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weight of stock equinox 800 and vanquish 540

maxxkatt

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Joined
Sep 20, 2015
Messages
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North Atlanta, GA
Both seem to weight 2.9 lbs according to the specs with respective stock coils.

I have both detectors and my arm tires out on the 540 way before on the 800. After 30 minutes hunting a volleyball court with the 540 my arm is tired. But I can hunt with the 800 all day long.

What gives?
 
Balance may be why.

I have a DIY Teresoro Golden Sabre with the electronics in a box mounted to the shaft that is under my arm. The whole detector balances at the hand grip.
I can swing this without a tight grip.

In comparison, my buddies detector has no weight above the hand grip and is very coil end heavy. Even though his detector actually weights less mine is more comfortable to use.

I have seen recommendations to add weight at the top end on the shaft to obtain better balance. Maybe give that a try and see if the detector is less wearing of your arm.
 
maxxkatt: said:
Both seem to weight 2.9 lbs according to the specs with respective stock coils.

I have both detectors and my arm tires out on the 540 way before on the 800. After 30 minutes hunting a volleyball court with the 540 my arm is tired. But I can hunt with the 800 all day long.

What gives?
I owned, briefly, an Equinox 800 w/standard 11" DD and 6" DD. I owned prior to that, and still do, a Vanquish 540 Pro Pack with a 'standard' 9X12 DD and 5X8 DD. I spend more time in trashier places so I used the smaller-size coils the most, but did do some comparisons with their larger-size standard coils.

I found the EQ-800 to be comfortable enough with either coil, but prefer the V-540, with either coil, for a prolonged hunt. Sometimes the fatigue level can differ based on an individual's height, hand-grip to arm-cup length and position, but most notably by the rod length and how out-reached the search coils is. Too often, I see people over-extend the rod to position the search coil way out in front of them. Then, to make matters worse, they also make long, broad side-to-side coil sweeps and that, alone, can cause more fatigue.

A proper coil position would be about 12" to 18" in front of the lead toe, and I make short-length side-to-side sweeps with ample overlapping. Depending on the detector and coil, as well as terrain I am hunting, most side-to-side sweeps have the center-axis of the search coil moving anywhere from 20" to 36" and sometimes even 40" on a straight-line, side-to-side sweep coverage.

And because I use smaller-size to mid-size search coils the bulk of the time, I experience less fatigue.

Monte
 
I owned, briefly, an Equinox 800 w/standard 11" DD and 6" DD. I owned prior to that, and still do, a Vanquish 540 Pro Pack with a 'standard' 9X12 DD and 5X8 DD. I spend more time in trashier places so I used the smaller-size coils the most, but did do some comparisons with their larger-size standard coils.

I found the EQ-800 to be comfortable enough with either coil, but prefer the V-540, with either coil, for a prolonged hunt. Sometimes the fatigue level can differ based on an individual's height, hand-grip to arm-cup length and position, but most notably by the rod length and how out-reached the search coils is. Too often, I see people over-extend the rod to position the search coil way out in front of them. Then, to make matters worse, they also make long, broad side-to-side coil sweeps and that, alone, can cause more fatigue.

A proper coil position would be about 12" to 18" in front of the lead toe, and I make short-length side-to-side sweeps with ample overlapping. Depending on the detector and coil, as well as terrain I am hunting, most side-to-side sweeps have the center-axis of the search coil moving anywhere from 20" to 36" and sometimes even 40" on a straight-line, side-to-side sweep coverage.

And because I use smaller-size to mid-size search coils the bulk of the time, I experience less fatigue.

Monte

That is about how both the 540 and 800 are adjusted as far as length. They both weigh exactly 3.0 lbs.

The 800 has a straight shaft and the 540 has the 90 degree offset. Maybe my right arm is just used to the 800 straight shaft since I have been using it since March 2018 and the 540 only a few times.

Those are the only two things that can account for the difference as far as I can tell.

Not sure what the solution is to my problem though. Certainly don't want to use a swing harness for the 540 just on the stock coil.
 
Balance may be why.

That is about how both the 540 and 800 are adjusted as far as length. They both weigh exactly 3.0 lbs.

The 800 has a straight shaft and the 540 has the 90 degree offset. Maybe my right arm is just used to the 800 straight shaft since I have been using it since March 2018 and the 540 only a few times.

Those are the only two things that can account for the difference as far as I can tell.

Not sure what the solution is to my problem though. Certainly don't want to use a swing harness for the 540 just on the stock coil.

Waltr is mostly likely right - balance is probably the issue. Length and overall weight, while certainly important, aren't the only parameters that define balance, and by direct extension, long term comfort for swinging a detector. The position of the fulcrum relative to the center of gravity of the machine plays a massive role in the feel of a detector, as well. A simple and exaggerated example would be a broom stick. Try holding a broom by the very end of the handle and hold it straight out parallel with the ground with the bristles pointed away from you. Then hold the same broom parallel to the ground with your hand positioned on the handle closer to the bristles. Which one would you rather hold all day? Same broom - same length and same weight, but vastly different balance and fatigue level to carry it.

Same thing applies to your metal detectors - with the difference in the shaft shape, the Vanquish and the Equinox surely have a different center of gravity right out of the box. I don't know how the 540's stock coil weight compares to an Equinox stock coil, but any difference in weight gets greatly magnified since it's hanging way out on the end of the shaft (remember the old physics formula, weight x arm = moment...or add a little more weight to the end of the broom in the example above). This is why a larger, heavier coil always makes any detector feel at least a little more nose heavy with all other things being equal. If the Vanquish coil weighs more than the Equinox coil...more nose heaviness and more fatigue.

