New Garrett Detector In 2024

[phrunt]

3 hours ago, GB_Amateur said:

I'll be blunt (not picking on you, Simon):  if she doesn't know how to use a metal detector, how do we know she's even plugged into Garrett headquarters enough to be able to (confidently!) predict they will have a new detector available in 2024?

I've only been around this game (in the internet age, anyway) for 7 1/2 years now, but I'm running out of fingers counting all the predictions of new detectors "arriving this year" that haven't materialized.  But "hope springs eternal...."

The manufacturers appear to pick people they get involved with more and more these days by their popularity than their actual ability, she can make good videos that people want to watch as she has lots of followers so from a marketing point of view, she's far better to have onboard than someone that isn't really good at making videos, isn't the personality that people like to watch and listen to yet is very good at using a detector.   Many of the 27,000 people watching her videos probably swing their coil the exact same way and see nothing wrong with it, but that's my problem, the videos can be educational and people can learn from when they're made using proper technique.

The Garrett Logo's and detector models AT and Apex advertised at the start of her video, the 27,000 followers, the Garrett hat being worn looking brand new., the AT pinpointer, her mate wearing a Garrett hat and jacket. it's as sponsored as they can get, she's plugged in enough to know a new model is coming.  A number of the people these manufacturers get involved with as YouTube personalities are questionable with their detecting knowledge and ability, no brand is immune.  

I shouldn't be so harsh on her, she clearly has a lot of followers as people like her videos, I'm just not much of a video person and prefer raw real footage rather than stuff like that.  I like a technical video more than a soap opera.  

Either way, I really hope Garrett can pull it off although I wholeheartedly agree with Steve's post above, tough times to be a detector manufacturer and it's only getting worse.  The Axiom was an indication they can still bring viable detectors to the table.

 

[Jeff McClendon]

I would buy a SMF Garrett AT type VLF if it was comparable to a Nokta Legend/Equinox 800 or slightly better just to support Garrett. For me it's not a rah rah USA thing. I support Nokta and XP's SMF detectors for the same reason. Those detectors work great where I live for a wider variety of detecting situations than Garrett's single frequency AT detectors.

That will be a hard hill to climb if Garrett is legally going to avoid Minelab US patents. The Apex did not bother Minelab one bit as far as US patents or actual real Equinox competition.

 

[Joe D.]

   I agree with Simon on technical videos over detecting fluff! Speaking of some technical video's🤔, anyone watch our Simon's videos??😁🍀👍👍

[Digalicious]

10 minutes ago, Joe D. said:

   I agree with Simon on technical videos over detecting fluff! 

Ya, a lot of fluff in the video, and little to nothing on metal detecting aspects. Ditto for the video's  comments section. Speaking of the comments, I skimmed through it, and didn't see anyone mention that appalling coil control 😁 

Well, back to the topic.

It's obvious to me that she's a Garrett rep of sort, and she did say that Garret is "definitely" introducing a new detector in 2024. I'm looking forward to it, and I sure hope they keep the landscape orientation screen.

[abenson]

I hope Garrett can pull something off. But it better at least be able to compete with the Nokta Legend at a similar price. Otherwise they are wasting their time. I like the Legend but I don't like enough for it to be my first choice when I go out detecting. So if Garrett can come up with a better detector in the $550-$750 range I'd buy one. That being said, there is more room at the top for a premium metal detector than there is at the bottom. Fisher is out of the game and Nokta rules the under $600 arena. XP and Minelab are really the only companies offering premium metal detectors over $1000. So a person that's dialed in on what their competition is doing would naturally gravitate towards the area with the most room for a new model and have the potential for the most profits. Whatever Garrett does I hope they will send protypes to detectorists that give them honest feedback so they can develop a metal detector that really is competitive, rather than fanboys/girls that will tell them what they want to hear.

[phrunt]

8 minutes ago, abenson said:

Whatever Garrett does I hope they will send protypes to detectorists that give them honest feedback so they can develop a metal detector that really is competitive, rather than fanboys/girls that will tell them what they want to hear.

