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In our 3rd installment in our popular "Detecting Dish" series, we had the pleasure of speaking with Gary Schafer, Vice President of Minelab Americas. Here, we discuss the new Minelab GO-FIND's. An entirely new product, the
GO-FINDS's represent a major change in both design & technology, for metal detectors. Enjoy!


Treasure Classifieds: Gary, on behalf of myself, and the entire Treasure Classified’s membership, I want to thank you for taking the time to pitch in with this interview.

Gary: Thank you for having us, I appreciate it!

Treasure Classifieds: Your reputation certainly precedes you, as well Minelab’s, but for the few of our members who might not know Gary Schafer, would you mind sharing a little bit about your role there at Minelab?

Gary: Yeah, absolutely. I actually lead the worldwide consumer markets team. Whether people buy metal detectors for their hobby, archaeology, prospecting, etc., if it’s along the lines of general detecting, that’s our consumer market. The other two markets we have are Countermine, and those machines are sold for demining efforts, such as the general government projects and military projects across the world; so, obviously, a totally different business. Then we have the artisanal division that is primarily focused on Africa, where the gold detectors are used for their livelihoods. People actually use them day to day, and they have to find gold to be successful in their job, and the needs for those types of customers are different, as well. When you look at the market that we serve from a consumer perspective, think of the western world, the U.S., Australia, Western Europe, Russia and those types of markets across the world.

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Treasure Classifieds: Let’s jump right in Gary, because EVERYONE is talking about these new Minelab GO-FIND’s, and there's obviously a lot of piecemeal information on many of the different hobby sites, the forums, and so forth. Before we get into the real meat and potatoes, can you just share some more general information on what these new units are, and specifically what type of hunting they’re geared towards?

Gary: Sure, so with the GO-FIND’s, we are going after a market that we've never really tried to attract before, which is the entry level market. We started this project several years ago, Joe, and the idea was that we wanted to build an affordable metal detector that isn’t cheap or isn’t low quality. Our whole approach was, let’s build a metal detector between $170 to $300 that doesn’t mean low cost, and doesn’t equal low quality. And so the way we did that is, we actually started from the ground up and developed a machine that I think people will really enjoy.

There are actually three different models, the first one; GO-FIND 20 will be at the price point of $179, the GO-FIND 40 at $229 and the GO-FIND 60 at $309. When you think about the prices themselves, we’re obviously trying to go after the market of people who aren’t professional detectorist’s. For the people that are trying to get into the hobby, we want them to find treasure, we want them to find targets. And we want them to be able to use these machines with their family members, who are into metal detecting and probably have some of our higher end machines. This market, as well as the field hunting & beach hunting niches, those are the two markets we’re looking at with these machines.

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Treasure Classifieds: Okay, so obviously these are meant for somebody either newer to the hobby itself and aren’t seeking something very complicated, or, maybe someone with more advanced experience, but they desire something grab-and-go?

Gary: Yeah, and I think, you know, I wouldn’t necessarily ever try to use the word complicated when I talk about an advanced metal detector. But what I do think drives people to buy a machine, or even get into a new hobby, is something that’s easily used, but also high quality, and those are the two things we focus on. And when you think about, Joe, from even an assembly perspective, these machines have NO assembly required. All you do is put the batteries in, you unfold it, and you’re good to go, that’s it.

Treasure Classifieds: Wow! So there is absolutely no out-of-the-box assembly required. Just put in batteries and unfold?

Gary: Exactly, 100% grab-and-go, because I believe, and I’m a consumer myself, that many products that are in the $170 range are maybe used once, and then the user becomes frustrated because they can't get them together, etc. And this is with whatever consumer electronics you're thinking off. Then they go into the closet and the person doesn’t look at them again, and that’s not what we want people to do with this detector. And so, it truly is grab-and-go. Put the batteries in and you’re done.

Treasure Classifieds: Absolutely phenomenal. These GO-FIND’s are major game changers, Gary. I’ve never seen anything at this price point on the market with this type of cutting edge design, the advanced capabilities and so forth. So ALL of the GO-FIND’s, the 20’s, the 40’s, and the 60’s are all collapsible?

Gary: Yep, they are all collapsible, and they fit into anybody’s carry-on. Additionally, they come in a small box, so even shipping costs from our dealers, distributors and retailers will be very low, because it’s the smallest box on the market. Like I said, even on a small carry-on it will fit, as they weigh one kilogram, just over two pounds. It’s very light and very easy to use since there is a retractable telescoping shaft on it. So, from a very small person, to a very tall person, you can use the same exact machine. The shaft is retractable for someone from two and half feet, all the way to six and half feet tall. Nearly any person can use these comfortably.

