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Do Detectorist Need A High End Multi Frequency Detector


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Hello there, long time forum observer here  and thank you to Mr Hershback for this great website.

I'm wondering if detectorist really need to have maybe a small advantage in performance and features on high end detector vs the mid range detectors? or even maybe some of the beginner detectors. As in my conclusion by observing information's from this forum (since i didn't have the resources to test out by myself) there are very small difference in performance between the legend, equinox and deus 2.

I guess what I'm asking is where/in which scenario the high end detector shines from all other detector to justify the price. Thank you for reading and sorry for my bad English. Happy hunting wherever you at.
 

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Good advice from the Ridge Runner. You can get into a multi-frequency machine for as little as $199 USD (Minelab Vanquish 340). The main advantages of simultaneous multi-frequency machines are their descrimination and ground noise rejection capabilities which really show their strength in highly mineralized ground and for salt water beach use.

Although SMF machines were developed to improve detecting in areas that single frequency machines have problems, a single frequency machine can be just as effective as an SMF machine in the hands of someone who knows how to use it.

 

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A terrific question,i do own many many machines from old Classics right upto the latest multi freq that cost 4 figures or more,do these newer modern machines find me more ?? i have found the reverse,my old original green T2 from 2006/7 has still found me more gold hammered/milled coinage than all my other machines put together.

Do the latest machines have some advantages my reply would be yes on say highly mineralised sites,but for 95% of the time a single freq detector will do here in the UK of course not on wet sand etc,since i started using my Deus 1 about 7/8 years ago my find rate plummeted like a lead balloon as did when i started using my Nox 3 years back,so after giving these 2 popular machines a go and with 100s if our on both and many other high end machines my finds rate never returned,but when i started using my old faithful T2 and also my old DFX in single freq my finds rate shot up again back to how it was many years ago.

The amount of settings that need to be changed on these modern machine i honestly dont thing folks gain much,simplicity and enjoyment and increase back into my old finds level is why i love using my T2,it takes just seconds to setup and i am away finding decent finds again.

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Just got a email Minelab saying 100 dollars off both the Equinox 600 are 800 . 
I posted this on Minelab Equinox forum.

 Chuck 

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Owning the 800, Kruzer and a few Tesoro's. I would have to say that multi freq. machines have an advantage at the beach for sure, But single freq. machines will hold their own or surpass the multi's in dirt, in my opinion. One of the main reasons I purchased the 800 was because it was waterproof and also fairly lite. Most of the time I'm running single freq. on the 800 and I'm finding more stuff. You do not have to spend a lot of money for a great machine. Single freq. machines have been killing it for a long time and will continue to do so.  At this moment in time I doubt I would ever purchase another multi. I find in running multi they bias towards iron even with it turned off. My 800 will favor iron over a silver target 1 inch away and my Tesoros will disc the iron out. But if you mostly beach hunt I would say go multi. The Vanquish is a great lower priced unit with coil options. Look at your skill level, Your wallet, and the type of detecting you like to do. There are tons of great machines that are not multi that will put a big smile on your face every time you take it out. I've said it once and I'll say it again. Just because it's new, shiny and just on the market doesn't make it the best. 99% of all my best finds were with single freq. machines and I expect that to be true in  the future. Good luck navigating all the peer pressure, It can be horrible at times. Please feel free to ask more questions about any detector choice you have. Thanks for posting!!!!

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Hunting in mild ground and sandy lakes, those area I would say don't need SMF. I have 2 and probably will get a 3rd SMF detector. 

I just picked up an AT Gold and got a Nel Superfly coil. I'm very impressed with the performance, separation and how quiet it running. Makes me smile going thru iron with no noise and no falsing. I am enjoying using it and I have say right now I'm using it more than my SMF detectors.

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Yes, of course there is an edge with more expensive detectors, some mostly with features and frequencies in certain models/brands... In trash, salty areas or high mineralisation there are benefits especially with newer multi frequency detectors....

