coil at the time...

Anyway, one evening in camp, he told me about a spot of ground the size of a dining room table he had found during the Australian summer, that was so hot his detector was just screaming, but there were so many nuggets in that spot that he could tell (barely) where to dig. He filled all his trouser and shirt pockets with nuggets and had only penetrated a couple inches of surface..

Being without water for some time, he left for his pickup and decided to go home and try to get ahold of some blasting cord and then go back during the winter time. He told me that if I was coming back the next year, he would wait till then to go back.. A good Mate...

Just imagine what a GS5b could have done in that type of ground and there must be many small spots like that all over Australia.. I recently read about some ground that Chris Hake mentioned, which was too hot to detect properly..

Just the tip of the iceberg..

Cheers, - Jim -

 

[gatorguy]

I just got a ticket for Australia and having GS5 sent overnight air!!! LOL....Don

 

[Sabra Jim]

Good on'ya Don,

I'm sure you will do well.. A lifetime experience..

Enjoy, - Jim -

 

[gatorguy]

It was just a joke, but if you are in OZ, I may be staying with you until I find gold!!! LOL....Don

 

[buttondigger]

Right about one thing, not so sure about another. The GS5 will balance any ground I've hunted with a mono coil. In good ground I run straight PI with no problem, check targets in ID mode. I'm probably one of a few people who used both. In my ground the GS5 won the depth contest. It's manual, the other is automatic. To me auto means no added adjustments can be made .

 

[woody]

I have tried testing the GS5 against a GP3000 in the Victorian Golfields. Sometimes the GP3000 beats the GS5 and sometimes it does not. I have also seen the GS5 boom in some shallow signals on one gram pieces that the GP3000 cannot detect. As for using a Mono coil on noisy ground I will use a GS5 over a GP3000 any day. This will ensure that you are getting maximum depth.

PS, The GS5 is a highly adaptable and modifiable detector, the Minelab machines are not....nuff said.

 

[Anonymous]

Wow!

Thanks Eric for posting the thread, Amazing how well the GS5 can handle extremely bad ground even when using a mono coil.

Good job Eric with the GS5, It's truly a winner.
Paul (Ca)