I have a CTX. Thoughts about the advantages of an Equinox??

[Scrappy]

I very much enjoy my CTX for many reasons. However, time marches on and while a lot of technology annoys me, I enjoy new metal detecting technology. That said, I’m at the beginning stages of considering an Equinox.

From what I’ve read there’s a lot of new technology loaded into the Equinox. But I’m wondering how members out there that specifically moved from a CTX to an Equinox fared. Your thoughts are very much appreciated

Thanks,

Steve

 

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[vferrari]

First of all there are things the CTX can do well that the Equinox can not and vice versa. Really more of an apples to oranges thing. That is a fact. But overall, I think the Equinox is a more versatile detector than the CTX Here are some advantages/disadvantages off the top of my head. I do not own a CTX but have swung it and know how to use it. Do I know all its secrets and nuances that come from hundreds of hours of swing time. No. So I am going to keep the comparison mostly at the technology level vs. what can be done at a high expertise level with each detector.

Price/Performance - Obvious. Even accounting for what the CTX does better, the Equinox is much better VALUE.

Weight/Balance/Rod & Stem system - Equinox wins the weight battle, obviously. Even the large accessory coil is amazingly light. Is it better balanced than the CTX? I don't know. The Equinox is considered nose heavy. The CTX probably has a higher quality stem and shaft system that is not subject to shaft wobble and twist lock issues that have plagued some Equinoxes due to rod diameter tolerance variations. This is probably where some corners were cut in the interest of cost savings vs. CTX.

Water Detecting - Equinox and CTX both do well and have similar water detecting capability from the standpoint of the being able to be used in the water environment. Equinox battery is removable but does not have to be removed to be charged which is an advantage vs. CTX because you are not constantly disturbing the seals to recharge the battery.

Target Type Optimizations/Search Profile Customizations - Mid-conductor performance is better with Equinox than CTX in general. This is primarily an advantage of the Multi IQ multifrequency signal processing algorithms vs. FBS. Multifreq Tech has evolved and improved with MultiIQ vs. FBS, that is just a fact. There are mutiple Multi IQ profiles available in the Equinox (not just differences in user settings but actual differences in the way the signals are transmitted and processed) which favor or optimized for certain types of targets (coins (Park 1), jewelry (Park 2), deep high conductive targets (field 1), deep mid-conductors (Field 2), beach modes for wet sand (Beach 1) AND surf (Beach 2) and of course the Gold Prospecting modes on the Equinox 800 which I also use for relic hunting (also mid conductors) in hot soil. There is basically only one FBS profile with a multitude of user setting customizations which results in limitation. With the right setup, the Equinox can be set up to sniff out gold chains pretty well vs. CTX. Both machines run extremely stable in wet salt environments. I think Multi IQ will be at the heart of the next iteration of ML's high end VLF multi frequency successor to the the CTX.

Recovery Speed - No contest - The Equinox is faster than the CTX at the defaults which makes it a killer machine in trashy situations because it will separate much better, especially in iron. But, better yet, recovery speed is adjustable vs. fixed on the CTX so you have some flexibility in trading off recovery speed vs. depth. The 800 has more recovery speed adjustability (range and resolution) than the 600.

Ground Balance - I am sure that both machines can ground balance just fine, but he Equinox is also designed to work well in in highly mineralized conditions for prospecting purposes so it has a pretty good ground tracking algorithm. I think MultiIQ is also more forgiving than FBS to a less than optimal ground balance condition. Basically I would call this a tie with a slight advantage to Equinox.

Tones - great variety in tonal selection 2, 5, 50, and VCO pitch audio (Gold mode only). The tonal customizations including tone bins, volume, and tone pitch are fully customizable to you liking in the 800 (600 can only vary ferrous tone parameters). Not sure if CTX is more or less flexible in this regard, but I really could ask for more from Equinox here other than the ability use Tone ID in gold mode and VCO pitch in non-gold modes. Gold mode also uses true threshold for faint target determination. The threshold signal in the non-gold modes simply blanks on those targets that are discriminated out.

