UtahRich

I looked at the 900 and 700 specs. They say it is Multi-IQ, not Multi-IQ+. go figure.

I'm guessing the 900 would be $500 less than the Manticore and the 700 will be $300 less than that. When will they be ready to ship though? April/May?

Interesting that on the Minelab website spec's, it shows KEY TECHNOLOGIES as Multi-IQ. No Multi-IQ+ here. But it looks well thought out and packaged. Good for the upgraded control pod and rod. Hope the coil ears have been 'fortified'. Somebody has a picture of a slightly redesigned 11" coil. Coils remain the same size. I'm going to be moving to the Manticore for the additional features, but this is a very nice answer to the Legend and D2. Website has a manual and everything. No Manual as of a few minutes ago for the Manticore. . . ?

Interesting that on the Minelab website spec's, it shows KEY TECHNOLOGIES as Multi-IQ. No Multi-IQ+ here. Good for the upgraded control pod and rod. Hope the coil ears have been 'fortified'. I'm going to be moving to the Manticore for the additional features, but this is a nice answer to the Legend and D2.

I'm thinking Safari / Explorer - equinox being a lesser version of the manticore. Safari had the digital display only, while Explorer had the Ferrous / Conductive screen and all the discrimination capabilities that went with it. An 'upgraded' equinox dealing with the Legend/D2 and the Manticore leading the charge. Don't know. So many possibilities here. But I stand on the consumer side of the counter and have a different perspective.

I think putting the Nox 600 and 800 in the new/better Manticore housing and giving it an upgrade to the Multi-IQ+ software will be the ticket. No Ferrous / Conductive screen or any of those features, that's Manticore territory. What will be done to bolster the coil ears? Would there be a shift to the new style Manticore coils? Does the IQ+ software need the newer designed coils to be stable? Don't know. Of course, this is a guess (WAG) on my part. A new housing and software would make the 800 more competitive with the Legend / D2 offerings that are making inroads on the equinox popularity. I'm anxious to see what comes along.

I was expecting to wake up this morning to banners flapping in the wind and a big parade on main street. Crickets. I kinda thought that being Australian based, there would be a leaning towards Australian times / dates, so I was looking about last night for anything. Nope Well, there is a storm blowing in where I live and perhaps there is a parachutist out there somewhere having been blown off course trying like heck to land. I'm hoping. Always nice to see what Minelab has come up with. UtahRich

I kid around above, but i see this attitude out there about running at max and criticizing a detector if you can't hunt with everything set for optimal conditions. Life isn't always optimal. I have some areas i shallow water hunt where there are high power transmission lines running over my head. Most days i cannot get my 800 to be anything close to stable using multi-frequency settings despite efforts with noise cancel and sensitivity adjustments. Here i end up picking either 10kHz or 15kHz as my search frequency and then hunting. Suddenly, things go quiet as a mouse. Some have said, See, what use is a multi-freq if you can't always hunt in multi-freq? To that I've responded that it's great to hunt in multi-freq, but if i can't, i also have in hand a selectable frequency detector that allows me to hunt despite conditions that might otherwise drive me away. I think of it as versatility. I'm excited about learning the new Axiom and exploring some new areas - UtahRich -

The manticore takes features from the ctx 3030, etrac and equinox, so i don't see them bringing out a new ctx4040 / etrac 2. "It's better the second time around". Perhaps the other change will be to freshen the equinox to the multi IQ 2 software in a pod similar to the manticore, a'la equinox 1000, and attempt tostep way out ahead of the legend and deus 2. The other option i see is revamping the Gold Monster.

speaking of . . . . shouldn't max sensitivity be 11? edit: Sorry, reference was a little vague.

Thanks Gerry & Steve. Appreciated

As a NOOB to PI's / nugget hunting, i was thinking the standard Axiom package was the way to go - 13" DD & 11" mono. Should i reconsider? Rich -

Uh Oh ! Best not to let this leak out just before Christmas PSPR - Pretty sure you've just relegated yourself to the Minelab NAUGHTY LIST and will therefore get BUMPED to the back of the Manticore waiting line. Minelab expects patience and LOYALTY from their dedicated customers. Unrelated - growing up, did you ever catch Santa Claus in the act? 😉 UtahRich -

I think Minelab will release the manticore when it is ready and not tie the release to tax seasons, weather patterns or astrology predictions is the local news paper

Bet that area gets pounded by the local detectorists.

