Equinox 800 w/stock coil report Updated 03-26-2020 Biggest 15” coil data added.

woodchiphustler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Air testing my gold dollar in all programs at fact
> ory settings the numbers range from 10 to 12.


Thanks

woodchiphustler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> On my grandson's Go-Find 20 a solid repeat at 5 in
> ches registering foil low coin.

The old QXT Pro tested nickel/ tab.
My worry is if I was a park hunter if you notch out a piece of trash you could be saying good bye to one you want to dig. Since I'm a relic hunter I will dig mostly everything above nails. Thats how I found my gold coins. Never in a park.

Yes..... Type-1, 2 & 3 U.S. Gold Dollars ID as a 10/11 in an air-test.......and in most soils.,.,.,.,.,.,.,. even tilted. "On edge"...... and ID's can be much lower..... to include 'no detection'.

U.S. 3-Cent Nickels ID as 7-8....... under most normal conditions.

That three cent nickel is tough to dig. I only found 2 in my life.

Sweeping this object as it is shown in pic orientation wise, may shed some light on the mighty Nox.
Very unusual what I hear sweeping using Nox vs other detectors with various coils.
I found this today on a freshwater beach. Thought it was 2 separate nonferrous targets.

It was two separate nonferrous targets - solid lead cylinder- hollow brass cylinder. Intuitively obvious by inspection - as my old Physical Anthropology prof. At UT Austin used to say - but that’s another story.

Rick Kempf
Gold Canyon AZ- where there is no gold

lytle78 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It was two separate nonferrous targets - solid lea
> d cylinder- hollow brass cylinder. Intuitively ob
> vious by inspection - as my old Physical Anthropol
> ogy prof. At UT Austin used to say - but that’s an
> other story.


Not that simple.
Once you sweep this cartridge in position shown in pic with Nox and compare to other detectors.
Big difference.

When you get a Nox try it and see.
NASA-Tom may comment on this. I'm sure he understands what's happening.

In position shown, I have detectors running full tones p, sweeping only gives one tone. Nox don't, gives more.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/2018 11:29PM by tnsharpshooter.

I will have one on Tuesday. I also have a Vista Gold Gain and a T2+ - I will try them all and see if I can duplicate whatever it was you heard or saw but did not describe.

A little more info on settings, target orientation and - maybe a video so we can judge for ourselves what is going on would be useful, but there are only so many hours in the day.

What happened? Of what practical use is the information you extracted from the audio or visual indications?

Rick Kempf
Gold Canyon AZ- where there is no gold



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/2018 11:34PM by lytle78.

Thanks for posting all the testing TNSS, appreciate the time and attention to detail.

After waiting on my pre-order for over six months, I finally have a tracking # for my EQ800, so will dive into the more detailed reports and vids to speed up the learning process.

Now that Tom Dankowski is released from his NDA (albeit with strings attached myself and I'm sure all others that read his test reports are anxious to read anything he may contribute to aid in the learning process as well.

hh,
Cal

Yes, I was hoping Tom would at least Give us his insights on the Iron Bias and Speed settings..
I think these will be key for getting optimal performance out of the Equinox in different conditions..

Bryan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/03/2018 07:55PM by Cabin Fever.

Cal_cobra Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for posting all the testing TNSS, appreciat
> e the time and attention to detail.
>
> After waiting on my pre-order for over six months,
> I finally have a tracking # for my EQ800, so will
> dive into the more detailed reports and vids to sp
> eed up the learning process.
>
> Now that Tom Dankowski is released from his NDA (a
> lbeit with strings attached myself and I'm sure al
> l others that read his test reports are anxious to
> read anything he may contribute to aid in the lear
> ning process as well.
>
> hh,
> Cal


You are welcome Cal.
Look forward to your reports on the detector.

More hunts with Equinox in pounded sites.
I think I have enough data to suggest, Equinox running in multi freq, it solves more equations vs lots of other detectors. Shape and size, etc doesn't seem to fool the detector like many others. Detector provides tones that are generally more intelligent for a person to decipher. Lot less signals being pulled into iron range. Some nonferrous I have discovered, after careful study before digging, one might think ferrous target. Equinox when some degree of masking or confusion starts happening it the edge or sides of nonferrous tone that gets corrupted or where iron tone shows up vs in the middle of signals. Been digging a lot of 2 way only signals too that provided nonferrous when exhumed.

