metaladdict
Elite Member
Well? Where is it?
I hope Garrett is working on this!
I hope Garrett is working on this!
Many forums are between sleepy and dead. Not a lot of talk about much at all. I have friends who use the Apex, as I do, who really like it. I know I like mine enough that I bought two of them to keep the 5X8 'Ripper' mounted full-time on my main-use Apex, and the 2nd sports the 8½X11 DD 'Raider' coil and I grab it for wide-open areas such as plowed fields, out in the middle of large grassy parks, etc.longbow62: said:I must be either tone deaf or blind, but I sure don't see much on the Garrett Apex. What I have heard is not good. That should tell you something.
How about FTP who DOES have an ample, skilled, knowledgeable engineering staff. Other than a very-dated, 2-frequency CZ offering we have nothing that is new and creative.longbow62: said:Personally I have my doubts they have the engineers and R&D staff to progress any further.
It's not a "low-end," it is 'mid-priced like Minelab's Vanquish 540.longbow62: said:Why did they bring out Multi in a low end model? The answer is most likely their tech is not close to good enough for a flagship model.
I think they will advance, but when it gets right down to it, not everything is 'Multi-Frequency' dependent., and a lot of folks are finding stuff with proven single-frequency models, or selecting a single-frequency rather than Multi.longbow62: said:Think about it, Garrett has been behind a really long time now in the Multi Frequency game. They have not shown in all this time they had the know how to advance any further. They could not even bring out a machine that gave you multiple frequency options. Nokta even beat them at that with the Impact.
Well? Where is it?
I hope Garrett is working on this!
And I respect your opinion as well. I bought an Equinox 800 w/6" coil after I had my Vanquish 540 for a couple of months. For the places I hunt, I actually favored the V-540 w/5X8 DD over the EQ-800 w/6" DD, so I sold the Equinox. Good detector, works well for a lot of people based on where they hunt and what they do and don't like. I not only have good friends who use the Apex, successfully, but some who are Equinox or Vanquish owners & users, too.longbow62: said:Monte I respect your opinion your right you don't need multi to find stuff. As far as the Vanquish goes I have not used one, but I hear more talk of them than I do the Apex. I'm a devoted Equinox, and Etrac user. Equinox more than Etrac. I'm not so devoted that I won't switch to a better machine when it comes out no matter who makes it. That being said right now Minelab is the only company I would have enough confidence in to pre-order a new release from.
And I respect your opinion as well. I bought an Equinox 800 w/6" coil after I had my Vanquish 540 for a couple of months. For the places I hunt, I actually favored the V-540 w/5X8 DD over the EQ-800 w/6" DD, so I sold the Equinox. Good detector, works well for a lot of people based on where they hunt and what they do and don't like. I not only have good friends who use the Apex, successfully, but some who are Equinox or Vanquish owners & users, too.
As for negatives, we tend to read more of those on the forums than we do complementary posts. It's how some people are. And with leakage issues, rod issues and several other things the Equinox have not gone unnoticed, either.
I bought a 2nd Apex, which was also an earlier-release unit, and it had some of the noisy behavior. I didn't get rid if it, but contacted Garrett, sent it in, and in short-order had a fixed Apex back in my detector outfit. My 3rd Apex should arrive today or early next week and if there's an issue, I'll have it fixed .... but I think those have been resolved now.
Equinox, Vanquish, Apex. None are 'junk' and all offer a certain level of features and performance for their price-point. Certainly three good models for folks to shop from, and one or more just might make a good 'fit' for them. It has for you, and it has for me with the Apex and V-540.
Monte
I have an assortment of detectors that handle most of my needs fine. The Equinox has some performance we can credit the Multi-IQ for, but nothing is ever 'perfect.' With the Vanquish 540, I have the basic Multi-IQ performance at hand, and I prefer the physical package of the Vanquish, plus the replaceable AA battery option, and I do have Low Iron Bias for those places and times it might b to my benefit. I also have Iron Audio Volume control, and I like the 5-Tone ID feature (when ample Disc. segments are accepted, of course.).mh9162013: said:How is that possible? I figured the only real advantage of the Vanquish was its form factor, AA batteries, coil(s) and simplicity.
I have an assortment of detectors that handle most of my needs fine. The Equinox has some performance we can credit the Multi-IQ for, but nothing is ever 'perfect.' With the Vanquish 540, I have the basic Multi-IQ performance at hand, and I prefer the physical package of the Vanquish, plus the replaceable AA battery option, and I do have Low Iron Bias for those places and times it might b to my benefit. I also have Iron Audio Volume control, and I like the 5-Tone ID feature (when ample Disc. segments are accepted, of course.).