You're seeing my point very clearly, sometimes people may be great for marketing but not ideal to be testing products, so I truly hope they separate the marketing people from the testing people and have a good bunch of skilled users to be testing their product prior to release.  I can think of another brand that released a detector that had to have endless fixes after release due to I believe a similar issue, after plenty of firmware adjustments now they appear to have it pretty good, this could have been done prior to release and they would have had a much smoother release with less disgruntled customers.  If Garrett is releasing a new detector in 2024, I would hope it's out there in the hands of skilled users right now, going through many stages of updates, adjustments and retesting.

[Digalicious]

5 hours ago, phrunt said:

I can think of another brand that released a detector that had to have endless fixes after release due to I believe a similar issue, after plenty of firmware adjustments now they appear to have it pretty good, this could have been done prior to release and they would have had a much smoother release with less disgruntled customers.  

Let me guess...the Legend? 

There was nothing broken on the original firmware Legend. Almost all the updates were a result of user requests for even more features and settings. The closest thing to "fixes" would be the addition of the iron bias control, and the salt stability control.

Before the release of the Legend, Nokta already had an iron bias control ready to go, but there was debate (for good reasons), whether or not they should include it at release. On second thought, the only actual "fix" I can think of, was that the original Legend was chirpy in very heavy salt conditions, hence the addition of the salt stability control. That salt issue should have been caught by testers. 

 

[Jeff McClendon]

10 hours ago, Digalicious said:

Let me guess...the Legend? 

There was nothing broken on the original firmware Legend. Almost all the updates were a result of user requests for even more features and settings. The closest thing to a "fix" would be the addition of the iron bias control, and the salt stability control. Before release of the Legend, Nokta already had an iron bias control ready to go, but there was debate (for good reasons), whether or not they should include it at release. On second thought, the only actual "fix" I can think of, was that the original Legend was chirpy in very heavy salt conditions, hence the addition of the salt stability control. That salt issue should have been caught by testers. 

 

I totally agree. The Legend except for its saltwater handling was ready to go at release. It worked for me right out of the box. Found a small 14K hoop earring.....first target ever with the Legend with steel safety pins all around it.

Once Nokta fixed the saltwater issue and added user adjustable iron bias it was totally done. Two of the updates just like two of the XP Deus 2 updates were buggy and had to be almost immediately updated again...it happens.

Simon, I too really hope that Garrett will get their hopefully upcoming SMF AT type detector into the hands of at least one super experienced (doesn't make inane/insane YouTube videos for heaven's sake): USA West coast beach hunter, one USA East coast beach hunter, one gold prospector from the Western USA, one from NSW and WA Australia and plenty of actual USA and European clad and steel core hunters along with the normal relic hunters from North America and Europe at least.

[phrunt]

I think even if Garrett don't meet expectations and fall short of getting it up to Legend standard they'll still sell a bucket load of them, if there is one thing Garrett are good at, it's marketing.  Not only with these highly viewed questionable Youtube personalities they also manage to get their brand name out there in many TV shows, I see the Garrett name pop up quite often, in Movies and TV shows.  Today I stumbled across a current US show called Duck Family Treasure, it's in its second season, and of course, they're using Garrett AT's, many US shows Garrett is the brand of choice, they even managed to convince the Gold Gypsies from Aussie Gold Hunters to use the Garrett ATX for a season, it didn't last beyond that but at least they gave it a shot, it's a shame it wasn't the Axiom at the time had they released it pre GPX-6000 it probably would have been a great marketing ploy for them and really given that detector a boost, they would have really made a dent in the PI detector world if it was just competing against the 5000 in the PI's, sadly too late on that one with the 6000 on the market first and with their existing foothold on the market.  The Hoffman's on Gold Rush often had a big Garrett sign hanging on the wall in their gold room, and a AT Gold or something hanging on the wall for marketing, even though you know they never use them on the show they have them there for decorations 🙂

Because of this, and the fact a bulk of the buyers of the detectors Garrett make are likely not hanging around on metal detecting forums or social media platforms seeing everyone using the latest and greatest from other brands, they're just regular people that decided they'd give metal detecting a try and Garrett especially in the USA is a big name so they think if they buy a high-end Garrett VLF they're getting something considered top of the line, regardless of if it is or not, I'm sure they're still selling AT series detectors in good numbers for this reason.  Then there is the people that don't care about other brands and just want to use the one they know, trust and find stuff with, and a for a huge number of people especially in the USA, it's a Garrett AT of some form, you just need to look at their Facebook group, bigger numbers than just about any other detector brand.

