First Impressions Of The Deus II

[NCtoad]

On 1/29/2022 at 8:39 AM, Loren said:

 

I mean, this isn't an issue in terms of functionality, but my XP Deus II screen has permanent black plastic shavings imbedded into the screen. They are floating little black bits of plastic from the manufacturing process that almost look like dead pixels on the screen that I will never be able to get out. I didn't bring it up, because eventually my detector will be so coated in mud it won't matter, but getting a display full of random dirt and specks fresh out of the box feels sloppy and cheap to me, especially considering the price.

 

Hi Loren

I find this a little disturbing from your description.  If possible could you post a pic showing this?   

[Tin Can]

15 minutes ago, NCtoad said:

Hi Loren

I find this a little disturbing from your description.  If possible could you post a pic showing this?   

First i have heard of this issue it must be few and far between i have hundreds of users from around the world on my group and not one person has mentioned this.

 

[Tin Can]

3 hours ago, Loren said:

I might just be the unlucky one, but I might not have noticed the other plastic shavings if it wasn't for those few big ones. There are about 15 more of them, most very tiny. Several are on the screen protector layer and make bubbles in it, I guess I could get rid of those, but the big ones are deeper 😞

Send it back if your not happy it will be replaced, i did have one off my members say the same thing about the WS6 but it turned out to be under the plastic screen protector maybe this is the case here regardless it's only a matter of taking two screws out and giving it a blow if it's inside.

[Erik Oostra]

I’ve been testing the Deus II over the weekend as a scuba detector and ran it over the places where I usually use the PulseDive or Equinox.. My main concern is that I can’t hear it.. My hearing is simply too bad… I’m sure the speakers work underwater, I can hear it on the beach even without hearing aids.. I’ve tried changing between PWM and Square, tried different tones and amplifications and cranked up the volume, but no biscuit.. I can’t hear it.. I could hear the Equinox faintly but I relied heavily on the slight vibrations from the speaker through the grip, especially on larger targets (I was hoping for the same with the Deus II).. At the moment with the Deus I’m looking at the screen constantly, watching for it to flash up on its 'amazing' target ID screen.. I’m not having a dig at the Deus here (that comes later), I know I need headphones.. So that’s what I’m saving up for next.. And if XP made a larger coil, I’d happily give them even more of my hard-earned cash..  

As a scuba detector the Deus II suits my purpose nicely.. Its already found a handful of coins and a silver earring that the PulseDive missed.. It’s along the line where people swim.. This line varies according to the high tides, so the line is usually quite wide.. at my home bay it’s about 40 metres wide, more of a strip.. I go from one side of the bay to the other (takes about 20 minutes) then I turn around for another lap.. Most of the time the visibility is bad (can’t see the coil), so I use a compass to stay on a straight course.. I’m weighted down far heavier than normal to keep me on the floor (at shallower depths the swell can throw you back and forward quite a bit), then I just slowly plod along the seafloor until I bump my head on the rocks on the other side.. For this sort of job the Deus II is so far so good..

Now, at the risk of sounding like some Nox Lover or deeply offending XP groupies let me reassure you I don’t care what brand the detector is as long as it does what I need it to do.. In my case, the Equinox has been that tool.. But as soon as I saw the Deus II was on the market in Australia, I bought one because I needed a detector for a job that the Equinox couldn’t handle (deeper waters).. Simple as that.. But before I even got my hands on it, people were already wanting to know my impressions.. Well, that’s what you’re gonna get.. Like it or not.. I’m also not going to tell you how great it is just because I forked out a lot of cash for it.. I really wish I could.. 

So here’s my impression of the Deus II as a scuba detector.. 

No matter how hard I try to like the Deus II as a detector (not its performance underwater), all I can think to say is: it’s the opposite of rugged.. Having been diving with it for the last 3 days, it still feels flimsy and toyish.. To handle it reminds me of a GoFind.. Maybe I’m not used to such dainty detectors.. To use it as a scuba detector, I’ve got the shaft as short as possible and this is the only reason it’s got any real feel of strength about it when dragging it through water.. 

The clip where the antenna connects to the coil is also fiddly and flimsy.. It’s held in place with a big O ring stretched around a coil spoke like an elastic band.. The whole assembly has so far stayed in place so no worries there yet, but the O ring won’t stay there forever (it’s on the bottom of the coil and drags through the sand at every sweep).. I’ll end up having to tape it, as I’ve already had to do with the antenna cable down the bottom of the shaft to stop it catching between the coil and the shaft when you put it down.. The little velcro strips that come with it don’t do the job.. 

Same deal on top where the antenna attaches to the control box, flimsy and fiddly.. Twice I accidentally knocked the control box off its clip (and yes before anyone asks I did ‘click’ it firmly into place).. On one dive it just dangled there by the antenna before I saw it.. Again, nothing sturdy or ever-lasting about any of it.. Don’t let its rugged good looks fool you.. I don’t want to have to treat the Deus with kit gloves in fear of things falling off or coming apart.. Call me weird or whatever, but I’ll go tough over sleek any day.. 

