Bad points about the Equinox series

[laidback4sho]

The Equinox has not been in peoples hands long enough to really know what is good or bad. I LOL watching some of the videos people have rushed to get on YouTube with. They have not even had time to learn the machine properly, don't do a noise cancel, or even ground balance the unit! I've had mine around 10-days, and have been able to get out only twice with it. It will take at least 25-hours on the headphones for an experienced user to become acquainted with everything the Equinox offers the user.

Give it a few more weeks, and wait for some REAL experts to tell you what the machine is about.

True, Terry. I've only been out with mine once. Just long enough to attempt to dig a pretty little signal. Nope. Frozen solid. Didn't take me too long to realize what season it is and where I live. Probably another month at least until I'll be able to do anything with it.

I wonder what the neighbors will think if they see me out in the yard on my my hands and knees with a heat gun pointed at the ground?

 

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[masterjedi]

"Nail" tests are completely bogus - period. Any metal detectorist worth their salt knows this from experience.

LOL LOL LOL
These NOX guys need to put their big boy pants on... Its funny to see them get so worked up from and Internet post .. Big smile. i was just messing with you. I am buying an 800 just so my grandson can use it when he is here 2x per year. Been digging since 1977.

 

[tnsharpshooter]

LOL LOL LOL
These NOX guys need to put their big boy pants on... Its funny to see them get so worked up from and Internet post .. Big smile. i was just messing with you. I am buying an 800 just so my grandson can use it when he is here 2x per year. Been digging since 1977.

Yeah, just so your grandson can use.
I think I know what will happen.

Hint-better buy 2.

 

[tnsharpshooter]

Folks seems don't get it.
Nox does something Deus, CTX, Etrac and many others can't do.
What is this exactly.
Nox can hunt modern trash and iron in one fail swoop.

Yeah, everyone thinks sites are just modern nonferrous trash. Wrong
Folks think sites with iron have no modern trash. Wrong.

Throw in for good measure Nox bust smaller gold.

Again I see nothing that compares. Wireless too. Light weight too. Waterproof too.

 

[vferrari]

No detector is perfect. Please bolster your credibility and try to suppress the fanboy enthusiasm and tell us about some Equinox shortcomings. You've had the detector for a couple of weeks and are ready to throw out the Deus so you have had a chance to run it through its paces. After all, that's why this thread was created in the first place. Sometimes you sound like a year ago where I could just as easily substitute Equinox with Impact. Unadulterated praise is boring. Give us some red meat and tell us about the Equinox dark side. TNSS. Lol.

And not giving Kruzer more than a back of the hand tells me someone might be hiding something somewhere.

 

[ATPRoDon]

I have about 8hrs under my belt now with the 800, one thing people are doing is incorrectly is Noice Cancelling. The coil should be pointing in the air, not on the ground or pointing to the ground. The other is if your going to do a manual ground balance when you pump the coil do not have it on the ground, it should be 3 to 4 inches above ground, it also says if you cannot get low digits during a manual ground balance you can go side to side with the coil. So far I have just been going to auto track and that seems to work pretty good. I will say that the Park 1 and Park 2 modes are very different programs. Park 2 seems to be the program that can pick out good targets that are mixed in with a lot of trash. I am not having any chatter issues at all.

Does it beat my V3i with the killer Detect coil? not yet. I Think the V3i gives so much more information before you dig. But I am going to hang with the 800 and take it through the paces.

Cheers...

 

[smokeythecat]

Yes, need red meat. And pics of the buckles, Confederate buttons, gold coins, etc. found where no detector could get them before. And now. With all the time invested, the net should be screaming with pics of all this good stuff. And I agree with Terry, nail tests in the air aren't worth anything. That's so 1970's. Vferrari are (again) doing a head to head in a few weeks in the worst dirt ever made. THEN we'll see. We'll have maybe 4 brands going at each other at the same time.

Where are the keepers? Show me the good stuff.

 

[tnsharpshooter]

No detector is perfect. Please bolster your credibility and try to suppress the fanboy enthusiasm and tell us about some Equinox shortcomings. You've had the detector for a couple of weeks and are ready to throw out the Deus so you have had a chance to run it through its paces. After all, that's why this thread was created in the first place. Sometimes you sound like a year ago where I could just as easily substitute Equinox with Impact. Unadulterated praise is boring. Give us some red meat and tell us about the Equinox dark side. TNSS. Lol.

And not giving Kruzer more than a back of the hand tells me someone might be hiding something somewhere.

I don't plan getting rid of all my Deus units. And have never said as much.
I can't find a dark side to Equinox. Not like a paid 2 grand for it.

I have run the dogs doo doo out of mine.

Seems to be a very good all a rounder.

You want me just to make some thing up bad about it??

My only gripe is, no mineral strength meter.

When you drop one of these into a old house site, you'll see for yourself.