I like Garrett as a brand, it's a real shame they're cost prohibitive in New Zealand, as I like their detectors, their build quality and their customer service, and what they stand for as a company, a company for their users, where their users mean something to them.  

I am very fond of my Ace 300i, with its Nel Tornado coil that thing is a weapon in mild soil on silver coins, I am embarrassed by its doorbell tones, but the performance of it for the type of detector it is, very impressive.  The 24K I think is the best single frequency VLF gold detector on the market, I would jump at using their AT - MF when it comes out, sadly I just know it will be seriously overpriced in NZ so even if it's nice and cheap in the US it will be Deus 2/Manticore pricing here.  Their Pro-Pointer AT is a true workhorse, almost as good as pinpointers get.  I quite like my AT Gold, I got it a bit late in the game and had I had it earlier on when it was released, I'd be far more impressed.  I've been looking forward to their AT series SMF for a while now, even though I'll likely never own it unless it does exceed the competitors to justify the extra cost of it, it would be just good to have another player in the market and by a good values company.

[phrunt]

8 hours ago, Jeff McClendon said:

I totally agree. The Legend except for its saltwater handling was ready to go at release. It worked for me right out of the box. Found a small 14K hoop earring.....first target ever with the Legend with steel safety pins all around it.

Once Nokta fixed the saltwater issue and added user adjustable iron bias it was totally done. Two of the updates just like two of the XP Deus 2 updates were buggy and hand to be almost immediately updated again...it happens.

I can't agree with that, as much as I think it's absolutely fantastic Nokta regularly update their firmware (on the current hit detector neglecting others) they have had to do a lot of updates that should have and could have been done while in beta testing prior to release.  Sure, some are customer feedback, which could possibly have just been tester feedback had it been tested properly, but the list of updates says it all really and I guess many of them have been long forgotten, there was also hardware issues with the USB controller, flash tool and speaker that could possibly with luck have been picked up with more testing.  I'm not knocking Nokta, I think they've done a brilliant job with the Legend and I give them 100% for the updates they have been doing, still if they rectified a majority of them prior to release it would be a much better experience for the end user, remember the days without firmware updates? All of these updates they've since done, nobody would get.  As much as we like to support Nokta's efforts, it was not even remotely ready at release.

If you remember prior to release I for one and many others were giving them a hard time about refusing to put iron bias on it.

Changelog of the firmware versions they release the updates for, others are suppressed or just noted as "various bug fixes" which all programmers know are bugs that are too embarrassing to admit, don't worry, even Minelab use this generic term on their firmware updates, notice some beta updates information is supressed. 🙂

System Software V1.13 (2023.10.16)

Updates Made:
This update allows for easy switching of the Bluetooth headphones connection between AccuPOINT and The Legend, and better compatibility with your devices.

System Software V1.11 (2023.03.01)
Updates Made:
1. A new level “0” has been added to the Iron Filter (IF) setting in the Park, Field and Goldfield modes. In addition, a new level 9 has been added to the Iron Filter (IF) setting.
There has been no change to the levels 1-8. Level 9 will become handy when trying to discriminate some unwanted mid-conductors such as shotgun cartridges as iron.

2. The Backlight setting has been reconfigured as below:
The Backlight setting’s levels have been increased to 6 from 5. Levels 1-5 in the software version 1.09 is now equal to 2-6 in this version. Level 1 in this version is now the reduced level.

