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After my very positive experience with the Nox 800, I decided to invest in the Nox 900 figuring that it was the natural progression of the Nox evolution with Minelab addressing all the physical design flaws of the Nox 800 (sub-par shaft system, water ingress issues, overly thick grip) while adding some bells and whistles (vibration, flashlight), and an audio feature that had been on my Nox wishlist since inception (Deep Pitch for all search profiles, not just Gold mode). What I didn't count on was constant chatter and EMI issues and very unstable TIDs which appear to be partially attributed to the expanded TID range. Net result was 1 step forward and 2 steps back. A disappointment. I am now attempting to get acclimated to Manticore, and while the additional advanced features such as target trace, advanced filtering, audio, and search modes are somewhat compelling, it also suffers from TID stability issues similar to the Nox (though less EMI) and getting a handle on the optimal search mode for a given situation and search objective (e.g., coins or relics in hot or mild dirt) seems like a trial and error guessing game. Having no accessory coil options now a full 7 plus months after release is also a kick in the pants. Haven't given up on it but I am less inclined to "gut it out 'til I master it" like I did with the original Nox because of the audio fatigue and TID guessing game. Especially considering my newly updated Deus 2 (which has been killing it for more than a year even before the update) is just sitting there tempting me with its new expressive audio, rock solid target IDs, and feather light ergonomics. Maybe a reasonably priced small elliptical for the M-core would entice me more. Bottom line: At this point, as far as ML is concerned, despite the excitement of the forthcoming ML pinpointer (yes that's called sarcasm), about the only thing that would get me excited about a ML detector would be if they decided to stuff the brains of the Nox 800 (with dPitch added) into the body of the Nox 900.

I am referencing Abenson's video without his permission to give you a visual/audio experience of what some of us are seeing with the performance of the Nox 900 and Manticore in moderate to high iron mineralization. I hope that is OK. Using the 900 for almost 5 months in those conditions, the video from Andy shows much the same as I experienced. Now he is using full tones. Imagine using 2 tones and having to watch the numbers or using 5 tones with tone bins that are being constantly crossed over with these unstable target responses. Those jumpy numbers are not mostly being caused by EMI. Those are target responses that are being influenced by ground conditions. Watch from the 1:20 mark to the 5:50 mark for a short video example of what many of us are talking about. This part of the video shows just the Manticore and its tendencies in high iron mineralization. My experience with the Equinox 900 is remarkably similar. You can also skip over to the 9:30 mark and watch to the 14:50 mark and see the Equinox 900, Manticore and Deus 2 in action at a different, slightly less iron mineralized site on 5", 6" and 8" US dimes. Better yet, just enjoy the whole video. I would like to own an Equinox 900 or a Manticore. Right now, they would not offer an improvement over my Deus 2, Equinox 800 or even my Nokta Legend.

June 26 2002 Morning seemed to come fast and we were up before the sunlight took control of the dark. A good breakfast and off to work we went. Jacob worked the concentrates and by lunchtime had the gold tally ready for us. We were more than surprised to see 6.8 ounces in the jar. This was the stuff that legends are made from. So rich was the ground we were working that if we had the trommel working we would be rolling in money. We talked to Jacob about the gravels we were in. All he said was the old crew had seen yards to the ounce and sometimes ounces to the yard. We were somewhere in between. He told us that if we hit a jackpot we could see hundreds of ounces very quickly. There was just no way to know and we needed to keep working a steady pace and not let the fever take control of our minds. Of course we all had gold fever and were doing our best to control it. We were ready to kill for gold. The fever had us by the throat and was squeezing every day we worked. We dreamt of gold and talked about it all day. There was no returning to normal life for us now. I began to understand how the old crew felt every day. By dusk we were all physically wiped out from the shoveling and the heat. I had sweat so much there was no moisture left in me. Jacob warned us to be careful in this dry heat because once the moisture was sucked out of your body you could drop over with no warning. He said he had seen strong men drop over and were unable to get to their feet. Somehow we didn’t care. All we could see and think about was gold. I saw gold in the gravel. I saw it in the rocks. I thought I saw it floating in the dust our shovels kicked up. Sometimes I feel like I am losing my mind out here. Today we worked as hard as men can work in extreme heat and processed 47 yards of gravel. We are a proud crew tonight. TO BE CONTINUED ...................

