Doc

If you have 10 seconds, you can detach the SAGA. You just leave the Pivot Joint on the rod, as well as the rod clip. Then you push a button pull the rod out of the Pivot Joint and set it aside. The SAGA is not just a Swing Arm, it's a coil guidance device. I understand why you think you would not need it for the smaller coils, but trust me, when you see what the SAGA does you need it for small coils as well as big coils because it will save you a lot of stress on your body. SWING arms do just what they say, it's an arm that allows you to Swing the Detector with both hands. The SAGA Is a Swing Assist Guide Arm. Watch this video and you will see that there is no "SWING ARM" ever made that does what the SAGA can do. I forgot to mention I had a customer that was using the 16 X 14 Mono coil and had a shaft clamp on the Garrett Axiom rod break. Garrett of course replaced it and it was probably a freak occurrence but since installing the SAGA the customer has had no further issues with the Garrett rod. But you have to remember that a large coil puts a lot of stress on a rod especially at the end of your swings. You are swinging in one direction then abruptly changing direction and swinging in the opposite direction. Changing the direction of your swing when the coil has momentum going in one direction causes a lot of stress. It's sort of like whiplash. All of that stress is directed at one place, the lower part of the detector rod where the weight of the coil is. Probably in a slow motion video you could actually see the rod flex as you change the direction of the swing. We saw that a lot in the Minelab lower rods is the SD/GP/and GPX series. If you were using an 18 inch coil it was not unusual to see the rod snap right above where it attached to the coil. The SAGA stops that stress because you are equally pushing with one arm and pulling with the other. The swing is much smoother and more controlled and you don't get that violent change of direction stress. Doc Start at the 2 minute mark.

If Minelab was to do that. It would be in CODAN's own factory located in China. I can't see them sub-contracting where they would not have quality control over production. The machines made in Malaysia are made in Codan's factory. Doc

LOL. They started calling Gerry, and Rob Allison and myself Minelab Legacy Dealers. That alone sounds like we are outdated. I looked all over my body when I took a shower, and I'll be darned if I can find an expiration date, but who knows? Doc

But where are the pictures. You know what they say, if there are no pictures it really didn't happen. 😁 Doc

I agree the hipstick is a remarkable device. However it works on a different principle whereby it directs the weight straight down onto your belt, which is fine. Your waist handles weight much more effectively than your shoulder. A hipstick with an Ultra Swingy Thingy is magic. Doc

Well there is no doubt that is one of the many pluses of the Ultra Swingy Thingy and I love that about it too. There is just no way your pants are going to stay up with all the acrobatics we go through while metal detecting. That's why I think if I could use those features and combine it with something that is designed correctly to do weight transfer, it would be a winner. With most of these lite weight machines, the AXIOM GPX6000 the Ultra Swingy does the job without the need to transfer weight because they are relatively lite. Doc

