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Me or Detector?

Seawolf

Full Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2019
Messages
100
Hi everybody - Straight talk here, so please don’t worry about hurting my feelings.:yes:

I bought a White’s DFX many years ago, used it a handful of times, then took a very long hiatus.

I got it back out about a month ago, and officially have “the bug”. I’ve been out more times in the past month than the ten years prior.

Now, I am not expecting to find the Cross of Coronado right away (maybe in the spring), but I am digging a LOT of trash, like wire, nails, bottle caps, etc. I don’t mind this at all, as I know it comes with the territory; and, being outside in the fresh air is ‘treasure’ in its own right. I am also aware that you can only find what’s there - meaning, if you are in a nail field, you find nails.

There is no question that I need to learn my MD better (use, settings, its behavior, etc), and only repetition will do that. Also, I made a conscious decision to dig every tone, until I can really discriminate / trust the VDI. That said, I am wondering if it may be better to get a new detector, and learn that one. Has technology gotten a lot better on MDs, as it has on most other things in the last decade?

It seems a lot of folks like the Equinox 800, so I’m tempted there. However, I know that new gear alone will not find me hauling sacks of Morgans. I guess my bottom line question is, if everything else was equal, would a newer MD make a difference? Or, do I just need to get better with what I have? My skill / knowledge is currently the limitation, but at what point does the fulcrum shift?

Thank you for any opinions or coaching.
 
Granted, I have never used the DFX, but I hear it is very good. With that in mind, I can only assume, it should be able to pull in good finds. As for going to a Nox 800... As I have had the best luck, enjoy of use, and flexibility in performance with the Nox, I would get one.
 
The DFX is a good detector, has great ID numbers. If I was to compare what I found with the DFX to what I found with the Equinox 800, then wrap one around a tree, I would still be hunting with the DFX.
 
I thought your wife was saying either leave your detector or leave your wife, like she is saying hit the highway if you spend so much time with your detector!:lol:
My wife has called my detector my girlfriend.:shock::lol:
 
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I am grateful

Thank you all for the help so far.

I have been using the out-of-the-box presets, specifically “coins and jewelry”. The only change I have been making is switching it to “silent search”.

I have been impressed with the DFX’s ability to find ridiculously small stuff deep, like a piece of wire smaller than a Tic-Tac at roughly 7-8”.

Sounds like my knowledge level is what needs to change. I’m not sure if there are any best custom configurations for the DFX posted on the forum, but I will search.

Thank you again, so much! :yes:
 
I was never impressed with the DFX. I consider it a bells-n-whistles machine, I seriously regretted the purchase.
 
If you live within a 100 miles of me, I would say stick with the DFX. But if you live further, then I would get the Nox 800.

If you ever drive up around my area PLEASE bring your Equinox 800, because I get sick of digging beaver tail pulltabs and can slaw. PS bring a truck to haul all the trash back with you.
 
Well the fact that whites is no longer around might tell you something. Sure the DFX can and will find the goodies, but there's lighter, faster, better discriminating, and more capable machines on the market now. I would upgrade to the equinox. If you care about the gold mode and a couple extra features (which many never use anyway) get the 800, but the 600 is basically the same thing performance wise. Save your self some money, and with that saved money possibly buy some accessories. That's my opinion, for what its worth. Good luck, and keep us posted!
 
If you ever drive up around my area PLEASE bring your Equinox 800, because I get sick of digging beaver tail pulltabs and can slaw. PS bring a truck to haul all the trash back with you.

If it gets you sick digging those things, why do it? I would find another activity. And keep the trash where it may be.
 
I can't comment on the DFX. Any decent machine will find stuff. Two of my oldest coins were found with a White's XLT. One of the coins a 1867 two cent piece was found in heavy iron. The other coin a 1851 Seated dime was found out of the heavy iron about 20 yards away. Those two coins have been the only coins found at that spot even though a Nokta Impact, Nox 800, XP Deus, Etrac have been over the site since. That right there tells you if you get on the right place a lesser machine can still find coins. I also had a 4 silver day with that same XLT. Those silver dimes were not super shallow either.

