Chase Goldman

2 hours ago, phrunt said:

I realize they want to sell their own coils but the one thing that they could have potentially had over the other brands is being welcoming and open to aftermarket coils. 

Lack of 3rd party coil support for Nokta is less of an issue than it is for Minelab as Nokta had two accessory coils available AT RELEASE for Legend and then provided 2 more less than a year later for a total of 5 coils and all are reasonably priced and cover the bases from 6" round, to small elliptical, to stock round, to mid-elliptical, up to large elliptical.  For Manticore, three months in...just promises and crickets.

Dan

You also need to know how mineralized the ground is and the D2 gives you that information utilizing the mineralization bargraph (see inset in pic below - it is displaying mineralization about half way up the scale indicating moderate minerslization which peaks (gives a true mineralization reading) while pumping/sweeping the coil).

Using someone else's program that works great in "no bar" dirt may not work out so well in "full bar" or even "half scale" mineralized dirt, or it may do just fine.  Bob is going to give his Relic Reaper program and I am giving my custom Relic mode program a test in some red clay this weekend at a site we went to last year that is a far cry from his northern neck paradise zero bar dirt.  We may or may not come away with some tweaks to our respective favorite relic programs as a result, so stay tuned.

4 hours ago, Yatahaze323 said:

I dug through nordic's dev site and found a few interesting topics.  Overall it seems others are having issues getting Earfun air pro 2 and Galaxy Buds to pair with the n5340 chipset. 

https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/f/nordic-q-a/96575/nrf5340-audio-dk-gateway-question/409524

https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/f/nordic-q-a/96366/le-audio-timeout-behaviour-0x08-interfacing-with-third-party-devices

https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/f/nordic-q-a/96391/nrf5340-audio-connect_ind-question

 

We may need to wait for more headsets to be released that use bluetooth le.  Next step for me to keep a look out for earbuds that specifically use the n5340 chipset as that might remove some issues to getting third party head sets working with the manticore.

Good info regarding the compatibility issues.  As I linked here, Sennheiser is utilizing the Nordic Chipset for their forthcoming BT LE Audio products.

2 hours ago, pikens said:

Hi Gary. Do you have a Manticore for sale ? If not now let me know when and i will buy one from you, Thanks Mike.

 

If you are referring to @Gerry in Idaho, why don't you PM him directly, he will be more likely to see your direct inquiry and respond rather than come across it by luck in this random thread.  Or look for his posts in the classified section.

6 hours ago, Gold Ryder said:

Haha I should of said Kinda reputable but that being said.  We can hear them everytime they pass over with our machines as they are. So debunk the myth and explain why their is no effect on their systems.   I havent had the chance to be told why not.   And yeah If I was betting it will be a deep machine.   I have no doubt one is coming eventually the sales and technology have to go on. 

Put simply, you're hearing the airplane's myriad of much higher power radio transmitters including radar transponder beacons and other communications and navigational radios.  These transmissions can be measured at a level of hundreds or even thousands of watts at the source.  Your detector is tuned to detect signals at the microwatt level (1/1,000,00th of a watt).  And only eminates microwatts of spurious EMI to the local area.

Since the plane is above you and has no line of site obstructions to attenuate the higher frequency radio signals, they travel unobstructed at power levels higher than a microwatt to your high gain electronics box and you hear them as electromagnetic interference in your headset.  Just as you would also hear the EMI given off by a local cell tower, radio transmitter, or high voltage power lines (though these "terrestrial" electromagnetic sources may be subject to line of sight attenuation) and even atmospheric lightning.

If you think of it like sound energy, the plane's radios are yelling through a Marshall Amp at you and your detector is whispering back at them.  You can hear them, no way can they hear you.

I personally felt the 15x12 coil for Nox was a fine coil for what it was.  Great coverage, obviously, and excellent small target sensitivity for its size but because it was really just a 12-inch stretched coil, minimal depth gain over the 11" stock round.  As a result, I would only primarily only use it for coverage on low mineralized sites (non-submerged beach detecting or non-mineralized farm fields) and even under those circumstnces, was hesitant to make the effort to bolt it on to my Nox because of the weight (despite being tied with the Nox 10x5 in swing coverage to weight ratio).  Now I primarily just keep the 10x5 permanently bolted to the Nox as it is a more universally compatible coil for a variety of detecting situations and makes for a super light setup with decent swing coverage despite a moderate depth penalty.  If I want to go deep, I'm using the D2 and it's 13x11 behemoth.

