Detectival Rally 2017 by Brandon Neice

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Detectival Rally 2017
September 28, 2017 11:05am
Brandon Neice
Brandon Neice.jpg
All across the UK and Europe metal detectorists gather for rallies. Permission to detect hundreds (sometimes thousands) of acres of historic land is obtained by the event coordinators and groves of eager treasure hunters gather for a chance to make the find of a lifetime. England’s very own “Detectival” is among the largest detecting rallies in the world. This year Detectival was held in the quaint country setting of Oxfordshire between the medieval market towns of Burford and Charlbury. Seemingly overnight the countryside morphed into a buzzing (and beeping) tent city of more than 1500 attendees accompanied by every vendor under the sun. Knowing that Detectival would be the year’s biggest metal detecting event, Minelab took full advantage of the stage and literally dropped the world’s newest, lightest, fastest, waterproof, wireless multi-frequency metal detector onto the world... “Behold… The EQUINOX!!!”

The parachute wasn’t the only thing that hit the ground that day. When Minelab announced the price of the new EQUINOX series, there were more than a few jaws that hit the floor too! Is it too good to be true? How could Minelab possibly put all of those features into something that light? Furthermore, how could they get away with an expected retail price point of USD 899 for the flagship EQUINOX 800? Minelab has been saying they are going to “obsolete” all other single frequency VLF detectors, but if the EQUINOX actually does what it claims, it really WILL!

Even though, as I write this, the EQUINOX is still in the final stages of refining and tweaking, the performance is astonishing. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that a multi-frequency detector could be so fast without losing depth and stability?

The hunting conditions were tough. The finds seemed to be very random until a small Roman villa site was discovered that afternoon. A feeding frenzy of detectorists converged on the site and a few hours later, close to 100 Roman coins had been unearthed. The finds slowed to a crawl and when the crowd finally cleared, I saw an opportunity to put this new detector to the test in “hunted out ground”. To this day I know there’s more in there, but with my time at Detectival coming to an end, I knew I’d have to makedo with a few short hours of hunting. Luckily for me, that’s all I needed. The EQUINOX continues to impress with each refinement and I’m truly excited to see what the future holds with this amazing machine.

Check out the video of my Detectival experience



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/28/2017 03:59PM by hastings.

sounds like it is a good machine , thanks for sharing

Detectival Rally 2017 Brandon Neice Equinox 800 video.
[youtu.be]

"The performance is astonishing..."

Those are some really, really strong words. If that is more than just a sales pitch, it's VERY intriguing...

Steve

Never heard a huckster holler "Rotten Bananas"!! And yes, I'm old enough to remember the street hucksters in Phila.

Not even for banana bread?

ozzie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Never heard a huckster holler "Rotten Bananas"!!
> And yes, I'm old enough to remember the street huc
> ksters in Phila.


LOL, Ozzie!

Totally agree...determining who is, and is not, a huckster, is important...

Steve

Brandon --

Must be strange to be in your shoes, realizing that every statement you make, in any venue you make it in, is being parsed, word by word, and analyzed in such great detail...posted and cross-posted on every metal detecting forum that exists... LOL!

I guess there's just a little interest and intrigue, surrounding this particular machine...

In this informational "desert" that exists surrounding the Equinox, I guess every "drip of water" is a BIG DEAL! Minelab has to be quite thrilled, at this point...

Thanks for hanging around.

Steve

Yeah this is waaaaay bigger than I expected. When ML came to me and said this was going to be a big deal I was like "meh". And then the project started unfolding and we started talking about the features etc. Then I finally received the machine and learned that ML was sticking to their guns on the price point, I was like... "ok... yup... gonna be a big deal" But please guys, don't read too far into what I say. I'm just a regular detectorist just like all of you who happened to get lucky because I carried a camera with me. There are far more educated detectorists than I. I'm always learning though and I'm always willing to share... except if I can't share due to NDA's

Understood, on the NDA thing! I for one appreciate what you have been able to tell us. I'm looking forward to additional info when it can be shared, and at this point thinking I'll probably get one relatively early on (which is unusual for me -- not the way I usually do things) and really put one through its paces. If nothing else, I'm almost SURE it will be AT LEAST a very good "secondary" machine that will fill a niche for me in terms of a good unmasker. I will continue to HOPE it might prove to be just a little more than that (a respectable deep-coin seeker)...

