jimmy clark
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anyone who uses them, I would like some feedback on the vanquest, detectors
vanquest detectors
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Monte
"In Memory of"
They are the Vanquish series, and what would you like to know? I have the 540 Pro Pack (meaning 2 coils and wireless headphones) and I have found it to work well. I keep the 5X8 DD mounted full-time for the majority of locations I would grab it. Now, what would you like to learn? Are you trying to compare it with any particular make or model detectors? What types of applications would you use one for?jimmy clark: said:
Monte
Hi Jimmy Clark, as Radish and Monte questioned.....I think you are asking about the Minelab Vanquish????
I have owned and tested all three models. They are great detectors and totally worth the ridiculously low price one pays for them. After owning and liking two X-Terra series detectors and an Explorer, I would pick a Vanquish 440 or 540 over the XTs and Explorer in a heartbeat.
The Vanquish are really comfortable to swing, they detect with great target ID accuracy all the way down to a little beyond their coil circumference in any kind of ground except for super mineralized dirt, they work great on wet or dry salt sand and most of all, they not only are really good detectors, they are also really fun detectors to use. If you want the basic model, the Vanquish 440 has every feature one would need for normal detecting with a great little 3 tone detector. The 340 lacks a pinpoint mode and an easy way to check for iron. The 540 adds 2 more tones, more iron bias possibilities and more discrimination/notching options along with wireless audio.
The only drawback of the Vanquish series which both Monte and I have repeatedly pointed out is that since they are simultaneous multi frequency detectors, Minelab in all their wisdom, did not include a way to manually ground balance them. In really hot mineralized dirt, they will not auto ground balance. So, the hot ground becomes an audible target in the lowest iron range which makes all targets sound like they have iron around them. There is an easy work around but ......... that should not be necessary. Not adding a way to ground balance these excellent detectors is just plain dumb.
Otherwise, on mild to moderately mineralized ground that is not absolutely a carpet of man-made iron or aluminum trash, I would pick a Vanquish without hesitation for a fun, no nonsense, get the job done detector. Are they as good as an Equinox.......NO.
I have owned and tested all three models. They are great detectors and totally worth the ridiculously low price one pays for them. After owning and liking two X-Terra series detectors and an Explorer, I would pick a Vanquish 440 or 540 over the XTs and Explorer in a heartbeat.
The Vanquish are really comfortable to swing, they detect with great target ID accuracy all the way down to a little beyond their coil circumference in any kind of ground except for super mineralized dirt, they work great on wet or dry salt sand and most of all, they not only are really good detectors, they are also really fun detectors to use. If you want the basic model, the Vanquish 440 has every feature one would need for normal detecting with a great little 3 tone detector. The 340 lacks a pinpoint mode and an easy way to check for iron. The 540 adds 2 more tones, more iron bias possibilities and more discrimination/notching options along with wireless audio.
The only drawback of the Vanquish series which both Monte and I have repeatedly pointed out is that since they are simultaneous multi frequency detectors, Minelab in all their wisdom, did not include a way to manually ground balance them. In really hot mineralized dirt, they will not auto ground balance. So, the hot ground becomes an audible target in the lowest iron range which makes all targets sound like they have iron around them. There is an easy work around but ......... that should not be necessary. Not adding a way to ground balance these excellent detectors is just plain dumb.
Otherwise, on mild to moderately mineralized ground that is not absolutely a carpet of man-made iron or aluminum trash, I would pick a Vanquish without hesitation for a fun, no nonsense, get the job done detector. Are they as good as an Equinox.......NO.
woodbutcher
Forum Supporter
I wonder if they could ad a gb on the 540 through a update?
jimmy clark
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vanquish
thanks all. sorry for the wrong spelling. I was just looking for a cheaper an lighter detector to use along with my dfx. ive been detecting for 29 years. water hunting for 25 of those 29 years along with land hunting. now that I'm older I don't stray to far from home anymore. schools, parks, sport fields etc. but anyway thanks all for the input.
thanks all. sorry for the wrong spelling. I was just looking for a cheaper an lighter detector to use along with my dfx. ive been detecting for 29 years. water hunting for 25 of those 29 years along with land hunting. now that I'm older I don't stray to far from home anymore. schools, parks, sport fields etc. but anyway thanks all for the input.
