This beach's black/gray sand is a challenge for any detector. The Deus deliveredimpressive depth on low-conductivity targets.

Testing The XPDeus: A Wireless

"Custom"Detector

By CliveAnytime a new metal detec-

tor arrives at my door, it's anexciting day! When I was askedto write a few pages about thenew French-produced XP Deus(pronounced "Dae-uhs" meaning"deity" or "supreme being"), aquick review of the literature toldme that I was going to be tryingout a truly unique and specialdetector. I saw that it was a wire-less machine that incorporated

Clynickthree modules: coil, pocket-sizedcontrol unit, and headphone. Ialso saw that it had a large num-ber of features which could beaccessed very simply by way of abasic "point and shoot," user-friendly interface. I certainlyliked the idea of a machine thatoffered this level of versatility,and set out to see how it wouldperform in the field under a vari-ety of conditions.

Author Clive Clynick takes a breakduring his Deus field work.

I began by focusing on theopinions of XP Deus users— justas I would when selecting amachine to buy. Usually thesecomments will be mixed. Withthe Deus I saw only good feed-back. Several themes emerge inthe comments of Deus users. Allare impressed with the design andthe ultralight weight, a trim 2 Ibs.3 ozs. The wand telescopes fromeither end— a quick snap-out,and you are hunting.

Each of the two control mod-ules (control pod or headphone)can run the detector independent-ly. This also means that with awaterproof hood or sealed bag forthe control pod, the detector israinproof.

Every single hunter whocommented on the Deus wasimpressed by the speed ofresponse. Of the nine preset pro-grams that are oriented to varioustypes of conditions / targets,"Deus Fast" is already legendaryfor its ability to pick out maskedsignals from dense iron and trash.Other presets are based upon thestrengths of two popular XPmachines, the Gold Maxx Powerand the Gold Maxx 11.

A manual also tells you a lot

WESTERN & EASTERN TREASURES 37

All three devices (coil, remote display & headphones) communicate with one another via a digital wireless radio link thatwas developed specifically for metal detecting.

about a machine and the compa-ny that makes it. Obviously, ahigh-fidelity detector needsclear, simple instructions, andthat's exactly what is given.Each feature is explained interms of what it does, how toimplement it, and what kinds ofconditions / situations mightrequire it. Overall, the manualpromotes the remarkable versa-tility of the Deus well andinstructs the new user on justhow to best utilize it.

Let's run through some ofthe more noteworthy features ofthe Deus— some of the things Test finds included turn-of-the-century U.S. and Canadian coppers and athat are genuinely new: Victorian silver dime.

Switchable Frequencies4 kHz, 8 kHz, 12 kHz and 18

kHz. These all offer peak perfor-mance in specific conditions.The lower ranges are best forlarger, high-conductivity targetsin lighter soils. The two middleranges are for general use, andthe highest (18 kHz) is best suit-ed for finding low-conductivityitems such as small gold targetsin highly mineralized ground,wet or salt beach sand. Smalloval tabs air tested at over 10" sit-ting on sand. I can see this as agreat park or beach gold

This "truck grove" park site was a good test for the Deus's performance around iron. machine.

38 AUGUST 2012

Ground BalancingThe Deus offers three types

of ground balancing: Manual orcustom allows "over-" or "under-tuning" to suit conditions (an oldprospector's trick used toenhance target sounds or reduceground noises), Pumping (moretypical), and (continuous)Tracking. There is also a specif-ic (tunable!) beach mode suitedto saline environments. The levelof mineralization of the ground isalso shown on the display toguide your setting choices.

NotchThis feature also offers some

entirely new things. While multi-notch (being able to blank outseveral parts of the conductiverange) is not in itself new, theDeus also allows you to identifythese by one of up to four tones.It also offers adjustable notchwidth to custom tailor your rejectblocks for exact targets. So, in anarea strewn with pennies andpulltabs, you could create a high-ly effective program by knockingout both the most common vari-eties of tab(s) and the pennies, soas to focus on the most interest-ing responses.

AudioYou can also set the signal

ranges you want to ID by tone.The volume at which ironresponds is also adjustable. Thechatter of iron at higherSensitivity levels can also bemodulated with the Silencer con-trol. I especially liked how theaudio transitions cleanly fromone tone to another. I can't waitto get some of my test targets anddevelop some notch programs touse with the Deus's crisp, sharpaudio.

DisplayAnother thing I like about the

Deus is that you can customize

All of the electronics, including the digital LCD display, are encapsulated in aweatherproof disc on one side of the XP headset. Inset: USB connector.

the display to show one of sever-al things: a grid showing thestrength, ferrous and nonferrouscontent of the current target, orthe Reactivity (Recovery Speed)setting as a graph. This is in addi-tion to the standard digital targetconductivity information.Another handy indicator at thetop of the Display shows the tar-get conductivity against the back-ground of any custom notchesyou have put in.

