I have a CTX which I know is multi frequency and water proof but wanted to know if I should try these two out. Thanks...

Guvner..

I don't. I just got my new manticore now. I been out of detecting for a while. From the videos and what I read so far you might as well get a manticore. I think the fbs tech picks the best 3 frequencies of the 28 or so it has available and goes with it. How many the manticore uses is hard to find out. While its probably more then 3, I don't know how it determines them, and if and how often they change. In order for manticore to work in a salt water beach multi iq or multi freq must be on. I would be interested if more info on how many and what frequencies are used on the beach. I mean in wet sand and in the surf. One thing manticore does not have that I would want now is a gps module. Oh and a bitter complaint about minelab. They no longer ship the manual, nor do they ship a plug for the charging cables. I have no idea why but all companies are doing this fad now. The manual is available sold separately now for 14 bucks. Maybe someone with both machines can speak specifically on the differences between the two on the beach (manticore and equinox).

I have neither. yet Clive Clinick's posts over on Detector Prospector about his experiences with the Manticore have peaked my interest. (Wish there were more posts over here) For now I'm staying with the Impulse AQ (with Joe's battery) and tried and true Excalibur.

Guvner said:

I have a CTX which I know is multi frequency and water proof but wanted to know if I should try these two out. Thanks...

Guvner..

Click to expand...

I could speak on one but not the other... I have the nox ( 600 ) and just came back from another trip to an east coast beach hunt/vacation.. Ran the detector in multi, beach 1 mode sens at near max ( 23/25 ) and also hunted in all metal mode for the most part. Detector performed fabulously and is deep. Heavy areas of black sand I lowered the sens back 2-3 clicks and all was fine again. I'm guessing the expanded VDI range would be welcomed over the nox's for some people, but for as infrequently as I make it to the salt-water area the 600 is a keeper.

Good luck with your choice. Mark ( ohio )

Now days it's really hard to tell what is what when it comes to references on detectors. Seems everyone wants to be a star which makes it hard to tell who is telling the full truth.

Me, from what I can tell .... what everyone is posting as far as finds, I would go with the Manticore. Both the manticore and the 900/700 seem to be 100% submergible which the 800/600 had leak issues.

My hunting partner uses the 900 Nox, seems to be doing much better with it since his upgrade from the 800. Me, I'm with TVR, old school Excalibur and a AQ PI for those spots that you can't buy a target.

Good Luck!

OldBeechnut said:

Now days it's really hard to tell what is what when it comes to references on detectors. Seems everyone wants to be a star which makes it hard to tell who is telling the full truth.

Me, from what I can tell .... what everyone is posting as far as finds, I would go with the Manticore. Both the manticore and the 900/700 seem to be 100% submergible which the 800/600 had leak issues.

My hunting partner uses the 900 Nox, seems to be doing much better with it since his upgrade from the 800. Me, I'm with TVR, old school Excalibur and a AQ PI for those spots that you can't buy a target.

Good Luck!

Click to expand...

What surprises me. Is your still using the excal. Hawk that thing for the 3030. There is a program that Gary Drayton has in his book on it. I swear by it. You will hit harder on small fine rings and much much harder on thick gold rings. The deepest ring I got was a white gold signet ring, that was tiny. I mean tiny. And it was 18 inches down. Signal was iffy at first. Place was all but hunted out. After one scoop...the signal got stronger. Took about 4 or 5 back to back scoops to get it. I am certain it was not on the wall of the hole. At least try a used one or a friends machine with the tock 11 inch coil. I think you would really really be able to go over your known spots an find stuff just sitting there. gl.

jyt2017 said:

There is a program that Gary Drayton has in his book on it. I swear by it.

Click to expand...

