dewcon4414

On 8/28/2022 at 2:53 PM, V3i/MXT Pro said:

Does anyone else feel like the coil ears/stem seem over engineered? Why not just add 1mm in thickness to the traditional ears and call it a day? Kind of seems like reinventing the wheel.

I thought the same.  Then I thought humm they just transferred that ear breaking to us having to buy lower shafts. Hopefully it not a stiff build… because water guys tend to use the machine to balance themselves in ruff water.   One of the reasons I run in AM in the water is because I’m just looking for target … once found then I have to determine… is it something to dig.  I don’t run disc because things change… the salt, very tiny concentrations of metal, hard pan and black sand and EMI.  Some try to just disc it out rather than adjust the settings.

On 8/27/2022 at 12:39 AM, Steve Herschbach said:

Looks like a nice detector that will fit neatly into the hole left in the Minelab product line, by the now departed $1549 E-TRAC. If it hits that price point, it will be an apples to apples competitor for the $1599 DEUS II. I took the D2 for a spin, but with 90% or more of my detecting hours being behind a PI, I decided to just be happy with Equinox, and to do my best to ignore any new VLF tech that comes along. Which is what I am doing with Manticore.

I did much the same thing …. I sold all but my MDT and Nox.  I kept the Nox as a back up because I never had a leak AND I thought I might do some dirt digging one day.  But then my batteries died and I had some handle bolt cracking.  Got a new box and sold it.  I’ve always been a fan of the old explorers and the CTX…. will this machine bring back the silver “tinkle”?  

From a water guy’s perspective as was mentioned those braces displace a lot of water especially with a lot of current.  I like the upgraded shaft.  About time they improved their locks and got rid of the aluminum.  Tho again I wonder will we get this $155 crappy yellow phones?   I normally put a nylon sticker over the external speaker since I never use it.  Ears on the lower shaft…. Hummm.  I don’t know that that will be an improvement over just making their ears thicker.  We tend to balance ourselves with the machine when getting beat around out there scooping.  After a year or so …. set your detector straight up and you may see it leaning in one direction.   I’d like to see one batter in the back of the shaft like the MDT…. Easy to swap at $5.  I really like what I’m seeing on the screen.   Now salt balance?  With the added 50% increase in power (which is about what you get from beach 2 to beach 1) a salt balance would quite it down out there.

When I first seen it I was wondering if they had went to an explorer style battery set up moving it to th back of the shaft.   I never us my external speaker so I always put a large vynal sticker over it.  Salt water and sand does crazy things to equipment.  Huge improvement in that shaft.  Thou I’m not sure about the coil connector ears being attached to the lower shaft yet.

Cliff is likely reading the posts.  He’s had the Deus for awhile now.  Summer seems to be a big silver time with all the teens.  Hopefully it will turn to gold.  Seems like a lot are chasing give backs…. Maybe for a recovery fee.  
 

as far as how the chains sound…. Any target you can hear sounds good in AM.   Depth is always a guess in the water.  The bad chain was definitely deeper and thinking back had a higher reading like 17.  In the dime range…. But some targets do upscale.  I’ve not found gold to be one of them.

My last two hunts netted me gold and yellow.   The chain on the scale is 24”, 14k marked and tested, weight as shown.  Finally found a pair of gold earrings in the water … but of course they were plated.  Few deep quarters and 2 more junk chains.  
 

The next week …. It was this stuff that really looks good in the scoop.   I knew right away that ring was bad news….. but the chain and earring was looking good as I quickly tucked them in my pouch.  But nope …. More junk.  The necklace was open so I detected around and about 3’ away got a 1X1” dangle with a C…. That looked really good but tested really bad.

We had someone spreading Buffalo nickels here in Fl ….. something you could buy by hundreds off line.  Oddly had a gold tone to them like they had been heated and dipped.   One guy said he got 20 one hunt.   I got my share …. Fun to find.

Joe those batteries last forever.  I use um in the MDT 3 years with a constant 4.1 after charge.   Best I ever used was the 3000s fro RNB but I think they stopped making them.

Frankly I’ve found rarely do I find a gold earring in the water.  Lot of junkets …. Acceptable loss maybe since it’s time consuming after the first couple of tries.  

On 7/7/2022 at 1:28 PM, Walker1200 said:

Great finds Dew!

Do you have any guidance to recovering those tiny targets as they threaten to slip through the larger scoop holes?  I sometimes struggle with the same thing.  It can be maddening if you can't see it and aren't close enough to shore to dump the scoop on the sand.  Do you use a floating net, or some other method?

Love seeing the recoveries, keep em coming!

 

-Kerry

I’ll tell you what I did.  My scoop has 1/2” holes.  I took SS wire and wove it back and forth up to about 3 lines of hole in the V of the scoop.  That allows still for good draining and holds enough shells to keep small targets in the scoop.  If I’m chasing a small target…. I don’t shake the scoop until I get it high enough to get a hand under it to.  Rarely do I leave a target…. Even thou most of the time it wasn’t worth chasing

That looks like a couple of sites I hunted that was used by Gen. Patton for desert training in Calf.   The foundation’s were all used for target practice.   Wished I was still RVing I’d go back there for sure.

You hit on why the MDT gives a clean sound even thou the digits drift……ROUND.  I can’t see the screen a lot when water hunting but I listen for round tones that are deep.  When I switch from AM to disc I also listen for high and low tones combined.  Those have never produced gold for me.

