Good, honest review from a previous user of Minelab FBS and Multi-IQ machines. Apparently, you don’t have an iron falsing issue with the manticore since you never mentioned it, whereas so many other manticore owners have stated the machine falses way too much and they’re digging more iron than with previous Minelab machines they’ve owned…perhaps this has something to do with a specific soil mineralization issue coupled with certain types of rusted/decayed iron in the ground that’s not applicable to your locale. I never needed (or wanted) to use discrimination on my Nox machine….I’d rather hear all targets in the ground and adjust the audio tone/pitch/volume of different VDI regions of the screen, including the iron region. When I used my ML Explorer for many years, I had no way to adjust the volume of iron, so I used minimal discrimination to notch out small iron…that was it. I may be mistaken, but I think Minelab released/withdrew their patents on FBS technology…so not sure If they will make a new machine with FBS tech in it…they’ll probably name the newer incarnation something else.
I really think the initial users of the M was trying to run the machine way too hot. Like all other machines when ran too hot you will dig way more deep rusty iron. The M is no different.
Great Points and Great Review. I hope Minelab See's this video and Considers you for a tester on future machines because you bring up Real world issues. Thanks 👍
Some very good points regarding the Manticore, which I haven’t seen covered anywhere else on CZcams! The Whites V3i was an innovative masterpiece which was certainly way ahead of its time! In fact, so much so, I actually acquired a pristine V3i machine not so long ago in as new condition for nostalgia and to compare with the modern offerings nowadays! Thank you for making a very informative video.
c/p (V3i manual) These conditions can influence target response beyond normal discrimination ranges, sometimes referred to as “wrap around”. Hence, when mineralized ground is upwardly influencing the VDI number, it may be beneficial to accept +95. The “wrap” control found in the frequency section of the expert menu is also helpful in identifying these difficult targets. • When OFF all VDI numbers (including + 95) are allowed to respond at their natural occurring single strength, intensity, and VDI number. • At a setting of -10, mineral anomalies are forced to the +95 VDI indication and artificially reduced in intensity compared to all other VDI numbers. • At a setting of 0, signals that appear to be mineral anomalies are forced to +95, and not changed in their intensity. • At a setting of +10, signals that appear to be mineral anomalies are forced to +95, and artificially increased in their intensity. One would want to use +10 when searching for targets that indicate like a mineral anomaly (such as stony meteorites), or very deep targets in very bad ground. • If excessive +95 Hot Rock indications distract from identifying actual metals select a more aggressive Hot Rock Reject level closer to -10 Wrap around in my opinion is nothing more or less than falsing on iron.
Thanks for this. I have an etrac and thought I would upgrade to the "latest and greatest" Manticore. But now I think I'll just stay with the etrac for a bit longer - not worth wasting $2300AUD.
Very thorugh! Appreciative! Long live the V3i! The V3i has a beautiful brilliant color coded graph in scan, pinpoint, and identifying Electro MagnetInterference (EMI). I watched a video that a White's representative stood beside his pickup and stated he was over 6' foot tall and held a White's straight up over his head and dropped the machine on a concrete sidewalk he picked it up and even though it had just took a licking he turned it on and it kept on ticking. Will any of the newer metal detectors demonstrate such a robust ability? Just the facts Joe! lol White's Spectra V3i has a beautiful ability to explain the wrap around in their beautiful manual. The 'wrap around' has the ability in the expert menu to turn it on and off! Some use it and appreciate it! Metal detecting forums from the days of yesteryear was elaborating on the 'wrap around' and quite often it was used in convertible technology 1.) Wrap around. 2. iron falsying. Imagine that! To understand either concept is best understood when one studies 'wrap around'. I will never sell my White's Spectra V3i! The V3i had the ability to show black sand for gold prospecting. I have only seen 'perhaps' (1) one person use the prospecting mode. On some of the forums some mention the V3i was frustrating and premised on the arduous learning curve they wanted to challenge the V3i to a friendly sport of kick boxing. Stating they wanted to send it into a tree at a high rate of speed. The only reason they didn't they were staring straight into an age old adage a fool and his money will soon separate. I have only seen a handful that stuck with the V3i and those who were not 'quitters' went on to learn metal detecting. Many agree the V3i is the best instructor a detectorist could have hold in their hand. Computers teach patience! The V3i teaches patience! The V3i shows a beautiful color coded graph showing ample information the others say: Beep, beep, beep. And they have very little information at all! The operators are swinging a coil over the ground that has multiple freq./kHz and little to no information. They scratch their head and assert my detector is 'chatty'! Imaging that! Thanks for the appreciated informational video.