Non-Motion ModesThese are impressive, too, in

that there are three. As someonewho has had great success hunt-ing in all-metal mode, especiallyin so-called "worked out" sites,it's exciting to see a machine thatoffers some fidelity and choicewith this effective tool. The Deusoffers single-tone, (with visualdisc.) and audio ID (in keepingwith your settings) and a basicall-metal mode. This featurealone has a ton of potential in

sand or for ID'ing targets, and isa great example of how thisdetector is applications-basedand has clearly been designed byserious treasure hunters.

Field TestSite #1

I chose this location becauseit has lots of iron (fencing wire,spikes, and 1940s car parts), andyet there are old, deep coins tobe found. I had to try "DeusFast" here and wasn't disap-pointed. At the "Deus Fast"Reactivity speed, good targetsgave recognizable short, hightones amid the iron telling me toinvestigate further. These weremostly deep '40s, and '50s cop-pers that ID'd from "89" to"92." I liked the consistency ofthe readings as well, in that itmeant the detector was accuratein spite of the amount of ironjunk around. I was able to rec-ognize any iron "sound-offs"from the rough tone and by

WESTERN & EASTERN TREASURES 39

The XP Deus ships standard with awaterproof 9" round DD searchcoiland cover. A larger 13" x 11" DDsearchcoil is also available as anoption.

using the display's ferrous / non-ferrous grid.

Testing the optional 13" x 11"coil, I noticed that the wirelesssignal helped quiet the usuallarge-coil interference problems.It added several inches of depthto the Deus's performance,although I can tell that I've stillgot some learning ahead with it.Its all-metal air test performancewas also very impressive-hinting

The XP Deus wireless digital displayremote control features easy-to-readgraphics, a brightly backlit screenand comes in a handy case.

at its depth potential— given theproper tuning.

Site #2This beach site can only be

described as "lousy" with dense,gray sand. No machines workwell there, and some not at all.This time of year, winter windsstrip the light material from thesurface, leaving patches of blacksand.

I started in "Basic 1" to get anidea of how the detector's mediansettings perform. This 12 kHzprogram was smooth and quiet,bringing up targets from surpris-ing depths in the hard-packedsand— both high and low con-ductors.

I especially liked 18 kHzGoldmaxx Power, a great setupfor low conductors. With it, Iwas able to focus on these small-er, mid-range signals, diggingthem one after another. Many ofthese came from over 8" deep inthe packed sand.

I also tried Deus Fast in thetrash-strewn picnic areas. I likedhaving a lightning fast setup toflag middle-range responseswith, and the display helped meto narrow these down.

Had there been any gold pre-sent, I certainly would have beenright on track to find it.

I also tried "Wet Beach" and"Dry Beach," both very smooth,stable setups.

I like being able to scrollthrough every program with asingle button, to cross comparethe unit's stability and how tar-gets are coming in.

XP's website mentions thatthe Deus is the vision of a groupof avid detectorists... and itshows! Clearly, this is a detectordeveloped and tested in theEuropean context— extreme soiland sand conditions with cen-turies' worth of iron in theground.

SummaryIn my series of how-to books

I've often said that becomingskilled with a detector basicallyinvolves developing a large num-ber of "things to try" and know-ing when to do so. The XP Deusis extremely well designed forthis approach. This detector canbe seen as a "template" for cus-tom-tailoring its many excitingfeatures for your exact prefer-ences, conditions, requirements,and targets sought. Equally asimportant, there is fast, user-friendly access to everything thedetector does. (I was negotiatingmost of the menu and experi-menting with custom programswithin 15 minutes.) With its ninewell thought-out programs, it'salso "turn-on-and-go" for thenovice.

I especially liked the clean,crisp audio, performance aroundiron and the number of featuresoriented to use in tough beachand salt environments.

Here's another cutting-edgeadvantage: new features can bedownloaded from XP via theinternet, using the unit's USBport.

In my opinion, the XP Deusis an innovative machine whosepotential is only limited by howfar your interest and enthusiasmcan take you.

For a free brochure and thename of your nearest authorizedXP dealer, contact DetectorElectronics Corp., 23 TurnpikeRd., Southborough, MA01772. Phone 1-800-446-0244or 1-508-460-6244. The XPDeus's specs sheet, manual, andvideos can be seen at www.met-aldetector.com/xp-deus-met-aldetector

Be sure to mention that youread about the XP Deus inWestern & Eastern Treasuresmagazine. O

40 AUGUST 2012