Chase Goldman

The only thing I caution since you water sealed it up so tight is to avoid using it in direct sun and high temps on the beach out of the water. I think you might suffer some overtemperature effects under those conditions. Since you are detecting in the water for the most part should not be a problem. Also, rinse out that Nox headphone jack with fresh water after each use, even though you will probably not get a lot of water intrusion with you setup, any salt water whatsoever in that jack will eventually corrode the metallic h/p jack components. Good luck looks like you are well on your way to cleaning up on your local beaches. Hopefully tourism will pick up again to refresh your beaches.

Believe me, I have acquired enough spare components (headphones, coils) for two Deus Setups because the headphones and remote are separable and got the ORX remote and headphones used and just paired them with my 3 existing Deus coils so I guess I could have up to 3 separate setups counting Orx, so it can get confusing. It is easy to swap the coils because they have serial numbers but the pinpointers don't have separate numbers you can manually select plus the "lost pinpointer" beacon can also throw things off. Good luck and hopefully it doesn't happen again.

You probably should avoid swapping components between the two setups (especially the pinpointers) as you may be "confusing" the control module (perhaps the other pinpointer was not completely unpaired from the module or glitched during the unpairing process, who knows - but it just sounds like a recipe for confusion). Kind of a first world problem for those of us who can afford two or more complete ORX setups, I suppose. Anyway, there is no email but the contact address and phone number are: Detector Electronics Corp.23 Turnpike RoadSouthboro, MA 01772508-460-6244 The support web page is: https://www.xpmetaldetectorsamericas.com/xp-service-and-repairs Or if you misplace this bookmark just google XP Americas...not so hard. Happy 4th Relicmeister.

Agree! That was how I was understanding it myself. The key is depth is not reduced (not a step backwards as Monte put it) with the latest software because you will still get target audio, just no visual target ID and random chatter and you retain all the other improvements that came along with 2.77 (headphone audio, new "Park 1" mode, AM threshold/ground adjust, etc. Don't have an Impact, but your theory sounds plausible based on how Nokta implemented that hidden setting in Impact. They are simply limited by the firmware/hardware interface implementation in Simplex and have to do it less "gracefully".

He answered your question. The Wi-Stream wireless protocol used to communicate between EQX and the WM08 is Minelab proprietatary and nether Minelab nor any third parties have offered a standalone transmitter compatible with the WM08. Only the transmitters bulit into the EQX are compatible. Same is true for the wireless Wi Stream receiver modules used for the CTX (WM10) and GPZ, no cross model compatibility (another non-sensical, frustrating business decision by ML). Even the standalone Pro Sonic Wi Stream Receiver/Transmitter kit is only compatible with its own receiver/transmitter hardware even though all of the above wireless products use the Wi Stream protocol.

Gotcha! Otherwise, I thought that was a pretty cheeky move.

So you are keeping the new Equinox setting a secret?

