Chase Goldman

2 hours ago, Knomad said:

FWI, The latest standard Bluetooths are very close to the Low Latency versions, WHY did Garrett not incorporate Bluetooth to give their customers that option that is on other detectors, A $4000 detector that does not have Bluetooth built in like my $900 Nox has, Really.?.! 

Everyone has their own favorite headphones, Trying to make an extra buck locking people into Proprietary Type headphones is just bad policy, even Minelab recognized that and along with Their Proprietary system put a fast generally good Bluetooth System in the Nox.

So right you are, nothing gets better without a constructive criticism. 

It's funny you hold up ML as a paragon for utilizing universal wireless audio standards as ML did an about face with the new Nox 700/900, Xterra Pro, and the Manticore by taking the latest and greatest low latency industry standard Bluetooth and somehow making it effectively proprietary because nothing that complies with the latest and greatest BT LE standard can connect to their latest detectors unless it has a ML logo on the phones.  Talk about one step forward two steps back.  I guess we should be happy that each of those detectors does not have their own proprietary wireless audio hardware like the way ML used to do it, where the WM-12 wouldn't work on anything other than the GPZ and with the WM-10 wouldn't work anything other than the CTX and the WM-8 wouldn't work with anything but the Nox even though they were all using the same base wireless system.  But no worries, ML is going to come out with a WM-09, and make us pay an arm and a leg for it so we can mercifully plug in our own favorite wired phones to use untethered with the Manticore, Nox 900 etc.  Obtaining the ML proprietary wireless receiver for the Xterra is probably going to cost almost as much as the detector itself if pricing is consistent with the Nox WM-08.   At least Z-Lynk works universally with Garrett's wireless detectors and pinpointer.

I also agree that the Garrett's Z-Lynk is a little finnicky, but solved it by making sure the earcup with the receiver is facing the detector transmitter.  I've since switched to the ML-like Z-lynk receiver so I can plug-in my own favorite headphones.  I don't really care if the connection drops out when I'm 4 or 5 feet from my detector because, obviously, I'm no longer swinging it at that point.    One little heralded feature regarding Z-Lynk is that it is full duplex which means that you if you are using a wireless Carrot you can hear both the Carrot pinpointer and detector audio in your headset simultaneously.  You don't have to switch between the pinpointer and the detector.  Comes in handy when you can't find the target with your pinpointer and you want to quickly swing the detector over the hole or plug to acquire the target again.  No delays associated switching back and forth between the pinpointer and detector like on XP or Nokta.

As consumers, I agree with you that we should demand no less than full satisfaction with our purchases and post sale support.  Frankly, Garrett has impressed me the most when it comes to post sale customer support.  I just wish they would step up their game and now that Axiom is on the street, get competitive in the mid to high end VLF detector marketplace again.  

3 hours ago, phrunt said:

I think the most important feature would be a very accurate GPS and onboard colour screen mapping system so you can tell exactly the ground you've covered colouring it in as you go; we probably miss a lot more finds by not covering ground well than we do by not having the latest and greatest detectors.

I would like a coil coverage sensor as well, but it isn't happening with GPS.  Not precise enough.  If you miss just a square cm of ground coverage then you've possibly missed a target.  GPS is never going to give you that level of precision. You need something like drone mounted LIDAR or some other precision optical sensor that is tied into a gyroscopic coil position sensor as well as GPS.  I envision something that feeds a pair of Augmented Reality glasses that enables you to peer out onto your site from any position or angle and shows you how much of the site has been "painted over" by one or more sweeping detector coils while the drone or whatever was monitoring them.

6 hours ago, Tony said:

Wow....the X-Terra Pro has an adjustable hand grip but the Manticore misses out on this feature 👎

Note, however, that the X-Terra Pro has a fixed armcuff, the Manticore and Equinox 700/900 have adjustable armcuffs, which sort of accomplishes the same thing except, that the balance point is affected more by the adjustable handgrip on the X-terra pro.  Note, however, that you can also adjust overall balance incrementally by adjusting the shaft extension on all the above detectors.

If you were running with iron bin disc'd out I'd say that sounds like a clipped audio on a target on the threshold between the ferrous and non-ferrous breakpoint.  If you were running with no discrimination, then never mind.

