Is the Equinox 800 for you?

[maxxkatt]

This is directed at newbies and experienced detectorists considering the Equinox 800. A little about me. Many years of using metal detectors going back to the late 1980's.

Six years ago use the Garrett AT Pro for 3 years. Bought the Nox 800 in March 2018 in the very early part of the product release.

I hunt silver coins and Civil War relics in urban Atlanta.

The answer to the question in the title it depends.

It depends on the nature of the type of hunting you do.

If you hunt in open fields with little modern trash, then Yes get the 800.
If you hunt beaches for gold jewelry, the yes get the 800.
If you hunt urban parks loaded with metallic trash like aluminum, can slaw, poptops, pull tabs ,screw caps then maybe the 800 is not for you.
If you hunt urban civil war areas loaded with metallic trash like aluminum, can slaw, poptops, pull tabs ,screw caps then maybe the 800 is not for you.

It was not for me. I do hunt urban areas loaded with the above aluminum trash. It will report on every small tiny micro sized piece of aluminum. Thus to recover a ring, you would have to dig hundreds of junk items. Same in civil war area which you generally hunt with an open screen (no discrim) or all metal. The 800 will drive you crazy.

In an attempt to quiet down the 800 on all that micro metal junk, you have to reduce your sensitivity quite a bit and there goes your depth. That puts you slap dab in the middle of the clad and junk layer of 4-5 inches. So good-by deep silver.

Is the 800 a bad detector? Heavens no, just the opposite. Probably one of the best metal detectors ever designed. Can it be bad for your area? This is quite possible if you hunt in a trashy urban area and mainly hunt public areas. When you get private permission on old homes, there tends to be less aluminum trash and the 800 performs better than public parks.

So when you see experienced detectorist hunting with an older detector like the AT Pro or CTX3030 there may be a valid reason for not switching to the Equinox.

This is just my experience. I now have sold my 800 and bought a new CTX3030 and am finding deep silver.

 

[Ron 71]

Trashy public spaces is just about all I hunt with my 800 and it's the best detector Iv'e used so far, stick a coin in the middle of all that trash and the Nox will sniff it out. I think your advice that the Nox might not be a good trashy park detector for newbies is only good if they can afford a CTX 3030 or other high end unit like you did,before the Equinox I hunted those same old trashy parks with a single freq X-Terra and I can tell you it will not find those masked coins anywhere near as good as the Nox. It's not perfect for sure and those damned square nails always sound like a good target but I find WAY more masked coins and multi denom spills than I ever did with the 705. But then again if I had civil war areas I could hunt I would spend zero time in those trashy parks anyway

 

[stetam]

yup

 

[longbow62]

That's your opinion, and I respectfully almost totally disagree.

 

[Rad1sh]

I hunt all of the above types of ground. It works for me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[UT_Dave]

Trashy public parks and curb strips aren't my favorite places to hunt, but it's where I do most of my hunting.

I have to also, respectfully, almost completely disagree.

Most of my .925 and gold with the Nox, in those trashy parks, have come in the trashiest spots. Give me a picnic table surrounded with pull tabs and bottle caps over open quiet ground in my trashy parks every time please. It's where the good stuff is and for me, I find the Nox to help in picking the treasure from that trash quite nicely.

But, I'm a born again noob, too. Have only had my 800 since Sept. After ten years of no detecting.

I gave my old XLT to my buddy and he uses the !!!! out of it. Uses it way more than I'm able to use my 800. But I'm killing him in silver and gold count, hunting the same spots at the same time. Clad too, for that matter.

- Dave

 

[jmaclen]

When I am not gold prospecting or relic hunting with an Equinox 800, I am hunting in thick modern aluminum trashed parks and finding deep wheats and silver. In fact, I hunt places that my fellow detector users refuse to hunt, so places that are layered with aluminum trash.

So maxxkatt, like everyone else that has posted so far.......your experience and your advice could not be farther from my totally opposite experience of from the advice I give newbie Nox hunters.

 

[ToySoldier]

Sometimes people just have to admit they don't speak the same language as a particular detector. It's a subjective thing and not just about experience or hunting goals.

So, to anybody of any skill level thinking about a new detector, try to get your hands on one. At the least, get on YouTube and watch hunt videos where you can clearly hear the machine's audio.

 

[longbow62]

When I am not gold prospecting or relic hunting with an Equinox 800, I am hunting in thick modern aluminum trashed parks and finding deep wheats and silver. In fact, I hunt places that my fellow detector users refuse to hunt, so places that are layered with aluminum trash.

