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Equinox 600 depth

Badfish

Full Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2018
Messages
106
Location
NW Mich
Alright I’ve had the machine since beginning of August roughly. Every now and then a nickel signal of 13 pops up ornother signals but there are no shovels next to it indicating depth. Why is this what am I missing? Searched the manual not much help. Any reply’s would be greatly appreciated.
 
Alright I’ve had the machine since beginning of August roughly. Every now and then a nickel signal of 13 pops up ornother signals but there are no shovels next to it indicating depth. Why is this what am I missing? Searched the manual not much help. Any reply’s would be greatly

The depth gauge is for coin size targets. With that being said the one on the Equinox is not right most of the time. At least mine isn't. I ignore mine most of the time. I see you have a small number of posts. New to the forums or to the hobby? A solid repeatable signal usually will give some type of depth reading. If it is just a blip on one swing that will not consistently give a good signal on repeated swings then a depth reading is irrelevant. Most likely iron. The best advice I ever read on any forum.....Put a bag over the screen and leave it there until you get a repeatable signal. Detecting is done with the ears. It always will be.
 
Sound first; if your neck is sore after a hunt, you have been staring way too much at the display while swinging. Listen first, look at the display when it’s a good repeatable signal. Your detector talks, listen to it.:yes:
 
.... Every now and then a nickel signal of 13 pops up ornother signals but there are no shovels next to it indicating depth. ......

I'm not exactly sure what you're asking but I'll take a stab.

If you are saying that your nickels aren't at the depths you expected from the depth indicator, just stop using the depth indicator. Honestly, its not accurate if there is ANYTHING close by (which is 96% of the time)*

If you are saying you are getting tiny bits of shallow aluminum where you expected a deep nickel... thats just part of metal detecting. Manufacturers calibrate responses for coin sized targets same large like a pop can will read very shallow when they are a foot deep, and tiny bits of scrap will read like a very deep coin.


* 106% of all statistical percentages are made up on the spot and just a WAG
 
I’m just asking when I get a solid signal and there are zero shovels next to it does that mean it’s super deep or shallow?
 
I’m just asking when I get a solid signal and there are zero shovels next to it does that mean it’s super deep or shallow?

Oh, thats what confused me. I've always seen them as just generic "depth indicator marks". I never saw them as "shovels"

From my experience, no marks often means very deep. Re-swinging over a target multiple times will often result in all marks shown after the initial swings showed none.

The best depth indicator is your pinpoint button. You can tell depth by how it responds. Some scream at you, some are loud, some are smooth, some are barely there.
 
the gauge is more like a guideline. Sound is the key.

potc guidelines.jpg
 
I know what you are asking, but not sure about the "why". I get that sometimes with the 800. Not just on nickels; sometimes the depth meter just seems to go blank. I think it sometimes takes a couple swings back and forth over a target to get a lock on target depth; especially when there are a lot of targets being analyzed. No biggie...unless it happens a lot.

BTW, the depth meter icons(bars) indicate two inches each for a US Quarter. It depends on the size/mass/etc. of the object. For dimes and pennies, it's closer to one inch for each bar.
 
I appreciate the "listen first" comments made by a few on this subject.. very interesting.. something I am trying to learn..

While still new-ish with the 600 myself, I do understand what the OP is asking about the depth. My personal experience is that I get this often as well.. Strong signal but no depth 'guessing' from the unit.

I often do ball parks etc in Park 1 (dunno why) and when I do hit one of those loud targets but no depth indication, I push my Garrett Carrott against the sod until it pin points to the object so I can dig as small a hole as possible..

Generally speaking, a "no depth indicated" object will be found in less than 6".. and could be just about anything.. coin or pull tab.. Don't know why it won't show up more regularly as it would with some objects. I thought at first perhaps it was determined upon the material but haven't proven that one out yet.. it will do it on same objects or not.

I'm still in the "dig it if it beeps" mode to learn more on how the signal sounds and read, keeping notes in hopes of this all making sense at some point ;)

In the mean time, fun fun fun!
 