It would be really helpful if you were a little more forthcoming with your settings and where on the beach you were detecting (surf, wet, or dry sand) and the beach conditions (black sand?) Knowing your mode, recovery, disc/horseshoe, ferrous limits, tones, audio profile, etc.. up front is helpful rather than us guessing or having to ask 20 questions. At this point all I know is that you were using a Manticore somewhere on a beach in 5 tones and for some reason you were using tracking GB (which would be an odd choice unless you were in surf or in wet black sand).

28 minutes ago, Dug D said:

If I was to speculate, Minelab rushed the release of Manticore's announcement, barely managed to finish their software (changed to proprietary headphones after orders had be placed), had not planned ahead for accessory coil manufacture and had not created specs for different size coils, or of course any kind of testing.

Finally shipping began, but Minelab was not sure enough to contract coil manufacture (might be significant software change), minor software change did happen, so lets work out specs, wait for the first shipment of coils, test the first shipment, and finally pull the trigger to fully manufacture. 

Yep, that seems like a year and half is actually making good time.  🙄

Well they had the form factor for the coils already determined BEFORE release as there were pictures in prerelease marketing materials and software has minimal impact on coil design TBH.  It's obvious that ML just doesn't care about accessory coils all that much. Probably not a huge profit generator for them despite their ridiculous price markups for accessories.  They have even less respect for their customers, it seems.

35 minutes ago, midalake said:

Ya, what I wrote was not pointed at you. I was skimming and just decided to tell it how it works in the Black Sand playground. 

As someone who noise cancels in front of every hotel/building. You either have EMI or not. Yes, some detectors are better. Sometimes I noise cancel if there is a difficult target.  Nothing earth shaking but sometimes I think there is a better look at that target after a noise cancel reset. 

I was never a big proponent of onsite testing. When the D2 arrived, everything changed. I will never run a new detector without fringe testing. Even then> test again, after tweaking settings after a few months. Happy holidays, Hugh.  

Thanks.  Happy holidays and happy hunting, Dave.

7 hours ago, Guinea1 said:

I feel the age of the Swiss army knife detector is already upon us.   Nowadays, nearly every high-end detector on the market is feature rich with little real comparison between them all.  What I would like to see is modular metal detector created by a manufacturer like Nokta, where you can buy plugin upgrades which change the machine into a higher preforming detector without having to purchase a completely new unit.  Something similar to the old modular Treasure Baron units designed by George Payne.

Imagine just needing a few coils and plugin upgrades to access a wide choice of frequencies and features without having to own multiple detectors for different styles of hunting?  I suppose a sort of green orientated metal detector that utilises resources to the fullest capacity possible.  I also feel detector manufacturers need to make swapping out the built-in battery a simplified process.  So that the purchaser of the metal detector can fit the new battery themselves, similar to the new procedures suggested for mobile phone batteries. 

I think Nokta are a very innovative company who aren’t afraid to push boundaries.  And I feel if any of the metal detector manufacturers out there can bring us something totally unique to the market similar to what I have suggested, then it is Nokta who have the skills and knowhow to make such a concept a reality.  I also believe Nokta deserve more accolade for producing affordable metal detectors, which places high-end detecting technology into the hands of more detectorists at an affordable price.  The Nokta Legend epitomises their promise of not accepting paying more for less!   

I would argue modern VLF induction balance detectors with simultaneous multifrequency are already now like swiss army knives, excelling at multiple different situations and tasks using a single tool, all you need to do is select the right program from the job and the right coil.  Nokta has also probably been the most proactive in listening to users and providing firmware updates for free to Legend that ADD features and don't just fix existing problems.  I think only XP has eclipsed Nokta in terms of increasing capability of their Deus 2 SMF platform by introducing the very deep seeking (and very expensive) two-box coil add-on (the compatible platform firmware update was free).  Nokta is also leading the pack in value (Performance per unit cost), so anything that further erodes that thin profit margin might not be in their best interest, as has been previously mentioned.

But, as has been posted many times over on this forum, we have basically squeezed just about all the performance juice out of the VLF induction balance detector platform at this point.  You may be able to introduce some form of AI into the signal processing algorithms to get some more incremental performance, but you really aren't going to get a much "higher peforming" VLF induction balance detector going forward.  Performance has basically plateaued with combination SMF/multiple selectable single frequency features and high speed digital signal processing.  Like I said, maybe AI or machine learning can bring something more to the table but I still think the returns will be incremental.  And am not sure the holy grail of reliably differentiating aluminum bits from gold will ever be achieved even with machine learning.  It would be great if I am wrong on this.