Still need to do more comparisons comparing targets located using both park 2 and field 2 and cross checking. I still don't feel confident here to give any good feedback.

Iron bias

Here is one test.
Clad dime and old square nail (seems doesn't have a head).



Park 2 factory disc. Speed 6 iron bias 0.
Down the nail barrel sweeps, get tone both ways, one direction shorter than the other tonally. (Right to left sweep has shorter tone)
Turn iron bias to level 1, still get tone both ways, but in one direction barely discernable (Right to left sweep is shorter)
Turn iron bias to levels 2, 3 and 4 all you get is trailing tone as coil is swept left to right.
Turn iron bias to level 5, dime goes by by- Notta
Testing was done with some coil height too.

Another test.
Clad dime with nails turned (the easy way) for detection of dime.

Again park 2 factory disc speed 6.
Iron bias 0 gives good signal.
Iron bias as it is increased tone provided gets slightly more and more short (forced sounding)
I can detect dime 2 way sweeps with tone up to level 4 iron bias setting,
Level 5 iron bias. Two way sweep tone goes away.
This test also done with some coil height.

Now some here maybe thinking, can I speed up Equinox and gain all or part of what's lost with higher iron bias. You will likely never gain all, very possible to get a smidge back tonally though by speeding up. But remember higher speed means less depth. And speeding up can bring shorter tones (harder to decipher).

Iron bias setting, one might think it just affects Equinox performance around nails and iron. Is this so?
According to my test, nope.
Another test with pic.


You see the clad dime and pull ring and tab on both ends.
Park 2 speed 7 iron bias 0 I get this dime good tonally.
If I dial iron bias to max 9 setting, Equinox ability tone wise gets cramped. Dime can be heard but remember I know the dime is there.
Tonal transition is compromised when coil comes over lower conductors here and approaches dime.

I won't go into more detail here with additional settings and outcomes.
Iron bias doesn't seem to affect Equinox with equivalent settings wise when comparing nonferrous high conductive coin and say lower conductive junk object as much vs a nonferrous coin and iron..



Edited 7 time(s). Last edit at 03/03/2018 09:52PM by tnsharpshooter.

Good stuff. Thanks.
I’m hoping to find a place to hunt over the next few days that’s not snow covered or frozen..
I plan on starting out with the Iron Bias at 0 and work up if needed.. Speed around 4-5 and see what happens..

Bryan

As the sky got dark tonite it marked my having Equinox 800 for 3 weeks. After spending a total combined time testing and using the detector in the field for 96 hours I can say some things about it. I would even have more hours using but have been weather restricted by loads of rain many days.

Equinox will hunt.
Equinox is a great unmasker and separator wearing stock coil.
Equinox is the great separating/unmasking detector to both detect nonferrous but also give a more accurate ID of targets, even nonferrous challenged in ferrous materials.

The detector is not hard to run.
IMO now, experienced Xp Deus users and Rutus Alter 71 users will have a leg up for shorter learning curve. ( has to do with Deus and Rutus having speed settings)

I have been surprised more than a few times using the detector in pounded sites. Finding relics, and nickels, and copper coins and silver as well as jewelry.

Detector is very sweep speed forgiving in sites as long as speed of detector matches the site.

The wireless headphones are very nice. And do keep out a lot of noise. I have hunted on days with 35mph wind blowing.

Detector when used on fresh water beaches. If any ring sized lower conductors exist, be prepared to dig deep. Like around 12" deep.

The tones and their behavior on Equinox are IMO some of the best I've ever used to date.
The menu system too is best I have seen to date for how many settings a user can use and change.

Screen legibility and clarity ranks very high. Folks with bad eyes will appreciate.

Backlight setup and actual use is one of the tops in the field.

Charging the detector is easy. Indications of when full charge is attained obvious.

Emi handling seems above average, but I have had instances of some unstable ops, and every time this has happened aircraft were overhead. This using Mulit freq. I generally don't run single freq.

Equinox even wearing 11" DD coil exceptional performance on smaller nonferrous- could be industry leader here.
Depth meter is lacking, user shouldn't expect say Etrac or CTX accuracy here.

An easy detector once learned, to go from site to site and be hunting in a flash- with peak to near peak performance.

All in all Equinox 800 IMO a very good value for performance.
Could be indeed the best value right now for both performance along with the accessories given with 800 model packages.

Equinox had loads of thought put into by manufacturer.

