Overview of Nokta Makro metal detector, The Legend. We’ll see what is included in the device package set (and what the difference is between the components), what search coils are available, what the device is designed for, and its features, and we’ll compare the device with its rivals.
Contents
History of the metal detector
In 2021 Turkish manufacturer Nokta Makro introduced its first multi-frequency metal detector, The Legend. Before this, the company also produced metal detectors, but there were using many operation frequencies – Nokta Simplex, Impact, Anfibio.
Unlike these models, The Legend uses a Multi frequency technology. Multi frequency – is a technology used in other companies’ metal detectors: Minelab Equinox 800, Garrett Ace Apex, XP Deus 2.
Actually, Nokta Makro The Legend is an attempt made by the Turkish company to join the higher metal detectors class and get to the multifrequency metal detectors market segment. That was a nice try but not a splendid one. The Legend is a good metal detector, but it couldn’t become better than its rivals.
Moreover, The Legend has features common with Simplex, such as an embedded vibration mode for underwater treasure hinting or hearing-impaired users, LCD with backlighting, and a LED flashlight directed forward – a simple and nice addition that other metal detectors don’t have. The device also has a feature that none of the metal detectors have – this is the device’s operation hours counter (Time Tracking).
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| Model | Nokta Makro The Legend |
| Operating Frequencies | Multi(3), 4kHz, 10kHz, 15kHz, 20kHz, 40kHz |
| Audio Frequencies | 100Hz – 1200Hz Adjustable |
| Search Modes | 4 (Park / Field / Beach / Gold Field) |
| Custom User Profiles | 4 |
| Audio Tones | 60 |
| Tone Volume | Yes |
| Tone Break | Yes |
| Tone Frequency | Yes |
| Adjustable Threshold | Yes |
| Notch Filter | Yes |
| Ground Balance | Automatic / Manual / Tracking |
| Pinpoint | Yes |
| Frequency Shift | Yes |
| Noise Cancellation | Yes |
| Vibration | Yes |
| Sensitivity Setting | 30 Levels |
| Target ID | 01-60 |
| Search Coil | The Legend WHP: Waterproof DD Search Coil 28cm / 11″ (LG28) The Legend PRO PACK: Waterproof DD Search Coil 28cm / 11″ (LG28) Waterproof DD Search Coil 15cm / 6″ (LG15) |
| Display | Custom LCD |
| Backlight | Yes |
| LED Flashlight | Yes |
| Weight | 1.4 kg (3.0lbs.) Including The Search Coil |
| Length | 63cm – 132cm (25″ – 52″) Adjustable |
| Battery | 5050mAh Lithium Polymer |
| Warranty | 3 Years |
Nokta Makro The Legend Review
Package Contents
Currently, Nokta Legend has two package sets available: The Legend WHP and The Legend Pro Pack. Both package sets include the same metal detector; however, the “PRO” is supplied with the second search coil 6″ and an additional spare battery that can be connected to the waterproof accumulator installed in the back.
Both package sets include a Bluetooth headset with a small delay, while a waterproof headset Nokta Makro should be bought separately.
The device package set includes the following:
- System Box
- Waterproof DD Search Coil 28cm / 11″ (LG28) & Cover
- Waterproof DD Search Coil 15cm / 6″ (LG15) & Cover – The Legend PRO Pack Only
- Waterproof Replaceable Spare Battery & Charger – The Legend PRO Pack Only
- Headphones Adapter (6.3mm 1/4″) – The Legend STD Pack Only
- Bluetooth aptX™ Low Latency Headphones – The Legend PRO Pack & WHP Only
- The LEGEND Cap
- USB Charging & Data Cable
- Headphones Soft Case – The Legend PRO Pack & WHP Only
Multi frequency
First, let’s discuss the main feature. What kind of technology is that, and what is it needed for?
The metal detector operates both in multi-frequency modes (Multi-1 (M1), Multi-2 (M2), and Multi-3 (M3)) and using a single frequency (you select from 4, 10, 15, 20 or 40 kHz).
Nokta Makro The Legend, unlike all previous Nokta Makro metal detectors, uses SMF technology (Simultaneous Multi Frequency). SMF provides a wide range of high and low detection frequencies that provides the following advantages:
A wider range of target types
Nokta Makro The Legend uses search frequencies in the range from 4 kHz to 40 kHz. Each frequency itself has its own advantages but using several of them simultaneously (Multi frequency) has an amplifying impact on their interaction.
