A report on the XP Deus

Got the XP Deus a couple of weeks ago; been hunting with it ever since. It’s a hard detector to put down. Not much information available on the Deus in the US, so I thought I would do a report for those that are interested in it. As some already know, the Deus uses wireless technology. Information is transmitted from the coil and received and processed by both the control box and the headphones. The headphones can actually be used to operate the detector without control box being present. It’s lightweight; coming in at less than 2.2 pounds (less than 2 pounds without the control box). It is updated over the internet via a USB connection, which saves the hassle of sending it back to the factory. The Deus comes with nine preset programs that can be modified, overwritten and saved. The original factory programs can restored if desired. Programs can be cycled through and selected by pressing a single button. That comes in handy at times. Usually I use one program to hunt with and two more for checking targets: one maximized for depth, the other for target separation. It operates at one of four frequencies: 4, 8, 12 and 18kHz. Frequencies are interchangeable and can be used with any program. Audio tones are adjustable in both pitch and conductivity range. Anywhere from 1 to 4 tones can be used. Transmission power can be adjusted for a slight increase in detection depth. The reactivity control appears to narrow the coil footprint while increasing the speed at which target signals are processed. Reactivity levels can be adjusted from 0 to 5. XP claims that most detectors operate at a reactivity level equal to level one. Depth with the stock 9” coil seems to be on par with my CZ3D. XP also offers a larger, 13”x11” coil that, unfortunately, is a bit pricey due to the wireless tech. Where the machine really stands out however, is in its recovery speed and target separation. Increasing the reactivity level in a trash infested area is like focusing a lens. Targets that were a blend of noise become separate and defined. This does come at a cost of some depth so it’s best to keep reactivity levels low until needed. It handles iron well; although it will sometimes give a good signal for round objects that have a hole in it like large washers and nuts. Over the last two weeks I have been purposely been digging a lot of trash just to see how it all registers on the meter and the audio. So far the biggest problem item has been “canslaw”, those mangled bits of aluminum and other metals that often fall into either the copper/clad or nickel range. The next would be some of the square tabs that also fall into the nickel range. Pull-tabs are not a problem. Most screw caps are coming in just above zinc pennies. Bottle (crown) caps are coming in all over the upper range but often give an iron buzz and have a pretty jumpy VID. In general, most coins give a pretty stable visual and audio ID while most trash does not. Overall, the detector is a lot of fun to hunt with and is light enough to swing all day. The hardest part has been learning the new “language”; getting the audio down and understanding what it’s telling me. That’s something that time and experience will take care of. Otherwise, I really can’t find anything to complain about with the Deus and am definitely impressed with everything it does.

Mark

Thank you for that report, Mark. From what I have read, it is a very interesting detector and design.

Sounds like you have a lot to learn and master but when you do this machine may open a some closed windows in the ground and let you in to find the history we are missing. Keep posting!

LowBoy

TAKE A LITTLE TIME KICKBACK AND WATCH SOME OF MY DETECTING VIDEO'S BELOW ON YouTube

[www.youtube.com]

If you don’t dig it, then how are you going to know what you’re missing!
How can you have your pudding if you don’t eat your meat!

Welcome to the Deus, Mrwillburino.

I've had mine since Late December and it certainly does have a learning curve. Some of that comes from the sensitivity and multi-variables and trying to run it wide open. I'm coming from an F-4 and the XP Deus is my first top level detector.

My happiness level increased significantly when I turned down the sensitivity and disc'd out to about 33. At a disc of 10 it was amazing how small of a piece of foil would hit strongly!

I normally run at the 18K frequency (looking for gold) and it is so nice to cycle down to 12K, 8K, and 4K with just a push of a button to get more info on an iffy target.

I purchased a 0.35 gram nugget which arrived yesterday. Checking out the response (under power lines) I got a reasonable signal at 3" and a solid VDI of 35 at about 1.5".

I'm planning to do some more '"learning" at the beach with the nugget as well as a half dozen of my lightest Gold rings and a handful of pulltabs.

So far I'm extremely pleased....especially since pulling out 3 Gold rings over the last month from the dry sand. [ 18 May -7 g, 28 May -3.4 g, 11 June - 1.5g ]

H H Joe

Thanks Joe. I did notice the sensitivity to small objects, even running in 8k. Nice job on the rings!

Do you mind telling us what the unit cost you?

Terra, my price was pretty close to the etrac/v3i price range. I heard (via the UK forums) that the ones that DrJoe and I bought were part of a handful of machines that were sold to US customers at a reduced rate to generate interest. They are now selling them through metaldetector.com to US customers. Here's the link. Be prepared for some sticker shock. Unless they are willing to make some deals, I can't see them selling too many units in the US.

[www.metaldetector.cc]

Whoaaa...........I felt the shock!!!!