Gerry the Pro-Swing does have some serious design issues. That being said the concept of transferring the weight is genius. You are much taller than I am, hell everyone is much taller than I am... but here are a few tips for people who have not figured out how to make the Pro-Swing work properly Literally everyone I have fitted their Pro-Swing as described below loves it. 1. I only use one strut, and forget the yoke use it for a boomerang. If you swing right handed then put the right hand strut together, if you swing left, use the left strut. Using both makes you feel like you are in a straight jacket. You don't need two. No one uses two hipsticks. You might want to mess around with two struts if you are swinging a monster coil. 2. The upright strut, adjust it out as far as it will go and use electrical tape to secure the adjustment by wrapping it around the rod. 3. Where the struts join together tape those as well. 4. Adjust the back strut so that strut runs tight against your rib cage, and tape the adjustment. 5. Take the vertical back strap and fold it over by at least a 1/3 of the Velcro type material. Forget about leaving it the entire length even if you're tall because the Pro Swing Struts are noy long enough to work properly. 6. Forget about wearing the harness the way you think it should be worn, with the belt at your waist, NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. 7. The belt of the Pro-Swing has to be fitted right below your man boobs. That's right, you're going to look like a ninny but you will soon see that the Pro-Swing is the duck's nuts. I'm sort of kidding but the proper position of the belt, but it has to be way way above your waist. It is fitted properly when the strut lifts the shoulder strap off of your shoulder. 8. In order for the Pro-Swing to work properly whichever side you have the strut on that strut and how you place the belt on your chest is critical. It must be adjusted so that the shoulder strap on the side where the strut is at is lifts the shoulder strap completely off your shoulder even with the weight of a detector attached. If you are right handed you should have so much clearance of that right shoulder strap sitting above your shoulder that you can take your left hand put it on your right shoulder and the strap should be above your hand. The strap SHOULD NEVER TOUCH your shoulder. If it does you defeat the function. 9. The entire concept of the Pro-Swing is sort of similar to a block and pully. The more times you redirect the weight of something the less force you have to use to pull the weight. The weight of the detector on the strut must never be interfered with until it is re-directed to the back of the belt. If the shoulder strap touches your shoulder then your shoulder is carrying the weight and it can not be re-directed properly. So basically the weight of the detector goes down the vertical strut and then is re-directed towards your back where it pushes the belt out and away from your back, that force is redirected to your chest area under your man boobs. LOL However, by that time the weight has been redirected and redistributed so many times you don't even realize the belt across your under chest gets tighter when the weight of the detector is being supported by the strut. Look at the pictures. In the first picture you can sort of see that the right strap is up and off my shoulder. Also the positioning of the belt is far away from my waist, it is right under my man boobs, but I think it's that high because I am sitting down. The second picture clearly shows that the waist belt of the Pro-Swing has to be worn high. It has to be high enough so you can see daylight under that shoulder strap where the strut is. So don't give up on that Pro-Swing it's amazing, it's just designed poorly IMHO. Some day when I have the time and money I will do a Harness with a Support Strut System that functions properly without all of these hoops you have to jump through. Doc

BKelin, are you in the U.S.? If so give me your address and I will send you one of my new ABS plastic clips no charge. Is it the clip that goes on the shoulder "D" ring? If that's what broke that is exactly why I beefed it up. Doc

Here you go. The QWIPPLE™ Similar shoulder clip to Minelab however it's beefier and ambi-dextrous, you can lock it in on the left or right of the clip. Unlike Minelab I provide you with a shaft adjustment where you can either use it to simply hook the loop to, or you can use it as another adjustment point. I love to do my adjustments here because I can swing and when I am going up a ridge you lift the detector and the bungee goes slack. All you have to do is reach down pull the bungee out of the "V" groove take out the slack and give it a tug back into the V groove. You don't have to stop swinging to do it. Also unlike the Minelab rig, with give you a RING STRAP so you can attach it to your favorite harness rig. Minelab's replacement is $35. Doc's is $29.95. Oh yeah and I have 2500 of them so please buy one or two! LOL Our bungee is custom made 50% stretch for more control Dacron Polyester Marine Grade UV protected. Doc's AMAZING QWIPPLE™ Metal Detector Bungee Support Makes detector feather lite | eBay QWIPPLE™ Instantaneous adjustment Metal Detector Support Bungee - AMAZING! - Doc's Place (docsdetecting.com) Doc

Glad you like it. Remember this stuff has to be perfect because everything I design I first design it for me. I want it to work exactly as I know it should, not just to make a quick sale. And yes you are right people who try to invent things get off the shelf garbage made for other things and try to modify it to work for what we do. I don't! I design things to be task specific. That means a lot of money goes into molds, and having things like bungee made to my exact specification. That means there is minimum orders required. In the case of the bungee I had to order 3 miles of bungee. LOL, I need to invent something else that uses bungee because I can't imagine selling three miles worth of Qwipples. Thank you Simon, Doc

