Steve Herschbach

Welcome to the forum Geoff!

Massively good call I was not even thinking about! 👍 Looks like you do get one thing buying the Minelab brand version besides the label... an extra year of warranty.

Well, if you think people responding is accusing you of “unfairly maligning” and gathering the torches when nobody is doing anything of the sort then that might be a good idea. It’s basically a perspective thing. You see these new models as being low price but lacking features you desire. Many of us are seeing machines packed with features at a low price. You are kind of lumping all experienced detectorists into thinking as you do, when that’s far from the case. Tom (Jackpine) I’d wager is more experienced than 90% of the people on this forum and he’s just fine with what Simplex is offering. Most of the machines I have used have not had tone or recovery speed adjustments and I did quite well with them. I see no need for a properly designed detector to have more than about three controls. You are making assumptions that all experienced detectorists like complexity and that’s not true of many of the ones I know at least. There are quite a few that just want to get the job done and are fine with monotone detectors. As much as I prefer multitones the fact is the majority of my own detecting boils down to "beep-dig". When you dig all non-ferrous you don’t need tones, and many pros dig it all. The bottom line is it’s business and models are differentiated by features at given price points. The Equinox 600 and 800 are the same detector with the same production cost. One is simply feature limited to create a lower price point. You are paying for features when you get the 800, not some calculation based on what it cost to make the item. That applies to most of the First Texas lineup in spades. You are quite correct in that there will no doubt be future models in the Simplex housing with more features for a higher price. Nokta/Makro has already explicitly stated that will be the case. If that’s what you desire all you have to do is wait.

Start prying on things until it comes apart and if need be glue it back together. You’ve got nothing to lose if you are going to toss them anyway.

I agree Tom that the Simplex might have been tweaked for even better performance. That’s kind of the point to me really. I guess you are wanting it more clearly spelled out in the video that the Simplex is a competitive performer, whereas I’m seeing that anyway. It’s going head to head with detectors costing three times as much and that says a lot. Nobody even bothers with fair comparisons to detectors in its own price range since it so obviously outclasses those detectors.

I'd be amazed if the Simplex is not able to use concentrics. Almost all detectors can use either. The Teknetics T2 is one of the only detectors I know of that was made to run only a DD coil. Concentric capability is not something you add, its something you have to specifically design to preclude. The only thing "entry level" about the Simplex+ is the price. Garrett and First Texas flagship coin detectors are single frequency. Lack of frequency options is not a factor for many detectorists.

I will never use a shovel in a park, legal or not. In my opinion the optics are all wrong. I have never had an issue detecting in a park yet as I always follow three simple rules: 1. Never excavate when people are watching. 2. Hunt early mornings or in the rain, whenever people are not around. 3. If people show up, move away or go somewhere else completely. There is always another day or another park. Discretion rules, and I am as close to being an invisible detectorist as you will ever find. Know the local rules - baseball infields for example, are strictly off limits in Reno. Jewelry detecting I am a “pop shallow targets with screwdriver” type. If my pinpointer can’t find it I move to the next target. For old deep coins however you have to plug. Always use a drop cloth so all dirt goes back in the hole. If bone dry don’t plug, wait for wetter conditions. I take great pride in the fact that unless you see exactly where I make a plug it will be almost impossible for you to find where I made one.

Published on Oct 3, 2019 by The HunterGT

With new detectors coming out time to bump this thread back up to the top.