So maxxkatt, like everyone else that has posted so far.......your experience and your advice could not be farther from my totally opposite experience of from the advice I give newbie Nox hunters.

Jmaclen said "I am hunting in thick modern aluminum trashed parks and finding deep wheats and silver. In fact, I hunt places that my fellow detector users refuse to hunt, so places that are layered with aluminum trash."

This is me exactly, and I've stated many times on here that I bet I lot of people would not hunt some of the places I find silver in. I found a Seated dime a couple of months ago in exactly that type of spot. Machine gun iron, shredded aluminum everywhere and square tabs by the hundreds. By the way the worn Seated dime rang up 24-25. Would a CTX be the ticket there. I don't think so. I have pulled I bet close to 20 IHP's out of that same spot. I've dug 3 CW buttons there too.

Park1 or 2, 5 tones (No discrimination with bins setup in a way most trash is a lower volume while nickels and IHPs up to silver are set louder), Recovery 6, Iron Bias F2-0. I keep the horseshoe on all the time.

 

[DiggingThePNW]

This is directed at newbies and experienced detectorists considering the Equinox 800. A little about me. Many years of using metal detectors going back to the late 1980's.

Six years ago use the Garrett AT Pro for 3 years. Bought the Nox 800 in March 2018 in the very early part of the product release.

I hunt silver coins and Civil War relics in urban Atlanta.

The answer to the question in the title it depends.

It depends on the nature of the type of hunting you do.

If you hunt in open fields with little modern trash, then Yes get the 800.
If you hunt beaches for gold jewelry, the yes get the 800.
If you hunt urban parks loaded with metallic trash like aluminum, can slaw, poptops, pull tabs ,screw caps then maybe the 800 is not for you.
If you hunt urban civil war areas loaded with metallic trash like aluminum, can slaw, poptops, pull tabs ,screw caps then maybe the 800 is not for you.

It was not for me. I do hunt urban areas loaded with the above aluminum trash. It will report on every small tiny micro sized piece of aluminum. Thus to recover a ring, you would have to dig hundreds of junk items. Same in civil war area which you generally hunt with an open screen (no discrim) or all metal. The 800 will drive you crazy.

In an attempt to quiet down the 800 on all that micro metal junk, you have to reduce your sensitivity quite a bit and there goes your depth. That puts you slap dab in the middle of the clad and junk layer of 4-5 inches. So good-by deep silver.

Is the 800 a bad detector? Heavens no, just the opposite. Probably one of the best metal detectors ever designed. Can it be bad for your area? This is quite possible if you hunt in a trashy urban area and mainly hunt public areas. When you get private permission on old homes, there tends to be less aluminum trash and the 800 performs better than public parks.

So when you see experienced detectorist hunting with an older detector like the AT Pro or CTX3030 there may be a valid reason for not switching to the Equinox.

This is just my experience. I now have sold my 800 and bought a new CTX3030 and am finding deep silver.

I switched from a at pro to the nox in late 2018 early 2019. The nox smokes my garrett, In every location I have hunted. In my group of buddies (ctx 3030, whites dfx) I found the most silver 61 next closest one was 24. I think the nox crushes it in trashy areas especially with a smaller coil. I just started using the coiltek 10x5 and it is even more dialed in trashy areas with that. From my experience the nox is great in the trashy areas. Plus I would rather swing it while fighting through trash than a heavier machine like the ctx.

However I think spending a lot on a machine to start isn’t for everyone as a lot of the new people don’t stick with the hobby.

 

[Cherry Picker]

Well, all seem to have our likes & dislikes as well as expectations. That is why we don't all use the same detectors. One man's machine is another man's nightmare.

I could never understand why people liked Fisher detectors. I tried many of them and could just never click with them, yet years ago, they were all over these forums. Great detectors I'm sure because of the number of people who used to swear by them but didn't fit in my hands.

People can change with the right inspiration. My buddy was a Whites man, used to think the FBS E-Trac was useless and junk. He could never understand how you could find anything with all that noise. It was until he got tired of seeing me pull all the deep old stuff in our park that he faced the truth and asked if I'd show him how to use one. He is now a hardcore E-Trac user.

