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Chase Goldman

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  1. Chuck, Alas no MM. A huge "O" would be nice, several hundred dollars even in that well worn condition. Probably a CW period drop, but it is pretty worn for an 1860's drop of an 1854 coin.
  2. I've always liked the 9" HF coil from the day I got it. I do have an 11" x35 and it is a great coil, especially since it can be dialed down to just below 4khz for max depth on high conductors, but I always seem to gravitate back to that 9" round, and can't argue with the results. My hunting partner uses the 9×5" elliptical exclusively and does even better despite the supposed limitation in depth vs. the round. I have the elliptical too, but reserve it for really tight swing situations. HTH.
  3. Got a coveted invite to a productive PA permission and it resulted in a rare, but awesome couple hours relic hunting in February. Weather cooperated and the ground was relatively soft and not frozen from recent rains so we snuck out for some February relic fun.Was using the ORX, and though it did not hit on its namesake gold, it pretty much nailed plenty of keeper silver, brass, and lead.First hit was a well worn, 1854 Seated Quarter - a good omen and kept my silver streak at the site alive. With the skunk out of the way early, the Seated recovery basically set the tone that everything else found would be gravy.Next hit a 1925 SLQ in decent shape. A couple minie balls later, got a plow damaged Eagle and a nice flat button with some reverse gold guilt.Finally, hit on my highlight find of the day, my first CW Confederate Infantry Block "I" uniform button in great shape! Was kind of speechless after I realized what I had dug.Cleaned up with some additional minies including a Spencer carbine (lower left in the group pic, originally thought it was a Merrill)Couldn't have asked for a more in the three hours we were there (well I could have asked for more, but that would be just plain greedy).Used the ORX exclusively with the 9" round HF coil and Gold Mode in 14 and 30 khz. It is a very capable and affordable alternative to the Deus for relic hunting and the ORX Gold mode seems to be more refined than the Gold Field on the Deus, such that it is my go to multiple, single frequency machine for relic hunting now. Enjoy the pics.
  4. Wireless audio on the GPX is indeed a game changer and the ML Pro Sonic wireless system is top notch but also a pretty penny. See this post for a much less expensive low latency wireless solution. The only thing it lacks is the speaker option. But for a couple hundred bucks difference, it ain't bad.
  5. Simon- great information and testing. I don't doubt your results in the least, however your conclusions seems to conflict with what we THINK we know about Vanquish, regarding your presumption that it is running a peak (or most heavily weighted) frequency of 30 khz based on what you observed. If Vanquish is running something akin to the Equinox's Beach 1 mode in its Jewelry mode based on transmit waveform measurements by El Nino and others, then your presumption would be counter to how ML describes Beach mode for Equinox as being heavily weighted to low frequencies (which makes sense for stability in salt). Furthermore, based on other folks observations and the ML Vanquish mode descriptions, it appears that Vanquish is using only a single Multi IQ profile for all its modes and is merely switching up the default discrimination settings and recovery speed ("under the hood" so to speak as recovery speed is not directly user adjustable independent of mode). What you are observing is likely primarily the result of the smaller coil's ability to resolve the nugget (vs. GBP). And perhaps other differences in the way Vanquish processes the received target signal in jewelry mode and underlying recovery speed settings explain jewelry mode's observed abilities on gold vs. the coin and relic modes. But frankly, no one really knows because ML doesn't provide any explicit information in this regard. What I do know is that you have really piqued my interest in Vanquish. Thanks for the info.
  6. Welp, the post from the US to NZ would be quite a bit of change for Phrunt. Minelab versions should be readily available from Oz, though. For a time, ML only made them available in Oz. The mini battery is a great weight saver for short duration excursions or as an easily packable emergency backup. https://www.minelab.com/accessories/small-battery-and-control-box-pouch-combo
  7. Doubtful it has anything to do with Cygnus based on what Tom describes. It is not even close to what the Cygnus crowd is promising in regards to being able to differentiate between mid-conductuve, non-ferrous trash (i.e., aluminum) and mid-conductive, non-ferrous treasure (i.e., gold) based on the arbitrary mid-conductive to high-conductive breakpoint he describes for that machine. I suspect Cygnus is not a metal detector in the traditional sense of detecting and IDing targets via inductive properties of those targets. Cygnus is probably AI-based learning of junk targets based on some type of GPR imaging technology. That tech exists now and is mature, but not sure how they are able to package it for practical portability and reasonable cost.