If anything, I guess a practical (light weight with enough power and reasonable cost) hybrid detector that incorporates the ability to operate in induction balance mode or PI mode would be the ideal swiss army knife platform.  Maybe Nokta or someone else can come up with that going forward.

As far as I'm concerned, I am basically happy with what I do have as far as detectors are concerned (I have a go to VLF in the Deus 2 (backed up by the Legend and Manticore, but seldom pull them out) and have the Garrett Axiom as my go to PI.  So all my equipment puzzle pieces are in place. I really am not wanting for the next big thing and am mostly focused on figuring out where I can swing these things rather than purchasing more equipment.  Something, I would not have said even a year ago.

On 12/8/2023 at 2:24 PM, gopher said:

Well I did it anyways people, ive been watching deus 1 videos since I made this thread, now I'm hyped to get it, I found a coupon code to get $95 off, so I pulled the trigger

 

Also grave digger tools had a flash sale a few days ago, it was 25% off I got a leather sheath for my garett edge digger

A little late to the party here.  Having owned a Deus 1 for several years which I considered my best non SMF detector, especially with the white HF 9" coil, I was skeptical that something could totally replace it.  I used an Equinox 800 and that complimented the Deus 1 well, but there were still situations where the Deus 1 excelled over the Nox.  But after having used the Deus 2 for nearly two years now, I can say that my Deus 1 (and to a lesser extent also my Nox) have been collecting a lot of dust for the past two years.  Subsequent to releasing the Deus 2, XP put out the WS6 Master package (smart puck in lieu of the remote) which is a great value and very capable with 99% of the features of the full remote package but at about $700US right now for "Black Friday"/Christmas deals.   A great deal (and much more capable than analogous Deus 1 lite setup) and the coil operates up to 45Khz, as Jeff said above, which appeared to meet your minimum coil frequency needs.  But I am a relic hunter and don't have to deal with steel clad coins. And that's all moot for you since you went ahead with the Deus 1.  I posted the above regardless as it may help others who are contemplating the Deus 1 in 2024. 

Anyway...I had a question for you.

Did you get the 9" HF coil or 9" X35 coil?  It's not clear which coil you ordered (just says 9") from what you posted above and you mentioned an X35 package deal earlier for the same price you paid above. 

I ask because I thought you wanted something that gets you to 74khz or at least 40 khz.  X35 only goes to 27khz and the 9" HF goes to 54 khz.  Only the 9.5x5" elliptical goes to 74 khz.  Did you end up changing your mind on desired max frequency?

Edit:  Nevermind, I see you are going to get the HF coil later.  Anyway, congrats and good luck with your new Deus 1.

22 hours ago, midalake said:

I hunt in mineralized black sand 100% of the time. I do not care what MF detector you are talking about. 

You need to strike a balance that will allow you the highest sensitivity for fringe targets. Mineralization REQUIRES high sensitivity to penetrate it. Without sensitivity all you lose is depth with mineralization.  

One has to understand the difference of mineralization noise and deep fringe targets. There is no such thing as trying to run silent in mineralization and getting deep fringe targets. 

Agree, Dave.  But let’s not forget that the original topic of this thread was how to combat EMI.  Any recommendation on reduction in sensitivity setting (at least on my part) was solely focused on mitigating EMI, not ground noise (I have edited my my prior post to ensure that was clear).  Agree that lowering sensitivity in mineralized ground or black sand without EMI present accomplishes nothing.  However, lowering transmit power can help reduce reflected near field noise off black sand/surface mineralization - to compensate for this, increasing sensitivity is required to balance out the resulting loss of target signal strength provided any present EMI noise can be managed as well.  Even if transmit power is fixed, then reducing sensitivity to reduce ground noise (not EMI) is likely counterproductive.

Bottom line: Getting your detector set up optimally under challenging noise conditions (both EMI and ground feedback) means understanding how your settings affect all these competing factors impact your target signal and the degree of received noise.  Mastering the ability to balance these competing effects by making useful adjustments (in the right order and direction) to transmit power, sensitivity, discrimination and related filters, ground balance, recovery speed, and operating frequency requires some basic general knowledge as well as trial and error in the field.  There are few magic bullets or “catch all” default settings that work for the infinite combinations of variables in these situations, the best you can do is balance the trade offs.

