ToySoldier
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Over and over I see and hear people say the Equinox has "half as many segments" or is "compressed in half" compared to a Garrett AT series detector or other 1-99 segment machine. It's not that simple just because the number of segments on an Equinox is 50 instead of 99.
What they're overlooking is the fact that the Nox's range is "compressed" in a non-linear way. The 50 segment scale dedicates different amounts of segments to different ranges of conductivity.
LOW CONDUCTORS
The Nox captures the ferrous range in 10 segments whereas a 1-99 machine like the AT Pro uses 4 times as many. I scanned a balled up foil gum wrapper and got a 1 on the Nox. A 1 is 11 segments from the bottom of the scale (-9). If the Nox is 1 segment for every 2 segments compared to the AT Pro, then the AT Pro should read that same ball of foil at 22, right? Nope. It reads it at 39-40!
What's going on here? Relative to the AT series, the Nox has a 1 for 4 "compression" in the iron range. Do you need 40 segments for iron and low foil? I don't. 10 works for me. Maybe some relic hunters need more accuracy.
That leaves 60 segments for non-ferrous on the AT Pro and 40 on the Nox. If the compression was linear within non-ferrous, then that means 1 segment on the Nox for every 1.5 on the AT Pro. Or, 2 for every 3. But, it still isn't that simple.
LOW-MEDIUM CONDUCTORS
How many segments are there between our foil gum wrapper and a regular Jefferson nickel? The AT Pro has around 11 to 13. (52-40=12). Nickels also hit at 11 to 12 segments above that piece of foil on the Nox. (13-1=12) Both machines have about the same number of segments in the conductivity range between foil and nickels.
MEDIUM-HIGH CONDUCTORS
There are approximately 23 segments between a nickel and a fresh zinc penny on the AT Pro. (75-52=23) On the Nox there are only about 8 segments between them. (20-12=8) That's nearly 3 segments on the AT Pro for every 1 on the Nox for items with conductivity between nickels and zinc pennies.
HIGH CONDUCTORS
How many between the zinc penny and a silver quarter? AT Pro = about 13 (88-75=13) Nox = about 12 (32-20) We're back to about the same number of segments for targets with conductivity from zinc pennies to silver quarters.
VERY HIGH CONDUCTORS
When you go above silver quarters the number of segments "compresses" a bit again. 11 segments on the AT Pro (above 88) and 8 on the Nox (above 32).
IMPLICATIONS
Apparently, Minelab thinks there's reason to have more segments (more accuracy) in the foil to nickel range and the copper to silver range, while the range for iron and the range between nickel and zinc are treated as needing less accuracy or detail. The AT Pro and similar detectors have the potential to show a solid 61 compared to a solid 62 or even 63, while the Nox might report all three as a single number. That could matter more to some hunters more than others. But, is it a practical problem? I could buy the argument that the common targets (good and bad) in that range of conductivity are usually irregularly shaped and don't have consistent or unique VDIs anyway. Most people are either going to dig in that range or not using info other than the VDI such as tone, size, depth, location, etc...
IN CONCLUSION
People can disagree over whether Minelab gave a sufficient number of segments where they need them the most. That includes differences in coins by country, time periods, tokens and relics.
What nobody can accurately say is that the scale of a Nox is simply half that of 99 segment machines. Plus, look at what one can do with those 50 segments (40 non-ferrous segments) on a Nox. Up to 50 tones and the option to notch out individual segments rather than only fixed groups of segments. The Nox 800 allows custom pitch and volume of specific segments or groups of segments.
What they're overlooking is the fact that the Nox's range is "compressed" in a non-linear way. The 50 segment scale dedicates different amounts of segments to different ranges of conductivity.
LOW CONDUCTORS
The Nox captures the ferrous range in 10 segments whereas a 1-99 machine like the AT Pro uses 4 times as many. I scanned a balled up foil gum wrapper and got a 1 on the Nox. A 1 is 11 segments from the bottom of the scale (-9). If the Nox is 1 segment for every 2 segments compared to the AT Pro, then the AT Pro should read that same ball of foil at 22, right? Nope. It reads it at 39-40!
What's going on here? Relative to the AT series, the Nox has a 1 for 4 "compression" in the iron range. Do you need 40 segments for iron and low foil? I don't. 10 works for me. Maybe some relic hunters need more accuracy.
That leaves 60 segments for non-ferrous on the AT Pro and 40 on the Nox. If the compression was linear within non-ferrous, then that means 1 segment on the Nox for every 1.5 on the AT Pro. Or, 2 for every 3. But, it still isn't that simple.
LOW-MEDIUM CONDUCTORS
How many segments are there between our foil gum wrapper and a regular Jefferson nickel? The AT Pro has around 11 to 13. (52-40=12). Nickels also hit at 11 to 12 segments above that piece of foil on the Nox. (13-1=12) Both machines have about the same number of segments in the conductivity range between foil and nickels.
MEDIUM-HIGH CONDUCTORS
There are approximately 23 segments between a nickel and a fresh zinc penny on the AT Pro. (75-52=23) On the Nox there are only about 8 segments between them. (20-12=8) That's nearly 3 segments on the AT Pro for every 1 on the Nox for items with conductivity between nickels and zinc pennies.
HIGH CONDUCTORS
How many between the zinc penny and a silver quarter? AT Pro = about 13 (88-75=13) Nox = about 12 (32-20) We're back to about the same number of segments for targets with conductivity from zinc pennies to silver quarters.
VERY HIGH CONDUCTORS
When you go above silver quarters the number of segments "compresses" a bit again. 11 segments on the AT Pro (above 88) and 8 on the Nox (above 32).
IMPLICATIONS
Apparently, Minelab thinks there's reason to have more segments (more accuracy) in the foil to nickel range and the copper to silver range, while the range for iron and the range between nickel and zinc are treated as needing less accuracy or detail. The AT Pro and similar detectors have the potential to show a solid 61 compared to a solid 62 or even 63, while the Nox might report all three as a single number. That could matter more to some hunters more than others. But, is it a practical problem? I could buy the argument that the common targets (good and bad) in that range of conductivity are usually irregularly shaped and don't have consistent or unique VDIs anyway. Most people are either going to dig in that range or not using info other than the VDI such as tone, size, depth, location, etc...
IN CONCLUSION
People can disagree over whether Minelab gave a sufficient number of segments where they need them the most. That includes differences in coins by country, time periods, tokens and relics.
What nobody can accurately say is that the scale of a Nox is simply half that of 99 segment machines. Plus, look at what one can do with those 50 segments (40 non-ferrous segments) on a Nox. Up to 50 tones and the option to notch out individual segments rather than only fixed groups of segments. The Nox 800 allows custom pitch and volume of specific segments or groups of segments.
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