Well, I know I've been somewhat "radio silent" since getting my Manticore. I simply haven't had enough hours on it, to offer much of any substance. Even now, 6 months in, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the Manticore, and its audio (in part due to lack of hunting opportunities). Still, one thing I can say, is that this is one FALSY machine, for sure (I haven't downloaded the update yet, as I want to really learn the machine FIRST, and I only have about 40 to 50 hours on it...nowhere near enough). But WOW. Falsy, falsy, which makes the audio VERY busy, and fatiguing to decipher. And that is with near-factory limits settings... I am on vacation in PA now, and have gotten some hours on the machine on consecutive days. I've hunted a couple of sites with a good many square nails. As always, the deep square nails are my nemesis...as many of them sound "good" from many directions. I STILL have not learned how to decipher this machine's audio...but at the same time, it's hard to complain as I'm having some success. Sunday, I dug two deep, old coins -- a very nice 1876 Seated dime, and a 1783 1/2 Reale. On NEITHER of these targets was I sure I was digging a coin (versus a good-sounding, falsy square nail). I THOUGHT they both sounded better than a square nail, but I have been fooled many times. BOTH had quiet iron grunts OVERLAID with high tones; not the solid, louder grunts from a more substantial iron item, but more like the type that you get from soil mineral. Still, both coins were a mix of high tones and those quiet grunts, overlaid on top of each other. Both were about 7" to 8" deep; the high tones on the dime were solidly upper 90s (WAY too high), and those on the Reale averaged lower, 70s and 80s. (The dime air tests 79-80, and the Reale 64 to 68). SO -- on both, I felt that I had to dig, BUT, on neither did I feel confident at all as to what I'd be digging. I venture to guess that on both targets, the EQX 800 would have hit them solidly, without the iron grunts, and with less up-averaging...and I would have been very confident that I was digging a coin. I would expect the dime would have ID'd low 30s, and a very soft, clean hit on every sweep. I do NOT like that the Manticore seems much more "unsure" than the EQX, as to what the target is, when deeper than a few inches, in both Oklahoma and Pennsylvania dirt. Meanwhile, on Monday, I managed a 6" to 7" deep 1837 Seated dime. This one was registering mid 50s ID, pretty much from all angles. I was NOT expecting silver, but thought maybe Indian Head. I was SHOCKED when I popped the plug, and the silver coin fell from the bottom of the plug. I immediately put the pinpointer in the hole, and from the sidewall, pulled about a 1 1/2" long, 1/4" wide rusty blob of iron. I was surprised that I didn't ever hear a high tone with this target, but instead consistent mid tone. This was clearly a case where the two targets "averaged together" to report a MUCH lower ID than I'd have expected. I've never dug a silver coin before that was that far off, in terms of ID. I wonder if this is something that the MC will do, moreso than the EQX would have? Based on what I assume to have been the distance between the two targets (both at roughly the same depth), I would have expected to hear at least SOME high tone reports, from some angles, as I circled and swept the target, instead of the fairly consistent, averaged mid 50s ID from pretty much all angles. So, overall, I thus far have a love/hate relationship with the Manticore. It is finding me stuff -- and some GOOD stuff, and yet I do NOT understand the machine's language. Nearly everything, except shallow coins, have some amount of iron grunting, and pretty severe up-averaging. Meanwhile, the falses on this machine are overwhelming. A large number of nails false, and NOT just high-tone falsing. Some false mid-tone, also. So, overall, at any given time, I largely have no idea what is under the coil, and thus knowing "what to dig" is very difficult. And I have yet to dig a deep silver coin, that sounds "clean" and lets me know what I'm digging. Several years back, I dug an 1888 Seated dime about 30 yards from the 1876, above, and at similar depth -- with my Explorer SE Pro. I KNEW I had a good target. With the Equinox, it is pretty easy in many cases to call an 8" deep silver coin. I do NOT have the sense that the Manticore will give such clean, clear reports on deep silver. But, again...I'm finding stuff...so it's not like the machine isn't quite capable. It's just perplexing, and somewhat maddening for me, at this point... Just my two cents, after my first 50 hours or so. Steve

This is why I have slowly sold off most of my metal detectors except a select few. It's going to take a lot to convince me I need another metal detector if something new comes out. A person needs to do more and more research to uncover sites that someone over looked. Or take a bulldozer to the ones that exist and shave a few inches off the top to get the deeper stuff masked by trash. The work involved often times isn't worth it. Can't say I haven't made some amazing finds over the last 5 years, some of the best in the 40+ years of metal detecting. But it requires traveling sometimes 1000's of miles or hiking into remote areas to make them. 90% of the time I would have been better off just staying home and cleaning the yard. But it's the adventure that keeps me going, at some point I'm going to have to say enough is enough and find a different hobby. But yea, not a business I would like to be in right now.

