Chase Goldman

Nope. Just the opposite. Can run it up in sensitivity.You might have a bad coil or connector. The 10×5 is bump sensitive though.

That sounds like Normal behavior od the one way pressure relief/equalizing valve.

Frankly, ML should just fix the TID stability issues and keep the expanded range, not revert. There is a benefit to the expanded range for mid-conductor target identification to better differentiate small mass targets, hammered silver alloys, and aluminum, brass, lead, nickel and gold targets. Expressive audio can also help in this regard. Somehow, XP was able to figure this out with a 100 plus point TID scale and multiple audio and tone ID customization options with D2 Multifrequency. Similarly, Nokta has done this to a lesser extent with Legend (though the scale is reduced compared to XP). ML should invest less in litigation and more in completed engineering staff work and listening better to the pulse of their user base (the ones who pay for ML’s products not those who get paid to promote them) IMO. ML I’m here as well if you want to reach out to me directly and can stand some honest, constructive criticism and feedback from someone with a technical background who still invests in ML products despite disappointment of late. Also, I want to emphasize that my issues are primarily related to the 900 where I have more swing time than the Manticore and a huge experience base with the 800 that I can use as an “apples-to-apples” reference point. As far as I’m concerned, and I stated this previously, I am still acclimating to the Manticore. Still learning it and the jury is still out. I will say that my experience with it has been more positive than with the 900, especially in regards to EMI and audio customization.

Not quite as pessimistic regarding the decline of the hobby - but agree that lack of easy site access to public and private lands, transition to a cashless society, and a younger generation that is less enamored with precious metal and gemstone jewelry minimize replenishment and less ability to squeeze much more out of induction-based detection technologies do point to a declining trend. This is exacerbated by unrealistic social media depictions of what treasure hunting really entails, meaning a lot of folks think they can just grab the latest wiz bang detector and find good stuff. The result is new people not adhering to proper treasure hunting etiquette, breaking rules and causing more sites to become off limits. It’s a kind of a slow motion death spiral for detecting, in general.

After my very positive experience with the Nox 800, I decided to invest in the Nox 900 figuring that it was the natural progression of the Nox evolution with Minelab addressing all the physical design flaws of the Nox 800 (sub-par shaft system, water ingress issues, overly thick grip) while adding some bells and whistles (vibration, flashlight), and an audio feature that had been on my Nox wishlist since inception (Deep Pitch for all search profiles, not just Gold mode). What I didn't count on was constant chatter and EMI issues and very unstable TIDs which appear to be partially attributed to the expanded TID range. Net result was 1 step forward and 2 steps back. A disappointment. I am now attempting to get acclimated to Manticore, and while the additional advanced features such as target trace, advanced filtering, audio, and search modes are somewhat compelling, it also suffers from TID stability issues similar to the Nox (though less EMI) and getting a handle on the optimal search mode for a given situation and search objective (e.g., coins or relics in hot or mild dirt) seems like a trial and error guessing game. Having no accessory coil options now a full 7 plus months after release is also a kick in the pants. Haven't given up on it but I am less inclined to "gut it out 'til I master it" like I did with the original Nox because of the audio fatigue and TID guessing game. Especially considering my newly updated Deus 2 (which has been killing it for more than a year even before the update) is just sitting there tempting me with its new expressive audio, rock solid target IDs, and feather light ergonomics. Maybe a reasonably priced small elliptical for the M-core would entice me more. Bottom line: At this point, as far as ML is concerned, despite the excitement of the forthcoming ML pinpointer (yes that's called sarcasm), about the only thing that would get me excited about a ML detector would be if they decided to stuff the brains of the Nox 800 (with dPitch added) into the body of the Nox 900.

Well horseshoe mode simply removes at the touch of a button all preset discrimination applied by whatever search mode (e.g., Park 1, Field 2, Beach etc.) you happen to be currently using, so you can hear and see all target tone and visual ID. Therefore, by definition, it is a non-discrimination mode. Discriminating is then done by your brain and your shovel.

