Using Minelab Manticore in fresh water beaches

billb · May 16, 2026

I’ve never tried the fresh water sand and lakes and would love to give it a go.
Can I try the settings used for saltwater or would others be better .
I used to use the Excal2
Thank you for the advice and privilege of your time..
Bill

OBN · May 17, 2026

One setting, should be able to run sensitivity way up for its fresh water. Have a friend in Chicago who hunts the lakes, he runs full with his.. 35

billb · May 17, 2026

OBN said:
One setting, should be able to run sensitivity way up for its fresh water. Have a friend in Chicago who hunts the lakes, he runs full with his.. 35

Hi OBN
What’s the best setting
Beach-all terrain etc ?

OBN · May 17, 2026

billb said:
Hi OBN
What’s the best setting
Beach-all terrain etc ?

I can tell you the best that a friend shared for the beach and he does very good.

MANTICORE with M11 coil

Volume: With good headphones, I have this around 20 (will vary from person to person). I don't like to max out any circuitry.

Search Mode: Beach Deep.

Noise Cancel: Always long press and I do two cycles.

Ground Balance: Zero for upper beach and middle beach. Wet sand depends on local conditions. I have no black sands 👍

Recovery Speed: Usually 3-4

Discrimination Pattern: All Metal

Ferrous Limits: 4/0. I have very little iron junk to deal with so I can run this setting almost open.

Ferrous Tones: I have some Ferrous Volume (10). Ferrous Pitch is disabled

Target Tones: Disabled

Audio Theme: Prospecting (Threshold Level and Pitch, Ferrous Tone are adjusted here to suit individually)

Frequency: Multi IQ

Sensitivity: Upper and middle beach (up to and including damp sand) 23-24. Wet salt sand about 21.

Using Beach Low Conductors is also good but Deep Beach (for me) just beats it.

The key power settings are Sensitivity > Search Mode > Recovery Speed > Audio Theme

The Manticore is quite forgiving in many settings but the extra performance is "cumulative" if you can optimise the main power settings.

I've got more to learn I'm sure.

billb · May 17, 2026

OBN said:
I can tell you the best that a friend shared for the beach and he does very good.

MANTICORE with M11 coil

Volume: With good headphones, I have this around 20 (will vary from person to person). I don't like to max out any circuitry.

Search Mode: Beach Deep.

Noise Cancel: Always long press and I do two cycles.

Ground Balance: Zero for upper beach and middle beach. Wet sand depends on local conditions. I have no black sands 👍

Recovery Speed: Usually 3-4

Discrimination Pattern: All Metal

Ferrous Limits: 4/0. I have very little iron junk to deal with so I can run this setting almost open.

Ferrous Tones: I have some Ferrous Volume (10). Ferrous Pitch is disabled

Target Tones: Disabled

Audio Theme: Prospecting (Threshold Level and Pitch, Ferrous Tone are adjusted here to suit individually)

Frequency: Multi IQ

Sensitivity: Upper and middle beach (up to and including damp sand) 23-24. Wet salt sand about 21.

Using Beach Low Conductors is also good but Deep Beach (for me) just beats it.

The key power settings are Sensitivity > Search Mode > Recovery Speed > Audio Theme

The Manticore is quite forgiving in many settings but the extra performance is "cumulative" if you can optimise the main power settings.

I've got more to learn I'm sure.

OBN
Thank you/Thank you again for your advice and support..
GL/HH my friend

BigWaveDave · May 18, 2026

OBN said:
I can tell you the best that a friend shared for the beach and he does very good.

MANTICORE with M11 coil

Volume: With good headphones, I have this around 20 (will vary from person to person). I don't like to max out any circuitry.

Search Mode: Beach Deep.

Noise Cancel: Always long press and I do two cycles.

Ground Balance: Zero for upper beach and middle beach. Wet sand depends on local conditions. I have no black sands 👍

Recovery Speed: Usually 3-4

Discrimination Pattern: All Metal

Ferrous Limits: 4/0. I have very little iron junk to deal with so I can run this setting almost open.