Thank you!

Steve

But.... ive not heard from anyone testing it in the salt water. Love to get my hands on one....... however, let us not forget Fisher will have an offering for the water hunters as well.... which could be even more interesting. Next years hunting with these new machines could be interesting. Ive been at this a couple of years now so i have to ask....... who uses the external speaker? I know it burns batteries and could be good in snake country.... and its also annoying to people on the beach.

Dew

Thanks, Brandon!! Love the vids!

My guess is that Gary Drayton has had one in hand testing the saltwater part of it. He is one of their big time players for jewelry beach hunting. I would like to know his thoughts about the Equinox and have been keeping an eye out on his YouTube channel.

Irma really put a damper on the beach testing for a bit

hastings Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Back
> Detectival Rally 2017
> September 28, 2017 11:05am
> Brandon Neice
> Brandon Neice.jpg
> Minelab has been saying they are going to “obso
> lete” all other single frequency VLF detectors, bu
> t if the EQUINOX actually does what it claims, it
> really WILL!
>
Stop talking out of your backside, It won't and it can't obsolete anything, all it can do is perform better, and every detector in the world will still perform as always.

ok then

auminesweeper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Stop talking out of your backside, It won't and it
> can't obsolete anything, all it can do is perform
> better, and every detector in the world will still
> perform as always.

And yet the high-lighted part is the very definition of the word, 'obsolete'.

Here:
OBSOLETE
verb (used with object), obsoleted, obsoleting.

To make obsolete by replacing with something newer or better; antiquate:
Example: Automation has obsoleted many factory workers.

Horses still work as perfectly well as they ever did/have, but the automobile has made horses obsolete as the primary mode of transportation in most parts of the world.

Many BFO detectors still work as well as they did when they left the factory 40-50 years ago. That doesn't mean they're not obsolete/antiquated for general coin hunting.

Mike in CO Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> auminesweeper Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Stop talking out of your backside, It won't and
> it
> > can't obsolete anything, all it can do is per
> form
> > better, and every detector in the world will
> still
> > perform as always.
>
> And yet the high-lighted part is the very definiti
> on of the word, 'obsolete'.
>
> Here:
> OBSOLETE
> verb (used with object), obsoleted, obsoleting.
>
> To make obsolete by replacing with something ne
> wer or better; antiquate:
> Example: Automation has obsoleted many factory wor
> kers.
>
> Horses still work as perfectly well as they ever d
> id/have, but the automobile has made horses obsole
> te as the primary mode of transportation in most p
> arts of the world.
>
> Many BFO detectors still work as well as they did
> when they left the factory 40-50 years ago. That d
> oesn't mean they're not obsolete/antiquated for ge
> neral coin hunting.

Play word games all you like, It is still BS,

Being a Minelab it will be a good machine, but it is not going to be a life changing event and none of the machines I own are going to stop working just because minelab makes false claims to add to the marketing hype. It is just a detector nothing more nothing less.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2017 06:33PM by auminesweeper.

auminesweeper Wrote:
> Play word games all you like, It is still BS,
>
> Being a Minelab it will be a good machine, but it
> is not going to be a life changing event and none
> of the machines I own are going to stop working ju
> st because minelab makes false claims to add to th
> e marketing hype. It is just a detector nothing mo
> re nothing less.

It's not word games to use the proper language. Words have meaning.
My point was that the word 'obsolete' has never meant that it would make something that already exists quit/stop working.

As far as the BS goes...I have absolutely no idea what the new minelab will, or will not do. None at all.
...and neither do you.

I think that make it a little early to fall on your sword over it's performance claims...either direction.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2017 07:12PM by Mike in CO.

I agree with you aumine, well put....
and I will be buying the Nox 800, 99% certain and we should know by spring thaw (up here anyway) just how well it does.
but there's no way my G2+ will ever be 'obsoleted', lol...the Nox would be my secondary machine compared to it, and
that's because of my detecting situation up here....and BTW my G2+ has already paid for my future Nox 800 just from this season's finds, lol!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2017 07:15PM by canslawhero.

canslawhero Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I agree with you aumine, well put....
> and I will be buying the Nox 800, 99% certain and
> we should know by spring thaw (up here anyway) jus
> t how well it does.
> but there's no way my G2+ will ever be 'obsoleted'
> , lol...the Nox would be my secondary machine comp
> ared to it, and
> that's because of my detecting situation up here..
> ..