Factory programs are performing programs, not much tweeking to be done using Equinox to get near peak to peak performance.

I can highly recommend this detector. Extremely versatile!!



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 03/06/2018 07:10AM by tnsharpshooter.

tnsharpshooter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As the sky got dark tonite it marked my having Equ
> inox 800 for 3 weeks. After spending a total comb
> ined time testing and using the detector in the fi
> eld for 96 hours I can say some things about it. I
> would even have more hours using but have been wea
> ther restricted by loads of rain many days.
>
> Equinox will hunt.
> Equinox is a great unmasker and separator wearing
> stock coil.
> Equinox is the great separating/unmasking detector
> to both detect nonferrous but also give a more acc
> urate ID of targets, even nonferrous challenged in
> ferrous materials.
>
> The detector is not hard to run.
> IMO now, experienced Xp Deus users and Rutus Alter
> 71 users will have a leg up for shorter learning c
> urve. ( has to do with Deus and Rutus having speed
> settings)
>
> I have been surprised more than a few times using
> the detector in pounded sites. Finding relics, an
> d nickels, and copper coins and silver as well as
> jewelry.
>
> Detector is very sweep speed forgiving in sites as
> long as speed of detector matches the site.
>
> The wireless headphones are very nice. And do kee
> p out a lot of noise. I have hunted on days with
> 35mph wind blowing.
>
> Detector when used on fresh water beaches. If any
> ring sized lower conductors exist, be prepared to
> dig deep. Like around 12" deep.
>
> The tones and their behavior on Equinox are IMO so
> me of the best I've ever used to date.
> The menu system too is best I have seen to date fo
> r how many settings a user can use and change.
>
> Screen legibility and clarity ranks very high. Fol
> ks with bad eyes will appreciate.
>
> Backlight setup and actual use is one of the tops
> in the field.
>
> Charging the detector is easy. Indications of whe
> n full charge is attained obvious.
>
> Emi handling seems above average, but I have had i
> nstances of some unstable ops, and every time this
> has happened aircraft were overhead. This using M
> ulit freq. I generally don't run single freq.
>
> Equinox even wearing 11" DD doil exceptional perfo
> rmance on smaller nonferrous- could be industry le
> ader here.
> Depth meter is lacking, user shouldn't expect say
> Etrac or CTX accuracy here.
>
> An easy detector once learned, to go from site to
> site and be hunting in a flash- with peak to near
> peak performance.
>
> All in all Equinox 800 IMO a very good value for p
> erformance.
> Could be indeed the best value right now for both
> performance along with the accessories given with
> 800 model packages.
>
> Equinox had loads of thought put into by manufactu
> rer.
>
> Factory programs are performing programs, not much
> tweeking to be done using Equinox to get near peak
> to peak performance.
>
> I can highly recommend this detector. Extremely v
> ersatile!!

Thanks for your time and effort. It has been very helpful. In your opinion, what would be the best program and settings for hunting in a fresh water lake? Being that the coil has to be swung fairly slow due to the drag, I would assume that the recovery speed should be set low. What about the iron bias?

Now, this is how I would start out knowing what I know about detector.
Assuming medium to milder mineralized soil.
Park 2 speed 6 iron bias 2. Sens 20 to get started.

As finds are made and each detecting scenario is studied somewhat, I may make a few changes.
But Nox should produce with here settings if nonferrous things exists in lake.
Should work for a slower sweep speed too.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/06/2018 03:06AM by tnsharpshooter.

tnsharpshooter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Now, this is how I would start out knowing what I
> know about detector.
> Assuming medium to milder mineralized soil.
> Park 2 speed 6 iron bias 2. Sens 20 to get started
> .
>
> As finds are made and each detecting scenario is s
> tudied somewhat, I may make a few changes.
> But Nox should produce with here settings if nonfe
> rrous things exists in lake.
> Should work for a slower sweep speed too.

Ok thanks. As soon as I get my Equinox I'll give it a try.

Tnss

You have done us all a service. This last post is well organized and clearly summarizes you findings.

Well done.

Rick Kempf
Gold Canyon AZ- where there is no gold

lytle78 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tnss
>
> You have done us all a service. This last post is
> well organized and clearly summarizes you findings
> .
>
> Well done.


Thanks.

For folks reading here.
Disclaimer: I have been detecting for 7 years and change.
Have used other units, good ones too.

