Beneath the Surface: Detecting Gold Nuggets with Minelab’s Monster 1000

Here you will find Minelab Gold Monster 1000 review. From this article you will find out about the device operating frequency, what kind of search coil it has, if there is a headset included into the device package set, how long can the metal detector operate using one battery set and can it really detect any gold.

What was the device designed for?

As far as I know, this metal detector was designed especially for Africa. The thing is, that these were African gold diggers who needed a rather efficient, but easy to use metal detector. And they were ready to pay for it.

As a result, we’ve received a small sized, light weighted and user-friendly metal detector that can be used for gold nuggets prospecting. Gold Monster 1000 was designed and aimed at gold nuggets prospecting, goldware hunting at challenging climate and soil conditions.

The metal detector is made for beginners and those who aren’t good at adjusting settings of all these modern electronic devices. This device turns newbies into professionals due to its completely automatic functions.

Here are some key features and information about the Minelab Gold Monster 1000:

  1. Gold Sensitivity: The Gold Monster 1000 is known for its high sensitivity to small gold nuggets. It is designed to detect even tiny particles of gold in various soil conditions.
  2. Automatic Operation: The detector often features automatic operation, making it user-friendly, especially for beginners. The automatic settings help optimize performance without the need for extensive manual adjustments.
  3. Two Search Coils: The Gold Monster 1000 comes with two search coils – a 10″ Double-D coil and a 5″ Double-D coil. The choice of coil can depend on the specific requirements of the prospecting environment.
  4. Adaptability to Different Terrains: This metal detector is designed to perform well in different terrains, including highly mineralized soils where gold is commonly found. It offers improved performance in challenging conditions.
  5. VLF Technology: The Gold Monster 1000 utilizes Very Low Frequency (VLF) technology, which is common in gold prospecting detectors. VLF detectors are sensitive to small gold particles and are often preferred for this type of specialized prospecting.
  6. Discrimination Control: The detector typically offers discrimination control, allowing users to filter out unwanted signals from certain types of metals and focus on gold targets.
  7. Audio Response: The Gold Monster 1000 provides audio feedback to help users identify and differentiate between various types of signals. Different tones or pitch variations may indicate the type and size of the detected target.
  8. Lightweight and Portable: The detector is designed to be lightweight and portable, making it suitable for prospectors who may need to cover large areas during their searches.

Minelab designers and developers have done a great job, everything is automatic in this metal detector. You won’t have any trouble with the device settings adjustment. All you have to is to decide is whether you’ll adjust the device sensitivity manually or you’ll trust automatic settings.

At that, you should keep in mind that automatically adjusted sensitivity level will be a bit decreased to improve the device performance stability.

Minelab Gold Monster 1000 is a high-frequency metal detector aimed at treasure hunting on highly mineralized ground. Due to the device high frequency 45 kHz, it has rather high sensitivity to small sized gold nuggets.

The device has automatic ground balance with tracking function, two-stage sensitivity adjustment (Auto and Auto + Sensitivity).

ModelMinelab Gold Monster 1000
Weight1.33kg (2.94lbs) excluding battery
Length (Adjustable)1382mm–944mm (54.4″–37.2″)
BatteriesLi-Ion (included), 8 AA Batteries (not included)
HeadphonesIncluded
Warranty2 years
Operating PrincipleVLF
Key TechnologyUltra-wide dynamic range 45kHz VLF
Standard Searchcoil 2 coils: 10″ x 6″ Double-D, 5″ Double‑D
Operating Frequencies (kHz)45 kHz
Water resistanceCoils waterproof to 1m (3′), Control box rain/splash-proof
Submersion DepthNo
Detect ModesGold (Iron reject), Deep All-Metal
DiscriminationYes, Gold Chance Indicator (high/low)
Ground BalanceAutomatic (Easy-Trak)
Noise CancelAutomatic (On start-up)
Detect Modes2 (Gold (Iron reject), Deep All-Metal)
Sensitivity AdjustManual (1–10), Auto (11), Auto+ (12)
Volume AdjustManual 1–6
Visual DisplayMonochrome LCD
Audio OutputInternal speaker or headphones 3.5mm (1/8″)
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Last update on 2024-03-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Source: Amazon Affiliates

The review

The shaft

Unlike classical s-shaped shafts that other metal detectors have, this metal detector has a plain and reliable construction.

The shaft itself is straight. The shaft sections are twisted into each other, so it is quite difficult to break such a construction.

The control unit is installed on the shaft where you feel it is convenient for you. You just attach it where you need it and fasten then. You can remove the bottom shaft section at all, if you plan to go treasure hunting in some constraint environments. The metal detector package set even includes a special adaptor to help you install the search coil on a middle shaft section.

Unusual location of the battery holder ensures excellent balance of the metal detector, which is extremely important when going treasure hunting over areas with a challenging terrain.