On 12/6/2023 at 4:37 PM, Aureous said:

'Englands History' channel on YT has a good overview on the Accupoint, he shows a tiny bit of foil being heard where his XP pointer doesnt. Check it out here: Accupoint review

Definitely not my experience in the field or an air test with the MI6 connected to the D2 remote (where you can further adjust/increase its sensitivity vs. standalone) vs the Nokta (vs. the Mi6 standalone air test as clumsily demonstrated in the video (what was the MI6 standalone sensitivity setting??  FWIW The MI6 standalone default sensitivity setting is medium vs. high). 

I did a test with small gold (0.8g) and the MI6 with audio via the D2 remote and also standalone vs. the Nokta and you can see the visual results below as I slowly slid the pointer down the ruler towards the target.  The tip corresponds to the height above the gold target where the pointer first sounded off and both pointers were at max sensitivity.

0.8g Gold Target

Nokta Accupoint detection audible at approximately the 2mm mark (target was directly below the tip at the edge of the ruler which extends a couple mm beyond the zero mm marking).

XP MI6 connected to the D2 remote audible at about the 27.5 mm mark.

MI6 Standalone at "High" sensitivity audible at about the 22mm mark.

Both pointers are tip vs. side sensitive.

The MI6 appears to be less sensitive standalone vs. connected to the remote where you can further boost sensitivity above the MI6 standalone "high" sensitivity setting.

In my field experience the MI6 and Carrot are more sensitive in ground than the Nokta Accupoint on all types of targets (large, small, high conductivity, low conductivity, ferrous and non-ferrous).  Love the Nokta's ergnomics and the ferrous rejection mostly works on big iron (not so much on small iron) provided you are really close and get the orientation just right.  I've had it fail to recognize big iron as ferrous with the tip actually touching the ferrous target until I moved it to a specific position on the target.

It's a functional pinpointer with great ergonomics, mediocre sensitivity (in my first hand field experience), and finicky ferrous detection.  The ergonomics and ferrous detection (despite its quirks and mediocre performance) and wireless features  make it my preferred backup to the MI6 for now vs the Carrot and even the Quest Xpointer Max which has its own set of different quirks. I can see many detectorists being just fine with this as their only pinpointer.  Those who already own a more sensitive pointer might end up being disappointed.

I guess my only lingering question is whether there is high variability in sensitivity unit-to-unit with the Accupoint based on the myriad of perspectives here and elsewhere on Accupoint sensitivity. 

FWIW

On 12/7/2023 at 6:52 PM, HardPack said:

“ The Equinox Series detectors are highly sensitive and have adjustable Sensitivity. Setting the correct Sensitivity level for individual detecting conditions will maximize detection depth. “  ML EQX 900 manual Page 18.

So is Minelab saying the stronger the transmit signal the stronger the return signal. The higher the ground mineralization the higher return ground noise. If so then reduce Sensitivity level?

The Sensitivity setting only adjusts the gain of the signal as sensed by the receive coil it has no impact on the power/strength of the magnetic field transmitted into the ground by the transmit coil.  This received signal is a combination of ground noise, EMI, and target signal.  Hence, increasing sensitivity increases all of the above (i.e., target signal +  noise (EMI and Ground Noise)) but it does not increase or decrease them by equal amounts.  If your target signal to noise ratio is high, then increasing sensitivity generally increases detection depth.  If your noise floor is relatively high compared to your target signal (i.e., a low signal to noise ratio) and is continuously present due to EMI and EMI noise cancel is not effective, then lowering sensitivity from say 20 to 15 may decrease continuous but lower amplitude EMI noise to a sufficiently low audible level such that you can retain the SMF mode or operating frequency you want for your desired target objectives while still being able to detect targets at reasonable depths (though there will be some loss in detection depth).  If this doesn't work. You can potentially mitigate EMI further by adjusting SMF mode or switching to single frequency and adjusting frequency or by adjusting recovery speed or notching out specific target IDs where the noise is prevelant.  The latter may be impractical as EMI can show up simultaneously across multiple target IDs or affect specific target IDs of desirable targets.