Yep same here I agree, I like what I see in the Nox, I just don't want to be promised things and find it is not so, It seems every company makes these wild claims and none of them deliver, The knock on effect is we waste a heap of money jumping from one machine to the next trying to find any truth in such claims,

It's a Minelab and we all know that spells Quality, we just have to keep it real, But I hope the Nox is all they claim because the hobby has come to a stand still as far as VLF's go and the last break through in detecting came from XP in 2009 with the Deus with it's ultra light weight format,

Dr.Tones Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ok then

Don’t mind John,... he’s just doing an impersonation of my Dad.
Me I think the Nox is the greatest thing since the invention of the wheel!

Especially since there is the off chance of it working together with my airpods.
From what I’ve seen and heard :-)

Some people are saying it isn’t a CTX,... well is sure shouldn’t be!
Imagine paying an arm and a leg for a detector, then they come along with something that costs an expensive haircut.
And it goes and obsoletes everything.
Sorry I used the O word,... my bad.

Seriously though,... I’ll be chuffed to bits if it is everything the CTX isn’t.
We need an X-terra on steriods!

Those guys have been running around my like lightning with their Deuses.
I’ve been keeping them at bay with a simple swat from my perfectly balanced boat anchor,... but they just keep coming!

Congrats on the Roman coin, nothing like a 2000 year old target to get those detecting juices flowing.
I once dug a roman bronze/copper ring the CTX ID-ed as a pulltab,... and they say it has great ID,... go figure

Roman coins are great, pure silver roman coins are even beter, gold roman coins are out of this world.
But dig a roman piece of gold jewelry with an X-terra 705 and your hairs stand on edge! A small bell the size of your thumbnail.

We need an X-terra on steriods!!

Thanks for taking point on the Nox.
And when you see Minelab, thank them for making akward unwieldy heavy perfectly balanced but ever so decent metal detectors.

HH
Johnb

auminesweeper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>The knock on effect is we waste a heap of money jumping from on
> e machine to the next trying to find any truth in such claims,

Now, on that point we agree 110%.

mike

auminesweeper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> canslawhero Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I agree with you aumine, well put....
> > and I will be buying the Nox 800, 99% certain an
> d
> > we should know by spring thaw (up here anyway) j
> us
> > t how well it does.
> > but there's no way my G2+ will ever be 'obsolete
> d'
> > , lol...the Nox would be my secondary machine co
> mp
> > ared to it, and
> > that's because of my detecting situation up here
> ..
> > ..
>
> Yep same here I agree, I like what I see in the No
> x, I just don't want to be promised things and fin
> d it is not so, It seems every company makes these
> wild claims and none of them deliver, The knock on
> effect is we waste a heap of money jumping from on
> e machine to the next trying to find any truth in
> such claims,
>
> It's a Minelab and we all know that spells Quality
> , we just have to keep it real, But I hope the Nox
> is all they claim because the hobby has come to a
> stand still as far as VLF's go and the last break
> through in detecting came from XP in 2009 with th
> e Deus with it's ultra light weight format,

yes! a 'revolutionary' improvement would indeed be welcome, but this won't be it, sorry to say....but still keeping my fingers crossed...

Mike in CO Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> auminesweeper Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >The knock on effect is we waste a heap of money j
> umping from on
> > e machine to the next trying to find any truth i
> n such claims,
>
> Now, on that point we agree 110%.
>
> mike

Don't get me wrong Mike, I would love for this machine to live up to the hype, any excuse to buy a new machine, but without naming names we have had a couple of companies promise us the world in the past year and all we got was a Bus ride down town, Like I said nothing special has happened in the VLF world for at lease 10 years and every thing they have bought out is just a modern twist on old technology and depth and ID has frozen in time.