The number of people concerned with “depth indicators” and “pinpoint buttons” always amuses me. I use neither and probably wont update my Nox as these seem to be the main fixes that bothered people for whatever reason that is beyond me.
 
The number of people concerned with “depth indicators” and “pinpoint buttons” always amuses me. I use neither and probably wont update my Nox as these seem to be the main fixes that bothered people for whatever reason that is beyond me.

Surely you realize how arrogant and condescending your reply comes across. You are saying "My hunting sites are so much better than everyone elses, you all are just trash".

The vast majority of "us" hunters are dealing with modern trash we are trying to see around. It very simple to dig everything that beeps. You can't do that in the majority of "normal" places because it would look like a bulldozer tore through. We have a much harder job of learning what is modern and what is shallow to sneak the old and valuable from in between the detritus.
 
Surely you realize how arrogant and condescending your reply comes across. You are saying "My hunting sites are so much better than everyone elses, you all are just trash".

The vast majority of "us" hunters are dealing with modern trash we are trying to see around. It very simple to dig everything that beeps. You can't do that in the majority of "normal" places because it would look like a bulldozer tore through. We have a much harder job of learning what is modern and what is shallow to sneak the old and valuable from in between the detritus.

No. Im just saying I dont use depth indicators or pinpoint buttons. We all make choices where to hunt, how much trash we want to dig and how we go about doing it. I am no stranger to hunting trashy sites. One of the best sites Ive ever hunted is a elementary school yard still in use. Ive spent hundreds of hours there digging every little bit of canslaw, pencil eraser top, rotted zincolns etc to get all the good stuff. Doesnt look like a bulldozer went through there at all.
 
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OP...when you have this happen,such as the most recent “13” you had with no shovels...when you dug the target,what did you find,and at what level did you find it?
3 things to consider,one has been mentioned here already...
1) Always “center” the target by sweeping from one axis,then turn 90 degrees and sweep again. The most accurate information will be gotten from the intersection of those two sweeps. If the target is not exactly under the center of the coil,depth and Conductive readings will be off.
2) Always listen to the DURATION of your signal. A quarter at 3” deep will be a very robust and obvious signal with a relatively long signal duration. A dime 8” deep will not be as robust,and the duration will be considerably shorter and less prominent. All of this comes with time and will become second nature.
3) Pinpoint volume will tell you if the target is shallow,medium or deep. I don’t know if the EQ has “pinpoint sizing” but if not,go by volume. If you engage pinpoint,sweep the target and it goes “WEEEEEEE-WEEEEEEEE!!!!” it’s shallow. If it goes “zip-zip” it’s considerably further down.

For those new to the Carrot...applying pressure to the tip by pressing it into the dirt will result in a false signal. It is NOT a digging tool. The scraper edge is for sifting around in loose dirt already removed from the hole,not for tunneling through rocks!:grin: Just a bit of humor to get some folks headed in the right direction with minimal headaches...
 
No. Im just saying I dont use depth indicators or pinpoint buttons. We all make choices where to hunt, how much trash we want to dig and how we go about doing it. I am no stranger to hunting trashy sites. One of the best sites Ive ever hunted is a elementary school yard still in use. Ive spent hundreds of hours there digging every little bit of canslaw, pencil eraser top, rotted zincolns etc to get all the good stuff. Doesnt look like a bulldozer went through there at all.

“Pencil eraser tops”....ahhhh,good times,good times....My GOD I hate those things!:lol:
 
I use the depth guage a lot , when I am looking for silver it gives me a hint on whether it may be deep enough for silver or a shallow clad. For that purpose I have found it to be pretty accurate , just as an approximate guide. When a number comes up with a blank depth reading my theory its usually either really deep and/or not coin sized or its multiple targets and possibly overloading the machines ability to read it.....much like some detectors overload on a surface target and sometimes go blank on the ID number or throw some crazy digits that don't really correspond to the tone.
 
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