Ground noise typically manifests on the Nox as continuous noise with IDs in the -7 to -9 range and is generally mitigated or completely cancelled by doing a proper Ground balance first and foremost.  If mineralization levels are high, using a coil with a smaller footprint helps to mitigate Ground feedback as does lowering transmit power.  However, on the Nox, the user has no ability to independently adjust transmit power. Beach 2 does have reduced transmit power compared other modes to better handle black sand and high salinity conditions.  In addition, the Beach modes can sense extreme changes in mineralization due to Black sand and will automatically reduce transmit power and provide an onscreen notification to the user (see p. 13 of the 900 user guide).

Using tracking ground balance can help mitigate ground noise "spikes" when ground conditions are highly variable due to mineralization or moisture content variations in the field or due to black sand or salinity level variations in surf.

Regarding the specific section you quoted above and to answer your question, ML is saying nothing explicit about transmit signal or ground noise in this sentence.  ML is only pointing out the basic relationship between sensitivity and how it directly affects target signal strength and hence target detection depth as I described above.  Transmit power does affect detection depth, but adjusting sensitivity has no impact on transmit power.  And, if EMI noise is present, increasing sensitivity may be counter productive while decreasing sensitivity may be beneficial as both signal and noise are amplified or attenuated (though at different rates) as you raise or lower sensitivity.  

On 12/7/2023 at 6:52 PM, HardPack said:

 

“Note: While Auto Noise Cancel selects the ‘quietest’ channel based on several criteria, the selected channel may still have some audible noise. To try and reduce noise further,  consider adjusting Sensitivity.”  “ Auto Noise Cancel: #1 Hold the coil stationary and away from the ground.”  ML EQX 900 manual Page 25.

So what is being adjusted here with the Sensitivity settings. Does EMI affect detection depth. Should the coil be held away from the ground when adjusting the Sensitivity level?

Regarding what is being adjusted here, see my previous discussion on how the sensitivity adjustment affects the received target signal and the components of noise (ground noise abd EMI).  EMI can affect target depth in the sense that it can overwhelm faint target signals at the limits of detection.  There is also a phenomenon known as "silent" EMI that can interfere with the detectors' receiver in a manner that effective target signal sensitivity is reduced (with a commensurate reduction in effective depth performance) without audible noise being heard by the user.

The reason ML states that the coil should be held away from the ground is to maximize the received EMI noise signal (and to also eliminate any ground noise effects) so the noise reduction channel scan is more effective in finding the receive channel with lowest detected EMI.  If you have an idea of where the most prevelant source of noise is coming from, pointing your coil in that general direction during the noise cancel routine can be effective.

On 12/7/2023 at 6:52 PM, HardPack said:

I do not engage in air tests, nor has it been a topic on this post.

In a previous post, you specifically quoted JCR who WAS referring to depth reductions in air vs. ground as a result of sensitivity adjustment reductions, in which you appeared to be confused by his mention of "the ground" as it relates to ground noise, so that's why I mentioned Air Tests previously (to clarify JCR's intent in the statement you quoted and that appeared to confuse you).

HTH

17 hours ago, HardPack said:

So it appears Sensitivity is not just for ground noise.

It's not for ground noise, no one said it was..  What JCR was saying is don't rely on air tests to determine your depth loss with reduced sensitivity, you need to see what you depth loss is with targets actually in the ground.   In other words, you may see significant reduction in air test results with reduced sensitivity but your actual depth loss in the ground may be much less.

Folks, since EMI is such a situation specific thing with plenty of exceptions to the rule depending on hundreds of different variables, please focus less on which way I recommended you should tweak operating frequency or reactivity/recovery and just know those are parameters that you can tweak to potentially get relief and experiment by turning the knobs in either direction to see what works.

Regarding the SMF modes on Nox, the Park/Field "1's" are low frequency weighted and the Park/Field "2's" are high frequency weighted, Beach 1/2 is low, and Gold 1/2 are equivalent and high weighted.  HTH.

If SMF EMI is unbearable after you have tried all the usual remedies in order of preference:  Noise Cancel, lowering sensitivity, or selecting a low frequency weighted SMF mode (Park 1, Field 1, or Beach 1/2), then you can try some Hail Marys like increasing recovery speed, switching to fewer tones (stay away from All Tones or dPitch), or notching out the prevelant target IDs that are affected by the EMI, if possible.  Note that ground tracking and ground balancing will only affect ground noise and should have no affect on EMI noise, though EMI should be usually be less evident if your coil is near the ground (unless the EMI is coming from a nearby buried line).  If all that fails in SMF, then go to single (note that when going to single frequency in Park or Field modes, it doesn’t really matter at that point what mode you are in as the mode designation only determines the default disc, tone, and reactivity settings, beach is SMF only, and Gold is 20 or 40 kHz single frequency only which, in general, are not ideal EMI resistant frequencies, though I have encountered odd EMI situations where the higher single frequencies are more quiet than the lowe single frequencies).  When in SF, then take the EMI mitigations listed above in order of preference except substitute lower frequency for lower frequency weighted SMF mode.  HTH