Yes, your other detectors will still work. No, I didn't come up with the terminology nor did I care to break out the dictionary and start pointing fingers. I never claimed to be an English major or some sort of detecting god. You all wanted my honest opinion of the machine so I gave it. Like I've stated, it's a big deal for me to publicly endorse something and no amount of money (or lack there of) would make me put lipstick on a pig. If I'm not impressed with it, I won't use it. Period. Those who know me will attest, I'm a no bullshit kinda guy. Over a decade in the fire service will do that to a person. The idea here (and for any manufacturer I would think) is to make the best possible machine you can at a price that can't be beat. I'll tell you until I'm blue in the face, this machine is what a lot of us have been asking for. Is it perfect?? Is anything??? You won't find a better value even close to this detector. That's why Minelab used the word obsolete. Because they're offering you a cheeseburger for the price of a hamburger. I know... sucks if you've already paid for the cheese but this is how we push the industry forward. And yes, Minelab is well aware that this machine will impact the sales of many of their own current line up. If you want to grow, you've gotta prune.

PS- I got sidetracked... I use my AirPods with the Nox all the time. I love it. No more hot sweaty ears in the summer. You can connect with any wireless Bluetooth headphones or earbuds you'd like.

Well I will believe it when I see it, along with many other companies ML have made wild claims in the past that were not so, And I have spent a fortune on their gear just to come up short,

I really hope that this time it is true, Because I am sick of handing over money to these companies just to find it's the same old tech in a different package,

Dr.Tones Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes, your other detectors will still work. No, I d
> idn't come up with the terminology nor did I care
> to break out the dictionary and start pointing fin
> gers. I never claimed to be an English major or so
> me sort of detecting god. You all wanted my honest
> opinion of the machine so I gave it. Like I've sta
> ted, it's a big deal for me to publicly endorse so
> mething and no amount of money (or lack there of)
> would make me put lipstick on a pig. If I'm not im
> pressed with it, I won't use it. Period. Those who
> know me will attest, I'm a no bullshit kinda guy.
> Over a decade in the fire service will do that to
> a person. The idea here (and for any manufacturer
> I would think) is to make the best possible machin
> e you can at a price that can't be beat. I'll tell
> you until I'm blue in the face, this machine is wh
> at a lot of us have been asking for. Is it perfect
> ?? Is anything??? You won't find a better value ev
> en close to this detector. That's why Minelab used
> the word obsolete. Because they're offering you a
> cheeseburger for the price of a hamburger. I know.
> .. sucks if you've already paid for the cheese but
> this is how we push the industry forward. And yes,
> Minelab is well aware that this machine will impac
> t the sales of many of their own current line up.
> If you want to grow, you've gotta prune.
>
> PS- I got sidetracked... I use my AirPods with the
> Nox all the time. I love it. No more hot sweaty ea
> rs in the summer. You can connect with any wireles
> s Bluetooth headphones or earbuds you'd like.

I don't know you. I can only take your word for what you say until proven right or wrong. I applaud you coming onto this forum and facing the music, whatever it may be. This is a tough crowd, as tough as it gets ANYWHERE. For you to put yourself in the line of fire, again, is an admirable thing.

I have been detecting for quite a long time and have owned quite a few machines(most likely not as near as most on here) however, I do a lot of research AND I have a lot of experience and in my opinion(there's that pesky phrase again Pimento), I feel the NOX is going to be a sure fire hit. I pre-ordered one as soon as it was announced.

Regardless of the whole FBS/Multi-IQ argument should I order a Minelab with multi-freq, new tech, water proof, light weight, blinding fast and affordable? I will take it, no questions asked.

I could of tested it in New England at the Ocean doesn't have to be just Florida LOL.
Also you would think they would want to test it in quite a few different areas I would think.
And does a NDA allow you to say anything negative about a Machine just curious on that one.

Dr.Tones Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Irma really put a damper on the beach testing for
> a bit



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2017 08:44PM by GreenMeanie.

You mean like when the companies say their new release is deeper and all they do is default sensitivity a little higher and people fall for it LOL.


auminesweeper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well I will believe it when I see it, along with m
> any other companies ML have made wild claims in th
> e past that were not so, And I have spent a fortun
> e on their gear just to come up short,
>
> I really hope that this time it is true, Because I
> am sick of handing over money to these companies j
> ust to find it's the same old tech in a different
> package,