Manticore Accessory Coils

[Steve Herschbach]

Am I the only one thinking this is getting weird? Does Minelab know this is actually costing them sales? I held a new Manticore in the box last month, thought about buying it, and decided no. Why? No small coil. Frankly, it just pisses me off, and so I kept my credit card in my wallet.

I really don't get it. Is Minelab afraid to have coils ready when a detector releases? Gosh, maybe the detector will be a dud, so we don't want to make coils for a dud detector? From a retail perspective it's pure stupidity. If you want to maximise sales you do so at the time of sale. When a salesperson has a customer with the wallet out, it is the absolute best time to get them to buy an extra coil or a carry bag or whatever. Sales 101 for dummies, and apparently nobody at Minelab knows this, or does not care. Dealers have got to be ripping hair out by the handful.

But more directly you have grumpy old farts like me that get all passive aggressive when companies do not do what I want. Minelab has been sticking that "screw you guys that want coils" knife in our ribs for years now. I'm happy with my Equinox 800 and the coils I have for it finally, though it took ages to get the 5x10. I love small coils in particular. I'd like to settle on a new VLF, and to this day the Deus 2 is just not really getting me excited. One reason - limited coils priced too high. In theory I really want a Manticore so I can sell my Equinox and Deus 2. But this coil thing is really bugging me, and so I have yet to pull that trigger. In a way having a Deus 2 instead of a Manticore is just my way of giving Minelab the finger as regards coils, and so I guess I'll keep being a XP customer instead of a Minelab customer, until Minelab decides to get their act together on this.

[Chase Goldman]

Hey, spout off somewhere else.  This forum is for ML and Manticore lovers only!  Not XP interlopers posing as ML malcontents just so they can get an XP mention over here...

It IS ridiculous, but believe it or not, ML are still just within the release window timeline of the Nox 6" coil release which didn't happen until 7 months after Nox release in Jan 2018 (i.e., July 2018).  If December 2022 counts as the Manticore release month, then they have until the end of June to release the small coil for ML accessory coil business as usual timeliness.  But, like you said, ML "business as usual" is just bad business or at least dumb business.  Maybe they should spend less time on litigation and more time on customer communication and coordinated product accessory releases.  SMH.

[StarVatrex]

...I delivered the sign for the new Manticore last December. Here in Europe, the reserve was €200.

In January they gave me long. In February I apologize and in March the X Terra Pro arrived by surprise and before my desire to cancel the order. I don't think they have won the same in my case, and surely it will not be the only one.

In my company, if a customer leaves a sign, we go out of our way to serve the product... fast!!!

 

But no wonder, it's what they've been doing for a long time.

I liked the ones made in Ireland, not Malaysia.

I will not buy Manticore for now, or at least, not in this exercise.

Are we talking about business objectives?...

 

[Steve Herschbach]

2 hours ago, Chase Goldman said:

Hey, spout off somewhere else.  This forum is for ML and Manticore lovers only!  Not XP interlopers posing as ML malcontents just so they can get an XP mention over here...

If I were you I’d ban me!  True story though is I WANT to be a Minelab fan and I WANT to be a happy Manticore owner. They just make it so hard, and where else to say that but here? I’m a squeaky wheel looking for some grease, and willing to ruffle some feathers at Minelab if it gets a result. As you say they are doing no worse than with Equinox, but would not the goal be for them to improve over time? Whatever, I got it off my chest, and will once again let it rest. Somebody poke me when and if these coils ever appear, because frankly I’m not going to be hanging around paying attention. It’s time to go detecting, not cruise dealer websites hoping and praying. 

I guess we can look at these still, which have been on the Minelab website since early January, as if we could actually get them. Show us product not pictures!

[Jeff McClendon]

If the 8" coil was available I would also buy a Manticore.

I would sell my Equinox 900 and Deus 2, keep my 800 with all of the excellent coils I already own for it along with the APTX low latency earbuds/headphones that I already own that work with the 800, GPX 6000 and the Legend and just enjoy detecting with these great detectors. Tired of waiting for XP to fix Deus 2 for gold prospecting via software and a smaller coil and I don't really like the Equinox 900 very much even though both work very well for most detecting. I can't see disliking the Manticore anymore than I dislike the Equinox 900 at this point. 

[Yatahaze323]

I'm guessing minelab was caught off guard with the Deus II release and got the manticore finished as quick as possible just to get it out and available to the public.  This probably involved focusing all programing efforts at that time on just the 11" coil and the current software version might not even support the other coils.

I'm betting that minelab will release the new coils at the same time that the new software update becomes available.

[Chase Goldman]

1 hour ago, Jeff McClendon said:

I can't see disliking the Manticore anymore than I dislike the Equinox 900 at this point. 

