Nox 800 Update No Good

[flgliderpilot]

Just wanted to post my experience for information. My Nox 800 was great the last time out at my beach. Coins were loud, clear, and stable. I was able to find targets in the sand without using pinpoint. I had a killer day with it.

I ran the update a few days before going back to the same beach without any problems but the results were rather terrible. I worked in Beach 1 in the dry sand and Beach 2 down by the tide line/wet sand, all stock settings as before and the Nox was a mess on targets.

Pennies were running 16-22, Quarters 20-30, nickles all the way down to 6. I even dropped a quarter directly on the sand and it still bounced 20 through 30. Last time out coins were within a tight window and now they are all over the scale. That is when they even get seen. The dropped quarter on the sand was very unsure if there was a target or not. It sounded like half of the signal was being canceled mid swing. Did the same thing on an air test with no interference. I spent better than five minutes digging up a matchbox car at 5 inches because of how uncertain the Nox was on where the target actually was. I probably dug 10 false signals on a very clean beach. I turned the sensitivity down to 15 where I was running 20-22 last time. Not that that was the issue. The background was incredibly stable but when there was a target there it was a mess of different signals. I ran a factory reset in the middle of the day to try to get the device right and that did nothing. I cycled through the programs and they were all like that. Tried adjusting swing speed, ground balance, noise cancel, all with no effect.

A quick search showed me that reverting the update should be very easy to do and I plan to do some air tests tonight and then roll it back. I am hoping to get the old functionality back. It was a really great detector and I took care to clean and stow the Nox last time so I don't think it is some kind of damage or anything like that. The only thing I can point to is this update. I am going to test, roll back, and test again to see if that was it and I will update the thread with my results.

I noticed this also and posted about it last week... that is really not good news.

 

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[vferrari]

I noticed this also and posted about it last week... that is really not good news.

Did you roll back then?

 

[smokeythecat]

V is right it seems to be the oatmeal is just right or just wrong. Nothing in between.

 

[sprailroad]

I did say in another thread that the update did not "seem" to make any real difference for me, and wondered if it was just a little bit better beforehand. I did un-do the update, then reinstalled it, and went out to a trashy area yesterday with the 6" coil, seemed to do just fine, but really fella's I did not, and have not seen any noticeable difference as though it were a big deal. I also did not have a noticeable difference in going from good to less than good as others have. Speaking only for me, I wonder if I should leave well enough alone and not concern myself with an up-date. I've never had a detector before that had or could do that, and did just fine with them for whatever kind they were. I don't know, COULD this be a thing like when some EQ's had a wobble in the shaft, while others did not? I'm sure not, but you get my meaning. IF it's a 50/50 thing right now, I will continue to watch this thread, and MAY just exit AG (after up grade), and return to BG (before up grade).****Just a quick edit fella's (my post here is becoming way to long), before the up grade, I clearly remember that I was surprised by a number of dimes found "on edge", and I knew that because by cutting a plug, I could see the dimes stuck in the side wall of the hole, straight up and down, and thinking wow, this is really pretty neat. After up grade, only one so far, but in fairness, I am certain it's only because I have not come across any others. One thing of interest though, at home I stuck a silver dime in the ground (on top) straight up & down, and I had the 6" coil on, it hit on the dime in one direction only, which was to be expected, but what surprised me was that in "pin pointing" the center was not where the shaft meets the coil, but where the cable plug enters the coil instead, about 2 to 2 1/2 inches to the right, time after time, flatten the coin, and the pin point was right in the center again, where shaft meets coil. weird.

 

[vferrari]

Off center pinpoint is typical of an edge-on target before and after the update.

I have not had a chance to get any run time on the update so can't form a definitive position on it performance wise. What I do know is that the bug that erases all your custom settings if you shut down the detector from User Profile mode is fixed and a test I ran before and after update of getting a solid signal on edge-on stacked quarters (I know, a quirky unrealistic scenario) but interesting because before update Multi IQ gave a VDI of anything but a quarter in every direction and after upgrade Incoukd get a Quarter VDI in one direction.
Will post back with my opinion after getting some run time in real life detecting scenarios .

 

[flgliderpilot]

Ok, I went out and checked my test bed again now that the rain has subsided for a day. Numbers were closer to what was expected.

I laid some fresh clad down on the ground and all numbers were spot on and solid.

So at this point I'm thinking the update is just fine. It's likely corrosion happening in my test bed that is causing the numbers to drift.

If I can get some time, I'll go back to the old firmware and compare.

 

[Trokair]

OP I wonder if you went back to stock then tried to update all over again. Free and only take 5 minutes to try?

I may give that a go if I have some time. Honestly if it is back to stock then I will be thrilled.

 

[n3tuf]

I also updated my Nox800 and while at the beach this past weekend I also ran into some problems with the ID numbers jumping around and in all metal mode a clad quarter was sounding like iron when I swept the coil behind it. But I was able to find two rings one 10K gold and a Titanium band and a bangle bracelet and some clad. Some junk tarkets were max on depth scale but dug down TWO feet to find a can or a tire chrome rim.

 

[sprailroad]

Off center pinpoint is typical of an edge-on target before and after the update.

