j71038

I too am not an economist but there may be an impediment to price reductions by Nokta. Anything that is sourced and made in Turkey or local labour would be cheaper as their currency falls. On the other hand any components that originate out of country will cost Nokta more in Lira. However that too may be somewhat offset by selling them and receiving payment in foreign currency such as USD. Definitely an interesting topic for discussion.

By her smile I would say you made her day!

It appears that Minelab was looking to gain market share against Garrett and Fisher with the Vanquish line. The introduction of the X-Terra Pro was perhaps so that they can gain market share lost to the Nokta Simplex. Once customers are Minelab familiar they may stay with the brand when upgrading. I guess the marketing question is whether people who start with a product line from one of the aforementioned companies stay loyal to the brand (like car buyers are loyal to Ford or Chevy) or do detector buyers look at each new model introduced and decide? From looking at the gear in use section on the forums I suspect the latter is the case. OTOH, It does make good business sense for Minelab to want to appeal to as many customers as possible. The product lineup may not make sense but perhaps it makes many dollars.

I was wondering what the future holds for the Vanquish line myself. I asked a somewhat similar question to yours elsewhere. With the new X-Terra Pro do you think Minelab will discontinue the Vanquish series? I suspect a clue is that based on current info the new X-Terra Pro can use Equinox coils and obviously X-Terra Pro coils but it cannot use Vanquish coils due to a different connector size. Also, the pricing of the Vanquish series appears on both sides of the X-Terra Pro pricing. Here in Ontario Canada the 340 sells for less than the X-Terra Pro and the 440 and 540 is above the X-Terra price point. I'm not sure how well the Vanquish series sell so maybe nothing will change. It just seems from a product lineup the Vanquish now appears to be not fitting in well. Or is it possible they will only keep one model for sale, perhaps the 540 as long as they have stock? I'm very new to the metal detecting scene so perhaps this is normal practice.

I have a typical newbee question. As a general rule of thumb in order to maximize your metal detecting spend I am curious if it is better to obtain different coil sizes for your existing detector or purchase different detectors? I already own a PI and a VLF machine since the underlying technologies appear somewhat different. I want to know what everyone's advice is on the subject.

I am glad you are considering scuba certification. It is a lot of fun and opens your options up in terms of gear, either surface supplied or using the standard SCUBA setup. My wife and I both dive on vacations (at least pre-Covid) and it is truly an enjoyable experience. I would not metal detect until you get a few dives in and become comfortable using the equipment. Also, it is standard practice to dive with a buddy. I know you may only be diving shallow but as a new diver it is a good insurance policy. If you go the surface supplied SCUBA route ( using a Nemo or Brownie's Third Lung) you might want to consider purchasing an independent air source such as a small pony bottle and regulator set or a SpareAir https://www.spareair.com/ A SpareAir is nicknamed a "crack and sniff" in diving but if your surface supply unit stops suddenly it will give you a few minutes to sort out the issue or ascend. Last, if you encounter a problem underwater be prepared to abandon your metal detector. You can always buy another detector but your life cannot be replaced.

Hi, I would like to preface my comments in that I am very new to metal detecting. I think we all have interests that can be both fascinating and time consuming but unless you committed crimes so you could get a metal detector or assaulted a family member to go out detecting don't beat yourself up too badly. Being human means we will make mistakes along the way. Unless those mistakes were based upon actual malicious intent the decisions that trouble you are no more than a bad judgment call. My wife likes golfing. I have no use for it. If I divorced her because she spends time doing so with other people then chances are I was already looking for an excuse to get divorced. Because I still love her I bought her a new set of clubs and encourage her to enjoy her activity. Not my thing but if it makes her happy then all is well. I went and bought my first detector only a short while ago and I did not tell her what I was buying. When I arrived home and showed her the machine she remarked that since she wanted me to walk more she was glad I bought it. She didn't call our lawyer or move out. The point is that having interests in life, even if different than your spouse, is healthy in my opinion. Another thought is since this hobby seems to be slewed towards us slightly older people I am really happy that I can look forward to yet another interesting activity when I do retire. I used to have a small business and the people I felt sorriest for had no interests after they left the workforce. Once they retired they fell apart or descended into a sea of anger and self pity. I don't think that will happen to people reading this post or on this forum. Can you imagine living in a world devoid of mysteries, miracles and magic? I can't think of anyone who metal detects or partakes of some of my other hobbies that suffers from a complete disinterest in the world. Those that are afflicted with such apathy towards life not only are miserable but usually make everyone around them equally miserable. One last thought. Dick Stout mentioned moving his family from NJ to TX. I wouldn't see that as horrible. After all, maybe staying in NJ would have been disastrous for them. No one knows how things might have been but for the move. The fact that you feel a bit guilty says you are a stand up guy with morals who cares very much for his family. I apologize for my lack of eloquence to make my points better but in summary don't feel bad about having interests such as metal detecting. There are far worse things you could have done.