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2nd day with the nifty Apex. So far, I'm generally impressed.

Monte

Well-known member
My new Apex / Z-Link package arrived just after noon yesterday and I was more than prepared to get started with my evaluation. Before I take any detector afield, I like to have an idea of what to expect from it, so I use a number of Test Scenarios to learn its behavior for different site challenges as well as what it might do, or not do, for some dedicated/anticipated searches. Also, I don't what to 'guess' what it might do compared with a different make or model, I want to 'know' what it can and can't do so I put it to the test, side-by-side, with a number of detectors I own and use, modern / current manufacture to some proven but slightly older units.

I ducked back in at home for lunch at noon and I'll be head back out to a couple of different locations to work it afield in an assortment of site environments and different mineralization, making sure I use both the MF and selectable single frequencies to compare a lot of the located targets prior to recovery. Going to go work a newer park that was established across the road from some very old houses. I've tried it before with minimal success, but it hints to maybe having some older coin potential and I think it might make a good site to sample with the 6X11 DD 'Viper' search coil.

The Z-Lynk MS3 wireless headphones are not new to me as I bought a complete set a month or two back and enjoy using them on my other detectors with the Tx and RX modals, and of course taking advantage of being able to hear my AT Z-Lynk ProPointer in the headphones. :thumbup: With my hearing loss it gets annoying having to pause to remove an ear-cup to try and hear the Pinpointer and then putting the ear-cup back in place to get back to hunting. I was curious if there was any performance issues or audio quality with the Apex talking to the Headphones, and there hasn't been. They work great, as usual.

I have preferred smaller-size coils since '68 and really hope Garrett will bring out a good smaller, round-shaped coil for the Apex to help handle the tougher sites with dense, closely-associated ferrous debris. From my work so far with the Apex, I know that a smaller coil would be a real benefit for all-purpose performance. Now, don't take that wrong because I am not putting own the 6X11 DD coil, and am mostly quite impressed with the lighter-weight of the 'Viper' coil, and especially surprised by the performance I have had with it so far. I consider it to be a blended size that I call mid-big since it is just a wee bit larger than the 5X8 or 5X9½ mid-size coils I like to use in more open, less-trashy hunt sites.

Because it isn't a heavy coil, it lets the Apex remain comfortable-to-use and not be 'nose-heavy', and coupled with a proper and functional 'S' rod design and the very nice contoured rubber grip, it adds to the attractive looks of the Apex, especially once you see just how small and compact-sized the control housing is! The Apex not only looks like something you'd like to use, it performs like something you actually enjoy using, too. Especially folks like me who do not enjoy 'complexity' and like to have a product that is basically straightforward and simple-to-use .... and on that note, the Apex is easily in the 'simple' category. Simple, but it displays decent performance. You need to look at the MSRP of the Apex and compare it with other detectors on the market today in a comparative price point to appreciate what it features and what it can do.

Perfect? Absolutely not because there isn't such a thing as a 'perfect' metal detector, and there are so many different opinions and expectations among consumers that you can't expect 'perfection.' I have noted a couple of performance weaknesses that I'll share with the folks at Garrett, but I'm enjoying a lot of performance strengths and those I'll share with readers when they inquire. Now, don't wait for me to start making wild claims of fantastic depth-of-detection and talking 'deep-deep-deep!' like we read about so often on various Forums. With 5½ decades of very avid detecting under my belt I have found some 'deeper' coins, in an honest 7+" to 11" depth-range .... but they come my way very seldom The majority of the places I hunt, be them a private yard to a park or school, to a remote site of former activity
(aka Relic Hunting), most coins, trade tokens, jewelry and all sorts of typical desirables are located from surface to 5", maybe 6". I seldom work sand or very loose-type soil, and a good 80% or more of the locations I frequent I am dealing with higher mineralized ground.

My settings never use any 'notch' function to reject some up-scale target range like Pull-Tabs, and I set my 'Custom' mode settings to Accept the two Disc. segments below the default Relic mode settings because I do like to hear some ferrous targets, such as a lot of the Iron Nails that fall in that VDI range. A always operate at maximum Sensitivity unless there is too much EMI, then I reduce it just to the point of stability, or the fringe thereof. I'm finding the Apex to pinpoint quite well for an elliptical DD coil, and most of the numeric VDI responses have locked-on well enough to get a comfortable visual indication of what I might be going after.

I've rambled too long and my lunch is long-gone, so I'll close this and head back out for a little more Apex-Hunting. However, I will leave you with one more observation I came to right-away and am more sure of the more I hunt ..... the Garrett Apex is an enjoyable, 'fun' detector to use, and that means a lot. If I am not having 'fun' then I ought to be doing something else. All the best of success to readers, and if you now have an Apex or are expecting one soon, when you get out there take the time to learn it well, and have the patience to not get too picky right way. Consider its strengths and weaknesses, then enjoy your investment.

Monte
 
Monte,have fun and enjoy the new Garrett Apex.. I look forward to hearing more from you about the performance out in the field at all those diff sites you hunt.Stay well and best of luck to you..
 
Let’s talk more about the results of your MNBPT with that stock coil...... let’s talk more about how it does with ANY kind of iron around. Not just dense iron....
 
My new Apex / Z-Link package arrived just after noon yesterday and I was more than prepared to get started with my evaluation. Before I take any detector afield, I like to have an idea of what to expect from it, so I use a number of Test Scenarios to learn its behavior for different site challenges as well as what it might do, or not do, for some dedicated/anticipated searches. Also, I don't what to 'guess' what it might do compared with a different make or model, I want to 'know' what it can and can't do so I put it to the test, side-by-side, with a number of detectors I own and use, modern / current manufacture to some proven but slightly older units.

