Jump to content

Testing The Garrett Apex 1.28.1 Software Update :


Recommended Posts

I did this 1.28.1 update (dating from Nov2021) a few days ago and decided to test it in a ( cut ) corn field where I have already been with my Deus HF several times . This field is irons infested then it is an excellent testing area for MDs ...

I hoped that with this update Garrett had solved a few issues that I still have with my Apex, especially the lack of stability in the irons with false signals and erratic beeps between targets . I was wrong ...

Long story short I did not see any changes with this new update , I still have these very annoying erratic beeps between good targets . Yes I found targets with the Apex , but the Deus is far easier to use and is much more stable between targets in this field.

I have been too optimistic with the Apex when I have tested it a few months ago. I dont like to be negative but there are definitely things still to be improved on this machine ,especially its audio . It is a pity because I like it , it is very light , excellent wireless headphones and CB ergonomy , very easy to use .  

I have a dream , Garrett and FT working together , integrating the T2 ( or G2? ) electronics plus the SMF into an Apex control box ...  That would be a top machine ..  🙂 🙂

btw I am wondering if anyone else has done and tested this Apex 1.28.1 update ... I would be interested by your feedbacks , thx 

DSC02913.JPG

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites


I'm very sorry to hear that the 1.28.1 update did not have any improvement for audio and target ID stability. I have heard that the Apex is a very capable saltwater beach detector and that its SMF technology is very helpful in that environment. My only APEX trip to a saltwater beach was a Southern California beach which had plenty of black sand. I was not impressed. I have used single frequency and other SMF detectors at the same beach with as good or better results as far as target ID, audio stability and depth. As I have said before, I was remarkably unimpressed by its performance in moderate to high iron mineralization.

For those that have used many of the single frequency Ace series Garrett detectors here in the USA, the Ace APEX is definitely and improvement over those older models for sure.

So, I guess we will have to keep waiting for a mid-range SMF offering by Garrett in the future which has ergonomics, SMF technology, performance and features that offer a real advantage over the AT Pro, AT Gold and AT Max.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've got an Apex still and have done the update. I did notice it perform better on my nail coin nail in a row scenario. But it still struggles in my mineralized soil to the point that I only use it in areas that I know have shallow spread out targets. The SMF technology on the Apex is definitely poor compared to other similar priced SMF machines currently on the market. In iron it has very erratic behavior, falses constantly and has a hard time centering on a good target. It's too bad because like was already said the Apex it a very well designed machine and has all the latest features such as rechargeable batteries and wireless headphones.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

An Ace is an Ace is an Ace…..

The Garrett Ace Apex slots into the Garrett lineup just above the Ace 400, and below all the AT models. It’s priced and positioned where it is in the lineup for a reason, and makes perfect sense when looked at in context. There should be zero expectation it will satisfy people demanding top tier performance.

The real question is how it compares to the Vanquish, or the Legend, and it’s here that Garrett has come up short. That’s the real problem, not how it does compared to Deus or Equinox. It’s a great physical design. I like the integrated wireless headphone and wireless pinpointer compatibility, something you only see with XP and Garrett. But horsepower wise the Apex is more akin to my White’s old DFX than any current generation multi detectors. For the money the Vanquish, and I have to assume Legend, offer more bang for the buck.

Too bad though as more horsepower in the exact same package really would make for a great detector.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, abenson said:

.... The SMF technology on the Apex is definitely poor compared to other similar priced SMF machines currently on the market. In iron it has very erratic behavior, falses constantly and has a hard time centering on a good target. It's too bad because like was already said the Apex it a very well designed machine and has all the latest features such as rechargeable batteries and wireless headphones ....

Agree . Sometimes I wonder if the Garretts top managers have ever used their Apex in the field   ... Probably not , otherwise they would have fixed all these issues ... 

Yes too bad for Garrett especially with the Apex current competition : Vanquish from 240e, Orx from 600e , Deus1 Lite from 650e etc ..

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

36 minutes ago, palzynski said:

Agree . Sometimes I wonder if the Garretts top managers have ever used their Apex in the field   ... Probably not , otherwise they would have fixed all these issues ... 

 

Garrett had videos out of the engineer and someone in upper management using the Apex. I have no idea of what issues those two noted or addressed. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I purchased my Apex in the spring of 2021. I updated the software a day or two after the update was available. At this point I don't really recall how much the update improved things, but I do believe the update made target ID's a bit more stable (going on memory).

I bought the Apex because I believed it would be a fun machine to use but wasn't expecting much (based on reviews) when it comes to hunting in iron. To that point I've been pleasantly surprised: the Apex isn't a demon in the iron, but it performs much better than I had assumed it would. I'm sure that is helped by the fact that I leave the small coil (Ripper?) on all the time, and I tend to be a slow, rather methodical, hunter anyway.

