Hints and Tips Using the Nokta Legend Metal Detector for Park and Relic Detecting. Interview Clark Army

Clark Army

The Legend metal detector by Nokta is an excellent machine for the price. Its build, quality, and tech put it in the class of the Minelab Equinox line and XP Deus and Deus II. 

A multi-frequency detector for detecting parks, relics, beaches, and gold prospecting. From easy-to-understand stock settings or very customizable settings, The Legend is an excellent metal detector for those who are starting and need a turn-on-and-go detector or for advanced detectorists that enjoy dialing in customizable settings.

To help us understand The Legend detector and how to use it for park and relic metal detecting, I am interviewing Clark Army. He resides in Van Wert, Ohio, and does a fair amount of relic and park metal detecting with The Legend. He has found various items, including a Civil War Bell Buckle, U.S. Cavalry Bridal Rosette, a U.S. Soldier’s Collar Pin, sleigh bells, pocket watches, war tokens, diamond rings, and old coins.

See my questions and Clark’s answers below.

Nokta The Legend 

How do you go about the updates Nokta releases for The Legend? Do you update it immediately or wait a bit before updating it? Or find a release you like and stick to it because it works best for you at parks?
I have not done an update yet on my Legend detector. I have over a hundred hours on the machine and it is doing so great with the software that it came with, demonstrated by what it finds. Therefore, I am reluctant to update it.

How do you set up The Legend for a hunt?
The Legend metal detector is different from other detectors and the manual backs this up. For most metal detectors, you need to ground balance and noise cancel, which I always do. However, in normal conditions, both these steps don’t have to be done. You can turn it on and go.

Can you explain how to factory reset The Legend metal detector for those new to the machine and who want to learn how?
The first thing we need to understand, The Legend, is a different factory reset than Minelab and Garrett metal detectors. You don’t do a true factory reset like other machines. The steps to factory reset The Legend is to go to the user profile icon, select the profile you use, then hold down the pinpointer button for 30 seconds until FD (Factory Default) shows up.

The Legend metal detector runs very hot, meaning they are super sensitive detectors. At parks and relic hunting, what sensitivity do you like to run The Legend at and why?
The best sensitivity for me at a park is right around 20 and even a bit less when metal detecting near chain-link fences, tot lots, or along walkways. When relic hunting, I run it as high as I can.

A Sample of Clark Army’s Metal Detecting Finds

What setting do you like for park metal detecting with The Legend?
Park, Multi 1 with Sensitivity 20 or less. 

What are your preferred settings for relic hunting at homesteads, fields, and forests?
Believe it or not, I am still in Park 1. I know Part 1 so well, all the nuances, and am comfortable with it, so I stick to it. I sometimes go to Field 1 and I have had good results both ways.

Are you one to switch coils often or keep the stock coil on?
I am totally satisfied with the stock coil. On other detectors, I did switch coils more often. With The Legend metal detector, if I was only doing tot lots, along chain-link fences or along sidewalks I would go down to a small coil, but I also detect other areas such as yards, playfields, and picnic areas, therefore, I prefer using on the stock coil.

What is the advantage of using M3 over M1 and M2?
I run The Legend in M1 multi-frequency mode because I am looking for high-conductivity signals for copper and silver. For those looking for gold in parks, M2 would be better. M3 is for wet humid ground conditions or very mineralized soil. 

Are there any more tips you would like to share with our readers?
Yes, these tips are geared toward newbies to detectorists and those who purchased the Nokta Legend and are eager to detect with it:

  1. As always, when starting out with any metal detector, including The Legend, make sure you dig every signal. This is especially important to do when learning a new detector.  A good signal on The Legend isn’t a subtle thing like on a Minelab Equinox 800 or other detectors. The Legend’s key difference from other machines is a good signal clearly stands out as a good signal.
  2. With The Legend detector and any other metal detector, put in the hours with the machine before you judge it. Personally, I see The Legend performing as well as other comparable detectors in that market range.
  3. Treasure can be found anywhere, don’t get discouraged or give up if you can’t get permissions, or if you hear a place is “hunted out”, with a little research and out-of-the-box thinking, you can find surprisingly good places to metal detect. Just remember to make nice clean holes, leaving little to no trace that you have been there, and don’t trespass.


I would like to thank Clark Army for giving our readers useful information about Nokta’s The Legend metal detector. The Legend is an excellent metal detector, with a great price point. It’s good for a beginner or an advanced detectorist. It will help you uncover treasures and aid in making good memories along the way.

Nokta The Legend Handbook by Andy Sabisch

The Legend Handbook contains the information detectorists need to help quickly master the Nokta Legend Metal Detector and unlock all of the performance it is capabilities. See the best settings, and techniques from advanced detectorists for various soil and sand conditions.

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