Minelab Vanquish
Minelab Vanquish 340 Target ID Chart: Ordering, Tones And What The Screen Shows
Quick answer
The Vanquish 340 shows conductivity on a segmented discrimination display backed by tones, across three modes. Iron reads at the bottom, foil and thin gold low, nickels and small rings mid, copper and silver at the top. Learn the tones first and write down your own readings for each band.
The Minelab Vanquish 340 is the cheapest way into Minelab Multi-IQ simultaneous multi frequency, and the screen is where the saving shows. You get a discrimination display and three modes rather than the finer feedback of the machines above it. For a first machine that is a fair trade, because the underlying detection technology is the same family that Minelab puts in far more expensive models.
Reading it well means leaning on your ears. Tone tells you more per second than a segmented display does, and a 340 owner who knows the sound of a nickel against a pull tab will out dig one who stops and stares at the screen for every signal. Below is the ordering, the tone behaviour, and the method for building a reading card that beats any chart written by somebody who has never stood on your ground.
Top pick
Minelab Vanquish 340
Multi-IQ simultaneous multi frequency with a 10 by 7 waterproof Double-D coil and three modes, at the bottom of the Minelab range.
Price was accurate when this page was compiled and changes often.
On this page
What does the 340 display and what does it leave out?
It displays where a target sits on a discrimination scale, supported by tones and by the three search modes Minelab lists for the machine, Coin, Jewellery and Relic. What it leaves out compared with the 540 is the finer audio control, the additional mode and the second coil in the box. The detection technology underneath, Multi-IQ simultaneous multi frequency, is the same family.
That matters when you are choosing between them. The 340 is not a worse detector with a worse chance of finding a silver coin. It is the same approach with fewer ways to interrogate what you have found, which mostly costs you time in trash rather than depth in clean ground. The 540 target ID chart covers the extra audio control, and the range comparison covers how both sit against the machines above them.
Vanquish 340 conductivity ordering and tones
Position, tone and the target it hides among. The last column is for your own readings.
The Vanquish 340 orders targets from iron at the bottom of the discrimination display through foil and thin gold, nickels and small rings in the middle, to copper and silver coins at the top with the highest and cleanest tones.
| Target | Position on the display | Tone | Shares its band with | Your reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nails and small iron | Bottom | Low and broken | Nothing worth digging | Record it |
| Large flat iron and can lids | Wraps high | High but inconsistent | Silver coins | Record it |
| Foil and thin gold | Low | Low | Wrappers and small lead | Record it |
| US nickel and small gold rings | Low to middle | Low to mid | Screw caps | Record it |
| Pull tabs | Middle | Mid | Mid weight gold rings | Record it |
| Zinc cent | Upper middle | Mid to high | Washers and caps | Record it |
| Copper cent and clad dime | Upper | High | Heavy aluminium | Record it |
| Clad quarter | Upper | High | Large aluminium | Record it |
| Silver coins | Top | High and clean | Clad coins | Record it |
Positions rather than published numbers. The Vanquish displays a segmented discrimination scale, and the exact segment layout for your model is documented in the Vanquish instruction manual. Count the segments on your own screen, then fill in the last column from buried reference targets in your own soil.
How do you build a reading card for the 340?
- Pick your reference targets. One of each coin you expect to find locally, a pull tab, foil, a nail and a large flat piece of iron. A cheap gold band if you hunt jewellery.
- Air test each one. Sweep it under the coil and note the display position and the tone. This is the clean reference with no ground interfering.
- Bury them at four and eight inches. In soil like the sites you hunt, marked so you can find them without the machine, and left to settle before you draw conclusions.
- Sweep in all three modes. Coin, Jewellery and Relic present the same targets differently. Note each, because you will switch modes in the field.
- Write the card and carry it. A postcard in the pouch with tone and position for each reference target is worth more than any chart online, including this page.
What limits the 340 in practice?
An honest look at where the saving shows up, since most people buying a 340 are choosing against a 540.