One gent on another forum, is already admitting after using, he's eating crow.
He thought Equinox was a sham.
He thought wrong it seems.

 

[smokeythecat]

When vferrari and I test machines head to head in bad ground, that will give me an indication of just how good it is. I have no doubt it's a good machine, however, I already have three and for me to personally justify another machine, I have to see it in action first. I always test drive a machine before I buy it and frankly, the hype is getting boring. I have no gripe on the EQ series. It's just an unproven machine against it's competition. I think it will give the AT Pro a run for it's money, however with that said, an experienced user can do very well for themselves with whichever machine they have. One of my best machines is a full size garden shovel! I nailed it today with that in a bottle dump. Bottles are early and are getting soaked right now, should be cleaned by late tomorrow. Some CW into early 20th century. Unfortunately almost off of them were shattered but I did get a few out of the area. Unfortunately no coins or buckles or decent buttons there either.

 

[GreenMeanie]

To get in between IRON and multiple targets but with that you lose depth and ID.

If that is correct, and if I'm reading this correctly, if you lose depth with high speed recovery running, why bother with it at all? Not saying anything else.

 

[vferrari]

I don't plan getting rid of all my Deus units. And have never said as much.
I can't find a dark side to Equinox. Not like a paid 2 grand for it.

I have run the dogs doo doo out of mine.

Seems to be a very good all a rounder.

You want me just to make some thing up bad about it??

My only gripe is, no mineral strength meter.

When you drop one of these into a old house site, you'll see for yourself.

One gent on another forum, is already admitting after using, he's eating crow.
He thought Equinox was a sham.
He thought wrong it seems.

TNSS,

Good discussion. Now we're getting somewhere.

I know it isn't a sham, but it is good to know and advertise it's limitations. ML is NOT going to do that. Only independent testers like you can do that. Is it going to be as deep on silver in deal conditions as the CTX - I think not (personally, not a problem for me, but it might be an issue for others). I too wish it had a mineralization meter - good start. I think the key point is sitting there right in front of us. You said (in your head-to-head post elswhere) you are starting to leave your Deus at home when take out the Equinox, yet you just said you do not plan on getting rid of the Deus yet. Can you elaborate as to why. (In my case, it is the HF coils operating at frequencies that the Equinox cannot touch, which is another tool in the thick iron toolkit that Smokey exploits to the max and I am still trying to learn better and Deus is still the low profile, take anywhere beast that I can always keep around). What is your reason for hanging on to Deus in life after Equinox? Thanks.

 

[tnsharpshooter]

When vferrari and I test machines head to head in bad ground, that will give me an indication of just how good it is. I have no doubt it's a good machine, however, I already have three and for me to personally justify another machine, I have to see it in action first. I always test drive a machine before I buy it and frankly, the hype is getting boring. I have no gripe on the EQ series. It's just an unproven machine against it's competition. I think it will give the AT Pro a run for it's money, however with that said, an experienced user can do very well for themselves with whichever machine they have. One of my best machines is a full size garden shovel! I nailed it today with that in a bottle dump. Bottles are early and are getting soaked right now, should be cleaned by late tomorrow. Some CW into early 20th century. Unfortunately almost off of them were shattered but I did get a few out of the area. Unfortunately no coins or buckles or decent buttons there either.

Yep I have been comparing and running Nox against Deus in bad ground.
I have seen a more than a few things.

But a metered Deus cost more than a Nox.
I'll be watching to see which signals on a dime deeper as nonferrous in bad ground Nox or Deus with LF coil.

You may be surprised.

 

[GreenMeanie]

Park 2 runs a default UMM HUMMM Reactivity as the French would say or Recovery that is faster then park 1. Also Park 2 runs 0 iron bias as default.

I have about 8hrs under my belt now with the 800, one thing people are doing is incorrectly is Noice Cancelling. The coil should be pointing in the air, not on the ground or pointing to the ground. The other is if your going to do a manual ground balance when you pump the coil do not have it on the ground, it should be 3 to 4 inches above ground, it also says if you cannot get low digits during a manual ground balance you can go side to side with the coil. So far I have just been going to auto track and that seems to work pretty good. I will say that the Park 1 and Park 2 modes are very different programs. Park 2 seems to be the program that can pick out good targets that are mixed in with a lot of trash. I am not having any chatter issues at all.

Does it beat my V3i with the killer Detect coil? not yet. I Think the V3i gives so much more information before you dig. But I am going to hang with the 800 and take it through the paces.

Cheers...

 

[tnsharpshooter]

TNSS,

Good discussion. Now we're getting somewhere.

