Quattro and the Safari's processor have the exact same patent number????

[john4840]

Hello everybody I was checking out eBay and found somebody had listed a Quattro and in the description he states that,

"I have also discovered that the Quattro and the Safari's processor have the exact same patent number which leads me to believe that they are in fact the same basic unit other than the default trash setting. I asked Minelab about this but never received an answer. The Quattro comes set on low trash while the Safari is set to high."

Here it the link to the Quattro on eBay. Here

About 2 weeks ago I went to the minelab website and asked the question, "What it the difference between the Quattro and Safari?", through their Consumer Enquiry and got a email back from Keven Hoagland the Director of Partner Development for Minlab.

His response was. "The main change was an electronics upgrade between the Quattro and Safari. Other changes were in the redesign of the target area decals allowing users to better differentiate a range of closely related conductive targets. I have talked to many users that went from the Quattro to the Safari and are reporting faster processing times for targets. I hope this helped."

So I emailed him and asked him, "Would I be able to send my Quattro to Minelab and have it upgraded to a Safari?"

Kevin responded back and said, "That is a question that I cannot answer and I have gone to the engineering source to find out. I will contact you as soon as I have any information."

It has been 2 weeks now and with no response back yet and guessing I will not get a response back. Could the person who listed the Quattro on eBay be right and only difference between the Quattro is some software changes and pro coil? This makes me wonder. What does everybody else think? To be honest I am starting to really like using my quattro and believe it is a very good metal detector.

John

 

[Mtnmn]

You might be on to something John. Though there are quite a few people out there who have owned both detectors and most reported the Safari has being slightly faster. A few did say they didn't notice any difference in recovery speed. Most if not all liked the performance of the Pro coil over that of the original Quattro coil. Personally I think I would be happy with either detector as long as it came with the 11" Pro coil which seems to have every bit as much separation ability in trash as the little 6" DD HF coil does on the XT-70.

 

[john4840]

You might be on to something John. Though there are quite a few people out there who have owned both detectors and most reported the Safari has being slightly faster. A few did say they didn't notice any difference in recovery speed. Most if not all liked the performance of the Pro coil over that of the original Quattro coil. Personally I think I would be happy with either detector as long as it came with the 11" Pro coil which seems to have every bit as much separation ability in trash as the little 6" DD HF coil does on the XT-70.

I thought something was fishy when I got that response from Minelab. I also sent another email asking Keven if he heard from his engineering source and I haven't got response. That is when I started looking on this forum for information about the Quattro and Safari. It seem to me that people who own Safari's were having the same experience as people who own Quattro's.

I am guessing that Minelab tweaked the Quattro software and added a pro coil and got a Safari. You would save a bunch of money by buying a used Quattro and then buy a pro coil. I also contacted the person selling the Quattro and asked him were he got the information. Hopefully he will respond to my request.

John

 

[Johnny Quattro]

Hello,

I'm a quattro owner and was considering a new safari. But after reading this post, I'm pretty sure i'm going to end up getting the Explorer SE. My first good detector was a whites XLT which was very "Fast" and it had decent depth but not great so I upgraded to a DFX and that was a little slower but much faster than the quattro. In my opinion the DFX was disappointing, it was a bit deeper than the XLT but not much and stabilty was always a problem. I would take the Quattro hands down over both of the whites machines, especially for depth !. But I definetly miss having a fast detector and the ability to tell the difference between a clad quarter and a silver quarter. There is no "perfect" detector yet but minelab sure gets good depth. I'm going to keep my Quattro and buy a new Explorer SE and also find a good used whites XLT for fast "schoolyard-quarter-snatchin". Good Luck everybody !!!

 

[john4840]

Hello,

I'm a quattro owner and was considering a new safari. But after reading this post, I'm pretty sure i'm going to end up getting the Explorer SE. My first good detector was a whites XLT which was very "Fast" and it had decent depth but not great so I upgraded to a DFX and that was a little slower but much faster than the quattro. In my opinion the DFX was disappointing, it was a bit deeper than the XLT but not much and stabilty was always a problem. I would take the Quattro hands down over both of the whites machines, especially for depth !. But I definetly miss having a fast detector and the ability to tell the difference between a clad quarter and a silver quarter. There is no "perfect" detector yet but minelab sure gets good depth. I'm going to keep my Quattro and buy a new Explorer SE and also find a good used whites XLT for fast "schoolyard-quarter-snatchin". Good Luck everybody !!!

Hey Johnny I went from a XLT to a Sovereign XS, after I started to find coins in holes with nails I gave XLT to my father. Few years later I bought the Quattro I am just starting to to get use to it and I also think it beats the XLT hands down. From what I read and what I have seen on you tube I am thinking that the Explorers recovery speed is not that much faster then the Quattro. Also I believe you might also not be able to tell the difference between a clad quarter and a silver quarter. Check out this link http://www.findmall.com/read.php?63,820520 I think what FBS excels at finding coins in rusted iron bottle caps and nails, on the XLT these would resistor as coins on the meter. If you want a good "schoolyard-quarter-snatchin". machine I suggest an used X-Terra 70 or 705. It has faster recovery then FBS machine and you can tell the difference between a clad quarter and silver quarter. Plus you have the choice of different frequencies by changing the coils. I have an X-Terra 70 it is a lot lighter then the XLT and probably better in performance. I still have my Sovereign and I use all 3 detectors.

John

 

[nick hunter]

Hi

Might be patent number for FBS technology.

But intriguing all the same !

HH

Nick

 

[detecterx]

The processing capabilities can be completely different regardless of the patent number. It just means it is the same design/shape/fit. Example a quad core, and a quad core venom, are identical, same patent but the changes in processing capabilities are entirely different leagues. You should look into a software (driver) copyright which will differentiate the safari from the quattro.

 

[detecterx]

Also the patent laws will not issue a patent for the same item. Example changing the color of an item. Or simply calling a quattro a safari with the exact internals.

 

[edjcox]

Processor is simply the CPU in the unit. What makes the machine is the EPROM that contians the unique code the unit employs to interact with the electronics, the signal generators, the reciever, the descriminator circuitry, the coil and coil impedance, the signal processing, the generators frequency output, waveform generator, etc etc etc... Trying to say these machines are identical is liking saying all stereos are the same as they all employ an RF Oscillator circuit in the AM circuitry...

But one could say these two are evolutionary to one another and the Safari is akin to the Quatro in many respects. I would say the have much in common.... But it's not just a paint job and display differences...

But folks beleive what you will, myth and legend, belief and opinion... We all got to have a mix of each in our heads...