Nobody will buy it for that much so the price will have to come down. Think of the prices on the competing brands, all below $1500.

Think of the fact that they were offering these for sale to individuals (me) just a month or so ago for less than $1300.00
The price delta between then and now is enough to keep me from buying it.

From what I understand they can't keep with the demand in the UK for that full price.

Only a handful were sold in the U.S. directly from the factory for the "wholesale": price. I also bought the larger coil directly from the factory a number of months ago.

I'm very pleased with my purchase and feel lucky to get in at a better price BUT if I had to pay full price today..I WOULD (after selling more of my Gold rings).

Regards, Joe (California)

Thanks for the report.....I like the way you said you can speed up the response!!!!! depth is not that big a deal when working iron....I like also you can jump freq's around on the fly...


Are you listening Minelab?? I still say the x-terra coil freq change is the biggest sales strategy ever....I know that's the way the platform is designed but they could of went a different route and built a broadband coil......


Thanks again for the info and congrats on the great price you got...

Keith

With today's rapid microprocessors.....yes, it is a much better performance attribute to run ALL freqs simul...for continuous maximum resonance.......analyzing each target........regardless of conductivity.......and allowing the operator to determine what he wants to dig.
It is already a known fact that low-conductors like high-freqs.............and high conductors like low-freqs.
Maximum signal strength via correct/resonant freq...(for maximum ID accuracy)......thus allowing operator 'best guess'.......for go/no-go target recovery.

At least in theory, Tom, I would say that is ideal.
However we have yet to see anyone implement multi-frq and still retain high sensitivity to low conductors,
at least ML didn't do it.....hmmm don't know about Etac, at the Sov and Explorer doesn't.
Now if and when we see such a unit, that would be great.
There will likely be hurdles however, which could include interference problems,falsing on nails and stable
readings on TID
Seems there may be in the works such a unit?.......rhetorical question....
If such a unit does make it to market, hopefully the manufacturer will keep in mind the current economy.

The problem with any current detector, even if it allows one to switch frequencies on the fly is knowing which
frequency to choose....how does one know when to choose which one?....without knowing for sure what is underground.

True. It is not fun (nor efficient) to be required to hunt the same parcel of land multiple times.......because the unit can be switched individually between different frequencies. With a elliptical DD coil equipped F75/T2 detector..........there's already a requirement to hunt trashy areas from 3 different approach directions.............and this is with a single freq unit. Imagine multiple frequency selection. ((( I see Mfr opportunities knocking ))).

I was under the impression that the V3i does exactly that, meaning you are shown how the target responds to 3 different frequencies using several charting options. It doesn't seem to be a very popular detector though I think mainly due to the price tag, I think it was the most expensive VLF detector on the market, until the Deus. It's funny that V3i has not been very popular in the UK, and it is the only detector selling for less in UK then in US, when comparing the unit with the wireless headphones the UK price is $100 cheaper. Supply and demand I guess.

I have never used a V3i, but from reading about it, seems like you have more tweaking options then one ever needs, and you can set it up to perform in any scenario, recovery speed, etc. And it does the 3 frequencies simultaneously, and the wireless headphones. I think the only reason it doesn't sell well is that its too expensive, if it sold for $800 - $1200 I think it would be very popular.Considering that all VFL units get about the same depth, seem like the next step is multiple frequencies and being able to control recovery speed, TX power, etc..

Correction, this is the most expensive VLF metal detector:

[www.kellycodetectors.com]

((wow)) and I thought golf was expensive...After all is said and done I think somewhere along the line too much info takes the fun out of the hobby, perhaps we miss the find of a lifetime by overkill as one expensive diamond ring masked by a piece of junk leaves the better than sliced bread unit confused and its not dug. Finally read somewhere along the line would takes years to cover 6 inches of depth on a football field and if the coil doesn't go over it one will never find it so be my guest and venture forward or perhaps backward in the search for the perfect detector as it doesn't exist...but in many cases it becomes part of the hobby....

very heavy machine for sure.....more of a specialized piece of equipment for ....I think it would be geared for a cache hunter from the little time i played with it..?????

I don't see myself needing one in the near future...

Keith

Very interesting Keith, I also don't see myself getting one of these ever, seems more of a marketing hype with the imbedded GPS in it. Take the GPS out and reduce the wait plus increase the processor speed because it doesn't have to deal with the GPS issues etc.

Did you swing it over some coins, and what kind of 3d picture do you get on a coin? Can you tell a ring from a pull tab by looking at the 3d image? If not, it's useless, as that would be the best function, an probably not as hard as telling a coin from a bottle cap, singe a ring is hollow in the middle and a pull tab is well, a pull tab. But something tells me that this thing is pretty useless when it comes to actually showing me what it is under the ground.

