GB_Amateur

Hate to change the subject (although my smoke alarm did just go off -- better check my coils 😏). Since no one here (who has gone public, anyway) has swung the Megawatt-Core, all we have besides mumbo-jumbo speak are specs (the ones ML has shown so far on their webpage) and a couple videos. (BTW has anything else been uploaded since the Dutch one on Monday?) What I'm wondering about is the graphics. I feel a bit like I did when the Equinox (and Deus 2) came out, where people familiar with predecessors (FBS family and Deus 1 respectively) recognized things that us detector ignoramuses didn't. On the Dutch video they seemed to indicate they were getting target shape information. How accurate is that? For example, does a coin on edge look oblong, round, or ?? Does an aluminum nail look different than an oblong pendant (both horizontally oriented)? Also, is there ferrous-nonferrous info in that plot, and if so what does it say? I didn't see any numbers so it's not quite what some of the FBS/FBS2 detectors reported, unless there is a configuration that hasn't been shown.

Wish more people knew this and followed it....

Very nice! Good to see you've figured out how to tune the Deus 2 for your conditions. Your shovel looks new, or did you recently repaint it? What brand and model is it?

Was that the dual field or mono version you tested?

In the Dutch video from Monday, Lawrie talks a bit about increased juice to the processing side. Pretty sure that's in the last 10 minutes.

That sounds like the old-coin detectorist's dream site. I know you've done very well at those historic trail sites, too, but I assume that's a different kind of thrill. (I'm not greedy; I'd take just one of either. 😁) I hope we're not building the expectations too high for this unreleased detector. (Well, someone always does that anyway.) I think there is still room in the IB-VLF realm for better discrimination and if that actually exhibits itself in deep non-ferrous that previously showed up in the ferrous zone giving non-ferrous signals, then an inch deeper on those kinds of hits can really pay off in some sites. That's what the Equinox did in my soils compared to the F75. The Fisher is a deep detector but unless I was going to dig all (in which case a PI may be a better choice anyway), I couldn't take advantage of that extra depth. My fingers are crossed that a similar revelation will occur with that extra power of the Manticore compared to the Equinox.

If you go to the webpage CPT_Ghostlight linked above (two above your post), on the lower right there will be an icon with the word 'ask'. Click on that and you will get a form which when completed will be submitted to Minelab. I did that and they answered my questions via e-mail in just a couple hours (well, I think when they arrived for work in the morning).

Probably not, at least not with the Equinox. If I get really ambitious with my White's TDI, though... 🤔 If the early tests by trusted, unbiased users show promise for deeper targets (specifically better dTID's with depth in moderate to strong mineralization), that's when I hope to be able to go-to-town. If they don't show much improvement in that area I doubt I will get a Meatcore as the Equinox otherwise does quite well in all parts of detecting that I do.

I sure hope that woman named 'Michele' (with a USA accent, so is she from Minelab Americas?) in that initial video is right about the $1599 price she indicated would be applicable here. The prices being tossed around for Europe, Canada, and even the UK have me a bit uneasy. It makes sense they are trying to compete directly with the Deus 2 and thus the same price (here). OTOH that may be just an un-intended coincidence I suppose. I still haven't found enough to pay for my first detector (Gold Bug Pro bought in August 2015) and I'm on detector #7. I've never sold a detector; haven't even cashed in the clad. (I did just buy a used Lortone-3 tumbler so I can remedy that last shortcoming soon. 👍) For me it's a hobby, one of many, and for all of them I'm in the red. (That's if you don't count the fun.) Still, I can be impressed (without envy) by the minority who are able to turn a profit, and further I empathize with someone being disappointed when s/he sees detectorists in one country get a much better price than they do, simply because of where they live.

I read probably 3/4 of all posts here at detectorprospector.com. Every few months one will hit me in the head (in a good way 🥴) and this fits that experience. Something that I've wondered about for at least a couple years is why I don't find coins deeper than about 8", and only a few that deep. When I 'clean out' a site I still hear (among other things) those iron grunts. I've always assumed they are just nails, deep cans, etc. From what you're saying my assumptions haven't been very good. I'm guardedly excited over this multicore. It's going to be an interesting 6 months or so as we learn more!

