DIG5050

Chase is correct. You won't have any trouble selling it should you decide to let it go.  Some of the characteristics I've seen with the Deus II don't sit well with me, either.  I kinda had the same feeling a year ago when I bought the Garrett Apex.  Saw bad reviews, and initially had a few bumps in the road with it.

FF to now, and the bumps resolved,  I have learned to use the machine and enjoy it. Sure, It's not a 'Nox, or a Deus, but it does reasonably well for what I paid for it, where and how I hunt.  I've purchased a couple of different size coils for it for various sites, and have found a lot with it.  So initial impression of the new machine is a lot of the experience of satisfaction, but spending time with it is the other part of the feeling of satisfaction with the machine.

Chase is correct as well in that with the Legend and possibly other detectors being released soon, you're in a no lose situation. I suspect that if you decide you don't want the machine, your dealer will probably accept an unopened unit as a return, and send it out to another pre-order. Good Luck with whatever you decide, diggindaboot.

Congrats on the beautiful coins.  The ballpark looks like a real great spot to spend more time.  Great job, NC!

Wow.  Nice coins, strick.  They’re beauties.  Your efforts were well worth it! 👍

From watching your video,  I’d guess it’s EMI.  Take it on a hunt and try it elsewhere.  From the instructions you posted, it looks like the audio frequency changes, not the detection frequency, unless the two are somehow related.  

Any idea when the pp was maunufactured?

Depending on Whites design of the TRX, the Panasonic batteries might work, but as batteries discharge, the voltage may drop enough to cause instability as well.  As Carl stated, turning off the vibe motor will reduce current draw and lengthen time between battery changes.  I wish I could turn off the vibe motor on my Garrett carrots to conserve the battery power.

Good luck!

Abenson, may I ask what is the soil GB number on the ‘Nox where the test was done?  I’d like to get an idea how your soil compares to soil in my area.

Thanks!

Good idea, Phrunt.

The only concern I would have with doing the shrink/melt liner on the Apex coils is the melt liner in the shrink tube makes the overall assembly much stiffer and a bit longer creating more leverage.  The mating connector on the Apex is soldered to the main board.  Wiggling of the cable with the stiffer coil connector might break loose solder joints on the pcb requiring a (warranty)repair.  I change coils a lot on my Apex, and even all the changing of coils as designed is a bit of a concern for me.

Just mating the pin/socket connectors is difficult.  I’ve been considering applying some silicone grease to the pins/socket portion of the connectors to see if it helps. Anybody ever done this?

The heat shrink with a melt liner is a great idea.

I keep a Sly Lynx cover on the Apex control box that I purchased on Amazon. It keeps the screen and buttons mud free, but it doesn't protect the connector at all.  If I ever get to beach hunt with the Apex, I would wrap the housing with a Ziploc Freezer bag and elec. tape it around the shaft and handle to protect it from the salt spray and an accidental dunk in the water at the surf line. It's kind of a cheap fix, old school kludge, but it might prevent corrosion issues and a possible trip back to Garrett for a repair.

Yes. I'm thinking PCB, also.  Maybe we could talk Strick  into X-ray image a coil for us.   I would like to see whats inside an Apex coil, too.

Very Nice pics and tech details on the N-M Legend, phrunt.   Any guess as to whether there are more active devices in the coils, like M-L has in theirs?

Sounds like they’re counting on the Legend to be their premier detector.  

Like a lot of others, I watched the introduction video of the Apex back in May of 2020. I was impressed that Garrett went SMF with the machine at a time when seemingly no one else besides ML had SMF. I watched and waited until it was available through distribution. Since they touted it as "updatable", they would probably have updates in the future to improve it's performance. 

