New Minelab Manticore

[GB_Amateur]

I'm a bit surprised that no one has pointed out a (IMO) questionable statement made in Rob's video (thread link page here).  Well, OK, maybe everyone is tired of watching sales videos.  Rob's (26 minutes) has some cut-and-paste of the live blog (62 minute video) with Minelab America's rep Debbie.  I can't bring myself to watch that longer one (but I've watched hours of videos with one of the Manticore and Equinox engineers -- Mark Lawrie).  Rob asked her some questions in the Myers' Treasure shop that I don't think made the long video.  One of them was about the robustness of the new pod to water ingress.  (Go to 15:45 in the first video posted on page 70 of this thread -- linked above.  What I quote below was stated around 16:45 of the video, but it's worth starting a minute earlier to get the full feel for what transpired in the shop.)

Debbie said "...this is not to diminish that there was (sic) leakage problems with the Equinox, but overall for the amount we made and sold it was less than point zero one percent."  Rob then tried to get her to say how many were sold but she was consistent with ML policy of not revealing those kinds of sales figures.  However, let's play with the numbers:

0.01% is 0.0001.  For every million sold (multiply 0.0001 times 1,000,000), that corresponds to 100 units.  Let's give her (them?) the benefit of the doubt that this is based on the number of detectors returned for warranty repair/replacement.  Does that seem consistent with the failure rate we've heard about?

[Jeff McClendon]

I have been able to jump on the new release bandwagon for several recent releases thanks to being retired, having a little extra money and lots of time. To say that my experience has been totally positive with all of these newly released detectors would be dishonest. In fact, it has been very much a mixed bag. Believe or not the marketing/Youtube influencer hype at your own peril. I wish it wasn't this way but it's 2022/23

Equinox absolutely changed the world of detecting for me due to where and what I hunt even though I wish the target ID scale had more room in the low to mid conductor area. I also wish it had a "Pitch Tone" option in its Park and Field modes for modern Canadian coins and other steel core coins/targets. I have had no issues with any Equinox I have owned aside from wobbly shafts that were replaced with carbon fiber. So the Equinox blew me away as an incredible detector.

Garrett ACE Apex.....just didn't cut it as an intermediate detector and both of the ones I owned had major problems right out of the box and spent a lot of time traveling from Colorado to Texas and back.

Simplex was a fantastic detector for a beginner or casual users but its ability to handle high iron mineralization (being single frequency why should it????) left it sitting in the corner.

Vanquish models in spite of being simultaneous multi frequency couldn't handle high iron mineralization either and had the same ID scale/tone limitations as the Equinox.......also sat in the corner.

Minelab GPX 6000.....great detector, super sensitive......but way too limited as a PI......basically it is having an unofficial recall. For me, all Minelab had to do was release an 11" or smaller DD coil for EMI mitigation and I would still own it...... a PI with four automatic coil type Mono/DD sensing search modes (2 DD coil modes) and only one 14" DD coil released versus 8 Mono coils released/in production......No small DD coil on any horizon I can see. Lost an owner/customer.

XP Deus 2......fantastic lightweight simultaneous multi frequency detector that thankfully is still in its Beta software stage. Hopefully it will actually have a functioning small nugget gold prospecting mode some day. It is one killer coin/jewerly shooter in modern aluminum trash and since it's a Deus, it already excels in iron trash. When an official or aftermarket surf/dive shaft is released that can route the antenna wire more securely, this detector will also be even better.

Nokta Legend..... this detector, besides the Equinox is the only newly released detector that has really surprised me in a good way. It performs way better than I expected where I detect on the targets I most often hunt. It actually has the two improvements that I wanted on the Equinox= expanded target IDs in the low to mid conductor range and Pitch Tones for Park, Field and Beach. Plus it has several more user profile slots, collapsible carbon fiber shafts, robust coil ears, doesn't leak so far........ Sure there have been some software, chip, speaker and coil problems that have been quickly addressed (well quick for a pandemic, chip, labor shortage/ supply chain hampered, industry)  If a person off the street that had some beginner level experience with basic detectors asked me to recommend a good quality, intermediate level, affordable, waterproof SMF, right now I would recommend the Legend over the Equinox every time. Well done Nokta!!!

Manticore.....the Equinox is such a good detector that the Manticore will have to be substantially better in performance and actually (proven by users not hypers) have a better shaft system, won't leak, coil ears won't break, etc..........No proof of any of that yet so like others, I am sitting this one out.

[Jeff McClendon]

22 minutes ago, GB_Amateur said:

I'm a bit surprised that no one has pointed out a (IMO) questionable statement made in Rob's video (thread link page here).  Well, OK, maybe everyone is tired of watching sales videos.  Rob's (26 minutes) has some cut-and-paste of the live blog (62 minute video) with Minelab America's rep Debbie.  I can't bring myself to watch that longer one (but I've watched hours of videos with one of the Manticore and Equinox engineers -- Mark Lawrie).  Rob asked her some questions in the Myers' Treasure shop that I don't think made the long video.  One of them was about the robustness of the new pod to water ingress.  (Go to 15:45 in the first video posted on page 70 of this thread -- linked above.  What I quote below was stated around 16:45 of the video, but it's worth starting a minute earlier to get the full feel for what transpired in the shop.)

