Minelab Equinox 6”coil commentary with pics 31 hours testing / 31 hours field time (updated 9-14-2018)

Will post a few pics of actual coil.
Coil cover installed in all pics here.
Purchaser does get coil bolt/nut along with washers you see.











Edited 32 time(s). Last edit at 10/05/2018 12:59AM by tnsharpshooter.

I will bump this thread for the last time today, but will be adding info as I acquire via edit.

Put whatever stock you choose into this supplied info..


First test down the barrel of nail using clad dime. Ruler in pic to show nail size and orientation.

Nox in gold 1 passes test speeds 5-8, iron bias 0-1.
Park 2 gives trailing tone off the left.

Deus using elliptical coil fails all freq except 74khz band.

Impact using 4x7 coil passes 20khz only.

I like reporting of Nox better here than Impact though.
This just took the beginning of testing., more later.



Another pic.
Nail suspended two 2x4 thick over clad dime.
Sweeping across nail lengthwise.

Nox 800 using park 2speed 7 nails dime and IDs accurately -25 in the window.

Impact using 14khz don’t like, using 20khz hits but a user has no clue to targets conductivity level.
Deus hits using elliptical Hf coil, no ID at all until I lowered reactivty to 2, and ID here not accurate.



Another test.
Nail suspected above clad dime sweeping down nail longways to detect dime. Notice just one 2x4 thickness high for the nail.


Nox using gold 1 jumps on this dime using speed 7 iron bias 0.
I should mention sweeping all nails previously solo with Nox, even at iron bias 0 quiet.
Park 2 speed 7 hits the dime too not as well (more coil sweep speed sensitive vs gold 1 mode.
Both modes yielded 17 in the meter.

Impact only chirps on the dime, in a site with a lot of iron, a user just might walk right by.

Deus using 14.4khzwas tied up in knots. Fail.
Using 28.8khz is a pass. Better use no reactivty lower than 2.5 though or you might miss.
Deus tests was disc at 6.2 pitch tones.

All detectors ground balanced to concrete sterile steps.
No trick boys and girls.
I just report what I see.

Anyone needed more info a far as setting used any detector feel free to ask and i’ll Try an answer.
Btw my Nox 800 unit, a full factory reset done as soon as coil was on.
So so far I have have done is played with speed and iron bias setting.

Another test with pic.


That’s a big nail suspended 2 boars thickness high.
Sweeping down nail lengthways to detect nickel.
In configuration shown both gold 1and Park 2speed 5-7 gives good 2 way hit signal, 5is the shakiest though of the bunch.
Amazing how hast I can swing and hit the nickel.

Impact hit using 20khz, tone not as pure sounding as Nox though.
Deus hits using both 14.4 kHz and 28.8 kHz, gotta watch how low you set reactivty using lowest freq band.
Disc of 6.4used on Deus pitch tones, had to raid disc due to size of nail.

Some air test data.
Measured from top of coil.
Park 2 outside with single phase power lines nearby overhead. Noise cancel done.
Speed 7 iron bias 0
Clad dime approx 9”
Us nickel approx 11.5”


Speed 5 iron bias 0
Clad dime approx 10”
Us nickel approx 12”

Smaller coils performance on steel bottlecaps seems to be very similar to stock coil.

More info.
I like this coil!!!!

I did a few depth tests, not exactly scientific but will share. An almost 9”deep US nickel. Park 2 bingo. Gold 1 and even bigger BINGO. Could even get this nickel at speed 7 in both modes with advantage signal going to gold 1 mode.

A 7”deep clad dime.
Park 2 hits, need to be in speeds 4-6, speed 7 dodgy to nonexistant.
Gold 1 mode tried worse than park 2 by a good margin.

This small coil is a low conductor hound!!!
I compared Impact on both of the coins above using 4x7” elliptical coil.
Impact out of its league here.
Signals provided by Nox so much more pure sounding.
Something else to mention and I never saw this with Equinox and stock coil.
I could hit both coins using single freq ops.
The nickel I could get in 10,15,20and 40khz. Only problem was it would ID way high into upper 20s and 30s, flip to multi and Nox would ID as 10-12 on sweeps.
The 7”deep dime, would ID sing multi in the miss 220s to low 30s. Definitely telling me higher conductive target exist.

If we could devise a score card and measure every VLF detector’s attributes, it is my opinion right now just based off of what testing and small use I have done, Equinox 800and 6”coil would get a very high score. Could be the best score period. I haven’t run all detector models though.

I can I think too say, for folks living where soil minerals are even higher than mine, these folks will definitely have a ball with this coil.

I will do some more testing tomorrow.

The feel of Nox with 6”coil is nice. A person can extend rod a bit and rock and roll.



Edited 15 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/2018 05:14AM by tnsharpshooter.

I just picked one up from my local dealer. Air test , park 1 , sens 23, in shop under tin roof and fluorescents, 12" on quarter, 11" on a dime.
I hope to hunt with it on Friday.

TNSS,
Thank you for the report!

Dean

Alright I spent around 2.5 hours out in the wild this morning using Equinox 800 and small coil.
Made a coupel stops just to check Emi, these spots I think seem to paint a good pic of how a detector can cope with Emi.
Nox sounded good.
Found one clad coin about 1.5”deep. So after recovery I swept area and sure enough a what seemed like a big piece of ferrousnwas the blocker, the why likely I didn’t find this coin when this area was swept just a couple months ago with both Nox and Etrac with stock coils.
Dig one other signal that was trying to hold 13innthe meter but would trend 14 ID. I suspected no nickel, but had to see. Sure enough the square tab in pic.
I think a lot of folks will be able to run at least 24 Sens in a lot of places if this is what they desire.

Next I went to one of the roughest sites (old) I know of with loads of iron, various shapes, depth.

I’ll say this right off, Equinox 800 in an environment suchnas this running 0-2 iron bias will not run totally quiet on all the ferrous in the ground,
Dialing iron bias up will snuff out a ,lot of it, but a user risk missing some finds that are detecfor is capable of locating.

I stayed primarily in park 2detect mode.
Did use field 2 toward the end of my short hunt this morning, and liked what I witnessed.
This particular site is in pretty good shape to hunt right now.
When owner rakes and rolls the hay (it’s thin) it will be in real good shape for summer to hunt.

Using pinpoint with small coil likely won’t be used much to pinpoint a target. Operator just needs to sweep using detect mode and mark your spot and dig. The pinpoint feature does however give some valuable intel to expose some bigger iron or bigger nonferrous not targets (which a re usually junk).

Also, iron, Nox with this coil tends to give what I call labored tone. Not smooth at all.

Will post a pic.
Did find one item that’s a bit unusual. This area pounded hard in the past too. Checking this particular target depressing horseshoe button yielded clean edges on both sides of target (zero iron tone).
Don’t know what it is or was part of.
The what looks like a 22 caliber bullet older, was deep for this small coil.





Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/2018 09:29PM by tnsharpshooter.

keep it coming Tnss

ghound Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> keep it coming Tnss

"Why Toto, I don't believe we're in Kansas anymore!"

Hang up your Christmas stocking ghound...I see one in your future Lol...."

Look close in this pic.
A #6 shot on the left and a #9 shot out of 2 different shotgun shells.
Let’s see airtest wise what the Nox and small coil does on them.
Standby.


May try a Bic pen point put data in here too, if I can find one.

Here’s is pic of the Bic pen I use daily in test.

The 2shot were taped to plastic thingy so Nox wouldn’t detect my rich in iron blood. Lol

I will post data shortly.
First off, Sens run at 24 all detect modes. Multi freq only used. Ground balance zero, threshold 0, noise cancel done in each detect mode. Iron bias 0 used in all.
Bic pen, and the 2 shotgun shot checked using speeds 5 and 7.
Interesting data here I think.

I think this data should be viewed in a relative fashion when looking at the different modes.
For whatever reason both beach modes seemed less stable vs other modes, I still didntest with Sens at 24 in these 2detect modes.

So here we go.

Park 1
All 3 items checked speed 5 and 7- no detection unless I brushed the coil, and signal gotten inrate as I knew the I items were veing waived in front of coil.

Park 2
Bic pen speed 5-detected to approx 2.5”
speed 7- detected to a tad less than 2”

#6 shot speed 5- detected to approx 3.5”
speed 7- detected to approx 3”

#9 shot speed 5- detected to approx 2”
speed 7- detected to approx 1.75”

Field 1
Bic pen no detection using speeds 5 and 7

#6 shot speed 5- detected to .125”. Not a typo either.
speed 7- detected only by brushing coil.

Field 2
All 3 objects - no detection using speeds 5 and 7

Beach 1
Bic pen speed 5- detected a tad longer than .25”
speed 7- detected to .25”

#6 shot speed 5- detected to 1”
speed 7- detected to .5”

#9 shot speeds 5 and 7 no detection.