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Treasure Classifieds: Do each of the models, the 20, 40 and 60 operate on the same frequency, and if so what is the frequency on the machines?

Gary: Yeah, it’s a medium frequency, 7.8 kilohertz, very similar to medium frequency that you will find in our X-TERRA line. And that’s really the best general detecting frequency. Now, while they’re all on the same frequency, they are different in that they increase in detection depth. So at $179, the 20 will not get as deep as the 40 will at $229, and the 60 at $309 is deeper again. So when you look at those price points, and you look at the actual features and functions, they all operate incredibly well for their specific range and costs. The actual root of their technology is built off of the V-FLEX platform, which our X-TERRA machines run on, as well. Now, they aren’t as flexible with as much discrimination and things like that, and as a matter of fact, we've even changed the terminology a little bit, to make it a lot easier to understand. Many newer to the hobby don’t understand what discrimination means in terms of detecting, and so we just use the term “find mode.” There are four find modes on the 60, three on the 40 and two on the 20, and those modes actually help you block out garbage if you don’t want to find it, ignore aluminium foil, or specifically target silver, those types of things, like you would do on a more advanced machine.

Treasure Classifieds: So, this is the exact same V-FLEX technology which powers the X-TERRA’s?

Gary: Well it’s V-FLEX with some enhancements & differences built in, like auto ground tracking, so as an example, you don’t ever have to ground balance this machine, because it does it automatically, and that’s a technology that we built into the single frequency platform with the coil attachment and with the PCB build-in. The code in there actually helps it auto track regardless of where you go. So, for instance, walking from dry sand to wet sand on the Atlantic Ocean, it will automatically balance itself very quickly. It works massively well in mineralized soil and salt water beaches, where you would otherwise generally hear a lot of noise. This machine will rebalance and quiet itself down, you might have to drop the sensitivity one point or so, but it’s unbelievable how well it works, especially at these price points. And I will say…That the GO-FIND actually rivals the X-TERRA line from a beach detecting perspective, as the auto tracking is an upgrade. So, this is something we engineered to make a lot easier, and a lot higher quality on these machines.

Treasure Classifieds: Are the GO-FIND’s meant to compliment the overall Minelab product line, in general, or are these going to be replacing any of the existing units in the company stable?

Gary: That’s a great question. $400 was our lowest tier machine before the GO-FIND hit the market, and that’s the X-TERRA 305. And that price point, Joe, is still a little bit too high for a lot of first time detectorist’s. I mean, I look at myself, and getting my 15 year old son or daughter involved in the hobby, I’m probably not going to spend $400 or $500 to do it, and a lot of people have, and we appreciate that because that’s a pretty serious detectorist, but it’s also a pretty serious investment as a gift or something like that. Plus, you really don’t want them to put that to the side a month or two later because they don’t like detecting. So, we’re not complimenting any other line, rather, this is a brand new line, and that’s why we called it GO-FIND. But yes, it is intended to introduce people to the Minelab quality, as well as the Minelab symbols and sounds. You're going to hear the same sounds you’ll hear on an X- TERRA, for example. It sounds very, very similar because it is the same basic software in the background producing those sounds. And so, the whole idea is that you begin with the GO-FIND 20 or GO-FIND 40, and then you move into the X-TERRA line when you get more serious about it, or you go right up to the FBS line jumping in to a Safari or an E-TRAC or something like that. We don’t plan on discontinuing any other products currently, so it’s not going to replace anything. Rather, it is intended to start a kind of life long relationship with an entry level customer, moving all the way up into the CTX at some point, or that kind of thing. And just so you know, Joe, we intentionally made the coil waterproof, so, similar to the X-TERRA, as long as you don’t get the box wet or submerge it under water, the coil, all the way up to the shaft, that’s all water proof. So you can wade in the ocean if you want to, or at a lake, and that’s not going to hurt anything.

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Treasure Classifieds: That was actually one of my next questions. So, somebody can take this to the beach and they could obviously detect dry sand with it, and then they can actually move to the wet sand or even wade in the water, and since the coil is waterproof, not have to worry about damage of any sort?

Gary: Absolutely, the coil is totally submersible and can be waded to two feet, but that’s simply because you don’t want to get the box wet. It actually tested much deeper than that, though you don’t want to risk submerging the PCB box.

