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Minelab Manticore and Multi IQ+ technology

The first outing with Minelab Manticore was not successful. I had considerable doubts. After all, the price is about 10 thousand. PLN does its job and we have above-average expectations. The detector frighteningly distorted the color and no change and raising the iron limits (FERROUS LIMITS), or lowering the sensitivity and ground calibration did anything. I was stuck. I tried various ways to deal with the change in reactivity and frequent detuning, but it did not bring the expected results. The device was unstable and it was difficult to figure out what was the correct signal from the target, and what was ground interference and color-distorting iron.

Yes, the place is very difficult, and not because of the soil, which is easy and sandy, but because of the amount of iron in it. Minelab Manticore requires a bit more knowledge and experience from the user than devices from the lower price range. Here you have to think hard about what program we will choose for the prevailing conditions and how we will set it. In my case, I decided to change the program from a FAST setting to LOW CONDUCTORS. So low guides. Why? Old and fine silver has a very low ID and is located right next to iron.

The next step was to determine the iron ranges (FERROUS LIMITS), here the matter is not so simple. Low value more color distortion but less masking. I decided to set the upper value for fine iron – such as nails – to 6. This is slightly less than factory 7. The extreme version is 4, but I do not recommend it at the beginning, maybe when you get used to the equipment. It gives amazing results.

Recovery speed is a parameter responsible for the separation. Here I stayed with factory 5, and sometimes I use 6 in a place with more traffic 😉 Higher value, better separation of objects and more stability, less range. At low values, you have to sweep slower and the equipment becomes less stable. Fortunately, we can influence this with the speed of the sweep. When we come across a garbage can – we slow down, and when it’s clean we can easily speed up. Patience and experience, humility, and there will be results!

It remains to set the sensitivity. The principle is always the same as in other detectors. We go up and watch how the detector behaves. Unstable work, we have to go down. Along the way, we do NOISE CANCEL, i.e. scanning channels to look for the best one. We can combine this with the sensitivity adjustment and choose the right setting. It is worth holding the interference reset button longer until you get one repeatable channel after each scan. In the case of Manitcor, the algorithm analyzes the interference and selects the best channel for the given operating frequencies selected with the program.

Audio. What audio to choose in a place where iron and its natural oxidation make even shallow objects practically inaudible?! I chose the ENHANCED option with noise reduction and it was a hit. Finally, the number of tones. It has been known for a long time that simple audio is the best in a dump or among the iron. One ton fell. Modulation? I chose SIMPLE, which is the smallest difference between a strong and a weak signal. Why? A large value for the MEDIUM or RICH parameter makes it easy to get lost with a large number of different signals, especially high tones from piercing iron. We want to check every signal and not miss anything!

Ground calibration remained at 0, although tracking did not introduce significant changes. The maximum corrected value is 2. The device cannot be manually adjusted by the pumping process here – too much iron!

Let’s go back to the results obtained, and this one completely knocked me off my feet! The spot I passed through revived and began to produce signals that were previously inaudible to other devices, and I spent almost two years in this place! It’s a strange feeling to pull stuff next to your pits and footprints … MultiIQ+ software Minelab does the job in combination with very fast hardware. The sensation is shocking when the detector separates the masked signals with the iron and the 2D graph becomes a checking tool. How to do it? The matter is simple because it is very easy to distinguish interference from iron and ground in the ENHANCED audio. In case of additional doubts, we look at the chart and rotate over the target by 90 degrees. In this case, after rotation, the TARGET TRACE signal in the conductivity axis, signaling the so-called color returns to iron. The chart gives us amazing opportunities to check the signal. For example, it shows large iron objects masking low conductors, small iron showing color, but also a pair of different objects next to each other. The dominant of the stronger signal changes with the change of position over the object. It’s just brilliant! If we add interference, mineralization, and different types of conductivity, we have a full picture of the possibilities!

