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New XP Master - Deus II For Half The Price?


Steve Herschbach

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The diving bag shown in the photos works great. 

There is definitely a market for used Deus 2 remote controls if you price it right and include the pressure plugs, charging cable and waterproof kit as an option. Some people want a land remote and a diving remote. Mine sold in less than 6 hours on Ebay.

Sell the remote and buy a set of WSA lls or use a different wireless audio system with the audio adapter.

The wristband is humongous by the way.......

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i have the lite with ws6 and theres some issues

no xy screen  i can find yet

maybe its on .71???

and the wsaii headphones are cheap and nasty ,they work ok but on a 3rd party headband they dont work but the ws6 does work ok..

but its lite and cheaper i found  didnt need the remote at all

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I bought the WSA II headphones to give me the option of using the WS6 headphone puck as the remote.  Amazingly modular detector, and since it lacks a coil cable, it folds up so fast and easy.  This lightweight configuration is perfect for backpacking and travel.

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1 hour ago, brys said:

i have the lite with ws6 and theres some issues

no xy screen  i can find yet

maybe its on .71???

and the wsaii headphones are cheap and nasty ,they work ok but on a 3rd party headband they dont work but the ws6 does work ok..

On 9/12/2022 at 5:41 PM, Jeff McClendon said:

I have this setup and man it is super lightweight. No major complaints.

The three things I want changed (besides poor gold prospecting performance)......Notch can only go to 00-00. I definitely do not want notch set at 00-00 when I am gold prospecting or micro gold jewelry hunting since so many of the targets I hunt tend to read 00...... XP has said that they will include Notch OFF in the next update..........Notch only applies to one notch being available unlike the three that are available on the full Deus  2 remote. 12 programs and 12 user profiles is a bit misleading. 12 programs and 1 user profile for each program is what it really means. I could create 12 user profiles based on just one program using the full Deus 2 remote. I can only set one user profile per program on the WS6 currently.

While I understand some of these asks, I think Master package users should temper expectations that XP is going modify the WS6 closely replicate the features provided on the full remote.

The 00 notch on/off should definitely be fixed because it can affect micro target detectability, but some of the other "want changed" nice to have features that would bring the WS6 closer in functionality to the remote are likely not going to be addressed from a pure XP business perspectiive.  The Lite Master package provides an economic advantage vs. the full up D2 package and even the D2 with full remote and the "dumb" WSAII wireless phones or just wired phones.  With that economic advantage (WSA6 vs. Full Remote price delta is about $400 US so identical D2 configurations wherein the only difference is the WS6 puck is subbed in for the Remote are always going to be at least $400 to $750 cheaper) comes compromises in features.  And with the puck's smaller factor that limits the user interface, I am certain XP will make some arbitrary decisions to permanently leave features off the WS6 (even if they are technically feasible to be included) just as Minelab did to "create" the value alternative to the Equinox 800, the Equinox 600. 

So if you can live with these relatively few compromises, the WS6 master presents a huge value alternative.

Personally, I am not willing to give up on any of the remote's features because I extensively use custom program switching on the fly to do target interrogation and the puck's interface is too clunkly and lacks the ability for me to group adjacent custom programs in the customized sequence I prefer.  But I am willing to forgo the WS6 puck altogether and sub in the dumb WSAII puck or wired phones to save a couple hundred bucks.

The bottom line is that this package and the the other XP dumb wireless headphone options illustrate one of the most underrated features of the platform which is its modularity and vast reconfigurability.

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2 hours ago, Chase Goldman said:

While I understand some of these asks, I think Master package users should temper expectations that XP is going modify the WS6 closely replicate the features provided on the full remote.