I wonder what the future holds for metal detector manufacturers, the new models struggling to be better than models already existing on the market by either their own brand or others. If we have about reached peak performance what's left? How can they keep coming out with new models to sustain their business? Gold detectors have been there for some time I think, they were restricted by coils to keep gaps open for new models but the gaps been filled now anyway. The VLF's haven't had the same treatment being limited by coils as coils don't make as much of a difference on them. Is the Manticore 2 just going to be a Manticore with the target ID stability restored to be Nox 800 like, will they just add more bells and whistles to the same base technology. Are new detectors even going to be worth buying for people with existing ones? If we are at the peak where to from here, will these businesses even survive in their current form as we know them. Other brands have come into the market like Nokta/Quest/Rutus and are chipping away sales off the bigger names some even becoming the big names. All this means less sales for the traditional manufacturers meaning even less spent on R&D as the pool of money shrinks and technology reaches its limits Gold fields drying up, coiins disappearing from use, older coins all being found, jewellery largely going to cheaper metals on the next generation, detector users often being the older generation with the younger generation having less interest in it.... it's a dying hobby. It's not a business I'd want to have money tied up in.

The Manticore was certainly a 1 step forward 3 steps back detector, I'm so glad I didn't burn my money on a Nox 900 too, I was very tempted as I love my 800 but the things I love about my 800 the 900 has lost, most importantly target ID stability. I am rather annoyed that Minelab still market the Manticore as having more stable ID than the Nox 800 as that is the primary reason I bought it and had I have known what I know now I wouldn't have bought it and would have likely just bought a Deus 2 instead and had my more stable ID's. My last few Minelab purchases have been disappointment's and in my currency I've spent over 10 grand on these last 3 purchases, enough to buy a decent used car. The first of the 3 was the Pro-Find 35, bitter disappointment, followed by the faulty and buggy GPX 6000, and last but certainly not least the Manticore. I haven't given up on the Manticore as I paid so much to get it, in fact I'm trying my best to like it but if I could get a refund on it I would and I'd stick to my CTX and 800. I don't know who gets these detectors across the line but it appears the finish line is a few miles in the distance yet they release them anyway to get the sales money coming in, a bit like the Legend. The Pro-Find, 6000 and Manticore, along with by the looks of it the 700 and 900 were not ready for release when they were released. I'd normally be in a rush to buy the new Minelab pinpointer, but not this time, my experience of the 35 has been terrible, I felt like just throwing it away, no point getting it replaced as the new one is no better, been there done that. My 6000's been back twice for repairs and one of them took a lot of rallying for Minelab to even acknowledged the fault. My Manticore appears to have good quality, but certainly doesn't meet what marketing are saying about it. Does marketing meet expectations?

I haven't given up on the Manticore yet. I am getting to know it better every time I use it. I think the biggest issue is over driving the machine and that goes for the 900 too. AT HC is a real bad program to use in moderate to high mineralization or in nail beds, it's way too sparky. Keeping the sensitivity within the limits of both ground and EMI is another thing to consider. I will usually run my sensitivity up to where is just starts to chatter and then back it off 1 point. If you have EMI noise in the audio you're asking for trouble. At first I hated the update on the Manticore and went back to the old version. But I've been having some conversations with Minelab about the update and have been using it more and more employing some of the features in the update to allow the Manticore to run more stable. Minelab won't admit it but I really think they have done something to the sensitivity with the new update. I can run mine about 2 points higher than before in most places. Stabilizer at 1 can also be used to calm some EMI allowing higher sensitivity settings and it appears to stabilize the ID somewhat without affecting depth. That being said, the Deus 2 is much more enjoyable to use and I feel more confident in what I'm digging.

Here is and update I received from Linda on Jims condition. Linda is very tired and sad. Thank you again for your kindness. Mike I am going to try my best to explain. They took his ventilator out today. It is true Jim hasn't passed away yet. But I want to make it perfectly clear - he will pass away at some point. He isn't "ok". Yes he is breathing comfortably and he is relaxed. But this is because he is heavily drugged with morphine and some other strong drug. He isn't in pain. He is still comatose. That isn't going to change. But because he is breathing on his own, the dying process will be prolonged. They do not have him hooked to an IV. Nor are they feeding him through a tube. They will be moving him to a new unit so he will have more Palliative care. And because he is breathing on his own, it could take up to 3 weeks or more for him to pass. To me, his condition has deteriorated since a few days ago when I saw him. He still responds to them suctioning his mouth out, but it is a much less of a response. He didn't respond to me at all. I don't really think he knew I was there. I really don't know if I will go back until after he is gone to get his belongings. He IS NOT ALONE. Really he isn't, the nursing staff is in and out multiple times a day. And when they do anything to him, they talk to him. What will happen from here on or how long it takes is unknown. But I know in my heart he is getting the best care he can. Linda

What I've found from probably about 100+ hours is AT HC is basically worthless for the type of hunting I do in the moderate to high mineral ground I have. The only place I would use AT HC is in a relatively free from iron field with low minerals. It worked great for me in North Carolina. But around here I have found AT LC to be my go to mode for most of my detecting. AT LC has way less falsing and a more stable ID in sites with lots of iron and on deeper targets in my moderate to high mineralization. I've got a few videos I'll post over the next week or so showing the Manticore in action using AT LC. The M8 coil is also proving to be a real asset to the Manticore in iron and in high mineraliztion. I've toyed with the idea of going back to the 800. But the more I use the Manticore and learn how to set it up correctly for different sites the more I like it and doubt I'll go back to the 800.