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Finally, is the detector worth 10,000? zloty? Certainly not in this country. We simply cannot afford it and no matter how good the ratio of our earnings to price is, it is unacceptable. Too bad no one talks about it!

Judge for yourself and remember to comment on this article and on our social media.

 

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EMI interference

What is EMI Interference? The definition is quite broad and a bit confusing for non-technical people:

Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) is any signal or radiated into space or transmitted through power or signal lines that threaten the operation of radio navigation or other safety services, or seriously degrades, blocks, or repeatedly interrupts licensed radio communications. Radio communication services include, but are not limited to, television and radio broadcasting, mobile telephony services, radar scanning, air traffic control, paging services (pagers), and PCS (Personal Communication Services). Licensed radio services, such as those used in WLAN networks or Bluetooth technology, together with incidental transmitters, such as digital devices including computer systems, contribute to the electromagnetic environment.

In our case, these are simply interferences that make the work of the metal detector difficult or even impossible. Half the trouble is when the process is visible and the device characteristically excites, generating a target signal and a numerical ID. Then we know that we are dealing with them and can take appropriate measures. What? Detuning the so-called changing the channel, reducing the sensitivity, or choosing a different operating frequency, if possible, direct elimination of interference sources such as telephones, transmitters, electric fences for animals, etc.

In difficult cases, you can use discrimination and cut-out interference, but this is only a half-measure. We lose performance, which is already heavily limited by EMI interference. A colleague who accompanies us can effectively deprive us of the chance to find finds, being even several meters away with his detector! Don’t fall for the group search, it’s just a nice time at the rally, you can’t count on the effects in such conditions. It’s unlikely!

What was the better situation, and what is the worse? Quiet disturbances. The ones that are not visible, and everything seems to be ok. We lose performance, but the detector does not signal it in any way. You can put a coin under the probe and the device can be completely blind. How to defend against it? It depends on many different factors, and above all on the type of device we have.

We preventively check other programs and detune the device from time to time. We check the signals with the person next to us to see if our detector can handle them as well. It’s the only option. SMF-type machines – simply put, multi-frequency machines, usually work in two or more frequencies, processed by software. In some cases, it may turn out that what was supposed to be a great advantage of a wide frequency range becomes a disadvantage!

For example, we have a program working in the range from 5 to 40 kHz – ideal for searching for gold, i.e. a low conductor is allergic to high frequency, and silver – a high conductor to low frequency. In addition, high frequency copes with small things better and with greater mineralization of the ground. In the case of low frequency, objects with a larger volume are signaled better. Story. We will not miss anything from what interests us the most!

Unfortunately, right now our greatest enemy is approaching and eliminating one of our frequencies. Without seeing it, we lose 50% of the possibilities without knowing it. Often programming and filters sewn in with it additionally stabilize the work of the detector. For this reason, the prevention described above is important. In this way, we will avoid erroneous opinions about the equipment and unreliable tests, especially from the test tracks. Interference can confuse us, so it is worth spending many hours checking different variants of settings in the field in various conditions!

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Great Trinity

Five months of intensive field testing with us. The area is 6000 m². Three devices: Tarsacci MDT 8000, XP DEUS II, and Nokta Makro The Legend. Changeable weather conditions, but as in summer, the temperature is around 23 to 30 degrees Celsius. For the DEUS II and The Legend detectors, UV radiation and general heat had a terrible effect on performance. I don’t know if it’s a matter of SMF technology, but both devices lose a lot in such conditions. This manifests itself in unstable work and difficulty in finding a goal. In the case of the Tarsacci detector, which is a hybrid device, i.e. a bit of VLF and a bit of PI, there is no such problem. The probe doesn’t drift and doesn’t go out of tune.

Soil conditions were difficult not because of the soil itself, which is sandy, but because of the high iron content in the form of post-settlement dust, nails, and pieces of pottery and rubble. Modern garbage was rare in this place.

Tarsacci takes time and understanding to set up and master, it’s a bit better with XP DEUS II and The Legend. The last two machines are more forgiving and have better target signaling and locking. Simply put, these goals are easier to extract in difficult conditions.