I know it isn't a sham, but it is good to know and advertise it's limitations. ML is NOT going to do that. Only independent testers like you can do that. Is it going to be as deep on silver in deal conditions as the CTX - I think not (personally, not a problem for me, but it might be an issue for others). I too wish it had a mineralization meter - good start. I think the key point is sitting there right in front of us. You said (in your head-to-head post elswhere) you are starting to leave your Deus at home when take out the Equinox, yet you just said you do not plan on getting rid of the Deus yet. Can you elaborate as to why. (In my case, it is the HF coils operating at frequencies that the Equinox cannot touch, which is another tool in the thick iron toolkit that Smokey exploits to the max and I am still trying to learn better and Deus is still the low profile, take anywhere beast that I can always keep around). What is your reason for hanging on to Deus in life after Equinox? Thanks.

The elliptical LF coil hits a 9" deep clad dime here. No other coil I have for Deus will, even the round HF coil. Nox does.
Nox will see nonferrous things Deus won't or Deus will give iron tone on. Elongated, round, for example.
Saw it today as a matter a fact.
You'll find less guesswork with signals with the Nox vs Deus.
Deus does well in mineral, on mid and lower conductors and bigger high conductors.
This is downfall for Deus though, cause you have to run 18kha in bad dirt for depth. So old house site with bad dirt and modern trash you are SOL, hence Nox can safe the day.

I have thought long and hard about things I'm a saying on forums. Takes a lot to please me. Nox pleases me.
I'll put it this way knowing what I know about Nox.
Take any old house site.
Hunt the daylights out of it all you want with what you want.
IMO site can't be declared dead until after Nox goes in there and sniffs around.

 

[GreenMeanie]

I guess Minelab is playing us then this comes from the Manual.
The default Ground Balance setting of 0 is
recommended for Park, Field and Beach Modes
because these locations typically have less
mineralisation than goldfields.
However, if the ground is generating many noise signals (and/
or the Sensitivity level is set very low), then using Auto Ground
Balance is recommended.
If the Auto Ground Balance process does not greatly reduce
ground noise (due to highly mineralised ground or high salt
levels), then repeat the Auto Ground Balance process by
sweeping the coil from side-to-side, rather than the standard
up and down motion.

vferrari;5718845]So turn on and go means don't read the simple quick start instructions?

Reactivity is Deus terminology. At one point ML was even using it in its early Equinox literature.

The ability to adjust recovery is a great feature that allows you to trade off depth vs. ability to separate keepers from trash. No free lunch.

Depth isn't everything, but it's hard to tell a CTX 3030 owner that. Lol.[/QUOTE]

 

[vferrari]

Yeah as far as the modes go - you got it GM.

Park and Field "1" modes are biased towards the lower frequencies, lower default recovery, and iron suppression and are best for deep high conductors (e.g., silver) in light trash.

Park and Field "2" modes are hotter (not as hot as gold mode, though) meaning they are biased towards higher frequencies and therefore hit mid-conductors and smallish targets harder and can also separate better due to the higher frequency bias AND higher default recovery speed.

Gold is hottest and is also a pseudo VCO with threshold vice tone mode like the other search modes and is geared toward nugget busting but may have some usefulness relic detecting in hot soils.

Finally, Beach Modes are least hot (Beach 1 salt sand, Beach 2 wet salt sand and surf) and geared to handle salt ground conditions with Multi IQ (you cannot select individual frequencies in the Beach modes) and hit mainly on high conductors but has been shown to hit on gold, including the elusive gold chains in moving salt surf.

Pretty much a jack of all trades and a master of perhaps most? The key of this thread is to uncover just WHAT the Equinox does not excel at. What is it not a master of?

 

[WaterScoop]

How does it do around EMF? Overhead and underground.

Does is go Bat$5!t crazy like the Deus does? That’s one thing about the Deus that drives me nuts...but I put up with it since it’s such a good Hunter.

 

[smokeythecat]

I still think it's being at the right place at the right time. And knowing your machine. As far as price goes, after that first rare Confederate button, gold coin or such it's all equal anyway. It seems the EQ was designed as an all around machine. In a month people will know more. For those who expect stuff to magically jump out of the ground at them, well, don't think that's in the game. Negatives, It's nose heavy and for us old toads, that will knock off time in the field. We old toads kind of physically collapse after a few hours digging.

 

[tnsharpshooter]

How does it do around EMF? Overhead and underground.

Does is go Bat$5!t crazy like the Deus does? That’s one thing about the Deus that drives me nuts...but I put up with it since it’s such a good Hunter.

View attachment 1555890

I have hunted directly under high power power lines 3 different occasions. Could runs sen to 22 and quiet in 2, the other I could run 23 sensitivity. One place was at freshwater beach. Was digging pull tabs at between 10-11.5" deep usinf 22 sens beach 1, multi freq looking for gold. And the Nox was IDing them correctly too. Compared airtest readings on a lot of them. Not like gold is going to give any one TID reading though. But I sure could skip high conductive clad if wanted to.
Most of my hunting btw is done at 23 sens.

 

[GreenMeanie]

OK Who on here is watching our thread LOL