Also remember, everyone here is extrapolating their 15x12" coil experience from the Equinox (600/800 primarily) to the Manticore (while the OP is considering the forthcoming Manticore variant).   So all the speculation should be taken with  grain of salt because we know the Manticore reacts to beach targets differently than the Nox 800 and even the 900; we have zero data on how Manticore behaves with any other coil than the stock; and we have no idea whether ML will tweak the 15x12 coil design for Manticore in some respect to trade off one performance attribute (e.g., depth) at the expense of another attribute (e.g., small target sensitivity) making the Manticore 15x12 variant behave a lot different than the Nox 15x12.  So while they SHOULD behave similarly, there are a number known unknown variables that may impact the final outcome.  Just a reminder...

1 hour ago, IronDigger said:

found it a bit difficult to pinpoint and to isolate one target from another in close proximity

I agree that the pinpointing function on the XP machines is mediocre at best.  I often by pass the pinpoint feature and just use the criss-cross method or wiggle and pull the coil back until the signal disappears at the toe.  It does not come into play using the pinpointing function, but the XP will separate MUCH better than the MXT even with that MXT sniper coil in thick iron and trash utilizing its higher recovery speed settings (don't know if you adjusted those) - in fact the separation in extreme trashy grounds is what separates  (sorry about the pun) the Orx/Deus from other detectors and is considered one of its great strengths.  So your comments kind of surprise me.  Anyway, like I said previously, the MXT is a classic in any event, not surprised you are having trouble parting with it.

Are you sure you are not viewing Equinox 800 videos?  Minelab changed the target ID scale from -10 to 40 on the Equinox 600/800 to -19 to 99 on the Equinox 700/900.  Therefore, videos showing gold target IDs on the Nox 600/800 will have lower numbers than you will have for the same targets detected by the Nox 700/900.  Gold target IDs also vary widely based on the size and purity of the nugget (or gold jewelry target).  The numbers you are getting are likely correct for your 900.

See below for additional discussion on Equinox 900 target IDs.  Manticore uses the same target ID scale so Manticore target IDs for similar targets should be close to what you would see on the Equinox 900, as well.

1 hour ago, midalake said:

Hi Jeff

Why are you using a recovery of 8??  Your soil?  Carpet of nails? 

Thanks.

1 hour ago, Jeff McClendon said:

I was trying to duplicate the results of the ferrous/non-ferrous target separation test video that was posted by the original poster. Then I went a few steps further and tried to find where the 800 would sort of equal the 900. I had to set the 800's iron bias on a setting of 0 (using Fe or F2) and then raise the recovery speed to 8 just to get some sort of two way hit on the non-ferrous target I was using for the test. The non-ferrous target response length was so short that I could barely hear it but it was there. 

I have never used a recovery speed setting of 8 in the real world.

Test threads are often spread out over weeks.  Sometimes it is necessary to read more than just the last post and to go back through the previous posts (again) to remind you of or pick up on the bread crumbs of information that provide the context of why people set up their machines the way they did.  Often, to duplicate similar results on A to B comparisons means you may have to do some severe settings "gymnastics" like Jeff did, to get an an idea of the extent of the machine-to-machine performance deltas under extremely atypical test target placements to stress the machines' capabilities.  This also means, that a machine can end up in a settings configuration far from where you would otherwise set up the machine if you were simply taking it out for a more typical "real life" detecting scenario.

Go ahead and give us the Amz link.

I have these, they work but they never really clicked for me.  Just seemed like too much stuff wired to my head and didn't really see any advantage with this PI probe over a handheld pinpointer at the end of the day.  I was using them with a GPX PI detector for a spell.  One issue was figuring out how to stow the wired probe when not in use because the coiled cord wants to pull it back towards the earcup.

With the XP Deus 2, I just use the wireless Mi6 pinpointer and of course the wireless phones.  Which basically accomplishes the same thing as you can hear both the detector and pinpointer through the phones (though not simultaneously).

After getting used to being free from a bunch of dangling wires (probe cord and the headphone cord), I doubt I will go back to it, though I may give it another go with my Axiom. 

