I normally try to stay out of these posts since in the end people have the opinions and what other people have to say rarely changes that position . .. but I did want to make a short post.
Those that know me know I have an extensive background with Minelab and using / testing / developing their detectors. In fact the first distributor meeting in the US was in my living room back in 1988. I was one of two people that spent nearly a year working on the E-Trac project with the Minelab engineers and have logged more hours on it than I care to admit as those that have hunted with me can attest . . . and that experience has made me extremely familiar with what it can and can't do under conditions here and around the world. It was my "detector of choice" for most applications for years and is still sitting with a fresh charge ready to go with me in the field.
When the Deus arrived here in the States, I was already somewhat familiar with it having used it in Europe previously. However, what I knew from my travels outside the US was that conditions and challenges here were in most cases different than what hunters overseas saw. That is a big reason why many of the other non-US built machines are not huge hits here. Coin hunting being the biggest segment of detecting here is different than coin hunting elsewhere where you are looking for coins dating back 100's or even 1000's of years. Here we expect a detector to almost tell us the date to determine if it is worth recovering while overseas, simple ferrous / non-ferrous distinction is more important.
Enough history . . . . simply stated, the Deus is not a Minelab FBS or even a BBS detector. There are some things that the FBS / BBS technology does better than the Deus period . . . I am not trying to be blasphemous but taking the position that one detector is 100% better then another in all areas and for all types of hunting simple ensures goodies will be left for future hunters.
If you are really interested in the opinions of others on this subject you left out several key questions in your quest for knowledge . . . . .
- What type of targets are you looking for (coins, relics, beach hunting, etc.)
- What are the ground conditions where you hunt (salt beaches, mineralized soil, no mineralization, etc.)
- What depth are the targets you are finding coming from routinely (might not be anything deep to start with)
- What coil size are you using
- How much experience do you have with either unit (years on one and weeks on the other is really an unfair comparison)
This is a partial list but the question of which is a better unit is sort of like the old question "Which pickup truck is better - Ford, Chevy or Dodge" being asked to owners of each. I am sure you will get 3 answers depending on what the person drives and that will not be swayed . . . you think events like these are because one is in fact better than another?
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Detector discussions - and yes, the E-Trac / Deus questions is there as well - always seem to come back to RAW DEPTH. Clearly depth is a factor in some locations but not all by a long shot. Over the past year I have recovered more than 150 silver coins swinging the Deus with the vast majority coming from 8" or less. But on the same token, most of them were in high trash areas that kept others from detecting them. Does the E-Trac (or any FBS detector) get the nod when it comes to identifying silver coins at depth over the Deus? I'd be lying to say no but when you get to know the Deus you are getting a signal and then if you apply the best processor out there - your brain - you can get close to those super deep high conductive signals. Now when you get into heavy trash, FBS technology stumbles and that is why many hunters opt for TTF but in my book I hate to pay what I do for a detector that forces me to hunt in virtual all metal due to the lengthy recovery time. The same holds true for relic hunters. If you are in an iron-infested camp, the FBS suffers.
As far as which detector is better . . . . I always tick people off when I say "It Depends". The detector that lets you find more or better yet, what you are hoping to find and lets you enjoy your time in the field is the right one for you. Many of the guys I hunt with started swinging an E-Trac as a result of me using one and showing them how to use it. When I picked up the Deus some switched, some switched and went back and others were happy with what they were using. We all enjoy the hunts together and often luck is what dictates who finds more at the end of the day - if your coil does not go over it, well, you know that line.
Neither detector is a slouch and in fact there are few detectors that come close to their level of performance in the field. Factors such as site conditions, conductivity of targets, how long one typically hunts and others will dictate which one or both wind up in your arsenal . . . as they are in mine.
OK, I'll step off the soapbox . . . . . . hope this added some value to this thread.
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Andy
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------Seriously--I think this is really a great post/thread discussion from everyone.---I'm enjoying it & getting a lot out of it & this is coming from an ole Minelab guy.-----Keep 'em coming!