  8. But Equinox is already on a straight shaft. (Sorry, Chuck, couldn't resist)
  9. Roy, Good, I can work with that feedback and walk you through this so you can at least have some success in Culpeper. As abenson stated you need to just move away from the thought that there are canned magic programs for the Equinox at Culpeper, as it really doesn't work that way, unfortunately. But I CAN help demystify Equinox a bit so you can make some good decisions on settings. The good news is that Minelab has provided pretty good default settings out of the box, so you really shouldn't have to tweak much, and you should try to only make slight adjustments at any time. I will break this down into 5 hopefully easily adjustable parts - Mode Selection/Standard Startup Routine Key Setting Adjustments Interpreting the Machine Audio and Visual Target ID Tips to further enhance target identification and make a dig decision Finally, I will give you some hints at how to attack Culpeper independent of the detector you are using. Mode Selection/Standard Startup Routine Mode selection - To keep things really simple, I am going to say things as if they are Gospel without explanation unless you want me to elaborate. With that in mind: for relic hunting your best modes to use are Park 2 or Field 2. They are optimized for the mid-conductive targets (brass, lead, gold) that are typical of CW relics. You need to select your mode first because the next two things you do are MODE SPECIFIC. Noise Cancel and Ground Balance settings apply only to the selected search mode. So if you pick Field 2 (my favorite relic mode), your NOISE CANCEL routine and GROUND BALANCE routine are only applicable to THAT MODE. If you switch modes, say to Park 2, you will have to Noise Cancel and Ground Balance for that mode separately. Your ground balance and noise cancel settings do not have to be repeated for the original mode if you switch back unless you are hearing interference of ground noise that sounds like you need to re-ground balance. Key Settings Adjustments I will focus on Field 2 - Familiarize yourself with the default settings for Field 2 (p. 62 of the user guide). The key parameters are: Number of Tones: Default = 50, I recommend shifting to 2 or 5 tones. 2 Tones is just ferrous/non-ferrous Ferrous Discrimination Tone Breakpoint = 2, Recommend just leaving this as is. This is the setting that determines which TIDs sound ferrous and which sound non-ferrous. Anything 2 and below will have a ferrous tone and anything above 2 will have a non-ferrous tone (either 1 high tone or 4 progressive high tones for various TID bins depending on whether you selected 2 or 5 tones as I recommended). Don't mess with any other breakpoints or tone volumes. Recovery Speed Default (600) = 3. I recommend starting out with this default setting, it is the fastest recovery speed and best for target separation, especially from iron. But if you want to eek out a little more depth, try 2. I think 1 will be pretty noisy in Culpeper. Here is where burying some known test targets in the ground 4 to 6 inches is worth it so you can see how the target audio signal varies with adjustments to recovery speed. Iron Bias Setting (600) = 0 for FE, 2 for F2. I recommended selecting the F2 iron bias filter (see how to do this in the manual) and just keeping it on the default of 2. This will help a little with iron falsing (don't expect miracles, large iron and tiny square nail heads will still sound off with high tones sometimes). It is a good middle of the road setting, just leave it alone. Sensitivity - 20 is the default. If you can run at 20 without chatter, then do it. Don't be afraid to bump it down a little if you have to if other machines are causing an issue (and you have already noise canceled). I would not push sensitivity above 22 or 23 otherwise you are just going to introduce more noise, especially in the high mineralized dirt in Culpeper. Interpreting the Machine Audio and Visual Target ID Coil Control and Target ID - If somehow you manage to get a repeatable non-ferrous target ID, dig it. Buttons usually fall around 12 to 16. Minie balls fall around 17 to 19. Basically dig anything repeatable above 0. If you are getting a lot of ferrous and jumpy IDs but are occasionally getting a sweet number like an 18 or a 16, then try to use the Equinox's high recovery speed to zero in on the target with a coil wiggle. Sometimes you can get all those other miscellaneous noises and numbers to sort of fade to background if you can get the center of the DD coil spine wiggling right over the target. You might have to rotate around the target to be able to get a good 2-way tone. Practice this with test targets (including iron nails) close together and you will see what I mean. Tips to further enhance target identification and make a dig decision First of all there are three other "on the fly" settings you need to understand. All metal, horseshoe button - This removes all discrimination an can be useful to use when you get a repeatable non-ferrous hit to see if there is any ferrous grunts associated with it. Problem is, in Culpeper, with the mineralized soil, you will likely get ferrous grunts even if the target is non-ferrous. That is why I recommend that you hunt in all metal. It may become overwhelming, so you can switch back to ferrous discrimination, but I guarantee, if you do that you will not hear some non-ferrous targets that