On 6/26/2022 at 1:13 AM, phrunt said:

I'd like metal detectors to be sold with an option of no coil and accessories like headphones and gimmicky rubbish we don't need.  A bare bones option for a cheaper price where we can then buy the accessories and coils we want, this holds especially true for Minelab detectors, I've got two WM 08's I'll never use, 3 pair of ML80 headphones I'll never use, ML100 headphones I'll never use, a few Commander coils I'll never use, a $1600 New Zealand Dollar GPZ 14" coil I'll never use etc etc etc, the list goes on and on.   That GPZ coil alone could have bought me another Nox 800 and had a good chunk of change.

I'm paying for stuff I don't want all the time, I've got a cupboard full of rubbish, yes I could sell it but that's effort and I can't be bothered, I'd rather not buy it in the first place.

Even VLF detectors it'd be cool if you could buy it without a coil, or have an option to pick the coil and pay the appropriate price for the coil option you choose.  So many detectors I'll never use the coils that come with them.

I’d dare say you wouldn’t get the cash break you expect buying a separate stripped down machine as a backup.  You would be more likely to get your money back from the resale of those items.  I tend to get different phones, shafts and sometimes coils.  IF I resale…. The factory stuff goes with the machine.  I sell the after market gear separately.

One thing o can say …. The machine is built light… but very very durable.  Id still like to see those tones changed as well.  A little more stability as well just because when you run HOT like I do in AM then switch to disc for target ID you are at the mercy of coil control…. Slight wiggle over the target but it matters where that target is in relationship to the coil position.

That’s still based on those who took the time to rate them.  Real customers… who knows.

So it’s waterproof.   I assume the 5’ is from box to surface? Did Kelleyco not read the manual or did Dimitar make a change?   I hope he did.

kelleyco … wow stiff price I’d likely buy from Phil Meyers in Tampa first or Tom Dankowski.  I’ve never really liked the EXTRAs they throw in to make ya feel like you got a deal.  I’m not sure you can even get into their store right now.  What I am glad of …..more dealer interest.  I hope Dimitar keeps selling so he can continue improvements that we all would like to see.

Or…. go to a playground… those can be tuff to hunt near say monkey bars or slides.  The MDT has a coil HALO much like a Sov.  You have to wind down the power.  I suspect the standard coil would do a better job…. and I’d still use AM.

On 5/18/2022 at 6:16 AM, Geezer said:

That is pretty hard scrubbing to wear out coil covers like that, and a pretty hard work ethic in action too. Is the coil cover even necessary when you use the marine epoxy?The epoxy seems an elegant solution by itself, endlessly renewable and not so expensive.

No you really don’t need the cover like Dimitar said, it’s some pretty good epoxy.  But it seemed some wanted it so he did it.  That loctite marine epoxy is tuff as nails and it gives you visible wear point … ya just dab more on.  Spreads like peanut so easy to work with.   I can scrub the heck out of a coil…. But obviously the fewer hours the less wear.  I do like the cover…. Not as fragile as the standard which fits very tight so you have to be careful trying to remove it.  Thus far I’ve not noticed a lot of sand getting in causing falsing.   It of course adds nose weight.   For the price under $20 thou for what you get it’s a real great deal…. solid piece of work.

True … it’s getting competitive especially when you are talking multi use.  Obviously the Deus is the most talked about with a better warranty yet still over priced.  Either that or we just got spoiled with the cost of the Nox.  But even the Nox price has edged up a couple hundred just like the Xcal did.   I think their leaking issue hasn’t helped.   I’m not willing to throw money at the Deus YET.  They are still playing with the software AND it’s just not been in the water much.   I believe it’s vital that the MDT be waterproof or there again the Deus is attractive.

7 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Fix the menu navigation. Just one that cycles through functions, no hidden functions or timeout stuff please. Tones need a serious revamp. The MDT high tone sets the record as far as I know for highest tone ever, almost inaudible to those of us with high frequency hearing loss. Finally, more than one notch, as the only one available gets pressed into service as a workaround for constant high VDI false signals, leaving no actual notch capability left after that.

Good suggestions.  I’m wondering if there were more digits it might pull some of the wrap around iron back where it belongs.  That notch covers several digits as well.  We heard what the tones could be and I’d have to say it would make a world of difference 

I wore one of the standards out from scrubbing the sand the way I do.  Got another, and did what I always do….. added a coat of loctite marine epoxy to the edges and bottom.   I can watch wear that away and do touch up.  I used to put in crazy hours out there and would go thru a cover every 6 months or less …. 3 Nox ones.  Not hunting as much has helped too.

I was hunting with Cliff the other day tagging some targets.  He’s the guy to convince me.  I’m good in the water with the MDT.   Out there it’s simplicity, depth and just knowing it’s a non-ferr target.   I do my own thing out there and don’t get concerned about others or their machine.  I don’t care who gets it ….. I just want to see it 😂 

On 4/29/2022 at 10:35 AM, Carolina said:

In my opinion my MDT will have a lot of rest and relaxation time at home as my Deus ll seems to suit me better. 

I think those things that suit you may have been addressed…. and hopefully considered by Dimitar…. for his next machine.   I’ll be watching the Deus thru the Summer as people get it in the water more.  I remember we didn’t note many Nox issues it seems for nearly a year 

Dimitar now has the 12” coil cover for sale.  I know several people had asked for it.  Here is mine.  I tried to show it so you could see the thickness….. it appears to be about twice the thickness of the standard coil cover.  Fits very well.  Yes to those who want to ask if it’s heavier.  Obviously twice the thickness will equal a bit more weight …BUT adds tons of protection. Price I believe is $15 or $20.

Charles that IMO was a guess.  I’m betting if you re-bury them individually you won’t get that kind of depth.  Lot of variables go into exact depth.   We tested a 5 gram at 14”…. Dues got it with a couple of inches above that.  Thou even those inches won’t necessarily equal that same distance on a found target.  That small could have been 10” …. But lost to the TID.