Minelab "Victory"....new detector coming

It seems like Minelab outsources their mechanical design to companies who design medical equipment, toasters, washing machines, whatever. Sadly those outfits don’t have much if any experience with metal detectors. According to a knowledgeable person who posted on another forum, companies they have used in the past include - Katapult Design and Planet Innovation worked on both the new and older version of the GoFind, and even far back as the F1A4 Mine detector they had a company called Proen Design work on that particular product. A company called Applidyne Engineering Design also worked on the folding Minelab F3 countermine detector (eventually resulting in the SDC2300).

The latest example may well be the Equinox, and then there’s this...

Poking around on the subject of ML outsourcing design and stuff, this came up. An Irish outfit, the page says the client is confidential, but the description sounded like ML was the client - then I pasted the URL and - lo and behold - Gentian screwed up and put “minelab” in the filename, so it ended up in the URL - lol

I wonder what “accessory” it is and if it is properly marked as made in Ireland? If you read under “Gentians Solutions” - “During the design phase Gentian delivered the following..it includes ... Electronic specification and hardware design...Embedded software development...Hardware and software integration”.

Pretty much everything after - “Make us a device and it can’t cost more than $XXX.”

http://www.gentianservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/casestudy-minelab.pdf
 

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I don't think a new high end is on the horizon. I do think they have a new military detector coming (the Victory name makes sense for this, although why Kellyco would tease this I have no idea), and the Vanquish I'm hearing name of I would strongly bet is a new super expensive top line gold detector.

I ordered a Nox 800 last week.
 
It would be nice. BBS 2?

The Excal sure is a dated machine.

Me and my hunting buddy were thinking about this. Maybe getting rid of the knobs on the excal for something more like the equinox has. Give it a readout and add selectable multi iq, bbs and or fbs and you have a winner. Also while keeping the housing waterproof enough to dive with.


The next iteration of their top of the line machine I think will let you select multi iq and fbs2 depending on what your looking for.
 
Me and my hunting buddy were thinking about this. Maybe getting rid of the knobs on the excal for something more like the equinox has. Give it a readout and add selectable multi iq, bbs and or fbs and you have a winner. Also while keeping the housing waterproof enough to dive with.


The next iteration of their top of the line machine I think will let you select multi iq and fbs2 depending on what your looking for.

Cant use pressure buttons on excal as it is also a deep dive detector and water pressure would affect the pressure buttons. If people install the Anderson knobs on the excal and don't mishandle it while handling it especially while transporting it to and from their hunt. Hitting the knobs or strain cable reliefs from the sides can cause the collars around the knobs or end caps to crack and that is where the large portion of the problems begin.

Excal should also be rinsed in hot water when you get home to get the salt residue off the cables and treat the cables at least once a month with a vegetable based silicone spray, silicone is a natural UV inhibitor but never use petroleum based silicone, it will destroy the cables.
 
As to the issues with the Equinox, I have the 600 and love the machine - except for the really, really cheaply made headphones. On one side of my headphones, the speaker has come detached from (or never was attached to) the body of the earpiece. So it rattles around in there like a loose rock. Still electronically attached, so it has sound, but still. And the cable to the headphones is cheap and too short. Heck, I had better $4.00 headphones for my Walkman! The ergonomics of the shaft leaves much to be desired, especially after using the Deus, which is a joy to swing. I have used the Bluetooth connection with headphones, but for some reason I have a hard time syncing the phones with the machine. But still - I love the equinox, but it kind of feels like whoever designed everything but the electronics never actually swung a metal detector. Minelab would do well to redesign the shaft, supply some dedicated Bluetooth phones (no major expenditure) and it would solve a lot of the complaints people have. I don't know what they can come up with that would greatly improve upon the Equinox (especially the 800). Good machine, just needed some more thought. BTW - I LOVE the charging connection on the EQ!
 
