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First Detector

Mark86

New Member
Joined
Aug 26, 2022
Messages
10
Hello, My name is Mark, and I am seeking advice from the forum. I live in Arizona and live in an area where there is an abundance of ground to be searched.

I have 3 grade school girls, and I thought this would be a fun way to get out of the house and learn a little geology, and there is always the thrill of the find.

I don’t mind spending some money in a quality unit, that will do coins, gold, etc. no underwater needed, or maybe just the coil.

I was thinking the MineLab Equinox 800.

Thoughts? I don’t mind spending more if that will buy value and ease of use.

Thanks for the help, and welcome all advice.
 
Hello, My name is Mark, and I am seeking advice from the forum. I live in Arizona and live in an area where there is an abundance of ground to be searched.

I have 3 grade school girls, and I thought this would be a fun way to get out of the house and learn a little geology, and there is always the thrill of the find.

I don’t mind spending some money in a quality unit, that will do coins, gold, etc. no underwater needed, or maybe just the coil.

I was thinking the MineLab Equinox 800.

Thoughts? I don’t mind spending more if that will buy value and ease of use.

Thanks for the help, and welcome all advice.

The only "knocks" I have heard on the Nox 600 and 800 have to do with the ears on the coils (I have aftermarket reinforcing tabs on mine) and the shafts eventually working loose (I bought a replacement shaft system from Steve's Detector Rods).

Some people are saying that the Nokta Legend beats them. My 600 will find gold, but the 800 has dedicated gold modes, but at $300 more than the 600. When I bought my 600, I did so because the Legend was still new and having frequent software upgrades. I don't know if the Legend has a dedicated gold mode.

-- Tom
 
Everyone is saying talking about the nokta makro legend. It is better built than an equinox and you get a little more in the package if you get the full promotion package which I think has an extra coil and headphones.


I would hate to steer you in the wrong direction but me personally ....I do not like the universal symbols for control settings.

The equinox and nokta legend are this way.


Like what has been mentioned....the equinox suffers from some poor coil ear design.


I never broke one but a lot of people have.


I would also consider an XP unit......the deus 2 is very nice.


I have owned all 3.


The XP Orx is fantastic little unit with enough settings to get you going good until you learn more about the hobby.


Plus it has 2 dedicated gold and coin programs with 2 open slots to save your settings.


If you want to go head over heals into the hobby, the xp deus 2 to me is one you could grow into. It has plenty of turn on and go programs and when you get to know what each setting can do, it is one of the most advanced machines available currently.....I like it very much.

Being in Arizona you are going to need a multi frequency machine or smf machine to get through the tough ground conditions where you live.

The xp orx is designed for searching for gold but it only runs in single frequency.


Not that that is all bad.....but you really need a multi smf machine such as the minelab equinox, nokta legend or xp deus 2
 
I don’t mind spending some money in a quality unit, that will do coins, gold, etc. no underwater needed, or maybe just the coil.

I was thinking the MineLab Equinox 800.

Thoughts? I don’t mind spending more if that will buy value and ease of use.

You mentioned you wanted "quality". Quality isn't the strong point of the Nox...to say the least. Wobbly shaft, thin and weak coil ears, cheap plastic, and it's well known for control housing flooding that fries it. Great performance. Poor build quality.

You also mentioned shallow water hunting and submersing the coil, but keep in mind, all it takes is one accidental drop in the water...well, you get the idea.

The 2 big questions that needs to be answered before any further suggestions should be given, is, "Will the control housing be submersed either deliberately or accidently"? and "Will you ever be hunting in salt ground"?

Furthermore, in regards to the new detectors and software updates, the member "RgnFn" said it best with these words:

Detectors are more software than hardware these days. And Microsoft proved that getting to the market first with "good enough" software wins. The first version of a new Microsoft product stinks, the second is barely acceptable, and the third is market killer. Where are the companies/products that used to compete against Microsoft with far better products? Gone.

The same is now true with detectors. I'm sure that the various manufacturers don't intentionally put out bad or unfinished products, but are rushing to get to market as soon as it's "good enough". Especially when you can release a patch later. Capture the market attention before your competitors, and you'll survive long enough to perfect it later.

Yes its a balancing act - release something too soon and get a bad reputation for producing poor products, release it too late, and your competitors have taken the all the mind-share. Garrett learned that lesson about 3 years too late, and are now trying to play catch-up. The Apex IMHO is a fantastic machine and would have been a market killer if it had been released 4 or 5 years earlier. Now it's ho-hum. Minelab, Nokta, and XP have the mind-share, and deservedly so, but because they got to the market first with features that the market evidently values (beginning with SMF).

