The fine art of metal detecting by the Skill School
After nearly 2 years of using the Minelab Manticore I think it’s time I gave you guys a small insight into my metal detecting journey along with some top tips you may find helpful.
The Minelab Manticore is a clever concept, somehow Minelab have designed a professional metal detector that can be operated and enjoyed by a complete novice, thanks to the fluid menu system, quality audio sound and easy to understand meter.
From the first day I picked up the Manticore I knew this machine had capabilities way beyond my skill level, yet worked almost exactly how I wanted it to straight from the box.
It’s easy to say the Minelab Manticore is the best metal detector on today’s market, but there has to be evidence to back this up, can the performance match the outlay, because the Manticore has a high price tag.
From the very first metal detecting trip with the Manticore I knew this was a well-thought-out professional machine, it was perfectly balanced with the M9 coil, and felt much lighter than it looked.
What really impressed me was the way the Multi-IQ system simply took care of everything, it felt like the ground was invisible, and it had a bias towards small low conductive targets such as Roman coins.
It was a breath of fresh air to find a machine that did everything it claimed, and that’s a difficult ask in today’s crowded metal detecting market, that is full of bullshittery, not to mention influencers selling their souls in exchange for free machines.
Why is the Minelab Manticore a hard act to follow
I knew the Minelab Manticore was going to be a hard act to follow, and that’s one of the reasons I use it so much, I strongly believe it is the best available on today’s market, not because of the power, not because of the features, It’s because the Manticore puts me in the right headspace in order to enjoy my hobby.
Metal detecting for me is not always about finding treasure, it is the feel good factor, when man and machine come together.
When you get out into the field, it’s good to know your machine is going to perform the moment you turn it on, in the past I have wasted so much time pressing buttons during the first hour of a search.
The Minelab Manticore inspires confidence
The Manticores 2d meter gives you the confidence to explore some targets you may normally ignore.
It is colour, so Iron targets will turn the numbers Red or have a Red line beneath them, depending on how you set it.
You have several forms of diagnosis, top and bottom Ferrous bars, a centre non-ferrous bar and precise audio tones.
Your audio should always be your deciding factor, no matter how good the meter is, it can always be wrong, just remember to add the human element when deciding to dig a target.
Target trace
This is a very handy feature, it can show 2 targets on the screen a once, it can also show you if there is Iron contamination near to the target.
A pure target is a confident dot in the center non-ferrous line, as shown on the left picture.
Are custom settings essential with the Minelab Manticore?
Not at all, I found you can pull this metal detector from the box, switch it on, and use the factory default programs to get instant results.
I preferred to change the default 5 tones to the optional 2 – Region All Tones, and then slightly tweak the audio bands.
This is called the Gary’s 2 tone hybrid program and can be seen on most of the Skill School YouTube videos using the Minelab Manticore.
Here is the link to the Skill School:
Skill School YouTube
2 Tone Hybrid settings
Select 2- Region All Tones.
Lower band 1 to tone 14.
Select the tone break using the pencil icon and move it across to 34.
Using the pencil icon again select the second tone band and set it to 15, it is up to you where the second tone band ends, as you can see by the picture I have it set just below maximum.
This is the setting for the highest tone available for a high conductive target.
I also found opening up the Manticore Ferrous Bars slightly helped signal clarity.
Living with the Minelab Manticore summary
I can confidently say this machine has never failed to impress me, I like the fact it is consistent, I can walk from field to field without the need for complex adjustments and re-adjustments.
Get the Manticore on the right ground, and it penetrated deep, way beyond the 1 or 2 spade fulls I have been used to. Take it to an ancient site full of Iron and the Manticore separates the good from the bad.
Remember the Manticore has way too much power, so treat the sensitivity with caution, this is what most people get wrong.
You can see the full Living with the Minelab Manticore video here.