3. The automatic Backlight setting has been reconfigured to work as below:
a) When the automatic Backlight setting was on, the automatic Backlight was not activated when the pinpoint button was pressed to turn on Tracking in the Ground Balance screen. This now has been updated.
b) When the automatic Backlight setting was on, the Backlight was turning off once you exit the Settings menu. This now has been updated so that the Backlight goes off within the normal time-out period.
c) When the automatic Backlight setting was on, the automatic Backlight was not activated when the pinpoint button was pressed in the Notch Discrimination Pattern. This now has been updated.
d) While in Automatic Ground Balance, the auto backlight will now be lit until the ground balancing is completed.

4. M3 multi frequency in PARK mode has been updated to prevent coins from being masked by aluminum foil.

5. Bottle Cap Rejection setting has been added.
When the device is in multi frequency, select the Recovery Speed setting and press the pinpoint button. When you navigate with the right and left buttons, you will see the letters “bC” appear on the right side of the screen. You can adjust the bC value between 1-8 using the + and – buttons. When the bC is 0, it means that it is off.

6. Ground Suppressor setting has been added.
It is used to eliminate false ground signals in tough terrains. To access the setting, select the Recovery Speed setting and press the pinpoint button. When you navigate with the right and left buttons, you will see the letters “GS” appear on the right side of the screen. You can adjust the GS value between 1-8 using the + and – buttons. When the GS is 0, it means that it is off. It is recommended that you leave this setting at off position unless needed.

7. The audio emitted as the Tone Break points are changed while in 60-Tone, has been modified with increased bass.

8. Audio Gain setting has been activated in the Gold Field Mode.

9. Warning tones have been added to the buttons.
The buttons will now emit a warning tone in the following cases:
a) To indicate the minimum and maximum levels of settings.
b) When an inactive setting in a specific mode trying to be activated.
The loudness of the warning tones will work directly proportional to the Volume setting.

10. Bluetooth Chip Version will now be displayed.
When the Bluetooth headphones are paired with the device and the Bluetooth setting is selected, press and hold the Discrimination button. The Bluetooth chip version will be displayed in the clock section. When the button is released, the clock will be displayed again.

11. The loudness of the Volume Level 1 has been reduced in PARK, FIELD and BEACH modes.

12. General improvements have been implemented.

System Software V1.09 (2022.07.12)
Updates Made:
1. Iron Filter and Stability settings have been added.
When the device is working in Multi frequency, select the Recovery Speed setting and press the pinpoint button.
Letters “IF” (Iron Filter) will appear on the right side.

Iron Filter (IF) setting ranges between 1-8 and the default value is 8. Default value 8 is the same as the previous versions (v1.05, v1.07) Legend with no iron filter setting.
Lower IF setting will increase the probability of ferrous targets to be classified as non-ferrous targets and vice versa.
Stability setting (st) is the fine tuning for the IF setting.
When the IF is set to 8, the st setting will be inactive in the Park, Field and Gold Field modes.
When the IF is set to any value below 8, the St setting can be activated by pressing the right or left button and can be adjusted by using the + and – buttons.
NOTE: The st setting in the beach mode is different than this new st setting!

2. A new multi frequency (M3) has been added to PARK and FIELD modes.
Ideal for humid, wet and/or conductive soils.
It reduces the effect of moisture in soils which can cause falses. It also weakens the response of targets generating 10-11 IDs such as coke and aluminum foil.

3. Tone Pitch has been added.
In Tone Pitch, as the coil approaches the target, the audio frequency will change in proportion to the signal strength. It can be selected from the number of tones setting and is shown with a P.

4. Audio Gain setting has been added.
Audio Gain setting will increase the volume of weak target responses.
In the PARK, FIELD and BEACH modes, after selecting the volume, press the pinpoint button. Letters AG will appear on the right side. You can adjust the AG using the + and – buttons between 1-6. The default value is set to 3.
Audio Gain does NOT increase depth.

5. Mute function has been added.
On the main screen, press and hold the Frequency button to mute the device.
Letters “AO” (Audio Off) will appear on the right side. You can unmute by pressing and holding the Frequency button.
Even if muted, the device will revert back to unmute in the custom discrimination pattern (notch), ground balance and settings menus automatically.

