Equinox 800 owners - was it hard to learn?

[pulltabfelix]

My last detector was an AT Pro for three years and various detectors back to 1988.

When I sold my AT Pro and bought my Nox 800 in March 2018 I was quite surprised at what I didn't about detectors in general. The 800 took a long while of study of forum comments, Clive's two books and many hours of hunting. I am just now feeling very comfortable with and in control of the 800. I think I learned more about metal detecting in the last 6 months learning how to use the 800 than in all my years of detecting.

What was your experience coming to the 600 or 800 from another manufacturer than Minelab? I figure owners of other Minelab detectors would have had an easier time learning the 800. Also what is your major disappointment with the 800? Mine was the hype that it could unmask non-ferrous objects among ferrous only to learn about Iron falsing problem. That was my major disappointment. Mostly everything else was a big plus in my book. Oh, yeah i really don't look at the depth indicator. It is of little use since it will report a surface coin 1-2 bars down.

 

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[cudamark]

I went from White's to Minelab over a period of years. When I got the Equinox 800, it wasn't a difficult learning process. I use the same method I've used in the past when getting a new machine (I've had probably 20 new ones over the last 48 years), I go to the beach and dig everything for a good 100 hours. You learn in a hurry doing that. I actually like it's performance in heavy iron. I find it works great. I'm very pleased with the machine, but, if I had to point to one shortcoming, I would say being able to I.D. a bottle cap. I still dig tons of those. They just sound too good to ignore. Other than that, I have to say it's one of the best machines I've ever used.

 

[vferrari]

Yeah, the beach in wintertime is also where I was able to learn the Equinox too. Recovering targets is easier there and you can just dig it all an work on your tone ID muscle memory. On the dry sand you can experiment with any mode, not just beach. It is a great detector proving ground if you are lucky enough to have nearby access to one.

 

[RustyGold]

Coming from the CTX it seemed way easier to learn for me. The layout and key functions on the controller seemed logical.
Plus, all I hunt is the beach so as vferrari says it’s a great testing ground.

 

[Owassokie]

My last detector was an AT Pro for three years and various detectors back to 1988.

When I sold my AT Pro and bought my Nox 800 in March 2018 I was quite surprised at what I didn't about detectors in general. The 800 took a long while of study of forum comments, Clive's two books and many hours of hunting. I am just now feeling very comfortable with and in control of the 800. I think I learned more about metal detecting in the last 6 months learning how to use the 800 than in all my years of detecting.

What was your experience coming to the 600 or 800 from another manufacturer than Minelab? I figure owners of other Minelab detectors would have had an easier time learning the 800. Also what is your major disappointment with the 800? Mine was the hype that it could unmask non-ferrous objects among ferrous only to learn about Iron falsing problem. That was my major disappointment. Mostly everything else was a big plus in my book. Oh, yeah i really don't look at the depth indicator. It is of little use since it will report a surface coin 1-2 bars down.

I agree with you on the learning curve. It's been a slow process of learning, coming from Garrett. It was tough to watch all the more advanced detectorist pick up the 800 so quickly. But I eventually ascertained that most people picking it up quickly were Minelab or Dues owner. I rarely deal with iron falsing. My biggest issues is aluminum showing up in the coin numbers. I was pretty good at discriminating with the pinpoint function on my ACE. I still haven't refined that skill with the 800. I'm not digging shallow full size aluminum cans any more but the park I hunt at has tons of cans, caps and can slaw. My last time out, I dug a can lid that was 12" down. I don't even know how it got that deep.

 

[pulltabfelix]

I have had soda can lids do that to my 800. Sounds like a silver coin. I wonder who cuts off a soda can lid and discards it? As to deep, I have found them deep also. Maybe construction or landscape workers chunk the cans. but just the can lid?

In field 2, 50 tones I can identify most soda bottle caps easy with a little whoop at the end and not crisp clipped sound like a coin. Hard to describe the whoop, maybe just a little tone change trailing.

 

[1942 merc]

ATP was pretty simple , Then I went to deus to confused . I still have my deus but only used it once last year .I dug so many bottle caps and deep rust with the deus I lost all interest and picked up the 800 . Like a duck to water with the 800 .I found more and better items with my 800 in one season than all others combined . No learning curve just good finds and way less junk . I do better with the larger factory coil . Small coil like nails to much .

 

[Happa54]

I came off of a ML Safari so the Nox was an easy transition into listening for the tones. My best education on this machine comes from lot hunting. It's like a hardware store under the soil. I run into every type of metal, relics and coins... and I like it more so than parks.

 

[Racso]

To me it was easy to use, just choose one of the presets and go. I found a silver chain on the first day and gold on the second. I have used a TDI sl, Garrett Atx, sovereign gt and Excalibur. My first detector was the TDI and I started off in the dry sand with it. When it comes to the Equinox the only things I have changed from the presets are the sound and pitch of them. I switched the gold to give me a high tone and silver a low. I only hunt beaches and never ground balance and this has worked great for me. I’m rather new to detecting and all the experts that have this machine don’t ground balance either even in black sand. I have found more gold and silver with this machine then any other. The only thing I don’t like about the detector is the grip.

