Erik Oostra

56 minutes ago, Jeff McClendon said:

Equinox Beach modes are multi frequency only and have been shown to both run a low frequency (below 10 kHz) and a higher frequency around 20 kHz for Beach 1 and around 14 kHz for Beach 2.

Sorry Jeff, just saw you mentioned this before..

2 minutes ago, Jeff McClendon said:

Equinox Beach 2 runs lower frequencies than Beach 1.

Didn't know that.. but how low is low? Is there much difference? In my experience Beach 1 runs stabler than Beach 2 underwater.. I can't explain why, it's just what I've noticed with my detector.. maybe the higher frequencies in Beach 1 are still low enough for it to run stable in seawater (unlike those of the Deus II Beach programs)?   

26 minutes ago, Jeff McClendon said:

If you can run Deus 2 Beach submerged (maximum of 24 kHz) you should have a big advantage on a wide range of target sizes and conductivities compared to Equinox which has to run Beach 2 submerged (maximum of 14kHz, probably). Throw in Salt Sens and submerged the Deus 2 Diving on paper equals or beats the Equinox Beach 2 and if you can run Deus 2 24 kHz Beach submerged, its no contest

I run my Equinox on Beach 1 when diving as Beach 2 is less stable.. for the same reason I've been running the Deus II in Diving rather than Beach or even Beach Sensitive.. Not sure what's going on under the hood as to which frequencies are operating at any one time, but I have noticed with both detectors that running at higher frequencies destabilises them.. I know that on paper at least I should have an advantage of a wider range of targets, but in seawater I'm limited to what programs I can use.. 

4 hours ago, Jeff McClendon said:

Erik, I would like to see you test your theory that it is Salt Sens that is making the difference as far as sensitivity to jewelry targets like gold rings.

Sorry for the sketchy replies Jeff but the internet keeps going down at my house.. just took my laptop down the beach and am sitting under a palm tree so I can get online again.. 

I've tested this underwater on a small gold ring.. cranking the salt sensitivity settings right up did not make the target disappear.. nor did it seem to effect the sensitivity of the detector no matter how deep the ring was buried..

4 hours ago, Jeff McClendon said:

I would still be careful about cranking up Salt Sens to 9 on ring finder type dives for customers. That is why I added the caveat in the manual to my earlier post.

I'll heed your good advice here Jeff, I usually run the detector between 6 to 8 anyway.. I cranked it right up on the job because I'd checked that the salt setting works on a similar ring without losing the target.. I've been testing different sized rings (gold and silver) buried at different depths so I know what I'm looking for on the job..    

13 minutes ago, Jeff McClendon said:

Equinox Beach 2 and Deus 2’s Diving mode again on paper are operating at very similar frequency weighting and should have similar results. If they don’t, then your Salt Sens theory may be for real.

From what I can make out from the manual, in the Deus II's Beach program the range of available frequencies are 4.08 to 4.76 kHz - 6.94 to 8.08 kHz - 10.39 to 15.15 kHz - 15.62 to 20.75 kHz - 22.06 to 28.57 kHz (topping out at 24 kHz) compared to the Equinox’s Beach modes using 5, 10 and 15 kHz.. The Diving program has multi-frequency ranges up to 14 kHz..

The manual says that ‘’unlike some multi-frequency detectors that offer fixed multi-frequencies, the Deus II uses different high and low frequency combinations depending on the programs… These frequencies can then be subtracted to remove electrically-conductive soils or added together to help locate a wider range of targets’’..

Perhaps it's all a matter of 'fixed multi-frequencies' vs 'multi-frequency ranges', but I'm finding that the Deus II's Conductive Soil Subtraction together with adjusting the salt sensitivity settings gives the Deus II an edge over the Equinox in seawater..   

Thanks Steve for your simple explanations to a tricky problem.. I'm learning that the salt sensitivity settings make a difference here, they simply make the Deus II detect gold rings better than the Equinox in seawater..  

I think (but I could be completely wrong here) that the Deus II processes signals better because of the salt sensitivity settings.. In seawater I usually set the salt settings from 6 to 8, but on really iffy signals or when I'm on a recovery job I run them full-bore on 9.. None of the different salt settings (0-9) seem to affect the detector's sensitivity, something that always worried me with the Equinox (when you crank the sensitivity down too much, you'll miss good targets)..

