Equinox book

I have been alternating at beaches between my Nox 600 and my old CZ6.

I am struck by how simple the CZ is to use compared to the Nox. Although the CX has multiple adjustments possible, it is pretty much set and forget. The Nox needs shifting between the 2 beach modes for damp sand vs. running salt water and sensitivity adjustments on top of that.

The Nox is more sensitive to tiny targets than the CZ, but needs much more tweaking to ID beer bottle caps.

Why do I bring this up?

Simple - simplicity is a virtue. There’s a reason why the Tesoro Compadre sells steadily although it’s 20 year-old design. It never leaves you wondering if you should change a bunch or operating settings in order to find what is in the ground. Will it out perform a modern machine like the Nox in a wide variety of settings - no, it won’t.

But what if there was a powerful multi-frequency detector with - let’s say - auto noise cancelling, auto ground balance, solid target ID and razor sharp pinpointing - perhaps with a selector for salt water operation and a sensitivity control, but nothing else. And what if it cost $350?

I sure as heck buy one and match it against my best current machine. I hate the feeling that I’m not finding goodies because there’s some other set of settings I should be using.

Of course no such machine exists - a “Goldilocks” machine. I wonder if anyone will ever introduce one?
 
So did the writer have an 800, 4 or 5, 6 months back to learn all this information?

Probably yes but even if they did not...I now have about 25 hours on the machine and have most of it figured out...for the beach that is. I have been detecting my area for years though so all of that knowledge + a new detector isn't like starting from scratch. The author has a huge knowledge base to start from. Its like writing music - the beatles wrote yellow submarine in 15 minutes but that doesn't mean you or I could, they had years and years of experience to get to that 15 minute point.

When I first got into detecting, I read all of the books about beach detecting and they were very helpful though I probably would of figured a lot of it out on my own too. I think if you are new, they are helpful. More experienced? Probably not so much. The nox isn't a complicated machine like the CTX which really does require a manual or book to understand on to operate.
 
Its like writing music - the beatles wrote yellow submarine in 15 minutes but that doesn't mean you or I could, they had years and years of experience to get to that 15 minute point.

The reason why they wrote a song in 15 minutes was not from years of experience, it was from hallucinating drugs.
 
...I see there is a book from Beginner to Advanced....So did the writer have an 800, 4 or 5, 6 months back to learn all this information?..
.....Any Nox users here have it?.....Units only been out around 2 months...:?:..Ive got books from same writer on other detectors..good info..

To answer your question, no, he was not a tester who had early access to become a pro at using it. I don't even know if he actually has an equinox. People have asked him how many hours he has on it and he refuses to answer.

I do not have the book and will not buy it. Clive is a great beach hunter, and has a ton of experience at that with multiple machines. If you are new to beach hunting, buy ONE of clive's books can be a good help. If you buy multiple, you will find that 90% of the material is the same generic hunting advice between all books.

I think there is far more information to be learned here on the this forum than in the Clive's book.
 
http://www.clivesgoldpage.com/new-book-minelab-equinox-beginner-advanced/

Well it seems the writer has written multiple metal detecting books. He could easily cranked it out via self-publishing route. I think it is only available from his web site. I ordered it last week and still have not received it. it is only about 100 pages. Hope it is not 80 pages of general MD stuff and 20 pages on the equinox. Will let you know when and if I get it.
 
http://www.clivesgoldpage.com/new-book-minelab-equinox-beginner-advanced/

Well it seems the writer has written multiple metal detecting books. He could easily cranked it out via self-publishing route. I think it is only available from his web site. I ordered it last week and still have not received it. it is only about 100 pages. Hope it is not 80 pages of general MD stuff and 20 pages on the equinox. Will let you know when and if I get it.

It's a good book and full of useful info. I have several of his books and you will be able to understand the detector from the user's standpoint.
 
As a dealer I have the advantage of seeing MANY machines and the manuals that come with them. Alot of the manuals I have seen leave much to be desired. ie... CTX3030. Best thing I ever did was buy Andy's book on this machine. I can sit and read it anywhere I want, take it with me to doctors appts, dentist, etc... Not to mention I am not "tied down" to the computer. This book has just become another tool to enhance my zealousness to be the best I can be with this machine.
Same with the book on the Equinox, just another tool that can enhance your effectiveness with this machine.
Yes, there are several on here that can (and have) given good advice on the NOX. And those too are just another tool.
I certainly would spend the $20.00 on the book if I intended to use the Equinox.
 