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

Coming from a Garrett A250, it was very challenging to learn the 600. Now, after a few hundred hours, I love it. Use Field2 and lower sensitivity if you are digging to many false high tones. Also keep the Horseshoe on and listen for pure tones that don’t drag iron with it.

 

[boxxxer]

I also came from at pro then I went to deus then on to equinox, equinox is much easier to learn than the deus. but overall if you did good with the at pro you will do better with the nox.

 

[pulltabfelix]

ATP was pretty simple , Then I went to deus to confused . I still have my deus but only used it once last year .I dug so many bottle caps and deep rust with the deus I lost all interest and picked up the 800 . Like a duck to water with the 800 .I found more and better items with my 800 in one season than all others combined . No learning curve just good finds and way less junk . I do better with the larger factory coil . Small coil like nails to much .

so far the 15 x 12" coil is my "go to" coil. hunting large parks and fields. The increase coverage is really sweet. No problem with weight, I use a swing harness. Maybe some extra depth, but it seems to me it make all signal sound clearer and more solid TID's. Like several said on these forums, lowering recovery speed is essential with this coil. I run mine at 4. and sensitivity between 19 - 22. Runs real quiet and picks out some stuff I and others have missed in a public soccer field.

 

[RustyGold]

I watched so many YouTube videos on the operation of the Equinox that by the time I had one in my hands it felt familiar.

 

[Trezurehunter]

It wasn't as bad for me, as I used the Minelab Explorer SE Pro before the Nox 800. Still like my Fisher CZ 5 in certain circumstances ! Now that was an easy one to learn.

 

[saanich2018]

I am also new to this hobby. I just got my 800 a few weeks ago. But before I even had it, I was watching videos and asking lots of questions, and then after I got it I was asking a lot of follow up questions.

I have only really been able to use it once, but it was far easier than I expected.

Hey, I found a ring my first time out.

 

[Bodkin]

I came from the Minelab Excalibur (all tones, no screen, visual numbers or depth). Great machine on the beaches of FL, not so much on the varied terrain of Maine. It was like starting from scratch for me, which isn't a bad thing. As I believe vferrari said something to the effect in a previous post "you'll still hit on 90% of the targets regardless of the setting" (well something like that anyway). I'm finding he was right. You may miss some targets right at the beginning but you will be learning the machine and it's capabilities without sacrificing too. Hitting on the 90% keeps me from getting too discouraged too. If I can learn it (albeit slowly) without braking the machine against a tree, none should have a problem.
Small disappointment: Yes, depth indicator. I don't really find it accurate. No biggie.
Bigger disappointment: Fragility of construction. I like the light weight but at every turn I'm looking to see if I broke something. The biggest test will be in the spring when I start using it in the thickets up here. That cable connection to the back of the panel keeps me up at night. What kind of sad design was is that!!!

 

[mossy99]

Hi all,
Started off with Ace 250, CS 4PI and followed with the full Deus. Most of my detecting relates to beach searches hence the purchase of the Equinox 800. After the Deus [ now sold ] it was not difficult to understand the intricacies of the 800. This machine is a delight to use and, using mainly factory settings, comes up with the goods ! Boy, does this machine go deep ! Really good targets, such as silver and gold ring up lovely firm sounds. My best find [ last week ] a stunning silver buckle, yet to be dated, but considered to be 1730 "s. Access to some great beaches here in S.Wales so consider myself to
be very fortunate/ Can"t wait to get out again. Happy hunting folks !
[ Forgot to add, the buckle was found on pasture land ]

 

[SurgTech57]

The 800 is my second detector and like you pulltab I study the forums, read Clives books but don't have as many hours as I'd like under my belt. That said my first detector is a ML Excal II and I got quite proficient with it many thanks to OBN whom I consider a zen master of the Excal II, also learned technique and skills from Casper though he uses a Fishers 21, of course again Clive and his books, and the forums.
I do have to admit that for me the learning curve with the 800 is a lil longer because it has so many more bells and whistles compared to the Excal II. On the Excal II it was more about just listening to what the machine was telling me was in the ground and the setting per beach conditions are easily changed.

 

[Acquisitor]

The 800 is my second detector and like you pulltab I study the forums, read Clives books but don't have as many hours as I'd like under my belt. That said my first detector is a ML Excal II and I got quite proficient with it many thanks to OBN whom I consider a zen master of the Excal II, also learned technique and skills from Casper though he uses a Fishers 21, of course again Clive and his books, and the forums.
I do have to admit that for me the learning curve with the 800 is a lil longer because it has so many more bells and whistles compared to the Excal II. On the Excal II it was more about just listening to what the machine was telling me was in the ground and the setting per beach conditions are easily changed.

Honestly and perhaps prematurely but my feeling is that learning excl to perfection is way harder than learning to use the nox.

 

[cudamark]

Honestly and perhaps prematurely but my feeling is that learning excl to perfection is way harder than learning to use the nox.

Not around here. We pretty much run the ExCal as hot as you can and dig everything non-ferrous. Can't do that very often with the Nox. It just gets too chatty and drives you crazy with false signals.