Question about the Deus Control Puck

[Notsuredomus]

I was about to buy an xp deus with the works. Was saving up for 6 months and was just waiting for the right deal to come along on ebay. Then 3 days ago my dog got bit buy a rattlesnake buy/buy 1200 dollars. So I am looking at the Control Puck option. What are the limitations of the control puck as compared to the remote. Will i still be able to change frequency, ground balance, change search settings, and get a number for conductivity etc. lil help would be appreciated. Your response may help me decide on the xp or whether I may just have to settle for an at pro thanks all

 

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[Phishfarmer]

I believe you'll still be able to do it all; just a little slower. The puck would mount on the stem of the handle and you'd plug wired headphones into it. I guess one limitation would be you wouldn't see the horseshoe or x/y axis screen for further target id. I've always had the remote so others will add info I'm sure. Good luck

I have an AT Pro also and if I had to make the decision I'd get the Deus and save for the remote later.

 

[parkgt]

With many Deus owners buying Equinox 800s and 600s, you may be able to find some great deals on used ones. There have been some nice units listed in the classified sections on some of the forums; some under $800.

 

[vferrari]

Here is my take:

In summary, you were planning on purchasing a full up Deus system including control module and wireless phones and coil but recent financial difficulties limit your ability to purchase this package new, so you were asking about the limitations of simply purchasing a Deus Lite package without the controller.

First let me address your actual questions straight on: I do not recommend you get the Deus Lite package. There are several limitations with this package that will leave you ultimately wanting the controller which will cause you to spend more money in the long run if you purchase the controller separately. In the Deus Lite setup you lose - the built-in pinpointer, the ability to save custom programs and tone breakes (a practical necessity for US use) unless you find someone else with a controller who is willing to "upload" the custom programs to your coil, the X-Y graphics display, the ability to view Ground Balance and Ground Mineralization information in real time, the Horseshoe display that gives you depth and ferrous/n0n-ferrous target information. You also lose VDI unless you set yourself up with a stem mount that allows you to view the vdi but then you have to buy a separate headphone adapter and a set of wired headphones to plug into the puck to listen to the tones. It works, but it is really, just too many compromises as far as I am concerned. If you can only afford the Lite setup I would actually steer you towards the Minelab Equinox 600 or 800 which is priced similarly (the 600 is cheaper than a new Deus Lite package) without the need to compromise on performance or capability. It is heavier than the Deus by a pound, but waterproof out of the box and every bit as fast as the Deus with great full tones which were the major selling points of the Deus. You CAN go with full up Deus (non-lite) packages used at competitive prices now because of the "Equinox Effect", but I would advise against that unless you can get warranty information from the user and only then if the package is less than 3 years old so you can at least get some battery warranty because you don't want to be surprised by having to replace a coil, control box, or headphone battery shortly after purchase.

I have both a Deus and an Equinox 800. I love them both and do not plan on getting rid of either. The Equinox is an INCREDIBLE value and performs as well as the Deus in just about every respect but it is not as portable, lite, or compact as the Deus. And unlike the Deus, does not, at the moment, have a small coil option. There are some things I think the Deus can do better at the high frequencies but those are really niche uses for me for relic hunting. Equinox has not left me wanting so far, except for once when the site conditions (thick overgrowth) really called for using a small coil. However, I think XP may have a few tricks up their sleeve down the road for the HF coils, so don't count Deus out just yet vs. the Equinox. The portability and stealthiness of the Deus and its great HF performance keep me from considering selling it. I am still an XP fan and just happen to also now be a ML Equinox fan.

If I were to get a Deus I would ONLY consider an HF package at this point. Get either one of the two available white HF coils (round or elliptical). The maximum frequency of the round coil is 56 khz the maximum frequency of the Elliptical is ~80khz. Doesn't really matter which one you get. Figure out which form factor works best for you (elliptical is best for tight spots like thickets and cellar holes) because they both perform pretty much equally as well in terms of separation and depth at the lower frequencies. The round form factor may be slightly deeper than the elliptical and the elliptical may be able to separate slightly better and capture tiny targets at the extreme high frequency setting but it will not be very deep there. The sweet spot for relic and beach hunting (gold jewelry) is 28 khz and the 14 khz on both coils work great for coin shooting (even 28 khz works well for silver at moderate depths). I really see no advantage to getting the black coils at this point, perhaps the 11" but I have not really seen a great depth advantage but the swing coverage is nice. I purchased the HF 9" round coil in July of last year and have yet to put the black LF coil back on the machine.

HTH. Good luck and hope your best friend recovers from his snake bite.