The control unit itself is a dampproof one, thus none of natural precipitations such as rain, some water splashes, etc. won’t damage it. However, keep in mind that the device is not submergible!

Six steps to assemble Gold Monster 1000:

  1. Connect middle, upper and bottom shaft sections. They should be twisted into each other.
  2. Attach the search coil by means of a plastic bolt. You can use elliptic coil GM 10 to increase the device detection coverage and detection depth; or concentric coil GM 5 to search for the tiniest goals.
  3. Attach the control unit to the upper shaft by means of a special fixation system (first put on the first ring that supports the control unit bottom, then use the 2nd ring to fixate the construction. Then tighten both rings by means of special bolts.)
  4. Install the armrest on the upper shaft (by means of two fasteners). Adjust the armrest positions according to your personal preferences.
  5. Wind the searchcoil cable around the shaft. If you don’t do this, the loose cable will cause phantom signals to appear.
  6. Attach the search coil cable to the control unit.
  7. Insert a battery or a battery accumulator into the battery holder. For Gold Monster 1000 you can select a Li-ion battery which can be recharged from the mains (it is sold with a charger) or 8 standard AA batteries. Close and screw the cap.

The coil

The device package set includes two search coils! One of them is a multi-purpose search coil, elliptical 10х5 inches DD coil, while the other one is concentric 5 inches DD coil. Both search coils are waterproof, which means that you can use them for underwater treasure hunting.

Especially with 5 inches search coil that ensures good target differentiation. GM 1000 is almost a pinpointer itself, this is how precise it defines targets. At that, there is a rule – keep your spade as far as possible from the coil; otherwise the metal detector starts receiving a signal from it. Another option that will do only for soft soil types and sand is to use a special plastic tool for digging (it is supplied with the package set).

The metal detector operating frequency is 45 kHz. Thus, the device provides maximum detection depth and sensitivity to the tiniest objects made from low conductivity metals. the device demonstrates such a performance almost on any kind of soil.

Metal detectors using 18 kHz operating frequency, as a rule, have more significant detection depth when gold nuggets (≥ 1.0 gram) prospecting if compared to an ordinary metal detector using medium operating frequencies; while a metal detector with 71 kHz frequency will be at an advantage in terms of detection depth when searching for gold nuggets ≤ 0.1 gram.

In the upgraded Gold Monster 1000 используется an intermediate frequency of 45 kHz and a high-speed 24-bit processor for signals processing.

Such a combination essentially increases the device sensitivity to gold in comparison with other single frequency VLF-detectors at the condition of various sized gold nuggets, complex soils and false targets.

Headphones

Wired branded Minelab headphones are included into the metal detector package set.

The battery

The metal detector uses 8 standard AA batteries or a battery accumulator as a power supply. The device package set includes wires you can use to charge the accumulator from another one, for example, the one that your car has.

Waterproofness

The device search coil is submergible, while the control unit is a dampproof one and you can’t submerge it. The metal detector was designed to use it on a dry land, though it is protected from rain and dust.

The control unit

Minelab Gold Monster 1000 has 6 control buttons which allow adjusting the metal detector just in one minute.

One of these buttons is on/off button.

The central button (Detect Mode) is to select the search mode; there are two of them – All metal and Iron Reject.

Buttons + and – on the right are for volume adjustment.

Buttons + and – on the left are to adjust the device sensitivity. The scale has 10 units, the 11th one is for automatic sensitivity adjustment.

Search modes and settings

Detect Mode button is responsible for selecting the mode you will use during your treasure hunting trip. You can select the mode by pushing the button with a search coil pictogram.

The metal detector has two search modes:

  • Gold (Iron Reject) – when this mode is on, all targets except those made from gold, are ignored. You’ll hear signals only from targets which contain gold.
  • Deep All-Metall – when this mode is active, you hear all targets, the depth is higher, but the interference in higher as well.

When it comes to selecting one of two modes Gold Monster 1000 – Gold Mode or Deep All Metal Mode – at first, it is recommended to choose the latter. Deep All Metal mode provides the essential detection depth. At this point, we should mention the indicator for gold nuggets detection. The metal detector scale will show if the chances are high that a target made of precious metal is under the coil. To clarify, you should wave the coil at an angle of 45 degrees. If the chance to find gold is still high (the indicator is on the scale), it is very likely to be gold. However, if the target has shifted to the left, then it is most probably iron trash.

There is an auxiliary scale on top of the display – Gold Chance Indicator. Due to it, it is easier to define what kind of target is under the metal detector search coil. If the chances are high to find gold, the signal shifts to the right side of the scale, and if there is something iron under the coil – it shifts to the left.

Sensitivity can be adjusted manually by means of buttons «+» and «-» on the left. At that, on the display the ‘circle’ will be filled with the sensitivity values.