Beach 2
Bic pen speeds 5 and 7 no detection

#6 shot speed 5- detected tomapprox .75”
speed 7-detected to approx .25”

#9 shot at speeds 5 and 7 no detection

Gold 1
Bic pen speed 5- detected to approx 3”
speed 7- detected to approx 2.25”

#6 shot speed 5- detected to approx 3.25”
speed 7 - detected to approx 2.75”

#9 shot speed 5- detected to approx 2”
Speed 7- detectorist approx 1.25”

Gold 2
Bic pen speed 5-detected to approx 3.25”
speed 7-detected tomapprox 2.75”

#6 shot speed 5-detected to approx almost 4”
speed 7-detected to approx 3”

#9 shot speed 5- detected to approx 2.25”
speed 7- detected to approx 1.25”



Edited 8 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/2018 09:15PM by tnsharpshooter.

I can't afford one Des, i've 4 kids and a racing dog to feed!
Sorry Tnss for going off topic.

Des D Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ghound Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > keep it coming Tnss
>
> "Why Toto, I don't believe we're in Kansas anym
> ore!"
>
> Hang up your Christmas stocking ghound...I see one
> in your future Lol...."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/2018 10:12PM by ghound.

What does "down the barrel" mean?

I've seen it used on the forum a few times but can't figure out what it is referring to. I Googled it and got nothing.

.

Badger in NH Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What does "down the barrel" mean?
>
> I've seen it used on the forum a few times but can
> 't figure out what it is referring to. I Googled i
> t and got nothing.
>
> .


It is in refercne to how a nail is swept.
Down the barrels refers to when the coil is swept with coil sweeps ( direction wise) going back and forth in the same direction (physically) as the nail exist in its current state. So down the barrel would be the same as sweeeping a nail lengthways instead of across its own diameter. This sweeping down the barrel with a detector’s coil is actually the direction where of an nonferrous object is laying in the same plane or even in different planes as the nail will be harder to detect odds wise. Due to the fact the coil is subjected to more ferrous in its window when trying to detect a nearby nonferrous object. Generally smaller diameter coils on detectors stand a better chance to pass such configuration. There is more to a detector passing such test than the coil’s diameter too. Detector engineering and frequency also play a big part.

Hope this helps.

tnsharpshooter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Badger in NH Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > What does "down the barrel" mean?
> >
> > I've seen it used on the forum a few times but c
> an
> > 't figure out what it is referring to. I Googled
> i
> > t and got nothing.
> >
> > .
>
>
> It is in refercne to how a nail is swept.
> Down the barrels refers to when the coil is swept
> with coil sweeps ( direction wise) going back and
> forth in the same direction (physically) as the na
> il exist in its current state. So down the barrel
> would be the same as sweeeping a nail lengthways i
> nstead of across its own diameter. This sweeping
> down the barrel with a detector’s coil is actually
> the direction where of an nonferrous object is lay
> ing in the same plane or even in different planes
> as the nail will be harder to detect odds wise. D
> ue to the fact the coil is subjected to more ferro
> us in its window when trying to detect a nearby no
> nferrous object. Generally smaller diameter coil
> s on detectors stand a better chance to pass such
> configuration. There is more to a detector passin
> g such test than the coil’s diameter too. Detecto
> r engineering and frequency also play a big part.
>
> Hope this helps.


I kind of understand what you're saying but I don't get the relationship between the words "down the barrel" and the actual act that it refers to.

Did you invent the phrase?

.

I think Keith invented the phrase "down the barrel". A coin next to a nail and sweep the coil back forth down the length of nail. It's hard for a lot of detectors to pass this test.

I've noticed concentric coils pass this test easier than dd coils.

Rick

Took Equinox 800 with coil to what I consider my roughest oldest site (full of iron).
Made 2nonferrous finds and one find according to my magnet is a mix of ferrous and nonferrous.
Field 2mode used speed 6 iron bias 0.

Some promising performance witnessed. Got too late a start though quit at dark. Will go back in the morning.
And tomorrow evening I’ll be across the road where more nonferrous has been found in the past by me.

Tone transition is key in site like this. The nice mild gentle hollow sounding tones are the ones to dig.

Would probably be easier for a Nox owner to learn this detector in a polluted site if they could indeed use this smallest coil first vs the stock coil.

I’ll include my finds in with what I find in the morning.

This site had the devil beat out of it by me.
using some other good detectors.
I don’t expect finds pouch runnerh over.
May take Deus and elliptical Hf and do head to heads if I an locate any targets with Nox.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/2018 02:30AM by tnsharpshooter.

More info using small 6”coil.

Time is building on unit for me. Easy unit to manage with small coil attached. Very pleasant to swing and get into position in sites.

I will post a pic of what I have found in the last three outings. Weather was hot today and I got hot both this morning and this evening.

There are lots of ways to use this coil for relic hunting.
Park 2, Field 2 or either of the Gold modes.

Park 2will be more sparky in iron vs field 2.
I haveexperience using gold 1 mode.

Using small coil I really like Gold 1 Mode.. A good trained ear using this mode will pay off for folks hunting in sites, even previously pounded sites.

So far all my hunts have been in 2spots where I have killed multiple times with some other good detectors, like Deus LF coils and Hf coils, Nokta Impact, Nokta Relic, Minelab CTX primarily with stock coil, Equinox with stock coil.

Don’t let anyone tell you this small coil isn’t deep for its size. Lower conductors especially I dug one of the flat buttons at approx 8”deep using gold 1 mode, a very good signal,too. Field 2woukd hit but to be honest I don’t know if I would have located this button initially using.

This evening I used gold 1 mode majority of the time, dug very little iron and did well I think considering how hard and how many times I have busted this area.

I have been running GB tracking on using gold 1mode too and it seems to work well.

I have not been to an area I consider a coin area using the coil yet.

The bigger find in pic seems according to my magnet is actually ferrous in some spots and nonferrous in others.

I should also mention, back when I hunted these 2places was earlier this year. Even though these 2spots have fresh cut hay and the hay has been gotten up by owner, the stems to the grass make me have to keep my coil higher than I had to back realer this year. Coil height using small coils running .5”to 1.5” above the ground depending. I am not done with either of these spots using this coil either. To be able to hunt in a relic site this time of year I cosnsider myself lucky.

I think I can say there will be folks who buy this coil, use a few times and get rid of. I won’t be getting rid of mine. I also think for whatever reason i don’t think the smaller coil is due to smaller size finding things smaller on average vs stock coil. But make no mistake the small coil does perform.

I will continue to use weather reporting and posting. I have a couple sites that could hold a nice coin I may try the coil on. These sites too hard hunted previously by me.

I wish someone who lives in a location with medium mineralized soil or higher had a test bed with $1 gold coins at mutiple depths, and the little 3 cent coin made out of nickel. It would be interesting to see how deep this small coil hits, especially in the gold modes.





Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2018 02:47AM by tnsharpshooter.

More field time.

Before I share some of what I witnessed this morning. I did a couple tests using clad dime and nickel doing down the barrel tests.

I am bringing this up for a good reason.

I and I am sure lots of folks here watch you tube videos when folks are testing/comparing detectors on these nail and usually a coin test.
I think now where I and maybe some folks have been going wrong here is we look at these tests in a go/no go fashion.
And in doing so we lose sight of some very important things.
The coin may be should be moved so detector used at least a borderline whatever is heard.

Yesterday while hunting I dug only certain quality signals.
Did I miss some stuff by doing??
Yes!!!

I went back this morning and applied what I witnessed this morning after doing nail tests on top of the ground with its clad dime and nickel.

Using Gold mode 1 on Equinox 800 and small coil, detector tells user far more about what’s under the coil than superficially meets the ears.
Notice I said ears.
What about eyes?
Yes we see it said a lot listen to the tone and put far less stock in meter readings for choosing to dig or not.
Well, I’ve got news for folks.
You want to be on top of your game relic hunting sites using Equinox and 6” that have been blistered you need to use your ears to locate suspect targets, and then use your eyes and ears to make a dig or no dig decision.

Equinox using Gold modes can can make a lot of different noises when sweeping in sites.
Sure there are the clean no brainer signals.
Some of these signals can be weaker.

But some nonferrous bound up by ferrous can indeed be heard, but due to signals produced a user might just think iron and walk.

I made some more finds in the area I hunted yesterday, this same area I talked about after getting my Equinox and stock coil and witnessed targets located with Equinox that Deus LF coils, and yes at times even the Hf coils would struggle on or not detect period.