Got my Nox 800 and Clive's book

The Nox 800 is in a completely different class than my AT Pro.
Coming from the AT Pro and not being a prior Minelab user I find it a very steep learning curve to to get the most out of the 800.

Clive's book is 111 pages of very useful info on the 800 and 600 but probably more useful to the 800 user since it covers the additional features of the 800 over the 600 which are significant differences. The 600 is more of a load and go machine and the 800 can be tailored more to your specific needs if you understand how it really works. The beginner, mid-range metal detectoristr will have more of a learning curve with the 600 and 800 than the more experienced detectorists using Minelab products.

So you less experienced non-minelab user should get Clive's book.
 
My Book

Thanks for the reviews, guys--some even after the fact! I don't write from the point of expert--more learner. More of an expert pesterer... Glad it's helped some. Hey please don't judge me by my first 50 copies--I've gotten the typos out and screamed at the printer about the font. Now for an advanced Volume 2--Im taking tips and best practices. Can't wait to read it myself...
Good Luck Detecting,
clive
 
I think you are right about the 2nd reading later. I read the book within a few days of getting my 800. yes the book helped a lot. BUT!, I had only 1-2 hours on the 800.

Now I have probably close to 50 - 70 hours and have learned from experience a lot more about the 800. And this experience on a more complex machine taught me more about metal detecting. I have been metal detecting off and on for many years. But I realize now my level of actual metal detecting knowledge was between the beginner and low intermediate level due to my on again and off again periods of hunting. I never picked up or learned the nuances of recognizing tones nor got into digging everything till I did start learning the nuances. The 800 has force me to learn these things along with carefully following some of the guys on the different metal detecting forums who really know what they are doing and are sharing this info with the rest of us. (Thank you guys, you know who you are). Note: not too long ago we did not have these great forums on metal detecting so you were left with a terse manual and maybe an article or two if you subscribed to a metal detecting or treasure hunting magazine. Or if you were very lucky, the ability to hunt with someone with good MD experience especially on the machine you owned.

I have learned more about metal detecting in the couple of months with the 800 than all of my many years using other brands. not knocking my other brands i have used Fisher and Garrett AT Pro. It was my fault for being two lazy to actually learn what I needed to learn. Now as I am older, I find the learning about a machine and metal detecting in general rewarding on its own.

There are no short cuts on learning a complex metal detector. Listen to the pros on these forums, they know what they are talking about. After a few months on the forums you will figure out who the pros are by the solid advice they give.
 
I think you are right about the 2nd reading later. I read the book within a few days of getting my 800. yes the book helped a lot. BUT!, I had only 1-2 hours on the 800.

Now I have probably close to 50 - 70 hours and have learned from experience a lot more about the 800. And this experience on a more complex machine taught me more about metal detecting. I have been metal detecting off and on for many years. But I realize now my level of actual metal detecting knowledge was between the beginner and low intermediate level due to my on again and off again periods of hunting. I never picked up or learned the nuances of recognizing tones nor got into digging everything till I did start learning the nuances. The 800 has force me to learn these things along with carefully following some of the guys on the different metal detecting forums who really know what they are doing and are sharing this info with the rest of us. (Thank you guys, you know who you are). Note: not too long ago we did not have these great forums on metal detecting so you were left with a terse manual and maybe an article or two if you subscribed to a metal detecting or treasure hunting magazine. Or if you were very lucky, the ability to hunt with someone with good MD experience especially on the machine you owned.

I have learned more about metal detecting in the couple of months with the 800 than all of my many years using other brands. not knocking my other brands i have used Fisher and Garrett AT Pro. It was my fault for being two lazy to actually learn what I needed to learn. Now as I am older, I find the learning about a machine and metal detecting in general rewarding on its own.

There are no short cuts on learning a complex metal detector. Listen to the pros on these forums, they know what they are talking about. After a few months on the forums you will figure out who the pros are by the solid advice they give.


Excellent post. I know that my reading comprehension is much better the second time around, after I've used the product, no matter what it is.
 
hater reply...

...but did they?

