Steve Herschbach

The Bigfoot is 3” x 18” so no more items under the coil at once than you might have with a 6x9 coil. The Bigfoot is unique in that is uses a figure 8 winding, and the DFX is unique in having been designed specifically to use with the Bigfoot. There are other detectors that can use the coil, like the MXT, but the polarity (tones) reverse front to rear. The DFX corrects for this so the tones are identical front and rear. But the real zinger is the DFX pinpoint mode shuts off the signal from the rear half, and you get laser like pinpointing using just the 3x9 front half of the coil. I do not go after super trashy locations anyway. More like soccer fields that have probably been hunted before. Large areas and semi sparse targets, and specifically anywhere hands are flinging. Places where people play ball or frisbee, toss the ball for the dog, whatever. I use a pinpointer but it’s more to sort out deep targets. The Bigfoot is not a deep coil anyway, but it still hits too deep on some stuff. I don’t want to plug but only use a screwdriver to pop targets, so if my Carrot can’t see the target, I’m moving on. It’s all about volume, recovering lots of gold range targets fast. Volume in the right locations. I focus on targets that give a single tall bar on the SignaGraph display, good, clean, “round” sounds. If there are ring tabs present I’m going to be digging them but some turn into rings. Last platinum ring I found was with Bigfoot in a Reno park in a frisbee location. I love this type of detecting as getting rid of the plugging gets rid of the work as far as I am concerned. I in effect go aluminum detecting, knocking out zinc penny and higher targets, with just quarters notched in as I generally find lots of them while doing this. Anyway, long story short is I have not done this for far too long as the nugget hunting got in the way, but it’s to the point now where I might just do better on gold in the parks. We will see as I’m going to be doing this the remainder of the year, and will report back later with a picture of all the finds, trash included. Another thing I like about my DFX - it’s the only detector I own now that will run a concentric coil.

As explained elsewhere my metal detecting is winding down from my glory days. I will never quit detecting, but it is a more casual close to home thing going forward. With that in mind I just don't need the dozen detectors I usually have had banging around the house for most of the last couple decades. I had already weeded things down pretty well but job one was to stop getting new detectors. The last new detector I added to my mix was the XP Deus 2 a couple years ago. After disposing of other models, like the Tarsacci for instance, I was left with the following: Minelab Equinox Garrett Axiom XP Deus 2 White's DFX For what I do I'm pretty satisfied with the Axiom as a general purpose PI so that's settled. The DFX sports a Bigfoot coil, and I own the machine as much to run the coil as the other way around, so it is not going anywhere. In fact it might become my most used VLF soon. So what to do with the Equinox 800 and Deus 2? The Manticore was really looking like a replacement for both. I can't really get enthused about the XP way of things. People rave about the light weight being a real factor for them, but I don't consider weight to be an issue for me with any detector weighing under three pounds. At the end of the day coils are a big deal for me, and I don't like proprietary limited coil options. Wireless coils leave me cold. People can argue with me all they want but they are wasting their time. I like wired coils, and I lean to detectors with third party coil options. So it is the coils that decided it for me. Minelab took too long with Manticore coils and now I just don't care any more. I'm also peeved XP has withheld the 5x10 coil from Deus 2 owners. My Equinox 800 I have a 6" round coil, the Coiltek 5x10, the stock 11" coil, and the Minelab 12x15 coil. XP has nothing similar to offer in way of coils. Nor does the Manticore. Plus I have custom rods for my Equinox perfect for both compact backpacking and for beach use. I even have an S rod that I have yet to use. The icing on the cake is a set of custom Tony Eisenhower underwater headphones I really like. Would I get rid of all that and keep the Deus 2? No. Would I trade all that for the Manticore as it exists right now? No. So I think I have after ages finally weeded it down to three detectors. The Deus 2 will find a new home. And I am left with... Garrett Axiom - my most used detector for gold prospecting and beach detecting Minelab Equinox 800 with full accessory set - do it all coin, relic, jewelry, gold nuggets, you name it White's DFX with Bigfoot - Park jewelry use almost exclusively Maybe, just maybe the Manticore will tempt me again in a year or so, once the software bugs and coil drought get straightened out. But after 50 years I feel like I have got off the new detector merry go round. There really is something to be said for using a machine you know inside and out, and fact is my Equinox talks to me. The Deus 2 still speaks French and frankly I just don't care to make the effort to learn French. Too old to learn new tricks? Maybe. The main thing for me is I won't waste any more time thinking about this machine or that machine and instead just focus purely on using what I have to best effect. Compared to what I started with 50 years ago I'm drenched in fabulous technology I once only dreamed of, so now matter how I look at it I'm thrilled with the detectors I have now. Minelab Equinox 800 with 6" coil and telescoping rod White's DFX with Bigfoot coil Garrett Axiom with 7x11 coil Equinox 800 with 12x15 coil and steveg counterweighted rod The perfect pair? Axiom 7x11 and Equinox telescoping 5x10

In my case it has genuinely caused me to give up on getting a Manticore. I was on the edge about getting one but with no coil options I kept putting it off. Now I just don't care anymore and given that I use a PI 90% of the time anyway I have decided I'll just stick with my old tried and true Equinox and the full coil set I have for it.