Personally I love the ML80s and mine although broken (I ran over them!) and glued back together are still going strong. They are rebranded Miccus SR-71 Stealth headphones. Four hours to charge from fully dead, up to 20 hours operation when fully charged. IMPORTANT UPDATE: The current SR-71 Bluetooth 5.0 release DOES NOT work with metal detecting equipment. This post refers to earlier 4.2 versions of the headphones. Miccus Stealth 71 wireless headphones From the link above: Fly in under the radar with the Miccus SR-71 Stealth Bluetooth Headphones. Clocking in at 32ms of latency, they are the perfect wireless companion to watch Television, Movies or Gaming. In addition, when paired with your mobile phone or tablet you get all the podcasts and streaming music options plus with the built-in Mic you get the ability to make and receive phone calls all in HD sound quality!Features* High-fidelity Bluetooth v4.2 over ear, on ear headphones with aptX Low Latency support.* Soft leather ear pads with easy to adjust headband for head sizes from XS to XXX- Large.* Built-in Microphone for use with gaming and mobile phones* Long Battery Life - playback time up to 20 hours to keep you going well into the night.* Built in Mic - the SR-71 Stealth switches automatically between music and calls.* Wireless or Wired - connect the 3.5mm audio cable for use like traditional wired headphones.Specifications* Bluetooth v4.2 (compatible with Bluetooth v2.0 or higher) Profiles: HFP, A2DP, AVRCP * Audio Codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX-LL, NOTE aptX-LL requires pairing with a Bluetooth transmitter that also supports aptX-LL.* Operation range: up to 33 ft (10 M), Operating Frequency: 2.4 GHz* Audio Impedance: 32 Ohm, Drivers: 40mm, Frequency Response 20Hz-20KHz* Charging Time - 4 hours; Music Play Time - 20 hours; Standby time - up to 180 hours* Dimensions: 21.0(L) x 16.0(W) x 5(H) cm (folded); Headset weight: 220.4 gWhat’s in the box?* Miccus SR-71 Stealth Headphones (MSHSR-71)* Hard-sided Travel Case* USB Charging Cable* 3.5mm Stereo Audio Cable* User Manual and Quick start GuideWarranty & Support* 2-Year No Hassle, No Troubles, No Worries Warranty. We want you to be confident knowing that we stand behind our product and we will take care of you.* Friendly and knowledgeable - If the need should arise; our Customer Service reps are Jedi masters at speaking and writing English and will work with you to solve a problem. * Support by phone available Monday-Friday, 11am-4pm EST (616) 604-4449; email support and knowledgebase available 24hrs.

You could, nearly all Minelab PI coils are TDI compatible. I’ve been involved in drag coil operations. Here are some videos about the method.

Welcome to the forum Deb, it was great meeting you and hunting together in the U.K. Best wishes!

The MXT is one of the better machines either in Relic mode, where you have to pay attention to that third tone with no target id reading, or in Prospect Mode. Dave Johnson designed the MXT and the T2/F75 was basically his improvement on that when he went to First Texas. The T2/F75 all metal mode is excellent and I moved from the MXT to it, mainly due to the better ergonomics and better all metal mode. I have used the Impact, and it has several unique all metal modes that are also as good as one gets in that regard, but you would be splitting hairs at the end of the day. People want solid, black and white differences but they just do not exist with modern single frequency machines. You may as well try and figure out which new PC best runs Microsoft Word. I have been doing this a long time and I resist black and white answers as being the realm of dealers and brand name enthusiasts. It is a rare time when you get a machine that clearly does something the others do not. Such breakthroughs occur only once a decade at most and the action now is in multifrequency and pulse induction variants, not single frequency VLF. The last machine I got my hands on that represented a true advance in the technology is the Minelab GPZ 7000. The main problem with it besides cost and weight is it's actually too sensitive to tiny stuff and a GPX 5000 is better for relic hunters due to that. There is a forum member, Daniel TN, that has extensive experience at Culpepper, Virginia and other areas, including Georgia I would assume, using every sort of detector you can imagine. I have high confidence in his opinions. He drops in here sporadically so the best way to get a quicker answer may be to message him. https://www.detectorprospector.com/profile/591-daniel-tn/

I think tan is more for their prospecting machines. I definitely prefer tan for desert use. Black not only shows the dirt more but turns the inside of the detector into an oven. As detectors go I think the 24K is an attractive machine. For what it’s worth I ended up selling my Gold Monster and kept the 24K. I can’t swear one is better than the other at finding gold, but I have always preferred detectors with more control options. The 24K has those options, and in my opinion is ergonomically superior to the Gold Monster, with a much better feel on my arm. And it doesn’t fall over!

