Garrett Axiom VS GPX 4000 Depth Test Small Targets and Deus 2

jmaclen

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I did a quick in the ground depth test on January 26th 2024 in a freshwater (frozen) lake beach cut using the Axiom with 11X7 Mono and DD coils, GPX 4000 with an older Nugget Finder 10X5" mono and Deus 2 using its 9" coil. Deus 2 was really along for the ride. I used it to test for iron mineralization and for clearing targets in the test area so I tested these targets with it too.



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I had a 0.03 gram nugget at 2.5" depth, a 0.15 gram nugget at 5" depth and US clad dime (2.27 grams) and a US nickel (5 grams) at 10" depth. I had these targets taped to some 13" long shims and they were stuck about 2" into the vertical wall of the cut. Photo just shows the test setup. I only tested one target inserted into the cut at a time.



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Iron mineralization was moderate to high as shown by the Deus 2 iron mineralization meter (graph at bottom left of display screen).



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I first tested the GPX 4000 using General/Normal Mono coil setting with Gain on 12. That little Nugget Finder 10X5 coil gave clear, soft hits on both gold nuggets and also easily hit both US coins at 10" depth.

Next I tested the Axiom with the 11X7" focused core DD coil running in Fine/Slow with gain on 4. I had no problems ground balancing this DD coil at this site. The responses on both gold nugget targets were faint and audible but they were not as sharp as the GPX 4000 responses with the Nugget Finder Elliptical. The Axiom DD had strong, clear responses on the 10" coins.

Next was the Axiom with the 11X7" Mono coil running Fine/Slow with gain on 4. No problems ground balancing. The responses on the 2.5" and 5" deep nuggets were more sharp and rivaled the responses of the GPX 4000 with the 10X5" Nugget Finder. The Mono coil also gave strong, clear responses on the 10" US coins.

Deus 2 using FMF Goldfield and the Mono program set on 45 kHz, Pitch tones, -6.4 disc, had almost identical responses on the 2 gold nuggets. The targets responses were a bit faint but clearly audible. For me anyway, definitely "Dig Me" responses. Both programs were also able to elicit a response over the 10" deep coins. They were not strong responses but at least FMF Goldfield had enough information to throw up some fairly accurate target IDs occasionally on both coins. I also gave the Sensitive and Deep High Conductor programs a chance to hit those coins..........absolutely no response.

Hope this helps anyone that was wondering about the Axiom especially and even Deus 2. Both are very capable detectors in high iron mineralization even on small targets.

GPX4000 with that ancient Nugget Finder elliptical......amazing.
 
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Some of the audio quality differences I mention in these two Axiom VS GPX 4000 depth tests on this site could be explained by the wireless headphones being used on each detector. I am using a set of Quest wireless headphones and transmitter with the GPX 4000 and the Garrett MS-3 Z-Lynk wireless system headphones on the Axiom.

I don't care too much for the sound quality of the Garrett MS-3s. They just sound kind of muffled and dull compared to the Quest headphones, at least to my ears.
 
I am surprised the XP Deus II did so well against the Axiom! Great Post!
Deus 2 was not going against the Axiom. Two totally different platforms. The Axiom was going head to head with the GPX 4000 which was using settings that are still on the later GPX 4500 and 5000.

The PI gold prospecting detector current trend is to create PIs that will easily compete with VLFs on the tiniest gold nugget/flakes but depth on larger, deeper targets suffers some.

The simultaneous multi frequency jack of all trades trend for VLFs is to make them really good for a variety of tasks, including small gold prospecting, but depth is limited by the mineralization levels and coil size.

So for me, Garrett struck a good balance with the Axiom just like Minelab did with the GP3500 to GPX 5000. The Axiom is capable of hitting very tiny gold nuggets down to about 0.01 grams. Most of the latest SMFs with a prospecting mode can go closer to 0.005 grams. Deus 2 can almost do that.

Where things go haywire for Deus 2 is shown in my other post in this same forum section about the same detectors on larger, deeper targets. Deus 2 runs out of real estate quick in that test.
 
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