I recently picked up a slightly used Vortex VX7 for less than $275 two weeks ago and updated it to the latest software version. It came with the 11X8.5" Raider coil. I have hunted with it a few times since then and today I did a head to head with my Deus 2 WS6 with 11" coil running the latest v4.20 software.
I was able to borrow a VX9 right after it was released. That detector's target ID system for USA coins was a mess. Garrett got most of that straightened out by summer of 2025, when I borrowed another VX9 with the latest software.
I hadn't used a Vortex since the recent February software updates, so I thought I would once again give the Vortex another go. That update was supposed to have additional software adjustments to help the VX7 and VX9 handle higher magnetite soil conditions.
Basically, the Vortex has really struggled in the past where I detect on the moderate to high magnetite levels in the partially volcanic soil here. I have tried to work with Garrett in order to get the Vortex more stable and less likely to call mid depth (4" to 6") good non ferrous targets iron in this dirt and to stabilize target IDs even more. The previous VX9s I tested using 5 tones would often respond with 3 or 4 of the 5 tones on many 4 to 6" deep targets along with corresponding target IDs which made it really hard to get any kind of consistent accuracy for a dig/no dig selective digging decision even on what I would call simple, no brainer, US coin targets at easy depths for most recent Minelab, Nokta and XP SMF VLF detectors.
I sent a report to Garrett last summer that included the first photo below of targets found by the Vortex VX9 in a 10' X 50' area of a local, very trashy park. I was just digging targets with clear 2 way hits and somewhat stable, repeatable target IDs. I did not go after one way hits or targets deeper than 6". The photo shows what I recovered after detecting the area with the VX9 and then detecting the exact same marked off area with my Deus 2 WS6 Master and 11" coil. I was not happy with those results and a big part of it was that many of the targets I recovered with the VX9 were just barely stable enough to fall under the parameters I had set. For Deus 2 WS6 running the General program to hit that many viable targets and hit them with unmistakable certainty was discouraging as far as the barely scraping by level of VX9 performance.
View attachment pic6.jpg
Ground conditions today were moist with a 4 to 6" soft dirt/sand mix layer over very hard, mostly dry clay conglomerate underneath. Most recent targets are in that top 6"of softer dirt that does contain plenty of magnetite. The public park visited has had constant use since the late 1890s so a wide variety of modern and older targets are possible.
Unfortunately, even with the latest software update, today's hunt had very similar results as last summers hunts with the VX9. I hunted with the latest software update VX7 with 11X8.5" coil in zero mode /Multi with sensitivity on 6, iron volume on 2, recovery speed 1, bottle caps 0, iron boundary 0, iron audio OFF, 5 tones. Deus 2 WS6 was using 11" coil in the General program with disc at 10, sensitivity 90, frequency max on 40 kHz, notch off, bottle cap reject 0, silencer 0, reactivity speed 2.5, iron audio volume 4, audio gain 4, high square 5 tone audio with tone breaks set for USA coins.
I hunted a 10 X 50' area first with the VX7. There were a lot of iron audio responses and fragmented one way, very iffy responses that I did not spend much time on since they were outside the parameters I noted earlier and had set for this comparison too. I use the same parameters with newbies in order to get them started successfully instead of chasing every tiny pop or spit coming from these latest, very sensitive SMF VLF detectors. Some of the coin targets were 4" deep or a bit more and they had repeatable, solid hits and target ID numbers. That was an improvement over last summer's barely acceptable responses. There were still some targets that had to have the coil perfectly centered over them in order to fully stabilize tone responses and target IDs. Initially I was encouraged that Garrett had made some adjustments that actually worked well here.
I was very disheartened however, when I started finding more coins, especially US quarter and nickel targets in the exact same area with Deus 2 WS6 Master. Deus 2 ran much more quietly and with great target ID and tone stability. There were also plenty of one way, iffy non ferrous responses which I again skipped. However, nothing that I recovered with Deus 2 WS6 Master was in any way iffy, and I basically called the target's identify before digging them.
View attachment IMG_6598.jpg
Current price for the Vortex VX7 is $535 US. Add $100 for Garrett's proprietary wireless headphones, so $635. Price of a basic XP Deus 2 WS6 Master is $799 US.
I've dug over $1000 US in clad coins every year since 2019 using recently produced Minelab, Nokta and XP simultaneous multi frequency detectors and that is on public park and public school property, not at private permission sites or beaches. Digging one to two hundred US coins per week is very normal for me. So, having a detector like the VX7 and VX9 struggle with basic USA coin recovery here is disappointing. There are lots of Garrett lovers here in the Denver Colorado area who really hoped that the Vortex series would work well here where so many other earlier detectors have struggled. I also wanted to support Garrett's Vortex series release, but honestly, using it here is just a waste of my time. The Vortex Series MD-MF simultaneous multi frequency technology is just not on the same performance level as the SMF tech in the most recent Minelab, Nokta and XP SMF detectors sold here in the USA.
