Couple of quick thoughts on the Minelab Equinox 600

[Terry Soloman]

Let’s see if it can take a beating from the heavy daily users. It does look a little flimsy to me.

Kind of like the professional Digital cameras vs. consumers and prosumers.

The number of shutter opening and closures on the Nikon cameras between the professial and consumer was Night and day difference. Even when they(cameras) looked the same their body and guts were 100% different.

Only time will tell. They had to cut some corners since the CTX. Th eprice difference is HUGE.

It is actually built pretty tough. With that said, I won't be throwing it across the room or anything. The original charge is holding well with 12.75-hours of use, and over a week since the charge, and I continue to be impressed. I found a coin spill today at 3" and knew I was going to dig a penny, nickel, dime, and quarter, before I stuck the GraveDigger in the ground. The numbers and tones were dead on!

 

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[Terry Soloman]

Terry. You really have to stop talking like this about the equinox, it hard enough to get one.
Do You not have any buyers remorse with going the 600 rather than the 800?

No, no remorse. I already have a Lobo Super Traq, and a GPZ 7000. I bought the machine for the multi-frequency, waterproof capabilities. The single-freqs are a super bonus!

 

[eman1000]

Ugh! I have to admit I've been watching all the equinox video's and laughing as these guy try to figure out what mode they need to be in to make their $800 dollar plus machine work like my Vaquero around iron. I still don't understand what Park1 is good for?
But last night I watched several videos of the equinox that are starting to impress me and now Terry is a believer! Tesoro has to be nervous about their future! If they don't come up with something soon there going to lose what market they still have.
Looks like I'm going to have to save my Clad for a new detector. Wish they would just put a VDI display on the Vaq and make it weather proof.
I will say just from video's I have been equally impressed by the Impact and Kruzer.

Happy Hunting!

 

[Terry Soloman]

Ugh! I have to admit I've been watching all the equinox video's and laughing as these guy try to figure out what mode they need to be in to make their $800 dollar plus machine work like my Vaquero around iron. I still don't understand what Park1 is good for?
But last night I watched several videos of the equinox that are starting to impress me and now Terry is a believer! Tesoro has to be nervous about their future! If they don't come up with something soon there going to lose what market they still have.
Looks like I'm going to have to save my Clad for a new detector. Wish they would just put a VDI display on the Vaq and make it weather proof.
I will say just from video's I have been equally impressed by the Impact and Kruzer.

Happy Hunting!

Welcome to the forum!

 

[smokeythecat]

eman1000, welcome to the forum. I have an XP deus and don't do in the water. I think it would be a sideways move for me, so no real advantage there to buy one. FYI I just bought a brand spanking new Vaquero. It tears it up relic hunting.

 

[Wiganer]

Hey Terry, another quick question. Do you hunt any beaches that have power lines close by? A couple of the beaches here in nova Scotia that I go to with the dualfield have power lines about 200 to 300 feet from the beach and the dualfield hates them, so I have read that the 800 you can manually alter the setting to reduce or eliminate emi but it may not be necessary , but I would prefer the 600 as is so called more simple to use, and I like the sound of that.

 

[vferrari]

Hey Terry, another quick question. Do you hunt any beaches that have power lines close by? A couple of the beaches here in nova Scotia that I go to with the dualfield have power lines about 200 to 300 feet from the beach and the dualfield hates them, so I have read that the 800 you can manually alter the setting to reduce or eliminate emi but it may not be necessary , but I would prefer the 600 as is so called more simple to use, and I like the sound of that.

The 800 has automatic noise cancel just like the 600 but adds manual noise cancel to if you want to select a channel different than the auto selected.

 

[Calabash Digger]

After swinging on the beach, in the saltwater, at a local park, and today in a farm field, I am prepared to say the Equinox is the best “All Around” park; beach; and field metal detector I have ever used. It is not as deep as the CTX 3030, or E-Trac, but it’s close with the stock coil. It is better in heavy park trash than both of it’s higher-priced cousins, and lighter.

At US$650.00 the Equinox 600 is hands down the best metal detector in its price range. It replaces several of my tried and true Tesoro machines, including the Cibola; Vaquero; Outlaw; Tejon; Sand Shark; and Tiger Shark. If you’re counting, that's six-different machines. With the Equinox 600 capable of running three single frequencies (5kHz; 10kHz; 15kHz), and in Multi-frequency mode, it obsoletes all six of these Tesoro machines, and dozens of other great detectors, including the AT Pro; AT Max; Whites MXT Sport; Fisher F75; and on and on!