All this can also depend on how salty your sea is.. For example, the Coral Sea is like a shallow underwater basin, making it much saltier than the deep Pacific Ocean which nearly surrounds it..      

Here's what the antenna assembly looks like underwater.. Tough and strong or flimsy and weak? You be the judge.. 

This morning at Alma Bay.. I brought a camera along as the visibility was good, usually it's pretty murky because of the muddy mangroves along the coast.. I was on a ring recovery job when I noticed some fish watching me.. I didn't find the ring (it was lost last weekend) simply because I can't hear the Deus II, but I've ordered the bone-phones so I'm sure to find it next week.. I ended up having another looksee with the PulseDive but still no luck.. Anyway, these were the diving conditions today: 

On 2/3/2022 at 9:42 AM, Jeff McClendon said:

I can only assume that the Salt Sensitivity settings really work well especially on the inherently more "unstable" higher frequency weighted beach modes like Beach and Beach Sensitive.

They also work well in program 10 Diving.. I'm finding Beach Sensitive pretty unstable underwater, this program's use of higher frequencies becomes much more noticeable.. Beach is alright, but the Diving program with it's lower frequencies does help the detector run smoothly in seawater..  

On 2/3/2022 at 9:42 AM, Jeff McClendon said:

Using higher levels of Bottle Cap Reject may also effect non-ferrous low conductors.

I tied finding a fairly chunky gold ring underwater with B.Caps on high, I couldn't find it again.. So I won't be using this function much as for me this is a 'once bitten, twice shy' scenario.. When I'm trying to recover rings for people I can't afford to miss them through gimmicky settings like these.. I can understand how B.Cap might be useful on a really rubbishy beach, but I'm always worried about missing the good stuff that's found within the same target range..  

On 2/3/2022 at 9:42 AM, Jeff McClendon said:

So, maybe XP have somehow bent the laws of physics or found a loophole..............

I'm sure that's the reason the Deus II is so expensive.. 

2 hours ago, phrunt said:

He did so for a guide to people so they know what ID's to look for with the Equinox/Vanquish.

Thanks for spreading the joy with old matey's target IDs for the Equinox.. They really show how much the target IDs on smaller, thinner gold rings can vary.. 

2 hours ago, phrunt said:

It still doesn't explain why I don't find many rings, I dig almost all targets between 9 and 22 as they're mostly our good coin numbers

I think Geof is spot on saying that beaches are the way to go for finding rings.. Thin gold rings read anywhere between those target IDs you mention, small silver rings scream even louder.. 

2 hours ago, geof_junk said:

Most of the gold rings there were 18 or 22 caret and very old and at low tide and below (Easter is one of times of extreme tides). My take of gold rings were 99% from beaches, and those that I was asked to find that the owners lost.

This also applies to Magnetic Island, I also find the good stuff after cyclones.. 

35 minutes ago, Skullgolddiver said:

However, the GB option in manual Is unavailable in beach sens...I believe You're forced to use grab...

I've never used GB underwater, the Deus's salt settings seem to do the job instead.. the salt settings are available in the diving and beach modes.. 

13 minutes ago, Skullgolddiver said:

So new tools with high frequency, possibly usable underwater are a gamechanger on thin gold.

This was also what I was looking for in the Deus II as a scuba detector, using a non-PI detector with accurate target IDs (and which was stable in seawater and waterproof).. So far I've found it a very handy tool for the job.. 😁  

Thanks again for your knowledge and advice, it's all taken onboard.. Your PMs have helped me understand the tones and sound settings of the Deus II much better than I could ever learn from the manual..  