A Vanquish 440 or 540 would work really well for your detecting situations in my opinion. I personally would not pick the 340. It just doesn't have enough adjustablilty for an experienced detector user. For a beginner or child, the 340 is fine. The 440 has just the right amount of tones and notching abilities along with the excellent 10" coil that gives the 440 outstanding ergonomics. The 12" coil on the 540 makes it a bit nose heavy, but after swinging the DFX, the Vanquish is very lightweight no matter what model you get.
Using the pinpoint button for ground balance makes sense to me. Short press takes you into and out of pinpointing. A long press with pumping does a quick ground grab. That could work on the 440 or 540.
jimmy clark
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ground balance with pinpoint button
Ive never heard of being able to ground balance with the pinpointer button can someone else comment on this?
Ive never heard of being able to ground balance with the pinpointer button can someone else comment on this?
jimmy clark
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pinpoint button for ground balance
oh I see what your saying. you could use the same button for ground balance as for pinpointing if they wonted to ad that feature. they should ad that feature on an update.
oh I see what your saying. you could use the same button for ground balance as for pinpointing if they wonted to ad that feature. they should ad that feature on an update.
cmason122
Junior Member
I recently purchased the Minelab Vanquish 540 pro pack and I really like it. I owed a Fisher 22 prior and the Vanquish is much better. I hav.e found 5 silver coins so far and I can vouch that this machine goes deep with good sound and read outs. I’m very pleased. I haven’t used the 8” coil yet
Sorry if I wasn't clear. Woody asked a great question.
XP does the same thing on the Deus (in Gold Field) and on the ORX in any mode.
The Equinox pinpoint button has two functions also=pinpointing and detect/home mode.
jimmy clark
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fixed, not auto g.b.
the vanquish must have fixed not auto gb. if theres no button to push like ground grab or like my dfx which they do call auto gb, then its fixed. set at the company.
the vanquish must have fixed not auto gb. if theres no button to push like ground grab or like my dfx which they do call auto gb, then its fixed. set at the company.
Since the Vanquish and Equinox detectors are simultaneous multi frequency detectors, they cannot have a single fixed ground balance. Running a detector on two or three frequencies simultaneously means that each frequency has its own separate optimal ground balance number. Those numbers have to be averaged together by the Minelab Multi IQ signal processors. So the Vanquish and Equinox are doing a form of automatic ground balance tracking all of the time depending on changing ground conditions.
Unlike the Equinox which has user adjustable manual, automatic and tracking ground balance features along with the automatic ones happening in the background and noise reduction features, the Vanquish does a noise reduction adjustment and quick ground balance during the automatic startup procedure after powering it on. Some of the fine print in the tiny Vanquish manual talks about powering it on and waiting for 5 seconds. All of the noise reduction and initial ground balancing happens automatically during that time.
Metal Pig
Forum Supporter
I was considering a Vanquish and also a Simplex+. I fully understand why Minelabs are all the rage now. But personally I'm somehow more attracted to the Nokta/Makros. I realize full well you are in for less swinging with a Minelab, but Nokta makes multis too, just not simultaneous multis. But isnt that ok? Personally I just like the build, the water-friendliness, and control you have with Nokta products. I understand a few high end Tesoros have multiple frequencies too and have amazing custom controls, albeit with an old-school kind of interface. I am like 80% audio and 20% visual when it comes to detecting anyway. Even when I had a detector with a screen I didnt find myself watching it as much as listening.