Equinox is different than fbs/fbs2 in an area of IDing higher conductive targets. Equinox seems to trump Fbs/fbs2 units when it comes to IDing say nickel range conductive targets bound up with ferrous much much better.

So knowing this behavior of Equinox here I find it useful when hunting primitive sites.
I think it is also fair to say, Equinox a far better unmasker in heavily challenged scenarios of lower conductors vs higher conductors.

So what I am saying is Equinox more likely to give mid range and lower ID when actually sweeping heavily masked yet detectable nonferrous targets.(albeit signal may sound shady to some)

There are degrees of signals Equnox will provide using Gold 1.
Hard reject signals I call them, and these objects when pinpoint is used will be blaring...sound ie coffee can or car hood size whatever.
The nice clean no stutter, no quick reverse of the tone heard.
Btw using gold mode on Equinox does to me anyways remind me somewhat of a GPX Minelab pulse machine.
This tonal transition heard when using Gold modes is key.
Ferrous like to report louder vs nonferrous which is a bit softer.

Singnals that don’t sound like textbook all the way around yet don’t meet this hard reject signal I call it, can have some stutter with and LIKELY when swept will provide positive meter readings with no negative readings noted- SHOULD be deemed suspicious and dig!! And these meter readings likely to be mid range and lower. Not high teens, 20s, or 30s, these likely ferrous.

I plan to get back in this site and do some head to heads using ox and some other detectors.

I should also point out, using gold 1 mode even at speeds of 6 and 7 seems to be a trailblazer in both separation and depth for a 6”coil.

Moving soil out of holes seems most time seems to make detection of nonferoud find more difficult or impossible with the find still in hole.

So in a nutshell I had an ah ha moment ( multiple momensts) with Equinox and 6”coil.

Thought I would share.
Cheers
Stay tuned.



Edited 7 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2018 03:53PM by tnsharpshooter.

More testing.
I have commented on the use of single freq ops before here when talking about Equinox and stock coil, in particular the use of 5khz.

See this pic.


Goal to sweep across all the coins and see if Equinox will give me clue to higher conductive coin.
So does it?
It sure does.
Key is to run single freqs ops at 5khz really any of the field or park detect modes.
Conductivity levels ID use noted 20-22 with coil, GET this height as high as 6” above coins, sweep speed extremely forgiving.
I could hear using 50 tones easy.
I could hear running 5 tones with tone break for high tone at 19 extremely well.

Maybe folks don’t think this is extraordinary.
So what about Etrac and 6”exclellerstor coil? A user is SOL unless the basically brush the coins to hear clue of higher conduction (dime in this example). Btw conductive range of 25-30 witnessed on sweeps.
I highly suspect CTX would fair no better. Don’t have one currently.
Speed 5 also tested using Nox, again great clues provided to high conductive coin.

What about Impact with its 2”narrower coil 4x7”elliptical.
Using 5 kHz if you brush the coins you’ll hear the dime tonally otherwise user SOL.

Imagine how many higher conductive coins have been passed with other detectors where a nickel was masking high conductor throwing ID into la la land hence the detectorist walks thinking junk medium conductor.
Due to averaging objects conductive wise.
Folks should try this test by placing nickels close to clad dime and see what you get.
Those nickels in pic are REAL close to the dime.
Have another test to post shortly.
I should sayand this may not make much sense when I say this.
The test above although it is the dime Inwas trying to detect.
There is a very good chance a person could dig both a higher conductive coin as well as a colocated nickel.
This will become more evident when I post another test in a few minutes.

Another test. Note pic.


A clad dime and 2 pieces of sizeable foil. Parts of the foil are actually above plane of clad dime.
Again Nox using 5khz freq ops is the performer here. With very good coil height above scenario.
Etrac with 6”coil again a user must brush coil to hear the dime.
Impact IDs with coil height using 5 kHz unnormalized VDI at 33 a far cry from a high conductor ID.
Nox is smacking the dime with 23-24 ID even at coil height again with grand forgiveness with sweep speed.

I don’t want to mislead folks here. The Nox signal on dime in the above scenario as well as the previous is being affected by the lower conductor present. But just seems like it is affected less so. Granted a more compressed ID scale is likely partially responsible too. But I do think the way the Equinox is behaving here is very conducive to giving a user some real potential in junky sites to find higher conductors.

Another test.


Two ring pulls on each side of dime.
Sweeping Etrac and 6”coil FAILS, even when trying to brush the scenario with coil. Btw conductive levels noted in screen were anyway from 05 to 30 depending on sweep.
Impact with real close sweeps I can hear tiny clues of possible higher conductor lurking.
At 4” of coil height above scenario above using Imapct ID in meter is 33, again a far cry from high conductor ID wise.

Now using single freq ops of 5 kHz IDs scenario as 20-21 with an occasional 19. At 4” coil height gives very good clue of high conductive coin lurking. Again sweep speed very forgiving.

Now how about if we do a test of ring pull with beaver tail attached?
I have done.
Equinox here does not fair so well compared to the other test ran above, lousy actually when compared.

I think it is a safe bet now to say.
Folks wanting to squeeze out so:e higher conductive coins, even clad out of modern trash sites. Using 5khz single freq ops can have benefits. Just don’t forget about those bottle caps. Using 5khz they will, sing out but can we weeeded out by toggling to multi freq and notice the drop in ID. Actually in the scenarios above, if a person checks these with multi freqs after locating with 5khz the opposite will happen, meaning an overall lower ID presented in meter. Folks should use all the tools Equinox provides. Menu is easy to navigate around in when doing. Seems runninga tone break using 5 kHz around 19 is a good way to go in polluted trashy sites.

Recognize this pic.


Basically the same as one of the above expect a nail in introduced into scenario.
Does 5khz perform well here, as good as noted above?
No

Here the use of 5khz really mimicks ID wise the same as using mulit freq. So iron is the fly in the ointment so to speak.
Btw ID readings observed of 16-18 on above scenario.

Let’s introduce the third dimension here.
A pic of 2 US nickels above plane of clad dime.


Park 2 5khz single freq used.
Speed 5 fails to detect.
Speed 6 detects coil sweep speed somewhat sensitive.
Speed 7 and 8 nice signal with very forgiving swing speed.
Five tones used with 19 as tone break for highest tone.
Nickel portion audio wise detecting scale set to zero volume.

Btw mulit freq tested on scenario using Nox, no way to discern clad dime exist.

Etrac with 6” excellerator coil tried. Only time it passes if I practically brush the nickels with coil, otherwise FAIL.
Impact not tried.

Another test.
Some folks might still be thinking Etrac and other fbs or fbs2units rank supreme on higher conductors. In some instances YES but certainly not all.
Seems Nox may have advantage sometimes.

A pic.


Beaver tail only suspended above and off side of clad dime. Distance. of two 2x4s thinkness for height.

Nox using single freqs 5khz speed 7 I can hear this dime using 5 tones with tone break at 19, only with coil approaching fro the right in pic.
Repetitive hit too when approaching Fromm the right.. Definitely something I would investigate.
Etrac with 6”excelerator user is SOL, nothing even close tonally to tell me dime exist.

Another test.
See this pic.
This pic doesn’t show the test but what was used. One clad dime and 4 nickels.


Some intersting results.

First off Etrac wearing 6”excellerstor coil. Deep off fast on.
Nickle swept solo reads 13 conductive. Clad dime reads conductive # 43.

Now if I place one nickle squarely on top of dime and sweep.
Etrac conductive number reads 37- very near zincoln range.
If I add nickel on top (total of 2) etrac conductive number reads 34.
If I add a third nickel etrac’s conductive number reads 31.

Now the Equinox 800 using single freq 5khz speed 7.
Nickel solo reads 13,clad dime reads 26.

If I place one nickle on top of clad dime and sweep with Nox meter says 25.
If I add another nickle on top (total of 2) Equinox’s meter reads 24.
I I add a third nickle on top (total of 3) Equinox’s meter reads 23.

As a side note hear.
How does Equinox read if I contineunto stack nickels only (no clad dime).
Btw my tone break is at 20for high tone using 5 tones.

One nickle reads 13
Add one it reads 17
Add another it reads 19, i get no tone obviously.
If i add one more (total of for nickels in stack) meter reads 20and inget tone.

How does Nox Impact wearing elliptical small football coil react?
Running in DI99 mode 0 disc, unnormalized vdi selected, 5khz used.
Solo nickel reads 20/21
Solo clad dime reads 58
Place one nickle on top of dime meter reads 53/53
Add another nickle (2 total) meter reads 47
Add a third nickel (3 total) meter reads 44.

Just thought I would share

So some may think these tests, they don’t apply in the real world detecting.
I’ll let folks decide for themselves. I have my thoughts, and i wouldn’t do them if i thought they didn’t have some good meaning.

Note this pic.


