Steve Herschbach

First thing I would do is reload the update and do a factory reset immediately afterwards. I will try some testing myself today.

Only way to go in my opinion for those who want to stay wired and avoid adapters. And works with Equinox and Gold Monster also. I just wish they had dual volume controls due to my uneven hearing, but for regular folks one volume control is simpler.

That’s because you keep comparing apples to oranges Chase. Compare the Vanquish to the Ace series and it all makes sense.

Transmitted frequencies have never mattered, only frequencies received and the manner in which they are processed. Something you will never know unless you hack the firmware. Pay attention to field performance, not marketing hooks. Debating multiple frequencies is like trying to decide how fast cars go based on numbers of cylinders. Waste of time as there are too many other factors involved... just go test drive them.

Don’t be afraid of the Cleansweep Paul, it’s my second favorite coil after the Bigfoot for jewelry detecting. Hope you are healing up well... time is catching up with us! I mainly decided to post about the Pantera to perk the Tesoro Forum up. I figured with other forums abandoning them we would see more action here but I guess there is not that much to say about detectors people have owned for a long time.

I’m not sure who found the first gold nugget with an Equinox but it may have been Jonathan Porter first in Australia and me second in North America. JP barely edged me out but I am blaming it on the weather . I did actually end up selling my Gold Monster as the Equinox suits me fine as a nugget machine. Due to its non-standard operating characteristics I have always refrained from “hyping” it as a nugget machine, but I believe Multi-IQ is the future of VLF nugget hunting. I have lobbied for an elliptical coil from day one but am convinced now that Minelab hates me and refuses to make any coil I lobby for, as happened when I lobbied for a small coil for the GPZ! My Tips On Nugget Detecting With The Minelab Equinox

Links fixed. Nokta/Makro download links were broken and I had copied them, but the view links worked instead. Thanks! I will upload the guide and manual to the forum downloads area later today and redirect there.

Nobody in the world except old detectorists own 1/4” headphones anymore. Walk to any nearby store and look at the headphone selection. In fact wired headphones will soon be a thing of the past except for underwater use. You can argue 1/4” is more robust and an industry standard for many years but Minelab is just recognizing reality. They have not put a 1/4” jack in a detector since the GPZ 7000. I would be getting the 540 and using the wireless headphones myself if I was not already swinging an Equinox 800 with wireless headphones. My days of using wired headphones except when with mask and snorkel are over. Come to think of it I may as well sell mine!

The Equinox 800 is in the report / list and has been since the Equinox came out so I have no idea what you all are taking about. I guess I am mainly curious about how you are missing it? As far as liking the Equinox... you are late to that party Gerry! Don’t forget I am Fan Club Member #1! Are you just reading my update synopsis notes above and not the full report? Steve's Guide to Gold Nugget Detectors

Nokta/Makro Simplex + Quick Guide Nokta/Makro Simplex+ Owner's Manual Click images below for larger views.... Nokta/Makro Simplex+ Quick Guide page 1 Nokta/Makro Simplex+ Quick Guide page 2 Nokta/Makro Simplex+ display and controls

The Pantera is an analog machine. NOTCH MODE SWITCH. This toggle switch is used to select the function of the notch filter in the discriminator circuitry. In the reject mode, the target encompassed by the notch will be rejected, and in the accept mode, only those targets encompassed by the notch will be detected. The notch width is factory set to be just wide enough to include the common pull tabs and lift tabs, since rejecting these objects will be its primary use. In the center position, the notch filter is disabled, so that it has no effect on the discriminate circuit. NOTCH LEVEL CONTROL. This control is used to adjust the notch filter response to the desired target level when using the notch discriminate modes. The notch level control should always be set higher than the discriminate level by at least one full increment for proper operation. This control also can serve as a tone control if the notch filter is not used, since all targets below the notch level are indicated by a lower audio tone than those above the notch setting. Setting the control at '0' will provide the higher audio tone for all targets detected in the Discriminate mode while setting it at maximum would provide the lower audio tone.

As long as you had the correct adapter. The Vanquish have the same Minelab 3.5 mm (1/8") jack as is used on the Gold Monster. If you do not use the correct 1/8” to 1/4” adapter the speaker on the Vanquish may not shut off.