Fantastic video mate!!! Perfect in the point ! My issue is more to performance where in you at easy ground manticore works perfect but where you have mineralised difficult area Minelab it’s blind and showing coins as a iron in very shallow ground compared to etrac or ctx that’s my report.
You have to back off of the Manticores gain in those situations. I was running the Manticore too hot and was digging deep iron. But backing the gain down 2-3 notches clears that up.
Yes you have pointed out it's faults, but it finds more items in the ground at greater depths than my Nox 800 which I recently sold...which after all is why we use the machines...it's more sensitive and intuitive too, you can use more power /sensitivity and the EMI reduction is superb...I love mine...
Very good review. The only thing i would add is i would like more control over the ferrous discrimination. The CTX 3030 has more contol over this feature. If i bring the ferrous discrimination up to hear ferrous coins, all targets below the ferrous coins to the conductive line also creates a sound on the Manticore. In short I would like to be able to move the starting point and end point of the ferrous discrimination, not just the end point moving toward the conductive line.
I sold my etrac mostly to help justify the cost of the Manticore to my wife! LOL. If ML updates the etrac and keeps the FBS technology I will be selling the Manticore.
Man, you're so right about those side buttons. My pet hate of the 800, especially when you have a cover over the box...it's damned near impossible to feel those buttons. They're running out the E-trac in a couple of stores in Australia at the moment for like $550usd, so I grabbed one. I'm super interested to see if I can go over my old ground I've hit with the Nox and find any coins. So of my older friends seem to think I will, particularly if I change out the standard coil for a 13" or 15".
The 11 inch coil can be ran at higher gain than the larger coils you mentioned. Meaning a never saw a difference in depth between the 11 and 13 ultimate coil on the etrac.
@@mowerdog So I got the E-trac out for the first time today, man I tell you, I'm super impressed with that thing. I absolutely love the tones, and I pulled up deep coins from my front yard immediately and I must have smashed that area with the Nox and other things a dozen times or more.
I am going to do some gold ring shooting. I have a White's Spectra V3i and several coils for it. With the polar plot feature and sizing it should be an advantage? What coils would you suggest? I have a Minelab Equinox 800 and the coil it came with. Which of these 2 would you suggest will be the best for 'gold ring shooting'? Do you have a program for them? Thanks!
First off...the v3i was way ahead of its time. The bell curve and pinpoint mode were a great indicator of a mid tone target, such as a ring. However, gold rings can come in all across the TID range. So you should be digging all targets looking for gold regardless of which frequency is hitting the best. For this and the added weight, less depth, I would choose the 800. What you could do is use some marking flags and flag 20 targets. Go over the targets with both and see which machine fits your hunting style best.
@@mowerdogThank you! I knew you had used many different detectors, and had been a dealer for White's. You can also utilize the beep machines with the best! Are you still using the Manticore? Thanks!
@donaldlee6699 I still use the Manticore. But since it cost so much and the build quality is just good, I didn't use it for river hunting all last year. My backup detector Vanquish 540 isn't waterproof, so I missed out on several river hunts. I have a Nokta Double Score coming for a backup and river hunts.
@@mowerdog Manticore 'quality' is 'just good'? The Equinox 800 leaves a lot to be desired. The White's Spectra V3i is good build quality. I believe the Equinox 700 and 900 has better coils and shafts that will work on the Equinox and are better quality? Nokta is a hard act to follow! Addendum: What is the best pinpointer? I just bought the Nokta accupointer.
