Minelab GP 3000 Instruction Manual
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Minelab GP 3000 Instruction Manual

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Minelab GP 3000
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4901-0048-1.0
P0610-A

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Summary of Contents for Minelab GP 3000

  • Page 1 Minelab GP 3000 4901-0048-1.0 P0610-A...
  • Page 2 Certain descriptions and illustrations may differ (in this manual) from the exact model that you purchased. In addition, Minelab reserve the right to respond to ongoing technical progress by introducing...

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    INTRODUCTION ........................1 About this manual ............................. 2 Introducing the Minelab GP 3000 ......................3 ASSEMBLY ..........................5 Unpacking your GP 3000 [easy reference] .................... 6 List of pre-assembled sections and parts ....................7 Complete assembly instructions ......................8 BATTERY ..........................13 Battery and charging ..........................
  • Page 4 Prospecting techniques .......................... 42 Identifying target signals ......................... 43 Recovering the target ..........................45 USER INFORMATION ......................49 Technical specifications for the Minelab GP 3000 ................. 50 Troubleshooting ............................51 Service repair form ..........................52 Warranty ..............................53 Accessories ............................54 Glossary of common terms ........................

  • Page 5: Introduction

    Introduction The GP 3000 incorporates new technological advances and control functions which have resulted in a detector that combines stable and effective ground balancing with depth and sensitivity.

  • Page 6: About This Manual

    1. INTRODUCTION 5. DETECTOR OPERATION Basic overview of the GP 3000 and However experienced you are at this User’s Manual. using a metal detector, it is important that you read this.

  • Page 7: Introducing The Minelab Gp 3000

    Minelab wished to thank you for purchasing our most advanced gold detector ever, and are confident the GP 3000 will lead you to success in your quest for gold and treasure. INTRODUCING THE MINELAB GP 3000...
  • Page 8 Minelab is always interested in your opinions so if you have any questions or comments regarding the GP 3000 or any other Minelab product, please feel free to contact us via your local Authorized Minelab dealer, or write to us:...

  • Page 9: Assembly

    Assembly This chapter provides details and instructions on assembling and adjusting the GP 3000.

  • Page 10: Unpacking Your Gp 3000 [Easy Reference]

    UNPACKING YOUR GP 3000 easy reference P0616-A The GP 3000 as shipped Figure 2.1 Contents of the GP 3000 pack. A. Mains Charger I. Control Box B. Headphones J. 11” Coil C. Power Lead K. Shaft Assembly D. Arm Rest Optional Extras E.
  • Page 11 ASSEMBLY AND LIST OF PARTS Headphones (16) Arm Strap (14) Armrest Cover (15) Battery (17) & Battery Pack (18) Upper Shaft (8) Bungy Cord (21) Bungy Knuckle (22) Battery Power Cable (19) Coil Cable (2) Control Box (10) Velcro Cable Straps (20) Handle with Wrist Strap (9)

  • Page 12: Complete Assembly Instructions

    COMPLETE ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS You will need to assemble the GP 3000 from all the various components, so we have provided you with detailed assembly instructions. Assembling and fitting the armrest Figure 2.3, refer also Figure 2.2 Place the two armrest halves (11) on either side of the upper STEP 1 shaft (8) and ensure that the bolt holes are aligned.
  • Page 13 Attaching the handle and bungy cord Bungy Knuckle (22) Figure 2.4, refer also Figure 2.2 Slide the handle (9) onto the end of the upper shaft (8) and set it STEP 1 to a comfortable position. Tighten the two screws in the base of the handle with a small flat tipped screwdriver to hold the handle Handle with Wrist Strap (9)
  • Page 14 Adjust shaft length and coil angle for a comfortable position. STEP 2 Minelab recommends that the shaft length be set to give a comfortable sweep length of approximately 2 meters. The lower fibreglass shaft can be set into position by locating the spring clip into the holes provided in the intermediate shaft and hand tightening the locking nut at the end of the intermediate shaft.
  • Page 15 6 Volt Battery (17) Battery Pouch (18) P0503-A Figure 2.6 The GP 3000 battery assembly Ensure that the power switch on the control box is switched off STEP 4 and plug the connector on the power cable (19) into the battery connector plug on the control box.