The machine does get chatty in heavy trash, and you need to understand the tones and numbers to be precise with it. Pinpointing is much harder than with Tesoro machines. Again, it takes time to understand targets are picked up on the coil edges first, and then in the coil center. Discrimination and recovery speed are awesome. I would put this machine up against any Tesoro machine for speed and discrimination, and I’ve never said that before about ANY machine. I have found a ton of clad and a silver Merc, so far, and I have only hit well hunted, trash filled locations – on purpose. Looking forward to the weather getting better and better, and hopefully a large cut at Jones Beach after Friday’s storm!

Terry the nox in park 2 in my area is Deeper than the CTX and Etrac..... glad to see you liking it....

 

[Ammoman]

I just watched a video comparing signals between the nox and E-trac. Looks like the E-trac did way better at identifying a nickle in the mix of pull tabs. I miss my old E-trac for that reason alone. If the nox had a two number id like the 30/30 and E-trac i would agree with the claim of the nox being the machine that makes all other machines obsolete

 

[Wiganer]

The 800 has automatic noise cancel just like the 600 but adds manual noise cancel to if you want to select a channel different than the auto selected.

I already know this, but I'm trying to determin is it neccesary or will the auto setting do just fine.

 

[Calabash Digger]

I just watched a video comparing signals between the nox and E-trac. Looks like the E-trac did way better at identifying a nickle in the mix of pull tabs. I miss my old E-trac for that reason alone. If the nox had a two number id like the 30/30 and E-trac i would agree with the claim of the nox being the machine that makes all other machines obsolete

which mode your in affects it a lot from what I can tell. Park 2 is the deepest and hottest on gold in my soil. Besides gold field.

 

[detectorben]

I just watched a video comparing signals between the nox and E-trac. Looks like the E-trac did way better at identifying a nickle in the mix of pull tabs. I miss my old E-trac for that reason alone. If the nox had a two number id like the 30/30 and E-trac i would agree with the claim of the nox being the machine that makes all other machines obsolete

Trust me I love my Etrac but those FE CO numbers can be very deceiving at times too. Put some iron or trash right next to the coin and those numbers go way out of wack and you have to rely on sound just like the Nox or any other detector. Deep targets will have weird FE CO numbers as well. There are times they really help but I don't rely on them much personally.

 

[Ammoman]

Trust me I love my Etrac but those FE CO numbers can be very deceiving at times too. Put some iron or trash right next to the coin and those numbers go way out of wack and you have to rely on sound just like the Nox or any other detector. Deep targets will have weird FE CO numbers as well. There are times they really help but I don't rely on them much personally.

Very good point. Multiple items under the E-trac coil gave me fits.

 

[WaterScoop]

Terry the nox in park 2 in my area is Deeper than the CTX and Etrac..... glad to see you liking it....

My question is what are yiu gonna do with the Deus..I see yiu are selling Deus Coils..is that t9 off set the costs of your Equinox

 

[Gavin757]

I own the xterra 705 and i absolutely love it. I have been interested in the nox for some time now. I hear the nox cannot discriminate out bottlecaps like you can with other machines. Is this accurate or you able to hear the iron in certain modes with the nox?

 

[Terry Soloman]

I own the xterra 705 and i absolutely love it. I have been interested in the nox for some time now. I hear the nox cannot discriminate out bottlecaps like you can with other machines. Is this accurate or you able to hear the iron in certain modes with the nox?

Don't believe everything you read Gavin. Think of having your 705, but never having to change coils, and having multi-frequency as well. This machine is a true game changer, and it has EVERYONE else running to catch up!

 

[SittingElf]

No, no remorse. I already have a Lobo Super Traq, and a GPZ 7000. I bought the machine for the multi-frequency, waterproof capabilities. The single-freqs are a super bonus!

Terry,
Could you please elaborate on the "single-freqs". I am seeing some confusion on exactly what freq's the 600 has vs the 800. What freqs does the 800 have that the 600 doesn't, and/or operational differences.
Thanks!

 

[GreenMeanie]

I remember a Whites machine back in the day loving Bottle Caps too.
The trick we used was to wave and raise the coil and if the audio cracked it was a bottle cap.
I am sure after awhile and more people get them and better weather sets in we will have some tricks with the NOX.
I am actually going to lower my Recovery speed when at the ocean unless it needs it faster to try and get better ID.

I own the xterra 705 and i absolutely love it. I have been interested in the nox for some time now. I hear the nox cannot discriminate out bottlecaps like you can with other machines. Is this accurate or you able to hear the iron in certain modes with the nox?

 

[parkgt]

Terry,
Could you please elaborate on the "single-freqs". I am seeing some confusion on exactly what freq's the 600 has vs the 800. What freqs does the 800 have that the 600 doesn't, and/or operational differences.
Thanks!

The Minelab site show the frequency each uses!

 

[flgliderpilot]

A trick with the AT Pro was to sweep the target with the front tip of the DD coil.. if it was a bottle cap it would sound off as iron.

What's the Equinox do when you do this? Just curious.