Debbie said "...this is not to diminish that there was (sic) leakage problems with the Equinox, but overall for the amount we made and sold it was less than point zero one percent."  Rob then tried to get her to say how many were sold but she was consistent with ML policy of not revealing those kinds of sales figures.  However, let's play with the numbers:

0.01% is 0.0001.  For every million sold (multiply 0.0001 times 1,000,000), that corresponds to 100 units.  Let's give her (them?) the benefit of the doubt that this is based on the number of detectors returned for warranty repair/replacement.  Does that seem consistent with the failure rate we've heard about?

Just go to Gigmaster's YouTube site and read some of the comments when he has posted a video about the Equinox leaking......

The answer is NO.

[dsb]

No cracks on mine (NOX) and finally had it underwater briefly, whew!   Minelab could get a lot of us off the fence by releasing some well produced vid's. Give it to their detectorists and show some hunts with screen shots and dig results.  Not a big production cost, people put these out every day.  Tweaking software i understand but get some well produced content out.  Everything so far is a jumbled up mess.  Had enough of 5 people blabbing while answering livestreamers questions.   

[Jeff McClendon]

9 minutes ago, NAGANT said:

No cracks on mine (NOX) and finally had it underwater briefly, whew!   Minelab could get a lot of us off the fence by releasing some well produced vid's. Give it to their detectorists and show some hunts with screen shots and dig results.  Not a big production cost, people put these out every day.  Tweaking software i understand but get some well produced content out.  Everything so far is a jumbled up mess.  Had enough of 5 people blabbing while answering livestreamers questions.   

Even a preliminary manual would be nice for sure. Translating a pre-release manual into dozens of languages and then having a long list of addendums before the actual manual is released......not Minelab's style. Since that has not happened yet, for me that means there is more going on than some software tweaks as far as the Manticore being production ready for release on a large scale. 

 

[phrunt]

2 hours ago, GB_Amateur said:

Debbie said "...this is not to diminish that there was (sic) leakage problems with the Equinox, but overall for the amount we made and sold it was less than point zero one percent."  Rob then tried to get her to say how many were sold but she was consistent with ML policy of not revealing those kinds of sales figures.  However, let's play with the numbers:

0.01% is 0.0001.  For every million sold (multiply 0.0001 times 1,000,000), that corresponds to 100 units.  Let's give her (them?) the benefit of the doubt that this is based on the number of detectors returned for warranty repair/replacement.  Does that seem consistent with the failure rate we've heard about?

I get tired of manipulation of numbers Minelab do, %'s and star charts that Minelab are now famous for that are highly deceptive,  they say what they can get away with saying.   They use such things to deceive people for marketing purposes.   They give so little information what they're saying leaves a lot of room for misinterpretation in their favour or they just use them to make a product look better than it really is. 

The Nox is a leaker! the numbers she's given there are false.  We all have either had one leak or have a friend or two that has.  It's easy for them to say it's next to no Noxes have leaked, but I would say personal experiences of people that we all know prove otherwise.  A more realistic answer that I would have believed would have been because only 5% of people use their Nox in water, and only 20% of those people get a leak the number of leaking Noxes isn't exceptionally high compared to the number sold.  If every Nox owner was a water hunter they'd be leaking like sieves.  If they released the Excalibur with the Nox leaking issues imagine the outcry, people buy that for the water, if it had the same failure rate as the Nox in water they'd have to do a recall.

[GB_Amateur]

18 minutes ago, phrunt said:

A more realistic answer that I would have believed would have been because only 5% of people use their Nox in water, and only 20% of those people get a leak the number of leaking Noxes isn't exceptionally high compared to the number sold.

Multiplying those two numbers is still 1% or 100 times what she said.  Now, maybe 1% (or equivalently 0.01) is what she meant and got the two things mixed up (in ML's favor)....

[Cal_Cobra]

5 hours ago, strick said:

A lot because I wont be using the Nox that much any more. 🤣 

Seriously with the enhanced target ID screen those that have ran the Etrac and the CTX previously realize the value of this...what those machines lacked...speed, ergonomics and light weight are now in the new machine...I'm on the list as well..

strick

You almost sound excited about the Manticore 🤔 

I have my order in, #1 on the dealers list 😁 

We should get together and test them out at the springs if that's possible?  Ground's fairly tame, don't believe I've ever encountered EMI out there, so that extra depth, no matter how minimal, could come in handy 👍

[strick]

4 hours ago, Cal_Cobra said:

You almost sound excited about the Manticore 🤔 

I have my order in, #1 on the dealers list 😁 

We should get together and test them out at the springs if that's possible?  Ground's fairly tame, don't believe I've ever encountered EMI out there, so that extra depth, no matter how minimal, could come in handy 👍

 Yes I could still get us out there I have not been there in a long time probably eight months or more...last time found a v nickel right on top of the ground! After the big deluge of rain we had last winter...of course I have other spots as well lol 

Strick

[longbow62]

I guess I'm a contrarian. I'm not one to take the popular position without some thinking about it first. On the leaking issue. What's Minelab to do? As long as the Equinox is sold in it's present form and branding it's a potential warranty claim. I mean Minelab still claims a 10ft. depth rating. I have heard the most common detector on the beach is the Equinox. Minelab must still have confidence in it's waterproofing or they would change a few things and just rebrand it as a land only detector. Then they would only have to worry about units with serial numbers before the change.

I don't deny units leaked. I have know idea the percentage. I do know the internet can greatly blow things far out of proportion to what the reality actually is. Again they are still selling them as waterproof to 10ft. despite all you hear about leaking. It kinda makes no sense for them to that if in fact that many are actually leaking.