Golden Mask 7 -test and a little reflection

In the autumn there was news about the new Seven from Golden Mask, so I was immediately interested in testing it. The first reports suggested that the successor to the Six would have extended frequencies and also a wireless coil. Something the Seven did, but something it didn't.

First impressions

The detector arrived and I was very surprised by the size of the box. Is it even possible to fit the entire detector into something so small? Yes, it is possible, even in the WS version with wireless headphones. After unpacking, I noticed that there were a few brand new things in the package. A new shaft, wireless headphones and a 24cm Fighter coil. The shaft rods are made of new carbon fiber mesh and the locks are bigger and sturdier than on the previous model. The finish and design are really nice and I think it is one of the best made shafts on the market. The new locks have a different internal design, no longer consisting of two segments that snap onto the bar, but just one round end that is fixed to the top of the internal bar. The consequence of this modification is that the structure has better guidance with minimal play. The larger locks are easier to loosen or tighten, even with a glove on, and there is no spontaneous loosening after a day's searching, even when fully extended. The new lock inserts also have one undeniable advantage, and that is that nothing will spontaneously fall off and nothing will be lost during disassembly. Otherwise, the storage is absolutely excellent and the complete Fighter 24cm spool measures only 63cm, which is even less than the new Manticore.

Another brand new item in the package is the wireless headphones, which are controlled by four buttons and one rotary wheel. I'll describe the buttons and their functions. The controls are located on the right side of the very bottom is a rotary knob that you use to control the volume. Super size,you don't even have to take off your gloves. Next to the top there is a button to temporarily interrupt the sound transmission from the detector to the headphones, followed by the ON-OFF button, the button to answer the phone and the last one is pairing. Since I didn't get a manual for the detector, I tried everything by trial and error, and despite choosing the same procedure as, for example, Equinox, the pairing with my mobile phone failed. So there's nothing to do but wait for the exact instructions from Golden Mask. Otherwise, the headphones are comfortable with good padding on the earcups and the top of the arch. Everything is sturdy and well adjustable, I just find the sound to be very overbassed.

Now to the detector itself

It was a bit of an unpleasant surprise to find that the battery box does not contain the classic systainer for ten rechargeable cells, but only three larger batteries hardwired to the detector. So anyone who was used to having a spare systainer in their backpack is just out of luck. You can't swap batteries in the field.

The new batteries have solid battery life and also charge quickly, and a charger is included.

I walked around with the display on and the P setting on while testing.Box on Hight and after eight hours the battery was still showing a third of its capacity, so real life is twelve hours and even longer without the backlight.

Otherwise the detector was fitted with a new Fighter 24cm coil in my case. The coil is very light, only some 409g including the cover, and with the new smaller batteries the whole set is perfectly balanced. However, the coil is not wireless as rumored but wired. The new coil has a differently designed cable entry and it is at a slight angle from the back. To be honest, I haven't figured out how this solution is better than the older Spiederka.

The electronics box has remained dimensionally the same as the previous model, and the same control button layout and three-level control system has been retained. The Seven completely dropped the ability to adjust the screen contrast as was the case with the GM SE plus. However, the small change is still there and can be done after powering on the detector .After powering on and reporting Golden Mask and balancing you can briefly press on off to turn on the backlight. You then do two short presses on off in succession to turn off the discriminating lower scale and now just hold long minus or plus (only two seconds to turn off the discrimination). There will be a slight adjustment to the contrast, with minus going to grey and plus going to rich with a hint of purple. It's only a minor adjustment, but it's good to know about.

Description of functions

The Menu function is identical to the previous model and is used for quick power up and search without complicated settings. There were four programs on the Six: Coin, Relic, Gold and Beach. For the Seven there are Field, Park, Gold and Beach. I don't know what prompted the manufacturer to change, but in my opinion the older description seemed better and more descriptive of what the finder would go for.

Individual programs_factory settings

Field: Freqvency 14KHz, P Box-Medium, Treshold signal-90, Audio-30, Disc-2tone, Disc Depth-10 , Boost-4 , Sound IR.volume 6 , NF.volume 8 , IR.tone 0 , NF tone25 , GB.FX mode, GM.stab.off.

Park: Freqvency -24KHz, P.Box-Medium, Treshold signal-90, Audio-30, Disc-2 tone, Disc Depth-14, Boost-4, IR.volume 8, NF.volume 8, IR tone 0, NF tone 25, GB.FX mode, GM.stab .off.

