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XP Orx, Garrett Apex, Nokta Legend Target ID Accuracy


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That's pretty neat for night detecting! A good idea.  It just looked strange in the video.

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Thanks for posting the video. That is a slick test set up you have made with the foam insert & PVC pipe.  Have you observed any notable difference in your high mineral soil using the foam to hold the test coin vs the coin being under a layer of actual high mineral soil? Are your paving stones mineralized as well?

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22 hours ago, PSPR said:

I also noticed the Legend going dark.  I'm glad I know about that before mine arrives.

I've heard that the Apex is difficult until you figure it out.  Garrett needs to up their game in the VLF area.

The Apex is a straight forward easy to learn detector so the only thing left to "figure out" is will it work well in difficult soil conditions.

Apparently for some including me, the Apex doesn't if good target ID accuracy on coin sized targets deeper than 3" and achieving advertised depth are what is needed .

The ORX would not be my first choice for coin/jewelry hunting in high mineralization and high modern aluminum trash either since target ID accuracy and maximum advertised depth are severely affected and digging restrictions (can't just dig it all without being banned from city parks and private yards, etc.) makes using the ORX pretty frustrating. 

In scenarios where there is milder mineralization, no digging restrictions and digging all good sounding targets where basically ignoring target IDs is the way to go.....no problem with either detector.

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31 minutes ago, JCR said:

Thanks for posting the video. That is a slick test set up you have made with the foam insert & PVC pipe.  Have you observed any notable difference in your high mineral soil using the foam to hold the test coin vs the coin being under a layer of actual high mineral soil? Are your paving stones mineralized as well?

The sandstone is from my area (Fountain formation sandstone) and it has fairly high magnetite. The ground underneath them is really bad. 

I look at using the foam/PVC pipe this way.....it is way more realistic than air testing for sure and I can use it for trash, relics, nuggets and jewelry too. The 6" nickel and 6" quarter along with the other targets in my test area are all "in the ground" well established targets. I don't see much difference between the established targets and the PVC/foam setup.

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Thanks, that is good to know. In the past I have used a dug trench & placed targets in the undisturbed sidewall. After a while the walls start to crumble. Now I just use permanent buried test scenarios.

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2 hours ago, PSPR said:

I've heard that the Apex is difficult until you figure it out.  Garrett needs to up their game in the VLF area.

I have tested the Apex during 20 hours and I have never really figured it out 🙂  ...  Either in clean or in iron trashed areas ...  Garrett needs to redesign a totally new machine if they want to have a chance to survive in the VLF detecting world because the competition will not wait for them , either ML , Nokta , or XP ...   Just my opinion 

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I'm beginning to realize that the best detecting location is the backyard of metal detector owners.  Just find their test bed and dig up those targets!!  Sounds like a good way to find coins, rings and jewelry fairly consistently.  LOL 

I know I left a small gold ring in the back yard of the house we sold in Florida when we moved to Texas.  My detector was packed away and I dug out the spot I buried it but couldn't find the gold ring without a detector or pinpointer!!!  My loss.

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Nothing to figure out except to note that Garrett has work to do if they want to compete in multifrequency. Apex seems more like it was done just to check off that box “we have a multifrequency detector” than a serious effort to compete on top performance. Calling it an Ace says they know that. The big question is whether or not getting the rights to White’s DFX/V3i information will help in developing a detector that does compete with the heavy hitters. Garrett is in dire need of a new flagship detector. The GTI 2500 is so old, over 20 years now, that most people would assume the AT Max is the actual flagship detector at Garrett, and effectively it is. But neither is good enough any more.

Axiom really puts Garrett squarely back in the game as far as PI detectors go, so one would have to think their focus would go next into getting that new flagship to market. No, I know absolutely nothing about that. I just spent a couple weeks with Garrett top management, and frankly it never even crossed my mind to ask. I have to admit I really don’t care. They can do something, or not, whatever. It’s their business to win or lose, and I have zero interest in getting involved in anything to do with new coin detectors. What’s on the market already is more than good enough for me.

When I talk MF detectors I mention Equinox, Legend, and Deus II. We can add Manticore to that list soon. I’ve never considered the Apex to be in the same class, and at some point hopefully people will figure out it’s just an Ace detector that works well on saltwater beaches. There is no other area where it is more than just ok at best, just another Ace model in a nice little package.

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If Garrett could get the rights legally to put the Vanquish tech inside of the beautiful APEX control housing.......now I would gladly pay $400 to $500 for that detector if they added manual ground balance and selectable single frequency and Z-Lynk. It could even be a joint Minelab/Garrett venture somehow.   

That detector would sell out fast here in North America. Just waterproof it and.....Holy Cow!

As it stands right now....the Apex is a $400 to $500 ergonomic/exterior beauty with Ace 200, $200 performance unless its being used at a saltwater beach where its Multi Sand setting actually offers a bit of an advantage.

I am being generous with that assessment at least for where I detect.

On the other hand, if selling plenty of the APEX detectors helps Garrett fund its more advanced SMF tech.......then it is worth it.

 

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