The response was quick. And I think it has more revelations (emphasis mine below): Thank you so much for your email and interest in the new BEAST, Minelab Manticore. As we currently do not have immediate details on the Minelab Manticore, it has been confirmed that the Audio will be a 3.5mm Headphone operation with Bluetooth Compatibilities. The Audio functionality will be equivalent to the Equinox series with the APTX Low Latency Headphone technology. As for the Y-Stream Technology with the WM08, i am unable to confirm if this technology will be available in the new BEST, Manticore. The BEAST will be provided with Minelab's ML100 Headphones (Same Bluetooth technology as the Equinox.) The Equinox series ML80 Headphones and Waterproof EQX headphones are compatible with the BEAST. Please be sure to stay tuned into Minelab's social media accounts through out the next few weeks or so for more details to emerge! -- Kind regards; Maxwell Minelab Customer Care

Not just LRL-Co, either. From the Minelab page that Dan(NM) posted (see page 3 of the current thread):

I've put in a question on the ML Manticore page 'ask' window about the audio output options (proprietary? Bluetooth? Headphone jack?) of the Manticore. The canned response upon my submission was that I would get a reply in a few hours. I'll post here what I find out. Oops, well, I didn't see the 'specs' tab. 3.5 mm female jack is included, and it doesn't appear there will be proprietary super low latency capability (as with the WM08 on the Equinox). But maybe they will indicate the latency for the "Wireless low latency headphones". That was one of my questions.

After some of the things you've posted about your experiences with the Deus 2, maybe Minelab will pay you *not* to get a Manticore.

I was confused by him saying stainless steel will give negative (iron) dTID's since SS nuts and washers hit well into the non-ferrous region on the Equinox. But maybe that is because he's talking about (fine) jewelry, not bulk metal items. (P.S. Reading Tom's more recent post that you quoted below, I'm reminded that annular shaped objects hit higher on the dTID scale due to the more efficient eddy currents they allow. That certainly plays a role for nuts and washers.) As far as your question, Jeff McClendon showed dTID's for the N/M Legend for various gold rings but also common trash items like pulltabs. I noticed that relative to the USA nickel 5 cent coin (a 'standard'), the pulltab dTID's Jeff showed differed some in their location on the Legend vs. where I find them on the Equinox. It wasn't a huge difference but it appeared to be real. (I don't have a link to that thread handy, but maybe someone else does and those interested can search back through his posts to find it.)

I heard "1999 Euros," but then he mumbled something about VAT or tax or ? and I don't know if the 1999 included those (probably not since they vary by country, I think). There have been some understandable grumblings about the anticipated price of the Garrett Axiom in Australia and NZ compared to its price in the USA. It's appearing as though similar issues are going to be present for the European and UK pricing of the Manticore compared to its USA pricing.

I just reviewed that (starting about 40:15) where the headphones were addressed. I did not hear anything about 'proprietary'. He mentioned the headphones on the GPX6000 as being similar. I did not hear any mention of any standard (e.g. Bluetooth), just "low latency". If you recall Steve's survey of audio info method used on the Equinox, about 50% answered they use the APTX LL channel exclusively while the remainder were spread among WM08 (~10%), hardwired headphones (~10%), onboard speaker, or some combination of the above. Is ML going to continue to accomodate such a small minority with added cost of components and integration? (I hope so.) Recall they did away with 1/4" headphone jack starting with the Gold Monster 1000 and that is likely less impact on cost and integration than a proprietary audio system. I'm hoping that by the time of Detectival there will be more specifications and details on this new detector, and that the audio transport options are spelled out by then.