Those who still fear the 'death that strikes from below with big sharp teeth' could always try the SharkStopper favoured by spear fishermen and abalone divers.. Although they don't tell you the exact frequencies/pulses their device uses, it is supposed to repel sharks.. However, comparing the scientific reports to that of SharkStopper they seem to be using similar frequencies, so does it repel or attract sharks? 

http://www.sharkstopper.com/howitworks.htm 

As I plod along the seafloor searching for lost stuff, weird thoughts occupy my brain.. Including: 'Do the electromagnetic frequencies pumped out by my scuba detector attract or repel sharks".. I've had a closer look at this and thankfully many different scientific reports conclude that large sharks are attracted to low-frequency pulsed sounds (20 to 60 cy/sec - no higher than 400 to 600 cy/sec), and to low-frequency continuous sounds no higher than 1.5 kHz.. Phew! That'll save scuba detectorists from worrying about what's gonna appear out off the gloom next.. 😬

On 2/2/2022 at 5:07 AM, phrunt said:

I'm puzzled by the coil antenna thing for water use, it's an odd quirk when they could have just added a cable option for water use

A thick coil cable with a solid connection (like on the Equinox) is less likely to get tangled up in seaweed than a curly thin antenna wire.. and when you do get crap tangled around your coil it's easy to shake off with a cable, the Deus II antenna assembly rips off at the coil end.. and when something gets caught on top it rips off at the control box..  

3 minutes ago, geof_junk said:

I have been out of action lately

I was wondering where you got to.. Welcome back, we've missed you! 

I just nicked this from Steve on Chase's excellent thread.. I had to laugh.. Yes please! 

19 minutes ago, Jeff McClendon said:

I know on the Equinox that some of the lower tones will make the handle vibrate more than the higher ones. The same may happen for you with the bone phones.....so just using the default tone setups may not be your best option. Maybe you would do better with just two tones like a really low ferrous and a somewhat higher non-ferrous when you get the Deus 2 bone phones.

Thanks Jeff.. I thought the same about the vibrations of the bone phones, I hope it works the same way.. I did try the lower tones in two tones and various amplifications etc. on land, but to hear these lower tones underwater I'll need the latest wiz-bang headphones.. With the Deus II there's also no vibration through the shaft from the speaker in the lower tones, yet alone anything higher..   

4 minutes ago, phrunt said:

The CTX also allows you to choose between large ID like in the video or smaller ID so you can see the other information better in the background, I find it's smaller ID size just fine, it's still plenty big enough.

As you've mentioned this would be a great update for the Deus II.. I like the large target ID on the CTX and the length of time the info stays on the screen, but it was off my bucket-list as I needed a detector for deeper water.. I really hope XP does keep us whiners in mind when they start to bring out updates for the Deus.. 

Deus II hard at work this morning at the back of Alma Bay.. Edit: Truth be known I got lost underwater again.. I came up for a look to see where I was.. 

On 1/29/2022 at 4:58 PM, phrunt said:

From my vague memory there was something like 15 shipwrecks around Magnetic Island?

I think (also from memory) that there's 24.. but most have disappeared into the sand.. I do find bits and pieces and also bits of cargo that they were carrying.. like those beams in the vid..

40 minutes ago, phrunt said:

Do you think it's as crazy as I do they just didn't use a coil cable?

Just got an internet connection again.. I'm on the other side of the Island at West Point where I can pick up mainland towers, so I'll be a quick as possible with a few answers.. 

Yeah, Phrunt i think XP are absolutely mad.. I'd happily ditch the fiddly, flimsy antenna assembly for a cable any day.. I think that the detector would run even better underwater.. still not too sure about wireless transmission in salt water but it does work so that could just be my fear of the unknown..    

I’ve been testing the Deus II over the weekend as a scuba detector and ran it over the places where I usually use the PulseDive or Equinox.. My main concern is that I can’t hear it.. My hearing is simply too bad… I’m sure the speakers work underwater, I can hear it on the beach even without hearing aids.. I’ve tried changing between PWM and Square, tried different tones and amplifications and cranked up the volume, but no biscuit.. I can’t hear it.. I could hear the Equinox faintly but I relied heavily on the slight vibrations from the speaker through the grip, especially on larger targets (I was hoping for the same with the Deus II).. At the moment with the Deus I’m looking at the screen constantly, watching for it to flash up on its 'amazing' target ID screen.. I’m not having a dig at the Deus here (that comes later), I know I need headphones.. So that’s what I’m saving up for next.. And if XP made a larger coil, I’d happily give them even more of my hard-earned cash..  