On 2/18/2023 at 10:45 PM, strick said:

I noticed it yesterday when I first turned on the machine at a site...I think it's been going on for a while. Speaker is cutting in and out. In other words it just sometimes blanks out. I tested it again this morning playing around at home and I believe I do have an issue with the speaker. I have been using the headphones exclusively and there is no problem there. I have not submerged the machine that I can remember just given it a few baths. Hate to send it in already as it's working as it should otherwise. I'm going to call the repair facility this week and see what the fix would be. Just a heads up. 

strick 

Long shot: I noticed on iffy signals Manticore battery replacement tutorial video that the one needs to insert the battery until the speaker audibly pops from the internal cavity pressure upon battery reinstallation.  Perhaps there is a pressure equalization issue in play rather than an electrical or speaker diaphragm issue.  Battery removal and reinsertion is comparatively easy on Manticore and Nox 700/900 than it was on the original Nox.  It also does not void the warranty. Perhaps a simple battery removal and reinstall to equalize internal pressure will help.  It could save the hassle of shipping it back for repair/replacement. 

Just a thought.

Here's a link to iffy's video:

11 minutes ago, IronDigger said:

Great input, my main use of the MXT is relic hunting, in the gold fields and trying to pick out non ferrous items cherry pick trashy areas. I have a 4500 Minelab for my primary nuggethunting detector.  I do like the compatibility and the hf coil which may be of good use on tailing piles. The only concern I have is the digital control unit having an internal battery that may be required to ship out for a factory replacement.  

Good perspective. Sounds like the Orx is a great fit then.  There is nothing like running that elliptical coil along crevaces, relic pit walls, cellar holes or tailing piles like its a discriminating pinpointer on steroids.  I've detached the coil from the upper stem and held the remote in my hand while swinging the coil by the lower shaft along a nearly vertical surface to look for hits.

Sounds like a fair trade deal.  I just personally hate the thought of giving up the classic knob turner.  I have a soft spot for analog controls (but love digital performance). 

1 hour ago, IronDigger said:

I have an opportunity for a trade, my Mxt with small elliptical coil, for a Xp Orx with HF 9" elliptical coil. Both in good working order,  would you make the trade? I like the concept of lighter, a bit more challenging newer detector. Been using the dials and toggle type for a long time. Appears of what I have seen on video the Orx is pretty decent little detector.

The Orx is designed primarily for gold prospecting utilizing an "all metal" program scheme. It does have very basic discrimination "coin" modes but the controls and audio customization settings are very limited.  Also, the wireless platform requires an antenna to be run from the coil if you want to submerge the coil for shallow water hunting.  

The audio and controls of the XP machines are quite different and a relatively significant departure from your MXT.  It may take some getting used to, and there are plenty of people who figure out at the end of the day it is just not their cup of tea.   If there is any way you can do this deal without the trade (if the MXT is your ONLY detector) or at least borrow it for a few outings to see if it clicks, I would recommend that.  The MXT is a classic and I have held on to mine, though, admittedly I now almost exclusively use the Deus 2.

Tell us what type of detecting you want to primarily use it for and what you is compelling you to go with Orx (e.g.  light weight) vs. your MXT and I can better advise whether you should consider the trade.  For example, if you are interested primarily in coin shooting or shallow water hunting, I'd stick with the MXT based on the reasons stated above.  If you are are a relic hunter in hot dirt it might be a worthwhile trade (though there are much better alternatives that I discuss below). 

BTW - Does it come with the wireless headphones?  Also, find out how old it is and how much usage (daily vs. occaisonal) because the rechargeable batteries do eventually wear out after 5 to 8 years.  Also, find out why the person wants your MXT vs. the Orx (unless it is a dealer trade).

Furthermore, besides the limited "normal" coin mode functionality, and even though I successfully used an Orx as a backup to my Deus 1, it is still relatively dated SF tech at this point and really not gaining you much if anything over your MXT other than a couple of higher frequency modes (~25 khz and ~75khz) above 14 khz. In other words while the ergonomics are great, it's more of a sideways move than an upgrade in functionality and performance.

If weight is your primary concern and you want the Orx form factor and Deus 2 is out of the question price-wise, I would seriously consider trading for a Deus 2 WS6 Master "lite" setup as an alternative cheaper option than the Deus 2 and it has both single frequency and multifrequency tech at about $800 (which is about $200 more than a new Orx setup).