Visual ID - Perhaps no contest with the CTX Ferrous and Conductivity numbers- you can tell a bottle cap from keeper pretty easily from the VID number alone. This is not possible on the Equinox. You can infer things from the VID. Stability of VID can clue you into something. The 50 ID range promotes VID stability on the Equinox but some types of targets may have overlapping VIDs at depth. This is not really an issue if you take advantage of the superior Tone ID capability of the Equinox, especially 50 tones because a lot about the nature of the target under your coil can be deduced from the tonal nuances such as rise time, sustain, and distortion of the target tone. The tone pitch simply corresponds to the VID, but just like there is more visual target information on the CTX display in the numbers there is perhaps more audible target information in the Equinox tones. I think the CTX visual ID, recovery speed, and FBS combine to make the CTX deeper on silver targets than the Equinox under ideal (i.e., non -trashy) conditions and that is probably the major advantage of the CTX vs. the Equinox. But i am not sure how much deeper and this seems to be a niche advantage relatively speaking compared to what the Equinox can do overall vs. the CTX cost.

Depth Meter - not very accurate except for a narrow set of situations. I don't use it at all. The problem is that the tonal modulation/overload for shallow or large targets is practically non-existent. See the pinpointer discussion below for a workaround.

User Interface - Equinox is clean an simple with only a single layer deep menu of user settings. Each search mode is treated as a separate detector with its own ground balance and noise cancel settings. This is a blessing and a curse. Mostly a blessing because things are simple and self contained within each search profile but a pain to have to cycle through the modes to interrogate a target with a different profile. This is mitigated by a user profile save slot on the 800 which allows you to instantly shift between two different modes without cycling through them. I don't think the complex menus and programming of the CTX bring much more to the table vs. the Equinox UI other than confusion. Lol. Other pluses for Equinox include:

One touch all metal mode - a single press allows you to instantly remove all discrimination and notches you may have set up. A single press again they are all engaged again.

One touch to single frequency mode - allows you to shift from Multi and cycle through all the available single frequencies with repeated button pushes.

Pinpointer - quirky but adequate because is "ratchets in" on the target which can be problematic with multiple targets under the coil. However, since it is a sensitive non-motion mode it can be used to outline a target and has good depth modulation so you can use it to work around the shortcomings of the lack of Equinox modulation and depth meter performance.

Wireless audio flexibility - unlike the CTX you are not just locked into Minelabs proprietary wireless solution, you can use the proprietary wireless module provided with the 800 or you can also use the supplied or third party low latency bluetooth headphones with either the 600 or 800. The 600 requires a separate purchase of BT headphones or the ridiculously expensive ML proprietary wireless module that is included with the 800.

Accessory coils - CTX wins this one because it has been around awhike and 3rd party coil manufacturers have come through with a a variety of coils. That being said, the stock 11" round, the 6" round, abd the 15x12" elliptucal cover most of the bases for Equininox. Would like to see a 10x6 or 12x8 elliptical, solid coil. Lets see if the 3rd party coil manufactirers get in on the action.

As far as the other CTX bells and whistles are concerned (e.g., GPS tracking, etc.). Well...they are what they are. I use my phone for that stuff.

I am sure I missed stuff but that should get the conversation started.

 

[Patriot Relics]

I very much enjoy my CTX for many reasons. However, time marches on and while a lot of technology annoys me, I enjoy new metal detecting technology. That said, I’m at the beginning stages of considering an Equinox.

From what I’ve read there’s a lot of new technology loaded into the Equinox. But I’m wondering how members out there that specifically moved from a CTX to an Equinox fared. Your thoughts are very much appreciated

Thanks,

Steve

Hey Steve, had the NOX for a few months and honestly for someone with both a CTX and a Deus it didn't fulfill any need I didn't already have. It has better target separation on iron than than CTX, but can't touch the Deus with an HF coil. Depth advantage goes to the CTX as well on highly mineralized soil. If you plan on getting rid of both CTX and XP than its a nice balance of both...but in no way "better" than the combo in my opinion.

