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My Equinox 800 Take (Tests and Commentary)

One test with pic.
Old nail with a 2015 model penny.
Down the barrel sweep.
Park 2
Speed setting 5 iron bias 0.
Check using all freqs/multi freq.

5khz notta
10khz notta
15khz tone noted as coil trailed off nail where coin is nearer.
20khz similar to 15khz albeit slightly better, detector trying to give something audio wise coming from the right side.
40khz a little better progressively than 20khz, again sweep from right to left, detector is trying its best to tell me some thing is there,
Multi freq- bingo, get some thing I would investigate sweeping from both directions.

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Different setup, same nail clad dime.
This dime not in the most challenged position for Equinox to detect, but even the position it is in, take note of multifreq performance.
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Same settings as noted with pic above of zincoln penny and nail.
Down the nail barrel sweep.
5khz I get trailing tone
10khz Imget training tone
15khz I get trailing tone, tone is coming in sooner vs lower freqs though,
20khz I get similar to 15khz, trailng tone is reporting sooner. Something tonally albeit (rubbish) trying to report when coming from right side sweep.
40 kHz I get similar to to 20khz, again I get audio considered better than 20kh coming from right side.
Multi freq= bingo, good signal,from both directions.

One more scenario, gotta take to site next.
Park 2 speed 5, 0 iron bias.
Nail perched above off to side of US nickel (2" wide roll of tape ) non war nickel.
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Check using all freqs.
Multi freq again clear winner by a mile!
Equinox using multifreq even ID nickel properly.
Could use some coil height too above and obtain very good signal.

Very interesting.
Thanks!
 
I have done some comparisons with Deus. In time will give give more details as far as what I saw. I haven't run all I plan on yet, by a long shot.

Can already say, if someone pulls up with Equinox 800 with stock coil, and hunts with you, and you don't think it can hunt in iron or find smaller stuff (for such a big coil) -Brace yourself !!

Alright more feedback.
I went to the most rotten place I know. Didn't expect to find anything, but just had to listen to Nox in super heavy iron. Different than a Deus as far as reporting. Minelab made a wise move putting the hot AM button on control head. Kudos to them. I did hunt in AM and disc park 2 and field 2 just trying to get s feel for detector.

You likely won't get any big readings ID wise on big iron or even deep iron- I didn't. I am talking about >18.
Running AM a user is going to hear a drum roll when Equinox is trying to lock on the bigger iron (some of it). Could this drum roll lie to a user? Can't say yet. It's there though to listen to.
Pushing pinpoint button when you get drum roll tone, sounds like a cannon ball buried. Lol
Using disc drum roll not as apparent,

Iron bias setting.
I ran Equinox at speeds 5 and 6 today.
Whenever Imwould get w patch of high toning, Imwould experiment with iron bias.
My hunting was done with iron bias at 0.
Seems to me when adjusting upwards, it neuters the high tone falsing. Even a level 3 seems to really mitigate the falsing. But remember, raising iron bias could have negative effects as far as locating a target. Those folks trying to be all they can be may elect to turn Equinox loose in polluted sites with iron basis at 0 setting,

Still a very quiet and stable detector(emi wise ). I noticed sensitivty levels in this polluted site, if I went above 22, detector acted hotter (more aggressive sounding on iron tonally).

Need to say, I used Garrett Propointer with no ill effects.

Found this find, in a spot where old house was, this spot was near front porch. I have killed this are with Etrac stock, and smaller coils, CTX stock and 6" coil. For some reason I never found this in pic.
2wlvlvq.jpg


Now this item I Detected in park 2 using disc. Sensitivity 23.
A pretty good signal with meter reading 14. Pivoting on target seemed target was more compromised.
Taking out dirt, and nail (one), I Duf 7" down and thought I Had been fooled, swept hole with detector and it was solid 13 on the meter.
Looked to be another 1.5" down to target as far total depth being 8.5" deep.
Airtest showed IS of 13 rock solid.

Every single nonferrous target I dug today at least one nail sometimes more extracted with recovery. Nails were quite a distance above nonferous target depth plane too.
This find above.
I am only speculating here. Could Equinox with stock coil find stuff deeper than CTX small coil can, yet masked so much CTX with stock coil can't see?
 
Watched some more video of a guy in Arizona doing some nail tests on the ground and honestly my Mojave is much better and so is my impact by a long shot and my ctx and v3i. Jury still out but I'm concerned and canceled one of my preorders and may cancel the other if I don't see some better video.
 