@@mowerdog What metal detector have you found the most gold rings with? You relied mostly on the beep tone? The VDI may be all over the place? VDI (Visual Discrimination Indication numbers).
I use the Avantree Torus neck speakers exclusively with my Legend, cannot say enough how great they work, but they won’t work with the Manticore or the new Equinox’s , I use to have an Equinox sold it for the Legend, no regrets.
Great I thought it was me with that pinpoint. It’s a good machine but it has its issues. Apparently the testers had the red ID numbers on there machines. So that’s been done. I’ve found it annoying with the new ID numbers. Why did they not make it switchable. 50 or 100 I’d numbers. I’ve been spending time trying to hone those deep tones..but the machine does love small stuff and give a deep scale reading. Very annoying. It’s a different machine to the Nox so I’ve got to stop comparing it to it. It has a bigger learning curve. But I tend to keep my setting simple. All terrain general. Always manual ground balance. Let it find a nice quiet frequency. Run at 4 on recovery speed. Do away with the bottom ferrous line and run the top at 3. Enhanced on the audio works for me. I might modify my stems to stop them rotating..they drive me mad. And fit an anti glare glass phone screen protector. Enjoy everyone happy hunting. Regards Jim UK
Thank you! It's so frustrating having to go into edit mode to see what you previously created. So many good points brought up, I 100% agree with them all. I want to see everything you mentioned implemented, yesterday! Get on it Minelab! One additional change. I want a menu that cycles around. My god I hate going up and down. Guess where I'm going after I reach the top? The bottom! I also don't like how the menu jumps up to the next menu grouping. Increment one menu for each press of the button. My brain is working overload as it is, I don't like the display to jump around. Software programmers should never be left in charge of designing the user interface. Hire a professional UX software expert Minelab. Ask me how I know! I saw a Manticore with the 'Red' numbers, she was handsome. So much easier on the brain to know what the heck the ferrous TID was. TKS! GL👨🦯HH
I brought the issue with the menu not looping back around on the Dankowski forum. He is one of the engineers who worked on it. He said that they didn't make the menu loop because it could confuse some users... wtf? I will likely make a part two with additional issues as they arise. Where has common sense gone in engineering. Were these issues brought up with the field testers? Who knows?
Hi their Kenny, I'm new to metal detecting, I have chosen the Vanquish 540. I am going shopping soon to buy the V8 coil ! Have you used yours often , as you mentioned in another video you had an operation on your shoulder . I have had Capsulitis on my shoulder so not as strong as i used to be! Would you recommend the V8 coil. Many thanks and perhaps i will hear from you soon Ian
I may not of covered everything..... There may be a part 2?
BRING IT !!! 😆
@@pigeonbloodruby5330 Whatcha been up to?
Good, honest review from a previous user of Minelab FBS and Multi-IQ machines. Apparently, you don’t have an iron falsing issue with the manticore since you never mentioned it, whereas so many other manticore owners have stated the machine falses way too much and they’re digging more iron than with previous Minelab machines they’ve owned…perhaps this has something to do with a specific soil mineralization issue coupled with certain types of rusted/decayed iron in the ground that’s not applicable to your locale.
I never needed (or wanted) to use discrimination on my Nox machine….I’d rather hear all targets in the ground and adjust the audio tone/pitch/volume of different VDI regions of the screen, including the iron region. When I used my ML Explorer for many years, I had no way to adjust the volume of iron, so I used minimal discrimination to notch out small iron…that was it.
I may be mistaken, but I think Minelab released/withdrew their patents on FBS technology…so not sure If they will make a new machine with FBS tech in it…they’ll probably name the newer incarnation something else.
I really think the initial users of the M was trying to run the machine way too hot. Like all other machines when ran too hot you will dig way more deep rusty iron. The M is no different.
You have a nice, common sense way about your review. Not many guys out there are capable of this. Really well done.
Thanks a bunch!
Great Points and Great Review. I hope Minelab See's this video and Considers you for a tester on future machines because you bring up Real world issues. Thanks 👍
Yes. They need to send the ti regular users to try first. Not just yes men.