will be discriminated out at depth. Your call. Again, using some practice targets before you go out will be helpful. Use the wiggle/rotate method described above to zero in on the target. Pinpoint - Pinpoint is useful not just for pinpointing but also for sizing up the target. Since it is a non-motion mode, you can trace the footprint of repeatable target and that might give you a clue as to whether the target is large - perhaps a horseshoe or plow share. Could also be a belt or box plate or a bayonet. You never know. Now is good time to remind you that some of the coolest relics are ferrous. Bayonets, sword blades, gun barrels, spurs, camp cookware/utensils, clothes irons, artillery pieces and fragments can all be iron. So you may want to dig that big ferrous grunting signal just to be sure. Also, getting that big piece of iron out of the way may unmask or uncover another relic hiding nearby or underneath. Single Frequency - If you are struggling with multi frequency. Give single frequency a shot. The lower frequencies (5 or 10 khz) can sometimes penetrate deeper than the multifrequency signal which has to share its power across multiple frequency signals. Single frequency can also sometimes come in handy when you are having trouble with interference. Perhaps that buzz you can't fully eliminate in multi IQ even after a noise cancel, can go away completely if you pick the right single frequency. If you do go to single frequency, be sure to noise cancel and ground balance specific to that frequency. Don't be afraid to try another mode like Park 1 or Field 1 - Just because I said Park 2 and Field 2 are somewhat optimized for relic targets, don't be afraid to to experiment with the other modes to see if they change your luck. I do recommend that you use the same user settings I recommended for any mode you try (2 or 5 tones, disc breakpoint at 0 or 2, Recovery speed at 3 or 2 and Iron Bias at F2=2, sensitivity at 20 to start). All the other stuff is basically the same, you are just using a different multi IQ profile. I do advise against MODE HOPPING out of frustration. Stick with a mode as long as you can and then if you are getting skunked after an hour or 2, then try another mode and try to stick with that one for awhile. Practice with the mode and settings you are going to use in Culpeper BEFORE you get Culpeper so you can get used to the audio and detector response. That mode might not be the ideal one to use in South Carolina for coin shooting or beach hunting, but that is not the point. The last thing you need to be doing is starting out with something that sounds completely alien to you on day one at Culpeper. Culpeper is hard enough without being bombarded with something new. Be aware though, that the machine is not going to respond the same in Culpeper as it will in SC due to the mineralization. I have relic detected in SC near Georgetown, and used Field 2 successfully at the old rice plantations and snagged several great relics there. How to attack Culpeper independent of the detector you are using First of all, set your expectations realistically. The ground is hot and the grounds have been pounded. Right off you are going to be at a severe disadvantage - you are using a relatively new machine and it is a VLF. It is not all gloom and doom. You might happen onto a hot spot. If you do, dig in and just pound it. Try sticking will small plots (mark off 20 x 20 yd boundaries with your gear/day pack) and just pound that patch before moving on. You can try running and gunning, but the relics tend to be concentrated in spots rather than evenly scattered across the site, so you need to find those hot spots and dig in. Your machine might get you into something and if you see evidence of other relics in the dirt you dig (broken glass, charcoal, dishware, or other metallic finds that didn't initially register than dig that spot out until it plays out and move on. The big lead disc detected by my Equinox is what got me into a small trash/fire pit out of which I also pulled some minies, a flattened Eagle button used as a poker chip or checkers piece, a sword hanger, a pot leg, and some other goodies. There was no way I was going to detect some of those other things from the surface because they were too deep, but the lead disc got me in there in the first place. Think like a soldier in camp. I want to be near a water source, I want to be on high ground, look for high concentrations of nails that might indicate long gone camp huts, look for old tree roots that might have served as firing range targets, look for flat rocks that might be used as a table or or chair. Those are all things that might get you into a hot spot, so think about the terrain and landmarks. Get other folks to tell you about the history of the site. Was it a battlefield or a long term winter camp, or a short term bivouac setup. See if you can do some advance research and gather intel. Have patience, be optimistic but realistic, don't dispair, and try to be prepared enough not to be wrestling with your machine settings. Hope this helps a little. Ask here or PM me with specific questions. The light bulb might go off on some of this stuff once you get some swing time with the Equinox in your town. Good luck.
  10. Like the dose of reality regarding Vanquish and separation/recovery speed. Great real world info. Vanquish is very capable and a great value, but has limitations, as expected.