If you are going to dig on a nice lawn or yard I would suggest the following: First, after acquiring a target, see if it is shallow enough to be picked up by your pinpointer on the surface. If so, you might be able to use a probe or screwdriver to locate and flip out the coin target without taking a plug. If you are going to take a plug, the best way to prevent a brown grass situation is to cut a flap so that at least a part of the turf root structure is intact on the flap, fold it back, then remove the dirt as usual. placing it on your t-shirt or other cloth/towel for easy restoration after you have retrieved the target. Cutting a completely round plug on a lawn (especially a well manicured lawn) will result in a visible mark after a day or so, cutting a flap instead reduces the chance o that happening and will make your host happier. Practice that in your yard or at a public park where you don't have to seek permission. Then you can honestly tell them you have a method of recovering targets from the ground where you will leave no trace. As far as gaining permission - First dress for success>ask permission without being fully decked out in your dirty MD clothes, pouch kneepads, digger, etc. Wear casual but clean clothes and don't put the property owner on the spot (if it is a neighbor) that you want to dig now. Converse about the house, nice property, and then gradually bring up the metal detecting piece, how you find it interesting, and have found interesting history type stuff in your yard. Then ease into asking if they would mind if could search their yard for similar stuff. Ask if they would like to see what you found to see if it might have some meaning or value to them as property owners. Ask them if they have lost anything in their yard that you could find for them.. Don't emphasize jewelry or coins, just talk about interesting trinkets like buttons and lost toys. Ask if they want to see your finds and tell them that you will remove any trash or dangerous sharp items (can shards, nails) that you come across. Be friendly, respectful, and show more of an interest in them than their property and you will get more yes's than no's. If you have something from your kitchen or yard (cookies, apples, tomatoes) that you want to share you can bring those along as a conversation starter. The approach is a little different if you are seeking permission in a more remote area from your house. In that case you can talk about the area (do some history research) - For example, "Did you know an old house stood near your property?" Of "Did you know a civil war unit camped nearby?". And then say, I do research and on historical events and like to collect artifacts using a detector if I can gain access to a property. Again, stay away from talks of treasure - emphasize historical significance of what might otherwise be considered metallic junk (discarded buttons, thimbles, tools, knapsack parts) but that it interests you nonetheless because you understand its historic significance. Offer to show your finds, etc. Be prepared to offer something neat in return for gaining their permission, such as a cool button or coin your found. It is their property and they can dictate the terms of your access. Good luck.

Good but not necessarily news in the sense that they are both the same detector under the hood just lack of a few features and only one pseudo performance based setting (iron bias level) and lack of relic and pinpoint modes (which you failed to mention but which I think would be a useful feature for the target demographic - beginning detectorists), so I am not surprised in the least by your findings. Depth and TID accuracy/repeatability should be identical. News would have been if you found a significant performance difference. Not a criticism at all, by the way. I am glad you took the time to verify the expected results. Very nice finds, BTW. Just goes to show that bells and whistles wow people and sell machines, but machines stripped down to minimalist essential features can be just as capable and fun under the right circumstances. Great value for the occasional detectorist. Depth obsessed detectorists need to realize that basically all modern, main stream vlf IB detectors have about the same relative depth capability - it really comes down to coil selection, target type, site conditions, and operator proficiency as the factors that make a difference. You don't have to pay a lot for adequate depth and reliable ID capability, the two basic must haves for any detector. There is something about challenging your skills with a less complex detector that makes the hunt a little more exciting (provided you DO find keepers) plus the turn it on and hunt simplicity is kind of liberating when you are not compelled to tweak your machine to the gnat's eyelash because you can't. I felt good about my essentially equivalent success using the ORX compared to the Deus at one of my favorite sites. Just turned it on, hunted, recovered target and moved on. No 30 to 60 second interrogations in multiple modes etc. I compare that with amateur radio operators who challenge themselves in trying to maximize distant radio contacts using as little transmit power as possible. The smaller, less powerful radio and minimalist antenna are portable so they seek out mountain tops and try to make distant contacts. Something like the Vanquish that is light, compact, and relatively cheap can be kept permanently in your vehicle so you can always have something to swing should the opportunity arise. PS - I remain confused regarding the depth and recovery level difference between the three primary 540 modes (jewelry, relic, and coin), so not sure whether lack of relic mode on the 340 presents a slight performance issue in comparison to the 540 What is your preferred mode selection on the type of hunt you documented above (I presume Jewelry mode based on the pic, but wanted to verify)?

Got it. I don't have one in front of me, just see all that stuff poking out of the back of the rear pod and it is hard to grasp the scale, it looks thicker than 8 mm which is just 1 mm more than a standard 3.5 mm plug assembly (the cable itself probably being 4 to 6 mm). That IS dainty and I now remember your comment about the cables being more supple and less rigid flex than expected. I should have remembered your broken power cable saga. I just have the Garrett waterproof headphone jack/plug stuck in my head and thick stuff like that used on the Excal. Anyway, looking forward to seeing your BT setup configuration. Thanks.

