dogodog

Hey GB, No it's a different place that I also hunted to death. Every time I feel like I dug everything of value I find some more coins that amaze me. This place is not fun to detect it is an iron and EMI nightmare, mostly EMI. I do not even waste my time with a big coil here anymore. I've been running the Compadre and the 800 with the 6 inch coil. I found that the 6'' with recovery at 2 gets crazy depth actually better than the 11''. About three weeks ago I dug a 1974 penny at 13''. Down side is super slow swing speeds and checking and rechecking target position. That place we went to is still producing some good silvers. Last year I pulled 3 Barber 1/2's from there. Hope your doing well it's been a while!!!

Thanks, Yeah I wont be topping that for a while. Getting out for the past year was almost impossible.. The weather and my schedule just messed everything up. Most of my hunts never run past three hours.

Got home from work today and had the urge to hit a park I've been hunting for four years. Only having an hour and a half to get it done I grabbed my 800 with my new Steve's 3 piece shaft and six inch coil and headed out. I parked the truck turned on the 800 and realized I needed to pair my headphones due to my factory reset. I got it done and walked across the driveway took one swing and got a really nice tone (32) ID. It sounded like a silver dollar but I get fooled sometimes. Shovel in and a little pinpointer action and a finger scrape and the goodness showed itself. It was a 1950 Franklin half dollar with a giant nail next to it. I figured it couldn't get any better so I continued to make my way around the big old cherry tree to see what else was there. A hand full of clad and my time closing in, I made it back within 15 feet of where I found the Franklin. I got another really great tone with the same 32 ID. I was wondering what the chances of finding two silver half's in the same day. Well I would say 100% when out came the second Franklin a 1962. It was an amazing feeling knowing I have not dug one of those let alone two in very very long time. Oddly I dig a lot of silver half's but rarely these. Today was apparently a day when the detecting gods pointed me in the right direction.

Well for sure its a giant chunk of something. I'm doubting silver, lead maybe, but could be a chunk of newer type plumbing solder. It's hard and will stain. Yours looks calcified and not like silver. I'd bet money on lead.

Nice finds, take them as they come. Oddly I find a lot of cool stuff with the eyeball detector!!!

Great job Erik, Looks like you once again have made a few people breath a sigh of relief. Not many good people like you left in this crazy world. Thanks for posting!!!!

That's a whole bunch of goodness there! Keep on posting. Might I suggest the 6'' coil for the 800 and run low recovery speed it can make a difference.

Welcome Diogo, Hope to see some of your questions and your finds. I envy you!!! Portugal is a beautiful place with amazing food a wonderful history.

Thanks for joining Steve!!! Never be afraid to ask anything here. We are a pretty friendly group who occasionally gets a little off the rails. Please post your finds ASAP, we have all started in your shoes. Please let us know what your swinging partner is and we will give you some direction to help you along the way.

Lets start here, I do believe there are advancements that make differences. Just from my eyes I can not say the M-core is that much better in depth or target ID Than other machines (sorry). As for the 800, I do believe the 800 was and has been hyped. Its a good machine no doubt but to be honest it sucks in iron. The 800 hundred when near iron has a tendency to go blind on really good targets. Only when you run the 6'' coil and two recovery speed will it start to shine. Is the 800 or 900 perfect no. Can you find a bunch of cool stuff with them emphatically yes. Another question is if I hunted along side of you with the 900 or lets say a Tesoro could you guarantee that you would out hunt me with the M-core? Deus and Deus 2 are both good machines and also have issues with iron. The reason why they are so pricy is because of the wireless coil technology. If they were a cabled machine they would be more in range with the 800/900 and others. I've hunted along side of a few D2's, And being able to ask to check their targets and vice versa, I noticed no depth or target ID that I couldn't match. I like simplicity and quick changes and I believe it's more complicated than it needs to be.(sorry) I'm certainly not bashing a $1600 detector!!! I would certainly pay that if i thought it would give me an overwhelming advantage, But I don't think the M-core does that. Complications in a fine watch like an A. Lange & Sohne or a Metal detector like the M-core are just some added features that blur out the real purpose. Oh and I like fancy watches and fancy detecting shafts. Simon, You are correct sir !!! The 900 is a bit bouncy, except in low recovery speed (2). Once you get your tones worked out in the programs it makes for a better day. I'm a tone hunter and will use ID's for validation. The tones on the 900 are quite a bit different than the 800, but I'm learning slowly. Still for me the shaft, extra coils and pod design change made it a no brainer. The 900 is pretty much an 800 with a bigger learning curve and EVER so SLIGHTLY deeper. I doubt I would talk anyone out of buying one. Lot to be said for a Minelab that lets you swap coils between detectors!!!!

Thanks for that, I never saw a percussion gun in that form. Thinking it has to be kinda rare. Nice find for sure

Not sure what that is but if its percussion or flint it just doesn't make sense. The lock is not how they are constructed, never seen one with a tang that fits into the stock like that.

Welcome aboard, Sounds like you have a great place to start out on. You will pick up a lot of info about the Manticore here for sure. Don't forget to post your finds so we can enjoy it with you. Good luck on your outings!!!

