Minelab New Products

[CPT_GhostLight]

4 hours ago, phrunt said:

A CTX and or an Equinox upgrade is very likely what's going on I think, that's where the money is.  Somewhere between July 2022 and June 2023 we are going to see what these new detector platform releases are, I can wait that long to see what's coming to save wasting money on detectors I don't need right now.

I agree, I'm right there with you. I didn't think that Minelab was just resting on their laurels. 😉

[DOOGY-MD]

Hmm...thanks, I will wait as well....great info!

[phrunt]

You can read it here if you want to

https://codan.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ASX_CDA_Half-Yearly-Report-and-Accounts_17.02.2022.pdf

 

[Geotech]

2 hours ago, Cal_Cobra said:

Ever see an analog multi freaker? 🙄
Pretty sure you'll find a CPU inside Fisher CZs.

Only in the CZ7/CZ70 models, the other CZs were all-analog.

The most impressive all-analog design I've seen is the White's XL-Pro. While only SF, it had auto ground tracking which is an impressive feat in analog. An all-analog MF with auto-track might be possible but I wouldn't want to try it. It's funny, not only do the newest designs use micros but X-Terra/Equinox & Deus1/2 are almost all-micro. They are direct-sampling designs with almost no analog.

[Cal_Cobra]

33 minutes ago, Geotech said:

Only in the CZ7/CZ70 models, the other CZs were all-analog.

The most impressive all-analog design I've seen is the White's XL-Pro. While only SF, it had auto ground tracking which is an impressive feat in analog. An all-analog MF with auto-track might be possible but I wouldn't want to try it. It's funny, not only do the newest designs use micros but X-Terra/Equinox & Deus1/2 are almost all-micro. They are direct-sampling designs with almost no analog.

Good info Carl, thanks for sharing that.  I've read that the digital CZ7/CZ70 models were Fisher's attempt to compete with the [then] new Minelab Explorers.   They tried to get a DD coil to work with the CZ's but felt it didn't work properly so it never saw production.  I know someone who was able to pick one up (someone that lived in Los Banos sold a bunch of old Fisher stuff a while back on fleabay that was clearly from their R&D dept., probably an old employee from the original company) and he said that the DD coil actually worked fine, just that the target ID was off, but once you learned it, it worked well.  The Fisher CZ70 Pro was my first deep silver seeker, loved that machine.

[Steve Herschbach]

On 2/17/2022 at 11:09 AM, Cal_Cobra said:

I heard from folks in the "know" that they were already working on the next gen Equinox before they even released the current models.  Makes sense, multi freq machines are much more work then a single freq VLF.  Geotech said something to the effect that a VLF may have around 10,000 lines of software code versus a multi freq which is more into 100,000+ lines of code, so a lot more moving parts to engineer.  Probably why we have yet to see FTP release one in decades.

Minelab engages in continuous product development, and so just because a new detector comes out does not mean work pauses. It simply continues in until the next level is reached. Anyone who follows Minelab knows they basically fill the weakest areas in their product lineup in a round robin fashion; attention typically shifts back and forth from coin to nugget detecting, and back. At this point they have a full spectrum of detectors, so it’s mostly a matter of updating the oldest products. “Where is the weak link in our offerings?” With GPX 6000 being the last major release, a new coin detector up next makes the most sense. There are coin models older than the Equinox by a long shot, so an Equinox replacement is not something I’d bet on. When old models are discontinued, that’s also a fairly large clue about what’s coming next.

[mh9162013]

4 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

When old models are discontinued, that’s also a fairly large clue about what’s coming next.

And the E-Trac was recently discontinued, right? 😁

[phrunt]

I'd expect a new CTX from the discontinuation of an E-Trac, not a new E-trac, I've been expecting one for a while now, I ended up giving in and buying one after waiting for some time for a new one to come out, I'm glad I did give in, I love my CTX, if a new one comes out great! I'd love a new improved CTX even more I'm sure.

[mh9162013]

7 minutes ago, phrunt said:

I'd expect a new CTX from the discontinuation of an E-Trac, not a new E-trac, I've been expecting one for a while now, I ended up giving in and buying one after waiting for some time for a new one to come out, I'm glad I did give in, I love my CTX, if a new one comes out great! I'd love a new improved CTX even more I'm sure.

I assume that any replacement for the E-Trac would also be a replacement for the CTX and vice versa. 

[Cal_Cobra]

Does a new CTX make sense?   I suppose we won't know until if and when one surfaces.

I suspect the Equinox was far more successful than Minelab anticipated, it had to erode CTX sales.   In light of the success of the Equinox, what's the market for a new CTX (especially if it retains a similar list price to the current unit)?  If they don't go the same ergo/weight direction the Equinox took, I think they'll have a hard time selling heavy $2500 detectors that's cannot outperform an Equinox, unless they truly are a magnitude better than the Equinox, which I doubt will be the case. 

Time will tell, all eyes will be on Detectival this fall 🙂