The Tesoro Pantera is a VLF discriminating metal detector that was produced around 1990 by Tesoro Electronics. It had a cult following due to its proficiency in extracting non-ferrous targets from dense ferrous trash. Information on it is rare so I am reproducing the material from the catalog page below. Instruction Manual at tesoro.com GENERAL DESCRIPTION The Pantera is a high performance VLF metal detector which is capable of rejecting ground mineralization and buried metallic trash simultaneously. It includes Notch Discrimination so that most common pull tabs can be rejected without losing nickels and small gold rings, or so that only a particular band of desired targets will be detected. Notch Tone Target ID provides a low tone for targets below the Notch Level setting, and a higher tone for targets above the Notch Level setting. Design emphasis was placed on performance and ease of use, while minimizing or eliminating those troublesome adjustments that could cause a loss of performance if not used properly. The Silent Search Discriminate Mode is based on motion, which means that the search coil must be moving slightly to detect a target. The motion required is so slight that pin-pointing is possible in this mode, however a No Motion pin-point mode is included, which with the 8 inch open center search coil makes pin-pointing a very simple task. A Ten Turn Ground Adjust control is used, which allows the detector to be adjusted to virtually any type soil. This control allows the operator to get the absolute maximum performance from this detector. The unit is furnished with an 8 inch open center concentric search coil. We feel that this coil will provide excellent performance in most situations. The open center greatly simplifies pin-pointing. The detector can be used as a pole mounted arm rest unit, or as a body mount unit. It can be converted easily without tools. SPECIFICATIONS Operating Frequency ......................... 12 kHz Coil Size ............................................. 8" Diameter Coil Type ............................................ Concentric Audio Frequency Hi Tone............. Approx. 800Hz Low Tone......... Approx. 600Hz Audio Output .................................... 1½" speaker and ¼" stereo earphone jack Weight .............................................. Approx. 3½ pounds Battery Requirements ..................... 12 volts DC (8 AA penlight batteries) Battery Life ...................................... 15-30 hours Optimum Temperature Range ........ 30° F to 100° F Optimum Humidity Range ............... 0 to 75% R.H. Operating Modes.............................. All Metal Expanded ED-120 Discriminate Notch Reject Discriminate Notch Accept Discriminate Click on catalog image below for larger view.....

Just tried it myself... never stops loading. http://forums.whiteselectronics.com/

Welcome to the forum. Nice find, but I don’t have a clue to the age. Hopefully somebody else might.

I have no idea on coil pricing or availability as separate items. Pricing I would think would be similar to Equinox coil pricing. The 340 and 440 come with the V10 coil and 540 with the V12 coil. The 540 Pro pack comes with both V12 and V8 coils.

Minelab Vanquish coil options...

Absolutely, when compared to an 18” round coil a Bigfoot coil sucks for depth in milder ground. In high mineral ground the difference is less severe. I love my Bigfoot for ground coverage, not for the depth. The depth is not bad - the length does add some... the square inches thing at work, but nowhere near what is possible with an 18” round. Coil Basics by Carl Moreland About Search Coils by Dave Johnson Search Coil Field Shape by Dave Johnson

In theory a round coil is the best design. If comparing depth you should measure an elliptical at the narrow spot, not by length, when comparing to around coil, to get a fairly good idea of which will go deeper. In other words, a 10” round coil gets more depth than a 10” elliptical coil. Some people also like to calculate square inches of area for comparative purposes. But generally a 7” x 10” coil acts more like a stretched 7” coil than a 10” round coil. Which is why I usually list the narrow diameter first when discussing elliptical coils just to emphasize that point. Ellipticals came about mainly for nugget hunters, who like to cover larger areas but who also need to poke into nooks and crannies. The concept spread to other uses from there.

Thankfully Minelab simply added the new options instead of replacing the old ones, so we can choose what works best for each of us, plus compare more easily without having to go to the old version and back again.

Minelab Vanquish 540, click for larger version.... Minelab Vanquish 440, click for larger version.... Minelab Vanquish 340, click for larger version....

Don't forget the 7" x 10" for Equinox. In fact all three Vanquish coils should be made available to Equinox owners!

What's New in Version 4901-0249-5-EN Manual updated for Firmware Version 2; changes to Equinox 600 back light settings (page 32) and Iron Bias setting for both Equinox models (page 52). https://www.detectorprospector.com/files/file/39-minelab-equinox-600-800-user-guide/