Gold: Freqvency - 44KHz, P.Box-Medium, Trehold signal -80, Audio -30, Disc 2 tone, Disc Depth-12, Boost-3, Sound IR.volume 8, NF.volume 8, IR.tone 0, NF. Tone 25, GB.Fxmode, GB.stab.off.

Beach: Freqvency - 4KHz, P.Box.-Medium, Threshold signal-80, Audio-30, Disc 2 tone, Disc Depth-11, Boost-11, Sound IR.volume 6, NF.volume 8, IR tone 0, NF tone 25, GB-FX mode, GB.stab-on.

New enhancements-changes in the new version

The older GM 6 model used three separate frequencies 5-15-30 Khz. The seventh version has four frequencies, namely 4-14-24-44 Khz. The larger range of frequencies allows for better detector adjustment in different conditions. For example, the new 44KHz frequency is perfect for finding small jewelry.

Another significant innovation is the detector tuning. Previously there was a manual, automatic and still GB sense function. You won't find GB sense in the Seven and it has been replaced by GB.FX mode. All the factory preset programs are in FX mode, where the detector detuning is fixed (automatic) in this mode and you just need to turn on the detector and go. It is full automatic like for example with Zeros where you don't care about anything and just turn on the detector and it tunes itself without pumping. However, this mode does take a bit out of your range. The other option is GM-manual and the detector tuning is done by classic pumping and searching with plus and minus buttons for places where the detector is completely silent. The last is GB-auto, which is not automatic but rather semi-automatic, as you have to pump until the detector alerts you with a tone and the word Auto GND Complite that you have detuned. I like this option the best and it is also very fast and accurate. Otherwise all programs have GB.stab on OFF, only the Beach program has it on ON. This is because it is supposed to search in wet sand and salt water.

Another minor adjustment is in the tonal resolution. While the Six used to use a range of 0 to 30, the Seven only has the option of 0 to 25. Otherwise, the detector uses target resolution using a VDI spectrum which is a graphical representation of the target but also a Target ID, which is an identification number assigned to a target of a certain conductivity. The bottom graph is used to mark and shift targets for the detector to mark deep as iron or high as the desired target. The standard settings are -22 to 0 for iron and 1 to 87 for color. Large silver coins will max out at ID 87.

Own experience

The detector can be used in the factory preset without any problem, but I'm sure you've noticed that in all the mods the P.Box is on Medium and nowhere on Hight. This is because the detector is already juiced pretty high from the factory, and as I was used to going almost everywhere on Hight with the Six, this is sometimes a problem with the Seven. Walking with it is possible though, it will definitely make the detector uneasy on wet, frozen or snow-covered puddles. I have always switched my detector to Hight, but in some conditions I couldn't and dropped to Medium. The detector will calm down and will not make a beeping sound. In dry woods, for example, it was absolutely no problem and Hight can be used, which will add considerably to your range with the larger coil.

Otherwise, the detector is very stable and with the eight channel, there is no problem searching in multiple people or under high tension wires or near cell phone towers.

Full rating

Pros:

• Fast recovery and with the new Figher 24cm coil also perfect separation in iron contaminated environments.
• Stability when searching with multiple people or near high voltage and masts.
• Four independent frequencies 4-14-24-44KHz.
• Accurate target ID number and quick plotting with VDI chart
• Top-notch shaft, not only in functionality but also in storage and workmanship.
• Comfortable headset with fast latency and good easy volume adjustment.
• Battery life-plus fast charging.
• High sensitivity and great depth of detection.

Stability when searching with multiple people or near high voltage and masts.

Top-notch shaft, not only in functionality but also in storage and workmanship.

Disadvantages:

• New program description, which some may find a bit confusing.
• The detector is already borderline sensitive and not everywhere you can use the P.Box in Hight mode.
• Overbassed headphones for my taste.
• No wireless coil. (Editor's note: wireless probe will be available in 2Q 2023)
• Cannot replace the battery block as with the previous model. (Editor's note: the new battery blocks have been with GM for about 1.5 years and are orders of magnitude more reliable than the classic 10 pencil block. So the change proved to be clearly better than the previous solution)
• And finally, at least for me, a big minus and that is that the detector is not waterproof.

Summary

The new Seven did not surprise me, as most of the features are the same or similar to the previous model. What's really excellent is the speed of detection and target imaging even in a very contaminated environment. Speed wavers will definitely find it useful. The big plus I still see is that it is, for the most part, an analogue enhanced with a display, so it retains the advantages of both machines and extends theThe expanded range of new frequencies gives the option of a more accurate and appropriate setup in any environment.

Sison