If ML repair is ultimately saying nothing is wrong with your detectors or coils, one thing you both can do is dial back on the 900's sensitivity setting.  It clearly runs a lot more hot than Nox 800, and that combined with less Target ID stability associated with the expanded TID scale means you should probably run the 900 at a sensitivity setting of 20 or less for most situations for stability.  I would dial down sensitivity until the instability abates, and note that setting.  If it falls somewhere in the range of 15 to 20, go with it. If it is much lower than that, then I would say that your best bet is to make a video of what you are seeing and to show that it happens on multiple coils and at low sensitivity settings if that is indeed the case...HTH and Good Luck.

5 hours ago, jerrym said:

 

 

Btw did u get the problem fixed?

The OP responded to your other thread.  Apparently his never got resolved, he's asking you the same question.

I also responded to your other thread with some information that might be of use...

6 hours ago, phrunt said:

At least Garrett has a good range

I like it, keeps me from getting carried away with my coil OCD.  It took me 7 months after I sold my 4800 to find homes for all my GPX accessory coils. 🤪

On 11/30/2023 at 8:02 PM, Cabo Chris said:

I found far less using the Equinox the few times I tried them.  (3 leaked!/ and why I did not grab a Manticore)  I do like the simplicity of the Legend and how small it packs for travel, and I sure like the Deus II.  But so far everything in my test garden those 2 can hit, so can an FBS Safari, I loan to non-detecting friends.  I still have my trusty Excalibur, but am thinking about getting another CTX 3030 for hunting shallow surf.

Unless your test garden emulates a salt beach with moving surf, the results from your test garden run are not really telling you anything about how those detectors compare in the specific conditions you are interested in.

The fact is that the latest generation of simultaneous multi-frequency detectors have been specifically designed to be versatile, whereas the BBS and FBS detectors were designed to excel at specific things.  The Excalibur/Excal was designed to excel and shallow and deep salt water detecting.  The FBS2 CTX 3030 excels at deep silver and benefits from FBS2 to run stable on a salt beach.  However, it is not as hot as the current crop of SMF detectors (Equinox, Deus 2, Legend, and Manticore) on small, mid-conductive targets like gold jewelry.   The BBS and FBS2 detectors effectively only have one Simultaneous Multi-frequency (SMF) Mode whereas the new generation of SMF detectors have multiple SMF modes with different frequency combinations and more varied signal processing algorithms that not enhance operational stability but also enhance target ID accuracy, including better identification and filtering of iron.  Regarding ground balancing, a salt surf environment is very challenging (even worse if you throw in black sand) as salinity levels are constantly changing in the surf and the resulting feedback that affects detector stability and small gold signal acquisition suffer from a fixed reference, hence GB tracking under those conditions helps tremendously.  Minelab appears to have satisfactorily addressed the water intrusion issues with a redesigned enclosure that it uses for new generation Equinox 700/900 and the Manticore (as well as the Xterra-Pro) and the Legend and Deus 2 have pretty much proven themselves to be designed rugged enough to withstand the rigors of submerged salt beach detecting, so the Equinox 600/800 water intrusion issues can be avoided now.

CTX is a great machine and can indeed outperform even the latest and greatest SMF detectors in mild dirt on deep high conductors, but, IMO, not your best choice for shallow salt beach jewelry detecting.

SMH...

Sometimes I just don't get what these manufacturers are trying to accomplish with these youtube personality alliances as they are very polarizing.  But I guess they subscribe to the notion that any publicity is good publicity because the channel haters seem to tune in as much as the channel fans.

This guy is definitely not my cup of tea.  But frankly, I find most metal detecting you tube channels and videos to be extremely tedious and boring except for Gary's specifically and a few other folks I know personally. I'd rather be doing than watching.

3 hours ago, Ringtail said:

Bigger coil = more depth and better coverage when searching large areas.

