My thoughts on the Minelab Vanquish 540 pro pack

I though I was going to need to use the Vanquish for a good week or more to get a good feel for the detector but turns out the Vanquish is just a simple straight forward metal detector.

Ergonomics are good compared to most detectors out there, I like the layout of the menus and screen. I can tell it’s aimed at the Garrett Ace series of detectors. The 540 pro pack is a good value for the money. But if a person is on the fence between a vanquish 540 Pro or the Equinox 600, I would pay the extra $150 and get an Equinox 600.

Performance wise it’s a beginner metal detector and that shouldn’t be a surprise as the price reflects that. Menus are easy to navigate and straight forward. It’s a great metal detector for someone who doesn’t want to dig junk. ID is accurate and almost identical to the Equinox ID numbers. If a person runs the Vanquish in any of the modes and uses the stock high iron bias, virtually all iron trash and bottle caps are eliminated.

I’m going to make some performance comparisons between the Vanquish and the Equinox for those that want to know how it compares. Not saying that one is better than the other because it’s all going to depend on what you want to use each one for.
The iron bias on the Vanquish in high is about equal to F2 level 6 on the Equinox and on low equal to F2 level 2 as far as I can tell in side by side comparisons. Modes I’m sure have different weighted frequencies and it’s anybody’s guess what they are. So other than the weighted frequencies I think recovery speed is the big factor in each. All modes are 5 tones. Relic mode I feel is about like having the recovery speed on the Equinox 800 at 1, Jewelry mode about like level 3 and Coin mode about like level 4 or maybe 5. Recovery speed is not adjustable on the Vanquish. Recovery speed on the Vanquish vs the Equinox was based on coins with no iron near it.

So, this is where it gets interesting. There’s got to be more going on than just recovery speed behind the scenes on the Vanquish because I was very disappointed with it’s unmasking abilities in any of the modes even with the small 5 by 8 coil. A few simple tests were performed. First, I laid 4 rusty nails in a row long way with a penny, dime and nickel between each nail. The coins were about 1.5” between the tip and heads of the nails. The Equinox 11” coil can easily see each coin at a recovery speed of 3 and even 2 with a controlled sweep speed iron bias at FE 2. The Vanquish couldn’t see the coins even with the small coil with iron bias set at low. Next I placed a coin below a nail 2” the nail was 6 inches away. The vanquish couldn’t see the coin in any mode at any sweep speed.

In my yard I have 3 dimes buried at 4, 5 and 6 inches. My soil is bad 4-5 bars on Fisher F75. Most detectors can’t hit the 6” dime and not call it iron. For example XP Deus with 9” HF coil, Makro Multi Kruzer, Fisher F-19, and Teknetics T2 with 7 by 11 coils all call it iron. Equinox and eTrac hit it fine and ID it as a dime. The Vanquish in relic mode is useless in my ground I can’t even hit the 4” dime. In jewelry mode calls the 6” dime iron, in coin mode it hits it one way but ID’s 26, so not bad. But this is clean ground as in no iron near.

It’s going to be a good metal detector for my daughter, which was my intentions of buying it in the first place. She won’t be digging many rusty nails or other junk and can cherry pick coins easy. It should also work good on the beaches in California when we vacation.
It won’t be used at any of my relic permissions though. Initially I thought it might be a good performer with the small coil for iron patches, but I really think I’ll be walking over too much in that scenario. I may post some videos later of it in the field comparing signals with the Equinox.

Overall good value and I think Minelab did a good job for the market it’s intended for. Comparing the Equinox to the Vanquish is kind of like comparing the Simplex to the Anfibio or ORX to the Deus. The low priced models just aren’t going to perform at the same level although they have good DNA.

Thanks for the report!
I'm surprised to hear that it has a marked lower performance even though it uses the same tech as the EQX.

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You can see my videos here: [www.youtube.com]
My blog is here: [thesilverfiend.com]

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Thanks for the very good report!

HH
Mike

That's what I like about your videos and reviews. Straight to the point with your thoughts.

Thanks,

El

Nice write up - looks like a good addition to the hobby

[www.earthscan.co.nz]

Just to clarify...... those nail tests were down the barrel coin(s) at the end. Coin between or elevated above cross ways, the Vanquish can see but so can ever other metal detector.

Wow.

For $500 I would have expected a bit more.

I'd also spend the extra $100-$150 for a different machine.

Abenson,

Interesting. Nice review.

Doesn't sound like a bad machine -- still good for a beginner, but the "Pro" pack, you would think, is targeting someone well above "beginner" stage. Hmm; I'd be curious about depth capability, given that you've already shown it to be much more lacking than the EQX in terms of seeing non-ferrous targets adjacent to iron. I too find that surprising. I would have expected similar capability in terms of seeing the coins next to nails, as the EQX, but maybe less depth than the EQX. To hear of such substantial differences in adjacent target separation, even using a smaller coil, is surprising...