  • Page 17: Battery

    Battery The GP 3000 is supplied with a 6V DC rechargable battery pack plus both mains and vehicle chargers. This chapter provides details on battery installation, use and performance.

  • Page 18: Battery And Charging

    Never use a 12V battery because this would damage the detector. This damage is not covered by warranty. The GP 3000 power supply is internally regulated and using an external regulated power supply is not necessary, and may damage your detector.
  • Page 19 Mains Battery Charger The mains battery charger will charge the battery from local mains (AC) power outlets. Connect the mains charger to a mains outlet. STEP 1 Connect charger to battery. STEP 2 Switch the mains outlet on. STEP 3 The charger will recharge a completely flat battery in approximately 24 hours.

  • Page 20: Controls

    Controls It is important to familiarise yourself with the features of the GP 3000 control panel. A few minutes spent reading this chapter will be a worthwhile preliminary to detecting.

  • Page 21: Detector Sounds Easy Reference

    DETECTOR SOUNDS easy reference Threshold and Tone This is the background sound produced by the detector. The level is set using the Threshold control. The tone of the threshold is set using the Tone control. Target Signal This is the abrupt change of the tone and volume of the threshold sound when a target is detected.

  • Page 22: Control Functions

    Smart Point - A quality initiative from Minelab Electronics The Smart Point is an intuitive new feature of the GP 3000. It is primarily a diagnostic/test port that ensures that your detector is operating at peak performance before it leaves the factory. Smart Point also allows Authorized Minelab Service Engineers worldwide to service and test your machine to ensure consistant and maximum performance at all times.
  • Page 23 Boost (Shallow/N/Deep) Shallow Figure 4.3 Enhances the signals produced by different types of targets. Deep P0519-A • Shallow enables target signals, from small objects close to the Boost surface of the ground to be amplified. This allows for easier detection. This setting is best suited for 'quiet' ground. Figure 4.3 Boost switch •...
  • Page 24 If the threshold level is set too low there is no audible background Large Small signal and small target signals will not go above the threshold of Target Target audibility (Figure 4.6). Audible Signal No Sound HINT A soft audible headphone signal which is comfortable to listen Just Right to for extended periods is recommended (Figure 4.7).
  • Page 25 Signal Pitch Figure 4.12 Adjusts the pitch response of the target signal. Signal P0522-A In Figures 4.13 and 4.14 the curving line represents the high/low pitch Audio response to a target. The dotted line represents the threshold tone. Figure 4.12 Signal control •...
  • Page 26 Front Panel Figure 4.16 G P 3 0 0 0 Tune MINELAB All Metal Sensitive Double D Fixed N N N N Level Adjust Disc Salt Cancel Tracking Iron Discriminate Soil Coil Balance Coil Connector P0613-B Figure 4.16 Rear Panel...

  • Page 27: All Metal

    Iron Discriminate (All Metal/Disc) All Metal Figure 4.18 Selects between discrimination or to turn off the discrimination altogether Disc (All Metal). P0525-A Iron Discriminate In All Metals, the detector will give varying volume and pitch signals but this information does not indicate the type of metal in the object. Figure 4.18 All Metal/Disc switch In Disc, a strong response from a ferrous (iron) object will cause the threshold to be 'blanked' or silenced.
  • Page 28 Coil (Double D/M/Cancel) Figure 4.21 Changes the sensitivity and search pattern of the coil to allow the GP 3000 range of Double D coils to become multi-versatile coils with different characteristics to suit different environments. This is achieved by Coil altering the pattern of transmit (TX) and receive (RX) fields of the coil Figure 4.21 Coil switch...
  • Page 29 M (Mono) or Cancel modes. Minelab Monoloop coils can be used on the GP 3000 with excellent results and we recommend their use in conjunction with the coil switch in the M (mono) mode. This allows the use of monoloop coils in soils where prospectors previously had to revert to using Double D coils.

  • Page 30: Operation

    Operation However experienced you are at using a metal detector, it is important that you read this chapter to understand how to use the GP 3000 to its full capacity.

  • Page 31: Quick Start Instructions [Easy Reference]

    QUICK START INSTRUCTIONS easy reference Set the Coil switch to Double D. STEP 1 Set Soil switch to N (Normal). STEP 2 Set Balance switch to Fixed. STEP 3 Set Iron Discriminate switch to All Metals. STEP 4 Set Boost to N (Normal) for general detecting. STEP 5 Set Volume to maximum and Signal to 2 o’clock.

