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Apex Unbiased Field Testing


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2 hours ago, Dances With Doves said:

I don't want a machine that has me lost in a sea of noise.It is like hearing a language you don't  understand.You need to understand your machine  to a good degree  to have success.

"dead nuts" correct! steve has it right as well.it takes a lot of time to accomplish, but zeroing in on a certain
number while  pinpointing a target is a special '"skill" and 'feel" with the v.c.o. on the detector. a very precise
action, and well worth the effort. getting the high tone 'squeak" along with a simultaneous "number" discovers a "good target
precisely" in one spot. it is indeed a "touch"" and feel" one learns over time in the field.

(h.h.!)

j.t.

 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, jmaryt said:

dankowski was instrumental in testing "protos" and bringing forward the vanquish

Well, he was one of many. I like to think my contributions mattered also. As did those of others. It was far from a one person show. Tom was no more instrumental than many, more than some, and less than a few.

I do agree the Vanquish 340 is the sleeper of the bunch. Other than coil size it performs just like the more expensive versions.

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2 hours ago, jmaryt said:

before i purchased my vanquish 540 pro-pack,i  suggested that "possibly",in time the 540
would be  a genuine "sleeper" as a direct result of it's performance potential, price point, and what it has demonstrated
in the field so far. tom dankowski's response, and i quote was rather interesting.He said"  that 'he would "declare that the 340 is the "true"
"sleeper" because of it's "price point" AND the fact that it is true "multi-iq". i tend to agree with this in principle, because the 340
has  the "wallop" of multi-iq with none of the frills.just a simple straightforward design that gan get it done in real time! 
dankowski was instrumental in testing "protos" and bringing forward the vanquish.. he also stated, the only thing that basically differentiated the 540,and the 440,from the 340,is the size of the coil which is the smaller 8" coil.

(h.h.!)
j.t.

 

The other thing to remember is that SMF is not the universal mode that solves world hunger.  There are situations (such as high EMI mentioned above) and specific target objectives (deep silver/small gold) where single frequency (SF) might be advantageous over SMF.  That is why ML provided SF as an optional mode on its higher end Equinox detectors that is absent on Vanquish (in fact ML recently released an update to ADD a new SF to the Equinox).  Even Garrett threw that option in on Apex.  There are certain "specialist" detectors (e.g. XP Deus, Gold Monster, and some Nokta detectors) that optimize and take advantage of specific single frequency or multiple selectable single frequency modes to enhance performance on specific targets or in high iron situations vs. SMF detectors.  That all being said, Vanquish also does quite well without having a single frequency mode and despite fewer flashy bells and whistles vs. Apex, definitely appears to be the better value than Apex at this point and is quite a good detector for the money regardless of Apex.  

As far as the 340 being a sleeper, I guess I would rather trade up to the 440 or 540 (like you did jt) to get the additional tones and essential features like more tones and pinpoint the 340 lacks.  I find that people come to the realization that they have trouble with the compromises associated with seemingly arbitrary features being left off simply to create price tiers.  This can be extended to the point that once you get to the 540, a valid argument could be made to just go ahead and move up to the greater versatility of the Equinox 600 for about $150 more than a normal pro pack price.  But since you got such a smokin' deal on your pro pac at about 400 and change, jt, the decision was easier for you to just grab the pro pack.  I get that.  Anyway, hope you are having fun with it.

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I think that machine will do good in coin shooting and some beach hunting. The coil is a bit small for relic hunting but might fair ok in pine forests where targets tend to run shallow. For the new comers to the hobbie and many Ace owners it is a solid choice. I don't think it is for the seasoned enthusiest that has been spoiled by more buttons and whistles.

FYI I always check my iron targets for other signals at different angles, any other beep outside of the iron range is worth investigating.

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Update on the chatter issue I talked about earlier with the Apex. I took the Equinox to the same park and definitely EMI. Equinox was almost as bad, noise cancel made no difference. Lowered sensitivity on the Equinox to 14 and ran in 15 KHz just to make it bearable but even then still chatty. Must be a cellphone tower or underground high voltage line in the area.