I can have just as much fun in a mild soil sports field with not too much trash with my Ace 300 with a big coil as I can my CTX 3030, and my finds tally wouldn't be all that much different either.   It really comes down to location and what you're looking for.  In a general park setting as long as trash levels aren't too high just about any reasonable detector will do.  Once difficulties come into the equation like salt, dense trash, high mineralisation etc then the higher priced detectors come into their own.  

As long as your detector is designed for the targets you're chasing in the conditions that suits it the advantage gap isn't so evident between low and high end.  You're not going to use an Ace 300i for example for gold prospecting, yes it may find big easy nuggets but it's not going to be even remotely good enough compared to a suitable machine, but if you use it in a mild soil park setting with minimal trash that it was designed for it'll do very well and a higher end detector won't do much better at all.

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Thank you for the response. For me when I jumped to the equinox 800 4 years ago it helped me a lot on the site that I detect  mostly in oil palm plantations which is mineralized dependent on day/tides (the site is near river close to the ocean as I noticed I lose depth when high tides). I love the nox so much so I bought all the minelab coil and I'm happy with all the purchase except the 15' coil though due to the fact that I cant increase sensitivity because its introduce more EMI so its the more or less like 11' coil . I only get the coverage advantage over the 11' coil. 

There was some scenario which I wondered if the high end detector help the signal clarity or even gives more depth on dig or not to dig signal.

For example :

a) by using equinox Field 1 (11' coil) sensitivity of 21-23/recovery speed of 5 on this hunt. Got a faint repeatable signal that doesn't register on ID that made me stop and investigate. After a few slow sweep I got negative ID on the nox.

b) Increased the sensitivity to 25 and lower the reactivity to 3 ( I usually do not use the recovery speed  below 5 because for me the tones is like dragging? and its hard to decipher with that kind of dragging). With this setting i get jumpy ID bouncing around 18 to 30.

c) below is the picture of the hole i dug and the item I found in the hole

pic1.thumb.jpg.586c4e1b89153f07cd1f500db3cb6f94.jpg

Picture 1: I hope this picture can give the perception of depth. The soil is wet clay, when in dry climate the clay is hard like a stone brick.

 

pic2.thumb.jpg.37a865170d81c5ffe669e5feb524de7e.jpg

Picture 2: 280 years old coin

Here come the Deus 2 and Motleycorew. I've done some research regarding Dues 2 online since I cant test it physically in my country. There's practically no one in my country that I know of using the XP product. If lets say, I decide to buy the XP deus 2, there will be no support whatsoever from XP that close to me. For minelab product, there is no problem with support. 

For now my eyes is on XP Deus 2, because it abilty to choose much more single frequencies compare to minelab with the hope of the Deus 2 single frequency mode is similar with Deus 1 (as i read and watch video on deus 1) performance and tonal wise. For mild ground with dense iron I will be using the single frequency mode on deus 2. At least that is my thinking for now until the manticore been tested and review on this forum.

Thank you again for reading and reply.

 

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Fish, nice coin👍,

   I think you are on the right track with your Nox! Yeah, those deep iffy signals are a "dig" for me! Also, I'm sure you have noticed the Nox's tendency of the signal to totally disappear, when digging the target! It can be annoying, but I've become used to this aspect, and keep digging, and checking the sides and bottom of the hole with the coil, or a pinpointer, to see if I passed the target, or it's out already! If all else fails, fill in the hole, and start over! That will sometimes change the signal quality of the object!!

   Like Dogo; and others have said, single frequency has it's advantages, and the Nox is no slouch with it's own versions! But many of us have our own preferences, and experiences with different kinds and types of detectors, and conditions to reference! So it's very tough to give you any specific information! It's all highly subjective, and it's your money to spend! So do all the research you can, and be confident in your choice, if you buy another detector! They will all find stuff!

  Good luck, and keep finding them oldies!!👍👍

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