Equinox 600 settings.

digger460

Silver Member
Sep 19, 2015
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Southeast Grundy, Illinois
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Give her more time danec! I came from the atpro, and of course I wanted to start messing with settings to get the full advantage from the EQ, but what I've found , as well as many other's, that the presets are pretty darn good out of the box.

Typical park, I use Park 1, Park 2, and sometime's Field 1 preset's. All with 5 tone, because I don't get out enough to learn 50 tone's. Being proficient with 50 tone's is probably going to be the key over changing settings. IMO

Same as all machine's, just got to put your hours in! Just wouldn't mess with the settings for a while.
 

Stringtyer

Sr. Member
Jul 29, 2017
361
894
The Old North State
Detector(s) used
Equinox 600
Tesoro Cutlass
Bounty Hunter Tracker II
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I am entering the hobby with the Equinox as my first "serious" detector in over 30 years and am in the same boat about messing with the settings on my EQ-600. I took everyone's advice about getting in the field and sweeping without changing the settings. I generally use the presets for my location (park, field, beach) and have found them to work well. I do switch between Modes 1 and 2 from time to time. I have my machine set for 50 tones just to get used to what different targets sound like. The only thing I change on a regular basis is the sensitivity if I am in an area with high interference.
 

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danec71

Full Member
Oct 14, 2014
135
151
washington
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At gold
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My main problem is it seems like it's always picking up on something.it will get a hit or a choppy or high low type hit and as you keep sweeping over it the tone will change or go away.then if you keep trying it will show again then go away.keeping it balanced and using the noise cancel doesn't seem to help.even lowering sensitivity is the same.maybe this detector is just super sensitive.also can't seem to cancel out nails if possible.they will even give a pretty high reading so I will dig and find a nail.i know it's maybe best to dig everything but it seems like I'm getting some kind of signal on every swing.a broken signal with a high tone one way and a low the other or one that seems to come and go with every swing could be something good.but when it seems to make a noise with every swing it gets frustrating alittle.but I'm not giving up at all I will learn wasnjustnwondering about maybe something better then what I was doing.i am also just pretty much using presets and mainly adjusting sensitivity.
 

CoinFetcher

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Apr 29, 2012
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don’t focus on what the machine sounds like over crappy targets. When you says it not repeatable and really jumpy - that’s a sign of junk target. Sure dig em if you like, and in some areas you should dig more ‘bad’ Targets than others.

Maybe start by focusing on the tone of known good targets, like rings and coins. They are usually not very jumpy.

I have had a lot of good coins sound like nails, especially in the saltwater...
 

Stringtyer

Sr. Member
Jul 29, 2017
361
894
The Old North State
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Equinox 600
Tesoro Cutlass
Bounty Hunter Tracker II
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@danec71 ... I have had the same experience of high tone when sweeping one way and low on the reverse. I tend to give those hits a few sweeps to see if they ever level out and, if not, I move on. As for nails ringing in at a what sounds like a good tone or with a desirable number, that depends on the nail. If it a plain nail, it should show and sound as iron. If, however, it is a coated nail (cadmium, galvanized, or other coating) it may ring out as something worth digging.

As an example, I chased what looked like a good signal (tone and number) about 6 - 7 inches under a root in my daughter's yard only to find an old cadmium plated siding nail. Live and learn.
 

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danec71

Full Member
Oct 14, 2014
135
151
washington
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You are probably right about the nails.it doesn't really hit on old square nails but it does on just the kind of nails you described
 

EdHartzel

Sr. Member
Jun 12, 2018
269
789
Bucks County PA
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Minelab Equinox 600, Garrett GTI 2500, JW Fisher Pulse 8X
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As frustrating as it may be- time on the machine is the answer. I was in your boat 6 weeks ago. Factory presets in my area were chirping at cell phones and WiFi and who knows what else. I decided to turn my sensitivity down a few notches after performing the necessary noise cancelation- and learn the signals shallow obvious targets give before taking on the more advanced higher levels of sensitivity. 10 operating hours, 12 clad coins, and 20 pull tabs later, I gradually increased the sensitivity and can listen to everything in the ground.
 

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danec71

Full Member
Oct 14, 2014
135
151
washington
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At gold
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One of the hardest things for me to learn at this moment is I get a lot of quick hi tones with nothing the other way and then those tones will disappear and be kind of choppy and then they'll come back. And if you swing the opposite way there won't be anything. But it seems to have a Lotta Quick high tones than nothing. The lower broken tones are obviously no good It just seems like you get a lot of false signals. So I don't know if I should be digging those at all. The obvious ones are clear and I try to concentrate on that but I don't want to miss anything good . I know sometimes a good target can have a broken signal. But if I'm not wrong you should at least get a constant or at least some kind a solid signal that tells you there's something there. It seem like my garrett at was a little more stable but maybe this equinox is just really sensitive
 

Quisp

Jr. Member
Feb 14, 2011
79
102
Upstate NY
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Equinox 600, Teknetics Omega 8500, Garrett GTA-1000, Pro-Pointer
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One of the hardest things for me to learn at this moment is I get a lot of quick hi tones with nothing the other way and then those tones will disappear and be kind of choppy and then they'll come back. And if you swing the opposite way there won't be anything. But it seems to have a Lotta Quick high tones than nothing. The lower broken tones are obviously no good It just seems like you get a lot of false signals. So I don't know if I should be digging those at all. The obvious ones are clear and I try to concentrate on that but I don't want to miss anything good . I know sometimes a good target can have a broken signal. But if I'm not wrong you should at least get a constant or at least some kind a solid signal that tells you there's something there. It seem like my garrett at was a little more stable but maybe this equinox is just really sensitive

I'm struggling as well, trying my hardest listening to the tones to pick out the good from the bad. I haven't really found anything good, very deep yet. Next time out, I'm going to back off on the sensitivity a little, into the upper teens maybe, to make sure it's really quiet and listen for deeper targets. I've tried the All-Metal Pumping trick to help determine trash from treasure, but I don't think it really works all that well or reliably. Also, I think I swing it a little too fast as according to the manual it's 2-3 seconds per sweep. I'm probably sub-2 seconds.
 

