ColonelDan
Active member
I used the V3 update on Cocoa Beach last evening to see how it performed...I wasn’t disappointed!
Let me begin by saying this wasn’t any kind of formalized test but merely initial impressions/observations based on my normal beach hunting routine. Any confirmation or dispute of what follows will naturally require more detailed testing.
My general take away was that ML did more than just add a 4 kHz option. V3 seemed to be more stable throughout the frequency spectrum. I could run my sensitivity up to 23 on the dry sand in Park 1 and the 800 was stable and quiet where previously 18-20 was about the limit. Even when I switched to Beach 2 in wet sand and surf, I could run the sensitivity up to about 19-20 with no problem.
My first find in Park 1 on the dry sand was a penny at about 12” deep with a hard unmistakable hit. In that regard, it seemed that the EQX was now sounding off with more authority than before when a target was detected. This was also my impression throughout the evening.
I ran an informal evaluation using my test sticks (a gold ring and a ferrous bolt) and it seemed to me that V3 in 4kHz was more sensitive to the recovery speed setting as it relates to detectable depth. The lower I set the recovery speed, the greater the detection depth. The higher I set it, the less sensitive it was to my ring and bolt buried at a constant depth. I realize this is the way the EQX always behaves but with V3, it seemed the depth/recovery speed relationship was more accentuated. Again, other environmental factors play a role in detection depth but this was just my impression of V3’s maiden voyage at the beach.
Admittedly, I was skeptical of the reason why ML provided a general update that focused on deep silver in Asia by adding a 4kHz option when we already had 5kHz. But after using this for a short beach hunt, I’m now convinced ML included more software capability in V3 than just that 4kHz frequency. It was more stable, less chattery throughout the frequency range, it hit harder than before and it was indeed hitting hard at a greater depth...or so it seemed to me as well as my hunting buddy who was also running V3.
A word of caution: The performance I saw at Cocoa Beach on 26 July may not be the performance you find on your beach.....beaches vary in characteristics significantly. I've found differences between Cocoa and Daytona and I've experienced differences in just a few hundred yards of the same beach! As I always say, these were the results on this beach on this day in question. Your mileage will most likely vary but you should see some degree of improvement in performance nonetheless.
All in all, I’m glad I installed the update!
Let me begin by saying this wasn’t any kind of formalized test but merely initial impressions/observations based on my normal beach hunting routine. Any confirmation or dispute of what follows will naturally require more detailed testing.
My general take away was that ML did more than just add a 4 kHz option. V3 seemed to be more stable throughout the frequency spectrum. I could run my sensitivity up to 23 on the dry sand in Park 1 and the 800 was stable and quiet where previously 18-20 was about the limit. Even when I switched to Beach 2 in wet sand and surf, I could run the sensitivity up to about 19-20 with no problem.
My first find in Park 1 on the dry sand was a penny at about 12” deep with a hard unmistakable hit. In that regard, it seemed that the EQX was now sounding off with more authority than before when a target was detected. This was also my impression throughout the evening.
I ran an informal evaluation using my test sticks (a gold ring and a ferrous bolt) and it seemed to me that V3 in 4kHz was more sensitive to the recovery speed setting as it relates to detectable depth. The lower I set the recovery speed, the greater the detection depth. The higher I set it, the less sensitive it was to my ring and bolt buried at a constant depth. I realize this is the way the EQX always behaves but with V3, it seemed the depth/recovery speed relationship was more accentuated. Again, other environmental factors play a role in detection depth but this was just my impression of V3’s maiden voyage at the beach.
Admittedly, I was skeptical of the reason why ML provided a general update that focused on deep silver in Asia by adding a 4kHz option when we already had 5kHz. But after using this for a short beach hunt, I’m now convinced ML included more software capability in V3 than just that 4kHz frequency. It was more stable, less chattery throughout the frequency range, it hit harder than before and it was indeed hitting hard at a greater depth...or so it seemed to me as well as my hunting buddy who was also running V3.
A word of caution: The performance I saw at Cocoa Beach on 26 July may not be the performance you find on your beach.....beaches vary in characteristics significantly. I've found differences between Cocoa and Daytona and I've experienced differences in just a few hundred yards of the same beach! As I always say, these were the results on this beach on this day in question. Your mileage will most likely vary but you should see some degree of improvement in performance nonetheless.
All in all, I’m glad I installed the update!
