The Quest Q60

[GB_Amateur]

20 hours ago, kac said:

I also saw they have a pin pointer nearly identical in design and specs as the Whites Bullseye II which I had forever. Wondered if those pinpointers were made by the same company and sold to Whites and Quest?

Did White's ever farm out anything without putting the collaborator's name on it (e.g. Detech coils)?  Given Deteknix/Quest's reputation after losing a patent infringement court case to First Texas, it seems there is a less honorable explanation if those two devices are identical or close to it.

[PhaseTech]

10 hours ago, GB_Amateur said:

This sounds like it's meant to be a competitor for the Nokta/Makro Multi-Kruzer (with similar selectable frequencies) but I didn't notice if the Quest Q60 is waterproof.

My Q&D search of eBay didn't find any of the Q60 model, but Serious Detecting has both the Q30 for $300 and the Q40 for $470.  (Anyone know what the Q40 is?)  They appear to have the same 9"x11" open coil.

I had two Deteknix Transmitter-Receiver audio units (bought back in 2016, I think), one with their on-ear headphones and one with a 3.5 mm socket allowing the user to select headphones.  The first one was horribly uncomfortable and the second one crapped out after not that many hours of use (100 or so) when the socket got noisy -- I'm assuming something worked it's way loose internally.  Interestingly(?) these were released/marketed before the Garrett Z-Lynk so in this case I don't think they were copying someone else, unless they got ahold of an early Garrett prototype, drawings,...  I think Quest has since upgraded their audio T/R products so hopefully better quality.

 

The Q60 is waterproof, as is the Q30. These are the latest offerings. 

The original line up was Q20, Q40 and Quest Pro, but only the Quest Pro was waterproof. 

The Quest 20 and Q40 were very low price, but very nice quality, and had very sturdy collapsible shafts. I think this set the bar high for the Simplex wishlist. The Q20 an Q40 have sort of been replaced by the X series units, X5 and X10, but I prefer the shaft set-up on the Q40. 

I think too many different models becomes a nightmare for inventory and customer selection, so I am currently only stocking the X5 and Q30 as I think they offer the best features for the dollars. 

I've been selling the Quest wireless gear since the beginning, and they have made a number of improvements to them over the years. They have been very good at taking feedback on board and making improvements. The latest ones have a much stronger USB socket that is internally supported, and I'm seeing very few failures. Yes, these came way before the Z-Lynk, and here in Australia the Quest system is still about $100 cheaper.

[Chase Goldman]

On 2/6/2021 at 9:38 PM, Soky72 said:

Man this detector is sneaking in under the radar but believe me its a killer relic machine. I chatted with some guys from the UK before getting one and they didn't steer me wrong. For reference the Equinox 800 and Deus are my primary detectors but I also own a T2 SE, Tarsacci, and GPX 4500 and 5000. I hunt Civil War relics almost exclusively in mild soil. No salt water beaches, prospecting, or coin shooting but I'm betting the Q60 will do a great job in those areas as well. When these start hitting the shelves here in the states do yourself a favor and pick one up. I'll be selling all my detectors except the Deus and a GPX. Those 2 will always have their specialty. I'll try to get some video on this detector soon. Also I think the Quest Q30 is gonna take a bite out of the Simplex market. 

As an avid relic hunter myself, I am finding it hard to get excited about any multiple selectable single frequency machine and the Q60 is no exception.  If it is as deep as the Equinox and as fast as the Deus, then what is the point in giving up the Equinox and the added versatility that Multi-IQ brings to the table in the case of the Equinox 600/800 and the additional single frequencies of the 800 , including 40 khz, and of course gold mode. That basically makes no logical sense to me.  It has to fill an existing gap in my arsenal to be compelling and nothing described here fills an existing gap for me.  I too own the Deus, the Equinox, the Tarsacci, a GPX and I have an F75 instead of a T2 (like being able to use concentrics).  The F75 is a classic but does not outgun the other four detectors I just mentioned.  Don't get me wrong, the Q60 looks like a decent selectable frequency detector, but  I do not plan on parting with any of those four detectors anytime soon for the Q60 as they all have their specialty features and capabilities that seem at least as good as the Q60, and perhaps even better in mineralized ground.