Too bad they never gave us a simple import / export function. I still think a robust built in GPS system can be a great tool in a detector. The ability to mark finds with a button push as opposed to pulling out a separate device to do so makes an huge difference. Unfortunately Minelab never maintained interest in making the system all it could have been. This was compounded by not only general disinterest from end users, but some actively hating on the product. The idea was that it added unneeded expense and processing overhead, and some people actually thought they were being tracked and their gold locations collected. It will be interesting to see if a future GPZ or CTX still includes GPS. If not, that will probably be the end of it as a concept, and I think ultimately that’s a loss for all of us if that’s the way it goes.

Google similar coins online or check with a coin dealer.

The Gold Bug 2 has been doing that for as long as I air tested them - amazing demo to see. In ground it all falls apart though so I'd like to see real world results on in ground targets.

If you read the previous posts on the coil and the coils like it you will understand it's use. It's all been covered before. As mentioned by the previous posters depth is not the main purpose of the coil, and would in fact would be detrimental for those like myself that employ it. Depth is related to the narrowest coil dimension more than the longest, so the Arrow and coils like it are elongated small coils. The are not narrow large coils. If you want depth, get a large round coil. This is basic stuff anyone who knows detectors should already know. The coils are made for covering large areas and recovering shallow targets quickly. They are so effective they have been banned in many competition hunts. I prefer them for hunting jewelry in parks. It is more the nature of the hunt... a numbers game. You are going to recover WAY MORE ALUMINUM than jewelry. So plugging and digging holes is a time waster and will destroy a park. I prefer using a Bigfoot and a pinpointer plus screwdriver. Acquire target, down on knee, stab with pinpointer, no signal, move on. If the pinpointer sees it, it’s shallow, so pop it out with the screwdriver. The key is dig all gold range targets but to make it easy as it is a volume game. Gotta be quick and easy. What I do is go aluminum detecting, and I accidentally find gold stuff sometimes! In theory you can hunt deep jewelry, but plugging for pull tabs in my opinion is too slow and too destructive in all but select circumstances. Lets say the first method found an area that for some reason was a jewelry hot spot. OK, now going deep based on acquired evidence makes sense. A 3” x 18” coil is basically a 3” coil that is 18” long. It’s not an 18” coil that’s magically been made 3” wide while losing nothing in the process. Anyone expecting great depth needs to learn more about how coils work. This is very much a niche product. Again, this coil is for covering area fast while recovering shallow targets. If your goal is anything else, use a different coil.

Shows what happens when somebody that does not know what they are doing buys something they don't understand.

I’ll tell you straight up why it’s hard to hire/rent gold nugget detectors in particular. I sold a ton of nugget detectors in my day, and my company had a cheap rental detector to look for lost keys and property corners. But despite demand we refused to rent nugget detectors. The fact is most metal detectors are bought by people with stars in their eyes who think they just need to go out and fill their pocket with gold. Most detectors sold to new detectorists get used no more than a few times before finding a permanent place in the closet or getting sold. It’s just not that fun for most people, digging lots of trash for a few pennies. Or nothing but wire, bullets, and nails when it was gold nuggets sought. If renting detectors out lead to more detector sales all dealers would do it. The reality is renting detectors out would kill many detector sales. You said it yourself Simon - “if I could have hired all the detectors that I've owned I would have bought a third of them.” That’s the simple reason why it does not happen except in rare places.

I’m not so quick to blame it on a bad detector. No detector suits all ground and all people. I asked Peter to post his thoughts here because I think people deserve to hear all sides of how something works. I’ve said consistently since day one that I think the Axiom follows behind the 7000 and 6000 in performance, and is more on par with the GPX 5000 in overall performance (ahead in some areas and behind in others). So a 6000 getting the goods where an Axiom would not does not surprise me. It just depends in the ground ultimately and just what gold remains to be found. Hunting ground thoroughly pounded by a 7000 is a tough go for any detector, and a 6000 will probably have an edge over the Axiom in such a location. To make it as simplistic as possible, here’s how I line them up after plenty of hours on all of them in different places and locations, including Australia: 1. GPZ 7000 2. GPX 6000 3. Axiom Thanks for the report Peter. I'm sorry the Axiom did not work out for you. The first couple goes are all important in building trust and faith in a detector, and once that's blown it's hard to get it back. I'd probably have done the same in your situation.

