Minelab Manticore – Does It Really Put 50% More Power Into The Ground?
The Minelab Manticore has been hailed as a game-changer. A big leap forward in the world of metal detectors. With its newly designed control panel and innovative 2D screen, the Manticore set the benchmark for others to follow. Or does it?
One of the main selling points of the Manticore was the claim that it “puts 50% more power into the ground”. This phrase was repeated over and over again throughout all of the company’s marketing and promo material and extensively shared on social media.
However, this claim has recently been called into question by Merrill over at Metal Detecting NYC and with good reason. Merrill posted a video “Minelab Lied” which he has now taken down and replaced with a new video that includes responses from Minelab. We have linked to the new video below which for those who missed the original, it contains most of that anyway.
In the new video, Minelab has explained what they meant by “50% more power into the ground”. They are now saying “50% more power into the coil”, which sounds like a marketing department trying to find a way out of why they made the original, and now obviously incorrect statement that there was 50% more power “going into the ground”.
It does illustrate how careful we have to be as consumers. Don’t take things at face value. Especially where it is a trusted brand that is telling you something. Always bear in mind that these companies are not your friend. They are ostensibly there to make money and much like any other industry, the marketing for these brands will try and sell you the dream. Always wait for real-world tests and reviews carried out by fully independent testers who have spent their own hard-earned money on the machine they are testing.
Let us know what you think in the comments section below or head over to one of our Facebook groups and share your thoughts there.
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I personally think the Minelab advertising is misleading even though it’s probably just a clever use of words. To state 50% more power going into the ground suggests a huge improvement in performance. But they confirm that on a 30cm target the manticore has a depth advantage over the Equinox of only 2 or 3 centimetres (1″). The most interesting take from this is how Minelab have changed their story. They clearly said in a promo video that there was 50% more power going into the ground, but they are now saying there is 50% more power going to the coil.
I agree with that Bob. This is not really about how good the Manticore is. It is about how it has been marketed. It is misleading to say that there is 50% more power going into the ground. When it is actually 50% more power going “into the coil”. Why didn’t they just say that in the first place? I doubt any of this will have an impact on Minelab and their reputation but perhaps they may just be a little more careful with their wording for future products.
If there’s 50% not to the coil, the coil being an antenna with a certain level of gain there will be a proportional increase radiating from the coil and presumably into the ground. Don’t assume though that this is a simple case of 50% more power means 50% more depth, that depends on the attenuation of the material the ground is made of.
No 50 percent more power into the coil, DOES NOT EQUAL 50 PERCENT MORE POWER INTO THE GROUND, or the air for that matter….A little matter of Reflection, and standing wave ratio……Ask any Amateur radio operator..KD5YQF…Tom
I completely agree with that Thomas. Minelab must have known that 50% more power into the coil does not mean 50% more power into the ground. How can they not know this? It was misleading at best and a blatant marketing ploy at worst.