Monte
"In Memory of"
The Vanquish do have a fixed or preset GB. It is not impossible for a SMF detector to be designed that way. The problem with them is that it is different between the Coin & Jewelry modes than the Relic mode, and it is especially noticeable in a more mineralized ground environment when you compare the first two modes with the third and activating the "All Metal" push button.jimmy clark: said:
The Vanquish models do not have a true, Threshold-based All Metal mode, and activating that switch simply puts it into an All Metal ACCEPT Discriminate mode by accepting all of the Disc. notch segments. That is similar to the Garrett Apex in 'ZERO' mode, referring to Zero Discrimination, thus accepting all ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Many other makes and models provide a similar Zero-Disc. setting whereby they can accept both ferrous and non-ferrous targets.
With the Vanquish series, and I own and use the V-540 Pro Pack unit and have both coils, I was quickly able to determine the 'fixed GB' behavior in the first ten or fifteen minutes of checking the detector out. Once selecting a mode you can activate the 'All Metal' function and bob the search coil from about 6" to about ½"-1" and back up several times. You will note the difference in audio behavior between the Coin or Jewelry modes and the Relic mode.
In some modes you will hear an audio 'beep' or 'audio response' as the search coil approaches the mineralized ground, and this is the behavior of a too-positive GB setting. Yet in a different mode you hear an audio report when the search coil is lifted away from the ground, which is the behavior of having a too negative GB setting.
During a search of a site, using the All Metal activated zero-Disc. function can cause a lot of false signals, and that was what happened to me when I first started hunting with my V-540 and checked out the different search modes. I was searching an old-use site that has mineralized dirt, but it had dips and depressions as well as humps or rises in the surface texture to sweep over.
Depending upon the mode used, with 'All Metal' activated, you would hear a false 'beep' or audio response from sweeping over a depression or void in a mode with a too-negative GB function, or when sweeping over a small mound or elevated soil when the coil came closer when in a more positive GB designed mode.
I don't care for all the false signals, and I live in and hunt in very mineralized ground conditions so it is more notable than if hunting in mild or mellow ground. Therefore, i do not use the 'All Metal' function at all. I search in the 'Custom' mode and I accept ALL of the Disc. segments except the first two. That way I hear most ferrous and non-ferrous targets, but do not experience the false responses caused by the fixed GB assigned to the particular mode I based the Custom program on.
The Noise Cancel function has nothing to do with the GB behavior of the Vanquish modes. I discussed this early-on with Minelab and verified the Vanquish series rely on a fixed GB design. I wish they had a way to incorporate a manual GB with the Vanquish, but it is what it is.
Monte
Originally Posted by Monte
"The Vanquish do have a fixed or preset GB. It is not impossible for a SMF detector to be designed that way. The problem with them is that it is different between the Coin & Jewelry modes than the Relic mode, and it is especially noticeable in a more mineralized ground environment when you compare the first two modes with the third and activating the "All Metal" push button."
Monte, I have to respectfully disagree with you on your use of the terms "fixed" or "preset" ground balance being present on the Vanquish. It does not have a user adjustable ground balance feature. It does have ground balancing happening in the background. Unfortunately for users like you, me and both of the gentlemen that I will quote below, it cannot keep up or automatically adjust enough to handle high mineralization like what we sometimes experience.
The two gentlemen that I will quote from below know exactly what they are talking about and have more understanding for the automatic ground balancing system employed by Minelab's Multi IQ system than I will ever know. These quotes were in response to a question about the Vanquish and its lack of manual ground balance on the Detector Prospector forum.
"Multi frequency (Multi IQ on the Vanquish) inherently provides the ability to do some "on-the-fly" ground compensation for both soil and salt beach wet sand. It is not as sophisticated as dedicated auto ground balance or ground tracking used on single frequency machines or even the Multi IQ-based Equinox."
Chase Goldman
"Actually most of the multifrequency detectors ever made by Minelab have had no ground balance control, because the processing is done via frequency comparison and compensation, as Chase has noted. The CTX 3030 was the first to offer a true ground balance. The E-TRAC prior to the CTX only had a Neutral and Difficult ground setting."