Looks like that turned out to just be a rumor. I thought I would bring this review to the top since people are finally figuring out the 24K is a great little detector. This was my last detector review so I put a little more effort into it than most. I think it holds up well now a year later. White’s Goldmaster 24K Specifications & Data

click for larger versions...

Welcome to the forum! What White’s are you using? Frankly, in that ground discrimination VLF depth sucks, getting accurate target id at half or less what people expect in low mineral ground. Often the best bet is to go to all metal mode and dig targets that have that “round sound” if you really want more depth, as switching one VLF for another rarely gets you anywhere. The F75 in all metal mode does ok. The only way beyond that to see more real depth is go White’s TDI or Minelab PI models.

I expect the Simplex will perform very close to the 14 kHz Kruzer. The Simplex+ is a great machine for what it offers at the price, but Nokta/Makro has not somehow magically changed what single frequency VLF detectors are capable of. This is mature, well proven technology that has changed little in the last 20 years except for how it is packaged.

Well not to rain on the idea but I have done that for decades when coin or ring detecting. The “roundness” thing. Works fine until items are on edge, co-located with trash, or at fringe detection depth. Its still just a VLF, not a magic stick.

Thanks Rick. The issue with bronze disease was mentioned to me with some suggestions, and I will look into it more carefully once I have the ax (or axe) back. What are everyday type finds for you blokes are impossible here. People on the east coast get excited by 1700s coins that get blown off as mere “greenies” on your side of the pond. I was quite happy actually to find a number of 1800s and even early 1900s coins in fairly sharp condition, as I think the artwork on the large English penny is attractive, especially with a nice green patina. Many of the greenies in the fields are so corroded by fertilizer that I toss them out. Even as a visitor I have to admit it is a little shocking to me how quickly I adjust to 1200 - 1600 finds as being commonplace. I can’t get overly excited by many of the hammered silver that are cut or fragments. I’d rather have one quality coin than a dozen low quality coins. I did particularly like the little Lizzy coin, one of my last decent finds, due to its sharp condition. I will not be back in 2020 due to a milestone anniversary with my wife putting detecting adventures aside in favor of some “us” time. I have found a lot of treasure in my life but she is the gem that tops them all. Not my find, just so people know what I am talking about, 1861 Penny...

I am not aware of any difference between Park 2 and Field 2 other than the presets. Set identically, performance appears identical. The same with Park 1 and Field 1. If in an area with little or no ferrous trash dig negative numbers, like down to -3. Gold in mineralized soil will read negative at times as the ground ferrous content skews and overwhelms the nugget non-ferrous reading. This is highly dependent on the nature of the gold and the soil but definitely something to be aware of and experiment with.

Welcome to the forum Mike!

The bust reminds me of some pictured here but of course smaller and more worn. It could easily have been a handle or mount of some sort, affixed to some other item.

Hi Gary, If in disc mode the horseshoe button puts it in all metal, and if in all metal it puts it in discriminate. It’s a toggle.... otherwise it would take you to all metal and you could never get back to discriminate. No, why use Field 1 instead of Park 1? I do a factory reset, and my machine is by default in Park 1, which I modify as described. If you wish, you could toggle to Field 1 and modify it to end up in the same settings. Park 1 and Field 1 are the same mode except for the presets. Reminder. These are just my settings. That’s no reason to use them. People ask, I tell, but I make no claims they are “the best” settings. They are simply what I prefer. Others may prefer something different.

I appreciate you posting that. I have been trying to convince people the 600 is nearly as good as the 800 for gold nuggets, but since the 600 lacks that magic “Gold Mode” it does make people skeptical. You are officially now the “Equinox 600 Nugget Master”! My Tips On Nugget Detecting With The Minelab Equinox