I only noticed the price hike today because I just about gave up detecting and this thread coming back to life again, Now I have finished my little camper I might start going to a few rally's again. The MXT I bought has never been outside I just used it for mapping Coils detection fields in the House so it is as new and boxed, I also got out all the Coils and found I also have a pair of Covers for it and a new pair of Whites ProStar Headphones, After not using or even seeing the MXT for this last 7 or 8 years and seeing it today still says all is right with the world, It's hard not to like something that you have a history with, There's many a Good Story by Steve and Chris R here on the forum both of which had a real big hand in launching the first MXT E Series, And many members here have hit their first Gold with the MXT, Times change and things move on but despite it's 21 years ago since it's launch It is still as good as it ever was and still holds it's own, Much like the GPX on Gold or the Soverign Series on the Beach, We have been lucky to live and share the Good times with some of the most Iconic detectors in history,

So sorry to hear this. I always enjoyed the Alaska Gold Forum and all of Jims contributions to the gold mining community. My thoughts and prayers are with you and Jim.

This is a very smooth running and processing detector. In a way it's like the Manticore in that when you have some basic skills to work with these detectors will give you a lot of information. With both the key is to listen for peaked souding responses. This means the machine is processing something within it's ideal, optimized range ("clean metal" with the Manti). "Emenating" responsed (ones that are connected to the ground more) such as a hairpin don't re-acquire in the same consistent way. A target that's blended with the ground like a cap is a much wider response. (SAT notwithstanding). got this one yesterday down deep its 18k, 10.1 grams. cjc

Sounds like Chase and Steve Goss are experiencing similar behavior too which is why they recently posted their experiences. For a little more context, Rattlehead, Daniel TN and others also moved on from the Manticore for similar reasons that were more iron falsing related. Others that I know have abandoned their Nox 900s for similar reasons and gone back to their 800s. Ground and beach mineralization whether it is iron, salt, alkaline, fertilizer or some other form of extraordinary ground condition makes all VLF detectors a little upset, even simultaneous multi frequency detectors like the Equinox models, Manticore, Deus 2 and the Nokta Legend. From my experience moderate to high iron mineralization really messed up the Whites V3i, DFX and the earlier BBS and FBS Minelabs. That is why the Equinox 600/800 with Multi IQ was such an improvement over what came before especially for hunting in iron mineralization on a wide range of targets and target sizes. The Manticore and Equinox 700/900 do have better ergonomics, waterproofing (hopefully), shaft and arm cuff quality, and additonal features over the Equinox 600/800. Whether they actually detect significantly better than the original Equinox 600/800 is a real question that I can't answer which is why Chase's title "New Minelab Blues" is so appropriate. All of those great things that Minelab corrected/added compared to the 600/800 are counterbalanced in the negative direction by the real-world performance of the 700/900 and Manticore. It's a headbanger for sure. Why Minelab didn't just leave good enough basically alone by doing exactly what Chase said in his post and stuffing the Nox 600/800 with the addition of Pitch tones, flashlight, vibrating hand grip and maybe a slightly expanded target ID range like the Legend, into the new control box housing, shaft system and stock coil with supposedly better coil ears is beyond me.

For the type of detecting I do, I'd say the 280 Backpack, MI6 pinpointer and the controller armband are 3 things that make my hunting more enjoyable. Though I do wish they would make an armband specifically for the D2 controller. It's a tight squeeze getting it into the D1 armband. The more I think about it, I do like the WSAII a lot also. Allows me to use the WS6 on another rig if I so choose. And as same as F350, I also like to hear what's going on around me.

I love to see People finding the MXT... I have the Pro and for the most part in my area (WV) civil war area. Relic, 2 tone, disc low and sensitivity high as you can. 5X8 DD and a Detech 13 Ultimate coil. The detector will always be my "Go-to" Number one detector. As you may have seen, Even a nice 10 year old MXT pro will go for a price which reflect it's abilities. Enjoy!