Hybrid technology means less masking and greater depth of detection, and you can feel it right away. Stable operation unattainable for SMF-type detectors (although stable anyway) translates into greater comfort of searching, giving a longer time and the majority of finds. The MDT 8000 is the kind of equipment that you either love or hate.

In the case of XP, we have a lot more options to choose from. The sound and ergonomics mean that you don’t want to let this pipe out of your hand. After taking the time to master the settings, it is a great detector to work in technically difficult terrain, with a lot of configuration options.

The Legend is as deep as XP DEUS II and can be deeper and more convincing at times. The price is an argument, but the last update 1.09 did its job, and having the same amount to choose from in the case of the XP product, I would seriously consider it. Nothing can beat ergonomics, but everything else can become conventional in this case.

The Turkish manufacturer has made amazing progress and now it is possible to shell coins near the iron, which was not so obvious before! Filters with adjustable speed recovery speed allow you to separate difficult targets better and faster. The device does the job, and in combination with the new audio, it works really great. Personally, I go with the two-tone mode, but Pitch or 60 tones are also alternatives. The 6” probe included in the PRO PACK set is the perfect panacea for a trash can and, together with the low weight, compensates for the fact that we have to swing a lot more with such a small disc! Such a set means that there are not several objects under the probe at once and it is easier to track the right target.

In normal conditions, without the old iron, Nokta and XP perform really well and are not inferior to the Tarsacci. The fun begins only in difficult conditions when coins pop out from under the iron. Then it gets hot. Every Seeker knows this condition well…

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XP DEUS II program OMMONO

XP in the new DEUS II metal detector model implemented the old model in the form of the DEUS MONO program. Less clever people will tell me why I have a set of programs working in several frequencies at once, i.e. more stable, more resistant to worse conditions, and better signaling different conductors from both ends of the scale (silver and gold = wealth). So why single frequencies?!

The reason is simple, the device needs less time to process the data of only one frequency, and a well-chosen one can make it possible to reach a little deeper. The lowest frequency is 4 kHz and the highest is 40 kHz. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages. Low is really deep and favors high conductors such as silver and large pieces of iron, high will better cope with heavy debris and high mineralization with fine and low conductors such as gold and small silver coins.

We sacrifice stability and try to squeeze everything we can out of the detector. Below is the OMMONO program especially for you:

The XY chart will help you identify:
Options/Configuration/Profile/XY

Menu:

  • Discrimination 6.1 at the beginning, EXPERT – PITCH tab (LEVEL translation error for software version 0.17)
  • Sensitivity to maintain stable operation
  • Frequency 4 kHz or 40 kHz description of what to choose and for what above
  • Iron volume 3 or zero if it will be too loud in the place
  • Base reactivity 1.5 set under conditions (trash 2 up)
  • Acoustic signal 4

Calibrate to the ground in a clean place, check the values in another, here manual ground calibration by the so-called. pumping or choosing a value is essential.

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XP DEUS II PROGRAM OMRELIC

The RELIC program in the new XP DEUS II detector is a kind of Holy Grail because it works on a completely different principle than other programs. It is closer to the Gold Field version, which is a typical program for searching for gold nuggets, also known as the ORX model. The multi-frequency characteristics do the job, especially in iron. The frequency oscillates around 24 kHz, which is optimal even on the more difficult ground and there is no great loss of depth.

IAR discrimination works by size rejection of the iron signal, but you can read about it elsewhere on my blog or watch a video on my Youtube channel. I recommend the XP DEUS II playlist for dummies!

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So how do you properly set up the RELIC program to go really deep? We know it’s the deepest program next to DEEP HC, but how to squeeze more out of it? In the beginning, you choose the REACTIVITY responsible for the separation of objects. For me, the starting point is 1.5. For more cluttered places, I recommend 2 or even 3. A higher value means less performance when it comes to depth, but better separate objects. Here you have to adjust everything to the place and quantity – the intensity of the signals. Along the way, we set the sensitivity to the level of stable operation, we scan the channels so that the device automatically selects the most stable operating range.

