MINELAB MANTICORE: DATA & PERFORMANCE

[Tnsharpshooter]

Recommendation for update.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C_LMjTBQ1xA

[Tnsharpshooter]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AGdm-23IoNk

[Tnsharpshooter]

The mighty 3 cent nickel coin.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mjg16OnHNbk

[NASA-Tom]

SO much to say....... but I have to put it in a (time-saving) nutshell......... for now!

Stateguy = The bulk of the LOST gold in the World ID's as '01' on Manticore. As detectorists........ we hardly know this because...... nearly all metal detectors will not even detect gold targets that ID '01'....especially in a wet-salt environment. Even the Manticore badly struggles to detect these "ID: 01" targets; yet, the Manticore (when config'd properly) is the first metal detector in the World that 'STARTS' to detect..... and reveal this. And when you start to detect/find/recover these '01' gold jewelry targets...... it really opens your eyes to ...just exactly: how blind ALL previous detectors truly are...... and how blind we detectorists are to this knowledge. All we know is: My detector is a gold 'ring' magnet........... and/therefore: gold 'rings' must be one of the primary targets that are lost!.......(((because that's what I find the most of)))..... which is totally incorrect data!
And....... with the price of gold: Targets that ID as '01'....... are now at a serious premium.

Eugenio...... Wow! Lots to say here; yet, limited on time. Sooooo.......... Nutshell =
(I believe) what you are seeking is:
Beach - Deep = Lower weighted (multi) frequencies...... in concert with: high-gain. What this does is: Generates premium depth on medium-sized, medium-conductors. Nickels & gold rings! (Yes...... Manticore is still formidably hot/sensitive to smaller....lower-conductor gold).
Beach - Low Conductors = Maximum usage of highest (multi) frequencies......(for lowest of conductors)....... in concert with: high-gain. What this does is: Generates maximum gain/sensitivity to the lowest of conductors. (Yes...... Manticore is still exceptionally hot/sensitive on Nickels, Dimes & gold rings). This Mode is truly the 'eye-opener'...... in a wet-salt environment...... to more of what is truly lost....on a wet-salt beach.
Eugenio...... I am doing you injustice..... with such a SHORT answer..... to your lengthy concerns/questions!

Beach - Deep...... just by the semantics...... simply SOUNDS like it should be the clear winner for all of your beach hunting! Yet....... it is the lowest of conductors for which you REALLY seek to find.

David......... your Quarter (on top)....... with a Nickel beneath it.......(separated by a few 17-HM2 plastic container shims)....... is a premium example of what the 2D screen portrays! Yes.... many folks choose to 'cherry-pick' the: HARD DOT ON THE 2D LINE....... and will not unmask targets with any formidable success-rate. Even a deeper non-ferrous target (like a coin)........ the ground mineralization/feedback..... will prevent a perfect non-ferrous target ...from generating a brilliant/solid/distinct hard DOT .... solidly on the non-ferrous 2D line.

[NASA-Tom]

Eugenio....... yes..... your control panel configuration is nominal..... for the parameters of which you stated..... for Beach - Deep Mode. Keep in mind ...... There is nearly a EXACT tradeoff when you slow down the Recovery Speed (causing you to run a lower Sens setting)....... VS running (say) a Recovery Speed of '4'...... which authorizes you to run Sens a point (or 2) higher...... in a wet-sand environment. Robbing Peter.......to pay Paul!

Coil size(s) = The M8 coil is nearly 'pinnacle' for Beach - Low Conductors. Any coil that is larger...... self-defeats the primary intent of Beach - Low Conductors.
The M9 coil is nearly 'pinnacle' for Beach - Deep. For as sensitive as Beach - Deep truly is..... the M11 coil generates a bit too much salt blowback/feedback....... to really gain the intended targeted-intent.
The M11 coil is more suited for Beach - General.
The M15 coil simply incurs too much wet-salt blowback/feedback..... to have any real (wet-salt) application.

For IN the water/ocean hunting....... I would only recommend the M8 or M9 coil..... with the (above) recommendations employed.

[blackflag]

Question, running in AL metal I’ve always wondered if the manticore is sounding off on the tiniest rust flakes or some mineral at times? I’ve never ran any disc ever. I was at a place in the woods at our farm a while back that was fairly quiet but had several scattered iron tones, that I ended up digging all were small bits of rusted wire or something iron. The sites that I frequent are have fairly mild dirt. The manticore seems like it sounds off on a lot more iron or minerals than most all other detectors made. Very sensitive and deep. I had the same experience with the equinox 800 as well. Just curious how it has worked for others in iron sights. If all of this is iron that the multi IQ is sounding off on there is a lot of detectors that are not detecting it.

[au pirata]

Happy to see you back Tom,an helping with the intricacies of gold hunting, I have continued practicing ZEN an the art of micro gold hunting. Haha. My year end was 72 pieces of less than 1.5g..here's some 2026 pushing the limit of micro gold detection..

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2026-3-24 19-21-21.jpg (131.85 KiB) Viewed 228 times

[NASA-Tom]

blackflag - Yes...... the Manticore does indeed see a lot more iron than other detectors...... including tiny rust flakes/flecks. What this does is:

1. Makes the detector seem too noisy/chatty/unstable.
2. Can easily be mentally fatiguing.
3. BECAUSE.......... Manticore is indeed detecting a lot more targets (in this case: iron/small-iron).......than most other detectors.
4. Manticore has the ability/option to reduce Sensitivity to the tiny iron...... should you choose.,.,.,.,., should you fatigue.
4. Even when the detector is reporting a iron audio tone...... IF a non-ferrous target is detected whilst still audibly reporting a iron tone..... the non-ferrous target audio will report.....as long as...... the signal strength of the non-ferrous is slightly greater in strength. If the non-ferrous is the same strength as the ferrous implement(s)....... a smeared/warble (polyphonic) audio..... will ensue.

Yes....... I run the Manticore in All Metal (with tone ID)....and nothing Notched. I want to know 100% of the targets....... 100% of the time. Then...... depending what my fatigue level is........ I will 'push' the Ferrous Limits - Upper........ and Ferrous Limits - Lower........... to (sometimes) ridiculous settings. This helps unmask more of the handicapped/challanged targets.

Yes...... there are settings that you can delve into... with Manticore........ that will audibly report: Mineral.

au pirata....... Love those finds/photos WITH the weight scale! CONGRATS on those finds! Small gold adds up........... quickly!

[blackflag]

Tom….. I really appreciate your response. I’m mostly in 1880-1900 homesteads. It’s overwhelming to believe there's that much iron in and around the sites I hunt. It’s weird to be running around in a site with Manticore listening to a lot of the iron then go back to vehicle grab another detector and have the iron go quiet or way less iron. I’ve used the Manticore sense it's release and ive had a M8 coil since November of 2023. I have a lot of time on this machine. It is truly a beast. I have found a lot of good stuff with it. It’s not perfect and like you said it can be overwhelming at times. It’s got a lot going on audio wise. It’s designed for the most challenged targets in beat or difficult situations and that is what I use it most often for. Thanks

[NASA-Tom]

blackflag....... It is of major benefit to run

Iron Volume = 2

It's best that you still hear all of the iron....... but at a MUCH reduced volume level.,.,.,.,.,., so as to avoid: audio fatigue!