My experience detecting around Colchester at least is that the ground is moderate at worst. Easy mineralization test. Drop magnet in soil. Pick up. The more magnetite you see, the worse the ground. In compacted soils you will have to work the magnet around into the soil or make a loose pile of dirt. This super magnet was literally dropped onto a Tahoe beach and picked back up. It was clean when dropped…

I've used close to a dozen Axiom coils and if anything the covers have been hard to get off. I have never had one that was loose enough to need taping. But Nugget Finder and Coiltek have always taped coils so that's not unusual either, both to keep dirt out, and to keep loose covers on. No, you don't air test VLF detectors against PI detectors. The whole point of PI is performance in highly mineralized ground where VLF detectors do not perform. If you have low mineral ground, you really don't need a PI unless you are going to run super large coils. It is a common misperception that a PI will detect objects at a greater distance than a VLF under all circumstances. That's not remotely what is going on. Both a VLF and a PI lose depth as you increase ground mineralization. But the PI loses depth at a far slower rate. So in an air test a PI will often lag a VLF. In the ground, the higher the mineralization, the more the PI will pull ahead of the VLF. It is the whole reason PI became a thing. In the worst ground a PI will often get double or more the depth of a VLF. This VLF vs PI thing is one of the major reasons why I hate air tests. But if you are detecting for stuff in the air, stick with the VLF.

They don't have any choice. What are many people here waiting for? The GPZ8000. The endless upgrade cycle has gone on for 20 years. Can they get people to do it one more time before there is not enough gold left to justify a very expensive detector. They no doubt have years of development costs to recoup at this point, so it will release, and I'm guessing sooner than later. Like next year.

A fair answer and I respect you for it. I am all for more powerful detectors for more affordable prices. What I object to is the stealth tactics. Be forthright and accurate on your “About Us” pages. Be proud of what and who you are. Show the factory, show the people. Take a hint from Nokta on how to impress people like me and the others on this forum. This industry is full of bad actors and outright scams, and you don’t want to appear to be one of them. Again, kudos for a well crafted professional response. I promise to be more respectful of you, your company, and it’s products in return.

The detector is not aimed at people willing to spend big bucks for cutting edge tech. Not everyone is made of money Jason. If that were true then the GPX 5000 would have died long ago, and it has not. Nor has the SDC 2300 etc. A market exists for the under 4 lb under $2000 PI detector. It’s not one market, it’s many - gold nuggets, relic, beach, even coins. The only question is how much detector will we get at that price point. And it will happen. It’s inevitable.

“Reduced reliance on Africa” means sales in Africa collapsed, how do we spin that as a positive? Go after the coin market, go after new markets, cut out the dealer network in preference to direct to consumer, etc. Near impossible however to replace the gold rush bubble in nugget detector sales with sales of much lower price detectors. A low cost GPX 5500 is predicated on Nokta pulling out a Simplex PI at under $2000. Minelab can resume with the Xterra PI. In other words, yes, they can and will produce a low price PI, but only when they are forced to by the competition. The number one reason I’ve beat the drum to get the competition to come out with something like this has always been to get Minelab to have to respond in kind. It’s not that I want a Nokta or a Fisher or a Garrett per se. I’m all in for a GPX 5000 at 4 lbs and $2000 and that has been my basic goal all along. Make it submersible for the beach - home run! But it never happens without real competition. You can bet if the Axiom had been $1995 there would be sleepless nights at Minelab, but Garrett instead gave Minelab more room to run. What happens to Garrett’s investment if Minelab pulls the rug out from under the Axiom? Minelab play’s for blood, and would probably not mind giving Garrett a bloody nose. Another part of their strategy is to give no quarter, and putting down competitors is a good way to gain market share. Garrett as much as anyone is squarely in Minelabs crosshairs. Big dates right ahead, with clues to the future. I’d expect any tipping of their hand to come at the October 24 Annual General Meeting, where they normally try to pump investors up on the year ahead. Upcoming events on Codan Limited 08-16-2023 Q4 2023 Earnings Release 10-24-2023 Annual General Meeting 02-20-2024 Q2 2024 Earnings Release (Projected) 08-13-2024 Q4 2024 Earnings Release (Projected)

