steveg

2 hours ago, GB_Amateur said:

A good video and I won't nitpick on a couple things he said that I (mildly) disagree with.  I like his style of letting us see and hear the targets (good AND bad), rather than just showing him digging and recovering.

One of my take-aways is that FBS users are going to be up the learning curve, which I don't mind -- they deserve it for the hours they've used those detectors.

Another (less obvious?) take-away that I seem to disagree with others -- the settings being used, canned as they are, don't cover the full phase space of what can be adjusted.  That includes the audio options plus the Ferrous Limit settings options.  I also don't think we know (and I await the oscilloscope users to tell us) what frequencies are being transmitted.

I vaguely recall Tom Dankowski early on saying ferrous limit tweaking would emphasize some targets that otherwise aren't enhanced with (some, anyway) canned settings.  This appears to be WAY more adjustable than the FE and F2 iron bias adjustments available with the Equinox.

I see a tendency of some to denigrate the 2-d screen info (what is being coined 'Target Trace', which is part but not all of the info).  And if those features don't add value over the Equinoxes then I get it.  But can we conclude that already?  (I'll answer for myself -- no.)

I also understand why Deus 2 owners&users aren't as keen on the Manticore as others.  In my case if I already had invested $1600 and many learning hours in one of those I wouldn't be hot get get a Manticore, either.  And yes, it might even now be the better investment for those of us who have neither.

Addendum:  Initially I was concerned that the Bluetooth system might add enough delay that the trick he was showing to ID iron would be lost when using the ML105 headphones.  However, for part of the video he was using those and didn't mention any loss of that ability.  This could mean that the Bluetooth is considerably faster than the conservative 30-40 ms latency being tossed about here and elsewhere.  (Pretty sure ML has not yet given an indication of the ML105 system latency, and knowing ML they might never...).

 

There is so much I could say, about Ferrous Limits, and target trace, and what should be understood (in the background) about what is going on, in terms of FE and CO, and how that relates to limits, and how we should thus be setting up the machine, and using Ferrous Limits properly, to our advantage, IN LIGHT OF that understanding...

But, I don't know how to say things succinctly, and I know people don't like reading "War and Peace" in forum posts.  And if I tried to type out my thoughts, I know that a tome like "War and Peace" would emerge!  So, not sure how to help here...

If I knew someone who was good at doing videos, and could edit/upload etc., I'd do a video and put it out there.  I feel like I have things in my head (much of it carried over from FBS) that could really help here, but don't know of a good way to get it out there and not have 99% of people ignore it due to length (i.e. the tl;dr thing), and how many of the 1% who would try, would then have their eyes glaze over!

Steve

Brad,

THANK YOU for your comments, and THANKS for noticing a couple of small details that I thought were important, but maybe not so much that it required a bunch of fanfare.  I just hoped that folks would notice the details, and appreciate them.  The "recessed" position of the remote-control mount (that allows for easier access to the buttons on the remote) was important to me to accomplish, from an ergonomic perspective, and you noticed it!  Kudos to you!

Same thing with the screw-on mount.  I did it for exactly the reason you noted (and for some other "antenna wire inside the shaft" ideas that I won't get into right now).  I'm glad these small details matter to some, and I'm SO glad that you are pleased with the shaft and scoop handle.  I know it was a LONG wait for you, since we started with the scoop handle part of your order WAY,  WAY back in the early fall, I think; I appreciate your patience with me.

Thanks!

Steve

GKman -- I can custom-build the shaft to different lengths, no problem at all.  I'm happy to work with you to get the section lengths exactly what you want them to be, no problem at all.

Steve

F350 --

Yep, that's exactly right.  When you say "get it to float" at a longer length, that's exactly what you are noticing, maybe without knowing it.  You are sensing the improved balance.  Exactly right.

Thank you for all of the terrific things you've had to say about the shaft.  I LOVE happy customers, as I makes me feel I've done my job well.

Thanks!

Steve

Dan,

I am so glad to hear that the shaft is performing for you the way it should, and that you are pleased.

EXCELLENT point, about the cam locks.  Those are adjustable FOR A REASON.  USE THAT ADJUSTMENT, folks!  Fine-tune the clamping tension to where you like it, but in most cases, you should adjust it so that when clamping the lever closed to lock it down, you should hit a point in the rotation where you have to apply a bit of force to push that lever closed.  RIGHT AFTER you pass that point, the amount of pressure needed to finish clamping the lock closed diminishes just a bit.  But you should set it to where right at that one point, it takes a decent amount of pressure.  When you have it fine-tuned in that way, then -- like Dan said -- your sections are LOCKED and WILL NOT MOVE.

