Steve Herschbach

Even a good news thread goes south....

Answered previously at http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/topic/5096-what-are-aptx-low-latency-headphones/?do=findComment&comment=53249

The questions I am not attempting to answer anymore are “why” questions. The one at the start of this thread is a good example, as well as the one you keep alluding to in the past Chase that seems to be an impetus for this thread. "Why are the default iron bias settings different on the 600 ("2") and 800 ("6" which corresponds to "3" not "2" on the 600) (see p. 52 of the manual)?" Because that’s the way it is. Somebody at HQ decided it should be that way. Just like everything else on the 600 versus the 800. I am just one tiny bit of the puzzle and nobody explains to me “why”. See the quote below. I could speculate, but I really have no time for that and it still would not answer the question anyway. There are many things I have no answers for, and most of those things are “why” questions as in “why did they do it that way”. The Bluetooth / WM 08 question was previously answered here. Please slow down and take time to digest all the information out there already. After machines get out and after a little more time passes than questions that still are not answered can be taken care of. A quote from a favorite engineer of mine: “Dave Johnson Chief Designer: Bounty Hunter, Teknetics, and Fisher brand metal detectors. Located in El Paso, Texas. Because of my job situation, I read forums a lot but rarely post. In my situation, there are three kinds of inquiries which I generally won't respond to. 1. Questions relating to products we may have under development. (That information is on a we-need-you-to-know basis only.) 2. "Why" questions. Why did you do this, why don't you do that, etc. (Why we do things is nobody else's business.) 3. Questions relating to what happens "behind the scenes" in metal detector software. (That usually involves trade secrets.) In general, I am not interested in arguments of the "this brand is better than that brand" sort. In general, I am not in a position to help someone with their special metal detector project. In general, I am willing to discuss issues which I have raised in a forum post, including mention of specific makes and models if that's relevant to the issue of the post. --Dave Johnson”

It is impossible to deliver every presold detector to everyone immediately. Small numbers are being allocated around the entire world so a few get out to all regions. More machines will follow very soon. Not everyone can be first. In general, those that put money down early are getting the first machines. Those that waited to do so will be later in line. That’s just the reality of the supply chain ramping up.

The very first thing I would not do is go to the very worst place you can think of for the maiden voyage. Do a little bench testing with coins or whatever to get familiar with target id numbers and controls, then go detecting. The presets are actually very good, needing little more than adjusting the sensitivity. My first outings I like sand boxes or beaches - easy digging - to get familiar with machines and targets by digging everything. It is a new machine and I hope people give it the time it deserves but I know how it goes. There are many things about a detector I either like or do not like, and so for some people Equinox will fit like a glove. For others it may be a jarring experience if the machine is far different than what they have used or are comfortable with. Those are the people who I hope will give it a fair go. All I can say is I hope you enjoy the machine as much as I do Mitchel! It’s going to be an interesting couple weeks, and I am as curious if not more so than people to hear the reactions.

This is all almost identical to what Tim Mallory said in July 2014.

My preference is for discrete threads dedicated to specific questions, so they can be found and referenced in the future. The presumption is that these questions can’t be answered yet which is not true, so why lump it all up into one thread?

There are no settings for the GPZ 7000 that are universal. You have to learn to operate the detector on your own ground, and that takes practice. Use the default settings to get started and experiment with higher sensitivity levels for starters. Here are some previous threads on tuning the GPZ 7000

Complaining with a sense of humor beats raw anger in my book. At least when discussing toys instead of life support equipment! The more I think about it, even with me having an Equinox, I am still going to deserve one of those t-shirts before this is all over.

I love the t-shirt - every Equinox shipped to people with a preorder should get one!

This video has English subtitle so make sure to activate that under options if you do not see them. From the Makro Kruzer Owner’s Manual Page 23: EXTRA UNDERGROUND DEPTH (E.U.D.) The target IDs of certain metals (such as gold) in high mineralization and under hot rocks or at fringe depths may be reflected differently on the device than what they really are. Based on the DISC. setting, you may experience a depth loss for such metals or the device may not detect these metals at all. The E.U.D feature of the Kruzer enables you to detect such metals deeper utilizing a different tone than the other tones of the device. When using the E.U.D, the device does not discriminate metals and it provides the same tone for all targets. You can use the E.U.D feature of the device 2 ways: Instantly or continuously. To use the feature instantly, you must keep the SELECT button pushed down, and to use it continuously you must double click the SELECT button. In both cases, the frame around the selected search mode will keep on blinking. E.U.D will not work in the GEN and BEACH modes. If you are using the E.U.D constantly, unless you turn it off, the feature will be active even if you change the search mode. NOTE: Because this feature enables the device to detect some targets that are normally masked by ground conditions and thus are undetectable, it is possible to dig more ferrous targets when using this feature.

Welcome to forum norja. Please read the original post in this thread that answers that question.

People talk about testers being afraid they might piss off a manufacturer because they won’t get another “free” detector. Interestingly enough, I appear to be valuable because I speak my mind. The trick is to not be rude or stupid, and I see neither in what I posted. Just good solid advice should someone choose to pay attention to it. If that was enough to get me “canned” then I would not care. As far as I know nothing has changed since Minelab’s last statement regarding detectors shipping. One thing to keep in mind when reading Minelab notices. It appears to me that “shipping to customers” is the same to them as “shipping to dealers”. The key thing is units are on the move on the way to end user hands. I am “pretty darn sure” it really is a shipping and logistics thing, but if you want to then ignore that and go with whatever rumors you like best.

