the world of Simultaneous Multi-Frequency (SMF) is here to stay, that manufacturers of them is growing (as noted with the Garrett Apex release), and that we are likely to see new SMF offerings from almost any dedicated detector manufacturer. Even those sleepy folks down in El Paso Texas who have been trying to milk all they can from folks with their CZ3D, to include the 'Enhanced' decal decorated specimen for $799, ought to be making some sort of stride to get competitive with something new and different. Not just a decal and name change but something new.

The other Texas-based company, who gave us a decent-performing mid-priced Apex will certainly not sit still for too long now that they have joined the SMF group, and especially now that Garrett bought all the paperwork smarts from White's it's only a matter of time. That leaves just two big detector makers for us all to hear from, the XP folks in France, and I haven't heard any rumors from their camp, and the Nokta / Makro folks in Turkey who already announced they were going to be working on a SMF device .... and they don't have a record of saying they plan to do something and then not following through.

So, yes, SMF's are here, the market has a certain credible group of folks who seem to favor that detector flavor so I'm sure 2021 will bring us a growing market. That said, it has also been proven that some makes and models that have offered a SMF device also provided it with a Selectable Single-Frequency (SSF) capability and, in some applications, the SSF choice can match or better the device's performance in SMF function. Plus we can figure that a lot of the upper-end SMF's are going to be priced higher than a lot of Hobbyists can afford, and no doubt those higher-dollar units might possess more adjustment functions that won't appeal to a lot of the 'average' Hobbyists group.

And finally, there are also a lot of Hobbyists as well as some like you and me who are more Avid Detectorists, who realize a good SSF or Fixed SF (SF) detector can handle all the needs for a lot of detecting tasks. Nothing is 'perfect' also we can, or should, all appreciate what some SMF's can do, what a good SSF can provide, and what a very proven SF is capable of .... then we can pick-and-choose what we like from that assortment to satisfy our wants and needs. Hook on a decent search coil for the types of places we plan to hunt, and just get out and have fun.

Rumor has it that doing so is a good idea and can lead to enjoyable success afield. And, beyond the rumor stage, there is a guarantee that Monte, who has been thinning his detector outfit and tends to be a bit 'picky' on what he likes to have on-hand, is likely to have an upper-end SMF model in his detector team that can satisfy his wants and needs, and he hasn't seen that yet from what's out their now. 2021 is coming, that's one thing I can honestly share.

Monte

"Your EYES ... the only 100% accurate form of Discrimination!"
Stinkwater Wells Trading Post
Metal Detector Evaluations and Product Reviews monte@ahrps.org ... or ... monte@stinkwaterwells.com 503-481-8147Detector Outfit: A selection of my favorite makes and models, with the best coils mounted, for the tasks I'll take on.Pinpointers: Pulse-Dive & ProPointer AT .. Headphones: 'Hornet' & 'Wasp' .. MS-3 Z-Lynk .. ML-80 .. N/M Green edition*** All working well today to make memories for tomorrow. ***