How hard to learn the Deus?

[skateteacher]

I've had many detectors over the years and I currently have a CTX 3030. It hasn't exactly been a marriage made in heaven as it's spent quite a bit of time at the shop getting something fixed. I have an Excal II for the beach but want a good machine for the dirt. How hard is it to go from beginner to proficient with the Deus? From what I've read the tones on the Deus are sweet and I like the simplicity of hearing a good tone and digging. Are there programs already set up or do you make your own. Lastly how close is it to the V3i? I ask because I hated that machine, too much stuff going on it just made hunting with it miserable for me.

Thanks in advance for your information.

Skate

 

[Lodge Scent]

I went from the DFX to the Deus. I found the Deus to be very intuitive and easy to use. I took to it immediately. There are 10 preset programs and 8 open slots for your own. It is nothing like the V3i or any White's machines. I'm not knocking the White's machines, it's just that the Deus is a completely different platform. You can just turn the Deus on and do very well, but you do need to put in the effort to understand the interaction between the different settings to get the most out of it.

 

[Mark kus]

I have an Etrac and a new Deus due to the weight of Etrac I hunt 95% of the time with the Deus now.
Don't get me wrong the Etrac is a better beach machine IMHO so that's what I use on saltwater beaches.
But I hunt on land mostly with the Deus put it basic one and go but I like Deus 3 fast also.
Its found coins that the Etrac missed and I can't wait to hit up beach houses after the summer people leave the ones
With Grass yards.

 

[sprchng]

The Deus is easy to learn but definitely different than either the 3030 or V3i.
Much more digital tones which I don't particularly care for but necessary to support the fast recovery.
It's also much more intuitive in terms of the menu than the CTX which makes you search for functions under unrelated menus.
The most frequently adjusted items on the Deus are located close to each other in the menu so experimentation with different settings and their interactions are pretty to easy to compare.

 

[Architex]

I had a V3i for 8 years. Sold it in anticipation of White's bringing out a new flagship later this year. (?). I got a Deus this spring. Both of these machines have built-in programs and can be used as turn on and go machines with no fuss. But when you get into tweaking the programs, the Deus is about 1/4 as involved. That's partly because when you make a change on the Deus it may, in some cases, be making complimentary changes you don't see. With the V3i you have to be aware of the need to do that yourself.

Because of the crispness of the tones,the reactivity speed, and the light weight the Deus just seems more "alive" than any other machine I've had. And it's deep. Be aware that you must put a good deal of work into understanding what you're hearing in the tones, they can be subtle, and the machine does not show screen vdi identification as deep as some other machines do. I would suggest watching the instructional videos on the XP web site, and after that the you tubes of "Calabash Digger". Then go out and hunt. And then watch them all again...... and again. Repeat as necessary (LOL). They have done me more good than anything else.

Hope that helps.

 

[LTimedigger]

I read somewhere that its easier for a guy who has never used a MD to learn the Deus than to go from a multifrequency machine like the 3030 to it and to a degree I think thats true because it hears a lot more which makes its noisier which is just different. It definately has a learning curve but through practice you will become very comfortable with it. The only thing I would add to Architex advice which is all good is to collect a piece of every trash available plus goodies like coins, bullets, rings etc and learn how they sound alone and with each other. Decide which tone setting you're comfortable with and stay with it, its the best way to learn your tones. HH

 

[skateteacher]

Awesome advice, thanks to all. One thing I noticed when I got my Excal II was how nice it was to hunt just based on the tones without having to check the screen, listen for the tone, check the screen get the tone again, etc. To me it just made hunting more pleasurable and fun. How is the XP in terms of reliability? My experience with the CTX is that it is/was the most fragile machine I've ever owned. Also, can you hunt wet sand with the XP and are the coils waterproof? I'm in Southern CA and can hunt dirt and sand so the ability to have a multi function machine is key. I'm going to get an Equinox when they come out and I know folks are saying it's minelab's version of the XP but I'm more hopeful that an XP and an EQ would give me the ability to cover most every hunting situation on the dirt and dry sand.

Lastly, what is the killer combo in terms of unit for the XP? What coil, headphone, keypad, is the best? What should that run cost wise? Thanks again for all the advice.

 

[Architex]

Here is a very good buy from a guy with a stellar reputation. I have no relationship with him whatsoever.

http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/topic/4224-xp-deus-11-ws5-full-size-headphones-controller-silicone-cover-etc/?tab=comments#comment-45674

Other than that get the WS4 package with the 11" coil for the best deal you can find. If you buy from a dealer don't just pay the advertised price.....call and talk to them. That almost always results in a better deal. The only other thing to consider is a High frequency coil, get either one when you can.

 

[enderman]

I have an Excal II for the beach but want a good machine for the dirt.

Skate

If you can hunt with a Excalibur you will love the Deus.
It's basically an adjustable Excalibur with regards to user experience.

 

[sprchng]

Get the WS4 plus the $20 adapter clip so you can run the headphones of your choice if the backphones aren't working for you on a particular day. If you're in a reaally noisy location or the wind is blowing hard you might want to have a set of full coverage phones to drop back to.