In Oct. 2020, I decided to buy it and try it out. It's constant beeping and chattering made me nuts the first week, so I reached out to Garrett service; they replaced the machine with a brand new one with a newer revision of firmware. No more chatter.  I used the detector with it's Viper coil until the winter weather set in.  Fast Forward to now, Garrett has since replaced the Viper coil with another one because of constant chatter. The current coils I have (Ripper, Viper, Raider) are all fully functional without excess chatter. I can't say anything negative regarding their post-sale service.

I've spent a little more than a year hunting (hundreds of hours) with the Apex and overall, I like it. True, there is room for improvement.  I have started a topic for improvements in the next release, that we can share with Steve Moore or the engineering people at Garrett to review for a future update.  See  "Wish List For Next Garrett Apex Update".

Like some of you, I was hoping for more frequent updates to improve the performance of the machine. i.e., to make it more "Nox-like" in terms of ability.  For me as a retired E.E., It has all of the right stuff in terms of technology, hardware and build quality, perhaps the firmware needs a bit more polish to get the maximum performance out of the hardware.

I've been using V1.28.1 since last May or so, and it seems more stable than the previous version. With the Raider coil, I am able to detect Cu Lincolns to about 8-9" in my mineralized clay soil and silver dimes about 7" or so deep. Coins aren't usually much deeper than that where I detect, so that kind of performance is OK for me. Maybe I'm missing deeper ones? I don't know, but I've found lots of silver coins, copper coins, relics and some silver jewelry with it.  Like others have said, conditions in the soil make coil size selection important.

Like Tahts-a-dats-ago has done, I have used the Apex in iron littered sites, and still find reasonably deep coins, sometimes mixed in the same hole with bits of old decayed iron nails. At times it frustrates me with its responses in all of the iron, but if I hear the sounds of a higher tone in one direction or another, combined with some iron tone, I will dig it. Usually it is a desirable target.  After spending this much time with it, I bring home much less iron junk.

I am really hoping that Garrett will listen to their customers and update the machine to improve it's function.  If not, then it will be time to move on to something better.  For a while, the "Apex Update" link disappeared from their website, and I was hoping for a new update. Then the link reappeared, and 1.28.2 was the released, but as I read elsewhere, contains no changes from 1.28.1.  Sigh...

No top pocket.  That’s it.  That’s why he looked different than he does on TV.  LOL.  

What would all of the Garrett Apex owners like to see included in the next Garrett Apex Update?

I do not work for Garrett, and I cannot say that there will be another update anytime soon, but if there is one in the works, and many of the Garrett Apex users collectively comment, perhaps the powers to be at Garrett will consider the most popular requests and incorporate some of those into the next update.

Here are a few items that would make the detector a whole lot more useful in the field.

1. Adjustable Recovery Speed - Maybe a three or five step adjustable Recovery Speed with the current Recovery Speed being in the middle of the range.  It would allow the machine to be more selective in trashy spots without necessarily resorting to a smaller coil. The current VDI digits could be used to allow the Recovery Speed setting to be adjusted up or down and represented as r1, r2, r3, etc.. Assuming there are no hardware limitations preventing this, a simple addition to the menu loop could implement this feature.

2.  A Mute Function -  When trying to use a pin pointer (standard or Z-Lynk) on the target, getting rid of EMI induced beeping in the headphones would be a real blessing. Tap the PP button or another button to mute the detector, tap the same button again to restore sound from the detector.

3. Progressive length "Iron On" Sound -  As the "Iron On" sound is presently designed, makes it nearly useless to hunt in a coins mode with the "Iron On" sound enabled.  As the "Iron On" volume is turned down, make the length of the "Iron On" sound shorter in duration. Turned Up, it would lengthen. No menu item would be needed for this.

4. Enable the LED Backlight Briefly During Detection Mode Changes -  Garrett added the LED Backlight "on" during menu changes in 1.28 and slightly earlier versions, but skipped over the detection mode changes. Knowing what mode you have selected while hunting at dusk or dawn would be helpful.

5....