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Hey kac,

   Here's one of those "shallow" pine forest targets found recently, that we all wish was one of us digging there!!👍👍

20200904_000907.jpg

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21 hours ago, Chase Goldman said:

The other thing to remember is that SMF is not the universal mode that solves world hunger.  There are situations (such as high EMI mentioned above) and specific target objectives (deep silver/small gold) where single frequency (SF) might be advantageous over SMF.  That is why ML provided SF as an optional mode on its higher end Equinox detectors that is absent on Vanquish (in fact ML recently released an update to ADD a new SF to the Equinox).  Even Garrett threw that option in on Apex.  There are certain "specialist" detectors (e.g. XP Deus, Gold Monster, and some Nokta detectors) that optimize and take advantage of specific single frequency or multiple selectable single frequency modes to enhance performance on specific targets or in high iron situations vs. SMF detectors.  That all being said, Vanquish also does quite well without having a single frequency mode and despite fewer flashy bells and whistles vs. Apex, definitely appears to be the better value than Apex at this point and is quite a good detector for the money regardless of Apex.  

As far as the 340 being a sleeper, I guess I would rather trade up to the 440 or 540 (like you did jt) to get the additional tones and essential features like more tones and pinpoint the 340 lacks.  I find that people come to the realization that they have trouble with the compromises associated with seemingly arbitrary features being left off simply to create price tiers.  This can be extended to the point that once you get to the 540, a valid argument could be made to just go ahead and move up to the greater versatility of the Equinox 600 for about $150 more than a normal pro pack price.  But since you got such a smokin' deal on your pro pac at about 400 and change, jt, the decision was easier for you to just grab the pro pack.  I get that.  Anyway, hope you are having fun with it.

yes! i am!..the best price i got on a 600 was $575.00 and i was fortunate to do that well!..the vanquish pro-pack
set me back $424.15, so i jumped!. i was astonished at the really good 'build quality" of the vanquish  upon unboxing.
as you knows got the two coils, covers,recharge batts, wireless headphones, and rain cover.i believe the apex is a sharp looking detector,
but as of right now, i wouldn't even think of purchasing one! super glad i went vanquish so far "popping" a lot of clad,(some of it quite deep)
5" or better, but the "hits" have been "dead nuts" on and could have been silver.the "thrill" of so many years ago is back, and the anticipation
to hunt is stronger than ever! got tons of old "beat-up" parks to try this new  money stick at, just need the time is all! ..just sayin'

(h.h.!)
j.t.

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21 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Well, he was one of many. I like to think my contributions mattered also. As did those of others. It was far from a one person show. Tom was no more instrumental than many, more than some, and less than a few.

I do agree the Vanquish 340 is the sleeper of the bunch. Other than coil size it performs just like the more expensive versions.

steve! all you guys made a difference i am positive!  i mention tom, because i asked him outright in an e-mail
what he thought of it initially, and whether he had a chance to use one, or not. he took the time to answer, and explained what i have shared with everyone.guys like yourself,along with others contributing, is what made the detector a "reality" i am certain. in my view, the "combined experience" of a host of talented individuals is "paramount" to the successful introduction of a detector to the general public, and should never be discounted in importance.
 

(h.h.!)
j.t.
 

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33 minutes ago, jmaryt said:

5" or better, but the "hits" have been "dead nuts" on and could have been silver.the "thrill" of so many years ago is back, and the anticipation
to hunt is stronger than ever! got tons of old "beat-up" parks to try this new  money stick at, just need the time is all! ..just sayin'

(h.h.!)
j.t.

Just what you were looking for, congrats!  You made a great decision to go Vanquish.  The irony was you were waiting around for that Apex when you could have been swinging a Vanquish all that time.  But it worked out because you got that great deal.  Have fun with it!

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