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Treasure Classifieds: You probably sensed this question was coming, but, is there anything on the new GO-FIND’s, whether it be the cutting-edge design itself, or any of the new features, that is going to be incorporated into any new Minelab models coming out in future, or is this all pretty much standalone for the GO-FIND’s themselves?

Gary: Great question, and as you aware, we do use our technology and designs across our different products, and you see that with the new GPZ and the new GPS integration that is exactly like what we've done on the CTX. And even the mechanical design of that is very similar to the CTX. On the GO-FIND, it’s actually the first detector in the world that will integrate with your Smartphone. And so, anything on the Apple line iPhone 4s and above & Android Kit Kat OS and above, whichever smartphones in those lines, you’ll be able to integrate with the 40 and the 60 via smartphone apps. Just some of these apps are going to be things like identifying coins on the spot in the field, where you can identify what the coin is, and it will link it up and give you a recommendation of what it is. It’s going to be really, really accurate, where you can post things to Facebook immediately, for example. You can also do more on the advanced pro app, which on the 60 also offers a GPS application, that will integrate with Google Maps and you can actually save up to 1,000 find locations via a cell phone and the smartphone GPS integration app. There will be lots of things you can do with apps in the not so distant future, for instance, think about modifying your own sounds and modifying the way you want it to sound when you find gold or silver. Those types of tones and that type capability will be something we’ll be able to build into our third party apps for both the androids & iPhones. So, I think it opens up a really big world of app development that you can integrate with your smartphone, and actually transfer pretty quickly to your metal detector, because on the 60 as an example, you can actually control the metal detector from your smartphone. We think there is a long way you can go with that kind of technology, because everybody has got a smartphone, and it makes it really easy and very wireless to integrate that with your metal detector.

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Treasure Classifieds: So, it would even be possible to release future software upgrades for the GO- FIND’s via one’s smartphone, yes?

Gary: Not exactly. While it is possible to have improved apps, this doesn’t currently enable the detector software itself to be upgraded. Though this could be something for future GO-FIND models; with the apps, it is likely more and more features will be accessible via your phone, rather than the detector itself.

Treasure Classifieds: Now, what are the specific differences, Gary, between the smartphone app for the 40 versus the 60? I know they're both free, but what are the differences in capabilities between the two?

Gary: Yes, right now they are both free, depending on which machine you buy, but the smartphone app for the 40 has a few less capabilities. So, for example, the app on the 40 will have things like an identifying coins feature, where the detector information gets viewed on the screen, but you can't control it from the keypad of your phone. On your phone it will look exactly like the display on your detector, but you can't control it from the phone. There are three or four really fantastic functions that will happen with the app on the 40. On the 60, you get the upgraded app (the pro app), which will do everything that the app on the 40 will do, plus you can remote control your detector from it. As an example, you can record finds via the Google maps GPS integration I was talking earlier; all done on the pro app. There are other future possibilities, too, like, imagine playing music while you’re hunting, and then it stops when you actually detect something. Additional capabilities, more advanced functionality will be in the pro app. But even if someone buys the 40, they’ll still be able to upgrade to the pro app for around $30.

Treasure Classifieds: The GO-FIND 60 actually comes with a smartphone holder with the machine, correct, Gary?

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Gary: Yeah, on the 60 you also get additional accessories like that, so there is a digging tool, there is a smartphone holder, and you’ll see the ear buds, as well. And that’s another difference with these detectors, is that they will all use a standard 1/8” jack. So the jack that everybody has on their iPhone anyway, or their iPod, that’s what you can use on these machines. I mean, everybody has got 1,000’s of ear buds laying around at home, they all will work with this machine. No special adapters or any of that needed.

Treasure Classifieds: In terms of the batteries, Gary, I know each the 20, 40 & 60, all run on 4 AA batteries correct?

Gary: Yep, exactly.

Treasure Classifieds: Approximately how long of a hunt time can someone expect from the 4 AA’s?

Gary: The minimum will be eight hours, and that’s with everything turned on including the backlight at all times. And I don’t think anybody will be running with the backlight on all the time, which is surely one of the biggest draws of power. But they’ve all tested to at least eight hours, and so my estimate would be that, and what I tell customers is eight to more than ten hours would be an acceptable time.

Treasure Classifieds: Great information! In terms of the coils, Gary, can you just speak a little bit more about that, as I know they are hard wired, correct?