Few years back was detecting at Deerfield Beach, Florida and just missed seeing Gary. Met a guy from upstate New York with a CTX 3030 who did run into Gary several minutes before I met the guy with the 3030. He said Gary took the time to help him set up the jewelry program on his detector and five minutes later he hit a ring. He was excited! It was a pretty bad red-tide day, so I did not stay much longer as I had found some decent earrings, I headed off the beach to let my eyes recover from the burning.

jyt2017 said:

What surprises me. Is your still using the excal. Hawk that thing for the 3030. There is a program that Gary Drayton has in his book on it. I swear by it. You will hit harder on small fine rings and much much harder on thick gold rings. The deepest ring I got was a white gold signet ring, that was tiny. I mean tiny. And it was 18 inches down. Signal was iffy at first. Place was all but hunted out. After one scoop...the signal got stronger. Took about 4 or 5 back to back scoops to get it. I am certain it was not on the wall of the hole. At least try a used one or a friends machine with the tock 11 inch coil. I think you would really really be able to go over your known spots an find stuff just sitting there. gl.

Click to expand...

HaHa.. Thanks.. Love my Dinosaurs...Sold my CTX years ago, after a few years & several side by side compares to my modified Excalibur's... also I was concerned the CTX may flood since all of my hunting is submerged, I sold it right before the Nox came out, Luckily. I did have high hopes for the CTX since I was a long time user of the Explorer series Minelab. Nice machine just does not have the punch the Excalibur does in all metal.

My Excalibur ruled for 6 years over on the ring daddy forum until they closed, so it does not miss much.

Then came the Fisher AQ PI.. No water detector can compare.. I call it my clean up machine.

OldBeechnut said:

HaHa.. Thanks.. Love my Dinosaurs...Sold my CTX years ago, after a few years & several side by side compares to my modified Excalibur's... also I was concerned the CTX may flood since all of my hunting is submerged, I sold it right before the Nox came out, Luckily. I did have high hopes for the CTX since I was a long time user of the Explorer series Minelab. Nice machine just does not have the punch the Excalibur does in all metal.

My Excalibur ruled for 6 years over on the ring daddy forum until they closed, so it does not miss much.

Then came the Fisher AQ PI.. No water detector can compare.. I call it my clean up machine.

Click to expand...

Appreciate the response. From reading it, it looks like you gave the heater a good try. I use to be paranoid about it flooding. I never had mine flood. But I know someone who did. This may or may not be true but I think most floods were user error. It is still a design flaw if the machine isn't intuitive and floods due to lack of proper fitting, etc. I used an aftermarket gasket I got from some ... gasket store online. I still have some of them. The other port Id snug up every hunt. That port is probably the one that leaked the most, I think behind it was the usb connection. I never had it leak, but now. Come to think of it. My usb connection stopped working. That suggest some water damage at some time. If I had the machine today id probably seal with silicone glue and only open it once every few hunts, and re seal. Later bud. Glad to see your still hunting. I been out for a while due to health issues. I am gonna give it a try again. Only problem is no beach around here is cut out.

jyt2017 said:

Appreciate the response. From reading it, it looks like you gave the heater a good try. I use to be paranoid about it flooding. I never had mine flood. But I know someone who did. This may or may not be true but I think most floods were user error. It is still a design flaw if the machine isn't intuitive and floods due to lack of proper fitting, etc. I used an aftermarket gasket I got from some ... gasket store online. I still have some of them. The other port Id snug up every hunt. That port is probably the one that leaked the most, I think behind it was the usb connection. I never had it leak, but now. Come to think of it. My usb connection stopped working. That suggest some water damage at some time. If I had the machine today id probably seal with silicone glue and only open it once every few hunts, and re seal. Later bud. Glad to see your still hunting. I been out for a while due to health issues. I am gonna give it a try again. Only problem is no beach around here is cut out.

Click to expand...

Health can slow us down for sure, I had a few down years but very Blessed I'm back out. Stay strong and I'm sure you will make it back out.

I was paranoid about the CTX having water issues.. Had two guys I started hunting with in 2015, both had CTX's. Mikes started having the "stripped screen" from submerging his. Mike converted to the Excalibur after doing some compares also. I'll see if I can have him post a picture of a place him and his buddy hammered with the CTX's and swore it was cleaned out.... and the difference the Excalibur made.