Sodbuster, On the 900 and with my area it spreads some bad alloy targets to a point where you can disc those out. I'll break it out like this. Not all aluminum is the same, can slaw is different than foil as is a pull tab. For instance I have pull tabs in my area that range across a large batch of ID's so I disc the ones that fall away from the gold ranges. Pull tabs depending on when they were made and if they are anodized will all ring up different. Can slaw is the same way if it's folded flat or mashed into a tiny ball. Just my tests for instance. Park 1, 10x5 coiltek, multi and bias 0 and my disc program. Light 14k ring - 12 to 14 ID Heavy 14k - 50-53 ID 9K rings - 45-48 These are averages Aluminum pull tabs 27-38 Can Slaw - 16-20 Foil 7-11 These are my basic averages for what I come across Now can you see where I can disc a fair portion of the crap targets from the good stuff. As always foil is a mother and you will always dig a ton. I'm not saying the 900 is perfect but it's way better than the 800 with the condensed scale. Another thing is that most people will test good targets but forget to test the bad, thats foolish. Why not disc some aluminum to gain an advantage in a alloy infested park? I'll bet if Jeff sent me some pull tabs I would get a different ID and vice versa. Detectors are like snowflake's no 2 are exactly a like. Hope this clears up what I was trying say.

I look at it this way Strick, New machines always come out claiming to be the best but after a while we find out they are about the same as the previous great detectors. I have not tried the Manticore but I have watched a lot of video's . I know you'll laugh at that statement. That said, my 800 and 900 have located silver dimes at the 13'' plus mark. Thats not to shaby for old detector technology HaHa. As for the price of $1600, Sorry but for most guy's that's just way too much to take a chance on it being WAY better than older models. This inquiring mind wants to know if you sold your CTX because the manicore is that much better?? It sure is lighter. I'll give the Manticore a thumbs up on the beach because it looks like it has an advantage. I'm not earning a living off of detecting, I do it for fun. Last note I ran my little compadre a few months ago and found a few silvers I missed. I asked myself was it luck or the machine? Honestly I could care less, I'm only in competition with myself.

Thanks, Yeah you have to dremel the lower bracket hole nub. I put some really thin 2 sided tape around the shaft for extra grip, but pretty sure you wouldn't need it. Steve is the man, He also is making bottom shafts for the 900. These shafts make it a ton easier to pack up for trips.

Welcome and glad your here. Good things come to those that wait. DP is a great place for answers and great stories.

In my opinion the 900 and 800 are about the same on what I call iron confusion. I've run dozens of tests with the 900 in the ground and with above ground air tests. What I have concluded is that if your not running the 6 inch coil on the 900 or the 800 in high iron area's your wasting your time. For me I run bias at 0 and my recovery at 2 in multi when hovering in nail infested areas. That being said, do not abandon your dig if you pull a few nails out of your hole. Remember your pointer will locate them too. The 900 is a great machine in the tool box for more reasons than iron separation. My favorite is how the 900 separates gold targets from a lot of aluminum targets. I would say the the target ID's are much better suited to gold jewelry detecting. I thought the 900 would be an easy set up, Its not. I played with the 900 for 2 weeks to get a coin program that would tone break your average copper penny out of the silver tones. I run my 900 with the coiltek 10x5 only now and it is better than the 800 only because of the extended ID numbers. If I hunt iron patches I run my 800 with the 6 inch and low recovery speed. With any machine the magic bullet of separating targets from iron comes from your brain and patience.

A month or so back I contacted Steve to make me a new carbon 3 piece shaft for the 800. I sent him some detailed dimensions that I was after since I'm a taller fellow. He was waiting to get some new clamps for the smaller end shaft he was working on and said it might take a bit. Well today it arrived and boy am I happy with the results. It's about 2 inches longer than my 900 shaft and is way stiffer. If your in the market for a USA made 3 piece shaft then Steves Detector Rods is your man. His work is amazing and you will not be disappointed. This is way better than factory. The 900 is on the right and Steves 800 shaft is on the left. If you guys and gals have never used Steves shafts before its time to give him a call. Thanks Steve!!!!!

Tom, The 900 is a good machine almost but not like the 800. I bought one for the 3 piece shaft and was about to hate it until I realized it needed some tweaking on the programs. Once I got away from the 800 mindset I find it to be a killer for gold rings. it limits the amount of trash you will dig because of the expanded numbers. If your hunting for coins and like tones you will have to play with it to break off of pennies. Test, Test, Test, The 900 hundred is really good with the coiltek 10x5. I pretty much run my 900 with the coiltek and the 800 with the 6 inch. The Manticore in my opinion is over priced and in dirt preforms the same as cheaper machines. Do not get lost in all the hype of whats the best. You will do well with a 800 or a 900.

Welcome Nibby, I'm just outside of Philly. Lots and lots of parks around in the burbs that allow detecting. Glad you joined up here.

Nice finds, Better than digging tent stakes Fitting find for my Boston buddy. I would ask you to check your scalp, but you already know it's there and it probably looks like mine. PS The scale looks like it could use some hand sanitizer.

Well I've away for a while, But YUCK !!!!!

If I were you I would stick with the concentric coil options. I think Tesoro put out a DD just to satisfy the masses with the bandwagon being DD. Hands down concentrics on Tesoro machines dominate. This explains why you can not find concentrics for sale very often. I just have to say its not so much the coil, Its the whole package of design/disc ability that make these machines really shine. I just wish more companies would give a concentric option. Purple I believe is a DD

Nice job NC, I just love Barber 1/2's!!! I've found a few of those and each time my heart bumps and thumps pretty hard. I have a habit of detecting areas where large tree stumps were removed and always do well after the grinder cultivates the area. I'm happy for you, they are great finds for sure. It wont be your last.