Hey Phrunt I like that gadget. The semi-rigid rubber will probably take a lot of abuse. It would work perfect on my SAGA, Swing Assist Guide Arm. Do you have access to a lower rod for a GPX machine? That is what I use on my SAGA Swing Arm and it is the most expensive item to ship because it's so long. So I could send you all the other parts minus the rod, and also an Ultra Swingy Thingy with a new Qwipple bungee. If you pay for the shipping I will send you the goodies No Charge. Just because I'd like to see you use them and comment on them. It would give me some good exposure over in New Zealand. Let me know. Warm regards, Doc

I see someone beat me to it but the FALCON MD20 Gold Detector is the only pinpointer that I know of designed specifically for gold and I mean fly specks. It also has discrimination. Doc

If you get a roll of contact paper. You can easily cut to size and replace as needed. I recommend using this before you put on any type of cover. As Steve has said, it you get dust or grit between a screen cover and your screen it will damage the screen. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09HYZL2HV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 Ot if you want to keep your entire detector from getting scratched and banged up. You can always get one of my, Doc's Detector Cover Set for the AXIOM metal detector. $149.95 https://docsdetecting.com/product/docs-cover-for-axiom/ Doc

I have used the same factory in China for 25 years. I know the owner very well and they are extremely skilled. I'd love to use a factory in the U.S. but there are none. And if there were, the cost would be what I sell them for now. I just had a chair and ottoman reupholstered at my wife's insistence, by a local company. Material $79 a yard, total price, with labor $2,679. A freaking chair! I said why don't we just buy a new chair. NO, she wanted the frame completely re-built and made right and wanted high end Tempur-Pedic like firm foam for the cushions, etc etc. Why do beautiful women always have such good taste and expensive requirements? So basically this is like a custom made chair I guess. Hell I'm afraid to sit in it, I don't want it to get dirty. I tried several different companies in China 25 years ago and just could not find one that understood the quality I wanted in a cover. Either that or they didn't have the technology to do such precision work. I saw this company I deal with and they make purses. So I ordered some of their purses because I wanted to see the quality and workmanship. Think about it. Women are buying purses, they are not going to buy something that is shoddy looking. So I asked this company would they be interested in making detector covers for me. They said, well send us an example of what you have in mind. So I sent them a cheap detector, and some sketches of what I wanted. I just wanted to see what they would come up with. Well miracle of miracles, the cover they made was amazing. Beautiful seam work, perfect design and fit. So that started my long relationship with them. The owner and I have become friends even though we have never met in person. But we use Messenger and Skype all the time. He is a good family man. Hates what the Communist Chinese are doing to his country. He is located in the Hong Kong area which was under British rule for many years. The other thing I love about this company is there was an order of one product that somehow was made completely wrong. It was not made like the prototype I had approved. Someone dropped the ball. I notified the company and they fell all over themselves apologizing. They got right on making a new batch correctly and shipping them to me by air, all at their expense. No excuses, no bickering just apologies and making it right. I even tried to get plastics molded here. I spent $2500 years ago for a mold and $2.50 for each piece I ordered 2000 pieces to an American company, Total $5000. The merchandise arrives and someone did not repackage one of the boxes and I find out they had everything made in China. There was an invoice in one of the boxes. The mold charge from the Chinese company was $900, and each piece was .33 cents. So basically I paid this American company a ridiculous amount of money to do nothing but place my order with a Chinese molding company. So yes, I have some of my things made in China, because of long term relationships, and amazing workmanship. Find me an American company that can do the same quality at competitive prices and I'll be happy to give them a look. As it stands now because of the sanctions against China I am charged a 30% import duty on goods coming from China. I don't see how this hurts China, I'm the one who has to pay the import duty, and ultimately the consumer. Doc