Meanwhile, I'll work on that "shaft digging the targets" part!  😉

Thanks, Dan!

Steve

steelheader -- I am SO GLAD you are pleased with the custom rig!  I'm really glad I was able to meet your need, and that it pleases you the way it turned out!

Thank you!

Steve

Guys and gals --

One thing to keep in mind.  I weighed my shaft, and it came in at 16.61 oz.  I think that's VERY close to the regular stock XP shaft, if not mistaken.

BUT -- and this is a BIG BUT -- the weight is redistributed.  In other words, it won't FEEL heavier to swing and SHOULD feel LIGHTER, if you are comparing apples to apples, coil-wise.

REASON BEING -- the D2 arm cuff weighs about 2 oz.  Mine weighs about 5 oz.  SO, what I did was essentially kept the overall shaft weight the same, but moved 3 oz. (nearly 1/4 of the shaft's total weight) to the very butt end of the shaft.  So, this means you have a much better-balanced (less nose-heavy) and thus more comfortable shaft.  Keep in mind, it's not ALL about absolute weight.  BALANCE matters...

Steve

2 hours ago, mudwhale said:

I fished the antenna wire through the shaft and it worked out fine. The antenna should come in a 5 foot length instead of the super long one they give you.

Thanks for the pic and sharing the point about running the wire inside; glad the fish-through wasn't tough...

Thanks!

Steve

F350 -- so glad to hear that you are pleased!

Thanks for the kind words, and thank you also, MFF18B!

Very much appreciated!

Steve

mudwhale

Wow!  THANK YOU for the incredibly kind words!

I wish you and your family a wonderful Holiday as well!

Steve

Skate, 

Wish my cam locks would fit your shaft.

CPT -- remind me of your email address...

Carolina,

I am on vacation, so do not have much time to give a thorough response.  But -- in short -- I have a solution for that.

I DO NOT LIKE Deus's design where they use that "plug" or "peg" that fits through the coil ear.  My design allows you to use that plug, as is -- just as you do with the stock shaft.  The only "washer" in include on that side of the lower rod "clevis," sits" flush inside the rounded "cavity" that surrounds the bolt hole.  BUT -- my THINKING there is that some folks will want to dump that "plug" design in the future, and use an actual washer on that "right-hand" side of the clevis, INSTEAD of the plug that goes through the coil ear.  And so, I've designed it such that just by using a thicker washer, we can achieve that.  You'd simply sand your plug to the thickness of the coil ear, and then insert it into the coil ear (i.e. it would be "flush" with the coil ear, and its only purpose would be to make the coil ear hole "round," to properly accommodate the coil bolt).  Then, by using a proper-thickness washer (4mm, if I recall, but I can double check), you could forego using Deus's "system," and use a standard 2-washer system.  Again, no time to elaborate now, but I have a fix for this, for those who find it a problem.

THANKS ALL -- sorry for those I've not responded to (vacation).

Steve

1 hour ago, F350Platinum said:

What I'm seeing here is that you're making a really tough shaft for the Deus 2, the lightest detector there is. 👍 To me weight is not much of an issue especially if it's just an ounce or two. Water hunting is my main interest with this purchase, the stock rig is fine on land, especially with the new lower that comes with the 13" coil. The cuff is really great, I hope you will offer them separately as well as lowers. Will it fit your other shafts?

Great job Steve!

Bob, 

Yes, I'll offer additional lower rods, soon, and yes -- the cuff will fit my other shafts.  It's a nice cuff, and I figure some may want one for different shafts.  

Thanks!

Steve

2 hours ago, martygene said:

Looking beautiful Steve. Now, fill the tubes with Helium... lol

LOL!  Thanks, martygene!

4 hours ago, Carolina said:

I am interested in the lower shaft clevis. Does it copy Deus with the one washer design or does it use two washers for the coil ?

Carolina, I do have two washers installed, but only the one one the left side serves a purpose, as far as contacting the coil ear.  The one the right sits "flush" with the face of the clevis -- i.e. all it does is fill the round "washer cavity" in the clevis.  Technically, you don't even need it, but I figure it would keep some sand, etc., out.  Plus, it gives you an extra washer, to use on the other side, once the other one wears down a bit.  Anyway, on the right-hand side of the clevis, the contact between the coil ear and the clevis is made by that Deus "plug."  IN other words, it works the same way your Deus lower works.

Make sense?