The volume of the iron, the lead signal is already a personal preference, as is the amplification of weak signals. It is worth leaving the factory settings as the default. The leading signal THRESHOLD we need to raise a bit (software version 0.71).

We come to the most important thing – IAR discrimination. Here I set a maximum value of 3 to avoid losing low and fine gold guides, above this value, we risk more. A higher parameter gives less low signals and guarantees more stable operation. By entering the EXPERT tab, we can set NOTCH. In this case, it is a kind of audio discrimination that does not affect the performance of the detector, but unfortunately, very deep signals can give a value of 00 on the display. Fortunately, we will only lose the audio and the values are still displayed. It is important because 00 is a value close to the reading of the soil and also ceramics, which is a testimony of human presence in a given area.

You can always use NOTCH, it increases the comfort of work and translates into results. If the signals are bothering you, you can try to set the range from 00-06. You will not be overloaded with signals from rusty iron and over-response of the soil. There is always a risk of losing items masked next to this value, deep without ID as I wrote above. It is worth choosing settings for a given scenario or a search strategy you have developed in a given place.

Below is the OMNITRON program especially for you!

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Program OMRELIC:

The XY chart will help you identify:
Options/Configuration/Profile/XY

Menu:

  • Discrimination IAR 3 (5 in the case of a large trash and large iron objects – note the risk of losing low conductors above 3) + EXPERT tab and set NOTCH to 00 or in the range of 00-06
  • Iron volume 3
  • Base reactivity 1.5 set under conditions (trash 2 up)
  • Acoustic signal 5
  • Leading signal 10 up or under your preference
  • Sensitivity to the level of stable operationScan the channels before starting work and when it loses stability. Hold the right panel arrow at the top. Perform a ground calibration as a last resort in a clean area if stability is a problem.

 

 

 

 

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XP DEUS II Settings Bible

How to fix XP DEUSA II in the field, or is there some magic program? There isn’t and if you think that then you’ve been scammed like a sucker… there is no such thing and remember that well as it will affect your performance in the future and applies to any other metal detector.

Let’s start with, have you read the user manual? If not, do it twice. Why twice? The second time is for punishment … and seriously for understanding and consolidation. In the era of electronic devices, you can always have it on your smartphone and reach it at any time when you have doubts.

The first thing is to choose a program. Here we must be guided by the conditions and the object of the search. We reach for our bible, i.e. instructions, and choose. For example, we are looking for large silver coins, our choice is the simple DEEP HC program. There are two programs to choose from BEACH for rather dry conditions and larger objects with an upper operating frequency of up to 24 kHz (multi-frequency program). BEACH SENS up to 40khz also in water and in addition to very small jewelry, preferably gold (a joke for water sportsmen).

The PARK program is ideal for dry places, also beaches, and places heavily polluted, especially with foil. For this reason, it has a set of selective discrimination, the so-called NOTCH in the range of 23 to 36 IDs.
FAST program for landfill and heavily mineralized conditions with lots of iron. It is also not very deep, which is worth remembering all the time. The SENSITIVE program is designed for places also cluttered to find very small objects, e.g. thin and hand-minted coins. Good for wet ground full of magnetic stones, coke, or foil. SENSI FT is a modified version of the program for more experienced users. It carries more information in the audio line due to the use of multitone sound. Nuances and details will allow you to better identify items.
For dessert, RELIC is for finding larger objects, but also gives advice on coin-sized artifacts. Deep. An innovative solution is the use of IAR-type discrimination, consisting in the elimination of iron depending on its size – signal intensity. The program gives great results but is more difficult to use, except that it is a typical all-metal without discrimination, signaling all signals with one modulated tone. It can be used, for example, on stubble by lifting the probe up to 15 – 20 cm above the soil level.
On the way, we pass the MONO single-frequency version. It’s such an old, kind DEUS I closed in the form of a separate program in the DEUS II box. Romantic? Definitely! Here you can go crazy and choose any operating frequency. For example, we use the lowest 4 kHz and can use this program to search for deep-seated objects with high conductivity. Similarly, the other way around 40kHz and thin, tiny low conductors are ours. Of course, all this affects the performance and stability of work and requires setting other operating parameters.
I should start with GENERAL because it’s a basic program … If in doubt, I choose this one. Good for wetlands, where we will avoid digging false signals, so-called. ghosts associated with the halo effect. Coke, magnetic stones are omitted. It signals deep targets well.