Yeah, "practical" wasn't the right term, as it is certainly doable. What I was driving at was that the configuration of the rear section of the detector and associated thick jumper would make the solution using a trond-like dongle a kludgy proposition and not very secure/robust because it would be hard to tuck away and protect like what I do when I use the Trond with my GPX - but I suppose anyone who is determined can make anything work as Rivers Rat contraption shows, function over form. What I was primarily driving at (and as I discussed in my subsequent exchange with Alexandre) was that wireless is a desirable feature even in a water detector and I see no harm in asking the designers to figure out a way to overcome any obstacles (e.g., EMI) to integrate wireless audio directly into even an "AQ" detector as a future standard feature rather than having users have to figure out how to jury rig it. Would be interested in details and parts once you fabricate your BT solution for the AQ, so please post them if able. Thanks, Steve. Yeah, why do you think that is? Perhaps people get confused because of the "AQ" in the detector's name and the fact that it IS waterproof. Seriously though, I personally don't automatically think anything when it comes to detector usage. I know people find ways to use detectors well beyond their intended design envelope. I try to look at all the possible ways I might want to use a detector in a manner not envisioned by the designer. Versatility is key. Not sure if your comment was directed at me or not, but In the case of the AQ, I was only talking about not exposing the third-party Trond module to the elements IF one decided to take the Impulse "AQ"into the water since the AQ is marketed and designed for submerged wading as well as wet beach use - that doesn't presume it would ONLY be used in the water or even EVER be used in the water by anyone who purchases an AQ. Furthermore, that was why I was advocating integrating BT or wireless audio into the detector itself, so the need for an external module would be unnecessary. If I automatically assumed EVERYONE would be using the AQ for [submerged] water hunting, I wouldn't even bother making that suggestion as wireless doesn't work when submerged. If I do get an AQ or a future iteration, like you, most of my detecting will be in wet sand or a couple feet of water at most due to the physical limitations brought on by being on this planet for so long. Guess the jury is still out on AQ - we'll have to see if third party coils and headphones with the requisite non-standard connectors start showing up from third parties so you can at least get two out of three. But yeah, at least they are not hard-wired like the Excal.

Alexandre - Would having a third party external transceiver in close proximity to the headphone port be an EMI concern or is it sufficiently isolated and distant from the control electronics to be a non issue? If that is not an issue, could a transmitter be placed internal to the aft power/audio module, isolated from the control electronics, and fed analog audio directly to provide that wireless feature in a future iteration of the design (a simple switch could reroute the audio between the transmitter and the headphone port)? Another advantage of that placement would be that it would be less likely to be submerged during wading detecting because it would be at the highest point on the detector as opposed to the control panel thus maintaining line of site transmission. If a 3rd party transmitter “dongle” setup is not subject to causing interference, would like to see anyone’s practical implementation. I’m just not visualizing a practical implementation/approach for that setup even if you take the EMI issue out of the equation.

I don’t see how these micro BT transceivers are even practical for use on Impulse given the special connector for the audio output. The connector alone must weigh more than than twice the Trond module and that is not even accounting for the weight of the patch cable that you would have to custom fabricate yourself. Besides the module can’t really can’t be exposed to moisture. For something like this, it would have been preferable for the transmitter to be built into the detector (a la Equinox, Vanquish, Simplex, or Apex).

It's not new. It is the website front end they use for aftermarket Tek and Fisher detector hardware and firmware upgrades. Got my T2 modded to DST using this web interface. Stumble across it is right - you have to be fed the link when they solicit you for the upgrades via the email you used for registration. It's not really meant to be a store front. I mean how generic can you get "detecting.com" indeed.

Rob - I actually got the MXT AFTER the Deus once I saw what it could do in the hands of an expert in highly mineralized dirt. I at first got an MX Sport, mistakenly thinking Whites had put the MXT DNA into the Sport chassis. Wrong. Got an MXT with an Ultimate 13" coil and started getting some proficiency, then the Equinox came along and that was that. Not letting the MXT go though and will still bring it out for some swing time. Glad you re-obtained the Orx - keep your eyes pealed for someone trying to unload a Deus control unit and phones for cheap. You already have a compatible coil, you might luck into a good Deus deal that way. GL HH

That is exciting news Alexandre! I am looking forward to taking an Impulse in any iteration (this first release, if I am so lucky or a future version) through its paces.