I know why you wanted it (and stated as much in my post) and if it was readily available here then it would be a no brainer.  Its a moot point now, but all I was saying is that it the relatively small degree of additional coverage and depth would not be worth overpaying for to get it in time for your trip (its already overpriced as it is).  If you really think you need that coverage and depth on your trip then just use the 800 with the large coil.  Otherwise, you are still going to be just fine with the Manticore and its stock 11" coil.  It's not like you are trying to cover the beach with a sniper coil.  It's a disappointment and really no excuse on ML's part that these accessory coils are still not available for Manticore.  I think the M15's will be readily available in the US come January, but there is still a chance you could get lucky getting one before your trip if you call around.  I have the opposite problem, I really need/want the M8.  Good luck and have a good trip.

17 minutes ago, Ringtail said:

Thanks Phrunt, is you dealer allowed by Minelab to ship to US?

Ringtail

You're going to be just fine swinging the stock coil on the beach.  I really wouldn't go to extraordinary measures to overpay for the M15 with international shipping for a bit of additional coverage.  Just go with what you have and enjoy beach detecting.

Any pre-1800 US minted coin is still worth cloud walking as far as I'm concerned.  

16 minutes ago, Bohemia Miner said:

Does anybody know whether we're supposed to GB by touching the tip to the ground while powering on like other units?

Thanks!

According to your Accupoint manual, if the ground is highly mineralized or on a salt beach, the answer is yes.  See the text under the heading "Reset".

27 minutes ago, GB_Amateur said:

Uh, hold the phone! 

You are going to be pleasantly surprised when you notice your error.  Look at two things:  1) the last digit of the date; 2) that triangular shape attached to the rear of the head.  I'll buy a nice 1798 and trade you for that one!  Let me know when you get your feet back on the ground from floating in air after re-iding this.  😀

Yowza.  You are right, Chuck!

1 hour ago, F350Platinum said:

Thanks Chase,

You're always welcome no matter who finds what. I don't envy you the trip, but I thought you found some really cool stuff! 👍 Think you might have got more buttons which are always great to find. Those tack decorations are cool, sometimes they represent families. Layers of history... 🤔

I’ve collected coins since I was 10 years old and have enjoyed learning about military history from that age, as well.  So to be totally honest, finding old coins or specific military artifacts in my mind is practically always going to overshadow generic relic finds, regardless of provenance.   I’ve done archeological digs where the archeologist gets excited about the type of square nail I’ve dug or a chunk of iron like a piece of hardware from a threshing machine, that reveals context of what was going on at a site.  But I tell you what, if someone recovers a coin or a US military relic everyone (all the archeologists) come a running to see it like we just recovered the Ark of the Covenant.  I think the reason for this is because coins have a date and they were minted from what was generally considered the most precious metals at the time.  Similarly, military artifacts readily point to specific time periods of historic significance.  There’s something about finding an old coin or military artifact at a relic site that makes a hunt seem more complete to me regardless of all the other incredible relics I’ve dug that day.   There’s always a twinge of disappointment when I am personally unable to pop an old coin from any historic site, especially one that has obviously not been hit previously - it's an extremely rare opportunity for me be somewhere where old coins can actually be recovered.  So for better or worse, I look at it as a missed opportunity because the coins, if they are there, disappear pretty quickly, thereafter.  

So I will have to live vicariously through you this time, Bob. Congrats again and thanks for giving me the opportunity to dig history and I'm sure there is a coin or two still hiding there in all that iron, but wow, a pre-1800 US coin, that's rarified air.

Like I said, I was happy with what I did dig and it's always fun to be digging a lot of keeper targets.  Probably the first time I dug two thimbles in the same day and I do have to figure out the interlocking brass ringlets.

And the beauty of the countryside in your neck of the woods makes for a scenic and relaxing drive.

15 hours ago, F350Platinum said:

I hope Chase had as much fun as I did today. 🙂

Not quite as much fun as you as I did not score any epic 1700's US coins or silver this time out  (Congrats Mr. G), but it was an epic hunt nevertheless and was happy with my finds.  Probably my most productive day since we first hit that farm last winter.  Nothing like doing the research and finding that second home site we knew was there somewhere.  We waited a long time to be able to get out there and hit this side of farm and it paid off.  Now to solve the next mystery at that site.  Looking forward to further exploration adventures there now that we blazed our shortcut back out of the woods.    Thanks again for the great digs.  Let's do it again, and again and...