Jeff McClendon

I believe the question about can manual ground balance function be added in the FMF modes has already been sent to XP and answered. The answer was no with no explanation given. XP are considering ground notch for Relic and Gold Field however.

El Nino77 is correct. Lots more features and adjustments when using the Mi-6 paired to a Deus 1, Deus 2 and the ORX. As a standalone the Mi-4 and Mi-6 are comparable to the Garrett AT Pro Pointers and the Fisher/Teknetics F-Pulse and Tek-Point. I have never used a TRX so I don't have a clue. The only drawback (some might consider this a good thing) is just like every mode change on the ORX, Deus 1 and it appears Deus 2, there is a roughly 2 second (sometimes more) delay when turning on the pinpointer and waiting for Deus or ORX to complete audio change over from detect to pinpointer mode. The same happens when the pinpointer is turned off. There is a 2 second or so delay until the detector goes back into detection mode. Where this is not so great is if you are trying to locate a target in the hole or spoil pile with the Mi-6, you can't find it and you decide to switch back into detect mode to relocate the target with the coil. There is some wasted time like I described before. So basically, you can't detect with the Mi-6 paired to the Deus or ORX and with the coil being used at the same time since they share the same singe audio output......hope that makes sense. For competition hunting, I would not recommend it or at least unpair it for competitions or if you don't have any time to waste.

The WS6 support accessory works very well. I have it for my Deus 1 WS4. The WS6 display for target IDs is almost twice as big and the one of the WS4 so it should be really easy to see. That neoprene adaptor is readily available and is well made and inexpensive.

Not in my area. All of the modes will not ground balance and I get ground noise responses as the coil approaches the ground, leaves the ground, at the end of swings or if the coil is not parallel to the ground during swings. The ground noise is only audible with the entire iron range target Ids accepted......as in with the horseshoe button engaged. Manually rejecting -9, -8 and -7 stops the audible feedback from the ground.

The WS6 does not have any kind of headphone jack built into it. There is the Clip Jack Adaptor that clips onto the back of the WS6 and provides a 1/8" plug for use with wired headphones. I have also used that adaptor with a 1/8 to 1/4 adaptor for headphones with 1/4" plugs. The Bone Phones have a waterproofed screw on pinned connector. Right now, it will only attach to the back of the bigger Remote Control at the waterproof pinned port. XP is showing an RC Jack Adaptor for 1/4" to RC waterproof port in the manual but they are not showing a Bone Phone adaptor that goes from the waterproof screw on pinned connector to an 1/4 or 1/8" male plug that could be used to plug into the Clip Jack Adaptor and WS6........... If you are thinking of using the Bone Phones on land, maybe an aftermarket manufacturer will make an adaptor for Bone Phones to WS6/Clip Jack. Otherwise, I would reverse things if you want to use them out of the water by putting the WS6 on the stem and connect the Bone Phones to the RC and put it in your pocket. You would need the WS6 Support (also in the manual on the accessories page) to attach the WS6 to the shaft. If you are thinking about using the setup you described in the water, you would have to find someway to get the coil's transmitted signal to the WS6 in your pocket. It has a wireless receiver and so does the main RC. However, as far as I know, the main RC does not have a transmitter. So the WS6 receives its signal directly from the coil. Hope all of that makes sense

This variation in the ground balance between modes was noticed early on after the Vanquish was released. The inability of Vanquish to handle iron mineralized ground and the resulting positive and negative audio when moving the coil in any way other than perfectly level over the ground was reported directly to Minelab USA and Minelab Headquarters. We were told that our detectors were functioning correctly which means they know about this behavior and it is simply part of owning an entry level detector. To "fix" this problem is not worth it. I just notch out the lowest iron numbers and don't use the horseshoe button except to check for a possible ferrous target when I am detecting ground that is outside the fixed ground balance range of the Vanquish.

Are you in the USA? Oh I forgot you are in Washington state. If so what type of targets are you hunting and where like in trashy parks, playgrounds, open fields or yards? First, really try to keep things as simple as possible. The Equinox is super sensitive to any target in the ground within range of the coil. Park 1 Multi, with sensitivity around 15 to 18 with everything else default is the best place to start since every tiny piece of aluminum foil won't be heard so easily. Otherwise the Equinox can be overwhelming due to the amount of possible targets it can hit. Just try to concentrate on targets that have clean 2 way hits and solid numbers that don't vary too much like 12/13, 20/21, 24/25, 26 to 28 and 29 to 31. Those numbers are for hunting standard USA clad coins. Learn how to ground balance, noise cancel and use the pinpoint function. They are all your friends and so is the depth meter which is calibrated for coin sized targets with one wedge equalling around 2" depending on soil conditions. Hunt in places that have less aluminum trash like school playgrounds or bark, gravel or sand play areas where there aren't too many pull tabs (11 to 18), small and large aluminum screw caps (18/19--22/23) or steel crown bottle caps (can have wildly varying target IDs or 11 to 13, depending on condition, if they are covered with foil or depending on depth). Check CJC's post today about mistakes made using the Equinox. It is really good information.