All the new merchandise has arrived. New Aussie green camo Covers for the: AXIOM Xterra Pro Manticore Gold Monster GPX6000 Equinox 700/900 Qwipple Bungees Soft Cowhide leather Nugget Coin Pouches 3.5 X 5.5 approx. 1200 lbs of merchandise and my back is killing me. My wife and I and a helper spent three days unpacking, repackaging and labeling everything. Thank you for your patience. Backorders are on the way. Doc

Reports are 50/50? You sure you're not including that first iteration of which all of those were replaced? I have not had one complaint nor one return. All I get are compliments about how much better it is that other Swing Arms. Any complaint about any product you always CC me via email and I don't recall any complaints. I have had questions from people who have never used a Swing Arm before because they are not sure how to use it correctly. Even though we give extensive instructions in color. But as far as customers trying to upgrade from the Minelab Swing Arm, those folks have had nothing but praise. I have had a few people snap the rod holder off when they dropped their detector and we have always replaced the clip no charge. The SAGA not only swings away from the detector rod, it moves up and down. You can't break it. It actually lets you STEER your coil and takes a lot of the stress off of detecting. Doc

Great idea Steve. Thank you. Doc

Thank you in advance to Steve for allowing be to update people on developments. The number of people waiting for a cover for the Axiom and Manticrore is pretty mind boggling. I know Steve doesn't like to use covers because he says he likes to keep the machine as light as possible. But the Manticore cover weighs 4 ounces and the AXIOM cover weighs 10 ounces. I'm sorry that designing prototyping and perfecting covers for new machines takes so long, but I won't have it made unless it's perfect. What I thought was going to be a nightmare to design, the AXIOM cover actually was not. It was similar in it's weird design to the GPX6000 so that went smoothly. The nightmare was the new Manticore cover. That large protrusion in the back with the flashlight was really hard to work around. If it was a big machine, working with weird angles is not such a challenge, but when you work with covers for smaller machines negotiating weird angles really cause problems for the design team. I've seen some covers for the Manticore being marketed already, they just put a big piece of elastic across the back. it blocks the coil cable plug in, the headphone jack and the flashlight. I suppose you can stretch the elastic out of the way to allow the cable and headphone jack to be plugged in, but what about the flashlight? Anyway here are pictures of new items these were the final approved prototypes, they have been in production now for about 2 weeks. Estimate is 3 weeks total for production to conclude and then probably another 3 to 4 weeks shipping customs clearance etc. The Gold Monster Cover we have in stock now. I am going to have to do a You Tube video on the QWIPPLE™ so people understand just how cool this new item is. I have a plethora of new items being manufactured right now. (Plethora, I don't get to use that word "A LOT") 1. The new Qwipple™ triple adjustment point shock cord bungee kit to be mounted on your favorite harness or hydration pack. 2. New Cover Set for the AXIOM, Head Cover Shade Cover, Body Cover and Arm Cuff Cover all done in the Digital Aussie Green Camo material 3. New Cover set for the Manticore 4. New Cover set for the Equinox 700 and 900 5. New Cover Sert for the Xterra Pro 6 New Cover Set for the GPX6000 in the New Digital Aussie Green Camo material 7. New Cover Set for the Gold Monster in the New Digital Aussie Green Camo material (IN STOCK NOW) 8. New Doc's Nugget Stalker soft real cowhide soft leather nugget pouch. Kangaroo Scrotums are getting hard to get in the larger size, and you can't sell anything made of Kangaroo into California. This new pouch is really nice. A larger size made of genuine soft leather. #1. Let me tell you about the QWIPPLE™. Take the weight off while detecting. With less strain you will be able to detect longer and concentrate on subtle targets better. • Top of the line custom made 50% stretch (most shock cord is 100% stretch) UV Protected Dacron Polyester Shock cord. Durable and tough. Control without all the bounce. This shock cord is specially made to my exacting specifications. This is necessary to withstand the rigors of metal detecting. I had to order 6200 meters to get this shock cord made to meet my requirements because it's not available commercially. • Exclusive ambidextrous heavy duty shoulder clip that allows 1 handed easy height adjustment "on the go." Never miss a swing, no stopping to re-adjust. Attach either looped end to the rod and you can still adjust the height, because both sides of the clip have an adjustment groove. • Amazing, rod bungee connection point fits any detector. You can also adjust the height of the detector here, or, simply use the loop end of the shock cord to attach. If you do like to adjust at the rod adjustment connector, no problem. When you are ready to lay your detector down in the dirt, don't take the clip off at the shoulder, this just allows your shock cord to lay in the dirt with your detector. Simply pop the shock cord out of the side of the rod adjustment device and leave your shock cord hanging on your shoulder high and dry and clean. • Every QWIPPLE™ triple adjustment shock cord support system comes with a RING STRAP included. You can sew the RING STRAP onto your favorite support harness, backpack or hydration pack and you're all set. Doc 1. QWIPPLE™ 2. Axiom Cover 3. Manticore Cover 4. Equinox 700 and 900 Cover 5. Xterra Pro Cover 6. GPX6000 Cover Set 7. Gold Monster Cover, (IN STOCK NOW) 8. New Leather Nugget Stalker® Gold Nugget Pouch