You see the US nickel laying on the ground.
Under the paltic cap (approx) is a 5”deep clad dime I buried a few weeks ago.
The ruler is in pic to show basically the sweep angle needed to detect dime (give me good clue higher comductor exist.
Scenario swept with all detectors noted with ruler and cap removed as they contain metal.
Disclaimer here: I cannot be certian this area ia a sterile envionment metal wise besides the coins mentioned. But all detectors weere sujected to the same condirional scenaeio.

Nox 800 all park and field modes tried using multi freq. No cigar.
Use of 5khz hits the dime well with 23-25 in the meter.
Use of 10khz hits too, but a bit more dodgy than 5khz with ID a few points lower. The other freqs a no go for good ID, meaning they son’t give me clue of higher conductor.

Etrac wearing 6” excellerator coil. Fast on deep off, i get little small spirts occassionally of somewhat higher tone on controlled sweeps showing conductice numbers in the 30s with highest noted 35, most times 32/33 displayed.

Nokta Impact with small football coil, it will give me clue of higher conductor using 5khz as long I keep the toe of coil off of the nickel. It reads 61/62 most sweeps which is a bit high ID wise for clad dime ( air test 58).

Another test.
Real simple one.
Etrac and Equinox compared. Both wearing 6”coils.



Nail is around 2.25” long.
You see the clad dime.
Sweeping over nail and coin, try to get a strike nonferrous tone wise.

Etrac will give clue of actual higher conductive coin, with very controlled sweeps.
Special note here. You run run ferrous disc too high (black in the screen) you can miss even with the best of swings over this dime. Setting ferrous to the lines of 25-27 yielded best signal. Not near as good a signal though as the mighty Nox.

Equinox only park 2 detect mode tested.
Single freq ops, user more or less SOL, occassionally a one way lower tone.
Mulit freq here folks isnwhere the action is. Equinox sounds off strongly on dime at sppeds 6 and 7. Speed 5 dodgy and disn’t try speed 8.
Mulit freq acts a lot like Nail not even there.
Id of 18-22 noted in meter.

Another test similar to the above test yet more difficult.

With factory default disc in each of the following detect modes tested, detector quiet when nails without dime are swept.
Park 2 multi freq gives good 2way hits speeds 6 and 7, 5 is sweep critical, didn’t try speed 8.
Single freq ops.
5khz a no go.
All the other single freqs would only yield one way hit. If I slowed way down sweep wise sometimes 40 khz would yield 2 way signal.
Mulit freq use provided 17-21 in meter.

Iron bias set to 0 in all testing on the above.
Using multi freq, chedked park 1and 2 as well as Field 1 and 2.
All run in 50 tones.
Park 1 the least performer.
The other 3 detect modes did very well.
If I had to pick the best one it would be park 2.

So how about Etrac and 6”coil.
It will give me clues of dime existence.
Key is keep ferrous down to 25-27, you bump ferrous up to 23, spells trouble for detection.

Nokta Impact wearing small football coil.
Passes very well here.
Actually it imo does the best here as far as tonal presenation and ID on dime (combined). All freqs checked all passed.
Equinox gives best tonal presentation overall.
But ID not as accurate.
Remember Impact’s coil here is 2” narrower.

Let’s see how the Nox and small coil do in airtest on these 2 rings.
One is bigger man’s ring 14k.
The other a woman’s ring 10k.



Park 2 tested speed 6.
Noise cancel done.
Sens at 24
Rings were swept with opening of ring facing coil, same plane.
Big ring signaled to distance of 14” approx.
Woman’s ring signaled to a distance of 11.5” approx

Sens at level 20.
Bigger ring signaled to approx 12”
Smaller ring signaled to approx 10”

A pic to show how big the man’s ring is.


Should say the bigger ring.
Gold 1 mode, sens 24, speed 6, threhsold levle 7, i can hear an airtest waiver with ring 18” away from coil.
Not a typo either 18” approx.
With 6” coil.



Edited 35 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/2018 02:00AM by tnsharpshooter.

tnsharpshooter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Imagine how many higher conductive coins have been
> passed with other detectors where a nickel was mas
> king high conductor throwing ID into la la land h
> ence the detectorist walks thinking junk medium co
> nductor.
> Due to averaging objects conductive wise.

I have definitely witnessed this firsthand. I have a site that was littered with clad when I first arrived. I had to use a small coil on my Etrac because the coins were so densely packed. Over a period of many months, I cleaned out the clad and dug some deep silver coins, an Indian cent, and even a croatal bell at this location.

After the site had been hunted extensively, I tested a CZ3D there. The CZ3D gives a high tone on nickels. In a hunt lasting less than an hour, I dug four of the exact same target: a clad dime stacked with a nickel. My Etrac had been averaging these coins and giving me a signal that I didn't think was worth digging.

Remember these?
I am going to bury them and just see for gee whiz how deep Nox and smalll coil will detect.


Stay tuned.
Testing was cut short due to approaxhing thunderstorm from the SSW.
Anyway did do a few test.
Buried smaller ring above in pic at 7.5” deep.
Gold 1and park 2 tried.
Both hit and even id properly speeds 5 and 6 real good, 7 was dodgy using park 2 better using gold 1 detect mode.

Bigger ring above was buried at first at shy of 9”deep, and when I checked the signal was so ouststanding I thought there must be so ething else shallower in the hole.

So i found another place and buried at a solid 9” deep.
Park 2 killed this ring with signal. Even speed 7 worked well.
Gold 1 killed this ring with signal. Even speed 7 worked well.
I scrolled through all of the park and field modes, and even they were hitting the ring.
Field 2 seemed a little weaker though.

ID seemed to be a tad high at times on sweeps.

So testing terminated with approaching storm.

May reconvene tomorrow.
Ground conditions today dry btw.

Soil mineralizationlevles where rings were bured makes Deus mineralizarion strength meter go a dot or 2avove halfway on meter when bobbing coil.

Ole Calabash just might be able to hit the big ring at a foot in his area. Lol



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/2018 12:41AM by tnsharpshooter.

More 6” Nox coil data.
Remember I am usingg800 model.
Settings used park 2,,24sens speed 6, iron bias 0.
Used multo freq and 5khz, and I will go into more detail about this here later.
Tone break using 5 tones set where 20 plus yields high tone. Had region before rhis 20 plus region 15-19 set to give no tone. Did have a 11-14 nickle window for highest tone set also.

These 2 sites (these particular areas) i hunted today brielfly i myslef have run some other model detectors small, medium and stock sized coils. I won’t name as some may think i am picking on them. These sites hunted by some other folks too.

Here is a pic of the finds.


Now some here may already be thinking this dude dug stinking clad and other junk, this post here don’t interest me and has no value. Well, I have a different opinion.

I’ll start off by saying Equinox 800 and small coil is likely right now the clad KING!!!!
It smokes high conductive coins, even more masked ones it seems.

This clad not recent drops, they have been in this site when i have hunted previously during the last couple hears at least.

So anyway I selected this one spot to detect because in the past based on detecting it seemed to have loads of modern trash.

So i decided to try to hunt using 5khz single freq and see what would happen. Sure enough I was getting lockers at 21-22 ID.

When comparing all 4 higher conductive coins found, Using 5 khz on one zincoln was better than multi freq use. One zincoln was better using multi freq vs 5 5khz. And the other 2 I deemed a tie.

Quarter was only 4”deep.
The zincolns only 1.5”deep roughly.

Remember what my tone breaks were above. Using multi freq pull ring and beaver tail gave a solid 13, 5khz gave nothing tonally.

The smaller itme is lead i think. It gave a solid 13 when located using multi freq, use of 5 khz gave nothing tonally.

The full sized square tab read as solod 13using both multi freq and 5khz.
The cut square tab read 13 using multi freq, 5khz gave nothing tonally.

The twist cap, I found it near the steps. I can’t prove but I think its ID using previous detectors detecting its ID skewed hence not dug. Equinox lit it up as 20 using multi freq, 5 khz the ID a little higher. After recovery lots of iron in around area.

It is unbelievable how fast I could swing through the area with loads of modenr trash and grt these strikes.

The Nox ran quiet as a mouse froman emi standoint. Power lines close too.
The dewpoint here is real high and i got hot!!!! For such a short period of time.

Btw this site were the coins were found has a landmark. I know this area well and had run a bunch of coils over multiple times on mulitple days.
Nox and stock coil been on these sites (in these same spots) 2 times prior by me. And I used 5khz single freq and multifreq speed 7 previously..
More later.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/2018 08:47PM by tnsharpshooter.

Hunted a couple more hours yesterday evening late in one of my detector proving grounds.
I departed from the norm here and used walkman heaphones with wi-stream module.