I believe to truly master a detector requires it to be your only machine. Years ago we didn't have a heard of detectors to use. I used the same Tesoro hunting parks, schools, forts, campsites so I knew how that detector responded to any condition and knew how to get the best out of what I had. I'm down to just two now, but I need to get to that one. I just haven't found it yet. Yes, I can choose to use only my 800, but I know that my E-Trac can best it on extremely deep coins. I will not accept second best just so I can use only one detector.

I love my Equinox 800 we click very well. I can hunt those trashy parks with little problem. I love the Deus more, but the price difference keeps me with the 800. For years I've looked for the one and still have not found it. The one detector to handle all my hunting and do the best job. My 800 kills in tot lots for gold, it kills in old sites for relics, and it kills in trashy parks & schools. It just doesn't give me the depth of the E-Trac in our city park. Nor does any other detector I have tested there. So until I find the one I will swing what I need for the places I hunt.

 

[graybeard]

In modern trash, farm fields or yards the Equinox 800 failed to perform like most people claimed it would do. How it does for someone else does me no good. I have found other detectors that for me perform better than the Equinox 800. So I traded the Equinox for an Etrac. I have not missed the Equinox any, glad to see it leave.

 

[metaladdict]

I have found depth on the Equinox has more to do with recovery speed .
Maxxcat you may want a Xp deus! Have you tried one?

 

[yooper69]

Also disagree ! Are you now gonna start giving all that expert advice on the ctx now like you did with the equinox and sell it to ? Slow down and take time to TRULY learn a machine .

 

[DiggingThePNW]

Well, all seem to have our likes & dislikes as well as expectations. That is why we don't all use the same detectors. One man's machine is another man's nightmare.

I could never understand why people liked Fisher detectors. I tried many of them and could just never click with them, yet years ago, they were all over these forums. Great detectors I'm sure because of the number of people who used to swear by them but didn't fit in my hands.

People can change with the right inspiration. My buddy was a Whites man, used to think the FBS E-Trac was useless and junk. He could never understand how you could find anything with all that noise. It was until he got tired of seeing me pull all the deep old stuff in our park that he faced the truth and asked if I'd show him how to use one. He is now a hardcore E-Trac user.

I believe to truly master a detector requires it to be your only machine. Years ago we didn't have a heard of detectors to use. I used the same Tesoro hunting parks, schools, forts, campsites so I knew how that detector responded to any condition and knew how to get the best out of what I had. I'm down to just two now, but I need to get to that one. I just haven't found it yet. Yes, I can choose to use only my 800, but I know that my E-Trac can best it on extremely deep coins. I will not accept second best just so I can use only one detector.

I love my Equinox 800 we click very well. I can hunt those trashy parks with little problem. I love the Deus more, but the price difference keeps me with the 800. For years I've looked for the one and still have not found it. The one detector to handle all my hunting and do the best job. My 800 kills in tot lots for gold, it kills in old sites for relics, and it kills in trashy parks & schools. It just doesn't give me the depth of the E-Trac in our city park. Nor does any other detector I have tested there. So until I find the one I will swing what I need for the places I hunt.

The etrac is a great machine. A silver slayer for sure. I’ve seen them first hand crush it. Almost got one. I think the reason like you stated is one’s preference. I have been hesitant to change cause I have over 3000 hours on the nox and it took me quite some time to figure it out.

 

[mandad76]

Some people swear by 'em.....some people swear at 'em.

 

[atomicbrh]

It would be nice if someone had a detector rental service offering to rent detectors out for a period of time to see which detector each individual really bonds with before buying. A few minutes with a detector are not enough to make a decision to purchase.

 

[ToySoldier]

It would be nice if someone had a detector rental service offering to rent detectors out for a period of time to see which detector each individual really bonds with before buying. A few minutes with a detector are not enough to make a decision to purchase.

Fortunately, higher end detectors hold their value pretty well. The loss from selling it would be less than any rental fee when you consider how long you get to keep it.

 

[MTtrashdigger]

I have found depth on the Equinox has more to do with recovery speed .

This ^^^​

Used to hunt with recovery speed at 6 almost all of the time. Dropping to 4 gives me another 2 inches of detectable depth. You just have to slow your swing accordingly. 2 inches my not sound like much (until you ask your wife of GF) but 8 inch coins that were barely a squeak at 6, now come alive at 4, and 10 inch deep targets are very detectable with the stock 11 coil. I hunt junky parks and the shallow easy silver is all gone. Deep rusty iron still fools me quite often but so far, I am still willing to pay that price for some deep, old goodies.

 

[yooper69]

So what's next for you max after the ctx ? Let me know what you want for it.