If Apex users all suggest items and we can get the attention of Garrett,  maybe Garrett will pick and choose the most popular from the list, and show their customers that they listen to suggestions from their users. Ultimately it will make the Apex an even better detector, and give them thought for future versions of the Apex in any form.

Tell him congrats. I saw that winning entry as well. That’s pretty cool.  I’ve entered that contest every month since it started. Dang.  Maybe I should start taking my detector out for a morning walk, too.  LOL!

My son and fam are MA residents, and has found some really nice old coins hunting with his ‘Nox.  I can hardly wait to go out to a permission next time we visit to see if I can find a bucket lister.

Looks really interesting. I'll wait until it's tested by some reliable sources and see how it compares to the 'Nox800 before I would consider pulling the trigger. The Pro pack seems like a really good deal.

Nice test methodology, mh9162013.

I’d like to replicate this test with my Apex.  I have 5 x 8, 6 x 11,  and 8.5 x 11 coils for the Apex. Now that colder weather is here,  It might be interesting to see what results might be obtained with Apex and its various coils . I  have a couple of questions regarding your test procedure:

1. Approximately how far did you hold the coil above the nail board while swinging?

2. When choosing the sensitivity adjustment, you chose 2/8 for the AT Max, and 10/25 for the ‘Nox.  Would 3/8 or 4/8 for the AT Max and Vanquish yield any different results? Your thoughts are appreciated. 

Thanks for your efforts and diligence in testing your detectors.  

Given the conditions above, that’s a tough question to answer, since I don’t have experience with either machine.

It could probably go either way depending on the number of metal objects under the coil at a given time. Machine with smaller coil would have less metal objects under the coil giving it an advantage.  Machine with larger coil would have would have more objects, but the faster recovery speed could be beneficial in separation of objects giving it an advantage.

if you do the testing proposed above, maybe it will provide some insight for future buyers of either machine or their successors.

The Apex seems to have only a single recovery time. I don’t know if the ATMax is the same.  The recovery time hampers the ability of the detector in target separation in a trashy site. I think you are going to experience difficulty in trashy areas with nearly any detector.
 

In trashy areas, the 5 x 8 coil definitely makes it a lot easier to hunt with the Apex.  I use it a lot around old home sites.  When it comes to trash and size, i.e. siding scrap, I try to “size” the target with the pinpoint function.  If it seems too big to be a coin, you can choose to dig it or skip it.  As the targets at the site begin to diminish, I can go back over it later and dig. 

I bought an extra lower shaft and mounted the 5 x 8 coil so I can quickly swap them at a site you cannot cover a lot of ground with it quickly but you will separate the coins from the trash better.

Even the ‘Nox has smaller round and oval coils available for better separation in trashy areas, even with its adjustable recovery time.  

Good luck hunting!

Great job, Hibernia1776.  You did it!

 It just goes to show how hard it can be for a detectorist to find an object on a site that we know is there, let alone when we’re trying to find something without prior knowledge of it. 

The iron and other junk can mask the signal if interest, making it very difficult to determine whether to dig or not.

Plus, the detector technology has improved over the years making it possible to detect in junk laden areas, and still find objects of interest.  You witnessed that effect first hand.  

Congrats!  I hope you will enjoy detecting other places now that you know detecting can be rewarding in lots of ways.  It’s a great hobby,

It sounds like You've cleaned out all of the clear sounding targets, and some of the junk targets.

When you hear the sounds like you mention in your post above, those targets are ones to dig, assuming the ring is being masked by iron, such as a rusty nail. I don't have a Vanquish, but bouncy VDI and sounds like you mention are common to lots of detectors with VDI.

If you have a nail tangent to a target, you might only hear the target's true response when swinging from one direction, iron sound from the other three directions, because the detector detects the iron first in those 3 directions.

Or if a nail is pointing to a target you might hear the target's true response when swinging from 3 directions, 90degrees apart. The fourth swing might be simply iron sound.