To be a game changer, breakout player at this point in the technical evolution of this hobby Cygnus or any other detector newcomer needs to bring more to the table than just state of the art signal processing. It needs to have a fundamentally different detection principle under the hood than either induction balance or pulse induction. Simultaneous multifrequency (ML FBS+/Equinox Multi IQ/Garrett Apex Multiflex), multi channel ferrous cancellation PI (FT mpulse AQ), Zero Voltage Transmission (ML GPZ), and hybrid time/frequency domain processing (Tarsacci MDT) and the associated user interface improvements (visual and audible target ID and sophisticated junk discrimination) are all simply incremental and limited or niche, though welcome, improvements on a relatively crude and fully mature metal detection principle. Cygnus needs to bring a fundamentally different detection principle to the table combined with state of the art tech, (e.g., a compact, rugged, affordable hybrid induction detection and signal processing/GPR imaging tool) to really make people sit up and take notice. Otherwise, we are just ordering a different brand of ice cream. I sincerely hope Doc is working on a completely different dessert than ice cream because the hobby has plenty of ice cream brands right now and just lost one. BTW this in no way means that I think established MD manufacturers shouldn't continue to innovate with products like the Impulse, Apex, Equinox, GPZ, MDT, and Simplex (full featured affordability). Keep 'em coming. I'm just saying to make a splash and significantly change the game, a newcomer is going to have to really break some new ground (pun intended). I now return this thread to the regularly scheduled program, Impulse AQ, already in progress.

It is the new kid on the block by an extremely popular US detector company so it is naturally going to garner more excitement and a hype-like tone vs. Equinox which was at this same pre-release state nearly 3 years ago. There were some ultra-hype moments during that “craze” including skydiving promotions at international detecting festivals and mile-long pre-sale waiting lists at various dealers. Just the nature of the biz to talk up the new toy. The Apex comparisons to EQ are expected. Apex nicely fills the capability and value gap between the Vanquish and the Equinox 600. Way too early to tell for sure. I will say that the stock Apex coil is preferable to the EQ stock coil for those situations and will re-state my long-standing disappointment in ML ignoring detectorists’ requests to see elliptical coil offerings for EQ similar to what were provided with Vanquish.

No one has really forgotten about the Equinox - it is simply a fact that those who know detectors well and who are open minded enough to keep from being handcuffed by brand loyalty, probably already own one. The people who are talking about the Apex never heard of the EQ because it was not manufactured by Garrett. I am interested in Garrett's FIRST GEN multi rig and glad they have jumped into the race with a competitive machine that they can build upon - I plan to get one to see how they did. But it will not replace the EQ 800 by a long shot - heck it isn't even in the same league as the EQ 600 (see my comparison chart here) even if you consider price vs. performance/features. The Equinox represent's ML's FOURTH generation multi-frequency iteration. Garret is back in the game but they have been lapped a couple of times already and have a lot of catching up to do.

