Bbs Vs. Fbs Vs. Multi-iq

[Bill (S. CA)]

As a longtime Minelab user, I was wondering if with all of the testing that is going on in our hobby if anyone has tested the various phases of Minelab's multi-frequency head to head at a salt water beach.  While I haven't done any actual testing, I took my old Explorer II with the Pro Coil out a few months back and was pleasantly surprised to find that it would match signals with my buddy's Equinox.   The only downside for me was that I couldn't remember the TID numbers.  Well that and the fact that swinging the Explorer felt like I was hunting with a boat anchor due to its weight and poor balance.

Of all of my Minelab detectors, to this day I had the most fun and found the most gold with my old Sovereign XS with the white coil.  I was the first user in the US of Doc's WOT coil which was great for coverage but the weight killed me after hours of hunting.  That white coil was my go to coil.  I guess the only BBS detector still in the lineup is the now ancient Excalibur II.  I wonder if Minelab will ever replace it?

Bill

[Steve Herschbach]

They actually have. Way more people are using the Equinox, and soon Manticore, than Excalibur. Yet the Excalibur is unmatched as a true SCUBA unit waterproof to 200 feet. Different tools for different markets. Personally I don't see why Minelab would sink time and money into a replacement for the Excalibur when they have much more pressing matters to attend to.

Now what I would like to see from Minelab is a true waterproof beach PI, basically a stripped down GPX 5000 in a proper waterproof package. It's always been weird to me that Minelab does not have a true waterproof PI given their dominance on the land. And no, I don't count the SDC 2300 as a true saltwater beach machine. It floats like a cork and I think it's waterproof integrity is pretty dodgy for full immersion over periods of time.

[cudamark]

At a salt water beach, who cares about the TID numbers? If it isn't iron (and sometimes even when it is) you're going to dig it anyway, right? As for pure depth in mild sand, my Excal with a 15" NEL Attack coil is still the deepest compared to Explorer and Etrac with 15" WOT and NEL Attack coils, CTX with 17" coil, Nox 800 and Nox 900 with 12 X 15" coil, and Deus 2 with 9" coil. I have the 13" coil coming for the Deus 2, so, that will be my next comparison. Now, you get in black sand, and the Deus 2 and Nox 800/900 do much better than the Excal. If you want to go deeper and/or dig hairpins at 2', get a PI machine.

[☠ Cipher]

If I remember correctly, when Multi-IQ was unveiled in the Equinox, Minelab stated that although Mult-IQ was hotter on low conductors, FBS would retain a slight advantage on deep silver and salt beach stability. 

[kac]

Is it worth it for ML to make a diving pi when they have the Excall that has discrim to it? Garrett already has the diving pi with the Seahunter and that machine hits an old piece of lobster trap just as well as other pi's lol

[Steve Herschbach]

1 hour ago, kac said:

Is it worth it for ML to make a diving pi when they have the Excall that has discrim to it? Garrett already has the diving pi with the Seahunter and that machine hits an old piece of lobster trap just as well as other pi's lol

Possibly not. They obviously think not, and that is why they have never done it.

[6mmslayer]

A waterproof gpx with a manual ground balance would be nice.

[Hamid]

Yes, say goodbye to bbs and fbs.

They can't match Multi IQ, Equinox series and manticore. 

Hamid 

[Hamid]

9 hours ago, 6mmslayer said:

A waterproof gpx with a manual ground balance would be nice.

Impossible minelab company do that, because not all minelabers users have much enough knowledge to master it.

Hamid