Welcome Joe. Great detector to get you started in the hobby. Dig everything at first so you can learn the language of your detector to better distinguish Trash from treasure. Not intending to deter your enthusiasm, but just a word of caution since you mentioned backpacking and detecting. Simply possessing or using a Metal Detector in any National Park (e.g. Yosemite) and many other (but not all) Federal Lands is prohibited and can result in some really unpleasant legal jeopardy. Make sure you understand the prevailing rules and regulations regarding use of detectors on federal, state, and local public lands whether its a beach, campsite, park or tot lot. Private lands (with permission), town parks and playgrounds, and beaches are generally OK (like Tahoe), but then again there many non-obvious Federal, state, and local restrictions. Knowledge of the rules and where you are is essential. Do research on the areas you plan to visit with your detector to be sure and know the boundaries of the lands for which you do have permission. There are a number of phone apps such as Onx Hunt, Onx Backwoods and other hiking apps that are useful for both backpacking and detectorists. Sometimes having a great place to detect is the true treasure, so research and perseverance in that regard is often more important than the modern detecting equipment you are using. State of the art detecting equipment such as the Nox 800 is designed to be effective out of the gate for the beginning detectorist and versatile enough to to support the experienced detecting veteran. You have a vast knowledge resource here so don't be shy asking specific questions about your equipment, detecting techniques, and how to find great places to detect. Have fun out there and good luck on your adventures.

Good luck, Jim. Hope it all goes smoothly and you're soon back better than ever.

Yes.

Yep. I too had a pair of Quests compatible with the XP pucks for years and picked up a pair of these Quest BT APTX-LL for Equinox not long after getting the Equinox 4 or 5 years ago. At the time, they were the ONLY over-the-ear BT APTX-LL phones that were weatherproof, so I had no qualms using them in foul weather or when doing some knee deep wading. Great audio quality and the also accept a wired input for backup passive audio if the battery craps out. At the time these came out in 2018/19, Quest didn’t really have a product competitive with the Nox. I think they do a brisk MD accessory business by providing quality, widely compatible wireless audio accessories and pinpointers.

You didn’t say if you did just the volume up plus mode button combo (not both volume buttons). I know it’s just for clearing pairing memory but who knows, I was also thinking it would reset and reboot the phones. At this point you will probably just have to let the battery die and see if it reboots. On my Sony’s if I plug them into the charger, they are de-energized but they only have a momentary push button to turn on or turn off not a physical positional on-off switch like the Legend phones. Maybe momentarily plugging them in to the charger will wake them up. In any event. Good luck.

Try holding the mode button and volume + simultaneously for 3 seconds. That's supposed to reset all paired devices per the Nokta Legend Wireless Headphone User Manual. The other thing you can try is holding the on/off switch in either position for greater than 10 seconds.

Factory Reset it after the upload, too, Andrew. Shouldn't matter, but it also doesn't hurt, just in case.

Yep it’s all about maximizing current and limiting heat. The tablet uses a USB C connector and at 25 watts is probably drawing nearly twice as much current as the Manticore charge circuit can handle not counting heat losses.

It’s a typical limitation of magnetic style connectors and an input voltage limit of five volts because a USB Type A connector is used. The magnetic interface point of the connector which is great for creating a waterproof electrical connection point, is also a relatively high resistance point which will overheat if you crank too much current through it (these are known as I-squared-R power losses and temperature at that connector “gap” rapidly increases as the square (power of 2) of current increases) and the exposed contact points can arc over if too much voltage is applied. Computers use power delivery USB C type connectors with high voltage series and parallel connected battery cell combinations to support the high power and long endurance demands of laptops, this also enables higher voltages and currents to be applied to enable rapid charging. The Manticore charge power limit is probably around 15 watts or less (5 volts at less than 3 amps), whereas laptops can draw 150 watts or more from their brick chargers.

BTW - Both Steve and I get an auto notification if a post needs approval so there is no need to tag or message us in addition to that notification. If we are online we will see it and act on it ASAP.