So, those of us that have responded are Vanquish owners. We are willing to help you but now you don't seem to want any help. Your Vanquish should still be under warranty if there is an internal problem. Also, you wouldn't want to sell a possibly defective detector. So........ If you are willing, just describe the problem as best you can. No matter what do a factory reset if you haven't done one already. Hold the power button down for around 7 seconds until you see FP on the screen, then release the power button and let your 540 start up. Try to do this away from any major sources of EMI.

I use it for determining if a target is a medium depth or less coin sized non-ferrous or deep aluminum can sized non-ferrous. Sometimes the depth meter will read shallow for a deep aluminum can sized non-ferrous target but also shallow for a non-ferrous US coin in the surface to 4" or so range. Often the audio response is very similar. Raising the coil is a quick way to determine if it is a smaller coin sized non-ferrous target......signal response ceases fairly quickly as the coil is raised while swinging over it or the signal response continues even with the coil 6" to a foot of the ground if it is really big aluminum.

i have read the manual a couple of times....well skimmed it would be more accurate so maybe I missed this. Does the ground balance setting achieved in one mode carry over to another mode? So, could one manually ground balance Deus Mono at 40 kHz where it is a little positive and then switch to Gold Field or Relic mode and retain that positive setting. I know that does not work on the Equinox but it has manual ground balance so a redundant point.

Clive, those are definitely all very valid "mistakes" that the Equinox will bite one back for making. I would only add the old maxim of raising the coil while swinging over a potential dig or not dig target it if there is confusion about a target being coin sized or much bigger. I am sure there may be more that people with tons of experience can add. Great topic!!!!!!

I look at all of the changes that XP made when comparing Deus 1 and Deus 2 and the biggest change for sure are the extraordinary fresh, and salt beach and underwater features and abilities that were added to Deus 2. Just creating a detector that could compete in the saltwater market automatically meant creating a viable form of simultaneous multi frequency operation that would not hamper the already outstanding target separation, recovery speed, iron handling capabilities and ergonomics of Deus 1. So far it appears that Deus 2 as a saltwater beach, saltwater diving and general diving detector will be formidable and also a godsend to hardcore beach detectorists and divers that want or need outstanding performance and outstanding ergonomics. I probably spend around 10% of my yearly detecting with a coil and/or control box submerged or in danger of being submerged. That probably does not warrant buying a Deus 2. However, the ergonomics certainly do and so does the improved depth, target ID accuracy and ground handling possibilities for inland hunting of coins and jewelry. As a relic hunter, I will always choose to own a Deus for handling areas with lots of iron trash on or near the surface and Deus 2 does appear to be the equal or slightly better than Deus 1 in that scenario too from the testing I have seen so far. As a gold prospecting detector with the 9” coil……….don’t know yet.

XP have given the user some valuable adjustments like salt Sens, magnetic ground, audio response, and a few others while not including manual ground balance for all modes. They may know something that we don’t as users and also may be trying to avoid what they may see as an easy way for a user to complain. Minelab automated many things on the Equinox that I sometimes wish I had some control over and gave manual adjustments for others…….. Just speculating so ignore this comment all you want. Maybe XPs FMF and Minelab’s Multi IQ deal with ground handling very differently similar to how differently Deus/Orx and the Equinox deal with ferrous targets.

Thank you for making that very informative video. It is always good to know what Deus 2 is capable of. I use Deus 1 and ORX in Gold Field often for gold nugget hunting. I know this was a "Relic" video but to me, like strick said, that was a big, thick piece of foil and would be an easy target to detect (maybe no ID however) in your soil conditions even for Deus 1 or the ORX in Gold Field. You could probably cut that piece of foil into four I/4 sized pieces and your Deus 2 and maybe even Deus 1 would still detect that sized foil at that depth in your soil. 1/3 or 1/2 sized pieces would be easy. Deus 2 Relic mode would probably hit that sized target too. The Goldfield and Relic modes are very powerful and accurate from the testing I have seen so far….. thank you again.