I wouldn't have even THOUGHT to put that on my bucket list. Crazy amazing find for sure. Right up there with Dragon Treasure.

My best medical advice is this - Don't Hold Your Breath. 😉 2028 is a long wait.

One of my worries when I purchased my 800 was that Minelab was trying to make 1 detector be too many things; coinshooter, beach hunter, relic hunter, gold prospector, shallow water hunter, and such. I'm actually surprised it turned out as great as it is. Excellent in a few categories and very good in others. We know the shortcomings, but overall, really a great All-Round detector. Seems that everybody is trying to be the All-Rounder now. One detector to do everything. Is this our new norm? UtahRich -

Hey there GB, Clarification of audience is needed. Helpful to whom? You? Or is this rhetorical to give us something to churn on while it is cold outside? (i'm ok with that, just asking) When referring to graphics, are you referring to a display that shows like graphical battery levels? Mineralization levels? Probable Depth? Settings and so on? Or is this in reference to TARGET ID Display specifically? Enquiring minds await. UtahRich -

Silicone, duct tape, gorilla tape and a few other options came to mind - in the end, after reviewing the overall Deus 2 package in relation to the hunting I do, I decided a new home for the D2 was the solution. I think the Deus 2 is very capable, just not as good a fit for my situation as i hoped. No worries, I have my 800 to rely on while Minelab finishes up the Manticore. UtahRich -

That is certainly A possible solution. I would rather not be gluing the controller to the search rod when i go water hunting. Fortunately the wired BC headphones do act as a leash of sort to prevent loss. And since the D2 has a new home, it is all water under the bridge now. UtahRich -

Likely so. As for me, I'm not so interested in a detector that slays the competition but simply does what I want it to really well and is rugged enough to detect in the out-of-doors and in the water and not have any issues. I 'm one who dropped $$$$ and picked up a D2 early this year and really like its' capabilities but am not impressed by the mess of hunting with it in the shallow water. I'm speaking of the hokey pokey connection between the coil and controller for water hunting. Rubber bands (o-rings) and plastic clips to hold things in place? And a controller that can be knocked off the search rod rather easily in my hunting conditions. Come on XP, you can do better than this for a "water detector". Take the D2 and hardwire the coil/controller. Fix the controller to the search rod so it can't get knocked off easily when in rugged terrain or fumbling with dive gear, keep the wireless headphones and waterproof connection for the bone conduction headphones. boom. Deus 3 and I'm in. Some will remind me that hardwiring the coil / controller ruins the ability to make multiple detectors out of 1. To that, I say I don't want 2 detectors that can't do what i want, i just want 1 detector that can. My 800 has been a fantastic detector for nearly 5 years. So far I've not had any broken coil ears or water in the controller, but i do worry about both which is why i pulled the trigger on the D2. So, i parted with my D2 and am waiting to see if the Manticore can fill this spot. I think it will AND I think the Manticore will perform above the level my 800 has offered. Meanwhile, my 800 continues to do the same great job it has for a long time, nothing has changed there. Lastly, it is fun to watch the angst of everybody peeking behind the curtain to see if Santa Claus has arrived. UtahRich

So GB, are you thinking the Minelab Aurora would be a good choice ? I like the Minelab Meteor, easier to pronounce and has a greater impact. 🙂 Rich -

Personally, I am NOT a fan of products being released BEFORE they are ready. I think it is an extremely poor business decision to do those types of things. Companies shouldn't make promises or set expectations they can't meet, like release dates. Bad, bad, bad. Just the World according to me. Rich

October ended up being a pretty good shallow water month for me, except I still went without a single gold ring. Lots of lead, lots of tabs, no gold. Ended with a few junkers that went in the trash, 3 tungsten carbide, 7 sterling, and a pair of Titanium bands. Had a good time doing it.