Questions for Equinox users

[metaladdict]

Glad I can't/won't afford a Xp deus, too complex for me.
Forgot to add the Equinox is pretty easy to figure out the operation but not as easy as At pro.

 

[Cherry Picker]

I would say it depends on the soil I guess because my experiece was nothing like some of the others. I used the AT Pro for 4 years and still couldn't tell a copper penny from a clad dine. It has like what, 20-30 target ID segments? That means less target resolution. Or basically the same numbers cover a much wider area of possible targets.

With the 800 I can easily tell a zinc from a copper from dime, and the numbers list above are right on what I get.

Most pennies will hit 20/21 for zinc and 22/23 for copper. Sometimes they will hit 24. A dime will hit 24/25 consistently. For dimes I look for the 24/25 numbers.

Isn't one of the main selling points of the Multi-IQ about a more accurate target ID at great depth? I sense some bias here.

 

[metaladdict]

I would say it depends on the soil I guess because my experiece was nothing like some of the others. I used the AT Pro for 4 years and still couldn't tell a copper penny from a clad dine. It has like what, 20-30 target ID segments? That means less target resolution. Or basically the same numbers cover a much wider area of possible targets.

With the 800 I can easily tell a zinc from a copper from dime, and the numbers list above are right on what I get.

Isn't one of the main selling points of the Multi-IQ about a more accurate target ID at great depth? I sense some bias here.

Bias? What gives you that idea? yeah I think it id's coins well. Some people just don't jell with some detectors.

 

[Saoirse]

The Equinox is a bit like a skittish colt, can get frisky and jump around a bit but with a little time and patience you'll eventually get a harness on it.

 

[ohiochris]

 

[ohiochris]

Bias? What gives you that idea? yeah I think it id's coins well. Some people just don't jell with some detectors.

Mine ID's coins " ok ".....its acceptable. But they seem more susceptible to random variables that can throw it off a bit than any others I have used. But considering how sensitive the outer edges of the coil are its to be expected I guess.

 

[Cherry Picker]

Again I guess its the soil. I actually use the target ID varying to tell junk for good target. I hunt in [MULTI] If it's jumpy and not real deep I walk on by. If its jumpy and deep I switch to 10 kHz and if the number goes up I walk on. If the number remains the same or goes lower I recover.

In my soil a copper penny reads 22-23 no matter what unless pretty deep.

 

[Chris R]

I would never pass a penny or zinc signal the places I hunt. Found way to many great finds digging penny signals with all different machines. You will eventually be surprised with an amazing find if you keep digging penny signals.

Sent from my LG-M154 using Tapatalk

 

[halfstep]

Just as many here say the ID is jumpy and inconsistent on the equinox as say it's good.The ones who say the equinox has bad visual ID don't own it any longer from what I'm seeing.The ones that say it has good visual ID still own the equinox..no experts on this thread.. Original poster,I'd say you'll get a more honest opinion by flipping a coin..

Woodbutcher, the equinox ID is highly accurate. But since the equinox is also a high gain detector, it is very sensitive as well. The key to getting a stable ID is to locate the target and wiggle over the top of it. The ID numbers will be very stable. Since the equinox sees in high resolution using a wider swing, it will read everything in the ground around the target. So with a wide swing, the ID will jump around as it ID's everything.

The accuracy of the equinox with the fast processing is why guys are unmasking targets in heavily trashed up sites. As you are swinging the coil and see a good number pop up on the screen and hear the tone, go back and investigate. You will see that there is a good target there. Isolate the target with the pin point and then do a wiggle over the target and the ID will steady up nicely. You just confuse the jumpy ID as inconsistency, but it's the opposite, it is jumpy because it is accurate.

I can tell the difference between a clad penny, a copper penny and a dime. It isn't difficult once you learn to understand and properly use the equinox. It is a different detector and takes a little time and some adjustments to get to know it.