@@mowerdog Exactly
I like my etrac and know it well from 14 years of use.
The etrac is still hard to beat.
Some very good points regarding the Manticore, which I haven’t seen covered anywhere else on CZcams! The Whites V3i was an innovative masterpiece which was certainly way ahead of its time! In fact, so much so, I actually acquired a pristine V3i machine not so long ago in as new condition for nostalgia and to compare with the modern offerings nowadays! Thank you for making a very informative video.
Thank you!
Was a toss up for me between the Manticore and the Dues 2. Went with the Dues and I'm loving it!
My buddy Bill loves his D2
great show
Glad you liked it. There will likely be a sequel
I absolutely love my Manticore
It's a beast as they say....
c/p (V3i manual) These conditions can influence target response beyond normal discrimination ranges, sometimes referred
to as “wrap around”. Hence, when mineralized ground is upwardly influencing the VDI number, it may be beneficial
to accept +95. The “wrap” control found in the frequency section of the expert menu is also helpful in identifying
these difficult targets.
• When OFF all VDI numbers (including + 95) are allowed to respond at their natural occurring
single strength, intensity, and VDI number.
• At a setting of -10, mineral anomalies are forced to the +95 VDI indication and artificially reduced
in intensity compared to all other VDI numbers.
• At a setting of 0, signals that appear to be mineral anomalies are forced to +95, and not changed
in their intensity.
• At a setting of +10, signals that appear to be mineral anomalies are forced to +95, and artificially
increased in their intensity. One would want to use +10 when searching for targets that indicate
like a mineral anomaly (such as stony meteorites), or very deep targets in very bad ground.
• If excessive +95 Hot Rock indications distract from identifying actual metals select a more
aggressive Hot Rock Reject level closer to -10
Wrap around in my opinion is nothing more or less than falsing on iron.
Good info. Thanks!
Thanks for this. I have an etrac and thought I would upgrade to the "latest and greatest" Manticore. But now I think I'll just stay with the etrac for a bit longer - not worth wasting $2300AUD.
I wish ML would put the etrac in the Manticore frame.
Very thorugh! Appreciative! Long live the V3i! The V3i has a beautiful brilliant color coded graph in scan, pinpoint, and identifying Electro MagnetInterference (EMI). I watched a video that a White's representative stood beside his pickup and stated he was over 6' foot tall and held a White's straight up over his head and dropped the machine on a concrete sidewalk he picked it up and even though it had just took a licking he turned it on and it kept on ticking. Will any of the newer metal detectors demonstrate such a robust ability? Just the facts Joe! lol White's Spectra V3i has a beautiful ability to explain the wrap around in their beautiful manual. The 'wrap around' has the ability in the expert menu to turn it on and off! Some use it and appreciate it! Metal detecting forums from the days of yesteryear was elaborating on the 'wrap around' and quite often it was used in convertible technology 1.) Wrap around. 2. iron falsying. Imagine that! To understand either concept is best understood when one studies 'wrap around'. I will never sell my White's Spectra V3i! The V3i had the ability to show black sand for gold prospecting. I have only seen 'perhaps' (1) one person use the prospecting mode. On some of the forums some mention the V3i was frustrating and premised on the arduous learning curve they wanted to challenge the V3i to a friendly sport of kick boxing. Stating they wanted to send it into a tree at a high rate of speed. The only reason they didn't they were staring straight into an age old adage a fool and his money will soon separate. I have only seen a handful that stuck with the V3i and those who were not 'quitters' went on to learn metal detecting. Many agree the V3i is the best instructor a detectorist could have hold in their hand. Computers teach patience! The V3i teaches patience! The V3i shows a beautiful color coded graph showing ample information the others say: Beep, beep, beep. And they have very little information at all! The operators are swinging a coil over the ground that has multiple freq./kHz and little to no information. They scratch their head and assert my detector is 'chatty'! Imaging that! Thanks for the appreciated informational video.
The biggest issue with the V3i was it was way ahead if it's time. Users were not ready. It's still a beautiful machine. Fyi: I was a Whites dealer.