I hate to hear this from you Steve G and from many others. I have about 30 minutes just playing around with a Manticore so I don't have much of an opinion. I however do consider the Manticore to be a much more feature rich and slightly more powerful version of the Equinox 900 which I did own for almost 5 months and which I put over 100 hours of careful time on. As you regulars know, I too found the Equinox 800 to be beyond belief when I first started using one and about 40 hours in I started to make some incredible finds after I got used to its sensitivity and tendency to hit everything (I thought) in the ground. The 900 at least where I most often detect, took the hitting everything in the high iron mineralization ground around here to a whole different and very unpleasant level both with extreme iron falsing and with multiple beeps and wide ranging target IDs on seemingly easy, mid depth targets that the Equinox 800, Deus 2 and Legend lock onto like they should with no fuss or disagreement. It was like the Equinox 900 was constantly arguing with itself and could never make up its mind which drove me honestly, nuts. It was like the experiences I had with so many single frequency high gain detectors out here that would just go crazy on simple targets. So, Steve G's post rings very true with what I experienced with the 900. It looks like Minelab made some fairly extensive software changes and the Nox 700/900 Multi IQ and Manticore Multi IQ+ just don't behave like the Equinox 600/800 Multi IQ which really shocked the excrement out of me. Like Steve G, I made some really good finds with the Nox 900 but that was almost by accident since I was so distracted and befuddled by the way it behaved. I enjoyed and appreciated absolutely everything about the Equinox 900 except for the most important part....how it detected. So it has nothing to do with how much I like or dislike a detector like the Nox 900. The thing just didn't work very well where I detect most often. The tougher the ground conditions and man-made iron conditions, the worse it detected. SAD.

It is. SteveG's rig is made of round tubes. XP stuff isn't compatible. There are a couple of small caveats, for total transparency. You can run the waveguide completely through the shaft, but if you do it will not shorten completely. The only way to get around this would be to drill a hole and slot out the remote mount so that the waveguide passes all the way and comes out under the remote like I did with my WS6 Master. Fine sand gets into the larger tube which scratches the inner one. No big deal really. A shorter waveguide such as the black one that just came out or the older Deus waveguide work great for running through the tubes.

G'day Chris the MXT's being a simple knobs and switches Machine is simple to set up, Depending on the Ground as in how polluted it is with junk I keep it simple, 1) If there is a lot of junk I set the Ground to Track, 2) I Set the Gain to between 4 and 6 So when I Ground Balance it I lessen the Risk of Ground Balancing Out Metal or ground balancing to anything that could give me a false reading and pump the Coil 4 or 5 times and then Switch the Track Button to Lock, OR If you have the MXT Pro or All Pro then I leave the Ground Button set to Lock and just press the Grab Button and pump the Coil a few times and then release it, 3) For 99% of the time I use the Two Tone Relic Mode because it has a Slower S.A.T. Speed and it allows you to turn the Gain up Higher than any of the Other modes except the Prospecting mode and it Bleeps for Good and Grunts for Bad targets, 4) I set the Disc to close to 1.9 to around 2.3 MAX trying to keep the marker on the knob closer to the Number 2 as possible, 5) Then I turn the Gain up until it starts chattering and back it off a touch until you get to know the MXT so it smooths out the threshold, Once you get to know it then you can crank it up in to the noisey area of the Dial, 6) If the Ground is too Hot IE Minerals etc the MXT will make a sound like a Fog Horn and the Screen will say "Reduce Gain Lift Loop" so just lower your Gain a little until it no longer happens, Using these setting will get you up and running then it is just a matter of fine tuning the Gain to how you prefer to hunt, After that then you can practice the All Metal/ Prospecting Mode and well as learning how to use the 3rd Tone in the Standard Relic Mode as listed above then you will really see some depth, The MXT was / Is an old War Horse but it can still make good finds and will always put a smile on ya face and will put the fun back in to detecting, Sure we got all singing all dancing ones now but Old School still works Too. I still have a Brand New MXT All Pro still in the Box that I never used as well as a couple of Spare Battery Boxes, I also bought about 8+ Coils for mine from the tiny 4x6DD and the 5.3 Concentric right up to the 15" MXT Max Concentric Coil, It's a beast if you want to dig Monster Holes on larger target a few feet deep but even as big as it is, It can still see bits of lead weighing 0.02 and 0.03 grams, Anyways I hope that helps, Good Luck and have fun,👍

Imagine having your house burn down with most of your possessions inside and little to no insurance to cover the loss. Well we have such a member who has lost his house and possessions to an electrical fire with no insurance to cover it. Skipper Phagan, aka Skip aka AuSeeker(on another forum) aka GoldSeeker has lost his house to fire. Most of you know him as a long time contributor to this forum. One of his friends back home has started a GoFundMe for him to cover the cost of demolition and initial restart to his life. The goal on the fund is $25000 to which I think about 7K has been raised. Would you all be so generous as to add to the fund in whatever amount you can afford. Believe me it will be gratefully accepted and appreciated by Skip. I know he is too proud a person to ask of this for himself but I also know he has a lot of friends who are always willing to help. So if you can donate here is the link to the original fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/skip-phagan-fire-relief Thank you.

I sent that email to my SPAM folder!