It is not made for commercial sale, it was produced for solely for military use by L3, a "defense" contractor dedicated to providing equipment for use by government agencies. It integrates pulse induction (PI) metal detecting (common in consumer grade metal detectors, especially those used primarily for gold prospecting) with Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). The latter technology, GPR, is available for non-military, typically industrial, use but is not popular for use by treasure hunters because non-military GPR units are typically prohibitively expensive, heavy/bulky, and not refined for general purpose treasure hunting. They are typically designed for locating sub-surface voids or large-mass buried targets such as utility pipes, conduits, or tanks. It has limited treasure hunting or archeological use for detecting large treasure caches or buried man-made structures or stone roads. The military requirement to make GPR compact enough to be used in a hand-held mine detector while incorporating the typical mil-spec environmental durability requirements was probably a significant engineering challenge which probably translates into astronomical per-unit cost for the mine detector that is the subject of the article, making it cost-prohibitive for consumer or even industrial use even if it was offered for non-military use. One of the most eyebrow raising lines in the linked article was that it had to be "92% successful" to instill confidence by the soldiers. Are you willing to put your life on the line using a 92% effective mine detector? Hmm.

BTW - You don't have to buy another WS6. You can get a pair of WSA II wireless puck/phones. Sort of the "dumb" version of the WS6 with wireless audio only (but also with the auto on feature when you power up the remote). They are considerably less expensive than the WS6. Note for others lurking: The WSA II approach can also allow you to have the remote at ver 1.1 (or 0.71) and the WS6 in Master Mode at 0.71 (or 1.1). The WSA II could have potentially been shared between them or you could have picked up a second WSA II or a WSA II XL and a second coil/shaft/stem to give you two independent Deus 2 setups (Deus 2 Remote + WSA II and Deus 2 WS6 Master + 2nd WSA II or WSA XL). Which is stil a few hundred dollars cheaper than two Full Up Deus 2 detectors. FWIW Cost Comparison (List): Full Up Deus 2 = $1449 Deus 2 Remote = $749 WS6 = $349 WSA II XL = $199 WSA II = $149 Deus 2 Coil + Rod = $399 (same price regardless of Coil Size) Deus 2 Stem = $189 Deus Stem = $149 Orx "Lite" Stem = $99 WSA II + Stem + Coil/Rod = $149 + $99 + $399 = $647 (utilize WS6 Master from Original Deus 2) and you have two Deus 2 detectors for about $2247 vice $3000. Other combos for reference: WS6 Master Rig (WS6 + Stem and Coil and charging components) =$799 WS6 Master Rig with WSA II Phones = $948 Used D2 Remote + WSA II XL Phones + Coil/Rod/Stem = $800 Gary Black posted that its "good housekeeping" to keep the headphones at the same version level as the remote although there was anecdotal evidence that version 1.0 phones connected to a remote that was at ver 1.1. So I can't honestly say whether ver 1.1 phones can be paired with a remote that is at less than ver 1.0. It is worth noting that there must be more to the Update for the WS6 that applies beyond just the Master Mode changes as the WSA II and WSA II XL phones (which are basically like a dumb WS6 locked in slave mode) also have ver 1.1 updates.

Yes. This is how Steve consolidated essential information, tips, and tricks for the Equinox in this post:

Nice gold and Xterra Pro review. Regarding tge following: You are not talking changing the operating frequency but doing a noise cancel, correct? Can't find a reference to "AU" in the Instruction Manual but IIRC, "AU" shows up on the screen when you do a noise cancel.

Yes. I had this thought as well. An index where general detecting knowledge items and nuggets can be collected and saved for reference. A DP Knowledge Base Section. This already exists in some respects in Steve's site with respect to his Guides and Detector Database. But perhaps a wiki style that enables crowd-sourced contributions from forum members to be collected and indexed. Or perhaps "Chat DPT" ("Detector Prospector Tidbits"). Example Topics: Wireless Audio Technologies How to Secure Site Permissions How to Maximize Site Coverage (Gridding and Tracking Techniques and Tools) Use of Online Tools to Research Site History and Geographic Features The Difference Between Induction Balance and Pulse Induction Detectors How Coils Work Lithium Battery Do's and Don'ts and so forth. I'll discuss with Steve. Thanks for the nudge.