 

[woodbutcher]

Woodbutcher, the equinox ID is highly accurate. But since the equinox is also a high gain detector, it is very sensitive as well. The key to getting a stable ID is to locate the target and wiggle over the top of it. The ID numbers will be very stable. Since the equinox sees in high resolution using a wider swing, it will read everything in the ground around the target. So with a wide swing, the ID will jump around as it ID's everything.

The accuracy of the equinox with the fast processing is why guys are unmasking targets in heavily trashed up sites. As you are swinging the coil and see a good number pop up on the screen and hear the tone, go back and investigate. You will see that there is a good target there. Isolate the target with the pin point and then do a wiggle over the target and the ID will steady up nicely. You just confuse the jumpy ID as inconsistency, but it's the opposite, it is jumpy because it is accurate.

I can tell the difference between a clad penny, a copper penny and a dime. It isn't difficult once you learn to understand and properly use the equinox. It is a different detector and takes a little time and some adjustments to get to know it.

The equinox is a hypersensitive machine,meaning it reads everything pretty much,it’s fast.Ive ran a lot of hypersensitive machines,difference is they had a 100 point ID scale.So when it jumped around in the 80s,it was either a dime or quarter,,jumped around in the 70s it was a zinc or copper penny..
The nox jumps around quite a bit,and the coins are so close together in the ID scale,that’s why I call it lumped together.When a Indian reads 19,20,,and a zinc reads 23 24,And a dime reads 25 26,,well,,when those numbers start jumping they smear together and it’s pot luck to me what’s under the ground.
If it were just me saying it I’d agree with you.But any thread I go to on the nox multiple people are saying what I described,the ID gets smeared,and it’s inconsistent as Ohiochris put it.
I’m not at all putting the nox down ,but it is what it is from my use of the machine,and from what others experienced also..I will say if the nox says it’s a coin,it’s a coin.Its light,swings ok for being a little nose heavy,,it is a nice machine.But to me it does not ID as good as others in its price range.Ive done the wiggle,been running Minelabs since the explorers came out,always did the wiggle.
Here’s the kicker.I have nothing in it,other than giving my personal experiences with the equinox.And the only downside I can say about it is it does not ID as good as other machines.Not a big deal,really.Im not bashing it,just stating my in field use of the machine.
Some guys are out of control with this whole equinox deal,not you Halfstep,,but some members are just one hot mess if I say somthing slightly negative about it.But hey,it’s just my opinion,not a fact.

 

[Steve77]

Hey I'm the king of cherry picking LOL. Having COPD if I bend over to recover a target it's got to be worth it. For that reason accurate target ID has become my number 1 important feature. Most good detectors can get the same depth with experience, but not all detectors share the same ability when it comes to accurate target ID.

I used the ATP for years and WAS my favorite choice until I got a Deus. Pretty close on ability but the Deus was simply a dream to swing. And for me and my COPD that was a game changer. Now I use the Equinox 800. Just about a light as the Deus and the performance of combing the E-Trac with the Deus. Target ID, in my opinion, is as good as it gets.

Yes, I can tell a zinc from a copper from a dime.

I own both detectors and like em both. The At pro for me has very good id info, Mainly audio then vdi. With it I know a zinc from a copper penny and a dime most of the time.
My Equinox I run in 5 tones so its easier for me than 50 tones.
Idk about the Eq 600 but if you learn it I bet you will get deeper coins and more coins from unmasking than the Atpro.
I still am learning the Equinox but so far it was worth buying for me because I wanted a high end detector and I finally got one I like. I used to own a F70 which I didn't give much of a chance to learn, It was a good unmasker.

I think 5 tones might be a good choice for me. I was a bit concerned about being overwhelmed by too many tones. I don’t mind a lt of noise, I run my ATP full sensitivity no discrimination and pro zero. So I am accustomed to getting lots of audio data. I was just thinking 50 tones was ridiculous.

It seems like minelab would have been able to make the vdi better with modern processor speed and having half the amount of vdi numbers.