Did get one higher reading target 9 in the meter very near were i recovered a fake capped bust dime some time ago using nokta relic detector, turned out to be junk.
All these signals this evening coil position and sweep speed highly critical.
Field 2 used sens 24,speed 6, iron bias 0, gb tracking on.
I need to locate some more if i can using wi-stream module, and then use oem blue tooth headphones and have a listen.

Nox was quiet as a mouse at sens 24 in thisnsite, many jets streaming by overhead too at cruise altitude.
Gotta love it.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/01/2018 12:02PM by tnsharpshooter.

More data.
Note this pic.
This ring the small ring used in tests earler here.
This testing conducted on fresh water sanded beach.


All detect modes tested except for gold 2 mode.

I buried this ring at different depths many times and the same depth many times in order to get what I thought was good solid data.
Ring was biroed moreso with opening upwards.
This ring is small and is 10k.

Best performing detect modes for depth.
Park 2 and Gold 1 detect modes.
At 10” deep both of these modes give good solid signal and great ID of ring.
Good runnners up were park 1 and field 1.
Next best beach 1
Then field 2
Beach 2 lousy.

Speeds of 4 and 5 yielded voth good tone and good ID at 10”depth using park 2 and gold 1 modes.
I could almost get as good a signal using park 1 and field 1 if I keep speed slower but ID dodgy.

With ring at 7.5”deep park 2 speed 6, sound like target practically on top of sand/ground. Strong.
Beach 2, poor performer at depth, I would never use likely on freshwater beach period.

Using gold 1 and comparing to park 2, signal stronger at 10” slightly vs park 2, by running down sens level and comparing.
ID though when comparing gold 1 and park 2 ID on deep ring similar qualitty wise even though gold 1 signal stronger.

I could hear 10”deep ring using gold 1and park 2, no ID present speed 7, speed 6 ID more hit and miss, level 5 ID gets solid.

I did experiment with depths deeper than 10”.
It seemed there was a small window like estimated 1/2” where Nox would yield nonferrous tone although weak, but ID in error or nonexistant.
No detection at 12” with any mode.
Some detection sporadic at 11” though.
10.5” detection was there but ID hit and miss, but was there, would read lower than rings actual airtest reading though.
And chasing things that read 2,3 and 4, anyone who has used a Nox on saltwater beach or even land,,,,expect real small whatever made of aluminum or other low conductor.





Edited 7 time(s). Last edit at 08/01/2018 04:20PM by tnsharpshooter.

What about depth meter using 6”coil?

I used 2x4s stacked to get my results here.
A pic to give idea of my setup.

Keep in mind this data based on what is displayed while sweeping in detect mode noted, NOT actual pinpoint[/B]
These are airtested results, in ground results, lots of variables can affect.
Park 2 speed 5, sens at 20
No 2x4 present and dime swept close- one triangle under shovel in meter
Add one 2x4 (btw a shade of 1.5”thickness)- 2 triangles under shovel
Add another (2 total) - 3 triangles under shovel in meter
Add another (3 total) - 4 triangles under shovel in meter

New test coming and will change sensitivity to 24, leaving all other settings the same.
Sens 24 used
No board present and dime swept close- one triangle present
Add one board- 2 triangles present.
Add another board ( 2 total)- 3 triangles presnet
Add a another (3 total)-4triangles present
Add another (4total) - 5 triangles present under shovel

Will go back to sensitivty level 20 and change speed to 7 next.

Sens level 20,speed 7,park 2
No board dime swept close-one triangle
Add one board- 2triangles present
Add another (2 total) - 3 triangles present
Add another (3 total) - 4 triangles present
Add another (4 total) - I get occasional 31 id, no depth info (no triangles) at all, I can hear weak signal too.



Next test US quarter, park 2, sens 20,speed 5
No board present quarter swept close- one triangle presnet
Add one board- one triangle present
Add another board (2 total)- two triangles present
Add another board(3 total) -three triangles present
Add another (4 total)- four triagles present

Next test quarter, park 2, sens 24, speed 5
No board presnet quarter swept close- one triangles under shovel
Add one board- one triangle present
Add another ( 2 total) - two triangles present
Add another (3 total) - three triangles present
Add another (4 total) -four triangles present

For gee whiz, next test park 2 sens 13 speed 5,quarter
No board present quarter swept close - one triangle displayed
Add one board- two triangles displayed
Add another board (2 total) - two triangles displayed
Add another board (3 total) - three triangles present
Add another board ( 4 total) - no ID, no triangles, whimper of a tone heard

Next test quarter on edge, remember it may not be perfectly on edge, and I’ll use two boards to hold center maybe.
Park 2 sens 24, speed 5
Here is pic. Boards slid together before testing to hold quarter.

Follow along here now and pay attention, since i am using boards to secure quarter.

With the 2 boards above slid together and quarter swept -two triangles present
Add one board (on top of pic above) - two triangles present
Add one board ( 2 total boards on top of pic above) - four triangles present
Add one board (total of 3 boards on top of pic above - five triangles present, signal weaker too


Next test is clad dime on edge, park 2, speed 5, sens 24

Alright with boards slid together in above pic (remember dime not very tall, so some clearance exist with setup in pick ablce when swept with coil.
Sweeping pic above - two triangles noted
Add one board (to pic above) - three triangles noted
Add one board (total of 2 added to pic) - four triangles noted
Add one board (total of 3 addded to pic) - five triangles noted pretty good ID too

Next depth meter test.
Park 2,sens 24, speed 5
US half dollar. (1936 Silver)


Coil face up swept close no boards present- one triangle in display
Add one board - two triangles present
Add another board (total of 2) - three triangles present
Add another board (total of 3) - three triangles present
Add another board (total of 4) - five triangles present with broken tone, i repeated this particular test mulitple times, same result

Next test, park 2,sens 24,speed 5, US silver dollar (1889) -Silver

No boards and swept real close BEWARE, gives clunky sound with single digit ID, with approx coil clearance of .5 inch -one triangle present and good tone and ID
Add one board - one triangle present
Add another board (2 total) - two triangles present
Add another board (3 total) - three triangles present
Add another board (4 boards total) - three triangles present
Add another board (5 boards total) - five triangles present



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/01/2018 11:41PM by tnsharpshooter.

I echo your finding with Beach modes. I played with modes Tues in the water at two of the freshwater beaches I hunt. IF beach modes were the only available modes that I could hunt in, I would not keep the Nox. Park and Field modes make it a totally different animal.

I had zero interest in the 6 inch coil. I was convinced it would be close to performance of the 6 inch on a CTX, which sucked in my soil. An eTrac with 4x7" coil would smoke the CTX with the 6 inch by quite a bit. But from what I'm seeing in reports and videos, the 6" Nox coil is a winner and very much surpasses my expectations...just based on videos. I may end up picking one up, but this Multi Kruzer with 7" concentric is also very surprising and eye opening. I like it much better than the stock DD coil that comes on it.

Disclaimer: I hold no official eleltronics engineering degrees whatsoever. The majority of my electonics experience hands on has been when active duty USAF for 22 years.

I may have stumbled on to something folks depending on their actual detecting scenario can utilize when using Equinox, especially when detecting with other detectorists using detectors, especially muliple units like rallys.

First this pic.


I have been doing some emi testing using Equinox. I needed another emitter that would hopefully share a common frequency or be very close. So I chose Nokta Impact detector since it can be run at 20 khz.

Remember, ideally I don’t know the exact frequency each detector is running on based on channel selected.

So who here believes they can manually listen to Equinox and select different channels and pick a good channel to use to detect ? And actually listen for cleanliness in detect mode. No submenus open.
I can say right now, with near 100% certainty I CAN’T.
Why?

The story begins with running Impact detector at 20 khz channel 3 selected. And runnning Nox in multi freq park 2 detect mode.
I did some airtest using nox with Impact on and off, and also doing noise cancels on Equinox. I could see Equinox being impacted somewhat on most chaannles when manually selected on airtest depth of clad dime from top of the coil.
Keep in mind I tried to keep detector position and proximty pretty consistent to add more value to this testing. Even doing this this in NOT a labratory trst by no means.

I when doing noise cancel with Nox (wiresless headphones used btw) and having Impact on and at 20 khz channel 3, i would then proceed to airtest clad dime from top of coil.
Sens was kept at 24 on all testing.
Airtest distance seemed to always be right in the 10.25” range.
Some channels this distance would shrink down like 8.75, more of the nonselected noise cancel channels seemed to always give at least 9” distance.
Equinox while in detect mode was nice and clean sounding on every channel.
So me trying to pick one wihout airtesting dime maybe not really feasible.
I would turn Impact off and check all channels manaually, and YES some channels distsnce had improved, Doing noise cancel with Impact off and airesring using clad dime again yielded pretty much 10.25” of distance from top of coil.