Rob - I've been using a Deus for over 5 years. 2 years ago I got the Equinox. They are a killer combo. Picked up a used Orx control pod/headphones last year and really like the Orx despite its limitations and have made some great relic finds over the last several months with it. Regarding ORX vs. Deus, under most conditions the ORX and Deus will give equivalent raw performance. That being said, the Deus' primary advantages over Orx are as follows: You already pointed this out, but it is to me basically the #1 shortcoming of the Orx and that is that you are locked into 3 tones. Furthermore, you are locked into fixed tone breakpoints. Deus allows you have basically 6 tone options - 2, 3, 4, and 5 tones, plus "Full" tones, and finally pitch audio. Plus you can vary the tone breakpoints as you see fit. My favorite relic hunting setup is using Pitch tone combined with iron audio. That basically gives me a two-tone setup - ferrous grunt and variable intensity pitch so that I can quickly pick non-ferrous out of bed of nails type iron junk situations. Great for cellar holes and other iron infested site situations. Also, underneath all of that, you are locked into target ID normalization across all frequencies. ID normalization has its advantages - it prevents high conductor target IDs from getting all bunched up into the 90's at high frequencies. But being able to switch off ID normalization, like you can do with Deus allows you to see how ID changes with frequency during target interrogation and that can clue you in to whether you might be swinging over a falsing/wraparound ferrous target. A ferrous target ID will change little with frequency manipulation whereas a high conductors, especially, will change ID signIficantly with frequency. You have a wider range of recovery speed settings (0 to 5) on Deus vs. Orx (1 - 3) and access to the silencer setting and can set it independent of or in conjunction with the reactivity setting. You have no direct control over silencer on the Orx - it is baked-in "under the hood" depending on which coin mode you are using. You can also vary the volume of iron audio on Deus whereas on Orx, it is fixed. You have 8 custom program slots available to you on Deus vs. just 2 on the Orx and the Deus allows you to scroll forwards and backwards through the various custom programs using the +/- keys. This enables you to set up similar programs adjacent to each other with slightly different key settings (such as frequency or tone) to enable you to quickly and easily interrogate a target. All that being said there are three things that I really like about Orx vs. Deus - the grab and go simplicity of the setup - sometimes it is good that you are constrained from overtweaking your machine. The ground grab feature for setting GB is superior on the Orx even though Orx lacks the automatic ground tracking ability of the Deus, the ground grab feature makes resetting your GB easy. I also like the display layout of the Orx better than Deus with the pop-up target ID window and iron probability graph. The big question is whether the above "advantages" of Deus over Orx are worth the present new price delta between Orx and Deus, which is around $700. I say nope! But if you can find someone trying to dump a Deus, with either the HF or the x35 9" or 11" coil, for cheap (i.e., for around $600 to $750 and I have seen these show up on various forum classified ads) then I say grab one. Especially since you have no fear doing battery surgery on the coils and on the control unit /headphones (which is relatively easy compared to the coil), if necessary. I would avoid getting one with an old LF coil. HTH Never owned a V3i - tried one out working as a metal detector tech advisor at an archeological site and the menus drove me nuts. Love my MXT and will keep that permanently in my collection as my homage to Whites demise - I have an affinity for analog knobs and switches and loved how you could manipulate the MXT to make it sing. It was and is a classic.

Mark - glad you're here and looking forward to your take on the Impulse and any other detector. I have always been generally aligned with your advice and general detecting philosophies on other forums, especially regarding beach hunting and respect your opinions and have often picked up valuable nuggets of advice from your postings. Welcome to DP.

You're right, he self-generates plenty of pressure and all the missed milestones must be disappointing, though not surprising as the schedule was impossibly aggressive from the get go under the most favorable of conditions. Better late than never - just hope it is as compelling as he has claimed because credibility erodes with every missed deadline. With FT and Garrett introducing some exciting new product entries into the hobby this summer and with White's biting the dust, coupled with the economic and supply line challenges of the pandemic, really is one of the worst times to attempt to break into the biz. Anyway, looking forward to your reports on the Impulse, the irony being Impulse has been 3+ agonizing years in the making by a team of experienced detector designers and an established detector manufacturer. So imagine the hill Doc has to climb...I do not envy that one bit. Anyway, enough Cygnus talk from me, we're here to find out more about Impulse and hope you have a great time putting it through its paces.

Well dontcha know - Cuda - glad to see you over here. Now that both you AND Joe have Impulses you can put even more pressure on Doc and his Cygnus project. Enjoy your new toy.

Are you talking MDT or Apex? if you are talking APEX, the Equinox already has the ability to GB and selectable frequency and I have used it to advantage in Culpeper (using gold mode) but have actually had more success with the Deus in hot dirt. Of course, when my arm and shoulder are up to it, my GPX is the best tool in that dirt.

Probably not. Steve racked out all the Tarsacci MDT specs here. Including: Looks like a wading machine that can take an occasional spill or dunking, but that's it. Wish the Garrett Apex was spec'd like this rather than just rainproof.