Can you describe what differentiates the modes (Park, Field, Wet Sand/Salt Water, Gold, and Deep) on the Q60 please, beside the default frequency, is it  # of tones, discrimination level, signal processing, recovery speed?  Can the recovery speed be adjusted independent of mode or tone settings similar to Equinox and Deus?  How is iron volume handled and what are the tone options?  Thanks.

[abenson]

9 hours ago, Chase Goldman said:

As an avid relic hunter myself, I am finding it hard to get excited about any multiple selectable single frequency machine and the Q60 is no exception.  If it is as deep as the Equinox and as fast as the Deus, then what is the point in giving up the Equinox and the added versatility that Multi-IQ brings to the table in the case of the Equinox 600/800 and the additional single frequencies of the 800 , including 40 khz, and of course gold mode. That basically makes no logical sense to me.  It has to fill an existing gap in my arsenal to be compelling and nothing described here fills an existing gap for me.  I too own the Deus, the Equinox, the Tarsacci, a GPX and I have an F75 instead of a T2 (like being able to use concentrics).  The F75 is a classic but does not outgun the other four detectors I just mentioned.  Don't get me wrong, the Q60 looks like a decent selectable frequency detector, but  I do not plan on parting with any of those four detectors anytime soon for the Q60 as they all have their specialty features and capabilities that seem at least as good as the Q60, and perhaps even better in mineralized ground.

Can you describe what differentiates the modes (Park, Field, Wet Sand/Salt Water, Gold, and Deep) on the Q60 please, beside the default frequency, is it  # of tones, discrimination level, signal processing, recovery speed?  Can the recovery speed be adjusted independent of mode or tone settings similar to Equinox and Deus?  How is iron volume handled and what are the tone options?  Thanks.

Got to agree with most of this. Not trying to be negative or keep anyone from trying one out. But for me personally having used about every metal detector under the sun, it's got to really stand out anymore for me to want to own one. I was hoping the Garrett Apex would offer some competition in the multi frequency arena, unfortunately that didn't happen (the packaging is awesome, the brain not so much). I'm even going to be a little reluctant when Nokta Makro releases their version of multi frequency as I think Minelab is so far ahead of the game they are going to be hard to beat. New strides in technology are what excites me anymore, companies just trying to play catch up don't cut it. I could actually see getting one as a loaner but for now I have that covered with the Vanquish 540.

[Chase Goldman]

39 minutes ago, abenson said:

I could actually see getting one as a loaner but for now I have that covered with the Vanquish 540.

Agree, but I sold my 540 because it was too similar to the Equinox and because of its flawed fixed ground balance implementation.  But I do value having capable, affordable backups/loaners with feature sets that are diverse from my front line detectors (e.g., my F75, G2+, Simplex, and ORX).  Depending on what I learn about how the “modes” are implemented in the Q60, that could determine whether it could potentially find it’s way into the backup/second tier/loaner arsenal.

[kac]

Maybe their market is towards the lower/mid ranged machines and first time buyers. Range of coils including 3rd party for the Multi Kruzer and it's performance makes it little tough to beat in it's class. Lot of competition out there and looks like Quest is trying to fit in with styles and features from other machines as most manufacturers do. Be nice if someone really does something different other than a remix of ideas to cater to hunting styles.