I haven't seen this book, but I figure there's at least two guys on this forum who could do a book that is at least as good (and probably better) than this one.
 
I'm still working through Clive's book. It's tough for me because I've gotten so used to my Kindle LOL. It's chock full of great information though and I highly recommend it.
 
a reply

...and some of us just don't want others to make all the same mistakes as we did...
one way or the other you pay to learn--without what ive learned from others I would have given up years ago.
...also my site is full of free advice--not to mention the e-mails i answer every day...
tired of all these haters...
cjc



Well I happen to be a nay-sayer and I don't recommend books. I BELIEVE a person can get enough experience and knowledge from the forums and from just getting out and swinging the machine.

Some of us give all our advice and knowledge free. Some see a way to make money off of folks in the same hobby.

BUT to each their own. Some learn by doing, some by reading.
 
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Thanks!

Thanks kindly Halfstep. This isn't 1970--any help we can get is good help.
cjc
Metal detecting is not an easy hobby. All the getting up/down and digging can wear a person out. On a personal note, I have 2 screws in my left ankle, 11 screws and 2 plates in my right ankle and it is fused. Plus 4 screws and titanium in my back with one less rib on my left side. A hard day of detecting and I feel it for a few days after. So for me to justify the aches and pains that comes from detecting, I need to have a high treasure to trash ratio. I will get just as sore digging 50 tabs as I will digging 50 coins. So I have to detect smarter, not harder. I have to learn my detector well so as to be more proficient with it. So I will read a lot about detecting and detectors. The forums are a great resource and I learn a lot from them. But forums also contain inaccurate info that can be mislead someone. A person needs to filter the info. Books are a great resource as well and contain accurate and reliable info. Learning your detector can greatly reduce the learning curve. It helps a person gain quality experience in a shorter time.

I really have no choice but to catch on quickly and gain as much knowledge as I can so I don't beat myself up for nothing. My options are limited. I learn to detect smarter not harder. I take advantage of as many resources as possible. The forums, books an videos. The Clive Clynick Equinox book is a solid book with useful and easy to understand info. It is well worth reading.

A person who has been using a metal detector for 20 years either has 20 years of experience or 1 year of experience 20 times.
 
Re/ Tone Break

I always tell people that the 800 is worth the extra $$ for just the one feature.
Great for bringing up the silver without blocking the signal.
cjc
I agree, take the time and search the forum for the topic you are interested. When I first started metal detecting in 1988 you had a manual and maybe some very general books and of course the best was magazine articles on metl detecting.

The author of the mentioned book is experienced and with self-publishing, he can turn out a decent book in a matter of a few weeks.

my Nox 800 is coming in two days. Cannot hardly wait.

update: I have had my Nox 800 for about 2 months now. No problem using the presets, eg park 1&2 etc. But setting the advanced options was somewhat of a challenge compared to my AT Pro. The book helped a lot in this aspect. It gave me a better understanding what all the extra options were for especially on the tone break settings. Did not have this ability on the AT Pro.

The book is very good that it is so Equinox specific, and more so on the 800 settings. Once you have read this book and really understood what you have read then you need to take your Equinox out at areas you normally hunt or have hunted and put in some hours so you will be able to put your learning to actual use. The best 800 feature in my opinion for me is the tone breaks. I have mine set so bullets 16 thru 19 will sing out loud and clear on the wireless headphones.
 
reply

When I started all you had was your manual. Amazing how smug people are now.
cjc

http://www.clivesgoldpage.com/new-book-minelab-equinox-beginner-advanced/

Well it seems the writer has written multiple metal detecting books. He could easily cranked it out via self-publishing route. I think it is only available from his web site. I ordered it last week and still have not received it. it is only about 100 pages. Hope it is not 80 pages of general MD stuff and 20 pages on the equinox. Will let you know when and if I get it.
 
Fantastic thread. Been recovering since March 10th with a broken right leg (second time). Always had Garretts previously and love them but after not detecting in several years I purchased a Nox 600. Finally was able to get out in the back yard using factory settings in Park 1. Found 3 dimes and a penny in about 20 minutes where the old clothes line was. Have to admit I was disappointed in the manual? Mine Lab supplied with the detector. This thread has been a nice read and I will be investing in the book by Clive.
 
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