Gary: They are hard wired, yes, and right now they are not interchangeable, so, the 40 and the 60 come with a 10 inch coil, and the 20 comes with an eight inch coil. And they are actually – they operate from a pinpointing perspective similar to how a concentric coil would, but they are actually mono loop coils that we've engineered, We've invented these coils and there's just a loop in there. And they pinpoint massively well, and this is the first time we've used this technology. They are massively quick, the response is really, really high, and they get very good depth. And when you look at these machines, the accuracy with which they pinpoint is something that we’re pretty proud of with this coil. Of course, we also had to keep it light, so we couldn’t put a ton of wire in there. It’s a brand new reintroduction if you will, of a mono loop that pinpoints massively well. So, again, yes, they are hardwired and there aren’t additional coils planned for this series at this time, but certainly we’ll continue to take feedback from customers, too.

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Treasure Classifieds: Now for one of the most important questions of all, when will these be hitting the streets, for sale?

Gary: I’m not going to make you happy with my answer, Joe, but we did turn on the GO-FIND website a couple weeks back, and week by week we’ll be updating that with information. I will say, when you think of the late May time frame, that’s when I would expect that this would be on the shelves, and ready for people to pick up with their dealers and getting into public hands. So the target right now is the late May time frame.

Treasure Classifieds: Before we part, Gary, where is the THE best place for everyone interested in the GO-FIND’s, to go for the most up-to-the-minute, accurate information?

Gary: The best place is http://minelab.com, and then go to the consumer page: minelab.com/consumer, where we have a GO-FIND section now. We started populating it with information two weeks ago, and every week we’ll be updating with videos and further content. We already have the brochure out there, and dealers are currently taking preorders from customers, as we speak. So, our best dealers that everybody is familiar with, that have been around for long time, will be following our lead on our website. They should have tons of information, but http://minelab.com/consumer is the best place to find the most current details on the GO-FIND’s. And again, just to review the price list, Joe, the retail in U.S dollars will be $179 for the 20, $229 for the 40 and $309 for the 60. On a final note, I’ll just add, that even seasoned detectorist's, what I've heard, and this is coming from our testers, who are some of the best hunters in the world, is that they themselves are going to get a 40 or 60, and throw it in their backpack or cab of their truck just to always have it handy since it’s so light and portable. So, it’s a nice back-up/add-on tool to have even if you're a serious detectorist, because it DOES have serious depth, and it does find real treasure. And that’s what our goal is, to make sure it’s a quality machine.

Treasure Classifieds: Gary, once again, thank you for the interview, and for providing all of our members with such a wealth of information on the new GO-FIND’s. Much appreciated!

Gary: You’re quite welcome, and here’s to hoping we make it a game changer, Joe. I thank you for all your help and support, too. We appreciate what you guys do are doing over there.
Hope you guys enjoyed the interview! These GO-FIND's are really going to shake up the introductory/intermediate markets, IMHO. One can only imagine...

If they've come up with this type of capability at this price point, what's around the corner on other machines?! Wink

Joe
Looks like a great entry level machine. I love the design. How it folds up so compact. Who was the wacko that recently suggested being able to listen to music between beeps?
Wow this is obviously a very handy machine with its backpack capability. During the interview there was a little emphasis on the great depth that the machines get. Could you expand on some specific's about the depth that the testers have experienced. Would you say that these machines will reach the same depths as the Minelab higher end models, but they just don't have the same discrimination capabilities or bells and whistles of the higher end models?
Great interview Joe. I know you spent a lot of time on it and I'm sure we all appreciate it. Yes it would be very interesting to see what kind if depth they get. I personally don't think they will go as deep as the high end Minelabs go because they have the multi frequency capability but I wouldn't be surprised if they came close. I like the fold up capability too. I think if it's folded it will JUST fit inside my car trunk next to my detector and gear along with the bags of dirty coins! Gerry
(03-23-2015 08:41 AM)PittsburghWill Wrote: [ -> ]Looks like a great entry level machine. I love the design. How it folds up so compact. Who was the wacko that recently suggested being able to listen to music between beeps?

I agree, I think what they've accomplished in terms of design & features is pretty astounding, especially at these price points. I mean, a detector which can be controlled by one's phone on a $300 unit, to me, speaks innovation Yes

(03-23-2015 10:53 AM)Mike Miller Wrote: [ -> ]Wow this is obviously a very handy machine with its backpack capability. During the interview there was a little emphasis on the great depth that the machines get. Could you expand on some specific's about the depth that the testers have experienced. Would you say that these machines will reach the same depths as the Minelab higher end models, but they just don't have the same discrimination capabilities or bells and whistles of the higher end models?