Yes that is also what Minelab does in the manual. However, there is always the exception and Minelab acknowledges that too with this little blurb in the Equinox manual: "The Detect Mode descriptions in the following section are for typical detecting locations. Some Detect Modes will be useful in locations not represented by the Mode name, icon, or description." That is definitely a CYA, exceptions to every rule example. Replace the word targets for the word locations in that sentence and that would also be valid. I have been known to run the Gold modes on saltwater beaches...........ugly on the ears, but effective. This is why when someone proclaims a detector to be the greatest in the world.......you just never really know the answer.

That is amazing also. Target size matters too. So does coil size like your 15X12" versus an 11". The test by Carter was on deep coin sized objects He did not mention whether he was able to get Beach 1 to run quietly enough to use it in his deep nickel test. As he demonstrated, on that beach a detector running at higher frequency weighting and without reduced transmit power was much more effective on those targets.

Those are some great results both for Beach and Beach Sensitive. This shows how Deus 2 for wet and submerged hunting is far more sensitive to deeper targets than Equinox Beach 2. Anyone familiar with the Equinox Beach 2 mode knows that depth is not its strong point. Operating submerged and in wet sand where Beach 1 can’t go is its sole purpose with the reduction in transmit power and much lower frequency weighting similar to Deus 2’s Diving mode. So, in wet sand where Equinox Beach 1 can’t operate and Beach 2 is the only option left……..Deus 2 may have the Equinox totally out gunned. I have said this already but as the video maker said, those results are amazing and truly make Deus 2 for milder, low black sand saltwater beach hunting a true game changer just like Calabash said.

Wow, I wish I had been detecting back in the 70's or 80's when US silver coins from the 50's and 60s were recent drops instead of being under 8 to 12" of dirt.

Yes. The ORX Gold modes are almost identical to Deus 1 Gold Field.

Not everyone is saying the Deus 1 and the ORX are not very good gold detectors. Deus 1 and ORX with the HF Elliptical coil are excellent small to very small gold prospecting detector IF the ground is not too high iron mineralized. Since they are single frequency, they may lose a lot of depth/sensitivity in really bad ground. Deus 2 could be an excellent small to very small gold prospecting detector using Gold Field if it had smaller coils available than the 11" and the 9". No one has tested the 9" yet and posted findings like the test Andy did in Western USA hot ground. Maybe the 9" will be a lot more sensitive than the 11" was in Andy's video. Deus 2's FMF simultaneous multi frequency technology may offer some ground handling advantages over the selectable single frequency Deus 1 and ORX. It is always good to have multiple choices since. These recent "multi tool" detectors like the Equinox, Deus 2 and the soon to be released Legend being SMF and versatile enough to work in almost any ground and on a huge range of targets and target sizes makes it hard to decide. All three, Deus 1, Deus 2 and Equinox will hit gold nuggets for sure.

Where are you hunting inland? Is the ground fairly mineralized? What are the sounds like and when do they happen. Vanquish 540 and all of the Vanquish models have no user adjustable ground balance feature. Ground balance is done internally. Some say it is totally fixed. I think it has a slightly variable range since it is using at least 2 simultaneous frequencies that are responding to ground changes. When the ground balance value is outside that "range" the Vanquish will sound like it is out of ground balance by making very low or medium low sounds as the coil approaches and leaves the ground and at the outward end of swings. If that is the sound you are talking about you may be able to silence it by rejecting -9,-8, -7...etc and create a custom program. If that is not the sound you are hearing.....who knows. The Vanquish models usually do not have EMI issues, they don't have a threshold tone and usually run very quietly.

At first glance, I would think that a higher frequency weighted multiple frequency detector in an all metal type mode like Gold Field or the Equinox Gold modes would have the blind spot from the ground balance setting issue covered by using at least two different frequencies at the same time. In this case with Deus 2 Goldfield and its 11" coil, that really small nugget seemed to be more of a sensitivity issue than a blind spot issue.

Threshold volume level can be turned up or turned down to silence it in the Relic and Gold Field modes.

Does a slight frequency shift on your Deus. It might help. Mi-4 is at 12 kHz.

The two threshold based all metal modes on Deus 2 with FMF tech and VCO audio are definitely secret weapons if one can learn how to use them. If I had a target on Deus 1 that was just out of reach of a discrimination mode, Gold Field would usually hit it really well in mild to moderate mineralization. Now with Deus 2's FMF technology, not only will it probably hit those really deep, just out of reach for the discrimination modes targets, it may also give a really accurate target ID and a good indication of the target's conductivity at least. For sure it will scream on 10" coin sized and bigger targets as Gary's video shows. Equinox Gold modes can function the same way and give good IDs if the soil is moderate to mild iron mineralization and the ground does not have tons of iron trash.