Otherwise, if that is still out of reach price wise, there are some great detectors out there now that are not as light as the the Orx/Deus but are excellent values with a lot more versatility than Orx while sporting single frequency and multifrequency tech and small accessory coil options.  In this category it is hard to beat the Nokta Legend for overall bang for your buck (can be found new anywhere from $400 to $500 plus additional cost if you want a small elliptical coil and a wireless headset). 

The forthcoming Minelab Xterra Pro at about $290 doesn't have multifrequency but does have 3 switchable single frequencies (albeit lower frequencies than the Orx - i.e., more of a coin shooting/Beach detecting setup), wireless audio, a lightweight Carbon Fiber shaft and an excellent selection of small accessory coils out of the box.  It's something you can invest in to modernize your lineup while hanging on to your MXT if you desire.

HTH

10 hours ago, PUHH said:

Disassemble ML-105

 

 

ML can use board from ml-105/85 to make transmiter (like wm-08) . 

Аuthor of the video decided to make one himself, the board has everything you need. You just need to add a connector and buttons.

 

You mean "receiver" like the WM-08, but good info. Thanks.

On 3/15/2023 at 11:54 AM, UT Dave said:

So you're saying there's a chance 😁.  Yes!

- Dave

Yep!  Dug further into the Soundcore VR P10's and LC3 is only invoked when connecting with the Dongle, so no surprise the Nox 900 did not "see" them.  There's still hope!  

15 minutes ago, coinhunterseth said:

Probably because that would require companies to be straightforward about which frequencies their machines use.... 

The whole "what" and "how many frequencies" transmitted thing is really overblown.  What matters more is what the detector does with the resulting acquired target signal (the signal processing code).

2 hours ago, moiloon said:

could I also ask, which earbus your using, and recomendations, as i may aswll buy a set of those also, small enough to put in my kit, and possiblly better than over ear during warm weather

kindest regards

2 hours ago, F350Platinum said:

The earbuds I have ar7en't made anymore, they were discontinued. I don't like putting things in my ears anyway. 😀 Sorry but I don't have a current recommendation, someone else might have one. 🙂

These neckband earbuds I know support APTX-LL

Glazata Wireless Headphones Neckbands with Magnetic Earbuds Sports Earphones aptX & aptX-LL Stereo Wireless Headphones for Workouts 「Grey」 https://a.co/d/j2aysS9

APTX-LL Compatible earbuds are hard to locate because: 1) APTX-LL has been superseded by APX-Adaptive and Bluetooth LE LC3 Audio so APTX-LL supported devices are disappearing and 2) BT audio manufacturerers are generally terrible about clearly and precisely publishing the protocols and codecs that are supported by their products.  It's really frustrating.

1 hour ago, GB_Amateur said:

5 hours ago, Chase Goldman said:

I presume also the Manticore utilizing the ML 1/4" jack to 1/8" plug adapter cable....

I assume you're referring to the cable that comes with the Manticore.

No I was referring to the adapter cable that ML sold as an accessory to the Nox.  Sorry I wasn't clear on that.

https://www.minelab.com/usa/accessories/headphone-adaptor-cable-3-5mm-1-8-to-6-35mm-1-4-

1 hour ago, GB_Amateur said:

There's at least one new version with 3.5 mm plug.  I recall someone here, possibly Midalake, saying these new ones are using a different speaker than the old ones, and it wasn't as satisfactory for him.  That's always a concern of mine since I've been burned so many times thinking I'm buying the same product, or at least the same quality and finding out the new versions just don't measure up.  I hope what I just said is an unsubstantiated rumor but it's worth keeping in mind.

Thanks for this information on the 3.5mm plug version of the Sunrays.

On 3/12/2023 at 1:33 PM, GB_Amateur said:

3c) My Sunray Pro Golds with the yellow knob (these are NOT the CTX3030 version which I think has a red knob) did not work.

19 hours ago, GB_Amateur said:

Success.  Here is what I did:

I bought four identical panel-mount jacks (3.5 mm female) as shown before and after assembly.  I soldered together the lugs corresponding to the associated plugs' central pins.  I then soldered the other four lugs (associated with the plugs' middle band and upper=common band) all together.  This is effectively what the last sketch in the Minelab Knowledge Base article shows -- turning stereo into mono.  Here are all the pieces (sans Manticore):

That's a lot of cord!  The downside is that any stereo output audio the Manticore sends is turned into Mono.  But is there stereo audio??  (I think there may have been speculation this is occurring in some instances.)