A mineralization meter tells you how much magnetite or other similar ferrous oxide compounds are in the soil. The ground balance indication on most detectors is really just a number generated to help a user properly balance out ground phase (conductivity). It does not necessarily correlate to the degree of ferrous mineralization present in the soil. Even if you have a properly ground balanced detector, highly mineralized soil (often referred to as "hot ground") reflects and attenuates the magnetic field that is put into the ground by the detector's transmit coil as well as the received induced magnetic field by the target which greatly reduces depth capability. Many detectors such as the higher end Fisher and Teknetics models; XP Deus, Orx, and Deus 2; Nokta Simplex and Legend, provide a separate mineralization meter. Minelabs tend to not have this indication although the Nox internal algorithms use sensed changes in ground mineralization as keys to adjust ground balance in ground tracking mode and also sense it in Beach Modes to automatically dial back transmit power in the presence of black sand. Having a separate indication of ground mineralization helps the detectorist identify this hot ground situation so that they can adjust the detector to compensate somewhat for its effects. For example, DD coils are slightly less impacted by mineralization than coaxial or concentric coils, so a detectorist might choose to use a DD coil in this situation (most detectors have now gravitated to solely using DD coils so this is typically a moot point). Choosing a coil with a smaller footprint can also help mitigate hot ground feedback effects, which means you should avoid using large footprint coils as they are counterproductive in these conditions, i.e., you will likely not gain any depth advantage as overall target sensitivity will take a hit for the reasons mentioned above and you will certainly lose small target sensitivity and you take an unnecessary weight penalty (applies only to induction balance vlf detectors, as discussed below Pulse Induction detectors are somewhat immune to these effects so you can gain depth in hot dirt with larger coil footprints). Lowering transmit power (if you have that adjustment) sometimes helps. If you can separately adjust for salt effects (usually a beach mode adjustment) that can sometimes help too. And certain frequencies may penetrate better (usually lower frequencies, but there is no hard and fast determination that lowering the frequency is necessarily always better in hot ground > a lot depends on your desired target conductivity). A lot of trial and error is involved. In really hot soils, shifting to a Pulse Induction detector is the best antidote as mineralization has much less impact on depth detection due to the way they transmit and process their received target signals. There are other drawbacks to Pulse Induction detectors (expense, lack of sophisticated visual target ID and discrimination) and they are primarily used for gold prospecting, beach work, or for relic detecting in hot and/or high salinity ground environments. HTH

Been there done that effectively with a metallic 5ft. spring probe (which can "detect" glass and ash that a deep seeker can't) and a Pulse Induction machine that can detect telltale supply barrel bands. I doubt this will work in hot soil. Probe has no issues with hot dirt.

You can get a WS6 Master Deus 2 setup for less than a Deus 1 or even an Orx, so that's how to fill the lineup cost gap, done. There is no real point of keeping the D1/Orx line alive purely for sub gram gold capability, they are way overpriced if that's the ONLY thing they can do better than the D2, which has them beat handily in every other capability. Time for them to move on and fully embrace the otherwise superior successor they created.

I apologize in advance for my Debbie Downer Reality Check @CPT_GhostLight... but considering this two box coil will cost over $1600 on its own, doubt XP will be pursuing a PI design any time soon (considering they even abandoned that approach for their pinpointer) much less be the ones who will break the PI price barrier. To me it looks like they are married to solely iterating on the Deus-based wireless IB ecosystem from here on out. The other telling and disappointing sign is that XP never even publicly acknowledges (much less responds to) the numerous requests for a small elliptical from their user base. Look at how many people are requesting it in the comments section of the 2-box reveal video and how XP only responds to those who are praising the new deep seeker coil. Really can't afford my own personal back-hoe at the moment so I will be passing on this. Getting the Go Terrain App finally working after 7 years would be a major accomplishment.