Ferrous Tones: I have some Ferrous Volume (10). Ferrous Pitch is disabled

Target Tones: Disabled

Audio Theme: Prospecting (Threshold Level and Pitch, Ferrous Tone are adjusted here to suit individually)

Frequency: Multi IQ

Sensitivity: Upper and middle beach (up to and including damp sand) 23-24. Wet salt sand about 21.

Using Beach Low Conductors is also good but Deep Beach (for me) just beats it.

The key power settings are Sensitivity > Search Mode > Recovery Speed > Audio Theme

The Manticore is quite forgiving in many settings but the extra performance is "cumulative" if you can optimise the main power settings.

I've got more to learn I'm sure.

Going to be hunting fresh and saltwater locations in the next month or so… so I’m commenting with a thanks for this post, so I can easily find it when the time comes.👍

billb · Jun 21, 2026

BigWaveDave said:
Going to be hunting fresh and saltwater locations in the next month or so… so I’m commenting with a thanks for this post, so I can easily find it when the time comes.👍

Good Luck Dave!!!!!
Let me know how you made out…

BigWaveDave · Jun 23, 2026

billb said:
Good Luck Dave!!!!!
Let me know how you made out…

Went to Coin Beach in Delaware, got me 2 quarters, a dime, and a spill of 3 cents.
So I can verify that there are coins on Coin Beach!

Sand Swinger · Jun 23, 2026

BigWaveDave said:
Went to Coin Beach in Delaware, got me 2 quarters, a dime, and a spill of 3 cents.
So I can verify that there are coins on Coin Beach!

Yes, you are indeed correct, lol. You didn't find the coppers that we look for on Coin Beach, but you did finds coins on coin beach, so IMHO, I'd say that counts!

billb · Jun 23, 2026

BigWaveDave said:
Went to Coin Beach in Delaware, got me 2 quarters, a dime, and a spill of 3 cents.
So I can verify that there are coins on Coin Beach!

Hi Dave..
Thanks again..Try to get back there
GL & HH

hamiddetecting · Jun 26, 2026

Keep in mind “Always use auto GB. “

billb · Jun 26, 2026

hamiddetecting said:
Keep in mind “Always use auto GB. “

Hi
What does auto do Hamid..
Good to hear from you again my friend!!!!

hamiddetecting · Jul 1, 2026

billb said:
Hi
What does auto do Hamid..
Good to hear from you again my friend!!!!

The first, let me I apologize about late to answer your question, that out of my want☺️ Well, beach metal detecting, use GB auto,
Use Auto GB,...
You hit the nail on the head. That constantly shifting environment is exactly why beach detecting is a true test of skill.
When you are working the shoreline, you aren't dealing with a static patch of dirt. The ocean is basically a giant, restless mixing machine. As the waves and currents pound the beach, they constantly sort and re-sort the black sand (magnetite and hematite) and salt water foot by foot.
Here is exactly what is happening under the surface while you sweep:
🤔The Saltwater Conductor
Salt water is highly conductive. Because the waves are constantly crashing, receding, and soaking into the sand, the wetness and salinity levels change with every single step you take. This creates a moving "ground matrix" that a lot of detectors mistake for a target.
🤔Black Sand Pockets
Heavy mineral sands like magnetite don't spread out evenly. The current drops them in dense pockets, layers, or troughs. You can go from relatively clean quartz sand to a heavy vein of black sand in the span of a single swing. This sudden density change sends ground mineralization readings through the roof.
🤔The "Halo Effect" Breakdown🤔
When a target has been sitting in wet, salty sand, it can create a mineralization halo around itself. But because the tide and current are constantly shifting the sand and water levels, that ground balance point is a moving target.
The Professional Edge: This is where multi-frequency technology or a lightning-fast, tracking ground balance makes all the difference. If you rely on a fixed ground balance, a machine that was perfectly quiet two feet ago will suddenly start chattering and masking the deep gold you are actually hunting for.
Hopefully that helps,
Thank you🏴‍☠️
Hamid