Hopefully, if you are a Vortex owner, your ground conditions are a lot milder than those here and your Vortex works really well where you use it.
I was able to borrow a VX9 right after it was released. That detector's target ID system for USA coins was a mess. Garrett got most of that straightened out by summer of 2025, when I borrowed another VX9 with the latest software.
I hadn't used a Vortex since the recent February software updates, so I thought I would once again give the Vortex another go. That update was supposed to have additional software adjustments to help the VX7 and VX9 handle higher magnetite soil conditions.
Basically, the Vortex has really struggled in the past where I detect on the moderate to high magnetite levels in the partially volcanic soil here. I have tried to work with Garrett in order to get the Vortex more stable and less likely to call mid depth (4" to 6") good non ferrous targets iron in this dirt and to stabilize target IDs even more. The previous VX9s I tested using 5 tones would often respond with 3 or 4 of the 5 tones on many 4 to 6" deep targets along with corresponding target IDs which made it really hard to get any kind of consistent accuracy for a dig/no dig selective digging decision even on what I would call simple, no brainer, US coin targets at easy depths for most recent Minelab, Nokta and XP SMF VLF detectors.
I sent a report to Garrett last summer that included the first photo below of targets found by the Vortex VX9 in a 10' X 50' area of a local, very trashy park. I was just digging targets with clear 2 way hits and somewhat stable, repeatable target IDs. I did not go after one way hits or targets deeper than 6". The photo shows what I recovered after detecting the area with the VX9 and then detecting the exact same marked off area with my Deus 2 WS6 Master and 11" coil. I was not happy with those results and a big part of it was that many of the targets I recovered with the VX9 were just barely stable enough to fall under the parameters I had set. For Deus 2 WS6 running the General program to hit that many viable targets and hit them with unmistakable certainty was discouraging as far as the barely scraping by level of VX9 performance.
View attachment pic6.jpg
Ground conditions today were moist with a 4 to 6" soft dirt/sand mix layer over very hard, mostly dry clay conglomerate underneath. Most recent targets are in that top 6"of softer dirt that does contain plenty of magnetite. The public park visited has had constant use since the late 1890s so a wide variety of modern and older targets are possible.
Unfortunately, even with the latest software update, today's hunt had very similar results as last summers hunts with the VX9. I hunted with the latest software update VX7 with 11X8.5" coil in zero mode /Multi with sensitivity on 6, iron volume on 2, recovery speed 1, bottle caps 0, iron boundary 0, iron audio OFF, 5 tones. Deus 2 WS6 was using 11" coil in the General program with disc at 10, sensitivity 90, frequency max on 40 kHz, notch off, bottle cap reject 0, silencer 0, reactivity speed 2.5, iron audio volume 4, audio gain 4, high square 5 tone audio with tone breaks set for USA coins.
I hunted a 10 X 50' area first with the VX7. There were a lot of iron audio responses and fragmented one way, very iffy responses that I did not spend much time on since they were outside the parameters I noted earlier and had set for this comparison too. I use the same parameters with newbies in order to get them started successfully instead of chasing every tiny pop or spit coming from these latest, very sensitive SMF VLF detectors. Some of the coin targets were 4" deep or a bit more and they had repeatable, solid hits and target ID numbers. That was an improvement over last summer's barely acceptable responses. There were still some targets that had to have the coil perfectly centered over them in order to fully stabilize tone responses and target IDs. Initially I was encouraged that Garrett had made some adjustments that actually worked well here.
I was very disheartened however, when I started finding more coins, especially US quarter and nickel targets in the exact same area with Deus 2 WS6 Master. Deus 2 ran much more quietly and with great target ID and tone stability. There were also plenty of one way, iffy non ferrous responses which I again skipped. However, nothing that I recovered with Deus 2 WS6 Master was in any way iffy, and I basically called the target's identify before digging them.
View attachment IMG_6598.jpg
Current price for the Vortex VX7 is $535 US. Add $100 for Garrett's proprietary wireless headphones, so $635. Price of a basic XP Deus 2 WS6 Master is $799 US.
I've dug over $1000 US in clad coins every year since 2019 using recently produced Minelab, Nokta and XP simultaneous multi frequency detectors and that is on public park and public school property, not at private permission sites or beaches. Digging one to two hundred US coins per week is very normal for me. So, having a detector like the VX7 and VX9 struggle with basic USA coin recovery here is disappointing. There are lots of Garrett lovers here in the Denver Colorado area who really hoped that the Vortex series would work well here where so many other earlier detectors have struggled. I also wanted to support Garrett's Vortex series release, but honestly, using it here is just a waste of my time. The Vortex Series MD-MF simultaneous multi frequency technology is just not on the same performance level as the SMF tech in the most recent Minelab, Nokta and XP SMF detectors sold here in the USA.
Hopefully, if you are a Vortex owner, your ground conditions are a lot milder than those here and your Vortex works really well where you use it.
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