Here we are August and no word at all on the “in the works” Nokta PI or the Fisher Impulse Gold. I’d say we can pretty well write 2023 off as having any possibility of a new PI that one can actually lay hands on. Maybe by end of year we might see something announced for next year? Minelab historically alternates between coin detector releases and gold detector releases. 2023 was the year of the Manticore, Equinox 900, and Xterra Pro. A full year indeed for them. I expect that we will see something new in the gold nugget area in 2024 or 2025 latest. This could be the long awaited GPZ 8000 but I also wonder if Minelab might be cooking something up to head Nokta and Fisher off at the pass. They could easily rework the GPX 5000 into something more compact and simplified. Think GPX 5000 stuffed into an Axiom package, with simplified timing presets. Do that with GPX 5000 coil compatibility and the right price, and they have a winner. I’d buy one just to tap into that vast set of existing coils. Pure speculation on my part, but if they are paying attention to a possible Nokta PI or Impulse Gold release it would be smart to have an answer waiting in the wings, and Minelab is not dumb. If not, then surely Nokta or Fisher will do something, so I’m cautiously positive about something coming in 2024.

More transparency about who you really are might help. Your website says nothing about the company corporate information, where it is located, etc. Your Facebook page says this: About Sakobs Sakobs – Easy to listen to sound, Easy life 【Who We are】 Welcome to Sakobs! We are an international leading soundbar manufacturer founded in 2005, focused on retail and Wholesale. We have self-developed many highly-rated electronics products, such as soundbars for computers and TV. Sakobs employs the most talented developers to create high-level products. 【Our Mission】 Sakobs provides users high-quality sound experience whenever gaming, meeting, watching a movie, etc. at a decent price. And make our products a companion in our customers' lives. 【Our purpose】 Sakobs always cherish every customer’s feedback on products and services to provide comfortable customer service. Today, Sakobs’s products and services are trusted by more than 1 million users worldwide. This encourages Sakobs to keep moving forward! Soundbars? So I did a Whois lookup on your domain and basically it looks like you are a front for Alibaba. Domain Information Domain: sakobs.com Registrar: Alibaba Cloud Computing (Beijing) Co., Ltd. Registered On: 2019-03-06 Expires On: 2024-03-06 Updated On: 2023-02-04 Status: ok Name Servers: dns29.hichina.com dns30.hichina.com Registrant Contact State: guang dong Country: China Email: https://whois.aliyun.com/whois/whoisForm Raw Whois Data Domain Name: sakobs.com Registry Domain ID: 2366833994_DOMAIN_COM-VRSN Registrar WHOIS Server: grs-whois.hichina.com Registrar URL: http://www.net.cn Updated Date: 2022-06-14T14:20:56Z Creation Date: 2019-03-06T20:20:53Z Registrar Registration Expiration Date: 2024-03-06T20:20:53Z Registrar: Alibaba Cloud Computing (Beijing) Co., Ltd. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alibaba_Group I think PimentoUK above gave about as good a commentary as you might hope for here. My basic reaction is this is a made in China detector available for quantity purchase and resold widely under various company names. The mentioned site eenour.com is also registered to Alibaba. A very low end entry level product by a company trying to obscure its origins, not something I’d personally have any interest in at all.

I was not talking about ground balance specifically, though that’s part of the puzzle. Like I said, you should be able to determine how mineralized the ground is simply by how the detector behaves over the ground. A mineralization meter is redundant for me, not telling me anything I don’t already know. But hey whatever makes people happy, and if having a mineralization meter makes people happy, I’m all for it. ??

Ultimately I e always found a mineralization meter redundant to how I tune. I start with powerful settings that back down until the machine settles enough to satisfy me. Where that will end up being depends on the mineralization. I can get way with more aggressive setting in low mineral environments, and have to back off in tougher ground. They way the machine reacts “talks to me” and tells me what to do. The machines I’ve had that had the meter I eventually never paid much attention to it. What I far more prefer is good overload function that tells you the machine is set too high for the ground. My 24K will complain loudly if I set the sensitivity to high. Back it down one step, I’m set. Can’t get more dummy proof than that. There hav been detectors that go into “silent overload” and appear to be working when in fact they have pretty much shut down. Bad news for those unaware of it. But unlikely for people that don’t hunt the really bad ground.

They read. They never, NEVER respond on social media. You got their response which is that they are acknowledging the requests. They will either take action or not. In my experience Minelab considers the update function a way to issue bug fixes, not a way to add missing features. That would normally happen in a new model, say a Manticore Pro, or a CTX 4040. But if they did decide to issue it as an update to Manticore, they sure won’t say anything about that until it actually happens. It’s not as trivial to do as you might think, and a promise just sets them up for constant complaints of “why has it not happened yet.” They won’t tell you when the coils will release so why would they tell you this? With Minelab it’s believe it when you see it. Like it or hate it, it’s the way they roll.

me but emails can't hurt

Kind of weird that Minelab has not given U.S. dealers any pricing yet. You would think if they were going to be available in the near future they would do at least that.

Real nice gold, good on you Norm - thanks for sharing!