This is also why all the covers I make have a very thin neoprene lining backing the material. It helps insulate the machine from heat. Very much like middle eastern countries where they wrap themselves head to toe in lightweight light colored garments to insulate themselves from the sun. Additionally Minelab has told me they have already put the "NOT HAPPY" on several after market cover designs for the Xterra Pro, The Nox 900 and the Manticore, because they are not allowing an opening for the speaker. This causes two problems. It muffles the sound from the speaker as well as the fact that it traps heat inside the cover and makes over-heating worse. All of my covers are designed in consultation and advice from Minelab to make sure I am designing something that enhances the protection of the machine instead of being detrimental. Attached are a couple pictures of how we design the back of the Manticore and the Equinox 900 detector covers to make sure we get unimpeded sound and proper heat dissipation. I also design the cover with a small elastic piece over the charging port. This protects the gold plated contact charging points, while that elastic allows you to easily insert the charging cable and keep it in place. Doc

Let me caution against black on a metal detector. It's an absolute no no. Black absorbs heat and can cause a screen blackout, so try to stay away from black. Doc

I'm not a big fan of traditional CAMO, but the digital CAMO I think is understated.. I selected it because in the gold bearing desert areas in the U.S. as well as the Outback you have some green vegetation, a lot of browns, beige and rusty color soil. It has been very popular in the Gold Monster cover. We have it in the drab solid green and the Digital camo and the Cam outsells the drab green about 20 to 1. We can't do just one offs because our production runs are usually 1200 to 1500 of one style of cover. Chase I might have missed this but what detector are you using? Doc

WOW that's interesting. Thank you for sharing that. Doc

I won't know until I get the final shipping and the Customs import duty. Sometimes Customs charges me 50% sometimes they charge me 10%. I never know until I can get the final bill and tally up everything. Then I have to add in the prototype design and modification charges, etc. etc, It is not an inexpensive proposition to design and manufacture these covers. Doc

Might I suggest you paint the handle of your pick fluorescent orange? Then you just sit you pick handle up by your detector and you can spot that a mile away. Personally my detector never leaves my sight. Hell what difference does it make anyway? I'm 74, I have a big White Pickup truck and half the time I can't even remember where I left that when I'm out in the desert. Crap I can't find it when I parked it 10 minutes ago in the COSTCO parking lot. Most times I have to push the PANIC alarm on my key FOB so the alarm will go off so I know which way to walk. 😀 Doc

You mean a Camo Cover for the GPZ6000 like this? It's on the way when the Axiom covers are shipped. In the first run we did the Blue Camo to match the Color of the GPX6000 because Minelab collaborated with us on that machine. They were a tremendous help. and they wanted a color that would compliment the machine. So we went with the blue Camo which looks great. However, I personally want something a little more stealthy like the Aussie Digital Green Camo. Doc