Performance wise as a scuba detector, I’m impressed.. It’s stabler in salt water than the Equinox.. The salt sensitivity settings work really well and once you work out how to scroll through the different settings and adjustments, it does get easier to operate underwater.. I’m still not in love with the display (IMHO it’s BS), but I am getting used to it.. It locks onto targets without too much jumping about between target numbers, in this sense the Deus II is far less erratic than the Equinox in saltwater.. I just wish I could hear it, I’m sure it screams on good targets.. Its target stability in seawater and its ability to remove the ‘static’ created by salt without affecting its sensitivity, has won me over.. Here it does really shine over the Equinox.. Plus, I trust it enough to stay waterproof in deeper waters.. I’ve got a chance next week to jump on a boat for a dive where I can test it at depth.. 

But in the meantime, I’m not worried about leaks and can concentrate on finding lost stuff.. This has become priority number one since I launched my ring recovery service.. I’m getting calls from people who’ve lost rings or jewellery on the island.. I’ve had two successful recoveries so far but I keep finding the wrong rings.. Last week I found two wedding rings but neither was the one I was looking for.. I reckon I’m in with a fighting chance of finding them with the Deus II.. 

The internet keeps going down on the island.. I haven't read any responses to this post yet but I’ve got a connection for a few minutes so I’ll send this now..

[phrunt]

As a paying customer Erik, what are your thoughts on the antenna for the coil for underwater use? Do you think it's as crazy as I do they just didn't use a coil cable?

I would think they'd be able to make a wireless coil that's also capable of having a cord attached much like the antenna for underwater use where it screws onto the coil, and also screws into the control pod?  They could just have a protective screw on cover to go over it's mounting point when being used with wireless, much like they do with the caps for headphone sockets and the like.

Maybe not but to me that makes a whole lot more sense than having an antenna that's almost replicating a cable anyway.

I'm just a bit puzzled by this, it makes no sense to me.

That flimsy little wire just scares me, and the beaches around here often contain kelp, you'd tear that wire off if it got suck in some kelp.

Before the Deus fans get defensive it's just a question, they've done it this way and that's how it is, I just want Erik's opinion as a paying customer that does a lot of dive detecting what he thinks of this method vs just using a coil cable.

[Erik Oostra]

40 minutes ago, phrunt said:

Do you think it's as crazy as I do they just didn't use a coil cable?

Just got an internet connection again.. I'm on the other side of the Island at West Point where I can pick up mainland towers, so I'll be a quick as possible with a few answers.. 

Yeah, Phrunt i think XP are absolutely mad.. I'd happily ditch the fiddly, flimsy antenna assembly for a cable any day.. I think that the detector would run even better underwater.. still not too sure about wireless transmission in salt water but it does work so that could just be my fear of the unknown..    

[Erik Oostra]

On 1/29/2022 at 4:58 PM, phrunt said:

From my vague memory there was something like 15 shipwrecks around Magnetic Island?

I think (also from memory) that there's 24.. but most have disappeared into the sand.. I do find bits and pieces and also bits of cargo that they were carrying.. like those beams in the vid..

 

[phrunt]

I personally love the way the CTX 3030 does target ID's, it also may have been another option for you Erik, although just as pricey as the Deus 2 but works well in the salt for me and is waterproof.  I'd not trust a second hand one in the water though unless pretty recent as they initially had leaking with subpar seals but you can buy the seal replacement kits to get the better ones.

Anyway, not trying to move you off the Deus 2 to a CTX, may as well run the newest tech and the Deus can go a lot deeper.

But have a look at about the 1 minute 30 mark in this video where he runs targets over the coil, the ID's stay there for quite a while, it's great as you can waive over a target as you're walking along and then look down after you've already been over the target and see what ID it was, you don't need to rush to look down 🙂  It's quite a good way of doing it I think

I've set the video to start at the right spot.

The CTX also allows you to choose between large ID like in the video or smaller ID so you can see the other information better in the background, I find it's smaller ID size just fine, it's still plenty big enough.

I would think having ID's hang around on the screen for a bit is a good way to go, especially on a detector with good reliable ID's like the Deus 2 appears to have.

[Erik Oostra]

Deus II hard at work this morning at the back of Alma Bay.. Edit: Truth be known I got lost underwater again.. I came up for a look to see where I was.. 

[Erik Oostra]

4 minutes ago, phrunt said:

The CTX also allows you to choose between large ID like in the video or smaller ID so you can see the other information better in the background, I find it's smaller ID size just fine, it's still plenty big enough.

As you've mentioned this would be a great update for the Deus II.. I like the large target ID on the CTX and the length of time the info stays on the screen, but it was off my bucket-list as I needed a detector for deeper water.. I really hope XP does keep us whiners in mind when they start to bring out updates for the Deus..