As a scuba detector the Deus II suits my purpose nicely.. Its already found a handful of coins and a silver earring that the PulseDive missed.. It’s along the line where people swim.. This line varies according to the high tides, so the line is usually quite wide.. at my home bay it’s about 40 metres wide, more of a strip.. I go from one side of the bay to the other (takes about 20 minutes) then I turn around for another lap.. Most of the time the visibility is bad (can’t see the coil), so I use a compass to stay on a straight course.. I’m weighted down far heavier than normal to keep me on the floor (at shallower depths the swell can throw you back and forward quite a bit), then I just slowly plod along the seafloor until I bump my head on the rocks on the other side.. For this sort of job the Deus II is so far so good..

Now, at the risk of sounding like some Nox Lover or deeply offending XP groupies let me reassure you I don’t care what brand the detector is as long as it does what I need it to do.. In my case, the Equinox has been that tool.. But as soon as I saw the Deus II was on the market in Australia, I bought one because I needed a detector for a job that the Equinox couldn’t handle (deeper waters).. Simple as that.. But before I even got my hands on it, people were already wanting to know my impressions.. Well, that’s what you’re gonna get.. Like it or not.. I’m also not going to tell you how great it is just because I forked out a lot of cash for it.. I really wish I could.. 

So here’s my impression of the Deus II as a scuba detector.. 

No matter how hard I try to like the Deus II as a detector (not its performance underwater), all I can think to say is: it’s the opposite of rugged.. Having been diving with it for the last 3 days, it still feels flimsy and toyish.. To handle it reminds me of a GoFind.. Maybe I’m not used to such dainty detectors.. To use it as a scuba detector, I’ve got the shaft as short as possible and this is the only reason it’s got any real feel of strength about it when dragging it through water.. 

The clip where the antenna connects to the coil is also fiddly and flimsy.. It’s held in place with a big O ring stretched around a coil spoke like an elastic band.. The whole assembly has so far stayed in place so no worries there yet, but the O ring won’t stay there forever (it’s on the bottom of the coil and drags through the sand at every sweep).. I’ll end up having to tape it, as I’ve already had to do with the antenna cable down the bottom of the shaft to stop it catching between the coil and the shaft when you put it down.. The little velcro strips that come with it don’t do the job.. 

Same deal on top where the antenna attaches to the control box, flimsy and fiddly.. Twice I accidentally knocked the control box off its clip (and yes before anyone asks I did ‘click’ it firmly into place).. On one dive it just dangled there by the antenna before I saw it.. Again, nothing sturdy or ever-lasting about any of it.. Don’t let its rugged good looks fool you.. I don’t want to have to treat the Deus with kit gloves in fear of things falling off or coming apart.. Call me weird or whatever, but I’ll go tough over sleek any day.. 

Performance wise as a scuba detector, I’m impressed.. It’s stabler in salt water than the Equinox.. The salt sensitivity settings work really well and once you work out how to scroll through the different settings and adjustments, it does get easier to operate underwater.. I’m still not in love with the display (IMHO it’s BS), but I am getting used to it.. It locks onto targets without too much jumping about between target numbers, in this sense the Deus II is far less erratic than the Equinox in saltwater.. I just wish I could hear it, I’m sure it screams on good targets.. Its target stability in seawater and its ability to remove the ‘static’ created by salt without affecting its sensitivity, has won me over.. Here it does really shine over the Equinox.. Plus, I trust it enough to stay waterproof in deeper waters.. I’ve got a chance next week to jump on a boat for a dive where I can test it at depth.. 

But in the meantime, I’m not worried about leaks and can concentrate on finding lost stuff.. This has become priority number one since I launched my ring recovery service.. I’m getting calls from people who’ve lost rings or jewellery on the island.. I’ve had two successful recoveries so far but I keep finding the wrong rings.. Last week I found two wedding rings but neither was the one I was looking for.. I reckon I’m in with a fighting chance of finding them with the Deus II.. 

The internet keeps going down on the island.. I haven't read any responses to this post yet but I’ve got a connection for a few minutes so I’ll send this now..

Deus II - At my usual hunting ground at Alma Bay.. around 4 metres.. the detector was still waterproof after a 42 minute dive.. max. depth so far 5.3 metres..