Lets start this going again. Why wont Minelab let Sunray build a probe. I have 1 xterra 50 for my wife and i am buying anther one for my son and they both want sunray probes. They are awesome machines but they still need that sunray probe. What do we have to do to get Minelab to agree?
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Xterra and the Sunray Probe
- Thread starter staloch
- Start date
Not to be a wise-guy. But short of buying the company, I can't think of a thing. 
Blame it on Proprietary information, Patent protection, Capitalism or whatever. I just can't see it happening at this time. Maybe down the road when they chose to allow after-market manufacturers to provide accessory coils etc. But again, I can't see that happening at this time.
I like the SunRay probe on my multifrequency detectors. But honestly, I can't justify the expense of putting one on each of my single frequency VLFs. In my opinion, they don't provide any information that I can't get from the existing display and my Vibraprobe. Not to say they aren't good products. They are excellent probes. But just not something I've felt I needed.
But for the sake of discussion, let's say you buy Minelab and had SunRay make the probes. Which frequency would you choose? Would you chose the 7.5 khz so that all three models could use it? Or maybe you would choose the 18.75 kHz for Prospecting and beach hunting? As a coinshooter, I'd vote for the 3 kHz. But then again, would you want to limit yourself to only serving the needs of those using the X-70? For the sake of satisfying the needs of all X-Terra users, maybe you should plan on making all three. But then we have to consider the technology behind the X-Terra.........VFLEX technology provides a data link between the coil and the controls, how would you adapt the software to recognize the probe if it were operating at a different frequency than the coil you were using at that time? And again, since that data link is used to establish the operating parameters for that specific coil, when you flipped the toggle to activate the probe (and deactivate the coil), how would you overcome the fact that the data link to the control box had been interrupted? Would you have to reset the operating parameters everytime you flipped the toggle? And then again when you switched back to the coil? I know I can unplug my coil while the detector is operating, and it doesn't seem to lose the settings. But I haven't tried actually unscrewing one cable and connecting another (of a different size or frequency) to see what the consequences might be. Maybe none? Maybe all? Maybe just enough to eliminate the feasibility of an inline probe?
I know Ralph has been associated with Minelab on numerous occassions. And I understand it is a strong relationship. Why don't they turn loose the X-Terra patents? My guess is that there are simply too many "good things" being built around it. Only time will tell. HH Randy
Blame it on Proprietary information, Patent protection, Capitalism or whatever. I just can't see it happening at this time. Maybe down the road when they chose to allow after-market manufacturers to provide accessory coils etc. But again, I can't see that happening at this time. I like the SunRay probe on my multifrequency detectors. But honestly, I can't justify the expense of putting one on each of my single frequency VLFs. In my opinion, they don't provide any information that I can't get from the existing display and my Vibraprobe. Not to say they aren't good products. They are excellent probes. But just not something I've felt I needed.
But for the sake of discussion, let's say you buy Minelab and had SunRay make the probes. Which frequency would you choose? Would you chose the 7.5 khz so that all three models could use it? Or maybe you would choose the 18.75 kHz for Prospecting and beach hunting? As a coinshooter, I'd vote for the 3 kHz. But then again, would you want to limit yourself to only serving the needs of those using the X-70? For the sake of satisfying the needs of all X-Terra users, maybe you should plan on making all three. But then we have to consider the technology behind the X-Terra.........VFLEX technology provides a data link between the coil and the controls, how would you adapt the software to recognize the probe if it were operating at a different frequency than the coil you were using at that time? And again, since that data link is used to establish the operating parameters for that specific coil, when you flipped the toggle to activate the probe (and deactivate the coil), how would you overcome the fact that the data link to the control box had been interrupted? Would you have to reset the operating parameters everytime you flipped the toggle? And then again when you switched back to the coil? I know I can unplug my coil while the detector is operating, and it doesn't seem to lose the settings. But I haven't tried actually unscrewing one cable and connecting another (of a different size or frequency) to see what the consequences might be. Maybe none? Maybe all? Maybe just enough to eliminate the feasibility of an inline probe?
I know Ralph has been associated with Minelab on numerous occassions. And I understand it is a strong relationship. Why don't they turn loose the X-Terra patents? My guess is that there are simply too many "good things" being built around it. Only time will tell. HH Randy