  11. Exactly, none of this is preventing me from using my main 3 perfectly capable detectors, Deus, Equinox, and GPX in the mean time. I'm detecting, not waiting.
  12. How about sharing those with the group, maybe we can learn something too.
  13. I can see the need to meet regulatory requirements which was mentioned as the reason Rick had to return his machine to FT. That and the need to work out legitimate bugs/flaws nothing can be done to short circuit those legit requirements. But this statement regarding more "improvements" and another one by one of the design/test team implying the lead designer is always trying make the design better makes me wonder at what point does design optimization effectively become polishing the cannonball as better or perfection is the enemy of good enough. Not sure it is clear if the finish line has been defined for this project so, yeah, the wait contnues with no end in site. Sorry, UtahRich...
  14. I take it that you did have the usb plugged in for power. I saw that they had many creative brand names including my fav "Feelglad" so not too surprised. At least you were only out less than $10.
  15. Yes, I would be very interested to know what you think as I am considering it myself.
  16. The product description says APTX but does not come right out and say it supports APTX LL, can you confirm that the BT + sign symbol shows up on the Equinox when paired with the MPOW. Thanks.
  17. You originally said you wanted depth not sensitivity. If you wanted sensitivity the HF coil is fine, the V12 is not going to improve sensitivity for you because it has the same width as the 9" HF round and it is not going to go any deeper either. It's main advantage vs. the HF is just slightly improved swing coverage (remember V12 is a 9x12" elliptical so it has the slightly less sensitivity and and the same depth as your 9 HF) if you want more depth like you said in the first place you should go with the 11" X35. It is hard to keep up when you keep moving the goal. Elliptical shape does not really help in iron it just facilitates side to side swing in tight spaces with the 12 inch swing coverage. But all of those facts are a moot point since you placed your order. Vanquish is a good detector, you will likely enjoy it, but not really for any of the reasons you stated you wanted it for and it will be heavier but with an XP like stem design might not seem as heavy for you. Good luck and hope it leads to those elusive deep big coins for you.
  18. I think you are missing my point completely. You complained about the weight of the Vanquish. I understand why you want the lightest machine. Since you have health issues, then you have the option to get the ORX for an easier swing. One of my best detecting buddies has said that the Deus has added 5 more years to their ability to go detecting because of arthritis issues. But it comes at a cost and that is NOT who ML is targeting with Vanquish and most other "value" machines are not going to push the weight envelope much further unless they are going to marry a coil with an actual cell phone (again, not necessarily cheap). The Vanquish is targeted to entry level detectorists (or savvy experienced detectorists who know a great value). ML doesn't care whether YOU would be willing to spend the extra money for reduced weight, it is obvious that experienced detectorists like you and me who own XP machines are willing to pay the price for the extra light machine. But most people would not and that is who ML is targeting. Let's take your ORX example, you say 200e extra is no big deal. It isn't to you, but that's not the point. Lets just say for the sake of argument that ML could deliver a Vanquish at the ORX weight class but it would raise the price an extra 200e (I bet it would actually raise it more than that but we'll just go with it) then that takes Vanquish completely out of the target demographic price wise and ML would LOSE a lot of sales. Most of the target demographic WOULD NOT BE WILLING TO PAY 200 additional for lighter machine. That's the point and that is why ML is not trying to push the weight down further because that just raises the price of the machine beyond the target price point.
  19. Only 200e?? That's 50% the cost of the lower priced "heavier" machine! The cost is indeed associated with putting the Deus/Orx electronics in the coil, full wireless, and the compact controller. All of these things are what make Deus/Orx light weight and also drive cost. You are right to praise your Orx. That is why that unless you need a salt beach machine which is where multi provides the greatest advantage, you can improve depth on deep coins on your Orx/Deus by simply purchasing an 11" x35 coil for less cost. The 11" round x35 coil will get slightly more depth than the 9x12" Vanquish elliptical (all things being equal) and the x35 coil will allow you to lower operating frequency to <4 khz maximizing depth on high conductive coins. Win-Win
  20. Acknowledgement as to whether any of this info was helpful or simply confusing would be useful and welcome feedback. Thanks.
  21. And none of "light" these machines you mention come anywhere close to the $300 - $400 price point of the Vanquish or Simplex. There is a price for micropackaging the electronics and that would price these machines out of their intended entry level demographic. BTW - the latest information I have shows Impulse AQ closer to 2 kg vice 1.5 kg.
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