Nails above or below the target make it harder to find so swinging in 4 directions as GB_Amateur mentioned in his post above can sometimes help.  Anytime I hear a decent tone mixed with iron buzz I go over it repeatedly until I decide if I want to dig it or not. Most of the time, it turns out to be a desirable target; but sometimes not. 

Try not to hurry through the detecting process. If you swing too fast, your detector's recovery time between targets might further mask your ring. I would go back over the grid you mentioned and mark some of the iffy signals like you referenced above, and dig a few of them. I hope you are able to find your ring.

First don’t panic.  The house is going up for sale as you said.  It is not sold or closed upon.  So you still have a decent time to search for it. Locating a buyer and time for closure normally takes a while.

Next, is there a chance that your parents let someone else detect the yard?  If so, someone else might have found it previously. If not, read on…

Locating a gold ring in a junk filled yard is not an easy task, even for a seasoned detectorist.  It takes time and getting to know the machine, it’s sounds, and other characteristics.  

Since you have several detectors to choose from,  try each detector with some similar gold rings so you can hear the tones each produces.  You can adjust the sensitivity or disc to make sure you can pick up each and every ring.  Choose the detector that seems to give you the best response to the ring closest to yours, but make sure the settings let you detect all rings you try. 
 

If there is iron in the yard in the form of nails, etc., choosing a detector with a double D coil with the sensitive strip in the center of the coil like the vanquish, rather than a donut shaped coil might help. 
 

Try searching the area moving in a left to right pattern, then change your direction of pattern 90degrees.  Sometimes this helps.  You’ll have to listen for a tone like the ones you heard when you listened to the reference rings you tested.  If you hear anything like the sound of the reference ring, dig it.  Even if the sound is preceded by an iron tone, or followed by an iron tone.  Iron next to the target could mask the signal (shifting its tone up or down) and make it more difficult to locate. 
 

I’m sure other detectorists will chime in with helpful suggestions.  
 

Good luck in your endeavor.  If you find it, let us know.

I stand corrected regarding the recovery speed in various modes.  After a brief test using the same discrimination settings for both the US coins mode and the custom mode, I do not see a faster recovery speed in the custom mode.   Hence, the recovery speed is the same in at least those two modes, possibly all of them as stated above.

This past winter I spent a lot of time playing with settings on the Apex to see what best suited my needs for the machine, and believe that I tried the US coins mode on groups of different denominations of coins 3” apart.  I don’t recall adjusting the US coins mode disc settings so I might have experienced one coin masking another affecting the sounds emitted by the detector. The lack of sounds during masking of coins created the perception of missed targets, or slower recovery speed.  
 

Thanks for bringing that to my attention.  

I like the name branded forums. Presently, I have a Garrett Apex that fulfills most of my detecting needs. If I want to read about ML or XP or Nokta, I’ll jump to their forums and read.  But to me presently, the current format is preferred.

That said, my Apex is equipped with the Viper coil.  I purchased both the Ripper and the Raider coils for difficult sites.. I mostly like the Ripper for detecting old homesites to get through all of the iron and it does a great job doing so.  The Viper coil does a pretty good job at this as well, and covers more ground faster. I have not used the Raider coil enough to comment yet, but you can feel it’s extra weight on the end of the detector’s lower shaft, and it has a bit more depth than the other two coils.

Once you learn the Apex’s tones, and that there are different recovery times for different detecting modes, and how to use the iron audio to your advantage, it’s really a pretty decent machine for the price point.  Plus the fact that Garrett is going to move forward by improving the firmware periodically, AKA rev. 1.28 update, to best of my knowledge, have never released user installable updates previously.

For me, the Apex is exactly what I wanted in a machine; turn on and go without a lot of pushing buttons; with just enough adjustability to work most sites for which I am interested, and then some.

 Let’s all “Keep Digging” guys and gals, no matter the detector of your preference and finding the nectar. That’s what matters.