I have not had a chance to get any run time on the update so can't form a definitive position on it performance wise. What I do know is that the bug that erases all your custom settings if you shut down the detector from User Profile mode is fixed and a test I ran before and after update of getting a solid signal on edge-on stacked quarters (I know, a quirky unrealistic scenario) but interesting because before update Multi IQ gave a VDI of anything but a quarter in every direction and after upgrade Incoukd get a Quarter VDI in one direction.
Will post back with my opinion after getting some run time in real life detecting scenarios .

OK then, makes sense, I say that because the only reason I know the dimes were on edge, is that after cutting the plug, I could see the dimes right in the side wall of my hole right where the digging knife had sliced, which was about 2" or so off my pinpoint center. Problem? of course not, just a interesting little piece of infro. to add to my remaining few brain cells. All is good. By the way, I did "un-load" the update, then reinstalled it, everything seems just dandy.

 

[Minelab Matt]

Me like update.

Here is nox 800 old software vs nox 800 with new software...

 

[HighVDI]

It's a very strange thing with my experience so far. I originally thought I was a little rusty and not pinpointing correctly since I went about a week without detecting (rare for me). Got back into the groove and there seems to be an issue with pinpointing nickels for me. High conductors are spot on and everything is good. My nickels lately are mostly in the sidewall. It's odd. Not a deal breaker but I'm picky about efficiency and moving quickly. Really don't want to be hacking and searching in the sidewall. Still finding silver in the pounded parks though. Really can't complain.

 

[Minelab Matt]

I just dig everything repeatable and stable through a 360 degree turn.

8/10 times its a good target.

Matt.

 

[smokeythecat]

Staffydog 33 nailed it. Get picky, lose out.

 

[RustyGold]

Just wanted to post my experience for information. My Nox 800 was great the last time out at my beach. Coins were loud, clear, and stable. I was able to find targets in the sand without using pinpoint. I had a killer day with it.

I ran the update a few days before going back to the same beach without any problems but the results were rather terrible. I worked in Beach 1 in the dry sand and Beach 2 down by the tide line/wet sand, all stock settings as before and the Nox was a mess on targets.

Pennies were running 16-22, Quarters 20-30, nickles all the way down to 6. I even dropped a quarter directly on the sand and it still bounced 20 through 30. Last time out coins were within a tight window and now they are all over the scale. That is when they even get seen. The dropped quarter on the sand was very unsure if there was a target or not. It sounded like half of the signal was being canceled mid swing. Did the same thing on an air test with no interference. I spent better than five minutes digging up a matchbox car at 5 inches because of how uncertain the Nox was on where the target actually was. I probably dug 10 false signals on a very clean beach. I turned the sensitivity down to 15 where I was running 20-22 last time. Not that that was the issue. The background was incredibly stable but when there was a target there it was a mess of different signals. I ran a factory reset in the middle of the day to try to get the device right and that did nothing. I cycled through the programs and they were all like that. Tried adjusting swing speed, ground balance, noise cancel, all with no effect.

A quick search showed me that reverting the update should be very easy to do and I plan to do some air tests tonight and then roll it back. I am hoping to get the old functionality back. It was a really great detector and I took care to clean and stow the Nox last time so I don't think it is some kind of damage or anything like that. The only thing I can point to is this update. I am going to test, roll back, and test again to see if that was it and I will update the thread with my results.

I went to the beach today and what you posted above was the exact result I had after the update. I found 1 Nickel, 1 Quarter, 1 Dime and a zinc penny. I found a ton of beer caps and pull tabs. With the confusing signals, I think i'll return to the original operating system. Did you roll it back yet?

 

[Wiganer]

Both mine and the wife's 600 will also be getting rolled back, our last 2 trip to the Atlantic beaches were frustrating, false signals, in beach 1 and 2, and pinpoint way off, and wading in, up to the control box even with the sensitivity down to 16, it was acting like an at pro.

 

[HighVDI]

Staffydog 33 nailed it. Get picky, lose out.

How is your experience with the new update? I thought you unloaded your 600?

 

[jan nielsen]

My experience with the update is. Before update I could use field 1 and 2, on my roman field. But I would get good tones when I hit iron at the edge of the coil, and that irritated me. I had to stop and check the target out every time, I only use pinpoint on deep targets. The pinpoint was way off, sometimes pinpointing at the edge of the coil, not in the middle. So I tried park 1, at my roman field, and it was quiet as a church mouse and felt really good and stable, and wasn't reacting to iron as field 1 and 2.
Well then I ran the update, now I can't use park 1 or 2, and field 1 and 2. Because the detector react to almost every stone in the area, the ground in Denmark isn't that hot, but it's like the detector is way to sensitive now. I hunt in stock mode most of the time. Hope this make sense to you guys, it's easy for me to explain it in Danish but a bit hard for me in English. I will role back the update as fast as possible.

 

[dirtlooter]

So, from what I am reading, if you previously had problems or issues with various things with the EQ, the update probably helped in at least some of those areas. my 600 occasionally pinpoints very quietly or faintly but then is loud the next time (shallow or deep targets). The update may correct this or at least I hope so. The fact that you are able to uninstall it so easily is very nice. at this point, it may be a while before I get to use my machine again. it is amazing that there is so many variations of problems within a product and yet some performing just fine. so is it a component or a glitch? I guess one has to do the upgrade and then compare what is gained and or lost to decide what their machine actually performs best with.

 

[rx8driver]

Yes even more reasons to be glad I bought the Deus!

 

[cudamark]

Yes even more reasons to be glad I bought the Deus!

Like they didn't have problems with upgrades.....