Just people excited to get a new toy blowing off a little steam. If Minelab would come out with a statement of clear actual facts as they are in this moment of time, it would help a lot. It is all the uncertainty that is driving people crazy. I am a big fan of laying it all out and let the cards fall where they may. One thing I learned running a service department. Call someone the moment things are getting delayed and be honest with them about it... generally no problem. People just want to plan their lives. But keep them in the dark and hanging means someone at the counter pounding a fist and yelling. It is not the lack of machines right now that is the issue, it is the lack of credible information. Minelab may not be able to help with delays in development, but this information thing or lack of it is totally under their control. They are choosing to keep people in the dark, and that is not sitting well with many people.

Looks like the latest version is preconfigured to accept an X-Terra pod...

I have no special knowledge on this but I would anticipate a trickle followed by a flood. My guess is Minelab had units prepositioned in the U.S. and elsewhere to get a few units out to some people, but they were probably shipped air. The bulk are probably on the way by container ship and will arrive later. Basically at this point I think we are talking shipping/logistical stuff. Just guessing though but makes sense to me.

Answered here http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/topic/5305-important-tip-global-vs-local-settings/?do=findComment&comment=55816

Honestly, I think you may be overthinking things. The fact is some situations like rapidly variable ground, call more for ground tracking. Prospectors run into this often, so tracking is the preset default. In parks ground is often more homogenous, and manual usually works fine. So it was made a default. You could also argue tracking was the better choice for a default with some merit. My personal perspective is that defaults are meaningless to me and I do not read anything into default settings other than what I have already stated. So if you want to try and read the tea leaves and divine meanings that is fine, but I can’t help with it myself. There is no one correct default setting and in the end you have to pick something, so it ends up being a choice by committee. There is nothing wrong with running a detector in a park with a preset ground balance point if you are a beginner. Many detectors work no other way. And many detectors that can be adjusted never are. How many Deus users ever employ anything other than a factory preset manual ground balance setting of 90? Probably not as many as never touch it and do just fine. A lot of mild ground is very forgiving and requires nothing else. I was asked about my suggestions for defaults at one point and my basic response to Minelab was “I don’t care because I will change them anyway”. The defaults I would choose are what works for me, and that would probably make the machine a hot mess for others. In general with defaults you hand the detector to a complete novice, they choose a default mode, and the detector works. It will probably not be optimum but it will perform well without going off the rails.

Depends who you ask. That is the thing about defaults - they work for some people and not for others. The rationale is simple - the thought was that it is a good starting point for most people, to be changed by those who think differently. Defaults are relatively safe starting points for beginners, nothing more. Safe being the main goal, not best performance. That would be like putting your young daughter in a car for the very first time with the gas peddle glued to the floor. A wreck waiting to happen!

It appears to be petrified wood. A lot of petrified wood in Alaska is jet black inside but weathers to a beautiful tan wood like appearance on the outside and it just looks like wood. This one has the right appearance but it is very hard to identify things via pictures on the internet. If you have access to a rock saw, slicing an end off might reveal the actual grain/rings in the wood, which is a dead giveaway. Rock layers tend to be flat, but petrified wood has rings just like in a cut log.

It almost has an amber look to it but the green is totally throwing me. I vote for glass slag but it is extremely hard to id pictures of rocks. Neat find whatever it is.

No worries Jim The main thing right now is just about everyone put something new out the last few months. So with First Texas we still have the “new machines over next four years” thing going on. Maybe a beach PI by the end of 2018 or in 2019? Garrett just released the AT Max. I kind of gave up on a light dry land Garrett ATX but maybe someday? Minelab I think we have some idea about whats up there. Makro we have the new Kruzer series just being launched. Nokta has been working on a PI for a couple years. Maybe this year after the Kruzer release is completed? Tesoro? Naw... White’s? All we can do is hope. XP? Maybe a lower cost model based on the DPR 600? There is not much really on the horizon once Equinox and a Kruzer hit the streets. I would personally be interested in whatever PI First Texas and Nokta have in the works, but other than that I am not really expecting much else. I guess if I had to root for anyone at this point it would be White’s getting the long awaited “new tech” to market that has been in the works for years, just because I think they really need a break soon. The crossfire between Garrett, First Texas, Minelab, and Nok/Mak is getting pretty intense. First Texas may not have any radically new machines out for some time, but the aggressive price reductions are keeping them in the game. All just guesswork. Sorry I don’t mention any other manufacturers but I really don’t pay attention myself to other ones. If anyone wants to add a guess about the Euro folks, that’s fine. and just a last note.... this thread will probably move to the advice and comparisons forum after it runs the course here.

It is impossible to blame people for being anxious so please go easy on people just looking for the latest info. It is hard to tell what is real or not out of all the stuff being posted. Generally however if it is not a new update direct from Minelab I pretty much ignore it all.

Yes. Lots of rumors floating around. I have not heard of any extra delay but it is not like I get told everything.

Well, sort of...