Minelab MF5 Introduction

[Steve Herschbach]

I found this new marketing blurb very interesting......

"Minelab’s unique Simultaneous Multi-Frequency Digital technology results in the MF5 providing superior detection capabilities by combining the advantages of Pulse Induction and Continuous Wave technologies."

https://www.minelab.com/usa/countermine/detectors/mf5-military-clearance-landmine-detector-by-minelab

[Gold Catcher]

3 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

I found this new marketing blurb very interesting......

"Minelab’s unique Simultaneous Multi-Frequency Digital technology results in the MF5 providing superior detection capabilities by combining the advantages of Pulse Induction and Continuous Wave technologies."

https://www.minelab.com/usa/countermine/detectors/mf5-military-clearance-landmine-detector-by-minelab

Interesting, perhaps we are looking at a new SDC soon? Perhaps one with some sort of ZVT?

GC

[rvpopeye]

SDC with both types of detecting in it.....

Two dozen factory training videos ! Should be some hints there ..

[Steve Herschbach]

Or just Multi-IQ, and a person in marketing doing what they do. 

Just a note on progression. The SDC housing originated as the F3 Compact countermine detector, in response to a specific government military contract, that had a design spec for waterproof and folding. The Garrett ATX was spawned the same way - same contract actually. Both companies made a waterproof folding mine detector first. Then, to get more money from the expensive housings, they stuff a consumer PI in them. So for Garrett is was Garrett Recon first, ATX second.

For Minelab it was F3 Compact first, then SDC 2300. And next up the MF5. Which despite the marketing blurb I really do think it's just Multi-IQ, a stripped Equinox ferrous/non-ferrous circuit, stuffed in the F3 Compact housing. Sadly, I've learned to be pretty cynical when it comes to reading between the lines in marketing info.

Read the operating manual and see what you think.

https://www.minelab.com/__files/f/444357/4901-0373-1 Inst. Manual, MF5-EN_WEB.pdf

It does have a cool new coil with a unique target response:

 

The biggest thing I see is the frequency spread, which tops out at 75 kHz versus Equinox 40 kHz. So it is optimized for finding the tiniest firing pins or thin wires.... and might very well make a nice small nugget VLF. If you wanted to pay the price, and swing the weight, for what would still be a VLF detector.

[Jeff McClendon]

DETECTION CAPABILITIES

The MF5 detects metal and conductive targets, including fine wires and carbon rods. It provides indications of ferrous and non-ferrous targets, carbon rods, and fine wires. The MF5 is able to detect targets in all types of soil, regardless of mineralised content, and can operate in environments of high electrical interference.

 

 

Carbon rods?????

Can operate in environments of high electrical interference?????

Multi IQ that is on my Equinox doesn't like EMI although EMI doesn't bother Vanquish very much, but I guess the use of the word "can" is somewhat relative.

[Steve Herschbach]

I just added specs and a comment to my post Jeff, while you were posting. It may be that as a military detector the design has extra shielding. One thing they can't have is interference screwing up mine detection and killing someone. The new DD coil design may also have something to do with it. Perhaps a cancellation coil?

[Jeff McClendon]

That coil design looks really interesting. Anti Interference ??? coil that ramps up power over a target in detection mode combined with 75 kHz would definitely hit some small targets.

[Steve Herschbach]

I'd like to try nugget hunting with one, but not enough to buy one. If they can even be had outside military channels. But the circuit could be the basis for whatever replaces the Gold Monster some day. If ever. Minelab said no more single frequency, and that includes any future gold VLF models. Nugget capability on Equinox in Multi was almost an unlooked for accident. I can only imagine a machine tuned specifically for nugget detecting, and this machine looks like something very similar. But ditch the housing, please!

[Steve Herschbach]

Multi-frequency metal detector in high mineralization

The successful detection and discrimination of mines is very difficult in areas of high soil mineralization. In these areas, the soil can make a significant contribution to the received signal that causes false detections or masks the true mine response. To address this problem, Minelab has developed a continuous wave (CW) multi-frequency digital detector (MFDD). It transmits four frequencies (between 1 kHz and 45 kHz) and each has a high dynamic range that approaches 120 dB. The mineralized soil with high magnetic susceptibility affects the characteristics of the sensor-head, in particular the inductance of the transmitting and receiving windings. These in turn affect the front-end electronics and measuring circuits and can lead to excessive ground noise that makes detection difficult. Minelab has modeled the effect that the soil has on the sensor-head and developed methods to monitor these effects. By having a well calibrated detector, which is demonstrated by the tight agreement of raw ground signals with theoretical ground models, the tasks of ground balance and discrimination become much more reliable and robust.

https://doi.org/10.1117/12.819241

Laurence Stamatescu, Gregory Harmer, Oliver Nesper, Dorin Bordean, and Yuri Tkachenko "Multi-frequency metal detector in high mineralization", Proc. SPIE 7303, Detection and Sensing of Mines, Explosive Objects, and Obscured Targets XIV, 73031A (4 May 2009); 

[Skookum]

Cool info.  I'm no electrical engineer, but that sounds like it's going to vary the intensity of different frequencies in response to the ground signal.  Does anyone know if other multi-frequency detectors do such?