My Equinox 800 Take (Tests and Commentary)

[tnsharpshooter]

You might see where tin foil comes in, it may be around 3-5? The test i saw on youtube i was surprised that the 800 failed. When he went low on the iron the machine did start to tone a small amount with id very jumpy with it bouncing in the 12-17 range i think. But again was stock coil. Problem is besides my ctx my other machines do not have a 11 inch round stock coil. I may repeat his test with the v3i and the ultimate coil and see what happens. Keep posting i am reading everything you post and others posts on their tests as well, all info is good info!

Well, I don't know how the gent has his detector set up.

Can also say, Impact has 7x11" coil, Deus with round 11" coil.
Doing bobbly traps with nails. Deus wins and has bigger diameter coil. But in bigger iron , impact could win.

Just like fisher f75 with 7x11" coil compapred to Deus 11" coil, bobbly trapped nails coins, Deus wins , and wins even bigger with 9" LF coil.

Multi freq on Equinox, Minelab has done some thing special wilth iron rejection or iron mitigating,,whatever it's really called. Iron bias setting is a big driver here with Equinox performance.

For a one coil detector setup, Equinox might just be top dog right now. For depth, separation, unmasking, higher mineralization soil, salt water, ID accuracy of buried targets- all these across the whole conductive spectrum.
This may have been Minelab's mission and goal.

So yes Equinox not an end all, just maybe good jack of all trades detector.
And a lot of folks can't afford multiple detectors.

 

[Trashfinder]

Also if the coils are 395 like my ctx it will kill the machine for me, personally i am hoping for them to be like the safari, etrac, price range. Not really trying to be negative at all in any way, but honestly so far at least i am seeing nothing from peeps or youtube that is coming close to the hype and hopes i had for it. But it is still early in the game right now.

 

[JackalopeZL1]

It is too early to really tell though. I have the 800 already and you just can't get a good enough feel for it yet in person let alone watching a couple videos with folks who don't know how to run them yet. Give it time

 

[go-rebels]

Buster, you have a seasoned test garden with some deep coin targets, correct? I’d like your opinion on how it runs there.

Do you have a CTX, Etrac or Explorer for comparison?

 

[Trashfinder]

Honestly my deus with 9 in coil doesn't hold a candle to my impact with 7x4.5 coil. Only machine that will beat my impact in iron is the mojave with precision coil, but i do like ID and the mojave in my soil is only good to about 7.5 inches and gets iffy after that. So i mostly hunt with impact and sometimes the ctx with 6 inch coil as it is ok but is behind the v3i , impact and mojave in that order. I have posted that i will not buy another deus until there is a 7 in or smaller coil so it can compete and so far i have seen no indication that is going to happen. Now all this information is where i hunt in my soil, results could be different is someone elses sites and dirt. But time will tell when smaller coils are available for the Nox, but as for right now unless i start to see something different, the Nox with stock coil would give me no advantage for my sites.

 

[Trashfinder]

It is too early to really tell though. I have the 800 already and you just can't get a good enough feel for it yet in person let alone watching a couple videos with folks who don't know how to run them yet. Give it time

Please post any thoughts or experiences you have with yours too i am looking at everything from everyone i can get info right now till i come up with one dealer i still have on order with.

 

[tnsharpshooter]

Buster, you have a seasoned test garden with some deep coin targets, correct? I’d like your opinion on how it runs there.

Do you have a CTX, Etrac or Explorer for comparison?

I have XS explorer. My coin garden not old enough to suit me. I do need to do some freshly buried test though with Equinox..plowed/tilled performance good or bad could be exposed here.

I will try to go my 25 years old buried zinc washers site. And play with ?Equinox and Deus and Impact.
I have got some great Intel out of this site with Deus LF and HF coils before.
Need to find some deeper and play with Equinox settings. See if I can find a few and see if settings changes are parallel with their effects.

I usually like to get accustomed to a detector somewhat before I go.

 

[JackalopeZL1]

Please post any thoughts or experiences you have with yours too i am looking at everything from everyone i can get info right now till i come up with one dealer i still have on order with.

I have 20 minutes on mine

Initial thoughts on performance?

In my horribly hot soil test garden(silver dimes and quarters) it doesn't appear to have a depth advantage to my HF 9" deus. That is probably the biggest thing I was wishing for as well as depth ID. Beyond that I don't have to many performance impressions other than that. I need to get it out and do some hunting with it. Way to early.

Ergo wise I don't like the handle, It is not good IMO for a guy with big hands. Your hand quickly is rubbing on the bottom of the screen section with its sharp lines. I will have to smooth out and maybe put a little thin foam tape on bottom of screen.

Screen is great

Headphones are small, if you have Big ears you may get some hot spots, Time will tell but I can tell in 20 minutes they are too tight for my ears. But sound is great and clean sound(no static or anything)

Weight/balance
Light as expected and forward weight bias a little more than a 11" deus

Aside from that I will admit I found a 67 penny last night in my yard I am sure I went over 100 times. It was 1 inch to the side and 2 inches lower than a square tab. I got the signal perfectly in all directions and all my others including the deus I never heard that high tone. I can't imagine I just missed it all these years.

 

[Trashfinder]

I have 20 minutes on mine

Initial thoughts on performance?

In my horribly hot soil test garden(silver dimes and quarters) it doesn't appear to have a depth advantage to my HF 9" deus. That is probably the biggest thing I was wishing for as well as depth ID. Beyond that I don't have to many performance impressions other than that. I need to get it out and do some hunting with it. Way to early.

