longbow62

Maybe it depends on where you are using auto tracking, but I have never seen auto tracking ever lower the GB number. It seems to only raise it. I don't like it and never use it on purpose. Not long ago I accidentally turned it on and by the time I caught it was on my Manticore was 30 points higher than my original GB number. Definitely not good and I felt I needed to go back over every inch of ground. I didn't go to the trouble, but sure needed to because it was acting really wonky by the time I finally noticed what was going on. I'm not hunting in places where the actual ground mineralization would change much anyway. Maybe there is a situation auto tracking is a plus, but for me I have only noticed it's a big negative.

All metal. Upper ferrous 8 lower 3.

I guess the thing is it disappears while you circle so changing to a different program is irrelevant. Changing to a different program would work if your one way high toned stayed. Tracking on might do that, but I don't run with tracking on. The Manticore is a different beast than the 800. It is in AT-HC for sure.

On a different note. Sunday I pulled a silver Rosie and a Merc out of a yard that had been beat to death with a Etrac and 800 a couple of years ago. I remember how much time was spent there. We got several silvers apiece, and thought we had really covered it well. Were they just missed before?

I use AT-HC most of the time, and this past weekend I noticed several times I would get a one way high tone that would disappear if you circled the target and got back over the exact spot you had initially had a solid tone. It was like the detector had changed it's mind on what the target was. I've used the 800 since 2018 and never had it hit on something then you circle and the target and it's gone when you come back to the starting point. Sure if you stick a shovel in the ground you can lose a high tone that was actually iron, but never just circling a target.  

I don't understand the hold up, but I've been doing great with the 11" coil. 14-17 silvers for the year this weekend. All with the Manticore so far. I'm wanting that small coil bad though. I've got some places I really need it.

I've found two silver quarters I thought might have been touching due to the staining on them. I have also found a stand alone Walker half. So far I don't think I have seen what you are describing as far as any up averaging. I size and depth check all ultra high I.D.'s. above what a quarter would I.D.. I have a post on FMDing where I found 4 clad Ike dollars, and a Kennedy half. Two Ike's in the same hole. All the Ike's were 94-96 in AT-HC. I'm up to 11 silvers so far with the Manticore, and while I'm still learning every outing it's doing great so far. I have used AT-HC most of the time. AT-LC where the iron is really bad. 

There was a video by someone a quite a while back that showed a red cross hair apparently identifying the last target swung over. It was before I got my Manticore in early January. The cross hair was shown plainly several times throughout the video when the screen was shown in close up. It was brought up then. It might be that red is for iron and black for non-ferrous. Anyway I noticed it and made a comment. I have not heard anything else about until this video.

4 hours ago, Shelton said:

I'm hunting on a very old site full of iron. Is not possible to pump GB correctly. Oxidation, halo effects and forget nails with square heads. 

My settings:

Program Low Conductors, recovery 5-6, ferrous limit - upper 6 lower 3, sensitivity 23, long noise cancel for 20 minutes. 

Audio: Enhanced and modulation: Simple - one tone. Disc ON. 

How does it work? 

I get iron falsing but with Enhanced audio is fine. I can east to distinguish what target I get under the coil. If I'm not sure I'm checking on a 2D screen with a 90-degree turn. That way you can easily analyze each target even the iron masked.

That is the simple, an iffy signal after a turn can back to iron or go back to the conduction line. 

Even not easy targets like horseshoes are easy to check. You get a diagonal line across the entire conductance axis from upper right to lower left or a dot in the left low corner if you only half of it...

Your setting settings and mine are very near the same when hunting heavy iron.

Thanks, I'll set it up and try it.

2 hours ago, abenson said:

Yes no iron audio at all.

Part 2 not just hearing only iron. But the non ferrous target is so clipped by the iron grunt that you just think it's a false off iron. Turn off iron audio and now the audio and ID is much cleaner. I have not been just relying on this technique. It's a combination of running iron audio off and then switch it on to see if iron is present. Then try and isolated 2 targets with pinpoint.

Still in the experiment stage, but from what I've seen so far I'm liking it.

I find the opposite to be the rule. If your hunting where there is fair amount of iron with the horseshoe off the audio sputters because the detector is blanking out the iron audio. I find all audio much smoother with the horseshoe on. Many times with the Equinox I somehow turned the horseshoe off accidentally. I would think why is the audio sounding so weird like sputtering. I would invariably look down and see I had not turned the horseshoe button on. Once I did everything was better. 

With the iron audio off won't iron still false with a high tone?

People need to run their machine in a way that works best for them. I personally hate all tones/full tones, and don't find them pleasant to listen to or helpful unless your hunting with no iron and very little trash. 