The 00 notch on/off should definitely be fixed because it can affect micro target detectability, but some of the other "want changed" nice to have features that would bring the WS6 closer in functionality to the remote are likely not going to be addressed from a pure XP business perspectiive.  The Lite Master package provides an economic advantage vs. the full up D2 package and even the D2 with full remote and the "dumb" WSAII wireless phones or just wired phones.  With that economic advantage (WSA6 vs. Full Remote price delta is about $400 US so identical D2 configurations wherein the only difference is the WS6 puck is subbed in for the Remote are always going to be at least $400 to $750 cheaper) comes compromises in features.  And with the puck's smaller factor that limits the user interface, I am certain XP will make some arbitrary decisions to permanently leave features off the WS6 (even if they are technically feasible to be included) just as Minelab did to "create" the value alternative to the Equinox 800, the Equinox 600. 

So if you can live with these relatively few compromises, the WS6 master presents a huge value alternative.

Personally, I am not willing to give up on any of the remote's features because I extensively use custom program switching on the fly to do target interrogation and the puck's interface is too clunkly and lacks the ability for me to group adjacent custom programs in the customized sequence I prefer.  But I am willing to forgo the WS6 puck altogether and sub in the dumb WSAII puck or wired phones to save a couple hundred bucks.

The bottom line is that this package and the the other XP dumb wireless headphone options illustrate one of the most underrated features of the platform which is its modularity and vast reconfigurability.

This little statement from XP's WS6 Master Function/Settings list......."More settings coming with the following updates"..........and a similar one in the WS6 Master manual gives me a bit of hope that XP may be willing to change a few things if enough users request it instead of just accepting whatever configuration XP thinks is best..........  XP have already proven that they are willing (either for competitive reasons or from user suggestions or more likely both) to make on the fly adjustments through updates along with long term product changes like FMF, waterproofing and audio enhancements. 

Confirmation has already been directly received that XP will add Notch OFF in the next 0.8 update for the WS6.....see, they listen. 

I can live with no further Notch expert options......one notch is kind of ridiculous and petty in my opinion but, no big deal. I have already accepted the weirdness that XP will never give its Deus users full target ID scale single digit notching with no limits like its competitors have provided. It's just bizarre........It's like building a luxury car, charging a luxury price but the only option provided for opening the windows is with a manual hand crank......

The big one for me and you also are the (arbitrary???) limits placed on the 12 User Profile custom programs. Deus 1 WS4/5 had a limit on how many could be created.......fine, not a big deal. WS4/5 did not have a limit on how many could be created from one program and in what order a user would arrange them. Are they picking up on my forgetfulness and are making it easier for me to remember which program my Custom Program is based on since I can't name it using the WS6?  Those two restrictions on WS6 custom programming just seem to me to be another step in the extremely wrong direction and like the inadequacies of FMF Goldfield........a real head scratcher and forehead smacker🤪

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2 hours ago, Chase Goldman said:

Personally, I am not willing to give up on any of the remote's features because I extensively use custom program switching on the fly to do target interrogation and the puck's interface is too clunkly and lacks the ability for me to group adjacent custom programs

YES^^^ Double YES^^^^

Exacerbated by old eyes and large sausage fingers. 😃

 

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8 hours ago, midalake said:

YES^^^ Double YES^^^^

Exacerbated by old eyes and large sausage fingers. 😃

 

You too?  :laugh:

 

10 hours ago, Jeff McClendon said:

The big one for me and you also are the (arbitrary???) limits placed on the 12 User Profile custom programs. Deus 1 WS4/5 had a limit on how many could be created.......fine, not a big deal. WS4/5 did not have a limit on how many could be created from one program and in what order a user would arrange them. Are they picking up on my forgetfulness and are making it easier for me to remember which program my Custom Program is based on since I can't name it using the WS6?  Those two restrictions on WS6 custom programming just seem to me to be another step in the extremely wrong direction and like the inadequacies of FMF Goldfield........a real head scratcher and forehead smacker🤪

What happened is on the D2 platform, XP stepped away from custom programming the coil on the fly like they did with the D1.  With the programs stored on the coil it didn’t matter whether you were using the puck or the remote as you could step through the custom programs using either device but you programmed the custom programs on the coil using only the remote (if you had one - if you were using the Deus Lite then you were relegated to the stock programs with custom program tweaks that would only persist until you shut the puck off.)  With D2, the custom program resides on the master device independently so that each master device (remote or puck) contains the custom program settings, and apparently there are limitations (arbitrary ir real) that limit program customization on the puck.  