Keep in mind this option is down the list.  And assuming Minelab's software doesn't limit Bluetooth devices that can be attached wirelessly, as Phrunt has pointed out, we should soon get multiple audio device options -- low latency wireless headphones, earbuds, and probably receivers that allow headphones to be plugged into them.

Bottom line is that we already have multiple acceptable audio solutions with hopefully even more to come.

As much a thing of beauty as @GB_Amateur's home grown Sunray/ML adapter is, I just wanted to point out/emphasize for those who DO have the CTX 3030 compatible version of the Sunray Pro Golds (I have a pair) or who are contemplating a Sunray Pro Gold purchase - tge CTX-compatible variant SunRays work just fine plugged into the Equinox 600/700/800/900 and I presume also the Manticore utilizing the ML 1/4" jack to 1/8" plug adapter cable and without the need to have the extra adapter jumper like the one GB_Amateur built. The CTX compatible Pro Golds have all the same functionality and price of the non-CTX compatible phones just with the extra yellow "compatibility" switch and with that added "universal" compatibility I recommend getting the CTX compatible version of the phones if you are contemplating getting a pair so you can avoid the need to grow your own adapter as Chuck has done.

57 minutes ago, Dug D said:

I guess this is good news thanks for the link.  Maybe something else will work in the near future. 🙂

I wonder how they get around acknowledging the use of Bluetooth ?

https://www.bluetooth.com/develop-with-bluetooth/marketing-branding/brand-enforcement-program/

It was the first thing that came up when I searched is bluetooth trademarked. 

The fact that the ML Manticore and Nox 700/900 phones utilize this chipset was also mentioned in the posts below including the fact that Sennheiser is utilizing this same chipset for a line of BT LE compatible wireless audio products.

In this post I discuss how a pair of BT LE compatible earbuds are not recognized by the Nox 900.  And as I also mentioned earlier in this thread. I can't be sure if the incompatibility lies with ML, Anker, or because I am screwing up the pairing process.

At this point we are really still in the dark as to whether the Xterra Pro, Nox 700/900 and Manticore wireless radios will work with 3rd Party BT LE Audio devices despite utilizing a BT LE capable chipset.

I would hope that if ML has locked down 3rd party compatibility of the wireless capability if their newest detectors that they are at least working on providing a compatible wireless receiver similar to the WM08 that will allow use of user-preferred wired phones untethered from the detector.

A related thread discussion of that option is linked below:

17 minutes ago, UT Dave said:

Ah, rats...  Didn't have much hope, but was still holding out a tiny ray of hope that a BTE device would work.  So much for that.

- Dave

They're kind of unusual though, Dave.  They come with a USB C Dongle transmitter that is really designed to be plugged into a VR headset.  They will connect to my phone in "normal" BT mode without the Dongle but not low latency.  They may be locked into looking for their own Dongle vs. Just any BT LE transmitter so the problem "might" be the earbuds and not ML's built-in BT LE transmitter.  So I'm still holding out a glimmer of hope.  We'll probably know more once Sennheiser comes out with their Nordic Semiconductor SoC Bluetooth LE Audio gear that uses the same chipset that is in the ML 85/105 Headsets for Nox & Manticore.

2 hours ago, GB_Amateur said:

Care to provide details?  If you mean they aren't campatible with Bluetooth 4.x, that seems to be a gimme.  But it's kinda like saying a car isn't compatibie with bias ply tires.  That's old technology.

 

He's probably referring to the thread below.  Even though the Manticore and Nox 700/900 Headphones utilize a Nordic Semiconductor System on a Chip that is known to support BT LE Audio and the LC3 codec, the headphones (and also the Manticore and Nox 700/900 transmitters) do not appear to be BT 5.X compliant because they don't fall back to the standard SBC codec when paired with devices such as cell phones that don't support the LC3 codec, which is what they should do if fully compliant.  So this does not bode well for third party BT LE Audio accessories that support the low latency LC3 codec being compatible with these latest ML detectors.  I also picked up a pair of BT LE Audio/LC3 codec compatible earbuds (Anker Soundcore VR P10's and cannot get my Nox 900 to pair with them at all.  Not looking good.

On 3/5/2023 at 8:00 PM, PUHH said:

I found only such headphones (BT LE LC3) on the market: "Redmi Buds 4 Pro" and "Soundcore VR P10".... 

Got the Soundcore VR P10's and cannot get them to connect to the Nox 900.