Equinox 800 coils

[artman60]

Hi, not new here, but active after a long absence. I prefer hunting salt water beaches. For the last 17 years I used a Minelab Excalibur II. I have it chest mounted with a straight shaft. I recently got an Equinox 800, in almost new condition. I first used it last Sunday. I LOVED it! Love not being attached to anything, no cables to unit or headphones! The EQX came with the standard 11 inch coil. I have just bought the EQX 12 X 15 coil. I know 2 beach hunters who have huge coils, and they find more rings than anyone else I know. Now I don’t know that many MD’ers, so maybe that’s not a valid conclusion. Thoughts on the bigger coil at the beach?

 

[OBN]

I think a big coil on the wet or dry is fine and should be more beneficial since your covering more area but once you hit the water larger size can cause several issues.

From experience hunting in the water the last few years I've used a smaller coil on the AQ and loved it. I think I was losing about to 2 to 3 inches depth. That coil failed recently and now I went to the stock 12.5? from a 10 inch.. I took it out Monday and I swear I maybe the worse pinpointer on earth. Going to take me some getting use to the bigger coil.

Good Luck with the new machine and the big coil, I think you will do fine.

 

[itsaring!]

Bad thing about the Equinox 800 is the arm cuff and coil tabs break like glass. My 15" Equinox coil broke just sitting in a closet. I use big coils in wet sand and dry sand. Small coils in the water. Gold ring I just found hunting fresh drops wet sand I'd have never found with a small coil. Hunt took 4 hours and 15 minutes. You can cover a lot more wet sand with a 15" coil. You should see what we used to find with a DFX with an 18" Bigfoot coil at the beaches.

 

[Beachhunt1]

Thoughts on the bigger coil at the beach?

I have 1000's of hours on the Equinox with both the 11" and the 15"
Without getting too wordy. In a nutshell the 15" gives you more coverage, nothing else.
At the beaches I work, have to run the 15" 1-2 sensitivity settings less due to increased EMI and Black sand interference. Both 11 and 15" will hit the same depths.

I reserve the 15" for working wet sand without much water contact. Full water contact recoveries are very difficult with the 15" and swinging it in the water is beyond a chore. Good Luck!

 

[Pete e]

Hi, not new here, but active after a long absence. I prefer hunting salt water beaches. For the last 17 years I used a Minelab Excalibur II. I have it chest mounted with a straight shaft. I recently got an Equinox 800, in almost new condition. I first used it last Sunday. I LOVED it! Love not being attached to anything, no cables to unit or headphones! The EQX came with the standard 11 inch coil. I have just bought the EQX 12 X 15 coil. I know 2 beach hunters who have huge coils, and they find more rings than anyone else I know. Now I don’t know that many MD’ers, so maybe that’s not a valid conclusion. Thoughts on the bigger coil at the beach?

I have the 15" coil, but rarely used it...The 6" coil is actually very handy, and performs really well for its size..

 

[KOB]

I used the 15" coil about 90% of the time and had the pinpointing down. Coverage for walking miles on the beach was fantastic and seemed as though I got a consistent 1-2" depth increase. HOWEVER , in the heavy black , magnetic sand it is damn near worthless. In the water occasionally dropping it in a trough or shallow , slow moving water is OK. BUT forget about trying to swing it any length of time. The torque underwater will snap the ears. So a quality coil ear brace is essential. The smaller 11" coil is great for areas when there are targets littered every few inches or targets are stacked. And as itsaring mentioned , the arm cuffs are junk. There are quality aluminum ones you can buy cheap. I'd be leary about submerging the whole unit , do to water leakage issues. But is still a great machine. GL2U

 

[Surf Master]

On the Equinox , use the 15 in dry & wet only , why - not only the coil ears will snap , but the coil will flip in the current , 11 in the water , never submerged mine however , it would be an Excalibur under the water , stay tuned Itsaring will have a thread made- on repairing the Equinox Coil Ears , his broke ! I told him GM has a youtube video on the repair , on the 15 inch Equinox coil ears , I followed his JOB , turned out good , happy hunting .

 

[artman60]

I think a big coil on the wet or dry is fine and should be more beneficial since your covering more area but once you hit the water larger size can cause several issues.

From experience hunting in the water the last few years I've used a smaller coil on the AQ and loved it. I think I was losing about to 2 to 3 inches depth. That coil failed recently and now I went to the stock 12.5? from a 10 inch.. I took it out Monday and I swear I maybe the worse pinpointer on earth. Going to take me some getting use to the bigger coil.

Good Luck with the new machine and the big coil, I think you will do fine.

I agree with you about a bigger coil in the water, the 10 inch on the Excal beat me up!

 

[artman60]

Bad thing about the Equinox 800 is the arm cuff and coil tabs break like glass. My 15" Equinox coil broke just sitting in a closet. I use big coils in wet sand and dry sand. Small coils in the water. Gold ring I just found hunting fresh drops wet sand I'd have never found with a small coil. Hunt took 4 hours and 15 minutes. You can cover a lot more wet sand with a 15" coil. You should see what we used to find with a DFX with an 18" Bigfoot coil at the beaches.

My friend Petey who got me into this hobby, has an Excal with the WOT coil. It’s amazing how far away from him I have to get before that coil stops interfering with my machine!

