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Hello From The California Sierras


Olblueiiii

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  I am grateful to be here. I have read many articles and watched a lot of YouTube, but I have zero hands-on detecting experience. I have wanted to get into detecting for decades, but health and/or money issues kept that from happening. Until now.

  I am finally in a position to get my first detector. I want to get the best detector I can afford. I am near the California Gold Country, but I also want to do general detecting at beaches, parks, etc. I have always wanted a Minelab detector, so I am looking at the new Equinox 900 with its two coils and the ability to adapt to many situations. I also wonder about swallowing hard and finding a way to afford the more powerful Manticore and an additional 8" x 5.5" coil. I am intrigued by the information shown on the Manticore's 2D screen and wonder how useful that information actually is. Can't you learn at least some of what's shown on the Manticore's screen just by listening to the tones from the 900?  Is the Manticore with a second 8" x 5.5" coil worth the $700+ over the Equinox 900? These are the thoughts running through my mind recently.                                                                                

   I look forward to learning as much as I can from this site, and from you, its members.  

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I would not say the Manticore is more powerful than the 900 per se. If you are leaning more to something that might be used for gold prospecting, than look more to the 900. If parks and beaches are more the thing, than Manticore looks like a good way to go. But both will get the job done. It’s where you put the detector and the hours you get in that will make the finds. Welcome to the forum and good luck, no matter which way you go. 

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Thanks for your reply and input, Steve. I am only basing my comment about the Manticore being more powerful on Minelab's description. Not having gone out on my own yet, I am just guessing which types of detecting I'd be doing most. The Gold Country is just down the hill from me, but we also frequent lake and river beaches, and occasionally the ocean. Like you say, either would get the job done.

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I also agree with Steve H. on the Equinox, because I have been using my grandfathers 800.

I started with only the factory settings and dig almost every strong tone that I hear. I heave hearing issues that makes it hard for me to tell gold from copper. It is a constant ringing in my ears, but I can now tell you what I am going to be digging by looking at the numbers on the screen and the type of tone I am hearing to most degrees.

These new detectors are almost fool proof right out of the box on locating a target to dig when the coil is over a target. Most people on this forum will tell you that it does take many hours of use to learn the detector and that is very true for a newbie.

Good luck on your decision and be very patient when you start learning it. It will come to you on what the detector is trying to tell you.

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11 hours ago, Valens Legacy said:

I also agree with Steve H. on the Equinox, because I have been using my grandfathers 800.

I started with only the factory settings and dig almost every strong tone that I hear. I heave hearing issues that makes it hard for me to tell gold from copper. It is a constant ringing in my ears, but I can now tell you what I am going to be digging by looking at the numbers on the screen and the type of tone I am hearing to most degrees.

These new detectors are almost fool proof right out of the box on locating a target to dig when the coil is over a target. Most people on this forum will tell you that it does take many hours of use to learn the detector and that is very true for a newbie.

Good luck on your decision and be very patient when you start learning it. It will come to you on what the detector is trying to tell you.

Thank you for your reply and input, Valens Legacy. "These new detectors are almost foolproof right out of the box...". Sounds like I might have a chance😉. But seriously, I fully realize that even though the latest detectors make things easier for a newbie, it's going to take many hours, weeks, and months before I truly know how to use the machine.

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Welcome to the crew !

Whichever detector you decide on choose one program and stick with it just the way it is until you get really used to what it does. Then when you change a setting  you can tell if and what it's doing different and if that is helping or hurting your results.  Do only one setting at a time , or you'll take much longer to figure it out . There is a lot to absorb.🤔

Work on your permission speech  . 🍀

 

 

 

 

 

 

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13 hours ago, rvpopeye said:

Welcome to the crew !

Whichever detector you decide on choose one program and stick with it just the way it is until you get really used to what it does. Then when you change a setting  you can tell if and what it's doing different and if that is helping or hurting your results.  Do only one setting at a time , or you'll take much longer to figure it out . There is a lot to absorb.🤔

Work on your permission speech  . 🍀

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's good advice, rvpopeye. It makes sense to me. Thank you.

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