Let’s move on to tenderness. This is usually already set high in the factory programs, but if the conditions allow, we set it to the level of stable operation, and we try not to overdo it.
Phew, and only now we come to something equally important. Ground calibration. We select a clean spot and use the GRAB function or the middle button with a red circle, the same one that activates the PINPOINT. It is worth mentioning that PINPOINT is a great option for finding a clean place for our calibration, it is simply easy and pleasant. We check the value that tells us what type of soil we have and what to expect. The mineralization level bar should also give us food for thought as to how all this affects our search results.
We are doing a test flight … that’s how we check the degree of litter and the presence of iron. Simply put, are the signals frequent next to each other or rather sporadically every few meters? After the initial analysis, we reach for the REACTIVITY function and this is the key, because both the depth and work in a littered area depend on this setting. A value of 0 to 1 is iron-free and garbage-free conditions. Then the ranges are the best. From 2 to 2.5 medium clutter, and 3 to 5 serious garbage, where there is a signal on the signal and objects detected not too deep. At high values, the separation of objects located next to each other will be the greatest, the opposite range.
We still have SILENCER – you silence in places where a large amount of iron causes crackling and interference. Then we reach for this option, setting it at a level that provides us with the relative comfort of work. It must be remembered that high filters always run the risk of losing the deepest and quietest signals.

Depending on the program, we can choose the level of discrimination and the volume of the leading signal. In both cases, we proceed similarly, we try to find the lowest possible level. Discrimination is often associated with a loss of depth, and in some models causes problems with signal processing when the terrain is heavily littered. The leading signal (depending on the program, e.g. RELIC) must operate at the audible level. Its discrete substitutions will tell us what kind of target we have under the probe.
In the case of beach programs, we have SALT SENS, i.e. compensation for interference resulting from the salinity and conductivity of the ground, and MAGNETIC GROUND, which allows us to avoid masking deep-lying objects by ferrite, black sands – i.e. highly mineralized substrates such as a volcanic or even a stony beach.

We check what level of iron saturation our spot has. Here, the decision made will have an impact on the results. Using IRON VOLUME, we can freely turn down or turn up the sound of the iron. When the iron starts to really bother us, it is worth setting its sound to the most acceptable level. I am against total silence. Firstly, it is a signal that there must have been some human presence in this place, and secondly, in my case, objects made of iron can be no less interesting than those that contain only non-ferrous metals.
AUDIO RESPONSE, i.e. audio amplification. It’s worth checking the setting. Values above 4 may cause a situation that minor disturbances or false signals will mask the quiet and deep and most desirable ones. Too high a value also causes an unpleasant effect of changing the proportion between weak and strong signals.

Finally, the GROUND STABILIZER global filter. Usually set to 2 or 3, where the last number causes a very strong muting of the ground influence on the detector’s operation. The level assigned to the value 1 is already loud and unstable work, signaling, ferrite, ceramics (bricks), causing us a well-known headache with DEUS I, but allowing to reach even deeper where silenced devices do not reach!

Audio can be selected according to the prevailing conditions. PWM or SQUARE. The first traditional one is more expressive and carries more information, unfortunately in more difficult conditions it causes fatigue. The second version is soft and pleasant, perfect for dumpsters, where a lot is going on, and we want to survive in the best possible shape until the end of the day and hear and understand what our wife is saying to us at dinner.

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