The upshot is XP designed the puck to have as much control of custom settings as possible to suit the typical UK relic hunter standard operating procedure that started with the D1 paradigm.  Namely, program the coil as desired using the remote and then set out on your hunt using only the puck for rudimentary control, visual TID as desired, or as a pure audio only detector. UK hunters generally tweaked a single custom user program and then went with that for the entire day.  XP gradually added control features to the puck with subsequent major updates.

Flash forward to the D2, now you have a truly autonomous and powerful Master puck (or remote) that you can use to fully customize a user profile without needing the remote at all other than if you think the remote’s limited additional features are worth the extra $400 to $750 US.

So to answer your question more directly, Jeff.  Yes they have improved overall functionality of the D2 Lite/WS6 Master setup and it’s an almost perfect economic “hack” vs. D1 or even the D2 “full remote”.  But they are going to intentionally hold back some functionality to incentivize folks to decide for themselves the value proposition of those added features and enhancements to the point that they are willing to choose to spend anywhere from $400 to $750 more for those added features.  For the WS6 Master user it is certainly frustrating to have something so close to checking all the boxes but not quite.  It’s not pragmatic or head scratchingly mysterious, it’s just business.
 

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1 hour ago, Chase Goldman said:

You too?  :laugh:

 

What happened is on the D2 platform, XP stepped away from custom programming the coil on the fly like they did with the D1.  With the programs stored on the coil it didn’t matter whether you were using the puck or the remote as you could step through the custom programs using either device but you programmed the custom programs on the coil using only the remote (if you had one - if you were using the Deus Lite then you were relegated to the stock programs with custom program tweaks that would only persist until you shut the puck off.)  With D2, the custom program resides on the master device independently so that each master device (remote or puck) contains the custom program settings, and apparently there are limitations (arbitrary ir real) that limit program customization on the puck.  

The upshot is XP designed the puck to have as much control of custom settings as possible to suit the typical UK relic hunter standard operating procedure that started with the D1 paradigm.  Namely, program the coil as desired using the remote and then set out on your hunt using only the puck for rudimentary control, visual TID as desired, or as a pure audio only detector. UK hunters generally tweaked a single custom user program and then went with that for the entire day.  XP gradually added control features to the puck with subsequent major updates.

Flash forward to the D2, now you have a truly autonomous and powerful Master puck (or remote) that you can use to fully customize a user profile without needing the remote at all other than if you think the remote’s limited additional features are worth the extra $400 to $750 US.

So to answer your question more directly, Jeff.  Yes they have improved overall functionality of the D2 Lite/WS6 Master setup and it’s an almost perfect economic “hack” vs. D1 or even the D2 “full remote”.  But they are going to intentionally hold back some functionality to incentivize folks to decide for themselves the value proposition of those added features and enhancements to the point that they are willing to choose to spend anywhere from $400 to $750 more for those added features.  For the WS6 Master user it is certainly frustrating to have something so close to checking all the boxes but not quite.  It’s not pragmatic or head scratchingly mysterious, it’s just business.
 

That was a great explanation and I have no doubt that you know what your are talking about. I can totally accept those User Profile limitations and work around it. At least there are plenty of Deus Fast based programs to work with in Deus 2’s FMF program lineup. I will just need to plan better when I want to go back and forth between programs.

Hopefully it really is true that there is no loss in overall performance between the two platforms .

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I think it makes sense for a company to make a more cost effective version of a product albeit with somewhat hobbled features. That happens in every business model. If XP offered the full range of features with the Puck Master version, not many people would feel the need to buy the full remote version. I do feel they've made the Puck Master version well worth the price though and probably added much more to it than other companies would have. At least they came up with a viable model to compete with the cheaper competitors out there. We'll have to see how it all plays out through the final updates, but I'd say so far, so good. 😏

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