Thanks for the info. It would seem that perhaps the 540 Pro Pack would be the LEAST value, in terms of money spent, given your review. If even the 540 is offering very limited performance in iron, then it would seem that spending that much for the 540 might be a bit of overkill; instead, for a beginner, one of the lower models would seem to make more sense, in a price vs. performance analysis.

Steve

For the extra $160 in the pro pack you're getting headphones and an extra coil. So really for $360 it's not a bad machine for a beginner. I really didn't expect it to perform like the Equinox and if it did why would anybody buy an Equinox. The Equinox is just the bench mark for comparison purposes. It's kind of like comparing the Simplex to the Multi Kruzer which I've done. I don't want a Simplex after seeing them side by side., the Simplex IMO is just not adjustable enough to perform in my ground. But for a beginner the Simplex at $255 is a dang nice machine and easy to use.

Now everything I've said could go out the window in mild ground, the Vanquish and Equinox may be closer in performance. So I'm talking my ground only, it not the worst but it's by no means mild.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/2019 09:46PM by Abenson.

It's interesting how different opinions can be. Iffy Signals on treasurenet.com says that he almost likes it more than his 600. I guess it all comes to hunting conditions and personal preferences.
Quote:
" I am very impressed with it and kinda like the feel of it better than my Nox"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/2019 09:49PM by Gastro.

Another difference.....the rechargeable sealed battery Nox (waterproof) vs the regular store-bought battery Vanquish. What is the warranty on the Vanquish?? Thanks

The inability to adjust iron bias at all on the lower models disqualifies them easily in my opinion. 50 tones on the Nox also offers audio info that is just too valuable to dismiss. I hear targets in 50 tones that the other tone options just miss. A used 600 that is waterproof for beach hunting is a better buy for me if I was looking for a backup. Thanks for an honest review and opinion. Yeah for a beginner or young hunter sure. Why not. A good value. But if you had a Nox and a Vanquish would you ever grab the Vanquish?

A few more thoughts on the Vanquish. Not having ground balance is another negative in my dirt. I always GB the Equinox, makes signals come in so much better when I do. Also, If the vanquish had the option of turning the iron bias off (set to 0) I could also see it performing much better in my dirt.

But I've got to admit, if you're new to metal detecting or just somebody that doesn't want to push depth and unmasking to the limit like I do, It's a great machine. You can literally set it up to dig nickels and other american coins (obviously so can the Equinox) and not worry about digging rusty nails and bottle caps. That's the market the Vanquish is aimed at and it fills that bill quite well IMO. I would highly suggest the 540 above either of the other 2 models though, as they are even more limited in their adjust-ability and features.

I wish the Vanquish coils would work on the equinox, especially the V10. It would fill a void between the 6" and 11" nicely.

Could someone explain Ground Balance on a multi frequency minelab....Nox. Noise Cancel ?? Thanks

Arkansas Wrote:
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> Could someone explain Ground Balance on a multi fr
> equency minelab....Nox. Noise Cancel ?? Thanks


You really need to google that and spend a few hours reading. The topics have been explained over and over and over ad nauseum.

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You can see my videos here: [www.youtube.com]
My blog is here: [thesilverfiend.com]

======================================================

I was out a few times with the 540 in hot ground with a cold rock base. Cold rock caused false signals with ID readings. I took a piece of ferrite and ran it past the coil and was surprised it picked it up. So the preset ground balance will hinder as you receive unwanted signals. On the wet salt water at Va.beach it purrs like a kitten. Hardware is great. No wobble or flexing when extended. Does not feel nose heavy when extended. Fit's like a glove in my hand with all buttons easy to reach. Large iron targets will be detected.I dug a half reale and a Cherokee Nation military button in the iron patch. The Simplex did better on land and the Vanquish did better on the salt water beach. If you hunt in area's of low minerals your results may be different.Keep digging.

Thanks for the honest info, glad I got the simplex instead of waiting in a vanquish.

I used the 540 several times now here in southern Alabama. Areas mixed with red clayish dirt . It did very good. Found a deep wheat penny about 8" and a solid 26 . Clear signal and deep in this dirt. Also found a pendant at a solid 16 about 7-8" deep. All of the other coins were solid ID's but were not deep. All aluminum trash was mixed ID's and tones sounded hollow. I live close to the beach so that is where it will get most of it's use. I have the Nox 800 and Deus and ORX. The 540 is the perfect turn on and go detector with very nice clear tones that really anyone could use and find really nice stuff. It's perfect for the friend that isn't very good at detecting but wants to try. Also nice just to keep in your car or truck for the park or school or beach you want to scout. I see a lot of great uses for this detector. Some of the coins I found along with the wheaty did have some small rusty iron bits of pieces of nails with them in the hole. So it's not completely dead in the nails. It's very good in the parks and school yards where there are very little nails and lots of aluminum trash and bottle caps. As far as price goes, for $499 it does come with nox headphones and extra coil so I do feel it's a great value over the nox 600. It's collapsablity is another great feature. I'm tall and most of the nokta makro detectors do not extend far enough or are at the edge of length for me and that makes them flimsy or wobble some. The 540 extends alot further than I need and is solid with zero wobble.. for us tall guys that means alot.