The 340 and the 540 share Multi-IQ simultaneous multi frequency, so the practical differences are modes, audio control and whether a second coil comes in the box rather than raw detecting ability.
| Aspect | Vanquish 340 | Vanquish 540 |
|---|---|---|
| Detection technology | Multi-IQ simultaneous multi frequency | Multi-IQ simultaneous multi frequency |
| Search modes | Three, Coin, Jewellery and Relic | Four, including Custom |
| Audio control | Basic | Ten volume settings and iron bias control per Minelab |
| Coils supplied | 10 by 7 Double-D | Pro-Pack supplies two coils |
| Headphones | Not included | Bluetooth wireless included per Minelab |
| Power | Four AA cells | Rechargeable or cells depending on package |
| Catalog price | $258.99 | $399.00 |
Neither machine is submersible. Both have waterproof coils with a control box that is water resistant rather than rated for submersion, which is the single most important thing to know before taking either near the surf.
The two accessories a 340 owner should buy first
Headphones are not included with this package, and nothing shortens the learning curve like a pinpointer.
Minelab PRO-FIND 15
$69.00Waterproof to 5 feet per Minelab with audio indication and a belt holster, and the cheapest way to stop digging blind.
Best for: a first pinpointer on a beginner budget
Check price on Amazon
Minelab ML85 Wireless Headphones
$125.00Low latency wireless designed for detectors, because ordinary Bluetooth delay makes pinpointing by ear impossible.
Best for: anyone detecting near roads or wind
Check price on Amazon
Minelab GO-FIND 44
$218.99Folds down small and weighs very little, with a 10 inch waterproof coil, for people who want a Minelab that lives in a car boot.
Best for: travel and family use rather than serious coin hunting
Check price on AmazonHow we chose
We did not test these machines in person and we publish no find claims. Picks are researched from manufacturer specifications and owner manuals, published listing features, waterproof ratings and warranty terms, and the recurring themes in verified owner reviews. We favour the established detector brands because coils, shafts and control boxes have to stay available years after a model is discontinued, and we place every pick in the tier where its price and capability honestly belong.
Sources
- Minelab Vanquish series instruction manual, display and search mode chapters
- Minelab Vanquish 340 published product specification sheet
- Manufacturer listing specifications for the Vanquish 340, PRO-FIND 15 and ML85
Frequently asked questions
Is the Vanquish 340 worth buying over the 540?
If your budget is the deciding factor, yes, because the underlying Multi-IQ technology is the same. The 540 Pro-Pack buys you a second coil, an extra mode, finer audio control including iron bias, and wireless headphones. Those matter most in dense trash. On open ground the difference between the two is much smaller than the price gap suggests.
Can the 340 find silver coins as deep as the 540?
Broadly, yes, because they share the same detection technology and coil class. Where the 540 pulls ahead is in telling two close targets apart and in giving you more information about a doubtful signal, which in practice means finding targets the 340 masks rather than targets it cannot physically reach. Grid carefully and the gap narrows further.
Do I need headphones for it?
They help more than most beginners expect. Faint deep targets are easy to miss over wind and traffic through a speaker, and headphones also stop you annoying everyone else in a public park. If you buy wireless, buy a low latency detector specific set, because ordinary Bluetooth delay puts the tone out of step with your sweep and ruins pinpointing.
What coil comes on the Vanquish 340?
Minelab supplies a 10 by 7 inch waterproof Double-D coil with the 340, which is a sensible general purpose size. It is waterproof in itself, but that does not make the machine submersible, since the control box is water resistant rather than rated for submersion. Keep the box out of the water regardless of what the coil can take.
How long do the AA cells last?
Long enough that most owners simply carry a spare set rather than tracking it, which is the practical advantage of a machine with replaceable cells over a sealed pack. Rechargeable cells reduce the running cost considerably if you detect weekly. Note that a fading set changes how a detector behaves before it stops it working, so change them when performance wanders.
Researched, not professional advice. This page is compiled from published specifications, manuals and owner-review consensus, not hands-on testing. Target ID numbers, depth figures and settings vary with soil chemistry, moisture, target size, depth, orientation and firmware version, so treat every figure here as a starting point and verify it against your own machine's manual and your own ground. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.