Now here is where it gets more intersting.
I decided how about me try 20khz single frequency on Equinox and see what happens.
I did just that.
After doing noise cancel, Equinox quiet (not like it wasn’t beforehand) then I proceeded tomdo airtest of clad dime from top of coil. Distances obtained here less than multi frequency provided. So again checking each channel manually on Equinox, all seemed to be pretty close distance wise until I got to channel 8!! And even when in channel 8 Equinox quiet as a moise.
Nothing telling me by way of chatter, sqeaks, really anything it wasn’t a good channel. Airtest on clad dime here using channel 8 a poor 5”, around a full 3”shy of what the other channels gave (Impact on).

So I said to myself golly Inwould never want to be around Impact user running channlel 3, 20 khz.
So I went back to multi frequency and played around a bit to confirm what I had seen earlier comparing.

So back to 20 khz I go on Nox.
Low and behold as I was hitting the gear shift button on Nox I call scrolling the menus. I get to Ground Balance menu when and Nox happened to be in channel 8 and the Equinox audio was pumping out this big time waiver. You only hear this sound when GB is selected. With GB selected no other channels were emiiting this noise like doming from channel 8 on Equinox. I could hear some small noise, and depending on which channel selected seemed to vary a little.

So, based on what Inexperienced if I had to manaully pick a channel to detect with with Nox, I would be listening while GB menu selection is engaged.
Remember, there are llikely on so many combinations with Equinox when doing noise cancel. A monster rally where most folks runnsame detect mode (and maybe wven diferent) there could ve times when Nox noise cancel maybe not be as worthy to use vs listening manually to each channel.

I didn’t noise cancel Nox a hundred times or anything with Impact on and at channel 3, 20 khz, but Equinox what times I did do noise cancel, it never did select channel 8.

I also think my testing back up a subject dicussed here by NASA-Tom on “ Silent EMI”.



Edited 11 time(s). Last edit at 08/02/2018 11:17PM by tnsharpshooter.

Some gold mode 1 info coming here shortly, standby.

Hunting in iron using Equinox 800, gold mode 1 likely to hit on nonferrous that none of the other detect modes will strike on,,,goes for separation, unmasking and depth. (Park 1 and 2,Field 1 and 2).

Now, gold mode 1is restrictive tone wise, yes you can adjust speed and iron bias. And adjust threshold to spark up fainter signals some.

Iron will generally have a distinct sound if it tones in over disc setting. User will hear a quick transition of tone usually, and more times not be louder than nonferrous hits (mid and deeper depths). More towards the surface located nonferrous will give a louder signal, usually will be clean on the edges signal wise.

Here is what I recommend folks do to better get a handle on using Gold 1 detect mode. I mentioned this in my commentary here in the 6”coil commentary thread.

We see tests done with nails and coins and relics a a lot of times via you tube.

In these test we as individuals usually i think biew these test (each test) as a pass or fail. Or it detects the nonferrous or it doesn’t. This is imo a big BOO BOO we all make.

Equinox can in fact give borderline more sounding signals, give user clue to nonferrous lurking.

So using Gold mode 1, I recommend the following. Get yourself a 12 penny nail and a clad dime.
Go to gold mode 1, 23 sens, speed 6 or 7,iron bais 0.

Place nail in sterile place and lay dime down beside close ( not touching).
I will post a pic of what I am referring to here.


Now if I move the dime in pic above to the middle of nail, Nox with small coil won’t detect using gold 1 period-meaning give tone to tell user of nonferrous dime existence. Don’t worry about this as the Deus with even narrower coil won’t either. So, start moving dime progressively towrd either end of nail and sweep using gold 1mode spped 6 or 7 iron bias 0.
You will eventually start getting a hit. Should look close to what is in pic actually. Listen to the signal, listen to the middle of signal and the edges. Listen for any tonal transition taking place. Then move dime a bit more and listen again.
The idea here is to train yourself to what a highly challenged nonferrous can sound like.
By all means you can adjust iron bias and compare and listen too.
Too high a iron bias will detract from. Nox’s ability to separate and unmask in and around ferrous on the more highly challenged nonferrous targets present in a site.

Now i am not inferring all highly challenged nonferous will sound exaclty like what you hear doing the excercise above. But SOME can.

Gold 1 mode is what I call a extremely good site clean up mode, especially for relics in old iron ridden sites.
For example a relic site that has produced some nice finds, maybe a gold coin,,,I highly recommend before such site is deemed Nox dead, Gold 1detect mode should be used in the site with both stock and small coils. It is my opinion, gold 1 easier to use with small coil vs stock coil.

Basically a user needs to learn what iron wrap signsls sound like using. This obviously would be caused by bigger iron. And learn what medium size ferrous sounds like tonally, cause it will give tonal signature even with ferrous supposed disced out.

Some keys I feel to being successful with Gold 1mode.
Use your pinpoint function on detected suspect targets. If pinpoint tone is real strong,or targets seems large when moving coil somewhat=ferrous bigger.

Smaller pinpoint higher chances of being nonferrous.

User will get 4 way signals sometimes, and on the more challenged only 2way signal.

When in doubt dig it out.
Will user dig some iron?
If one don’t they are not pushing Nox to its limits.
Nails with 45degree and more acute angle bends will fool you.
If you are digging these, you are on right track, not wrong track.

Mid depth and deeper nonferrous (relative to coil size used) generally will be lower sounding.
Running good GB is a must, not near as critical vs using field or park modes .
Do a normal ground balance and turn tracking on, works well.

ID in meter.
This actually can really help a person out.
Key is DON’T check target with horseshoe button depressed.
Leave disc on.
If you see a lot of negative ID, chances are its iron.
If you see more positive than negative, be very suspicous, and if clean signal on at least one edge of signal, be even more suspicious. Then if the suspect target pinpoints small, really be suspicious and dig.
Loosening dirt can play tricks here with Nox meaning hour prize may be there alright, yet you won’t hear when you start digging.

Crosschecking targets using other detect modes can be done. I recommend it. Anything to help you build confidence.
Remember what I said above. You may not get good signals or as good a signal using other detect modes. I recommend using either or park 2or field 2 to cross check targets.

Another good use for gold 1mode is using to locate a site, say in a bigger field.
One can also usually determine where the bigger iron exist in a site using.

It will take a user some time to get used to. I recommend it be a site cleanup mode. It works, believe me. If one gets exhausted using one can always go to field 2mode or park 2 mode.
Using gold 1 detect mode can be challenging.
In rough as corn cob site with iron and nails, really using any detector can be challenging. I love such sites.

So, gold 1 mode is a performer!!
One just needs to use appropriately.
I would never use in a supposed virgin site area.
But in areas where Xp Deus Hf coils have lived a great deal,,,gold 1 mode can hunt behind,,both stock and smaller 6”coil.

If one wants to go for broke on a freshwater beach and try to find more of the smaller nonferrous that is there, Gold 1 detect mode best choice.
I hope this sheds some light on gold 1 detect mode.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/03/2018 05:49PM by tnsharpshooter.

More Emi testing.


Okay yesterday I witnessed something using single frequency ops with Equinox while using Nokta Impact At 20 kHz to act as my emitter (spoiler).

So, today I got to thinking, what about Mulit freq? Just how is it compromised is say an emitter is sharing similar same frequency?

So with some experimenting using Equinox Park 2 detect mode, I kept changing Impact detector’s channel trying to find a culprit matchup where Equinox was indeed being operated.
I was successful, and I could tell by listening with either noise cancel submenu open or ground balance menu open.
Channel 2 on Equinox Park 2 in conflict with Impact at 20 khz channel 5.
Btw, Impact detector lets me know this too, mindblowing chatter, solid, no breaks in rhythm.

So I proceeded to do airtest using clad dime from top of Equinox’s 6” coil.
I get right at 10” airtest distance with steady tone. Remember Impact is At conflicted settings while doing.
Next did a noise cancel, yep Impact quiets down, do another airtest with clad dime, basically same as before 10”.
Now I don’t know exact frequency weighting of park 2.
I will say some folks think and I believe it’s true, the good folks at Minelab gave us Manual noise cancel feature. And some thought this was for Emi mitigation.
And I think it is too, and there are far more more powerful emiiters than the Impact detector, one might find around the world.

So, based on just these tests above, it seems even though one frequency used in detect mode is conflicted, this doesn’t spoil Equinox’s whole act here. The other freqs seem to keep the show going.

Wish I still had my Rutus, with its range of frequency offered, I could really get in the weeds using it to do some testing.