I'll say it again, good to hear I am not crazy or the only one. After the Manticore update my finds dropped off, I set up some basic tests recently and then rolled back to the original software to check. For me I think the old software was performing better for deeper targets. I am going to be running old software for my next few hunts. I might have found another trick or two also, but have to test more. I think its worth noting that the 700, 900, X Pro and M-Core have jumpy signals, I think ML needs to look hard at their overall software they are using to create their TIDs. I would also note that with the M-Core updated software, every good target I found, the X-Pro also hit easily ??? That was not the case with the old/original software. as for my Pro-find 35, Pleaseeee let me trade it in for the Pro 40, I won't buy the Pro 40 simply out of spite after spending the money for the 35. I'm sure another option will work fine for me.

I'll also add to the Colonel's and F350's replies that Steve's D2 Shaft has nice large feet under the arm cuff so it won't fall over when you set it down to pinponit or hand dig a target. 😎

"There is NO reason to dig every fringe target. As stated in the past, watch those numbers, do a 360 look at the target and bring your sensitivity up 2-3 points. It is not 100% fool proof, but if that D2 does not throw you a good gold number on a fringe target say 32 to 68. It is a pretty good chance that target is iron." OK .... Heading back out there testing again soon. Thanks for very helpful advice ...

If you do a search for the Whites TDI SL I did a 9 Cell Battery Tray Conversion to boost the Battery power over 12v, and If you get some NiMh 2800/3200s then that will give you a longer run time than the Whites Factory NiMh pack ever did, From memory I think the factory pack was around 2200/2500mah but don't hold me to that coz it's been a while since I posted it here, Ok. Good Luck.

Hello from GA, My main areas to detect will be the beaches in South GA / North FL and parks around town. Hopefully some occasional nugget searching up near Dalonega. Thanks for a great website. -Seal

Australian TV show to-night @ 20:00hr on Channel 2,21 & 22 for Aust members "Back Roads" Walhalla, Vic Victorian mountainside town of Walhalla, on the historic Goldfields Railway. Frozen in time, with movie-set looks, a cricket pitch that defies logic, and nearby creatures straight from the Dreamtime.

Next to the WSA6 1/8" headphone adapter, my second pick is the WSAII XL headphones. Those are one of the reasons I chose my D2 over the Manticore as my new detector. Having wireless rainproof over the ear headphones for me as a beach hunter is invaluable!

coiltek manufactures reliable coils. for deep research of large targets we prefer monocoils if conditions allow.

Awesome dime!!!

Thanks - yep SSI is nice, Jekyll is a bit quieter, less people - will hit those beaches soon.

G'day, The Original MXT you could buy a NiCad Pack for then Whites replaced that with the NiMh Pack But you could try and find the Battery Pack for the TDI SL because that is the same as the NiMh pack, BUT, I know they said the run time is around 35 to 40 Hours using ordinary batteries but the truth is the MXT will run for 57 to 65+++ hours on a set of Duracells OR you could just use ordinary NiMh AA'' and still get 20 to 35 Hours out of them, The MXT is voltage controlled so whether it is putting 12v or 9v the power output of the Detector remains the Same, So don't worry if you go out one day and the Voltage is reading 9.8v etc, I've seen mine go down to 8v+/-. Hope that helps, Good luck and let us know how you get On,👍

Doesn't sound like you and Manti are getting along Steve. Sounds like you wished you never broke up with the 800. I respect your opinion, maybe some more time will allow you to figure her out. I'm a beach guy, so I don't see what you dirt guys are seeing on the false front working around a bunch of iron all the time.

I guarantee there is no problem with the right coil and proper gpx handling will easily find deep targets.

I picked up a few of these last year... great, runs forever with Lithium 18650 cells and I bought a separate charger for the cells on Amazon. https://www.ebay.com/itm/285292247354?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=qPKu6nnjQWC&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=j1_eyyGOQFq&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY Mine came from the Ukraine, and arrived without issue even with the on-going issues over there.

Some reading for you https://www.minelab.com/__files/f/11043/KBA_METAL_DETECTOR_BASICS_&_THEORY.pdf

The advantage is universal with any coil. It's extremely rigid, even more comfortable than the XP shaft (if that is possible), it's a bit longer for us taller folks, and it has by far the best retaining rig for the remote I've seen. The cuff is beyond good as well.

Upsetting news, good no one was injured 👍. Been down so low lately have to pull my socks down to L👀K up 👍. I managed to squeeze out a contribution and sending Best Wishes you get thru this transition quickly Skip. Frank C.