Now this for some here to read.
I have been accused of copying or repeating what others (seems with more detecting experience than I have detecting) have said.
Look around, see any of my comments really posted by anyone else.
No official tester has posted in-depth comments or tests or even compared to other detector models.
So I consider my info supplied as my own, the way I view this detector based on my very own experiences.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/06/2018 12:02PM by tnsharpshooter.

Don’t worry about the nay-sayers TNSS... your doing our community a fine job writing unbiased observations on a detector that is hard to get.
I have learned a lot from your posts and really enjoy the Equinox. Apparently Minelab wanted “experts” to use the prototype detector and to ban into eternity any field usage notes or
“Official” data and field notes of the like. This, leaves us with a void of user data and is filled by our interpretations of the machine. Is this a bad thing?

Beats me. We, the users, will fill the void one review at a time.

XP Deus
Minelab Etrac
Minelab Equinox 800
Garrett Carrot
22 silvers, 2 silver rings, 1 Gold Ring -YTD 2018


Some of my random digs: [www.youtube.com]

I got curious and borrowed this ring from my mother in law.


Says 10k on the inside, not too big a ring not real small either.
Ring IDs 9-10 air testing with Nox 800
So off to my clean area to bury.
Buried at7" deep.
No problem for Nox hitting with good ID in window.
Park 2 sens 23 speed 7 0 iron bias.

Well I buried on deeper a good solid 9" deep, could be as deep as 9.25" deep.
Same settings as above Nox hits the ring and IDs it. ID comes in window as 8/9and 10 on sweeps. Good tone even using speed 7, checked with speed 6 too good tone.

So I got curious and went and got the mighty Deus with 9" LF coil on.
I tried hot, deep, dues fast program--- no detection period Notta.
So I went back to house and broke out round HF coil 9".
I tried hot, deep, deus fast programs no detection period Notta.
Run high sens too, GB at ground reading using pumping.
Btw 6 ticks in Deus mineral strength meter so this ground not mild.
Didn't try 11" LF coil cause I didn't have it mounted to rod. I traded one of my 11" coils off a few days ago.
Just to be clear all Deus attempts I tried reactivity levels 1,2,2.5 and 3. Keeping silencer at -1.

Thought I would share.
Might be some deep rings had with Nox, just saying.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/08/2018 09:06PM by tnsharpshooter.

Yes...... there's a large difference when comparing 9" coils (of various units) to the EQX 11" coil.

Tnss
Hey man great reports and thx for sharing. ? For ya tho. What factory tones settings u like best and which one to u think is most informative in heavy iron. Long time deus user, full tones was my favorite in heavy iron.

In iron i didn't like full tones, a small nail would drag down a coin signal to near an iron tone. If it had a tone break for the iron tone it would have been fine, but i much preferred pitch as it has tone break.
Calabash digger was a big advocate of full tones, but after showing him this vid of how i ran pitch, he gave it a go and loved it. I think he was trying a similar 2 tone setup on the Nox.
[youtu.be]

Kickindirt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tnss
> Hey man great reports and thx for sharing. ? For y
> a tho. What factory tones settings u like best and
> which one to u think is most informative in heavy
> iron. Long time deus user, full tones was my favor
> ite in heavy iron.

Kickindirt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tnss
> Hey man great reports and thx for sharing. ? For y
> a tho. What factory tones settings u like best and
> which one to u think is most informative in heavy
> iron. Long time deus user, full tones was my favor
> ite in heavy iron.


In heavy iron I like speed 7.
Use factory park 2 and factory field 2.
Only change speed setting.
Signals provided by Equinox how do I say this? How about this idiot proof.
Yep the signals Nox gives for the most part are so easy to hear and interpret -lot less guess work compared to Deus.
Person can actually cherry pick hunting in iron with good odds, a whole lot better odds than using Deus.
Equinox is both fast and when run fast IDs much, much better than Deus.
I keep iron bias set to 0 really for all detecting.
Not much you can adjust on Nox really.
Pick your detect mode and make slight changes if you like, noise cancel ground balance and hunt.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/09/2018 12:30PM by tnsharpshooter.

Ghound I dig pretty much anything that would make a little squeak. I tried pitch a couple of times, reminded me of an annoying bird or something wasn't for me.

Tnss thx mr sounds too easy hell I'm not even gonna read the manual



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/09/2018 08:44PM by Kickindirt.