Test above redone using US nickel instead of clad dime.
Same thing witnessed.
Equinox ran in a seemingly conflicted status vs after doing nosie cancel, I get virtually same air test results -11.5”
Remember there are power lines about 20ft to my left in pic.

Another EmI test.
This time a double whammy to try and take Nox out performance wise.

Equinox park 2 channel 2 used.
Impact left at 20khz channel 5, I found what seems like (based on audio) provided by Nox and Deus to conflict with Nox.
Freq of 14815 hz using elliptical Hf coil.
All 3 detectors in pic around 4-4.5 ft apart.
Again checking airtest distances using both clad dime and us nickel.
Comparing while seemingly conflicted vs after noise cancel. Virtually same air test distances measured.
10”for clad dime.
11.5”for nickel.

After noise cancel both Deus and Impact much more quieter.

Btw, Equinox using 15khz, channel 3 single freq, is in direct conflict with Deus Hf coil at 14815 hz
Even in detect mode screen, no submenus open, Equinox is extreme chatter, no detection possible at all.
Worst interference here I have witnessed thus far.



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 08/03/2018 07:52PM by tnsharpshooter.

What about Nox and Etrac.
How do they play together.

Detectors are around 4ft apart formthe testing below.
Etrac ran at 27 Manual sens and Nox at 24 sensitivity.
6 inch coils on both units.

When i use the term unusable below, I am saying audio on one or both detectors imo based on what I hear, detector deemed unusable at the approx proximity of 4 ft. More distance between could cure some of the affects maybe.

Now, here all I did was listen to Equinox wearing wireless headphones and listening to Etrac external speaker mainly to note any conflicts.
And there are some it seems.

I’ll check all modes and freqs on Equinox and post here.
Here is a start.

Channel 1 selected on Etrac

Multi freq using using Nox every detect mode checked with Etrac at channel 1 manually selected. Nox channel -4 unusable, Nox tied up in knots.
So it seems the same freq is used in each detect mode per channel maybe.
Also while in park 1, both 5khz and 15 kHz and 40khz single frequency on Equinox is in direct conflict it seems with Etrac channel 1, with Equinox At channel 8. Etrac unusable.

Park 2, Field 1and 2 checked all single freqs.
Same affects as noted above with park 1.

Other modes checked, same affects with freq selected and channel selected as noted above.

Now switch Etrac to channel 2.

Etrac unusable using multi frequency all detect modes while equinox in channels -9, -4, and 9.

Single freq 5khz channel 2 Equinox renders Etrac unusable.

Single freq 15khz used on Equinox renders Etrac unusable with Nox in channels 2and 9.

Single freq 40khz channels 2 and 9 on Equinox renders Etrac unusable.

Next channel 3 Etrac.

Equinox multi freq used, channels -1, 0 and 9 make Etrac unusable.
Channel 5 selected on Nox makes it unusable.

5khz selected on Nox channels -4 and -1 renders Etrac unusable.
10khz selected -4, -3 and 0 renders Etrac unusable.
Channel 9 selected Nox unusable

15khz selected on Nox channels -4 and -1 renders Etrac unusable.
Nox sounded ok on all channels.
20khz selected on Equinox channel -3 renders Etrac unusable.
Nox sounded ok in all channels audio wise.
40khz selected on Nox, channels -3, 0 and 9 renders Etrac unusable.
Nox sounded good on all channels audio wise.

Etrac channel 4 selected
Equinox in mulit frequency channels 6 and 8 renders Etrac unusable.

Single freq 5khz and 10khz no serious conflicts heard either way with detectors.
Single freq 15 kHz on Nox, channels -7 and 0 makes Etrac unusable, channel 0 makes Nox unusable

Single freq 20kh selected on Nox, channel -2 makes Etrac unusable. Channel 0 makes both Nox and Etrac unusable.
Single freq 40khz selected on Nox, channels -8 and 0 makes Etrac unusable, no serious conflicts noted with Nox (audio wise)

Etrac channel 5 selected

Equinox using Multi freq rendered unusable channels -7, 4,5 and 6.
Etrac rendered unusable channels 8 and 9.

5khz selected on Equinox, channel -5 renders Etrac unusable.
10khz selected on Equinox channels -7, -5 and -3 renders Etrac unusable.
Nox sounded ok, no serious conflicts heard audio wise.

15khz selected on Equinox, channels -5, -3, and -1 render Etrac unusable.
Nox sounded good, no serious conflicts noted based on audio alone.
20khz selected on Equinox, channels -9 and -7 renders Etrac unusable.
Nox sounded good on all channels.
40khz selected on Equinox, channel -7 rendered Etrac unusable.
Nox sounded good all channels.

Etrac channel 6 selected

Multifreq selected on Equinox, channels -2 and -1 render Nox unusable
Channels -8, -4 and 5 makes Etrac unusable.

5khz selected on Equinox channels -1 and 0 renders Etrac unusable.
Nox sounded ok all channels.

10khz selected on Equinox, channels -1, 5 and 9 renders Etrac unusable.
Nox sounded ok all channels.

15khz selected on Equinox, channel 7 rendered Etrac unusable.
Nox sounded ok all channels.

20khz selected on Equinox, channel 0 rendered Etrac unusable
Nox sounded good all channels.

40khz selected on Equinox, no serious conflicts noted either detector.

Etrac channel 7 selected

Multi freq selected on Equinox. Channels -8 and -7 render Nox unusable.
Channels 1 and 3 make Etrac unusable.

5khz selected on Equinox, no serious conflicts noted either detector.
10khz selected on Equinox, channels -2 and 7 rendered Etrac unusable
Nox sounded good all channels.

15khz selected on Equinox, channel 2 rendered Etrac unusable
Nox sounded good all channels.

20khz selected on Equninox, channels 7 and 8 rendered Etrac unusable
Nox sounded good all channels

40khz selected on Equinox, channel 1 rendered Equinox unusable, channel 6 rendered Etrac unusable.

Etrac channel 8 selected

Multi freq selected on Equinox, channels -9, -1 and 3 rendered Etrac unusable.
Equinox sounds ok all channels.

5khz selected on Equinox, channels 6, 7 and 8 render Equinox unusable
Channels 0 and 7 render Etrac unusable
10khz selected on Equinox, no serious conflicts noted

15khz selected on Equinox, channel 0 rendered Etrac unusable
Nox sounded good all channels

20khz selected on Equinox, channels 2and 8 renders Etrac unusable
Nox sounded ok all channels.

40 kHz selected on Equinox, channels 0 and 6 render Etrac unusable
Equinox sounded ok all channels

Etrac Channel 9 selected

Multi freq selected on Equinox, channels -6, -3, 3 and 9 rendered Etrac unusable. Channel -3 rendered Equinox unusable.

5khz selected on Equinox, channels -1, 0 and 1 rendered Equinox unusable
Channel 0 rendered Etrac unusable

10khz selected on Equinox, channels -3, 0, 7 and 9 rendered Etrac unusable
Channel 0 rendered Equinox unusable

15khz selected on Equinox, channel 0 rendered by detectors unusable

20khz selected on Equinox, channels -3 and 9 rendered Etrac unusable
Nox sounded ok all channels

40khz selected on Equinox, channel -3 rendered Etrac unusable
Nox sounded ok all channels.

Etrac channel 10 selected

Multi freq selected on Equinox, channels 1, 4 and 9 render Etrac unusable
Nox sounded ok all channels.

5khz selected on Equinox, channels -8 and -6 render Equinox unusable
Channels -7, 6 and 7 render Etrac unusable
10khz selected on Equinox, channel -7 rendered Equinox unusable
Channel -6 rendered Etrac unusable

15khz selected on Equinox, channel -7 rendered Equinox unusable
Etrac sounded ok all channels

20khz selected on Equinox, no serious conflicts heard either detector.

40 kHz selected on Equinox, channels -6 and -1 rendered Etrac unusable
Nox sounded ok all channels.

Etrac channel 11 selected

Multifreq selected on Equinox, channels -2, 2 and 5 render Etrac unusable
Channel 4 rendered Equinox unusable

5khz selected on Equinox, channels -6, -2 and 9 render Etrac unusable
Nox sounded ok all channels

10khz selected on Equinox, channel -3 rendered Etrac unusable
Nox sounded ok all channels

15khz selected on Equinox, channels -6 and 5 rendered Etrac unusable
Nox sounded ok all channels

20khz selected on Equinox, channel -9 rendered Etrac unusable
Nox sounded ok channels

40khz selected on Equinox, channel -1 renders Equinox unusable
Channels 2 and 3 renders Etrac unusable



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/2018 01:51PM by tnsharpshooter.

To conclude the Emi testing I went back and spot checked to see how well noise cancel actually worked.
These spot checks I did see the same conflicts this morning as yesterday. I noise canceled with Equinox at less than 4ft from Etrac’s coil.