Man, what a ride! I got my first metal detector when I was 14 years old, a White’s Coinmaster 4, in 1972 . I was already an avid gold prospector by that time, so I went on my first nugget hunt with a metal detector in 1973 at Moore Creek, Alaska. Moore Creek was to figure very large in my life decades later, but that first nugget hunt was a bust. I panned about 1/4 ounce of chunky gold out of the little gully pictured, but the Coinmaster 4, even with the 4” Gold Probe, simply was not up to the task. I decided there were better ways to find gold and became a serious gold dredger, with my metal detecting reserved for coins, jewelry, and relics. It was not until 1989 that I found my first gold nugget with a metal detector. First try detecting gold with a metal detector 1973 I co-founded a business in 1976 selling gold dredges and metal detectors. I’m retired now but that business is still going strong 47 years later as a premier powersports dealer with three locations. Creating that business with my partner, helping support hundreds of employee families for all those years and eventually converting it to an employee owned company, will stand as one of the greatest achievements in my life. It also was my way to be deeply involved in metal detecting as a profession by being a multi line dealer. That lead to working with most of the major manufacturers first testing, and later being involved on the front end of the development of a number of well known detectors. These include the Garrett Infinium, White's TDI, Fisher F75, Garrett ATX, Nokta FORS Gold, Makro Racer, Makro Gold Racer, Makro Gold Kruzer, plus Minelab SDC 2300, GPZ 7000, Gold Monster 1000, Equinox, Vanquish, GPX 6000, Manticore, White’s/Garrett Goldmaster 24K, and finally Garrett Axiom. Like I said, it’s been a heck of a ride! Eleven years ago I left my home in Alaska to reside in Reno, NV. In some ways I view the few years that followed as “peak detecting” for me. I was deeply involved in GPZ 7000 testing and so had the benefit of being the first to use it on many Nevada and California gold locations. I was in my prime physically, lean, tough, and able to swing a GPZ 7000 from sunrise to sunset without pause. I did just that and spent weeks at a time camped out on various gold patches, and added a couple pounds of some pretty spectacular gold to my safe deposit box. In my prime In the last few years I fell into a fortuitous relationship with Garrett Metal Detectors. I kind of wanted to wrap up my career working with the companies by helping a U.S. manufacturer, and Garrett is about the last left that’s serious about staying in the business. It was a wise decision, as they are really great down home people to associate with and I’ve had a ball working with them. The years are catching up with me though. Severe arthritis in both hips brought me to a near stop a few years ago. Having both hips replaced a year and a half ago has given me a second lease on life, and lead to a lot of reflection and appreciation for the gifts I’ve been given in life. Not least being a wonderful wife and a couple daughters, both here with me in the Reno area. My wife still works full time as a teacher, probably will until they carry her out feet first. As such I’ve settled more into supporting her however I can as house husband and help mate. She deserves everything I can give her at this point for putting up with me and my nonsense. A real gem for sure. Metal detecting is just not what it used to be for me. I admit I’ve been spoiled, and got to live through the very best years that detecting has to offer. I’ve found many pounds of gold with a metal detector, including two 6.5 ounce gold nuggets. I lost count of the 1-3 ounce nuggets I found. Piles of gold and platinum rings. My best coins are from Roman times and into the 1700s. My best relic is a 3500 year old Bronze Age axe head in good condition. I’ve metal detected in many states and countries around the world, and have met and worked with many movers and shakers in the metal detector industry over the years. Yes, quite a ride indeed, and one that I was wise enough to document with stories and photos over the years at Steve’s Mining Journal. My memory for the past is not the greatest, so I wrote those stories as much for me as anything, and I’m very glad now I did. Check them out if you are interested, there is a books worth of stories there. I don’t believe at grasping at things, and long ago decided I wanted to age gracefully, accepting the changes that life brings. I’m of an age and of a mindset where I am grateful for every day I have now, and very satisfied to have lived life well and to the fullest. I’ve seen and done amazing things, and even my darkest moments I see now had silver linings. It was not all easy, and frankly I’m lucky to be here. There were times in the depths of alcoholism when I thought of just ending it all. Yet now, many alcohol free years after rehab I am grateful for my time in darkness, as it’s given me perspectives and humility I never would have had otherwise. I don’t want anyone thinking I’m some kind of super duper person when I tell my life stories. No, I’m just a regular Joe that was pretty clueless about a lot of things, and if I succeeded at all, it was as much despite myself as anything else. Somehow it all worked out, and I’m as content and as happy as I think it’s possible to be. When it comes to gold prospecting and metal detecting though, I am pretty much wrapping it up and putting a bow on it. My focus now is more on my wife and family, my garden and my four lovable wiener dogs, and quite a bit of time spent playing RPG games on my computer, a guilty joy I avoided for years. I’m certainly not done metal detecting and gold prospecting, but compared to the all consuming thing it was ten years ago, now I’d say I’m a casual detectorist just looking to get out now and then. I won’t say no when things come my way, but it’s no longer something I’m actively pursuing. That’s it really. I just wanted to reflect a little, and also explain why I’ll be less visible in the metal detecting world than in the past. I’ll be here, keeping things running, posting now and then. But by and large where the forum goes is dependent far more now on you all than on me. As long as people are interested and keep posting I’ll invest my time and a little money in keeping it going. I want to put up my personal finds gallery, my own little online museum, so will get around to that sooner or later. Other than that, thanks for your interest and posts on the forum as it’s the people posting that will keep it alive. Best wishes to you all. Steve Herschbach Perhaps the nicest gold nugget/specimen I ever found, 1.83 ounces in 2014 with a Nokta FORS Gold…

