Chinese clones

[Carl-NC]

The first Chinese counterfeit GPXs (that actually said "Minelab" on them) had VLF circuits in them. Later the Chinese duplicated the real GPX circuitry, and then put them out with a non-Minelab label.

[h9361]

Hello
Dear All
My friend sent me a new test from GDX-5000 (copy of GPX-5000). The GDX has not any problem for eliminating earth field.
https://youtu.be/NUe3p4W4ngU

[eclipse]

You must move the coil to be able to detect EF change. Your coil is stationary.

[h9361]

My friend tested this, it can easily remove EF.
See another copy GPX,

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005...32ea67c75cd7-1

[eclipse]

Ok just because it looks like, sounds like doesn't mean it's exact copy. Chinese will always try to skim on the high cost parts, particularly this one has a cheap NE5534 preamp (1$) instead of 15$ for the AD797 on the original. God only knows what else they've managed to shave off to save on cost. Chinese will never get the high quality needed in metal detector business.

[ramin]

Hello my friend Reza Hafar

As I see , you are all there

There are a few things you do not know my friend

Fake gpx will never be the same as the original

Because:

1- In the original minelab pi machines, a very low sampling rate is used
To be sure, test a piece of foil under one gram two inches underground with a fake sample
2- As it is known in the test film, a coil with high inductance has been used
This will cause a lot of problems in working on the soil
Tell the test taker in the film to just turn the coil left and right on mineral soil in areas such as northern Iran.
There isn't pi metal detector in the world better than minelab for nugget hunting

[beiduo]

The pirate has gone to jail

[Pombo2000]

i have a gold finder gf2 clone of teknetics t2, inside the pcb have teknetics write on it. i change the coil and works very well
also i have tx850 clone of teknetics G2 and is very good
also the TC-800 clone of minelab x terra 705 is amazing, inside the pcb are all the same like the one on real brand metal detector

[reddirtfisher]

I had a Goldfinder Fs2 that performed exactly like a Fisher Gold Bug Pro. I ended up selling it because I felt bad about owning a clone that was made by the people described in this thread. I don't like most of today's new models because they are way too noisy, jumpy ID, and sound like a dying duck. For the past 40 years I used Whites and Fisher. I sold all my detectors including my Fs2 and I am starting again by using vintage Fishers. I bought a 1280x, a 1225x, and a 1260x. All these were made in Los Banos and they work perfectly. I miss the old days, I miss treasure magazines, logo belt buckles, and logo patches. I miss going to Oklahoma City and visiting Wayne's Detector Sales ( they are long gone). I'm pretty disgusted with the whole thing, but I know I'm not alone on this. Happy Hunting

[ivconic]

I had a Goldfinder Fs2 that performed exactly like a Fisher Gold Bug Pro. I ended up selling it because I felt bad about owning a clone that was made by the people described in this thread. I don't like most of today's new models because they are way too noisy, jumpy ID, and sound like a dying duck. For the past 40 years I used Whites and Fisher. I sold all my detectors including my Fs2 and I am starting again by using vintage Fishers. I bought a 1280x, a 1225x, and a 1260x. All these were made in Los Banos and they work perfectly. I miss the old days, I miss treasure magazines, logo belt buckles, and logo patches. I miss going to Oklahoma City and visiting Wayne's Detector Sales ( they are long gone). I'm pretty disgusted with the whole thing, but I know I'm not alone on this. Happy Hunting

Tell me something about that!
Kinda agree 100%.
Except that i am not feeling bad even with a clone, if clone is done right.
Reason for this is money. Never enough money to finance this hobby properly.
About missing the things from the past...
I miss people around me. Pals, the detectorists. I lost so many people in last several years.
Old "company" don't exist anymore. Kinda alone. Few greenhorns... but they just don't fit.
Good old times will never return back.
Yeah; duriing the '90-s it was White's or Fisher to choose. Mabye some Cscope.
All of those high quality made machines, durable, good in the fields.
I had many of those. Some came too late.

[SkyeHi]

Ivconic and Reddirtfisher, I know what you mean by older guys no longer around. I live in a very small, low population area. When the characters are gone it is like a landmark tree or building has gone and whereas the building or tree had greatest influence on visuals, the characters pervaded everything.
This part of the thread has triggered my winter blues, I'm craving sunshine.

Back to the original thread of clones. I agree with Carl that the demise of Whites was largely of their own making. They left off change till it was too late.

I have two Whites machines, Coinmaster iii and a M6, I also have a clone G2 the TX-850. The Chinese TX works well, the company in China is big and well respected. What I'm thinking might be at play now, is another business model.

To spell it out; the original manufacturers saw the first cheap clones from China coming in to their market, understood the threat and decide to work with it. Could it be that some of these clone machines, the better ones, are being made with the blessing of Teknetics and Minelab etc., under a type of licence? The original company maintains market share, the Chinese Co get to produce a better machine and it could offer a longer manufacturing production run/partnership. While the cheaper machine may not be as good/reliable as the original, any faults or shoddiness do not harm the original brand image. Indeed, it can reinforce the addage, that you only get what you pay for. Just a thought from the dark.

[ivconic]

[Carl-NC]

Could it be that some of these clone machines, the better ones, are being made with the blessing of Teknetics and Minelab etc., under a type of licence?

I can assure you that is not the case.

[SkyeHi]

I can assure you that is not the case.

I take what you say aboard, weighted with your experience.

[localbug]

All these counterfeit products isnt a result of reverse engineering attempts. Those original detectors are made in Asia for the shake of higher profit margin compared if assambled in US, Australia, European countries. This metal detector assembling data that the contractor have in hand, its leaked thats why not only it has the same look, dimension, etc. But also has the same firmware like the original. Changing a few high cost components with less expensive doesnt mean they dont know what component should be installed. Comparing PCB copper trace width the counterfeit with the original will show that its made from the original schematic/data.