Steve Herschbach
So, hopefully Minelab will give the Vanquish series the ability to at least have something similar to what was employed on the early E-Tracs like a neutral and difficult ground adjustment setting.
"The Vanquish do have a fixed or preset GB. It is not impossible for a SMF detector to be designed that way. The problem with them is that it is different between the Coin & Jewelry modes than the Relic mode, and it is especially noticeable in a more mineralized ground environment when you compare the first two modes with the third and activating the "All Metal" push button."
Monte, I have to respectfully disagree with you on your use of the terms "fixed" or "preset" ground balance being present on the Vanquish. It does not have a user adjustable ground balance feature. It does have ground balancing happening in the background. Unfortunately for users like you, me and both of the gentlemen that I will quote below, it cannot keep up or automatically adjust enough to handle high mineralization like what we sometimes experience.
The two gentlemen that I will quote from below know exactly what they are talking about and have more understanding for the automatic ground balancing system employed by Minelab's Multi IQ system than I will ever know. These quotes were in response to a question about the Vanquish and its lack of manual ground balance on the Detector Prospector forum.
"Multi frequency (Multi IQ on the Vanquish) inherently provides the ability to do some "on-the-fly" ground compensation for both soil and salt beach wet sand. It is not as sophisticated as dedicated auto ground balance or ground tracking used on single frequency machines or even the Multi IQ-based Equinox."
Chase Goldman
"Actually most of the multifrequency detectors ever made by Minelab have had no ground balance control, because the processing is done via frequency comparison and compensation, as Chase has noted. The CTX 3030 was the first to offer a true ground balance. The E-TRAC prior to the CTX only had a Neutral and Difficult ground setting."
Steve Herschbach
So, hopefully Minelab will give the Vanquish series the ability to at least have something similar to what was employed on the early E-Tracs like a neutral and difficult ground adjustment setting.
Monte
"In Memory of"
And I will respectfully disagree right back for the following reasons:jmaclen: said:
1.. I noted immediately the too-positive or too-negative GB behavior of the three Vanquish 540 modes , and Noise Cancel and pumping and sweeping and just letting the detector try to 'analyze' and adjust for the ground mineral issues doesn't happen. I had an EQ-800 and checked it in three of the same locations with the GB at the '0' setting (a 'fixed' or 'preset' GB setting, and I had similar behavior in some of the modes when i activated the All Metal function. To correct the issues I simply adjusted the Ground balance and all-was-well.
There are a couple of other 'tests' I do with detectors that rely on a preset GB for some of their search modes and it shows a lack of adjustment on the upper-end of the Discrimination range when it comes to GB.
2.. After I bought my 1st Vanquish 540 and noted the errant behavior in those three modes, I sent it in to repair with several pages of description of what it was doing and asked if they could tweak the internal GB trimmer .... IF IT HAD ONE.
It was finally returned to me without a written explanation of what they didn't / couldn't do. I did receive a phone call from a service tech supervisor and they expressed the issue and sent the info on to Minelab in Aussieland.
From that I received a phone call and had a discussion about the Vanquish series, their different design from the Equinox, and confirmation that the GB design of the Vanquish isn't an automated type or tied in with Noise Cancel, etc. It is simply there, as in 'fixed' or 'preset' and not adjustable, and was something to consider for an update .... if it was doable.
Again, it only occurs when the All Metal activation accepts all of the Disc. segments, so I reject the first two and hunt along quite well, without any issues of a falsing behavior, and with very good performance for what the V-540 is capable of.
Monte
PS: I have owned 3 V-540's and they all behaved the same over the same locations I checked them out at. It wasn't just a on-time fluke. Also, I owned over a half-dozen FBS models and could demonstrate to people how they had an auto-tracking type system to compensate for GB changes. It was a slow-acting automated system, but you could hear the changes from an altered GB.