That being said I personally use the Equinox 800 almost exclusively now. For the money and it's versatility it's the best machine out there. Anyone who says otherwise is going against the consensus formed over the last 3 three years by thousands of users. The only machines I think can give it a run for it's money are the following CTX, Etrac, and XP Deus. All of which are more expensive.
 
I can't comment on the DFX. Any decent machine will find stuff. Two of my oldest coins were found with a White's XLT. One of the coins a 1867 two cent piece was found in heavy iron. The other coin a 1851 Seated dime was found out of the heavy iron about 20 yards away. Those two coins have been the only coins found at that spot even though a Nokta Impact, Nox 800, XP Deus, Etrac have been over the site since. That right there tells you if you get on the right place a lesser machine can still find coins. I also had a 4 silver day with that same XLT. Those silver dimes were not super shallow either.

That being said I personally use the Equinox 800 almost exclusively now. For the money and it's versatility it's the best machine out there. Anyone who says otherwise is going against the consensus formed over the last 3 three years by thousands of users. The only machines I think can give it a run for it's money are the following CTX, Etrac, and XP Deus. All of which are more expensive.

That is your opinion, I have no problem with that. I have my own opinion, I have had the Equinox 800 since April of 2018 and use it a lot and I have seen other detectors that can run circles around the Equinox 800 for finding coins and relics. If people are satisfied with what they find with the Equinox, I am happy for them, I just know they are leaving good targets in the ground.
 
....... had the Equinox 800 since April of 2018 and use it a lot and I have seen other detectors that can run circles around the Equinox 800........

How dare you talk bad about the Equinox!! 😯😯😯
Don't you know you can bad mouth someone's kid with less blowback then even question the nox.
 
How dare you talk bad about the Equinox!! 😯😯😯
Don't you know you can bad mouth someone's kid with less blowback then even question the nox.

He chimes in every so often about how horrible the Equinox is. The problem is his opinion is in a very small minority. Why even keep a detector you seem to always be bashing. I think it's a bit of a disservice to the person asking for info on the 800. I'd like to know the detectors that can run circles around the Equinox?

I have found lots of silver coins behind other detectors with the Equinox. Just this past summer a Merc, Barber dime, and a Barber quarter literally right behind an Etrac user with lots of experience. This happens enough I use the Equinox 800 as my main detector. Seawolf actually the Equinox is known for finding what others have missed. Not leaving stuff for others to find.
 
Wish my DFX was still running. Have the NOX800 now. I used my DFX for many years and got so tuned to the chatter on it, I knew what I was digging before I dug. It has great tone differentiation. The NOX I am still trying to get used to. But I would use that DFX until it dies in my opinion. Great machine. WOLF
 
Truth is, you can usually go behind even the most expensive detectors with a cheaper unit and still find stuff at most sites. Some partially masked targets can only be heard from a certain angle of approach. Covering a site from every possible angle takes a very long time, and even at the most heavily hunted spots you can usually still squeak out another find or two. Ground moisture, detector frequency and other factors can also play a role in whether or not you hear a particular target on any given day. The only way to truly know if one detector can outperform another is to compare the same signal on the same day and sweep it from the same angle. Having said that, I still prefer a detector that gives me the best odds of getting most targets that I pass over the first time around. Simultaneous multi frequency helps with that since it can hit both high and low conductors equally well. My Nox 800 loves coins on edge too. Hits them harder than my other machines for sure.


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The Signagraph on the DFX is by far its best feature. I found it to be very reliable once I learned what it was telling me along with using full tones. Fantastic detector for coins and especially gold jewelry. What hampered it for me was the crude implementation of multi frequency and its poor performance in EMI and moderate to high mineralization.

The Equinox has an incredible simultaneous multi frequency implementation. If the DFX and especially the V3i could have had Minelab Multi IQ coupled with White's Signagraph display......that would have been detecting heaven for me anyway.

I had to really practice a lot on the targets I wanted to find with the DFX so that I really knew how they sounded and what the signagraph was telling me. Sometimes the audio would tell me one thing but the dual frequency signagraph would give a different picture. When the dual frequency signagraph matched up well with similar numbers I would dig, period
 
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