Thus, the Legend’s low frequency of 4 kHz allows perfect detection of deep, large, or highly conductive targets (for example, silver or copper coins). In comparison, a high frequency of 40 kHz provides extreme sensitivity to small or low conductivity targets (for example, small gold nuggets). Using these and other intermediate frequencies allows the detection of more various targets in a single search coil wave.
Identification precision
Another significant advantage of SMF is the target identification precision.
SMF algorithm compares the information obtained from each frequency to provide the user with the most precise idea of what kind of target is in the ground.
Traditional single-frequency metal detectors are usually rather accurate and stable during tests in the air, but several centimeters of ground between the search coil and the target can change the target VDI. The deeper the target or, the higher the ground mineralization is, the less accurate the device operation becomes.
For example, a coin can be identified when testing in the air by the numbers 24-25 on the single-frequency metal detector screen, but the same coin put about 10 cm under the ground may be displayed as VDI 30-34.
During this test, Nokta Makro The Legend provides less identification difference between the same target testing in the air and several centimeters deep in the ground. This technology provides essential compliance of the target identification to reality. SMF allows the user to find deep targets more often than any single-frequency metal detector.
The shaft
Nokta Makro has selected a lightweight, portable, and completely telescopic shaft for the Legend. The device package set has a bottom carbon shaft made of high-quality carbon fiber for better hardness and weight saving, as well as an aluminum middle shaft like the one Nokta Simplex has. The telescopic shaft of the Legend is folded to the size of 63 cm for convenient transportation.
The coil
Nokta Makro The Legend was designed with two search coils. The coil LG28 28 cm (11″) DD, and the coil LG15 15 cm (6”) DD. The conventional search coin (present in all package sets) 11 DD LG28, the coil 15cm (6”) is included in The Legend Pro Pack. Moreover, additionally, you can get a search coil 13.5×12.5 DD LG35.
As with all recently produced Nokta Makro devices, the Legend search coil used well-designed fixings that were rather reliable in the previous models. The users can manipulate the metal detector confidently, knowing that the search coil won’t break (what we can’t say about the Equinox series search coils).
Headset
Unlike precious Nokta Makro metal detectors, the headset included in the package set uses Bluetooth protocol with low delay to connect to the Legend. Still, they are aimed to be used on the ground only since wireless signals can’t pass through the water.
If you don’t like the headset, you can always buy an external speaker embedded in the Legend (surely, it is completely waterproof). It is worth mentioning that the new headset is not compatible with the previous metal detector models.
Battery
Nokta Legend metal detector uses a 5050 mAh battery (Li-Po) installed in the handle. Also, an extended capacity accumulator is offered as an additional accessory (it is present in the PRO package set, and you can buy it separately). This additional accumulator doubles the available run time from 20 to 40 hours.
Waterproofness
Nokta Legend is an amphibian, i.e., the metal detector can be submerged up to 3 m deep. Correspondingly, it has a vibration mode since it is harder to hear the signal in the water than in the air, and the vibration helps to detect the target. Besides, these were Turkish manufacturers to be the first to implement this function (and some others) in metal detectors, and now (of course, entirely by accident and with other methodology) they appeared in Minelab Manticore metal detectors.
The waterproof construction of the Legend is based on a rather successful platform of the Nokta Makro Simplex metal detector, a very reliable one. Its case is famous for its solid hydroseal. During its 2-year history, there was almost no feedback about leakages, and many thousands of these metal detectors have been used worldwide.
Control unit
The company decided not to reinvent the wheel, and the control unit is similar to the previous models. Rubber buttons, large display with adjustable backlight – what else is needed? By the way, the buttons and the display durability are at a rather high level. According to my colleagues’ feedback (with hundreds of treasure-hunting trips) – wear marks are barely visible.
Search modes and The Legend 2 settings
Nokta Makro The Legend has four pre-set search modes and four user profiles, each of which you can change, save and select at any time.
As pre-set modes, it has the following :
- PARK – a mode for treasure-hunting is city parks (Recovery Speed 5 and 2 tones). All single frequencies are available as well as three multi-frequency ones. The default discrimination is set to reject Target IDs up to and including 11.
- FIELD – mode is for field search (Recovery Speed 5 and 2 tones). All single frequencies are available as well as three multi-frequency ones. The default discrimination is set to reject Target IDs up to and including 11.