I'm cool with any improvements Minelab cares to make to the Manticore. I have seen nothing so far I'm really fretting about. Nothing that would need to see addressed ASAP. I would like to see a Park1 like program that was easier on the Battery than AT-HC. I'm not really liking AT-General. If someone is doing great with it let me know. I'm just not digging it though. I tend to just use AT-HC and AT-LC. The headphones are different. I can't say love them. I can't say I hate them either. Not very streamed lined. A little bulky for my taste. I'm like they'll do I guess. I do think they work better than the ML80's do. The 105's are super quick to pair up. They seem to sound better too. I hunted with them in some really high winds last weekend, and I had no real issues with the phones. It was blowing so hard on gust if I was like mid step I would totally lose my balance. It was tough.  

No, but it was getting pretty close. I didn't want to worry about so I just turned the power pack on.

I have one of the Anker's that's like 10000mAh. It's in a small digital camera pouch attached with velcro under the stand. I used AT-HC from about 9:00 to 4:30 last Sat.. I turned the power pack on about 30 before I got done. 

If your looking for the Manticore to smoke the top detectors of the last 5 year's your going to be disappointed. If you want what appears to be a well thought out new detector, with more features than your old detector has you'll probably be happy.

I'm not going to have anything near a firm grasp on the Manticore for awhile. It's not the Equinox. There is a learning curve. At least I think there is.

12 hours ago, Shelton said:

Iron falsing is an issue I can confirm it also with my Manticore. In an iron busy place, you get too much noise with it and is difficult to decide whether you missed a good target or not. That is not an adjustment issue but the true behavior of the machine. 

I only have falsing issues in AT-HC. AT-LC is what I use in really annoying iron. I'm not saying your not having an issue because not all iron is exactly the same. I just have not run across the issue enough to really concern me yet. With the 800 I always thought Park2 was the best in iron.

AT-HC, 5 tones, Normal & Medium audio, Upper FL=8 Lower FL=3, Recovery 4 (I've never liked going below 4 even on the Equinox), and Sensitivity 23-24. 

44 minutes ago, F350Platinum said:

Nice hunt! 👍 Glad you're doing great with your new detector, you sure went where the finds are. 🙂 Congrats on multiple silvers, the Walker half is IMO the most beautiful coin of all the silver halfs. It's the only one I've ever found.

Thanks, I stll can't seem to manage a Franklin half. As much as I like Walker's at this point I need a Franklin.

I seriously doubt the Manticore accessory coils are $500.00. XP which has far more complicated internals are just $400.00. I could really use that M8 coil right now. I sure hope they start shipping soon. The M8 is all I can for see me buying.  

Absolutely correct the battery pack would need to come off for water hunting. That's why mine is velcroed on. The Anker power Pack I use has special circuitry that I think is actually better than charging with phone wall chargers. If the power pack is turned off you should have no issues with rain. You shouldn't charge in the rain or if the detector is wet or battery is soaked. A little common sense goes a long way here. Take it for what it's worth My buddy found a Anker brand power pack under the leaves while detecting in a large park. It was dirty and had obviously been wet. It still works.

I used a power pack on my Nox 800 practically from day one. I may not detect as much as some folks but, I do detect far more the average guy, and for longer lengths of time. I really like AT-HC the Manticore and it does suck battery. The screen uses more juice too. A power pack for me is basically a necessity.

On the weight thing. I checked the weight and the power pack is 6.3 ounces. My case used for the battery weighs practically nothing. So basically my setup is half a pound. I had a XP D1. I never got used to how light it was. I'm sure many, maybe most will disagree on this. For me personally a detector can be to heavy, and also a detector can be to light. I have much better swing control with a little bit more weight.

My method I'm pretty sure can be no more half a pound. Probably even less.

I've got a very small nylon digital camera case strapped under the arm cuff of my Manticore with a Anker 10000mAh power pack inside it. It had been on my 800.

Your left feeling like a Beta tester because Minelab offers zero tutorials on the Manticore. A manual to tell you how to work it, and that's about it. How about a video explaining the differences between it and the Equinox and why they are different. How about a thorough explanation of each program and possible settings tweaks. How about a deep dive into the 2D screen. I saw a few decent videos from field testers on navigating the menus and settings. Those videos appeared self produced by the individuals. I want actual Minelab produced content be it in word or video form. 

I mean some people who buy them might get frustrated and think this thing is not as good as my Equinox just because they don't understand the Manticore's proper set up and function.

Besides the brief description in the manual I'd like to know how these programs relate to the Equinox programs if at all. What is going on with AT-HC that makes it eat more battery. That makes me think it's not like Park1 on the 800. I don't have enough time on the machine yet but I'm noticing the programs on the Manticore don't act like the programs on my 800. On my 800 programs kind of acted the same, like only frequencies used are different. On the Manticore there seems to be more than just frequency differences. With the 800 honestly all I ever used was Park1&2. I really wish they would add at a Park1&2 to the Manticore.