6. Auto sensitivity drop in the custom discrimination pattern
When you select the custom discrimination pattern (notch), the sensitivity drops down to 5 automatically. However, if you are using the automatic notch, you may not want the sensitivity to be lowered. In this case, press the Ground Balance button once to revert back to the current sensitivity. Letters “CS” (current sensitivity) will be displayed on the right side.

7. Hearing the audio through the speaker and the Bluetooth headphones at the same time
When the Bluetooth setting is selected, if the Bluetooth HPs are paired, press the up button and select 2.

8. Reverting Back to Factory Defaults
After selecting the user profile in the settings menu, press and hold the pinpoint button until letters Fd appear on screen. Fd will disappear after 2 seconds.

9. Discrimination Pattern is now saved.
Default discrimination pattern for PARK, FIELD, and BEACH has been defined as “F (Ferro-off)” and as “G (Ground-off)” in the Gold Field Mode.

10. Mineralization Indicator
In the ground balance menu, press the discrimination button to activate the mineralization indicator. Letter GI (Ground Indicator) will appear on the right side. When you press the discrimination button again, it will revert back to Ferro Check and FC will appear.

Ground Mineralization refers to the naturally occurring minerals in the ground that affect a metal detector’s performance. There are two main types of ground mineralization: Iron particles and salt such as saltwater beaches. This causes the ground to become conductive. Both produce false signals that mask targets.
Left side of the mineralization bar shows iron particle mineralization and the right side shows mineralization due to salt. The right side works in multi frequency only!

11. The selected setting in the settings menu will now blink for easier viewing.
12. The default threshold frequency level in Park, Field and Beach modes have been changed to 10.
13. Threshold parameters have been updated in the Park, Field and Beach modes.
14. Audio during ground balancing has been updated.
15. Ground balance and pinpoint function parameters have been updated. In automatic ground balancing, if the ground response is too weak or if there is metal where you are trying to ground balance, the detector will now drop the ground balance value to 0 automatically.
16. ID stability has been improved for changing ground balance values.

System Software V1.07 (2022.04.14)
Updates Made:
1. Beach Mode Multi-W and the Pinpoint in this mode has been improved and updated.
2. Bluetooth headphones pairing criteria have been updated. The device will now search for the headphones it has been paired with initially and try to connect to those. This will prevent the device from connecting to other Bluetooth devices when the Bluetooth setting is on. If you want to pair the device with different Bluetooth headphones (other than those it was initially paired with) you must delete them from memory as explained in the manual.
3. The sensitivity value will now be displayed also in the Target ID section.
4. The ground phase value calculated through automatic ground balance as well as tracking will now be saved.
5. Multi-1, Multi-2, Multi-D, Multi-W frequencies will now be saved. The device will start with the last frequency used.
6. The default Number of Tones for Park and Beach modes have been changed to 2.
7. The default Tone Volume level of ferreous tone has been updated per each mode.
8. The Ground Balance menu icons and the tones have been updated.
9. The battery bar levels have been updated to be more linear.
10. Bugs have been fixed.

System Software V1.05 (2022.03.16)
Updates Made:
1. Pinpoint function has been improved.
2. M 1 Multi Frequency parameters have been updated.
3. Audio alert for Automatic Frequency Shift (Noise Cancellation) completion has been extended.
4. Factory default Tone Break value has been changed from 11 to 10 in Park mode.
5. Ferrous Off Discrimination Pattern has been updated to reject IDs between 1-10 in Park & Field modes.
6. Threshold audio level has been increased in Gold mode.
7. Audio response during ground balancing in Gold mode has been updated.
8. Backlight levels have been re-configured.
9. Bugs have been fixed.

My point is, I hope Garrett if they are releasing a SMF detector, have its problems and features ironed out better than this.  Yes, it's fantastic they do it, but they're using users as testers as much of this should have been resolved before release, as every programmer knows though, once software hits the wild, the bug reports flow in far more than small scale testing.

Many of these improvements listed, I have a feeling Jeff, you would have noticed yourself and reported had you been one of their testers.