  • Page 32: Detailed Operating Instructions

    Hold the coil away from the ground and metal objects and switch Power to On. Take time to read this manual NOTE When the GP 3000 is turned Off, important thoroughly to obtain the best information (e.g. tuning frequency and ground balance) is performance from your new saved in internal memory.

  • Page 33: Detailed Operating Instructions

    Set the Tone control • Adjust the Tone control until the threshold is at a comfortable tone for your hearing. Interpretation of the target signals involves understanding the difference between the rising and falling tone and volume of the threshold in response to different targets. HINT Setting Tone to a high pitch may be more fatiguing, but is more suitable for identifying the faintest target signals.
  • Page 34 M (Mono) changes the way the coil transmits and receives its signals. Operating in Mono, the coil has some of the characteristics of a Monoloop coil. Use of Mono will often increase the sensitivity of the detector but may also be a little more unstable in heavily mineralised ground.
  • Page 35 Sometimes it may not be possible to remove the effects of interference completely by using the Tune control alone. Once the detector has been tuned for a particular location, it should not require readjustment unless conditions change or new interference is introduced, e.g.

  • Page 36: Ground Balancing

    Fixed position for best depth. from the detector, known as ‘ground noise’. • Use Tracking in areas with The GP 3000 has the ability to cancel out the effects of ground excessive ground noise. mineralisation. This minimises ground noise and retains maximum sensitivity to metal targets.
  • Page 37 Ground Balancing Procedure Figure 5.2 • Move the coil up and down between 20mm and 100mm above the ground and, while moving the coil, change Balance from Fixed to Tracking. 20 - 100mm • The fast ground balance lasts only 5 sec. after switching to Tracking.

  • Page 38: Iron Discrimination

    Some goldfields are littered with 'rubbish', e.g. metal objects which are of little value and are an annoyance to detector users. The GP 3000 is capable of rejecting many iron objects while still detecting non-ferrous metals. The ability of the detector to discriminate ferrous targets means that, while detecting in littered goldfields, much of the iron rubbish may be ignored, with a high probability that valuable targets will not be missed.
  • Page 39 Iron Discriminate Figures 5.4, 5.5 Iron discrimination with the GP 3000 is the silencing or ‘blanking’ of the threshold which occurs when the detector determines a target is Normal Signal comprised of ferrous metal. P0514-A There is no discrimination when Iron Discrimination is set to All Metal.

  • Page 40: Level Adjust Control

    Level Adjust Control Level Adjust gives the user the ability to select the sensitivity and likelihood of a target being discriminated as ferrous when used in the Disc mode. This may also affect how the detector responds to ground mineralisation compared to metal targets when used in Disc.
  • Page 41 USING LEVEL ADJUST easy reference Level Adjust Level Adjust MAX (FULLY CLOCKWISE) MIN (FULLY ANTI-CLOCKWISE) Almost all iron objects are discriminated, but a Most iron objects are discriminated, but a few small non-ferrous items will also be few small iron objects will be accepted as ignored.

  • Page 42: Detecting Techniques

    Detecting Techniques Hints and techniques for better detecting and happy prospecting that will help you to utilise the power of your GP 3000 3000 with DVT.

  • Page 43: Detecting Techniques

    If they are, you must increase the distance between the coil and these items. Motion detection The GP 3000 is a 'motion' detector. Therefore the detector must be moving over a target to detect it. Parallel Sweeping Procedure CORRECT Figure 6.1...

  • Page 44: Detecting Techniques

    Covering the search area Figure 6.2 and Figure 6.3 • As the user moves forward slowly, the search pattern should resemble a snaking path. • To ensure that the ground is thoroughly searched, approach the area from 3 different directions. P0530-A Overlap each sweep Figure 6.2 Search path...

  • Page 45: Prospecting Techniques

    PROSPECTING TECHNIQUES The GP 3000 has superior ground balancing and it is possible to find quite large objects near the surface in well-worked areas where other detectors have been unable to cope with the high degree of mineralization and/or salt. Therefore the user should dig all target signals, even in previously detected areas.