The sound volume is adjusted the same as the sensitivity using «+» and «-» on the right.

Here is some advice you are welcome to use:

  1. Listen to small sized targets. Usually detectorists look only for large targets with clear signals. Pay more attention to those signals you can barely hear!
  2. Slow down. Most of diggers tend to go around the whole area as fast as possible. Don’t do this. Thoroughly and slowly study each area. Remember: it’s not the speed that is important, it is the number of gold nuggets you find.
  3. Look after the search coil position. Don’t rise it too high at the end of the swing. The coil always should stay parallel to the ground. The distance between the coil and the ground shouldn’t exceed 2 inches.
  4. Overlap each coil swing. Don’t leave blank areas between the lines the coil moves. This is how you won’t miss any target.
  5. Gain more experience working in the field. Go far from electric power transmission lines and other electronic devices. Practice in finding very small gold targets located in different depth.
  6. Be patient. Gold is a precious metal, since it is hard to find.

Ground balance

Minelab Gold Monster 1000 is a completely automated device. That’s why you won’t have to adjust the ground balance all the time, because it is adjusted automatically. Therefore, during the treasure hunting you’ll be able to devote more time to the process itself instead of adjusting the metal detector all the time.

VLF metal detectors are very sensitive to ground interference, that’s why automatic ground balance function is very useful in this case. GM 1000 demonstrates stable performance and allows receiving signals from deep targets.

The metal detector is completely automatic, which makes it easy-yo-use. Thus, Auto 1 and Auto 2 settings are very useful on highly-mineralized soils, while the manual adjustment is the best to use on non-mineralized soils. The main thing is to set the high sensitivity level but so that the metal detector doesn’t produce noise and has proper performance stability.

Gold Monster 1000 always tries to stabilize its extremely high sensitivity and thus demonstrates quite moderate performance. As for the coil sweep speed, for GM 1000, it should not be very fast, but it shouldn’t be too slow as well. The situation is the same as for the ground balance. The device should catch and measure it automatically, which means that first, you should stop and then move on with metal detecting.

Discrimination

The device has automatic discrimination function and it can’t be adjusted manually. When the discrimination mode is on, the metal detector doesn’t produce signals for ferrous targets, but it displays them on the discrimination scale.

Gold Monster 1000 has an improved discrimination of ferrous and non-ferrous targets and it deals better with conducting ground.

Pros

  • easy to use
  • 45 kHz frequency
  • two coils GM 10 (10″ x 6″ Double-D), GM 05 (5″ Double‑D)
  • can be powered either by lithium-ion battery, or by AA batteries
  • unique discrimination created for spotting gold
  • automatic ground balance
  • automatic Noise Cancel

Cons

  • not waterproof
  • price

Comparison

Gold Monster 1000 vs GPZ 7000

ModelGOLD MONSTER 1000GPZ 7000
ApplicationGOLD MONSTER 1000Gold Prospecting
TechnologyUltra-wide dynamic range 45kHz VLFZVT
WaterproofCoils waterproof to 1m (3′), Control box rain/splash-proofWaterproof coil to 1m/3ft
FrequencyZero Voltage Transmission (ZVT)
Coil (standard)GM 10 (10″ x 6″ Double-D), GM 05 (5″ Double‑D)14″ x 13″ Super‑D Configuration with skidplate
Audio OutputInternal speaker or headphones 3.5mm (1/8″)6.3 mm (¼”) non waterproof socket, Wi‑Stream
Headphones SuppliedKOSS UR 30 100 ohm with 6.3 mm plug (¼-inch)
Visual DisplayMonochrome LCDFull colour LCD (320 x 240 pixels)
BacklightYes
USB ConnectivityUSB interface for XChange 2 PC software
MemoryYes
Depth IndicationNo
Detect ModesGold (Iron reject), Deep All-MetalGold Mode (High Yield, General, Extra Deep) Ground Type (Normal, Difficult, Severe)
DiscriminationGold Chance Indicator (high/low)All Metal
TimingsNo
Audio Tone1-100
Audio TypeNo
Ground BalanceAutomatic (Easy-Trak)Auto and Manual (Quick‑Trak trigger button)
Ground Balance TypeAuto and Manual (Quick‑Trak trigger button)
PinpointNo
SensitivityManual (1–10), Auto (11), Auto+ (12)1-20
Noise CancelAutomatic (On start-up)Auto and Manual (256 channels)
ThresholdLevel (1-50) Pitch (1-100)
Target Volume AdjustManual 1–6Range (1-20) Limit (1-20)
BatteryLi-Ion (included), 8 × AA Batteries (not included)Li-Ion Rechargeable Pack (7.2V DC, 72Wh)
Low battery alertYes
Length1382 mm–944 mm (54.4″–37.2″)Collapsed: 1170 mm (46.1”) Extended: 1526 mm (60.1”)
Weight1.33kg (2.94lbs) (excluding battery)3.32 kg (7.32 lb) (Including 14 coil, skidplate and battery)
Warranty2 years control box & coil3 years control box and coil