Two “leaks” have been posted. A place called Finders Keepers labeled it a “Multi IQ” machine (like the Nox) - another site MD-Hunter posted that there were 3 of them described as VFLEX IQ - VFLEX is the technology used in the X-Terra

OK, here’s my guess. (Posted originally at Steve’s place) I guess that MD-Hunter’s post is right and the Finders Keepers one is wrong. I guess that its “VFLEX IQ” and not “Multi IQ”.

Why, because this new machine (or series) is likely intended to fill the big hole left in the under $600 range by the near disappearance of the X-Terra line. The sales of these must be languishing and the GoFind isn’t an adequate substitute. The VFLEX Technology was highly touted but 3 frequencies and needing separate coils for each frequency confused the heck out of would be buyers and would put a real enthusiast in the poorhouse.

If I’m right, then I suspect this will be pitched as a breakthrough in single frequency detector design using the I/Q technology developed for the Multifreakers. Here’s a bit from Minelab about the IQ part of Multi IQ (just mentally delete the first three words of the below text).

Simultaneous Multi-Frequency In-phase and Quadrature Synchronous Demodulation.

We can go to a statement from Dr Philip Wahrlich, our principal technology physicist, about a key difference of Multi-IQ compared to the demodulation taking place in conventional single frequency VLF detectors:

“Within the Multi-IQ engine, the receiver is both phase-locked and amplitude-normalized to the transmitted magnetic field – rather than the electrical voltage driving the transmitted field. This field can be altered by the mineralization in the soil (in both phase and amplitude), so if the receiver was only phased-locked to the driving voltage, this would result in inaccurate target IDs and a higher audible noise level. Locking the receiver to the actual transmitted field, across all frequencies simultaneously (by measuring the current through the coil) solves these issues, creating a very sensitive AND stable detector”

On the other hand, they preached so hard about multi now “obseleting” singlefreakers that it might be hard to go back.

The CDX replacement will take a lot longer I suspect as they learn from the shortcomings of the Equinox what the “Supernox” has to be in order to justify a greater than $1k price.

 We’ll see.
 
The nox in single freq mode is essentially vflex or vflex iq. they could replace xterra with 99% same parts and change options and badging to made a replacement. they did update the xterra line already to use nox cuff and rods.

If they want to keep etrac and ctx they could slide a nox 1000 in at $1200 msrp. more of a safari repalcement or etrac lite
 
The more models you have, the more money the dealers have to spend on stock. Manufacturers “sell into” their the distribution network - it’s up to the dealers to “sell through” - sell to a customer. The manufacturer books revenue when he “sells into”.

I’m sure Minelab is keen to grow their hobby market product line - it opens many doors in the new world of distribution - big box stores, online sellers, even direct manufacturer online sales.
 
Looks like below Equinox aimed at price range of AT-Pro. I bet the 3 models are spot on.
 
I like the name 'Vanquish' or simply 'Quish' for short..."Yeah, I'm swinging a Minelab Quish!"..Y'all should be ascared of me now! :laughing::laughing:
 
Leaked slide from presentation shows VANQUISH comes in BELOW the Equinox in price / features. Appears to be same price level as you find the AT-Pro at dealers.
 
The Minelab detector line is filled with dead weight.

The Safari! Slow and made obsolete by the Nox. It was Obsolete when it came out.
The E Trac! Too much money....old design......Not waterproof....made obsolete by the Nox.
The Xterra line.....Switching coils for frequency change? Made obsolete by many detectors. I never here about the 505 or 305. Are they already gone? They should be.
Even the Excal. How many divers out there? Not enough to carry the model.... Made obsolete by the CTX and Equinox
The CTX is still relevant, but costs way too much for what it is.
On the other end they have that toy detector...what is it? I don't even remember the name. Just a piece of junk.





I bet there are plenty of those models listed above that are doing nothing but taking up production time and inventory space. Both having an Impact on $$$$.


Cull the heard. You have a winner in the Equinox. I bought a used 600 for 450.00. That price range is filled with a quality detector.
 
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