  • Page 46: Identifying Target Signals

    IDENTIFYING TARGET SIGNALS Metallic targets will usually give a 'solid' sounding signal when the coil is swept across the object from any direction. Ground noises usually give a broad uneven signal when the coil is swept from different directions. A metallic target generally produces a short, sharp and mostly symmetrical signal.

  • Page 47: Identifying Target Signals

    Pinpointing To find an object and reduce the size of the hole required to remove it from the ground, it is necessary to pinpoint the exact location of the object. If a target is heard, first confirm it by setting an accurate ground balance and then pinpointing.

  • Page 48: Recovering The Target

    RECOVERING THE TARGET When you are sure of the location of the target, it is necessary to dig a small hole to recover it. In order to preserve the environment, the hole should be as small as possible. Always replace the soil and grass which is removed.

  • Page 49: Recovering The Target

    If you hear a target signal, keep Recovering Deep Targets searching until you find the The GP 3000 has depth capabilities that will surprise both new and object; it is there and may be experienced prospectors. If the target appears to be buried deeply, it valuable.

  • Page 50: Salty Environments

    Salty Environments The GP 3000 will find objects at great depths in salty environments. However, the interfering signals caused by highly concentrated salt may not be able to be completely 'balanced out' if using automatic ground balance alone. HINT Change Soil switch to Salt setting for salty environments.
  • Page 52 User Info This chapter provides a glossary of terminology, user guides, technical specifications, warranty and repair details and troubleshooting tips.

  • Page 53: Technical Specifications

    11” Double D Coil (accesory) 18” Double D; 18”, 11” and 8” Mono Battery 6VDC 12Ahr sealed lead acid 14-15hrs Patents Apply Note: In the interest of product improvement, Minelab reserves the right to make changes without notice. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS...

  • Page 54: Troubleshooting

    Try detecting in a different location. Set Coil switch to Cancel. If you need to return your detector to Minelab for service, please supply as many details as possible about the fault. This will enable our service engineers to rectify the fault quickly and efficiently.

  • Page 55: Service Repair Form

    SERVICE REPAIR FORM Today’s Date ___________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ Detector Model ________________________ Serial No. ________________________________________ Purchased From _________________________________________________________________________ Purchase Date __________________________________________________________________________ Faulty Part(s): __________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ Description of Fault: ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ If necessary, use the space provided overleaf to continue your description of the fault. Owner’s Name __________________________________________________________________________ Address ________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________...

  • Page 56: Warranty

    The GP 3000 control box has a 2 year warranty covering parts and Repairs labour. Refer to your warranty card for details. The GP 3000 11” & 18” Double D coils have a warranty for one In the unfortunate circumstance year against malfunction. Refer to either your supplier or Minelab that the detector needs to be directly for service.

  • Page 57: Accessories

    ACCESSORIES Search coils The GP 3000 is supplied with the 11” Double D coil. This coil has been specially designed to take advantage of the new technology and features of this detector. In addition to this there are also a number of other size coils now available to give improved performance to your detector.

  • Page 58: Glossary Of Common Terms

    Ground Balance The ability of the metal detector to compensate for the effects of ground mineralisation. The GP 3000 has "automatic ground balance". When it is used in Tracking mode it continually compensates for changes in the ground mineralization.
  • Page 59 Halo Effect After a metal object has remained undisturbed in the soil for a considerable amount of time, a diffusion occurs around the object. This has the effect of the object appearing to the detector to be a larger size. Hot Rocks A hot rock is an individual rock which has a particularly high degree of mineralization as compared to the average ground around it.
  • Page 60 Target Signal The audio signal (or change in threshold) caused by the presence of a metal target as the coil passes across it. Tracking The function of Automatic Ground Balance where the GP 3000 makes continuous adjustments to the ground balance to compensate for changes in the mineralization of the ground.

  • Page 62: Detector Care And Safety

    DETECTOR CARE AND SAFETY The GP 3000 is a high quality electronic instrument. It has been designed for professional gold prospecting use and the electronics circuitry is encased in a rugged housing. Take care of your detector in the following way: Keep the detector clean and dry.

  • Page 63: An Important Message From Minelab

    AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM MINELAB We ask YOU, as a responsible detector operator, to take all due care regarding the environment. Minelab cannot stress enough the importance of being responsible when recovering targets. BACKFILL EVERY HOLE YOU DIG. If care and consideration is taken, during and after the removal of...

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