Here is a head to head Equinox vs Deus wearing 11" LF coil.
That's a stick next to dime.

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Notice how far the clad dime is away from nail.
The thing next to dime is a stick.
Ruler in pic to give folks an idea of how far.
Roll or tape is 2" wide, so nail above coin 2" .

Down the barrel sweeps keep dime in center of coil when sweeping.

Equinox passes here speed settings 5,6, and 7. Disc park 2, 0 iron bias setting, multi freq, Speed setting 5 signal can be improved by going to all metal.
This is sweeps both directions not hovering coil.
I can hover coil and wiggle and get great signal.
Coil sweep height above nail, approx 1" maybe a tad more.

Deus using 18khz sweeping won't pass this test using any Reactivty setting.
I can hover coil and get Deus to respond,, not. Well though. Using 3 and 4 Reactivty. Level 5 Reactivty no cigar. Level 2.5 no cigar. I tried using some disc with Deus too, 6, no help. Full tones 0 disc no cigar. I hear a small pop when coil passes.

Special note here: I adjusted iron bias setting, 0 setting gives best signal 2 way, as I progress upwards (above 2 or 3) all I get is a trailing tone when sweeping coming from left to right.

Another head to head.
Deus 11" LF coil vs Equinox stock coil.
2wc4lxg.jpg

The sponge is 3.25" thick (tall), ruler in pic to give folks idea of distance from dime.
Equinox passes this test speed setting 6 barely, 7 is better.

Deus, does not pass,,I based on what I hear is knowing the dime is where it is.
Deus audio heavily compromised, extremely irony sounding,
Right now, my best guess.
Folks may do better with Equinox, meaning Equinox seems to give more real sounding nonferrous tone. Where Deus tone gets watered down more with nail.
Did not check using anything other than multi freq using Equinox.

Are we having fun yet?

For gee whiz, Deus wearing round 9" HF coil doesn't pass last test in pic above.
Tried only 14.4 kHz and 28.8 khz though, multiple settings. No cigar.
 
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I really think now after today, learning Equinox in heavier iron, All Metal may be the way to go. Smooths the machine up some. The ferrous reporting not hard on the mind and ears either.

Btw, if weather holds, I plan on going to a freshwater beach. A beach deemed "Virgin" Equinox territory. Lol

About all beaches are though.
 
I really think now after today, learning Equinox in heavier iron, All Metal may be the way to go. Smooths the machine up some. The ferrous reporting not hard on the mind and ears either.

Btw, if weather holds, I plan on going to a freshwater beach. A beach deemed "Virgin" Equinox territory. Lol

About all beaches are though.

TN --

Two questions -- by "all metal," I assume what you are saying is that you are running whatever mode (Park, Field, etc.) but running no disc? There's not an "all metal" settting on this machine, like on, say a G2 or Gold Bug Pro or F19, right? And if I am correct, then I think what you are saying is that you can run with no disc, in iron, and get good reporting on intermingled non-ferrous in the nails?

Also, what do you mean above, in prior posts, where you are talking about "drum rolls?"

Steve
 
TN --

Two questions -- by "all metal," I assume what you are saying is that you are running whatever mode (Park, Field, etc.) but running no disc? There's not an "all metal" settting on this machine, like on, say a G2 or Gold Bug Pro or F19, right? And if I am correct, then I think what you are saying is that you can run with no disc, in iron, and get good reporting on intermingled non-ferrous in the nails?

Also, what do you mean above, in prior posts, where you are talking about "drum rolls?"

Steve

I am referring to pushing the button with horseshoe on. Manual calls it all metal no disc. Is it true AM, I don't know yet.

Drum roll, what this is, when running AM, the iron can be heard in background, helps sniff out the bigger relic iron that gives high tone lkke using disc. Also the separation gate is more open, challenged nonferrous are smoother coming in, not as or chopped or abrupt sounding. The ferrous tone provided on the ferrous when swept is gentle not mind blowing. One can keep their sanity.
 
I am referring to pushing the button with horseshoe on. Manual calls it all metal no disc. Is it true AM, I don't know yet.

Drum roll, what this is, when running AM, the iron can be heard in background, helps sniff out the bigger relic iron that gives high tone lkke using disc. Also the separation gate is more open, challenged nonferrous are smoother coming in, not as or chopped or abrupt sounding. The ferrous tone provided on the ferrous when swept is gentle not mind blowing. One can keep their sanity.