 

[sgoss66]

Scrappy,

I think the summary provided by vferrarri is extremely accurate, and I say this as someone that owns/hunts both the CTX and Equinox.

There are only two things I might quibble with, in his discussion. One, is that the depth meter is much improved, in terms of accuracy, with the new software update (version 1.75). It used to be next to useless, but I find it much better now, than before. Two, is that I disagree that the CTX is deeper on silver, in most soils. While this is hard for some to swallow, including myself, the truth is that the Equinox equals, or even betters, the depth capability of the CTX on silver coins, in many different types of soil. I am sure there are soils where a more clear advantage might go to one, or the other, but I no longer, grudgingly as though it may be, give a "depth advantage" to the CTX. CERTAINLY not on mid conductors, where the EQX is the CLEAR winner, but no longer on silver coins, either, as the Equinox is -- believe it or not -- the same, if not a HAIR deeper, than the CTX in all soil types I've hunted in...

Otherwise, I would concur essentially entirely with the excellent, detailed description provided by vferrari.

I also agree generally with VMI Digger's assessment; if you are very, very proficient with the CTX AND with the Deus, you may not find the Equinox as an "upgrade," as you basically have the vast majority of bases WELL covered, with the CTX and Deus, similar to how you would have them well covered with the CTX and Equinox. I think during Equinox development, Minelab targeted the Deus, and in the end was able to produce a machine that does very similar things, with similar skill, to what the Deus does. I am not a Deus user, but from all that I have read, and from those I know and hunt with personally, who have experience with both the Deus and Equinox, the consensus seems to be that both do very well, in similar circumstances, with the Deus getting the slight nod, if equipped with a HF coil, in picking through thick iron. Meanwhile, the Equinox seems to get the nod for ID accuracy at depth, AND -- big time advantage of course goes to the multi-frequency EQX for hunting wet-salt beaches and surf, vs. the single-frequency Deus. But, that would already be covered fairly well (saltwater/beach hunting) if you have a CTX. One last point -- with the Deus requiring different-frequency (and expensive) coils to achieve it's stellar results, while similar results can be had with the multi- and selectable-frequency Equinox, there's the cost advantage to goes to the Equinox, as well.

Anyway, just my two cents...

Steve

 

[vferrari]

Yep. I didn't factor in the Deus because Steve didn't ask about that but it definitely changes the equation. I find the Deus and Equinox compliment each other well. Though I recognized the advantages of multifrequency for wet salt beach hunting, I never took the plunge on the CTX due to high cost, weight, and slow recovery vs. The Deus. The Equinox answered my perceived CTX downsides and enabled me to get into multifrequency without busting my budget and with a fast machine. Would I take the plunge if I already had a CTX, who knows. I think the jury is split on CTX owners as to whether Equinox brings enough to the table to make the Equinox a keeper or even a replacement for the CTX, especially if they already also have a fast machine like Deus.

 

[toasted]

If you already have a Deus and a CTX then the only advantage to getting an Equinox is that you could sell your CTX buy a Nox 600 and have plenty money leftover.

 

[masterjedi]

You need both...

 

[cudamark]

I very much enjoy my CTX for many reasons. However, time marches on and while a lot of technology annoys me, I enjoy new metal detecting technology. That said, I’m at the beginning stages of considering an Equinox.