I have some more info to share as a result of my using Equinox 800 today.
Few pics too.

Before I talk about my experiences today.
I would like to say the following.
I have been keeping a close eye on reported hunts and findings by those who have indeed bought
Equinox models.
My doing so was basically to see if anything they were finding, the areas described and the targets they found as well as any direct commentary - to see if it mirrors what I have experieced first hand.

Looking at reports this far, I see loads of very nice reports and finds too.

The Equinox IMO answers a calling for a subject that has gotten huge amounts of thoughts, posts, responses here on this forum.
It was the host here who was leading the charge about this little thing called "MASKING"
Now the Equinox IMO doesn't't answer this calling totally, only partially but it seems has made some advancements.
The detector not only locates nonferrous targets in difficult situations, but also has the uncanny ability to report these targets nearer to actual ID, as well as associated tone.
I don't think this is my imagination, and me saying this I am not at liberty to say this above will happen all the time.

Equinox right now for stock sized coil, is in my book the absolute best mixed history site detector where both iron and modern trash can exist. Remember this comparing to all all VLF detectors I have run- using stock sized coils.

The Equinox also in certain instances behaves like its coil is much smaller-not all detecting scenarios.

The Equinox is not a perfect detector. But so far I think it has a lot to offer. A super tool in one's toolbox.

I went to my detecting proving grounds site today with only one mission.
To find nonferrous target using field 2 detect mode and compare to park 2 detect mode.
I didn't locate enough targets today for me to draw any hard conclusions but did see some of the same things I saw in this same site the last time I compared the 2 detect modes over buried undisturbed targets in the wild in a real polluted site.

Need to take a few pics and will finish this post up here.

Okay this is the first of 2 pics here.
This pic below shows the majority of what Imwas able to locate today using Field 2 detect mode.


Okay, all things in pic nonferrous- checked all with magnet.
Item in top of pic, the key lookin thing.
Gave weaker sounding tone using field 2.
With good coil placement and sweeps good repeatable tone- sweeps back and forth.
Checked with park 2.
Only tone gotten was what I call trailing tone (chopped) on object. Could be mistaken for iron big time.
Depth of target about 7" deep.
The rest of the nonferrous objects in pic, every single one could be picked up using park 2.
Park 2 signals on these not as fluid with coil movement. More abrasive sounding. All though would report louder vs field 2 (same speed, vol, sens settings vs Field 2)
I rate these particular signals, some would be easier to get using park 2 for volume, and some would be easier to get using field 2 for smoothness of signal. (Easier to differentiate from iron)

One more pic coming.


Now the pic above contains a flat button and a smaller piece of nonferrous (looks to be brass).
The button is actually a high conductor, reads high on Nox.
This button about blew my headphone off, at first I thought to myself (due to how hard hunted and time spent in this site) the target had to be a big piece of relic iron or some thing,
Well turns out it wouldn't.
I was actually upset, thinking I had missed this in the last 7 years of busting this area in particular hard.
I didn't dig a very big diameter hole when recovering button.
So being sorta of upset, and YES I like to push the horseshoe button when the hole is covered to lisnten and see if any ferrous reports and try and draw comclusons as to maybe how much.
I did just that. And I was still perplexed about the target being so easy to detect.
So turning off all metal, I swept around hole and off to the side of where I dug, I get this signal reading 3-4 in the meter.
Lightbulb turned on, but I had to be sure, So I dug and sure enough about 3-4" down the little pice of nonferrous you see in the pic. (Orientation buried unknown)
I should also say on the other side of hole where the button was dug, some bigger iron (checking with pinpoint and yes even sweepings detect mode with AM) existed.
So, although I can't prove one way or the other, I highly suspect the smaller nonferrous was masking the higher conductive button. Maybe when other models detectors being run here.



Edited 7 time(s). Last edit at 03/09/2018 10:38PM by tnsharpshooter.

The thing on the top of the pic I believe is a Jaw Harp or Jew Harp....missing is the vibrating band in the center that would have been attached to the center inside of the circular end.....my guess. Bottom right, is that a cosmetic case? Did you open it up....maybe a coin inside.

The thing on the top of the pic I believe is a Jaw Harp or Jew Harp....missing is the vibrating band in the center that would have been attached to the center inside of the circular end.....my guess. Bottom right, is that a cosmetic case? Did you open it up....maybe a coin inside. Neat little buckle.