I selected a very challenging iron littered gold mining ghost town, and a dedicated path through and around some trash and brushy areas. I walked it with the EQ-800 w/6" DD coil on a 45 minute search. I switched for the V-540 w/5X8 DD and walked the very same route for 45 minutes. I had eyeballed or marked several targets or signal areas, and checked them all with the V-540. I found two good-sounding non-ferrous targets that the EQ-800 didn't respond favorably to. I also did a slightly better job of identifying some of the pesky rusted tin shards with the Vanquish.
For the types of sites where I might want some edge in performance from a SMF model, I favored the V-540 over the EQ-800.
Monte
Ok, so we see eye to eye about the form factor and AA battery benefits of the Vanquish. But how would the Vanquish outperform the Equinox when the Vanquish is a dumbed down version of the Equinox?
I hope you don't mind all my questions. I'm constantly mulling over what my next machine will be (currently using the Fisher F2) and I'm trying to get a better understanding of what more money (or a different model) gets me in terms of performance and ease of use.
Another question: when in low (or high) iron bias while using all metal mode with the Vanquish, does it mean it may eliminate certain iron target completely so you never know it's there? Or it still picks it up, but gives it a "lower" value, ie a lower tone or lower VID?
I have an assortment of detectors that handle most of my needs fine. The Equinox has some performance we can credit the Multi-IQ for, but nothing is ever 'perfect.' With the Vanquish 540, I have the basic Multi-IQ performance at hand, and I prefer the physical package of the Vanquish, plus the replaceable AA battery option, and I do have Low Iron Bias for those places and times it might b to my benefit. I also have Iron Audio Volume control, and I like the 5-Tone ID feature (when ample Disc. segments are accepted, of course.).
I selected a very challenging iron littered gold mining ghost town, and a dedicated path through and around some trash and brushy areas. I walked it with the EQ-800 w/6" DD coil on a 45 minute search. I switched for the V-540 w/5X8 DD and walked the very same route for 45 minutes. I had eyeballed or marked several targets or signal areas, and checked them all with the V-540. I found two good-sounding non-ferrous targets that the EQ-800 didn't respond favorably to. I also did a slightly better job of identifying some of the pesky rusted tin shards with the Vanquish.
For the types of sites where I might want some edge in performance from a SMF model, I favored the V-540 over the EQ-800.
Monte
The Vanquish is more of a different engineered design than just a 'dumbed-down' Equinox.mh9162013: said:Ok, so we see eye to eye about the form factor and AA battery benefits of the Vanquish. But how would the Vanquish outperform the Equinox when the Vanquish is a dumbed down version of the Equinox?
Well, there are a lot of detectors out there, very affordable. that I would consider a serious 'up-grade' from the Fisher F2. One I really like that is very adjustable and versatile is the Fisher F5, if we stay in that brand.mh9162013: said:I hope you don't mind all my questions. I'm constantly mulling over what my next machine will be (currently using the Fisher F2) and I'm trying to get a better understanding of what more money (or a different model) gets me in terms of performance and ease of use.
'Iron Bias' is one of the 'extra' adjustment features found on some, but not all, detectors out there. Let me start by clearing a couple of things up:mh9162013: said:Another question: when in low (or high) iron bias while using all metal mode with the Vanquish, does it mean it may eliminate certain iron target completely so you never know it's there?
Lower-conductive targets, such as common Iron, will usually produce a Low-Tone or Iron-Tone audio response that is lower than a mid-conductive or higher-conductive target sample. That will let you hear an Audible Tone-ID response, and on the detector's display see either a TID (Target ID) number or image like Foil or a Coin, or a VDI (Visual Discrimination Indicator} in a numeric number read-out.mh9162013: said:Or it still picks it up, but gives it a "lower" value, ie a lower tone or lower VID?
Been watching this thread, and Monte kinda summed it up.
I usto go to a bar back in my 20s,, not a bad looking place inside but the parking lot was shale and full of potholes to boot. The parking lot was always full and bar was always packed..I asked the owner why he don't get it blacktopped ,, he said for what,people are gonna come regardless.
Same applies to Garret, why fix something that isn't broke?At pro is still the hottest seller outside of these forums ,which members make up maybe 1% of the people in the hobbie or thinking about the hobbie.
So,I guess for every one person waiting on a Garrett AT series model that's multi frequency there's probably a few thousand swinging one that's not,and making great finds.