ALL spot checks passed (total of 10 noise cancels done with each )meaning doing noise cancel on Equinox 800 always went to a non conflicted channel, with Nox audio quiet. Etrac audio though after doing Nox noise cancel not always quiet. So Nox runners and Etrac runners may find each other doing mulitple noise cancels to find stable operations.

Here are the spot checks.
I geared most to running Equinox in multi frequency.

Channel 1 selected on Etrac
Multi freq using using Nox every detect mode checked with Etrac at channel 1 manually selected. Nox channel -4 unusable.

Etrac channel 2.
Single freq 15khz used on Equinox renders Etrac unusable with Nox in channels 2and 9.

Etrac channel 3 selected.
Equinox multi freq used, channels -1, 0 and 9 make Etrac unusable.
Channel 5 selected on Nox makes it unusable.

Etrac channel 4 selected
Single freq 15 kHz on Nox, channels -7 and 0 makes Etrac unusable, channel 0 makes Nox unusable

Etrac channel 5 selected
Equinox using Multi freq rendered unusable channels -7, 4,5 and 6.
Etrac rendered unusable channels 8 and 9.

Etrac channel 6 selected
Multifreq selected on Equinox, channels -2 and -1 render Nox unusable
Channels -8, -4 and 5 makes Etrac unusable.

Etrac channel 7 selected
Multi freq selected on Equinox. Channels -8 and -7 render Nox unusable.
Channels 1 and 3 make Etrac unusable.

Etrac channel 8 selected
5khz selected on Equinox, channels 6, 7 and 8 render Equinox unusable
Channels 0 and 7 render Etrac unusable

Etrac Channel 9 selected
Multi freq selected on Equinox, channels -6, -3, 3 and 9 rendered Etrac unusable. Channel -3 rendered Equinox unusable.

Etrac channel 10 selected
10khz selected on Equinox, channel -7 rendered Equinox unusable
Channel -6 rendered Etrac unusable.

Etrac channel 11 selected
Multifreq selected on Equinox, channels -2, 2 and 5 render Etrac unusable
Channel 4 rendered Equinox unusable



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/2018 01:30PM by tnsharpshooter.

Trying to test more today, comparing Gold 1 and Gold 2 modes.
Come up this this here test that’s interesting and may shed light on the power of multi freq using Equinox.
This pic here.


See that little star. I found some time ago with Equinox using stock coil running multi freq in a rough iron site.
Factory default disc used in all detect modes.
Testing as shown in pic. Single freq you can forget about hitting confirmed by magnet nonferrous little star with small loop with this with 6” Nox coil using single freq ALL. Not even a whimper any detect mode. Multi freq gives me good one way tone coming from the right. Gold modes occasionally gives me 2way signal.
I can’t even rotate around scenario using single freq 40 kHz and acquire a signal. Where multi freq ops tags it.
Will post more here today with no bumping.

Another pic.


That’s a big nail and clad nickel in pic.
You see the boards stacked and the rule put in to show estimated height.
Sweeping left to right and vice versa, down the barrel.
I can hear the nickel using 40khz single freq, not mulit freq any detect mode with any setting useable in the field I can find.

Single freq 40khz, could it find you something in a site multi freq won’t?o
My testing suggests YES. But remember soil minerals here not in play really.
Folks especially using Nox in milder soil I think should be using occasionally in sites that have produced in the past.
Remember not many other models detector offered run at such a high frequency.
Using 20khz in the test above a NO PASS.
I can even remove a board and try 20 kHz and it is a FAIL.

Another pic.

A nail and clad dime.
All I did was compared Gold 1 and Gold 2 detect modes.
Sweeping above the stacked boards down the nail barrel.
Facctory default disc and sensitivty.
Speed 6 multi frequency used.
Iron biased adjusted.

Iron bias = or greater than 5 = fail both detect modes.
I compared both in detail using iron bias 4, I even lowered sens from default setting of 20 to 16.
I saw no differences here on how each mode performed on this ONE test.

Another pic.

Just a small piece of foil if you can see it. It’s in front of the number 6 on ruler.
Sweeeping above the boards comparing gold 1 and 2 detect modes multi freq.
Again factory disc, iron bias left at 0, speed 6.
Both modes generate a weak signal. I even lowered sens to 14 where I could barely hear.
Both modes sound the same to me here with equivalent settings.
Again just one test. And this foil is just one shape reallly.
And ground mineralization here not figured in here like the real world.

Another pic.
A small 10k ladies ring on edge. No ferrous present.
Test conducted 90 degrees from view in pic with coil,sweeps.


I compared Gold 1 and 2 using multifreq.
Run each mode in default disc.
Speed 7
Varied sens, iron bias. Ran as low as sens level 13
I saw no difference in signal obtained comparing the modes.
Btw, signal sounds the same with iron bias at 0 and at max, when sweeping over the top of boards in pic.

Another pic.
Look near dime, a #6 shot out of shotgun shell.
Can’t say exactly what is is made of totally.


Interesting results here.
I did airtest using #6 shot a few days ago.
In the pic as shown(obviously with dime removed), Nox gives nowhere the depth of airtest.
Ground balance using gold modes comes in at 33 and 34depwnding on mode.
I got curious place shot on top of sterile tall cardboard box, then I saw disc the wise close to what I had seen when earlier airtesting.
So, I grab Deus and Hf at 28khz and GB over steps, 77 pops in window. Bobbing coil I get 5dots in window,
So seems the mineral in the steps deemed medium mineralizarion is indeed working on the Nox being able to detect at coil height vs

A couple pics here.

The pic above there is actually a clad dime in behind the nickel. You’ll have to take my word for it. And the dime is resting on the step, meaning nickel height greater than dime.
Next pic is where I push the boards together before I test.


USing multifreq park and field modes ID presented is 13/14 on sweeps.
Using 5khz single freq I get 24/25 on sweeps, with higher coil height 24 the predominate ID given.
Clad dime swept solo in pic with 5 khz reads 26.
What about the mighty Etrac wearing 6”coil, deep off fast on?
A good signal with 30-31 for conductive number on sweeps.

Another pic. Replace nickel with pull ring. Dime is in behind ring grounded. Will push the boards together and sweep.


Using multi freqs all Park and field modes I get a 14/15ID in the meter.
Using 5 kHz I get 21/22 ID with close sweeps near and even at coil height.
Mighty Etrac gives a hard 25 hard conductive number on sweeps.

Some other combos tested on edge and grounded.
Quarter and nickel.
Etrac not fooled here, gives 48 conductive.
Nox not fooled either using multi freq or 5 kHz.

Quarter sandwiches beteween 2 nickels.
Etrac gives dime ID.

Nox gives dime ID 25/26 using park 2 multi (only one I checked) and 5khz gives quarter ID of 30.

Folks can run their Noxes anyway they desire.

Here’s some good info though I think.
Might limit one’s diggin and put them on gold ring. A good ring they may otherwise walk right by.
See this pic.


Now most folks when they think gold whatever they think higher freqs. It is true higher freqs hit gold better generally, but is also hits other junk, namely foil.

That’s a ladies 10k ring pictured on that foil younsee. Foil is fairly sizeable too.

You hit that scenario with multifreq, oh it hits it alright with ID of 3/4.
I tried park 2 only.
What about 5 kHz?
It hits the scenario and gives a 6 or 7 ID. Closer to actual ID of ring solo 9/10 when swept.
I even went to 5 tones and set my bin to break at 6.
5 and below I sweep I set to no tone and get great high tone.
Use of 10khz here seems to work well here, but in the wild it may put you on some bigger foil odds wise bs 5khz. But you may get more depth with

Another pic.


That ball of foil you see, is a balled up 12” by 12” piece of Reynolds foil. Balled up sorta tight, or overly compressed.

The ring in pic a 10k ladies ring.

Comparing the signals on the foil vs the ring.
Park 2multi and 5khz used.
5khz here no help.
Ring and foil sound good.
Multi freq, this is where the action is.
Key is speed up detector.
When you speed up detector foil ID ranges jumps 3-4 numbers on sweeps.
The ring is a lock at 10.
Younslow the Nox down, both ID very similarly as far as ID jumping goes, meaning both don’t jump much at all.
Speed 7,and especially speed 8 shines here. Speeds 5 and 6 no nos.

Another pic.

This piece of foil a 6” by 6” balled up piece.
Using park 2 multi and comparing to the small 10k ring.
What stands out?
Using 50 tones ring is more monotone sounding. Foils has more notes in the music played. Like a half note on both sides of the main note.
Speed 6 used to listen.
Slow sweep key here to hear better.



Edited 27 time(s). Last edit at 08/05/2018 11:59PM by tnsharpshooter.