Maybe that's exactly what it is. ('Exactly' may be a poor choice of word.) For some reason Minelab has decided to distance this detector from the Equinox, at least in its name. But it looks like an Equinox and more importantly it uses multi-IQ. They've certainly added a feature (or more) not on the Eqx such as the graphics view. But mostly it's the Equinox with its obvious problems fixed (well, we hope) and some enhancements like more TID bins, more expressive audio, VCO-like sound optional in more than just gold mode, etc. (Oh, and I forgot More Power! Arrr, arrr, arrr! 😁) The decision to swap out an Equinox for this new kid will be a personal decision for many, just like the decision to swap out Eqx for (or simply add) a Deus 2.

Assuming you mean on the Manticore, how'd you find that out? Sure hope you're right as I'm addicted to the ultrafast WM08 on my Equinox.

It's already out there (47 minute video of Dutch detectorist in the field with Minelab engineer) -- Dan(NM) posted this link in Chase's thread on specs a few hours ago, but here it is again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnMpu1G7IFM Maybe I should have pointed to Dan's post in Chase's thread. Here that is:

Now we're getting somewhere -- the 47:24 length video which Dan posted (two posts above) from the Netherlands (although languages are English and German) with the middle 30 minutes in-field detecting after ~5 minute initial intro and ending with ~10 minute Q&A. Looks like this video was just made and uploaded late afternoon locally (late morning in Eastern USA) on Monday 29 August. Batteries are in the handle. They neither mention nor show negative dTID's. Lowest TID shown was in high twenties (lead seal) and highest were low 50's (copper? coin), that I remember anyway. Mark Lawrie (sp?), the Minelab engineer, said something about he'll be posting some common targets and their digital ID's soon. The graphics screen isn't what I was expecting, but (just like when the Equinox came out), not being familiar with other Minelab detector graphics maybe this is easily recognizable performance for others. I thought there might be a two number Ferrous--non-ferrous digital readout but if it has that they didn't show it in this video, nor mention it, either. Note the coil has 'M11' on it. So apparently the designation is size (diameter in this case) in inches. I'm still unsure whether it will accept hardwired headphones. I think they said the headphone connector is the same as the Equinox so that has me holding out hope. Lawrie mentioned that the supplied headphones are low latency but did not give a spec. There are more interesting comments about 50% more power, but that seems to be a somewhat contentious topic here so I'll let those interested watch the video and interpret as you see fit. I think it's around 39:30 mark. Oh, and there was some discussion of release time. Lawrie mentioned November (as a goal) and then the detectorist said something about being in time for Christmas gifts. Of course ML knows better than to make promises at this time. November is optimistic, realistic, pessimistic?? We'll have to wait and see....

You mean the Equinox, right? I remember when it was released someone here hoping it wouldn't be called the 'Nox' since that made them think of 'noxious'. It stuck like flys to flypaper.... The head Minelab engineer (isn't that what they called him in the video?), when wearing his marketing hat, said something about the Montreal being a new creation, neither a CTX3030 nor an Equinox. Oh, and he said more than once how powerful it is. All I kept thinking of was Tim Allen in that 30 year old TV sitcom Home Improvement where his character had a TV show in which they highligted tools and how to use them. A standard line was "more power!" and then they'd grunt like cavemen. (Come to think of it, that kinda fits. )

As long as we're butchering the name, is this a good mascot?

Pretty sure the (low quality sound) video had something about 99 full scale.

I hope you're right, but IMO it's too early to include that. On the British video I thought I heard a response that the CTX is still better in some way; don't remember the specifics. (Personally I hate companies protecting old products by underbuilding new ones....) Right now we have some mostly wishy washy marketing mumbo jumbo with few details on the actual specifications. And people are trusting that Minelab, the innovation leader for 2 or 3 decades, is going to continue that trend. I will say the Ferrous+Conductive two-component readout is the one thing I've seen that has my attention. But concluding it's as good as the CTX3030 in that aspect...??? I hope Detectival (only 2 weeks from now?) will produce more specifics and less flag waving. The jury is out AFAIC, but I'm a Doubting Thomas by nature.