abenson

Looks like Minelab has set out to try and take what left of the metal detecting market from other manufacturers. Price point of the X-terra Pro looks to be in the mid US $700 range. That's going to directly compete with the Garrett AT Max, Nokta Anfibio and Fisher F75. They may add other less expensive models in the months to come. But if you look at the features being offered on the new X-terra Pro it's only real competition is the Nokta Anfibio. Why would anybody except a brand loyal person buy the Fisher F75 or Garrett AT Max when the X-terra Pro offers so much more for the money. My guess is they will soon have a X-terra model that will give the Nokta Simplex, Garrett Ace series and lower end Fisher F series a run for the money.

EMI is not the limiting issue at the beach I hunt, salt content is. I can run the sensitivity up to about 26 or 27 before EMI makes the Manticore to chirpy to use, even with a long press noise cancel. So if I back the sensitivity down to 25 where there is very little EMI and lower the coil to the sand and ground balance. I still get multiple false signals as I sweep the coil. Lowering it to 22 it about where you can hunt comfortably in most places. some require lowering it to 21. I guess if someone wants to chase multiple false signals in hopes one will be a deep target then the more power to them. I already dig multiple signals that never produce a target each time I go. It isn't like you can just take a scoop of sand out and if the target disappears pass on. The Manticore, like most SMF Minelabs I have used, (and yes I've seen it with other brands) are famous for targets disappearing once the sand is disturbed. So it's all or nothing at that point. You either dig until the target is out at about the 13-14" range or you dig a 20" deep hole just to make sure there's nothing down there. I personally don't have the time to to chase false signals. I can sit and screw around with settings on the 16" deep nickel I buried, using every mode, audio profile, audio type, noise cancel, GB, etc. and get it to come in a little better. But when I try and use those same settings to actually hunt it's not feasible. There are 3 of us with the Manticore in my area that hunt the same beach. You can ask any of us what our settings are and my guess is they are pretty close to the same.

Totally agree with you on this. People that don't have the machine don't understand this. I have people continually telling me on my videos to turn the sensitivity up on the Manticore to get better depth/performance. There are 4 major things that are going to determine how high you can run the sensitivity and not get yourself in trouble. EMI, density of iron targets, ground mineralization and on the beach salt. One or more of these are going to determine how high you can run sensitivity. Just because you can do a long press noise cancel and run the sensitivity up to 30+ while holding the coil in the air, doesn't mean you can hunt that way. I've located many deep targets on the beach that if I had the Manticore over powered, I wouldn't have heard the signal through all the noise. High sensitivity on this machine is counter productive.

I had the same issue with the Tarsacci, gave it two chances and eventually sold them both. Only way to run it in hot dirt is in mixed mode and circle the target. The audio just doesn't do it for me, so much easier just to use a PI. I got to the point that it was easier just to grab a PI when the targets got out of reach for a VLF.

Good report Daniel. Never really cared for the performance of my Equinox at Culpeper, VA. Took my D2 to Culpeper last fall and thought it did OK as far as VLF'S go. I had not planned on taking my Manticore this Spring and now you have confirmed my suspicion that it would be much like the Equinox.

I have both coils and use the 5x10 more. More ground coverage, a little deeper and separates about the same as the 6". Drives me nuts to swing that 6" unless I've got lots of rocks and weeds. It's like painting a barn with a toothbrush, but that's just me.

I have a tendency to run my detectors hot. But I also recognize when too much sensitivity is counter productive. Metal detectors such as the Axiom, Equinox 900 and Manticore all have sensitivity levels that are way more than one needs in most cases. But in certain circumstances it's nice to have the extra boost if you can use it.

Everyone that hasn't used one thinks that just because you can go o 35 you should. You soon find out that isn't the best way to run the Manticore. I get comments on my videos all the time that I need to run the sensitivity higher. Yea OK

Nice find! Love finding the seated coins.

I'm really liking mine for beach work and yes it is deeper than the Equinox at my beach by a good 2 inches or more. I have not dug much iron with it at the beach. Took it to a nail infested site yesterday and didn't notice it falsing any worse than the 800 would have. Pulled a silver Roosevelt dime than gave a perfect trace and ID at about 4 inches. When I went back over the hole there was iron in it. Deep iron at parks is what worries me, as I have dug a few deep nails I thought were coins. Need more time at a park before I pass judgment though.

Have been thinking about this subject in relation to the Manticore and specifically coils. A lot of talk on youtube about both sensitivity levels and iron falsing in regards to the Manticore. Some people are saying they can run the Manticore at very high levels of sensitivity with great results. Others are saying they can't get past 23 without problems. And both of those groups are also reporting both excessive iron falsing and no falsing issues. My Manticore gets erratic at sensitivity levels above 23 no matter what or where I'm hunting. But I have I would say about the same levels of iron falsing I did on the 800. So is my machine/coil good or bad compared to the same person that gets excessive falsing at the same sensitivity levels. Or is the person that can run 32 sensitivity levels with non-issue and no falsing got a good machine. I do not know. And maybe it's the users inexperience?