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hunter_46356

Hero Member
Feb 12, 2012
502
306
Indiana/Florida
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NOx 800, AT Pro
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One of the hardest things for me to learn at this moment is I get a lot of quick hi tones with nothing the other way and then those tones will disappear and be kind of choppy and then they'll come back. And if you swing the opposite way there won't be anything. But it seems to have a Lotta Quick high tones than nothing. The lower broken tones are obviously no good It just seems like you get a lot of false signals. So I don't know if I should be digging those at all. The obvious ones are clear and I try to concentrate on that but I don't want to miss anything good . I know sometimes a good target can have a broken signal. But if I'm not wrong you should at least get a constant or at least some kind a solid signal that tells you there's something there. It seem like my garrett at was a little more stable but maybe this equinox is just really sensitive

You've not mentioned anything about Noise Canceling and Ground Balancing. If you continually find the Nox chattering and falsing try doing another noise cancel. I've been an hour into the hunt and suddenly I'm noticing more chatter. A noise cancel has cleared this for me. Don't blow off the high tone one way blips as junk. I've found coins laying right w iron that seem to be partially mask. Park modes use 5 and 6 response times. If you want to further investigate a possible one way high tone take it down to say 3 or 4 and listen to the target again. If it clears up dig it and see. Too High a Sensitivity can be just as bad as too Low. Got to find a balance for your conditions. This early in the learning curve you may want to dig more targets than your use to just to learn what the Nox is telling you.
 

Underwonder

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Jul 31, 2017
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You've not mentioned anything about Noise Canceling and Ground Balancing. If you continually find the Nox chattering and falsing try doing another noise cancel. I've been an hour into the hunt and suddenly I'm noticing more chatter. A noise cancel has cleared this for me. Don't blow off the high tone one way blips as junk. I've found coins laying right w iron that seem to be partially mask. Park modes use 5 and 6 response times. If you want to further investigate a possible one way high tone take it down to say 3 or 4 and listen to the target again. If it clears up dig it and see. Too High a Sensitivity can be just as bad as too Low. Got to find a balance for your conditions. This early in the learning curve you may want to dig more targets than your use to just to learn what the Nox is telling you.

This may sound elementary, but what is the proper way to noise cancel and ground balance on the Equinox 600. Just started with it and a lot of chatter. Do I raise it in the air? Press something? I choose the noise cancel but then what? press something?

Thanks. I am used to White’s but learning Minelab.
 

hunter_46356

Hero Member
Feb 12, 2012
502
306
Indiana/Florida
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This may sound elementary, but what is the proper way to noise cancel and ground balance on the Equinox 600. Just started with it and a lot of chatter. Do I raise it in the air? Press something? I choose the noise cancel but then what? press something?

Thanks. I am used to White’s but learning Minelab.

Straight from the manua, If you havne't read it.....be a pretty good idea. Here's the link for the whole manual. https://www.minelab.com/__files/f/326548/4901-0249-2 Inst. Manual, EQUINOX 600 800 EN.pdf

Auto Noise CancelAuto Noise Cancel automatically scans and listens to everyfrequency channel and then selects the one with the leastinterference.
1. Hold the coil stationary and away from the ground.
2. Press the Settings button to navigate to the Noise Cancelsetting in the Settings Menu.
3. Press the Accept/Reject button to initiate the Auto NoiseCancel process.Auto Noise Cancel can also be initiated on the EQUINOX 600 bypressing the Minus (–) or Plus (+) buttons.
4. During the Auto Noise Cancel process the Discrimination Scalewill show the progress of the operation, and there will be aseries of ascending tones (approximately 8 seconds).When this process is complete, the automatically selectedchannel will appear on the Target ID Display and threeconfirmation tones will sound.
5. Press either the Detect Mode button or the Pinpoint/Detectbutton to return to the Detect Screen.6. The new Noise Cancel channel will be saved for the currentSearch Profile
 

Underwonder

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Thanks, Hunter...Page 39. Yup! Guess I need to read it closer. The chatter is definitely improved.
 

pulltabfelix

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Jan 29, 2018
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Coin Fetcher is right about ignoring the junky target chatter. Yes coming from an AT Pro that can be harder to do. It drove me crazy on my 800. But I finally learned to set tone break and reduce the volume on crappy junk targets. Of course that is an 800 only feature. I am now mainly hunting civil war relics bullets, breast plates and belt buckles and old coins. Since I am not hunting rings, it is easier to set my breaks to lower the volume on unwanted targets and the set the ranges like 16-19 for bullets and above to really sing out loud.

I mainly bought the 800 for my hearing problem, but eventually found out the other benefits of tone break settings.

Just stick to it. I was frustrated for the first month with the 800.
 

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