@@mowerdog Thanks for the Fyi. I knew you were a White's dealer! Quite informative!
Fantastic video mate!!! Perfect in the point ! My issue is more to performance where in you at easy ground manticore works perfect but where you have mineralised difficult area Minelab it’s blind and showing coins as a iron in very shallow ground compared to etrac or ctx that’s my report.
You have to back off of the Manticores gain in those situations. I was running the Manticore too hot and was digging deep iron. But backing the gain down 2-3 notches clears that up.
Other day I did something completely different and max out sensitivity with stabiliser on 5. And it did worked better after little while 🤔
Yes you have pointed out it's faults, but it finds more items in the ground at greater depths than my Nox 800 which I recently sold...which after all is why we use the machines...it's more sensitive and intuitive too, you can use more power /sensitivity and the EMI reduction is superb...I love mine...
I confirm. I like mine too. It just needs some tweaking.
Very good review. The only thing i would add is i would like more control over the ferrous discrimination. The CTX 3030 has more contol over this feature. If i bring the ferrous discrimination up to hear ferrous coins, all targets below the ferrous coins to the conductive line also creates a sound on the Manticore. In short I would like to be able to move the starting point and end point of the ferrous discrimination, not just the end point moving toward the conductive line.
I should have added. I think the Manticore is a great detector and I do not go back to the CTX 3030, but still have it.
I sold my etrac mostly to help justify the cost of the Manticore to my wife! LOL. If ML updates the etrac and keeps the FBS technology I will be selling the Manticore.
Man, you're so right about those side buttons. My pet hate of the 800, especially when you have a cover over the box...it's damned near impossible to feel those buttons.
They're running out the E-trac in a couple of stores in Australia at the moment for like $550usd, so I grabbed one. I'm super interested to see if I can go over my old ground I've hit with the Nox and find any coins. So of my older friends seem to think I will, particularly if I change out the standard coil for a 13" or 15".
The 11 inch coil can be ran at higher gain than the larger coils you mentioned. Meaning a never saw a difference in depth between the 11 and 13 ultimate coil on the etrac.
@@mowerdog that's interesting, great info...cheers 😉
@@mowerdog So I got the E-trac out for the first time today, man I tell you, I'm super impressed with that thing. I absolutely love the tones, and I pulled up deep coins from my front yard immediately and I must have smashed that area with the Nox and other things a dozen times or more.
I miss my etrac. I had every coil available. I found the stock 11 coil was the best.
@@blackie75 I miss my etrac. I wish ml came out with a faster, lighter version.
I am going to do some gold ring shooting. I have a White's Spectra V3i and several coils for it. With the polar plot feature and sizing it should be an advantage? What coils would you suggest? I have a Minelab Equinox 800 and the coil it came with. Which of these 2 would you suggest will be the best for 'gold ring shooting'? Do you have a program for them? Thanks!
First off...the v3i was way ahead of its time. The bell curve and pinpoint mode were a great indicator of a mid tone target, such as a ring. However, gold rings can come in all across the TID range. So you should be digging all targets looking for gold regardless of which frequency is hitting the best. For this and the added weight, less depth, I would choose the 800. What you could do is use some marking flags and flag 20 targets. Go over the targets with both and see which machine fits your hunting style best.
@@mowerdogThank you! I knew you had used many different detectors, and had been a dealer for White's. You can also utilize the beep machines with the best! Are you still using the Manticore? Thanks!
@donaldlee6699 I still use the Manticore. But since it cost so much and the build quality is just good, I didn't use it for river hunting all last year. My backup detector Vanquish 540 isn't waterproof, so I missed out on several river hunts. I have a Nokta Double Score coming for a backup and river hunts.
@@mowerdog Manticore 'quality' is 'just good'? The Equinox 800 leaves a lot to be desired. The White's Spectra V3i is good build quality. I believe the Equinox 700 and 900 has better coils and shafts that will work on the Equinox and are better quality?
Nokta is a hard act to follow!