About 2 years ago I got permission to hunt a site in a small town where some military activity took place. The 4 acre parcel was right on the main road in town and had NO TRESPASSING signs every 30 feet down the fence. So I'm metal detecting this site and a guy drives up and calls me over from about 100 yards away, so I go over and he lays into me about metal detecting on private property. I asked him if he owns the property and he says I'm stealing the artifacts. So I repeat do you own the property. He avoids the question and says I'm calling the Sherriff. I said go ahead and started detecting again. 30 minutes later the Sherriff shows up but doesn't approach me or call me over to his vehicle. I can see he's on the phone for a few minutes and drives off. My guess is he knew the property owner and called him to confirm I was ok to metal detect. Some people just can't mind their own business.

I'm not going to pretend I know what's going on when you do a long press noise cancel. But when you do it will cycle through the channels and change between them until it finds one it likes. So you will see it land on -9 then 1 then 4 then 1 again and 1 again, when it sticks to one channel that's when you knows it's found the channel it likes. It seems to work and does quite the machine down.

If you want to see Tom's response to I believe Hugh's question about depth/EMI and how he arrived at the 23% increase over the Equinox, you can see it here. Again this applies to his mild Florida soil so may not apply to you. https://www.dankowskidetectors.com/discussions/read.php?2,185174,page=19

Wow very nice find! The ones dreams are made of. I've hunted the treasure coast a number of times but could never hit a good storm that uncovered anything.

Well my whole point was if you don't hunt the beach or sites with much EMI then get the Equinox 900. My initial feeling about how the Manticore does on small gold and Simons findings also, suggests that the 900 would also be the way to go. Personally I think once you get into mineralized ground with the Manticore and it's ferrous limits, it's going to be kind of a nightmare trying to figure out where to set them. Set them too high and you're bound to lose small/deeper gold to the mineralization. Set them too low and you're going to be digging more iron. Ferrous limits are nothing like iron bias on the 900, it's going to take some trial and error to get the right setting. Bottom line is if you're serious about gold nugget hunting get a PI.

OK I thought I was going crazy. But I found it on page 17 of the thread. The Manticorps is only a few percent deeper than EQX at inland/turf/dirt sites. Fact! BUT. Implementing Noise Cancel LONG PRESS.......... and.......... on average........ the Manticorps is (my overall nominal-median average....thus far)..... the MC is approx 23% deeper than EQX. . . . . . . as long as you THEN employ higher Sens numbers before & after LONG PRESS. If you (mostly) hunt sites that have little/no EMI...... stick with the EQX. If you hunt the beach...... get the Manticore. It is MUCH deeper (especially on fine gold) than EQX.

The thread you refer to is where I thought I read what I said earlier about 900 on land unless EMI is an issue and Manticore on the Beach. But now I can't find it. So many threads on different forums about the Manticore I'm getting confused.

My dealer charges $25 from PCGS if I remember correctly. Although you do have to wait until he travels to a major coin show to get those prices. Otherwise yes you also have to pay shipping both ways.

The dealer I use charges $15-25 to clean the coin and $25 to have it graded. I personally only have gold coins or semi-key and key date silver coins graded that are in at least extra fine or better condition. I have several gold coins that have been graded as Au 50 and Au 55 but in dug/cleaned condition. Still a common date $1 gold coin in that condition dug can fetch $350 plus. If nothing else it will HOPEFULLY keep my family from donating hem to Savers/Goodwill when I die and sell them for a little extra cash.

Oh yea and I do YouTube videos, so you'll probably see me rub my silver coins. But if I get a gold coin coming out of the ground, I'll rinse it with water and get what dirt I can off. Below is a field cleaned coin from a plowed field.

If I find a gold coin yea, I'm treating it good until I can get home and gently wash the dirt off. Silver coins not so much. If you have a coin graded, which I have had a few, and you dug it. It's going to come back as cleaned or dug, end of story. Which automatically devalues the coin. Further more I rarely sell my coins so I really would rather have them clean which means electrolysis or baking soda paste for me. The dang coin was in circulation for how many years, I don't think rubbing a little is going to do that much more damage. But that's just me.

Got to agree with you Simon. My first initial indoor tests on gold between the D2, Manticore and 900 were not too impressive. I was going to save any comments until after I had a chance to get to the goldfields and try it in some real ground. But I tested a fairly round .07 gram nugget with the 3 and the D2 did the worst, had to practically touch the coil to get it. Manticore I could get about an inch off the target and the 900 was at least 1/2 to an inch farther above the target than the Manticore. So far the only place I really like the Manticore is at the beach. It's a top performer there. Had it park hunting a few times and was not impressed, would rather use the 900. The only place I haven't had a chance to try the Manticore yet is relic hunting. From what Tom Dankowski has said on his forum I may not like it relic hunting either. His comments to those who are trying to decide is-On land if EMI is not an issue get the 900, if EMI is an issue get the Manticore. If you primarily beach hunt get the Manticore. My relic hunting spots are fairly remote so I'm thinking the 900 will be the one to use for me. I'm at lest a month away from a relic hunt to test the Manticore out.

Thanks. I personally don't like pitch audio, it hurts my ears with headphones on. But next time I'm out I plan on trying pitch on the Deus and prospecting on the Manticore ro see if there is a difference. They are pretty dang close in depth. I just think the D2 has better audio and is easily to hear. But that could change using prospecting on the Manticore.

Nice finds! I love digging Civil War relics.