I got out today as my sciatic nerve has finally settled down so that I can start doing anything besides the absolute nothing that I have been doing the past 3 1/2 months. The first site was a park on a 1915 Sanborn map. No joy - covered with fill dirt. The next spot was a Fair Grounds shown on a 1919 Sanborn map. No joy - completely covered with a new school. Site three was a ghost town (more or less) that had a park on a 1903 plat map. No Joy - only the infield of the baseball field was mowed. I kept driving. Next was a 10 acre 1903 plat mapped park that has given up Barber and Mercury dimes in the past. Only clad and can slaw but at least I am learning the sounds now. Next was another 1903 plat mapped park which had produced Barber dimes in the past and finally I got on the boards with an 1899 V nickel. It was 8 1/2 inches deep and wouldn't give a VDI number but sounded like a coin in shape. I was using the 9 inch coil instead of the 13 due to the trashy parks.
I am not to sure about the Deus in parks yet (with all of the trash) but I think it will be a killer on relics which is what I usually hunt. The parks today were just so I could quit anytime due to the back issues. I was using program 8, which is the Beach program. It has 4 tones and 18 kHz. Had this not been my maiden voyage after the back problem, I may have tried a few of the other programs and settings. But this was good enough for today and got my confidence up with the Deus. I did go back to the truck and pull out the Explorer SE (with Sun Ray probe and 10x12 SEF coil) a couple of times to cross check some of the clad. Man is that thing heavy and boy is the Deus light.

Cuniagau

“Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear or a fool from any direction.”

Found this video with the nail board test, must say that I am not overly impressed, I would not did those signals, but.... I think it's a matter of getting used to the machine perhaps.

[www.youtube.com]

Here is another one. I think this one is slightly better.

[www.youtube.com]

Your luck with the Sanborn maps sounds like my luck with them And I to have a really messed up back. Brothers in suffering.

TerraDigger,

I have done pretty well in the past with the Sanborns. When the bulge disc pinched my sciatic nerve in early March, I had the time to download several Sanborns that I didn't already have. One Sanborn site that I found last year, yielded about 30 silvers and about 100 wheaties over the course of a year.
I can say one thing about this Deus; it is pretty awesome with all that you can do with it and the weight of it. (Or should I say lack of weight?LOL) I have been trying to remember my deepest nickel and about 6 or 7 inches is about all I can remember so to dig one at 8 1/2 was pretty good. My air test (which was all I could do with the Deus for the first couple of months that I had it) always had good audio 1 to 3 inches before getting a digital reading.
After seeing the retail price on the Deus at metaldetector.com, I am glad that I got this one straight from the factory and glad I got the 13x11 inch coil at the same time. I don't think (for this retail price) that there is going to be a very large market in the US. I don't think that there are enough Deus owners in the US to give a good indication of what this detector can do. DrJoePrime in So Cal is doing well on the beaches and has at least 3 gold rings in the past month. I should be getting out more of the course of the next few weeks to report how it does in Oklahoma soil hunting mostly pre 1900 home sites with an occasional park or fairground thrown in the mix. Mrwilburino in on this forum also, so I am hoping he can keep us updated on the Deus in his neck of the woods.

Cuniagau

“Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear or a fool from any direction.”

Idreamin3D Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Found this video with the nail board test, must
> say that I am not overly impressed, I would not
> did those signals, but.... I think it's a matter
> of getting used to the machine perhaps.
>
> [www.youtube.com]
> =BFa&list=ULMZUyNMSjdc0&index=21

I made those videos and i just had got the Deus, so i filmed a quick nail board video, the settings are far from perfect. Xp Deus are really excellent at picking up goodies amongs all the iron/trash, i wouldn't put too much faith in those nail board tests i made.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/2011 04:06PM by Etsija82.

Cuniagau Wrote:
> I am not to sure about the Deus in parks yet (with
> all of the trash) but I think it will be a killer
> on relics which is what I usually hunt. The parks
> today were just so I could quit anytime due to the
> back issues. I was using program 8, which is the
> Beach program. It has 4 tones and 18 kHz.

The dry beach program is also good for coin hunting in the parks with all the trash, just go slower and listen to the tones. Pulled lot of euros in the beach and found lot of coins in a park using this particular program and you can always modify the program if needed to suit your needs.

bump

I don't own a Deus, nor will I.

I have swung one a few times and it felt too nose heavy due to the coil weight, and too flimsy to use in wheat stubble.

Many UK users have had problems with broken cam locks, these are not sturdy machines.

If cam locks become loose (not broken) users have been told to slide a thin piece of plastic in so it remains tighter.

Other UK users that have bought the large coil have been amazed by it, but many have now opted for a Whites or a staright shaft to make the balance more acceptable.

All of these to me are unacceptable for a machine of that kind of money.

To date, I will continue with my F75 and Troy X5.

Just my view you understand.

Dino......... Would like your 'take' on the X5... in the UK.