 

[Steve77]

Again I guess its the soil. I actually use the target ID varying to tell junk for good target. I hunt in [MULTI] If it's jumpy and not real deep I walk on by. If its jumpy and deep I switch to 10 kHz and if the number goes up I walk on. If the number remains the same or goes lower I recover.

In my soil a copper penny reads 22-23 no matter what unless pretty deep.

Thanks, this info sounds pretty helpful!

 

[Steve77]

I would never pass a penny or zinc signal the places I hunt. Found way to many great finds digging penny signals with all different machines. You will eventually be surprised with an amazing find if you keep digging penny signals.

Sent from my LG-M154 using Tapatalk

I never pass penny signals. But I do like knowing what I’m digging. I think it is helpful building confidence when you are 95% positive what you are digging. It makes it easier to decide on the iffy targets. But I usually decide iffy targets baded on sound not vdi.

 

[Steve77]

The equinox is a hypersensitive machine,meaning it reads everything pretty much,it’s fast.Ive ran a lot of hypersensitive machines,difference is they had a 100 point ID scale.So when it jumped around in the 80s,it was either a dime or quarter,,jumped around in the 70s it was a zinc or copper penny..
The nox jumps around quite a bit,and the coins are so close together in the ID scale,that’s why I call it lumped together.When a Indian reads 19,20,,and a zinc reads 23 24,And a dime reads 25 26,,well,,when those numbers start jumping they smear together and it’s pot luck to me what’s under the ground.
If it were just me saying it I’d agree with you.But any thread I go to on the nox multiple people are saying what I described,the ID gets smeared,and it’s inconsistent as Ohiochris put it.
I’m not at all putting the nox down ,but it is what it is from my use of the machine,and from what others experienced also..I will say if the nox says it’s a coin,it’s a coin.Its light,swings ok for being a little nose heavy,,it is a nice machine.But to me it does not ID as good as others in its price range.Ive done the wiggle,been running Minelabs since the explorers came out,always did the wiggle.
Here’s the kicker.I have nothing in it,other than giving my personal experiences with the equinox.And the only downside I can say about it is it does not ID as good as other machines.Not a big deal,really.Im not bashing it,just stating my in field use of the machine.
Some guys are out of control with this whole equinox deal,not you Halfstep,,but some members are just one hot mess if I say somthing slightly negative about it.But hey,it’s just my opinion,not a fact.

I definitely see that there are fanboys and haters for the Nox. That is partially why I started this thread. It seems people love it or hate it. I just want to have reasonable expectations. For me, $600 is a huge investment. I am not expecting a do it all machine with perfect vid on dimes 12 inches deep. But I also don’t want to feel like I was duped.

 

[Dubious]

I have the 600 and like it. But is has nowhere near the ID accuracy of my Etrac. While I'm getting better interpreting the info the Nox gives, I would agree with those who say the VID gives more of a range than anything else. The Nox has other strengths.

 

[tnsharpshooter]

I have the 600 and like it. But is has nowhere near the ID accuracy of my Etrac. While I'm getting better interpreting the info the Nox gives, I would agree with those who say the VID gives more of a range than anything else. The Nox has other strengths.

Well,
I think folks are somewhat misinformed.
If you have Etrac and Equinox.
Compare nickel ID using each with nail near.
See which one yields the more accurate ID.

Then try a clad dime.
And see if you notice anything different- with Etrac.

Based on my testing, there are nickels that can be detected (IDed with Nox) that an Etrac user (based on ID) won't know exist. Both detectors wearing stock coils.

Watch how iron skews Etrac id on lower conductors vs Nox (ID.wise)
Monster difference.
Higher conductors difference far less.

Person can compare CTX too and see if it does what Etrac does.

I think this is one of the reasons Nox is sniffing out nickels in already fbs hunted sites.

