abenson

I looked at Tom's post and agree to some extent. As far as stabilization goes, I was only showing what effect it has on depth and I'm aware you would only want to use it in nail beds. But as far as mode used, it really makes very little depth difference in my soil type which one is used. Except prospecting mode, which is far deeper than the others. I can and did switch between all the modes before I ever posted the video just to make sure I was really seeing issues with the Manticore. There is maybe a 1/4 to 1/2 inch difference between ATHC & ATLC and in this particular field I felt like ATLC was giving me the best results. Beach modes have a difficult time ground balancing for whatever reason. It usually takes 20 pumps to get it right. Some of the modes if I recall correctly it was ATHC and General are constantly giving a low tone grunt while going over the ground, so it's almost necessary to notch out some of the negative numbers or run with the iron mask on (Horseshoe I guess) to have a quiet hunt. The D2 on the other hand is the same way in High Conductor but very tame in General. There are so many combinations of settings that can be used on these new machines, one can speculate all they want. I always get comments like you should have used a higher recovery speed, lower recovery speed, different mode, etc. So did I have the best combination of settings that would optimize the situation? Who knows. But it think it's apparent to me that somethings up when I can compare General mode with the exact same settings between the 2 software versions and get obvious differences in performance. Is it my machine, or is it the update? Hopefully I can answer that question once I get a replacement. If the old version is better in my ground I'm fine with it.

Minelab called me this evening and I'm sending my Manticore in to have them look at it. The person I spoke to said the machine should act similar to the old software with the stabilizer off. So there maybe something else going on. I'll let everyone know what happens once I get a replacement machine. However, Dave is experiencing similar issues so hard to say what's reallt going on.

That's correct Steve. I think Minelab has added an overall stability feature on the Manticore that can't be turned off in the latest software version. I could be totally off the mark, but that's what is seems like to me. It's probably nothing to worry about in mild soil.

Dave, thanks for adding your thoughts on the update. We live close enough that I think it kind a confirms there's a real difference in performance between the 2 software versions in our soil type. I think when Minelab says they have added overall stability to the Manticore, it's having a negative effect in ground with moderate to high mineralization and is something that can't be turned off. Good targets that are deeper are now starting to be consumed by the soil and sound like iron.

Well for now I'll just stick with the old version as it clearly performs better for me.

According to Brass Medic you can turn the stabilizer filter OFF even with the stabilizer setting at 5. It adds a second filter to the stabilizer setting. I think mine doesn't auto turn on and off in the video because I started with it off. If that makes sense.

Good advice! I had done a factory reset before I went back a version hoping it would fix the original update that went South. But forgot to do one when I loaded the new one again.

Yea I noticed that on the video once you mentioned it. But it's obviously turning on as you can tell by the way it performs. If you watch the Brass Medic video the stabilizer filter and the adjustable part of the stabilizer are two different adjustments. Filter ON only works when you have it set to anything above 0, and what it does is makes the signal weaker/quieter when it thinks it's iron. It will still have the broken audio on what it thinks is an iron object. I would only use it heavy iron for sure, I just wanted people to know what it's doing to your depth in mineralized soil. For now I'm sticking to the old version, I like it better.

After going back to the previous software version on the Manticore, doing some testing and then updating to the most recent version, I apparently had a bad update the first go around. Because now the most recent download is much better than the first one I tried. However, I'm still seeing some weird stuff with the update and one of them is depth issues in my soil. It's not as bad as the first try, but it's still very apparent to me after hours of testing. The first update was like the stabilizer was stuck on 6 or something because even what I consider shallow targets were hard to detect. Now it's better but I'd say the 900 and D2 are at least a good inch deeper and maybe more. The signals area also choppy on the Manticore and I'm thinking this is the result of Minelab's attempt at general stabilization. I think this is the result of mineralized ground and those who have mild soil have nothing to worry about. I did a video of what I'm seeing and even in my test garden with the Manticore before and after the update it's pretty apparent it acts different on deeper targets. I also took the 900 and D2 out to one of my relic sites which has a bit milder ground to see how the update compared to the other detectors and it's also pretty apparent to me the Manticore isn't performing as well. So that being said I'm going back to the old version and sticking with it until Minelab does something different. If anyone else is seeing similar issues I'd like to know about it because Minelab has said they want to call and talk to me about what I and others are seeing with the update.

That's weird because my numbers are not red. They have the red underline just like before. As far as I can tell it performs just like the old version. Hopefully I will have a chance to do more testing tonight.