Last update on 2024-03-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Source: Amazon Affiliates

Gold Monster 1000 vs SDC 2300

ModelGOLD MONSTER 1000SDC 2300
ApplicationGOLD MONSTER 1000Gold Prospecting
TechnologyUltra-wide dynamic range 45kHz VLFPulse Induction (PI) and Multi Period Fast (MPF)
WaterproofCoils waterproof to 1m (3′), Control box rain/splash-proofWaterproof to 3m/10-feet
FrequencyPulse Induction (PI) and Multi Period Fast (MPF)
Coil (standard)GM 10 (10″ x 6″ Double-D), GM 05 (5″ Double‑D)8″ Round Monoloop
Audio OutputInternal speaker or headphones 3.5mm (1/8″)Built-in speaker, Minelab headphones (supplied)
Headphones SuppliedMinelab headphones (supplied)
Visual DisplayMonochrome LCD9 LEDs indicate detection, battery status and threshold level
Detect ModesGold (Iron reject), Deep All-MetalNormal (1-5 Sensitivity range) & Salt (1-3 Sensitivity range)
DiscriminationGold Chance Indicator (high/low)
Timings
Audio ToneLow, High
Ground BalanceAutomatic (Easy-Trak)Automatic Ground Tracking (AGT) Fast Ground Balance
SensitivityManual (1–10), Auto (11), Auto+ (12)
Noise CancelAutomatic (On start-up)Manually Initiated, Automatic Scanning
Threshold9 audio levels
Target Volume AdjustManual 1–6
BatteryLi-Ion (included), 8 × AA Batteries (not included)Li-on Battery Pack with Charger
Length1382 mm–944 mm (54.4″–37.2″)Extended: 1500 mm (59.1″) Collapsed: 400 mm (15.7”)
Weight1.33kg (2.94lbs) (excluding battery)2.3 kg (5.1 lbs)
Warranty2 years control box & coil3 years control box & coil

Last update on 2024-03-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Source: Amazon Affiliates

Gold Monster 1000 vs Equinox 800

ModelGOLD MONSTER 1000EQUINOX 800
ApplicationGOLD MONSTER 1000Coin, Relic, Jewellery & Beach
TechnologyUltra-wide dynamic range 45kHz VLFMulti-IQ, 5F×8, Wi-Stream, Bluetooth, aptX™ Low Latency
WaterproofCoils waterproof to 1m (3′), Control box rain/splash-proofWaterproof to 3m/10-feet
FrequencyMulti, 5, 10, 15, 20, 40
Coil (standard)GM 10 (10″ x 6″ Double-D), GM 05 (5″ Double‑D)11-inch Double-D Smart coil with skidplate
Audio OutputInternal speaker or headphones 3.5mm (1/8″)In-built loudspeaker, 3.5mm (1/8″) headphones (included)
Headphones SuppliedBluetooth and aptX™ Low Latency headphones (non waterproof)
Visual DisplayMonochrome LCDMonochrome LCD with backlight (Low, Medium, High, Off)
BacklightYes
USB ConnectivityYes, via USB connection (Windows and OSX)
Depth Indication5 levels
Detect ModesGold (Iron reject), Deep All-MetalPark, Beach, Field, Gold
DiscriminationGold Chance Indicator (high/low)50 segment (Ferrous: -9 – 0, Non-ferrous: 1 – 40)
TimingsNo
Audio Tone1, 2, 5, 50
Ground BalanceAutomatic (Easy-Trak)Auto | Manual
PinpointYes
SensitivityManual (1–10), Auto (11), Auto+ (12)1–25
Noise CancelAutomatic (On start-up)Auto, Manual (-9 to 9)
Threshold0–25
Target Volume AdjustManual 1–60–25
BatteryLi-Ion (included), 8 × AA Batteries (not included)In-built rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
Low battery alertVisual indication
Length1382 mm–944 mm (54.4″–37.2″)1440 mm (56.7″)
Weight1.33kg (2.94lbs) (excluding battery)1.34 kg (2.96 lbs)
Warranty2 years control box & coil3 years control box and coil

Last update on 2024-03-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Source: Amazon Affiliates

Conclusions

The main feature of Minelab Gold Monster 1000 is that it is easy to use.

It will take you several minutes to assemble the metal detector. The large search coil will be really efficient when searching in the open field, while the small one will do for searching in trashy areas.

The device construction is rather light weighted and it is not very heavy to carry.

The main advantage of this metal detector is its simplicity and automated settings. You may now nothing about the ground balance, discrimination or high frequencies and then buy Gold Monster 1000, go and find your first gold nugget.

Minelab has managed to create a simple and efficient metal detector, which has quite a reasonable price.