Etrac user is thinking tab or pull ring. When in fact it a nickel signal being skewed by ferrous.
When I tested ID inn etrac's window conductive number 15,16,17, 18,19 and 20 depending on setup. And this with multiple swings and allowing for Etrac to give ID of scenario. Sure I could hear the nickel many times (tone) but couldn't tell a nickel existed.
And believe it or not, my 6" excelerstor coil on Etrac, same thing happens as with stock coil. Nox seems is superior here with nickel mixed with ferrous vs Etrac even with 6" coil in most instances when I tested.

 

[graybeard]

I would say it depends on the soil I guess because my experiece was nothing like some of the others. I used the AT Pro for 4 years and still couldn't tell a copper penny from a clad dine. It has like what, 20-30 target ID segments? That means less target resolution. Or basically the same numbers cover a much wider area of possible targets.

With the 800 I can easily tell a zinc from a copper from dime, and the numbers list above are right on what I get.

Isn't one of the main selling points of the Multi-IQ about a more accurate target ID at great depth? I sense some bias here.

Are you saying the AT PRO only has 20 or 30 ID numbers? It has 99.
The Equinox has 40 ID numbers, so who is crunching ID's together?

 

[ohiochris]

Are you saying the AT PRO only has 20 or 30 ID numbers? It has 99.
The Equinox has 40 ID numbers, so who is crunching ID's together?

Thats a fair observation and question. But it depends on the actual numbers and what they represent. AT pro....1 to 40 is usually iron/foil. Equinox 1 to 9 usually iron/foil. This is the range often ignored by many anyway. Thats 40 ( or nearly ) points on the AT pro scale ( give or take ) that are all but useless compared to 10 points ( or nearly ) on the equinox. Just sayin things are not always what they seem.

 

[Dubious]

Well,
I think folks are somewhat misinformed.
If you have Etrac and Equinox.
Compare nickel ID using each with nail near.
See which one yields the more accurate ID.

Then try a clad dime.
And see if you notice anything different- with Etrac.

Based on my testing, there are nickels that can be detected (IDed with Nox) that an Etrac user (based on ID) won't know exist. Both detectors wearing stock coils.

Watch how iron skews Etrac id on lower conductors vs Nox (ID.wise)
Monster difference.
Higher conductors difference far less.

Person can compare CTX too and see if it does what Etrac does.

I think this is one of the reasons Nox is sniffing out nickels in already fbs hunted sites.

Etrac user is thinking tab or pull ring. When in fact it a nickel signal being skewed by ferrous.
When I tested ID inn etrac's window conductive number 15,16,17, 18,19 and 20 depending on setup. And this with multiple swings and allowing for Etrac to give ID of scenario. Sure I could hear the nickel many times (tone) but couldn't tell a nickel existed.
And believe it or not, my 6" excelerstor coil on Etrac, same thing happens as with stock coil. Nox seems is superior here with nickel mixed with ferrous vs Etrac even with 6" coil in most instances when I tested.

I know some have been having great success finding nickels with the Nox. Not I. Just about every time I dig one of those 13's, it is a pull tab. But, I am getting better at it.

Like a lot of coin hunters, my focus hasn't been on nickels, so most of what I say has to do more with the higher conductors. But, I probably should pay more attention to nickels, as it seems there may be more older nickels around than older other coins, partly for the reasons you mention.

 

[graybeard]

Thats a fair observation and question. But it depends on the actual numbers and what they represent. AT pro....1 to 40 is usually iron/foil. Equinox 1 to 9 usually iron/foil. This is the range often ignored by many anyway. Thats 40 ( or nearly ) points on the AT pro scale ( give or take ) that are all but useless compared to 10 points ( or nearly ) on the equinox. Just sayin things are not always what they seem.

OK for your sake lets drop 40 numbers for iron and foil, then we'll drop number 99 for big iron, using math... that still leaves 58 numbers....right?

Drop 10 numbers for iron and foil on the Equinox, that leaves 30 numbers.