Except you get to pay $500 more than Nox for the privilege of doing so, but dumping the D2 takes care of that cost gap and then some, I suppose.

I'm of a similar mind.  To me the 900 looked great on paper, appearing to address all the known flaws of the 800, however, the introduction of TID stability issues associated with the 900 TID range change and continuing issues with EMI susceptibility have soured me on the 900.  Especially when I compare the 900 with the rock solid TIDs on the D2 and when I find that I can't calm the 900 down in fields where I don't even here a blip out of the D2.  Yes, I consider the anecdotal better target depth performance and improved EMI of the Manticore vs. the 900 and the additional features of the Manticore that can compensate for the TID stability issues (i.e., target trace and ferrous limits adjustments) compelling enough to dump the 900 for the Manticore.  But I am in no way shape or form selling the D2 to do so.  Especially with my athritis addled, aching right shoulder.

1 hour ago, Yatahaze323 said:

I'm guessing minelab was caught off guard with the Deus II release and got the manticore finished as quick as possible just to get it out and available to the public.  This probably involved focusing all programing efforts at that time on just the 11" coil and the current software version might not even support the other coils.

I'm betting that minelab will release the new coils at the same time that the new software update becomes available.

But somehow they had enough bandwidth to refresh the Nox, upgrade the Nox coil ear design,  release the 700/900, and also the X-Terra Pro shortly after that with two new coil form factors available upon release of the Xterra all right on the heels of the Manticore launch.  Sounds like they need to re-rack their priorities a little so they can deliver on their promises.  They announced the Manticore accessory coils the same day they announced Manticore.  I am sure people bought into the Manticore because of the promise of being able to get their hands on the advertised accessory coils presumably within a reasonable time frame.  It really almost comes off as a display of contempt for their customer base - i.e.,  prioritize the big money detectors over the small-change coils (though profit margins are likely bigger).  Reminds me of the lack of transparency that occurred in the wake of the Nox submergence failures...we never got a straight story or acknowledgement of a design or manufacturing flaw - just the bare minimum - honoring warranty repair, no questions asked and with no answers other than finger pointing at third-party shafts and accessories.  It's all pretty disappointing.

C'mon ML - show a little after sales respect for your customer base throw us a bone by getting those Manti coils on the street with some reasonable pricing.

Throw a Nox 900/Manticore wireless receiver out their too so we can have a little variety on untethered 3rd party audio gear.

... And word on the timing of any forthcoming firmware update would also be welcome.

[UKD2User]

I wonder if this slowness is part of a deliberate business strategy to 'smear out' revenue/profits over multiple financial quarters - to satisfy corporate bean-counters and/or allow senior execs to "earn" juicy bonuses for meeting performance targets.

[Yatahaze323]

3 hours ago, Chase Goldman said:

But somehow they had enough bandwidth to refresh the Nox, upgrade the Nox coil ear design,  release the 700/900, and also the X-Terra Pro shortly after that with two new coil form factors available upon release of the Xterra all right on the heels of the Manticore launch. 

I'm thinking the nox redesign was in the works for awhile along with the xterra pro.  I mean the xterra pro is mostly a Nox with the multifreqency removed from the programming.  Also those new xterra coils look exactly like the vanquish coils so they probably didn't put much time/effort into designing those to work with the xterra.

 

3 hours ago, Chase Goldman said:

C'mon ML - show a little after sales respect for your customer base throw us a bone by getting those Manti coils on the street with some reasonable pricing.

Throw a Nox 900/Manticore wireless receiver out their too so we can have a little variety on untethered 3rd party audio gear.

Every time I take my manticore out I find a few more things at some hunted out places and I keep thinking "If I had the smaller coil I'm sure I'd find even more!". 

I really want some sort of 3rd party audio gear, the headphones the manticore came with sound good but their too bulky and I prefer ear buds.
 

2 hours ago, UKD2User said:

I wonder if this slowness is part of a deliberate business strategy to 'smear out' revenue/profits over multiple financial quarters - to satisfy corporate bean-counters and/or allow senior execs to "earn" juicy bonuses for meeting performance targets.

I believe this is also a real possibility. 

Well FY23 is ending on June 30th maybe we'll be able to find some info in the FY23 annual report when its released.  Maybe they're waiting for the start of the next FY to make any announcements.

https://codan.com.au/investor-centre/annual-reports/

[Dug D]

I have a different idea, maybe they knew a software update was needed and now they have to test new software with the new coils before releasing them ? 

Some may say I am being picky, but the jumpy IDs on the X pro, Manticore and from what I hear on the new NOXs, have the average and above average guys frustrated.