(03-23-2015 11:34 AM)Gerry F Wrote: [ -> ]Great interview Joe. I know you spent a lot of time on it and I'm sure we all appreciate it. Yes it would be very interesting to see what kind if depth they get. I personally don't think they will go as deep as the high end Minelabs go because they have the multi frequency capability but I wouldn't be surprised if they came close. I like the fold up capability too. I think if it's folded it will JUST fit inside my car trunk next to my detector and gear along with the bags of dirty coins! Gerry

I think depth is always one of those questions we ask of any machine, and as we know, it's almost impossible to answer with definitive, across the board types of numbers, as there are simply too many variables involved; type of dirt, modes/programs being used, etc. I also think that, we obviously have to keep in mind what these GO-FIND's are, and aren't. Common sense should tell anyone that these aren't going to compete with the likes of a GPX 5000, or anything like that, nor are they being billed as such. Rather...

These are a radically new design, and offer a host of features which are pretty astounding at the prices they're being offered at. As entry level/intermediate units, these get someone involved with the hobby at an affordable level, while still offering great performance.

The key here is to grade these units with others that are "in it's class", which again, are units which are geared towards someone who has an interest in the hobby, but maybe doesn't want to go out and spend $700 of $800 to start. These surely aren't aimed at guys going out doing heavy duty prospecting or relic digging, and to think otherwise wouldn't be realistic.

For the value, I think these represent a major change in the right direction, for the new guys (and gals) entering this pursuit. And from that perspective, I think they will be winners.

Joe
I would love to see Target ID numbers.  I would like to see this bright and colorful display on the etracs.  Also would love to have the etrac with this lightweight rod design.  It would appear that this is a 4 notch machine?  It looks like a sweet machine that can almost fit in my pocket ready for action.  Having auto tracking for any machine 300$ and under is a feat in itself.  Thanks Joe for setting up such a meeting to keep us informed.  That took some work I am sure.
Gary says they get great depth, but I read somewhere that a tester said they get 6-7" on coins. I wouldn't call that great depth. It's not bad depth for the price. We will see when the buyers actually get them. I don't expect much better performance than the Aces that they are meant to compete with, but the added features are really cool.
(03-23-2015 04:59 PM)khouse Wrote: [ -> ]I would love to see Target ID numbers.  I would like to see this bright and colorful display on the etracs.  Also would love to have the etrac with this lightweight rod design.  It would appear that this is a 4 notch machine?

I think you hit the nail on the head, house. Even on more expensive units - regardless of manufacturer, do we see top-shelf features like these. That they can offer these things in the package they are, at the prices they are, one can surely say they are a tremendous bang-for-the-buck, while at the same time, offering something totally unique. Most companies look to cut corners on their lower tiered machines, and I think we can all see that is not the case here.

As for the notch question, the GO-FIND's offer "Find Mode's". There are 4 Find Modes on the GO-FIND 60, 3 modes on the 40 & 2 modes on the 20.

We'll all be able to gauge what the performance is once they're available, but for now, based on what I'm seeing, they look sweet Happy

Joe
(03-23-2015 05:22 PM)PittsburghWill Wrote: [ -> ]Gary says they get great depth, but I read somewhere that a tester said they get 6-7" on coins. I wouldn't call that great depth. It's not bad depth for the price. We will see when the buyers actually get them. I don't expect much better performance than the Aces that they are meant to compete with, but the added features are really cool.

I haven't seen what you've read, so I obviously cannot speak to it, Will.

Again, with depth, that's an extraordinarily tough question to answer...regardless of machine. How much depth does an Etrac get? One guy in Florida might say he can get a dime at 13", and another in Virginia might say 6".

I also think everyone honing in on only the depth subject is missing the point. Which is...

As units primarily aimed at those newer to the hobby, being able to offer up something affordable, while at the same time, still delivering a feature set that can help a beginner go out and find good targets, is awesome.

You go out with your son, Og. When you buy him a machine is your ultimate, apex buying decision based on just depth? Probably not.

I'm not here to trumpet these units, as, like everyone else, I've yet to swing one. However, going on only price & specs alone, one has to admit Minelab has more than delivered, thus far.

Joe
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