 

[artman60]

I have 1000's of hours on the Equinox with both the 11" and the 15"
Without getting too wordy. In a nutshell the 15" gives you more coverage, nothing else.
At the beaches I work, have to run the 15" 1-2 sensitivity settings less due to increased EMI and Black sand interference. Both 11 and 15" will hit the same depths.

I reserve the 15" for working wet sand without much water contact. Full water contact recoveries are very difficult with the 15" and swinging it in the water is beyond a chore. Good Luck!

I agree with a large coil In the water being more of a workout that I’m interested in. I usually hunt Hampton beach in NH. It’s easy to get to, lots of parking. I once counted 35 other MD’rs on a Saturday morning in July. So yeah coverage is the name of the game on that beach.

 

[artman60]

I have the 15" coil, but rarely used it...The 6" coil is actually very handy, and performs really well for its size..

The other detector I use for land detecting is a Garrett’s At Pro, I put their 5 X 8 coil on that 17 years ago, and haven’t taken it off once. I LOVE that coil. We’ll see if I get to the point where I’m supplanting the Pro with the EQX, inland.

 

[artman60]

I used the 15" coil about 90% of the time and had the pinpointing down. Coverage for walking miles on the beach was fantastic and seemed as though I got a consistent 1-2" depth increase. HOWEVER , in the heavy black , magnetic sand it is damn near worthless. In the water occasionally dropping it in a trough or shallow , slow moving water is OK. BUT forget about trying to swing it any length of time. The torque underwater will snap the ears. So a quality coil ear brace is essential. The smaller 11" coil is great for areas when there are targets littered every few inches or targets are stacked. And as itsaring mentioned , the arm cuffs are junk. There are quality aluminum ones you can buy cheap. I'd be leary about submerging the whole unit , do to water leakage issues. But is still a great machine. GL2U

For now, anytime i plan on going in the water, I’ll be using the Excal. Seems from the replies here that in the non black sand beaches, (Which is mostly all I go to), other than the weight, no disadvantages to the 15 inch coil.

 

[artman60]

On the Equinox , use the 15 in dry & wet only , why - not only the coil ears will snap , but the coil will flip in the current , 11 in the water , never submerged mine however , it would be an Excalibur under the water , stay tuned Itsaring will have a thread made- on repairing the Equinox Coil Ears , his broke ! I told him GM has a youtube video on the repair , on the 15 inch Equinox coil ears , I followed his JOB , turned out good , happy hunting .

Total agreement on the Excal for IN the water! I recently found a diamond stud earring for a woman I know. She gave me a VERY nice reward, and asked that I use it for something fun, so I bought the 15 coil with it.

 

[artman60]

I used the 15" coil about 90% of the time and had the pinpointing down. Coverage for walking miles on the beach was fantastic and seemed as though I got a consistent 1-2" depth increase. HOWEVER , in the heavy black , magnetic sand it is damn near worthless. In the water occasionally dropping it in a trough or shallow , slow moving water is OK. BUT forget about trying to swing it any length of time. The torque underwater will snap the ears. So a quality coil ear brace is essential. The smaller 11" coil is great for areas when there are targets littered every few inches or targets are stacked. And as itsaring mentioned , the arm cuffs are junk. There are quality aluminum ones you can buy cheap. I'd be leary about submerging the whole unit , do to water leakage issues. But is still a great machine. GL2U

Would you recommend any specific coil braces for the 15, and the 11 inch coils?

 

[Beachhunt1]

My friend Petey who got me into this hobby, has an Excal with the WOT coil. It’s amazing how far away from him I have to get before that coil stops interfering with my machine!

If he gets close enough to cause noise, do a Noise Cancel. That will take care of it.

 

[Beachhunt1]

Would you recommend any specific coil braces for the 15, and the 11 inch coils?

I think they are all chit. Stay away from "Sunray" brand for sure.

 

[KOB]

Would you recommend any specific coil braces for the 15, and the 11 inch coils?

Idk right now. What used to be good a few years ago , turned out to not last. It's all in the plastic and how it's layered or made.

 

[artman60]

So while researching coil braces I see lower rods for sale and then carbon fiber rod kits. Are the carbon fiber rods lighter? Stronger, fine for salt water submersion? A lower rod on the 15 coil would make switching the coils easier/faster, where the 15 is heavier than the 11 would carbon fiber rods get me some weight reduction?

 

[KOB]

So while researching coil braces I see lower rods for sale and then carbon fiber rod kits. Are the carbon fiber rods lighter? Stronger, fine for salt water submersion? A lower rod on the 15 coil would make switching the coils easier/faster, where the 15 is heavier than the 11 would carbon fiber rods get me some weight reduction?

Not much. But what you will find with Steve's Detector Rods is he has a counter balance system. I had 1 years ago and it really balances the coil weight and is adjustable. Cool dude and many recommend his CF shafts. He may help you with the coil support.

 

[Surf Master]

Breaking the news bro., the 15 is heavy, & the coil ears are weak, unless Minelab straited out the flaw, had to repair my 15 , sold the 800 , than 15 later , David hunted the water with it , but I rebuilt the ears like a tank , happy hunting .