From what I’ve read there’s a lot of new technology loaded into the Equinox. But I’m wondering how members out there that specifically moved from a CTX to an Equinox fared. Your thoughts are very much appreciated

Thanks,

Steve

Two years ago when I went to England to detect, most people were using the Deus after having switched over from the CTX. This year, most were using the Equinox, and on average, were making more and better finds. That said, all three are great machines and were still being used with success, each with their own clear advantages in certain areas. If you already have, use, and are proficient with both the CTX and Deus, your main advantage in getting an Equinox (IMO) is small gold in salt water. Another advantage at the beach would be the lighter weight of the Nox, if that is an issue with you. The nice thing about the Nox is it's versatility. As Vferrari mentioned, it's several machines in one and does a credible job in each. If you need to just carry one machine for a variety of venues and conditions, the Nox is hard, if not impossible to beat at this time.

 

[lockster99]

I've had a CTX for several years and love it. But, I'm not one of those guys that utilizes all the bells and whistles. I have several machines and wasn't sure at first about going to a Nox.......but so glad I did. The CTX is a dinosaur compared to the 800. It's heavy and s..l..o..w..! It will be a back up machine for me now. Learn it and you will love it.

 

[ColonelDan]

I’ve had a Deus, AT Pro and currently have a CTX, (2) Excal 2s and the EQX 800. My hunting is focused on Florida beaches and my EQX has become my go to machine.

It’s recovery speed and sensitivity to small items like gold chains surpasses the CTX and Excal and it’s very customizable and tailorable to the environment. It’s also lighter and the user interface was designed with KISS foremost in mind....as a 70 year old former cav guy, I very much appreciate that!

With it's multi IQ/multi frequency, it has surpassed the Deus for my style of hunting so I sold the Deus.

The CTX remains a stellar machine and the Excal is unsurpassed if diving is your thing but I believe Minelab has broken new and modern ground with EQX technology that I’m sure we’ll see in some form within the CTX follow on....whenever that is fielded.

Just the view from my foxhole...

 

[GreenMeanie]

I sold my ctx when I got my nox.
The thing I think you gain with the nox is recovery speeds but otherwise I liked my ctx better.
If they make a lighter ctx I would be first in line for it lol.

 

[tnsharpshooter]

Here’s 2 videos I did.
Etrac shown and Eqx.
Test with nickel and nail.
Test with dime and nail.
CTX acts like Etrac if you do these test. (Conductive number wise)

Note the differences as far as high/low conductor vs which detector likes moreso.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vz77QsUpfxQ

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jfQwmf5JGQI

 

[Bart@Big Boys Hobbies]

First of all there are things the CTX can do well that the Equinox can not and vice versa. Really more of an apples to oranges thing. That is a fact. But overall, I think the Equinox is a more versatile detector than the CTX Here are some advantages/disadvantages off the top of my head. I do not own a CTX but have swung it and know how to use it. Do I know all its secrets and nuances that come from hundreds of hours of swing time. No. So I am going to keep the comparison mostly at the technology level vs. what can be done at a high expertise level with each detector.

Price/Performance - Obvious. Even accounting for what the CTX does better, the Equinox is much better VALUE.

Weight/Balance/Rod & Stem system - Equinox wins the weight battle, obviously. Even the large accessory coil is amazingly light. Is it better balanced than the CTX? I don't know. The Equinox is considered nose heavy. The CTX probably has a higher quality stem and shaft system that is not subject to shaft wobble and twist lock issues that have plagued some Equinoxes due to rod diameter tolerance variations. This is probably where some corners were cut in the interest of cost savings vs. CTX.

Water Detecting - Equinox and CTX both do well and have similar water detecting capability from the standpoint of the being able to be used in the water environment. Equinox battery is removable but does not have to be removed to be charged which is an advantage vs. CTX because you are not constantly disturbing the seals to recharge the battery.