Addendum: What is the best pinpointer? I just bought the Nokta accupointer.
@@mowerdog What metal detector have you found the most gold rings with? You relied mostly on the beep tone? The VDI may be all over the place? VDI (Visual Discrimination Indication numbers).
Thanks.
You're welcome
Vanquish is a great machine, no chatter and smart
I've had it on the wet salt beach in florida and it worked great.
@@mowerdog I wish it had a little more heavy duty coil like my G2 has for working wooded areas. But that's all I can point out.
I still love my slow V3i
One old timer "Uncle Bill" used to call it a video game on a stick! I'm not sure if he's still with us? I really enjoyed his knowledge and wit.
I use the Avantree Torus neck speakers exclusively with my Legend, cannot say enough how great they work, but they won’t work with the Manticore or the new Equinox’s , I use to have an Equinox sold it for the Legend, no regrets.
I don't know why ML can't just stick with bluetooth!
Great I thought it was me with that pinpoint. It’s a good machine but it has its issues. Apparently the testers had the red ID numbers on there machines. So that’s been done. I’ve found it annoying with the new ID numbers. Why did they not make it switchable. 50 or 100 I’d numbers. I’ve been spending time trying to hone those deep tones..but the machine does love small stuff and give a deep scale reading. Very annoying. It’s a different machine to the Nox so I’ve got to stop comparing it to it. It has a bigger learning curve. But I tend to keep my setting simple. All terrain general. Always manual ground balance. Let it find a nice quiet frequency. Run at 4 on recovery speed. Do away with the bottom ferrous line and run the top at 3. Enhanced on the audio works for me. I might modify my stems to stop them rotating..they drive me mad. And fit an anti glare glass phone screen protector. Enjoy everyone happy hunting. Regards Jim UK
I sell anti glare screen protectors on ebay. But you can buy one for an iPad or.... then cut it to fit. Mine are cut with a laser.
the tdi id is nowhere near as good as the etrac or 3030.
I would agree with this 100%.
in two years they will announce Manticore 2 all these issues will be fixed.
We can hope
OMG!
OMG what? LOL I gotcha
I will stick with my 540.
The 540 is a beast
Thank you! It's so frustrating having to go into edit mode to see what you previously created. So many good points brought up, I 100% agree with them all. I want to see everything you mentioned implemented, yesterday! Get on it Minelab!
One additional change. I want a menu that cycles around. My god I hate going up and down. Guess where I'm going after I reach the top? The bottom!
I also don't like how the menu jumps up to the next menu grouping. Increment one menu for each press of the button. My brain is working overload as it is, I don't like the display to jump around.
Software programmers should never be left in charge of designing the user interface. Hire a professional UX software expert Minelab. Ask me how I know!
I saw a Manticore with the 'Red' numbers, she was handsome. So much easier on the brain to know what the heck the ferrous TID was.
TKS!
GL👨🦯HH
I brought the issue with the menu not looping back around on the Dankowski forum. He is one of the engineers who worked on it. He said that they didn't make the menu loop because it could confuse some users... wtf? I will likely make a part two with additional issues as they arise. Where has common sense gone in engineering. Were these issues brought up with the field testers? Who knows?
@@pigeonbloodruby5330 You are correct!
I wouldn't buy a 900 or a Manticore. I'll stick with my 800. They are cheaper now also.
The 800 is a super value now.
Don't sell your 540
It's a keeper
I ended up going withe 900.its a great Beach Machine..I use the 540 for towel line, I'm surprised how sensitive it is..Keep digging 👍👊
@@davidfrazier1186 The 540 is ML best kept secret.
I hard it gets coins on the edge I got a Barber Half on edge 14 inches.
Hi their Kenny, I'm new to metal detecting, I have chosen the Vanquish 540. I am going shopping soon to buy the V8 coil ! Have you used yours often , as you mentioned in another video you had an operation on your shoulder . I have had Capsulitis on my shoulder so not as strong as i used to be! Would you recommend the V8 coil. Many thanks and perhaps i will hear from you soon Ian
The 10 inch coil is the best. You won't take it off.