Wow, i watched the video where the coins in between the nails and the 540 could not even see the coins from the nails. Every time i think i have found something equal to my cz I find that im better off keeping my cz.Thanks guys for being honest and to the point .Phillip

Anyone know if a software update has since resolved?

I ran my $230 440 vanquished at my local park in mild soil digging 7-8 inch coins with (rock solid Target ID) & screaming audio ..........some of my passed detectors costing over $1000 could not do this.

I have never seen a Vanquish. I only know what I have read about it.

But I do own an 800. Had two at one point plus a 600. I trimmed it down to just the 800 over time. Very quick to the point....In my opinion the two settings on the Equinox that get the most out of it are setting the iron bias as low as possible and 50 tones. I would pay more for those two features. At least the price of a 600.

Minelab had the opportunity to replace the Sovereign and even the Excal for most beach hunters with the Vanquish. If it had been made waterproof that is. Iron bias and tone numbers are really not that important on the beach. Well just enough to distinguish bottle caps. Multi frequency detectors that are not waterproof, and single frequency detectors that are. A vicious game by the manufacturers.

I actually like the Vanquish. It's a good detector and have gone to spots I've hunted with a lot more expensive detectors and found coins that they missed. The V8 coil is awesome and deep and target separation is great. I think if you take the time and learn the ins and outs of the the Vanquish 540 that it definitely has its benefits. I have a Nox 600 also and I feel like I ain't missing anything with the Vanquish that the 600 would be able to get.

88junior Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I actually like the Vanquish. It's a good detector
> and have gone to spots I've hunted with a lot more
> expensive detectors and found coins that they miss
> ed. The V8 coil is awesome and deep and target sep
> aration is great. I think if you take the time and
> learn the ins and outs of the the Vanquish 540 tha
> t it definitely has its benefits. I have a Nox 600
> also and I feel like I ain't missing anything with
> the Vanquish that the 600 would be able to get.


+1

+2

(MILD SOIL IS THE KEY!)
HUNT "MILD" SOIL,AND THE 800/600 IS NOT MISSED!
also, the 8" coil is "crackerjack" in tight and densely "junked" areas,
and other "general" lightly trashed areas. use the 12" coil for "wide open field
running!"

(h.h.!)
j.t.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/01/2021 09:32PM by jmaryt.

If we made the $200+ Vanquish into a waterproof unit....... the cost would be nearly double. This would knock out (lose) a ton of the targeted market.

Yes it would Tom.

the objective was to ''dumb down" the multi-iq,,allow just enough adjustment,
and set it loose on 'cooked" and "burnt" sites."short money, and a brilliant marketing strategy,
turned it into a ''sleeper" virtually upon introduction.

(h.h.!)
j.t.

NASA-Tom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If we made the $200+ Vanquish into a waterproof un
> it....... the cost would be nearly double. This wo
> uld knock out (lose) a ton of the targeted market.


I disagree. The quest 30 is what 300.00? The Simplex 250.00? Both waterproof and of course both single frequency. The Multi IQ tech part is already there. And not every Vanquish model needs the waterproof option. Offer the waterproof model for more money. And you can drop the small bonus coil in the package. I don't need it on a beach. The Apex? Multi frequency and not waterproof. AT series waterproof and single frequency. The detector companies are playing games. The 600 is still the best bang for the buck for my type of hunting. But the waterproof feature is a joke and of course the stock shaft will make your arm and shoulder throb in pain. I see no reason an ultra light high performance beach detector can't be manufactured for under 500 bucks. Comparing that price to and 800, Excal, or even the CTX that price is a bargain. You can have your 200 dollar Vanquish and I can have the 475 dollar beach version.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2021 04:16AM by goodmore.

i agree in principal with what you are saying, but i have hunted for over 35 years,and i don't
do water,or the beaches the vanquish just the way it is is fine for me.never been interested hunting
in the rain.i shower every day, that's enough.as tom mentioned, making it waterproof would add considerable
expense, and have a tendency to defeat minelab's marketing purpose.as stated, i agree with your perspective,
however, they already have those features in the 800/600 with enough price disparity to appeal to most buyers.
yes! i agree!..detector manufacturers appear to be ''probing" with price points and features to "draw" buyers to
different detectors. this is the "nature of the beast" (if you will) .the objective is to make the product desirable
so it can be sold successfully..been around since christ was an altar boy. nothing changes!

(h.h.!)
j.t.