Weight distribution behind the fulcrum (essentially the handgrip) is important for the same reasons...for example, the distance of the cuff from the handgrip, along with the percentage of the total detector weight massed there, and how all that is oriented to the center of gravity is a factor. I'll guess the shape of the 540's shaft automatically makes for a different feel between the two detectors even if the cuff distance is the same.

Moral of the story - don't underestimate how much even minor differences in weight distribution can impact the feel and comfort of a detector, even two different detectors of the same weight. With proper balance, even a heavier machine can feel more comfortable in the long haul.

I own an Equinox 800 with an aftermarket straight shaft. I've always been comfortable swinging the machine with both the 6" and 11" coils on long hunts, but when I recently bought the 15" coil I decided to be proactive and purchase a counterweight from the shaft manufacturer. It improved the feel of the 15" coil so much, I tried the counterweight with the 11" coil too. I was amazed...swinging was virtually effortless! I had no idea how much work I was actually doing with the stock 11", even though it was comfortable. Yep, I made the machine a few ounces heavier...but I greatly improved the balance.

If it's truly bothersome for you, it would be easy to experiment with some weight on the shaft to help. Just strapping some weight under the arm cuff can be enough to give you an idea, and it probably won't take much. Depending on the parameters Monte mentioned (shaft length, your height, etc) you'll probably find you only need a few ounces to make the 540 feel similar to what you've been used to with the 800. Or add more, and improve balance even more.

But maybe start simple. Monte's info is very important also, and it might be worth taking a closer look at your swing and how far the coil is from your feet when you're swinging each machine. Because the shafts are shaped differently, you might find that you're actually swinging the 540 with a different overall geometry that's actually causing fatigue even thought the shafts are extended the same length.
 
I own an Equinox 800 with an aftermarket straight shaft. I've always been comfortable swinging the machine with both the 6" and 11" coils on long hunts, but when I recently bought the 15" coil I decided to be proactive and purchase a counterweight from the shaft manufacturer. It improved the feel of the 15" coil so much, I tried the counterweight with the 11" coil too. I was amazed...swinging was virtually effortless! I had no idea how much work I was actually doing with the stock 11", even though it was comfortable. Yep, I made the machine a few ounces heavier...but I greatly improved the balance.

If it's truly bothersome for you, it would be easy to experiment with some weight on the shaft to help. Just strapping some weight under the arm cuff can be enough to give you an idea, and it probably won't take much. Depending on the parameters Monte mentioned (shaft length, your height, etc) you'll probably find you only a few ounces to make the 540 feel similar to what you've been used to with the 800. Or add more, and improve balance even more.

Yep, that is my experience.
As I said, my DIY detectors balance at the hand grip. No need to tightly grab the grip and swinging is nearly effortless.
Adding some weight at the top of the shaft will improve the balance and the feel.
 
Hey Maxx, you can try the old mounting the pinpointer sheath on the armrest trick. this makes a simple counter weight solution. Thats how I run on the 800.
Jer
 
dumbdigger: said:
Hey Maxx, you can try the old mounting the pinpointer sheath on the armrest trick. this makes a simple counter weight solution. Thats how I run on the 800.
Jer
I like 'simple' solutions.

Monte
 
Hey Maxx, you can try the old mounting the pinpointer sheath on the armrest trick. this makes a simple counter weight solution. Thats how I run on the 800.
Jer

Is there a pinpointer sheath made to be mounted to the armrest shaft or do you just mount the sheath that comes with the pinpointer?
 
Is there a pinpointer sheath made to be mounted to the armrest shaft or do you just mount the sheath that comes with the pinpointer?

Just mount the sheath with the velcro strap and button.....
 
I owned, briefly, an Equinox 800 w/standard 11" DD and 6" DD. I owned prior to that, and still do, a Vanquish 540 Pro Pack with a 'standard' 9X12 DD and 5X8 DD. I spend more time in trashier places so I used the smaller-size coils the most, but did do some comparisons with their larger-size standard coils.

I found the EQ-800 to be comfortable enough with either coil, but prefer the V-540, with either coil, for a prolonged hunt. Sometimes the fatigue level can differ based on an individual's height, hand-grip to arm-cup length and position, but most notably by the rod length and how out-reached the search coils is. Too often, I see people over-extend the rod to position the search coil way out in front of them. Then, to make matters worse, they also make long, broad side-to-side coil sweeps and that, alone, can cause more fatigue.

A proper coil position would be about 12" to 18" in front of the lead toe, and I make short-length side-to-side sweeps with ample overlapping. Depending on the detector and coil, as well as terrain I am hunting, most side-to-side sweeps have the center-axis of the search coil moving anywhere from 20" to 36" and sometimes even 40" on a straight-line, side-to-side sweep coverage.

And because I use smaller-size to mid-size search coils the bulk of the time, I experience less fatigue.

Monte

I would agree on most of your points here Monte especially for dirt , but not all. Alot more can go into this. #1 is physical attributes and style of hunt. Are you strong , no injuries , old , etc. How about height ? Myself being over 6'4" , I use longer shafts to keep the coil way out in front of me. This is also because of the long strides , fast pace I typically do. It's natural. The benefit on a beach and also in a large field would be coverage , especially with a large coil. Are targets missed ? Of course. But you are covering large areas looking for solid , obvious good signals. That's when you slow down and bring the detector in closer. Swinging the Nox with a 15" coil , you must have a weighted shaft or maybe a swing assist device if you are hunting 5+ hours a few days a week. The 540 , idk : don't own one. It boils down to one's capabilities and equally important the style you hunt.
 
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