OK went back to the previous version on the Manticore and it's a night and day difference in performance. Got too much going on tonight to try and upload the latest version again and see how it really works. But now at least I know I can get back to a previous version.

Oh nice! Thanks for that. Wonder why Minelab couldn't just tell me that on the phone?

Before the update the D2 and Manticore were pretty dang close in depth, the D2 held a better ID than the Manticore though. Did some more testing Monday night with different targets buried at different depths and I've found the smaller the target the worse the Manticore performs. It's almost like the stabilizer won't turn off or something. In the 3 bar dirt I was testing the detectors in, the D2 on a penny is easily 2 inches deeper than the Manticore. But the real kicker is on a small pewter button the D2 is like 3 plus inches deeper. If I don't hear from Minelab soon, I'm going to put a video up to show what's going on.

My Manticore is considerably less deep than my 900. Even with the stabilizer off. It sucks because I really can't use it until I get a fix.

Thanks Dave for your test. I'll just wait and see what Minelab has to say and hopefully will give a way to fix it with either a way to go back a version or re download the update. Mine has something wrong with it, did a video but I'll hold off posting it and just wait and see what Minelab says.

If it is a one off there is no way of correcting it at this time with no way of going backward and reloading the update. When I connect my Manticore it tells me I have the most up to date software version with no other option to do anything. I'm headed out to do a video which I will post this evening. I will compare the D2, Manticore and 900 on some buried targets to show what I'm talking about.

Just got off the phone with Minelab and there is no way to go back to an older software version at this time. So anyone who hasn't done the update should probably hold off. Minelab said they will report up the chain and get back to me. It's been raining here a couple times a week so ground is not dry. 900 and D2 can easily hit the same targets in my coin garden so it's a Manticore issue.

That's too bad I'm really not interested in a 2 box detector.

Let us know Dave. I went out to my coin garden this morning and there's definitely an issue with my machine now. Gold prospecting mode has no issues that I can tell. But all the other programs are underperforming compared to the previous version. All the stabilizer settings were reduced to zero on all the programs, some of the programs have stock stabilizer settings up to as much as 4 so FYI. I have a 6" dime 5" small pewter button and 9" .58 cal minie buried and the Manticore can't give a positive response I would stop for on any of them (mostly iron grunts). Before the update the targets were clearly audible and gave good enough ID's that I would know a target was there. This might only be a mineralized soil issue and I could see that happening with them trying to stabilize the ID overall with the new upgrade.

Anybody know how to go back a version on the Manticore software? Only gives the option to update to the newest version and tells me I'm up to date when I plug in. Really hope I'm not stuck with this latest software.

Updated the Manticore a few days ago and took it out today for a few hours. After a while I noticed I wasn't digging anything very deep. So I burned a zincoln penny in my 4 bar dirt at 5" and it was nothing but iron grunts in all programs but prospecting. Changed every setting I could think of and ground balanced a bunch. But still no depth. Pulled out the 900 and the Deus 2 and they both hit it just fine. Dug down to 7 inches and buried the penny, D2 and 900 still picked it up but the Manticore was now completely silent. Maybe a download gone bad or just a bad update in general, IDK. could be linked to my bad dirt. Going to go back to the previous version tomorrow and do some depth tests and then update to the latest version and depth test again.

It really isn't a bad beach machine. I never had a problem with it as a beach unit. On land there are better options IMO.

It would be cool if it was a PI. Maybe a program added to the remote and an accessory coil would allow PI capabilities. Probably way off, but I can keep hoping.

It would be nice to have coil options. But I'm not that worried about it since I still have the Equinox 900. I would say I use an 11" coil 90% of the time anyway. If I need depth I switch to a PI, if I need separation I grab the Deus 2 with 9" coil. I really find it hard to believe the Manticore is the most sought after detector in ML history, at least here in the US. I know people that wanted one but have now said no way after seeing some of the videos on YouTube. I've got 2 friends myself who have decided to pass on it after using mine for a few hours.

Below is a video I did in back in about March of this year. I was at Digstock in NC and many of the home sites had shredded aluminum on them. I was continually picking coins from the sea of aluminum trashy sites that others were giving up on. It also worked at telling pieces of 1/4 copper tubing and rifle cartridges. Will it work at a park to tell small pieces of foil from rings? I don't know. But I do know that target trace will work on telling can slaw from coins. I'm not out to prove anything to anybody. Use the TT to your benefit or don't, I really don't care. I do enjoy using my Manticore and it's been a great detector for relic sites this year. At about the 3 minute mark I explain and show how it works.