Ergo wise I don't like the handle, It is not good IMO for a guy with big hands. Your hand quickly is rubbing on the bottom of the screen section with its sharp lines. I will have to smooth out and maybe put a little thin foam tape on bottom of screen.

Screen is great

Headphones are small, if you have Big ears you may get some hot spots, Time will tell but I can tell in 20 minutes they are too tight for my ears. But sound is great and clean sound(no static or anything)

Weight/balance
Light as expected and forward weight bias a little more than a 11" deus

Aside from that I will admit I found a 67 penny last night in my yard I am sure I went over 100 times. It was 1 inch to the side and 2 inches lower than a square tab. I got the signal perfectly in all directions and all my others including the deus I never heard that high tone. I can't imagine I just missed it all these years.

That is good info! Really i think to beat a Deus on depth is hard, with iron just nearby my target, my deus with 9 inch coil was king. Where deus failed me was when the iron was right next to target or above. I was hoping the Nox screen was easier to see than my etrac and ctx, in sunlight conditions. Either the Nox picked up the penny where others could not or you just came in from the exact angle that would allow it to be found?

 

[JackalopeZL1]

That is good info! Really i think to beat a Deus on depth is hard, with iron just nearby my target, my deus with 9 inch coil was king. Where deus failed me was when the iron was right next to target or above. I was hoping the Nox screen was easier to see than my etrac and ctx, in sunlight conditions. Either the Nox picked up the penny where others could not or you just came in from the exact angle that would allow it to be found?

There might be something with this machine, Just so early to tell right now. But that penny came in clear all the way around, There was no missing it.

 

[Oldsjunkie]

There might be something with this machine, Just so early to tell right now. But that penny came in clear all the way around, There was no missing it.[/SIZE]

This is the most interesting thing I've heard yet on this machine...I'm not messing around either.

 

[Trashfinder]

I saw a post by Richard a dealer , he said where he believes the Equinox will really shine is with the 6 inch coil, i guess he did some tests and he probably hunts a lot of spots like i do. This is very encouraging!

 

[tnsharpshooter]

I saw a post by Richard a dealer , he said where he believes the Equinox will really shine is with the 6 inch coil, i guess he did some tests and he probably hunts a lot of spots like i do. This is very encouraging!

If performance carries over to 6" coil like I have witnessed with 11" coil, oh boy!!!

 

[SavingThePast]

If performance carries over to 6" coil like I have witnessed with 11" coil, oh boy!!!

just stop it already!!! my tracking shows mine will be here tomorrow and youre killing me tnss

 

[tnsharpshooter]

just stop it already!!! my tracking shows mine will be here tomorrow and youre killing me tnss

Lol
I'll watch to see what you think, maybe I'm off base.

 

[tnsharpshooter]

Another head to head using Deus and Equinox.
This pic, pay close attention, a nail is stuck down in roll of tape, ruler in scale to show how far nickel is away from nail.

Now most of the time folks seem to use nails laying on their sides.
This test here I did is a bit unusual.
Let me explain.

My goal was to use Equinox multi drew selected, at level 6 speed setting using park 2 iron bias at 0, to see how close I could get the nickel sweeping from both directions left to right, right to left when looking at pic, but NOT a sweep, rather just hovering or maybe better stated just barely rocking coil over nickel (above top of nail) and get a good signal.
The pic above is such scenario with Equinox with stated settings above.
Didn't check other single freq ops using Equinox.

What about Deus using 11" LF coil?
No cigar.
Nothing tonally to dig (nonferrous) sounding when using coil in the same fashion as Equinox. Oh the Deus seems like it sees the nickel, by tonally it can't unravel itself from the nail. I tried quite a few settings to get to pass. Still no cigar.

Remember I am big Deus fan.
But what I see is what I report.

And notice I set the booby trap up using Equinox and not Deus.
Wonder why?

For gee whiz, Deus using 9" HF coil does pass test above and with even a sweep, using 28.8khz reactivity 3 silencer -1. All I tried settings wise.

 

[tnsharpshooter]

Another head to head test.
This pic here, look closely towards end of little screwdriver looking magnet. At the end of it lays a #9 shot pellet out of the cartridge in pic.

Equinox hits this small item well, even going out to 1-1.25" coil height (air test).
Using settings park 2 Mulit freq, sweep setting 6, 0 iron bias.
I did notice though reducing speed setting seemed to make perfoemance worse (distance wise).

What about Deus using 11" LF coil?
Deus could hear, have to be real close coil though, tonal signature not as evident nonferrous exist vs Equinox.

Equinox is clear winner here with this test.
Forgot to say.Sensitivty setting used on Equinox 23.
Sensitivity setting used with Deus 93.

 

[tnsharpshooter]

Here
I was yesterday.
The mighty Nox is in the middle.
Poor quality pic, I apologize.

Notice the big elm tree in background.
This tree and myself have got to know each other in last 6 years.
A great place to try out any detector to help with evaluating.
Site is old town site late 1700s, early 1800 s.

 

[DigDeepNow]

Here
I was yesterday.
The mighty Nox is in the middle.
Poor quality pic, I apologize.

Notice the big elm tree in background.
This tree and myself have got to know each other in last 6 years.
A great place to try out any detector to help with evaluating.
Site is old town site late 1700s, early 1800 s.

Looks like a great place to detect!!

 

[tnsharpshooter]

Civil War relics target ID pic of some soon.
Stand by.

Maybe a few coin ID too.
Some folks already among charts with coin TID.
Will link one here.