I've been toying with the idea of getting another detector, particularly a submersible one, and the complaints I hear about some hardware, shall we say, deficiencies, like weak ears, cheap rods, inconsistent charging, or being not as waterproof as advertised are far more concerning to me than a software issue that can be patched. [BTW, I have to admit that I get irked when people tout how great their expensive machine is after they've spent a couple hundred bucks in aftermarket products to bolster the physical aspects of their machine]. I'd rather have a well-built machine that needs a software patch than a perfectly-programmed machine that breaks on me.
 
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Oh and one more thing too.....since you do not need it to be water proof....take a look at the minelab vanquish.

A lot of people over look this machine.

It is a smf unit with less settings to tweak than the equinox but it can keep up with an equinox.

Runs on 4 aa batteries.

I would go for the vanquish 540.


In my opinion the minelab vanquish is the best bang for the buck out there.


Fun without breaking the bank.


Plus that will give you a little extra cash for some good digging tools and pinpointer, finds pouch etc.


Just because it isn't a 1000 machine doesn't mean it doesn't work good.
 
For grade school girls, the Vanquish 340 with a RnB battery pack.
With cheap headphones, one charge can last up to 40 hours.
The 340 has quick clamp adjustments to change the rod length in just a few seconds for each size kid or as they grow.
Buy them a 340 and you something bigger and more complicated.
Also, buy a quality pinpointer like the Orange Garrett.
In the pinpointers, rechargeable Powerex batteries are much more economical in the long run.
 
Thanks for the input.

1 - Not planning (non available) salt water.
2 - Just coil in 1-2 inch water.

Thanks for the input on a unit for the girls.
 
Atomicbrh is right. The EASY length adjustment of any of the 3 Vanquish models makes it great for different sized people.

And there are icons of coins, rings, bottle caps, etc that might appeal to youngsters.
 
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For the cost I'd get a Simplex.
Waterproof and extremely well built.

A fantastic starter machine.
 
Since your just starting out , I would start with the wireless version Nokta Simplex . It has some advanced features also. It has a great price . Or you can spend more and get a Nokta Legend ,orNox 600/800 . There’s 4 detectors would work great . If you got a lot of money you could get a XP D2 or wait for the new Minelab Mantiqour. Take the time to learn what ever you choose and you will find nice stuff. HH Tony
 
The Nox 800 has a gold mode w/ the higher freq. for nugget hunting - but the Simplex would certainly be a great starter. I really do like my Nox. Been tempted to get a Simplex but.... welcome aboard and good luck, sounds like a great opportunity!
 
Hello, My name is Mark, and I am seeking advice from the forum. I live in Arizona and live in an area where there is an abundance of ground to be searched.

I have 3 grade school girls, and I thought this would be a fun way to get out of the house and learn a little geology, and there is always the thrill of the find.

I don’t mind spending some money in a quality unit, that will do coins, gold, etc. no underwater needed, or maybe just the coil.

I was thinking the MineLab Equinox 800.

Thoughts? I don’t mind spending more if that will buy value and ease of use.

Thanks for the help, and welcome all advice.

don't know what area of Arizona you are in I also live in Arizona in the Tucson area.
I am currently using the Nokta/Macro Legend which has a dedicated gold mode, the area I am in and detect is highly mineralized the Legend does work quite well in highly mineralized ground, another detector I can recommend is a simplex plus also made by Nokta/Macro, I do prefer the Legend over the simplex though, I do not and have never owned a equinox but with that being said I do have buddies I occasionally detect with that have both the equinox 600 and 800
the Legend runs pretty equal in detection depth and capabilities when my buddies and I compare targets, where the legend beats the Equinox is price, build quality and there has been no reports as far as I know of any of the Legend having water leakage issues, some of my buddies have had coil ears break on their nox coils they have also had water leakage issues, and every one of them have had to change the shafts out on their Equinox's the legend also comes with a collapsible shaft which makes it nice when you want to collapse it down to transport in a vehicle the Nox does not.

if you are up for a drive to where I live PM me and I will give you my address and phone number I have two Legends and a Simplex that I can show you the differences between those two detector's I also have a few other detectors I can put in your hands to give you some things to compare between detector

Let me know: KOOT
 
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