Steve

5 hours ago, palzynski said:

Yes it is important to reduce the shaft front end weight . On my home made D2 shaft I even use a 0,5mm thickness carbon lower shaft ( yes half a mm ... ), this to save weight ...  

You have done a very nice job btw , may be I will order one later if ordering is possible from outside the US .. 

Yes, sir -- it is certainly possible; I have many overseas customers, although shipping and VAT/import duties make it more expensive...

But I'd be glad to have you as a customer, and thnk you for the kind words!

Steve

midalake -- thanks for the info.  Darn...

Sandheron -- OK, got it.  Thanks for clarifying.  SO, there would then be two different lower rods on an otherwise "identical" shaft setup -- one lower for the Manticore, and one for the Equinox.  Interesting.

Steve

9 hours ago, Dan(NM) said:

All the coils on the 6,7,8 and 9 are interchangeable.

Yes, EXCEPT, it seems that the 700/900 coils' "attachment point" will utilize the NEW style of lower rod (like the Manticore uses), whereas the old coils will obviously still need the OLD style of lower rod...

Steve

48 minutes ago, phrunt said:

Here is another picture of the new ears

Something absolutely hilarious is one of the NZ dealers has the 11" Nox coil on their website for sale, and in their display photo it has a coil ear stiffener on it 😛  I don't know if they know or where they got that picture from!  Funny....

 

Wow, phrunt!  You are exactly right.  That is, well, "odd..."

Steve

3 hours ago, Cal_Cobra said:

Given that the original Equinox coils work on the Equinox refresh, I almost wouldn't mind the EQX900 as a Manticore backup.

Certainly tempting, Cal, but with a perfectly operable 600 and 800 in my "stable," it's hard to justify buying a new 900, just to use as a backup.  Decisions, decisions!

Steve

8 hours ago, midalake said:

In the Manticore case Steve it may be easier to extend the upper rod back further than a longer lower rod. One has to see the cable length of the coil as well.  

midalake -- so, I have it on good authority that there's enough coil cable length to offer a longer shaft (at least a few inches).  And yes, extending the upper instead of a "tall-man" lower rod is another option, but the big "if" is how that plastic "rail" for the arm cuff is attached to the upper shaft.  If it is somehow clamped on or screwed on, to where it can simply be removed from one carbon tube, and installed onto another, then making an upper shaft would be much easier; if it's EPOXIED on, then that means I'd have to "clone" that part, and have an injection mold made for it.  IF that's the case, the least expensive option (avoiding an upper shaft "arm cuff rail" mold, or a lower shaft "yoke" mold) might be to make an extended MIDDLE shaft section...

Bottom line, I need to get mine "in hand," and study it, to see if there's anything reasonable I can do with it.  It looks like, from first glance, to be a very nice shaft (based on pictures/videos).  There may not be alot to "improve" on; the main things I could offer it would seem (after sizeable investment in injection molds) would be a colored shaft option (for those interested in color), a two-piece shaft instead of a 3-piece to lighten it up a bit more (for those who may prefer a two-piece), and then of course the option for customized lengths (i.e. longer shafts, for tall users like yourself).

I'll be looking at it, for sure, to see what's possible...

Steve

3 hours ago, PSPR said:

Maybe you could have someone make an extended lower rod.

I will be looking to see what I can do about that, though the negative is if I do it, it will require substantial investment in an injection mold, to produce that new lower rod "clevis."

I will be looking into this...

Steve

EXCELLENT.  Thanks, Dan!

Steve

7 hours ago, GB_Amateur said:

I had another thought after reading Strick's comment.  Note that in the video both targets are on the surface.  The coil winding itself (true on all coils, I think) has a strong field very close to the winding.  That's why you often get double/triple beep when swinging all the way across a surface metal target.  It can be even worse when there are two (near) surface targets with a separation of the coil width.  That combined  report can make one think there is a (good) target between them where there is nothing.

So what happens when one target is centered and one is under the winding?  Do you get one target trace or two?

BTW, if you watch that recent video (was it the Arizona one?) with Debbie from the Minelab Americas office (Naperville, IL), she seems to think there is an unknown good target in between surface targets she has placed on the ground.  I think she is just seeing the result of what I described above.

If the VDI of each of the two, or three, beeps is identical, it will show up as ONE target, plotted in ONE location.  Remember, all the target trace is doing, is plotting an x,y coordinate pair that represents the VDI of a target. 

ON THE OTHER HAND -- suppose there is a quarter laying on top of the ground, and the "middle beep" (i.e. center of the coil over the target) reads a very consistent "88," but the two "edge of coil" beeps register a consistent "85," you will then see TWO plots on the screen.

Steve