I ducked back in at home for lunch at noon and I'll be head back out to a couple of different locations to work it afield in an assortment of site environments and different mineralization, making sure I use both the MF and selectable single frequencies to compare a lot of the located targets prior to recovery. Going to go work a newer park that was established across the road from some very old houses. I've tried it before with minimal success, but it hints to maybe having some older coin potential and I think it might make a good site to sample with the 6X11 DD 'Viper' search coil.

The Z-Lynk MS3 wireless headphones are not new to me as I bought a complete set a month or two back and enjoy using them on my other detectors with the Tx and RX modals, and of course taking advantage of being able to hear my AT Z-Lynk ProPointer in the headphones. :thumbup: With my hearing loss it gets annoying having to pause to remove an ear-cup to try and hear the Pinpointer and then putting the ear-cup back in place to get back to hunting. I was curious if there was any performance issues or audio quality with the Apex talking to the Headphones, and there hasn't been. They work great, as usual.

I have preferred smaller-size coils since '68 and really hope Garrett will bring out a good smaller, round-shaped coil for the Apex to help handle the tougher sites with dense, closely-associated ferrous debris. From my work so far with the Apex, I know that a smaller coil would be a real benefit for all-purpose performance. Now, don't take that wrong because I am not putting own the 6X11 DD coil, and am mostly quite impressed with the lighter-weight of the 'Viper' coil, and especially surprised by the performance I have had with it so far. I consider it to be a blended size that I call mid-big since it is just a wee bit larger than the 5X8 or 5X9½ mid-size coils I like to use in more open, less-trashy hunt sites.

Because it isn't a heavy coil, it lets the Apex remain comfortable-to-use and not be 'nose-heavy', and coupled with a proper and functional 'S' rod design and the very nice contoured rubber grip, it adds to the attractive looks of the Apex, especially once you see just how small and compact-sized the control housing is! The Apex not only looks like something you'd like to use, it performs like something you actually enjoy using, too. Especially folks like me who do not enjoy 'complexity' and like to have a product that is basically straightforward and simple-to-use .... and on that note, the Apex is easily in the 'simple' category. Simple, but it displays decent performance. You need to look at the MSRP of the Apex and compare it with other detectors on the market today in a comparative price point to appreciate what it features and what it can do.

Perfect? Absolutely not because there isn't such a thing as a 'perfect' metal detector, and there are so many different opinions and expectations among consumers that you can't expect 'perfection.' I have noted a couple of performance weaknesses that I'll share with the folks at Garrett, but I'm enjoying a lot of performance strengths and those I'll share with readers when they inquire. Now, don't wait for me to start making wild claims of fantastic depth-of-detection and talking 'deep-deep-deep!' like we read about so often on various Forums. With 5½ decades of very avid detecting under my belt I have found some 'deeper' coins, in an honest 7+" to 11" depth-range .... but they come my way very seldom The majority of the places I hunt, be them a private yard to a park or school, to a remote site of former activity
(aka Relic Hunting), most coins, trade tokens, jewelry and all sorts of typical desirables are located from surface to 5", maybe 6". I seldom work sand or very loose-type soil, and a good 80% or more of the locations I frequent I am dealing with higher mineralized ground.

My settings never use any 'notch' function to reject some up-scale target range like Pull-Tabs, and I set my 'Custom' mode settings to Accept the two Disc. segments below the default Relic mode settings because I do like to hear some ferrous targets, such as a lot of the Iron Nails that fall in that VDI range. A always operate at maximum Sensitivity unless there is too much EMI, then I reduce it just to the point of stability, or the fringe thereof. I'm finding the Apex to pinpoint quite well for an elliptical DD coil, and most of the numeric VDI responses have locked-on well enough to get a comfortable visual indication of what I might be going after.

I've rambled too long and my lunch is long-gone, so I'll close this and head back out for a little more Apex-Hunting. However, I will leave you with one more observation I came to right-away and am more sure of the more I hunt ..... the Garrett Apex is an enjoyable, 'fun' detector to use, and that means a lot. If I am not having 'fun' then I ought to be doing something else. All the best of success to readers, and if you now have an Apex or are expecting one soon, when you get out there take the time to learn it well, and have the patience to not get too picky right way. Consider its strengths and weaknesses, then enjoy your investment.

Monte




Nice! I found the discrimination of the APEX very similar to the AT Pro. It has a knack for distinguishing different penny conductivity, in my area, I have copper pennies, zinc pennies, memorial pennies, Canadian pennies, steel Canadian pennies and large cents. Yet, they all read in the 70-80 VDI range,each have their own niche in this range. The Apex also seems to have less gain then the AT Max. It isn't as chatty, although I like to hunt with a little bit of chattiness, listening for positive deep sounds suggesting a deep signal. The only ACE feature this detector has seems to be the color and nice light, balanced design. I predominantly hunt with the multi-frequency, as after multiple tests, with different frequencies, it seems to average the best results for coin sized objects. However, I am still in the learning stage, and expect to add many more hours to gain much more confidence with this machine. Winter is coming.....a whole new environment to play in.
 
Monte,
I did not know you were a"Well-Known Member" I thought we both started in 69? I name all my six inch coils Monte. My wife calls my six inch Monte. I think she prefers a larger. Regards, George Kinsey o_O
 
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