OK, gotcha. Thanks for the additional info. I forgot about that "horseshoe" button. I need to re-read my manual, and get my arrived-today Equinox unboxed!

So, is the horseshoe its own "mode," or do you think it's just a way to quickly switch over to run whatever mode you are in (say, Park 1) with no disc? In other words, is it basically a "discrimination toggle?"

Steve
 
Here is the biggie folks.
Equinox performs well in iron for stock coil size. Tones provide even on seemingly challenged nonferrous sound good tone wise,,tone not driven to iron range it seems. Deus on the other hand, tone gets seven down, user ha who has more of a trained ear, and even if trained a user may miss some.

Multi freq seems to be where the action is. Don't know how Minelab did what they did with Equinox, I am pleased.
Would like to see 6",9", 11" and the bigger coil made available.

Beginners using Equinox, especially new detectorist using Equinox, hunting sites with moderate to heavy iron, I suggest iron bias 4 setting or higher. For the same group of people, speed setting wise I recommend a setting of 5 or 6.

For already experienced detectorist, default sensitivity of 20 will do nicely.
Folks new to detecting using Equinox, sensitivity of 18 a better choice for a while anyway.
Park 1 and 2 good detect modes to start off with for land hunting too.

Equinox has the best menu system/ layout to date I have ever used. Some real thought went into it.

For example.
Iron bias setting is an advanced setting
A user can select iron bias setting and leave it up on the detector's monitor, and user can shift on the fly using plus or minus keys if they desire. Could be used to check a target that is dodgy sounding by lowering iron bias setting for example.

Also your detect mode will flash letting you know which detect mode you are in.

The only thing you really have to watch is forgetting and hitting detect button progressively, it will make detector change detect modes. With a little practice though this will cure itself. It has with me.

I haven't even tried using user profile button on Equinox yet.
 
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OK, gotcha. Thanks for the additional info. I forgot about that "horseshoe" button. I need to re-read my manual, and get my arrived-today Equinox unboxed!

So, is the horseshoe its own "mode," or do you think it's just a way to quickly switch over to run whatever mode you are in (say, Park 1) with no disc? In other words, is it basically a "discrimination toggle?"

Steve
Yeah, discrimination toggle a good way to portray.
Detector behaves differently when selected as far as separation,,I know this much. Maybe I should say this here. In a super duper iron site running 0 iron bias, detector reports smoother (pushing button with horseshoe icon) vs using disc. The audio flows better.

The multi freq is sure a hunting in iron, make no mistake (even though in disc you will hear a lot of tones, this and that,,buy when it finds it lets you know.
 
I need to do some comparisons between wireless and using module to see if any advantage can be gained on heavily challenged targets. Probably splitting hairs, but need to see anyway,

Also, and I know I am guilty, some others here too,,hanging headphones around handle of detector. I don't recommend doing with Equinox. The reason is you try to pull headphones off handle the phones will likely snag coil cable near control box. Been there and done that.

External speaker, loudness/tonal quality wise is useable on calmer days as well as in hot weather. Need to go max on volume though. Running AM though today I disn't like using the external speaker as much as I did with disc.
 
How long till we might see smaller coils? I know at least for me that the machine with stock coil is useless in iron for me, my other machines are much better. But i will not know for sure for me, till someone gets some info out on the machine with a smaller coil. All info is good info, looking forward to more tests from tn and you tube and other users.
 
:laughing:
How long till we might see smaller coils? I know at least for me that the machine with stock coil is useless in iron for me, my other machines are much better. But i will not know for sure for me, till someone gets some info out on the machine with a smaller coil. All info is good info, looking forward to more tests from tn and you tube and other users.

Don't know any info on smaller coils.
It's ok for you to think stock coils brings nothing for you, comparing your other detectors.
But have you tested Equinox (stock coil) against your other detectors?

Seems to me Equinox gives advantage 3-d on higher conductors in and around iron. And gives some advantage albeit smaller on lower conductors vs certain models detectors.

Tell folks here what I would be thinking of doing.

Parks.
Put the Equinox in multi and rock and roll. Wonder what a person would find if they only dig targets reading. 1 and. 2 on the meter.
Bet you won't dig any tabs, I also bet those targets likely deemed odds on as nonferrous that few if any detectors can strike and give tone. Goes for in the water too. Crazy sounding right ?

How does this sound. A company need to make a new water hunting./beach scoop called the Equinoxer. Folks better think about those big holes in today's scoops.

There's gold in them there waters and beaches.
 
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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!
 
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