The Apex is no match for my Deus, or my ORX, or my Anfibio, or my Kruzer, or my Vista X - but I don't expect it to perform on a level that those machines can. In my experience the Apex is better (than my machines mentioned) in wet salt conditions, but its real value is found in its simplicity and the amount of fun that it provides. I enjoy using it and it is a simple enough machine that I can loan it out to the neighbor's kids when they choose to tag along.

I actually prefer the wireless headphones (Apex) to those on my other machines - I think they're better performing and better build quality. I think the overall build quality (Apex) is excellent.

I purchased the Vanquish 440 for my wife (she likes the color) and haven't used it much, other than learning it a bit so I could show her how to use it. For me, the Apex is the better machine (build wise and performance wise). It's not that I think the Vanquish is a bad machine, I just find the Apex to be the better of the two. I mostly hunt iron-littered sites and find the Apex to be better (in such sites) than the Vanquish. (The soil tends to be quite mild in most of the sites I hunt)

Admittedly, I would likely be less pleased if I had experienced some of the erratic issues that others have reported but thus far, I have not had such problems. I do think there is ample room for improvements, but I'm doubtful that the enhancements (I'd like to see on the Apex) could be had at the current price point. If the Apex cost what my other machines cost, I'd be disappointed with the Apex (and would not have purchased it). At its price point, I think the Apex is a solid machine: it doesn't WOW me with its performance (unlike some of my other machines) but it hasn't disappointed me either.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

26 minutes ago, Tahts-a-dats-ago said:

At its price point, I think the Apex is a solid machine: it doesn't WOW me with its performance (unlike some of my other machines) but it hasn't disappointed me either.

Really great review and perspective - thanks!

I did think the Ripper coil was the only coil to use on my Apex while I had it. Like you, I enjoy poking around at a slow, methodical pace, and smaller coils help rein me in. And what a great feel on the arm! Performance aside, it’s a great design, just a couple changes I might make in the menu, but well thought out overall. Certainly nobody matches the Garrett Z-Lynk system when it comes to sensible integration across the product lineup.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

48 minutes ago, Tahts-a-dats-ago said:

I purchased the Vanquish 440 for my wife (she likes the color) and haven't used it much, other than learning it a bit so I could show her how to use it. For me, the Apex is the better machine (build wise and performance wise). It's not that I think the Vanquish is a bad machine, I just find the Apex to be the better of the two. I mostly hunt iron-littered sites and find the Apex to be better (in such sites) than the Vanquish. (The soil tends to be quite mild in most of the sites I hunt)

I’d have to disagree about Apex vs Vanquish performance. A Vanquish is basically a stripped down Equinox, and rivals or equals Equinox performance in many situations. The Apex really is not in the same league when it comes to actual performance, especially the ability to retain depth and a good target id in bad ground. I could nugget hunt effectively with a Vanquish and small coil in bad ground, even lacking a manual ground balance, while the Apex falls far short.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, Steve Herschbach said:

I’d have to disagree about Apex vs Vanquish performance. A Vanquish is basically a stripped down Equinox, and rivals or equals Equinox performance in many situations. The Apex really is not in the same league when it comes to actual performance, especially the ability to retain depth and a good target id in bad ground. I could nugget hunt effectively with a Vanquish and small coil in bad ground, even lacking a manual ground balance, while the Apex falls far short.

I should clarify my thoughts a bit.

I have very little time on the Vanquish - a bit in my own yard (just to get somewhat accustomed to the Vanquish) and a bit of use in an iron-littered site. For me the Apex did better in the iron-littered site. That could be the result of several things: a larger coil on the Vanquish, me not having much time on the Vanquish, and the mild soil conditions at that site.

I have no doubt that the Vanquish is deeper than the Apex. I think the Apex has OK depth abilities - with a probable maximum (stock coil) of 9-10 inches on a quarter (mild soil). To date the deepest target, I've retrieved (Apex), was a key at a legitimate 8 inches; the tone was clear and there was a bit of iron nearby the target. I didn't pay much attention to the target ID (don't recall what it was) but I do know that it bounced around a bit. 

On those rare occasions when I've gotten the coil over a clean target (no trash nearby) I've found the Apex to have a steady target ID (either solid or moving very little) but I haven't dug any clean (coin) targets that were more than 5-6 inches in depth (with the Apex). I don't pay much attention to the target ID numbers on any of my machines - for the most part if I get a good tone (even if it is just one-way and has some iron grunts to it) I dig. Very often I find trash in the same hole (as a good target).

I suspect that with more time on the Vanquish I'd likely view it in a more positive light (speaking strictly with regards to iron-littered sites). In a park, with modern trash, I have no doubt that the Vanquish is the better performing machine (I very seldom hunt parks). On a saltwater beach I'd guess that the two are very close, with the nod likely going to the Vanquish (depth). As for build quality - I think the Apex is leaps and bounds better (than the Vanquish).

I know absolutely nothing about nugget hunting. I'd love to try it at some point (not an option in NJ). I would guess that the Apex would fail miserably to that regard.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...