Well in that case I would say you need a DD like the 6x10 or the 10" Round one, But don't forget the 6x8 and the 10x12 S.E.F coils because they seem to work better than most Coils in hot soils,

Me not being a dealer I'm not going to pretend to know what dealers go through from Minelab. My post was like a fantasy draft if you will. True but out of that handful, how many excel at both nugget hunting and relics?

try the dial at 1 o'clock gets rid of many pull-tabs & still picks up many gold rings with a high tone for coins & a grunt for nickles & gold rings

Stubborn Excalibur Beach Hunters, "that is me.." I've been watching the manticore, even jointed a few FB sites, what is alarming is the amount of machines that's have hunting in the water, leak issues. I do like that opp, ....question, is the Manticore deeper in AM. I recently hunted with a friend that used the manticore and I had no problem digging good targets behind him, but he was using disc mode, and more or less a rookie with it since he has only had it for a few weeks. He has used the Nox before for several years.

Nice condition on the 1876, Steve. The 1837 is considerably lower mintage but the condition wipes that out in terms of value. I felt on one early hunt that falsing was worse in All Terrain High Conductors than other AT modes. (Personally I'd go to General instead of Low Conductors if searching for coins in iron trashy sites.) The soil mineralization seems to be a big factor in Manticore performance currently. Still very early for me, too, but I don't notice up-averaging with the Manticore any earlier (depthwise) than with the Eqx 800 in my test garden, contrary to what you just reported. My ground is moderate (2-3 bars on the F75 and Gold Bug Pro Fisher models). It seems Minelab still has work to do on the MC for stronger mineralized ground. I hope they don't settle for "good enough" syndrome....

@auminesweeper Excellent advice, thank you! Do you know if there's a goood rechargable battery pack still available for the MXT? I've seen some available on ebay, etc., but wasn't sure if those are viable options. Alternatively, I can just run 8xAA rechargables in the magazine...but would prefer a single plug-in option. Agreed on all points above. Only have the 10x6 coil for now, but my plan is to take the machine out over sites I've "worked out" with the Nox and Legend and see what it pulls out of the ground.

Deepest sympathies Linda. You are making a tough but loving decision for Jim to be at peace. Love and support for you and your family in this hard time 💐

Looks like biotite schist. More biotite = blacker rock. Here's a normal mica schist, now darken it by adding more biotite and that's what your rock appears to be. You were on the right track with amphibolite, as it's a metamorphic rock.

Reports are 50/50? You sure you're not including that first iteration of which all of those were replaced? I have not had one complaint nor one return. All I get are compliments about how much better it is that other Swing Arms. Any complaint about any product you always CC me via email and I don't recall any complaints. I have had questions from people who have never used a Swing Arm before because they are not sure how to use it correctly. Even though we give extensive instructions in color. But as far as customers trying to upgrade from the Minelab Swing Arm, those folks have had nothing but praise. I have had a few people snap the rod holder off when they dropped their detector and we have always replaced the clip no charge. The SAGA not only swings away from the detector rod, it moves up and down. You can't break it. It actually lets you STEER your coil and takes a lot of the stress off of detecting. Doc

Linda, My heart goes out to you, your family and friends along with my thoughts and prayers. I have only known Jim over many years through the many forums we are members of but he became my friend, I will miss him greatly! Please if you feel the need to "talk" don't hesitate to post on the forum here, we all will give you support as best we can.

Sounds like a "tested" or at least previously assembled Manticore to me. I don't know where Bass Pro gets their Manticores from. Do they come straight off the boat to Bass Pro/Cabelas or do they go through a distributer first? Having the round adhesive seal broken is not good. Coil serial numbers don't usually match system control pod serial numbers. The system control pod's serial number should match the serial number on the original box. Personally, for the price one pays for a Manticore, I would demand a brand new, unopened one. Getting 10% off at Bass Pro shouldn't automatically mean that you get an open box Manticore. Your 10% price should have been based on an open box price not a brand new price. However, I have purchased several expensive detectors that were dealer demo units BUT I knew in advance that they were demo units and that they were priced accordingly. They had full warranties and have been great.