- BEACH – a mode for beach hunting, including brackish water (Recovery Speed 6 and 2 tones). Only multi-frequency modes are available, and you can’t select single-frequency modes. In Beach mode, the Multi frequency has 2 options: Multi Wet (MW) and Multi Dry (MD). The default discrimination is set to reject Target IDs up to and including 10. Multi-frequency Nokta Makro The Legend uses special SMF algorithms for beach hunting to suppress signals from salty water. Beach modes of the Legend are designed to ensure maximum detection depth and maintain stable, quiet, and noiseless device operation.
- GOLDFIELD is a mode for gold nuggets hunting (Recovery Speed 5 and 1 tone, threshold tone). Single frequencies are available (20, 40 kHz), and a multi-frequency mode. The default discrimination is set to reject Target IDs up to and including 10.
FerroCheck
FerroCheck operates together with ordinary target identification (VDI, tones) to get more detailed information about the object in the ground.
These horizontal lines are filled when the metal detector finds the target. If the left line is filled – this is a ferrous target; if the right one is – the target is a non-ferrous one.
Such targets as beer bottle caps partially consist of ferrous metal and partially non-ferrous, which makes them confusing targets for most treasure hunters.
Even if the target has a good VDI on the metal detector display, the Ferrocheck panel may still warn you about the hidden bottle cap!
The Ferrocheck function in the Legend allows escaping ferrous targets without losing track of deeper non-ferrous targets such as deep coins and rings.
Iron Filter
The system programming software of the metal detector is being updated and upgraded, and new features are being added. Thus, in the update V1.09 (2022.07.12), Iron Filter and Stability settings have been added. From the description, it looks like this adjustment was present in the previous device versions, but it was not available for the user.
What is Iron Filter? This filter allows non-ferrous target detection in areas with many ferrous signals. By default, the filter value is set to 8.
Tones
An interesting feature of the new metal detector Nokta Makro is its polyphony. By popular demand, Nokta Makro has decided to add polyphony. Compared with the traditional monophony, these tones sound good for the ear. There are 1, 2, 4, 6, 60 tones available and Tone Pitch. Besides, there are the following settings: Tone Volume, Tone Frequency, Tone Break.
For example, XP Deus 2 requires some time to get used to its sound, even for me, even though I spent thousands of hours with XP Deus. With Nokta Makro The Legend, several treasure-hunting trips are enough to get used to its tones, and then you’ll enjoy these.
Discrimination
The discrimination scale has VDI in the range from 01 to 60, where from 1 to 10 is for ferrous metals and from 11 to 60 – for non-ferrous ones.
You can select from four discrimination options:
- All Metal Discrimination Pattern – when none of the segments is declined
- Ground Off Discrimination Pattern – the detector will not react to the noise signals from the ground and will not send any sound or digital identification for these. Target IDs 1 and 2 are turned off (rejected).
- Ferrous Off Discrimination Pattern – ferrous segment is declined
- Custom Discrimination Pattern – you select the targets to be declined yourself
Notch
Selective discrimination Notch is a mode with which you additionally discriminate some specific range. As a result, targets that get into the rejection window in the selected range don’t get the sound during the metal-detecting process.
Ground balance
Three modes of ground balance are available:
- Automatic – is always set when metal-detecting on a new location.
- Manual – is you don’t like the automatic ground balance values, you can make corrections in this mode.
- Tracking – the metal detector itself traces ground balance and corrects it. It is recommended to use it when the soil has various structures.
Recovery Speed
In simple words, this is the speed at which the metal detector can distinguish two targets located close to each other. It is useful for rubbished areas, for example, parks. Reactivity high values don’t lead to losing detection depth.
On a clean area, you can decrease it to 1 (to get a higher detection depth). The more rubbished the area, the higher the reactivity value should be. You have to sacrifice the detection depth and move the search coil slowly at that.
Threshold Level
It’s a useful adjustment, but only if you go gold nuggets hunting (even though I know that some use it for other search types, but they are true professionals). This is a minimal and constant sound background barely heard in the headphones in the absence of ferrous objects near the search coil. This background has to be minimal and maintained at this level throughout the device operation. The threshold level allows constant control of the metal detector operability and ground mineralization level changes.
Conclusion
Nokta The Legend has turned out to be a good metal detector (even for beginners). Actually, its main task was to rival metal detectors of Minelab Equinox or Garrett Apex level, and it successfully accomplished the task. If I had to choose between Minelab Equinox and Nokta Makro The Legend, I even have no idea what I would choose. Well, no, I know what I would choose – XP Deus II (actually, what I did). However, this metal detector is from another range, including the price segment.