[Soky72]

I'd say if your happy with your current detector then the Q60 is probably not for you. I know a local guy thats won't upgrade from his old Whites DI Pro he's had for 30 years. Says he's confident in what it can find and happy with it and he's not wrong. I'm not saying the Q60 is an upgrade to the Equinox as I believe its best all around detector on the market. It has lots of features I like and I'm adept at using it and its found me a lot of relics. That being said I've never fallen in love it. I personally don't like the ergonomics of the fat grip and I despise the compressed VDI scale. Civilization has encroached onto local Civil War sites in my area with lots of modern trash and the signals are compressed in with the relics and with bouncy numbers I dig lots of trash. So the Q60 has less features, less polished, less stable, but has speed and depth like Equinox which is multifrequency so what makes it better. Well for ME I love the ergonomics of the handle and adjustability the whole detector offers. True I'm not crazy about the coil but it will accept aftermarket coils and all the major coil companies already make them for the existing Quest detectors so the Q30 and Q60 aren't far behind. I'd love to try a NEL Superfly or Tornado on the Q60. The detector also overloads on big iron and aluminum, a feature I love. If smaller trash doesn't overload then you at least have a 0-99 VDI scale to get better identification. The detector is also very good in iron. I'd say these features will probably appeal to more than a few relic hunters like me at least until Nokta Makro or XP comes out with something new otherwise I might just keep going like the local DI Pro guy.

[Chase Goldman]

20 minutes ago, Soky72 said:

That being said I've never fallen in love it. I personally don't like the ergonomics of the fat grip and I despise the compressed VDI scale.

Your ergonomic criticisms of the Equinox are valid and I often lean towards the Deus for that reason.  I am starting to like my Tarsacci in hot ground as I become more proficient with it.  But I also beach detect, and Equinox is my weapon of choice there and it still gets an occasional workout in the relic fields, too.  The compressed scale of Equinox I personally like because the VDI's are repeatable and stable.  The lack of coil choices for Equinox is also a valid concern, though that may be alleviated somewhat by the new Coiltek Equinox accessory coil offerings - especially the new 10x5.  Regarding stability, I find that when there is a lot of targets in the ground, sometimes I have more ID stability and recovery performance when I operate the Equinox in single frequency (in that manner, it is not much different than the Quest other than your preference for 0 to 100 segments). 

Still would like to know more about what differentiates the Quest modes if you have that information - online information regarding the Q60 is scarce.  Like I said, sometimes, these mid-range detectors can fill a niche or be used as a suitable backup or "change of pace" detector, especially if the ergonomics are good.  I was hoping that Nokta would at least come out with a multiple selectable frequency version of the Simplex if not full up simultaneous MF.  The Quest 60 is what I imagine the Simplex would be if it had multipl.e selectable frequencies, though the Simplex also has some additional bells and whistles vs. the Quest. 

Thanks.

[Soky72]

18 minutes ago, Chase Goldman said:

I do agree with your ergonomic criticism of the Equinox and lean towards the Deus.  But I also beach detect, and Equinox is my weapon of choice there.  The compressed scale of Equinox I do like because the VDI's are repeatable and stable.

Honestly if the Deus was waterproof and had a little more punch this discussion would be moot. Its still an awesome machine and I'll continue to use it a lot in certain places and when XP decides to release another detector and correct those oversights then I'll be first in line to get one.

[palzynski]

10 hours ago, Chase Goldman said:

....

Still would like to know more about what differentiates the Quest modes if you have that information - online information regarding the Q60 is scarce.  Like I said, sometimes, these mid-range detectors can fill a niche or be used as a suitable backup or "change of pace" detector, especially if the ergonomics are good.  I was hoping that Nokta would at least come out with a multiple selectable frequency version of the Simplex if not full up simultaneous MF.  The Quest 60 is what I imagine the Simplex would be if it had multipl.e selectable frequencies, though the Simplex also has some additional bells and whistles vs. the Quest. 

...

Actually I could only test the Q60 during a few hours , so I had not enough time to fully experiment the differences between Park and Field but if I remember well there were no important differences between them .  To summarize for me the big plus of the Q60 is its audio which is similar to the tekntics T2 or the Tesoros , very fast and reactive on targets with excellent iron filtering , for me better than the Equinox on iron trashed areas.   Just they dont have the right coil at the moment with this bulky 32X25cm coil .. . 

On the other hand I will try to get an X5 ,  X10 or a Q30 for a field test  . If they have the same audio than the Q60 then they could be very good machines for the price . I know that my seller has good customer feedbacks on the X5 and X10s .