Target Type Optimizations/Search Profile Customizations - Mid-conductor performance is better with Equinox than CTX in general. This is primarily an advantage of the Multi IQ multifrequency signal processing algorithms vs. FBS. Multifreq Tech has evolved and improved with MultiIQ vs. FBS, that is just a fact. There are mutiple Multi IQ profiles available in the Equinox (not just differences in user settings but actual differences in the way the signals are transmitted and processed) which favor or optimized for certain types of targets (coins (Park 1), jewelry (Park 2), deep high conductive targets (field 1), deep mid-conductors (Field 2), beach modes for wet sand (Beach 1) AND surf (Beach 2) and of course the Gold Prospecting modes on the Equinox 800 which I also use for relic hunting (also mid conductors) in hot soil. There is basically only one FBS profile with a multitude of user setting customizations which results in limitation. With the right setup, the Equinox can be set up to sniff out gold chains pretty well vs. CTX. Both machines run extremely stable in wet salt environments. I think Multi IQ will be at the heart of the next iteration of ML's high end VLF multi frequency successor to the the CTX.

Recovery Speed - No contest - The Equinox is faster than the CTX at the defaults which makes it a killer machine in trashy situations because it will separate much better, especially in iron. But, better yet, recovery speed is adjustable vs. fixed on the CTX so you have some flexibility in trading off recovery speed vs. depth. The 800 has more recovery speed adjustability (range and resolution) than the 600.

Ground Balance - I am sure that both machines can ground balance just fine, but he Equinox is also designed to work well in in highly mineralized conditions for prospecting purposes so it has a pretty good ground tracking algorithm. I think MultiIQ is also more forgiving than FBS to a less than optimal ground balance condition. Basically I would call this a tie with a slight advantage to Equinox.

Tones - great variety in tonal selection 2, 5, 50, and VCO pitch audio (Gold mode only). The tonal customizations including tone bins, volume, and tone pitch are fully customizable to you liking in the 800 (600 can only vary ferrous tone parameters). Not sure if CTX is more or less flexible in this regard, but I really could ask for more from Equinox here other than the ability use Tone ID in gold mode and VCO pitch in non-gold modes. Gold mode also uses true threshold for faint target determination. The threshold signal in the non-gold modes simply blanks on those targets that are discriminated out.

Visual ID - Perhaps no contest with the CTX Ferrous and Conductivity numbers- you can tell a bottle cap from keeper pretty easily from the VID number alone. This is not possible on the Equinox. You can infer things from the VID. Stability of VID can clue you into something. The 50 ID range promotes VID stability on the Equinox but some types of targets may have overlapping VIDs at depth. This is not really an issue if you take advantage of the superior Tone ID capability of the Equinox, especially 50 tones because a lot about the nature of the target under your coil can be deduced from the tonal nuances such as rise time, sustain, and distortion of the target tone. The tone pitch simply corresponds to the VID, but just like there is more visual target information on the CTX display in the numbers there is perhaps more audible target information in the Equinox tones. I think the CTX visual ID, recovery speed, and FBS combine to make the CTX deeper on silver targets than the Equinox under ideal (i.e., non -trashy) conditions and that is probably the major advantage of the CTX vs. the Equinox. But i am not sure how much deeper and this seems to be a niche advantage relatively speaking compared to what the Equinox can do overall vs. the CTX cost.

Depth Meter - not very accurate except for a narrow set of situations. I don't use it at all. The problem is that the tonal modulation/overload for shallow or large targets is practically non-existent. See the pinpointer discussion below for a workaround.

User Interface - Equinox is clean an simple with only a single layer deep menu of user settings. Each search mode is treated as a separate detector with its own ground balance and noise cancel settings. This is a blessing and a curse. Mostly a blessing because things are simple and self contained within each search profile but a pain to have to cycle through the modes to interrogate a target with a different profile. This is mitigated by a user profile save slot on the 800 which allows you to instantly shift between two different modes without cycling through them. I don't think the complex menus and programming of the CTX bring much more to the table vs. the Equinox UI other than confusion. Lol. Other pluses for Equinox include:

One touch all metal mode - a single press allows you to instantly remove all discrimination and notches you may have set up. A single press again they are all engaged again.

One touch to single frequency mode - allows you to shift from Multi and cycle through all the available single frequencies with repeated button pushes.

Pinpointer - quirky but adequate because is "ratchets in" on the target which can be problematic with multiple targets under the coil. However, since it is a sensitive non-motion mode it can be used to outline a target and has good depth modulation so you can use it to work around the shortcomings of the lack of Equinox modulation and depth meter performance.

Wireless audio flexibility - unlike the CTX you are not just locked into Minelabs proprietary wireless solution, you can use the proprietary wireless module provided with the 800 or you can also use the supplied or third party low latency bluetooth headphones with either the 600 or 800. The 600 requires a separate purchase of BT headphones or the ridiculously expensive ML proprietary wireless module that is included with the 800.

Accessory coils - CTX wins this one because it has been around awhike and 3rd party coil manufacturers have come through with a a variety of coils. That being said, the stock 11" round, the 6" round, abd the 15x12" elliptucal cover most of the bases for Equininox. Would like to see a 10x6 or 12x8 elliptical, solid coil. Lets see if the 3rd party coil manufactirers get in on the action.

As far as the other CTX bells and whistles are concerned (e.g., GPS tracking, etc.). Well...they are what they are. I use my phone for that stuff.

I am sure I missed stuff but that should get the conversation started.

Great post here! Very accurate.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I'm heading out tomorrow and will swing the 800 for the 4th time. I've had the CTX for 4 years now, and do love it. In my 3 times with the 800 I've been impressed with the simplicity compared to the CTX.

However, the CTX is like a scientist's machine compared to a beep & dig tool.

 

[vferrari]

I'm heading out tomorrow and will swing the 800 for the 4th time. I've had the CTX for 4 years now, and do love it. In my 3 times with the 800 I've been impressed with the simplicity compared to the CTX.

However, the CTX is like a scientist's machine compared to a beep & dig tool.

Beep and dig. Yeah, that's the ticket. I think Equinox is a tad more sophistcated than that. Lol. But yeah, its no scientific tool.

Neverthess, how complicated does it really need to be anyway? Why pay for an electro-hydraulic sledgehammer when a fly swatter can get the job done. Better yet, you can get yourself three different fly swatters and pocket the change for something else.

 

[ColonelDan]

Beep and dig. Yeah, that's the ticket. I think Equinox is a tad more sophistcated than that. Lol. But yeah, its no scientific tool.

Neverthess, how complicated does it really need to be anyway? Why pay for an electro-hydraulic sledgehammer when a fly swatter can get the job done. Better yet, you can get yourself three different fly swatters and pocket the change for something else.

Totally agree here. As old Leonardo de Vinci said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication “. 16th century version of KISS!

 

[Earlafindit]

Have both, like the Nox for the lightness, a break from swinging the CTX3030, both great machines , now that i moved to the beaches of Delaware , i mainly beach hunt, but to answer your ?, the Nox is a great addition with the CTX3030, happy hunting , Earl

 

[Truth]

So much lighter

 

[vferrari]

No detector really does it all. I think it pays to have a second complimentary detector to cover the bases.

If you have a CTX getting either the Equinox or a Deus makes sense to gain some recovery speed.

If you have a Deus, the Equinox is a great add to give you salt beach capability and all weather use without the Deus antenna waterproof pouch claptrap.

If you have an AT Pro/Max/Fisher F75/Nokta Impact/Makro Racer or Kruzer/Whites V3i, MXT or MX Sport again the Equinox is a good value to enable you to have Multi Frequency in your arsenal for stability on the beach and some flexibility in adjusting recovery speed and waterproof capability if your detector lacks it.

I think the Equinox obsoleting detectors is a ridiculous tag line, but it definitely adds some capabilities that might be missing in your arsenal without having to invest an arm and a leg.

 

[Scrappy]

I’ve slowly been reading my way through the posts and they were all very helpful. Thank you all for taking the time to explain things in length. For now it sounds like I’ll stick with what I have. The new features and perks sound great in regards to the Equinox though, and once my CTX goes I’ll probably pick one up. Thanks again