Minelab Equinox?

[JOe L]

Opinions on whether on not this will be an adequate gold metal detector?

I was thinking of picking up a Minelab 705, general use plus, a chance at gold, but, wondering on waiting on a equinox 800. I like things that are simple, single freq. but the equinox seems at such a high freq., it would be a general purpose metal detector with an advantage at gold.
Would appreciate input for the guys that know gold detecting.

thanks, Joe

 

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[smokeythecat]

The higher frequency would make it acceptable to gold, depending on the actual recovery speed of the processor in it.

 

[63bkpkr]

JOe L,

The Equinox 'Sounds' like an interesting machine however, the machines that have been in the hands of Tech Savy individuals are just that "Test Models" with the model that actually gets sold to us possibly being quite different than what was tested. The test machines were tested to find what 'tweaks' needed to be made to the test models to make the machines better for John Q Public to be able to use, IMHO.

In general, if you are hunting for nuggets in the mountains then you Must have a machine built for the heavy mineralization that exists in the mountains. Coin machines are not meant to be gold nugget prospecting machines though some machines have been made & sold that try to make that compromise.

In general we need to wait till the production Equinox machines are in the hands of capable users before we will learn just how useful they are and if they can switch from coin shooting to prospecting and still be worthwhile in both situations!

Or, you need to wait! Sorry, just no other thing to do but wait.....................63bkpkr

 

[DDancer]

Jonathan Porter has already found gold with it but no one is really commenting on prospecting functions of the EQ yet among the testers.

 

[JOe L]

I am a patient guy, and agree, need to see it in the hands of regular folks first. Some things seem to good to be true, I'm hoping this is not one of them. Thanks.

 

[63bkpkr]

Even my White's 6000 D would find gold in non-mineralized ground but not out in the mountains of California Gold country! Only time will tell what interesting machines will come out in 2018! I will admit that the waiting is miserable.....................63bkpkr

I will also say that the E's built in rechargeable battery will not work for me out where I go to play as I'm out for two weeks at a time, I need to be able to change out battery's. When the battery does stop working how does one have it replaced?

 

[RustyGold]

I wonder if you could use a solar charger, like they market for cell phones, when in the bush?

 

[JOe L]

Sounds like if there no way to plug a charger in, when she runs out, it's out. Even out in a campsite for an overnight, which I do detecting, with no power would be a concern. Maybe that's why they consider it a "general purpose" detector. I guess its expected you will be somewhere with an outlet. So, for the hard core gold seaker who goes off the grid for a few days, strike 1.
At least for a machine in my budget, the 705 I can carry a pack of batteries. Granted the 705 is far from a true gold detector, but for me who on the slight chance of actually using it for a nugget, is still looking good.

 

[63bkpkr]

JOe L,
I own the White's GMT and it finds the gold out in the mountains of NorCal with all the mineralization and I've heard it will find coins as well in the city though I've never tried that. For me its all about being able to function in the mountains for several weeks so I must be able to change out the batteries. I had the 6000D in the same canyon and it is not able to handle the hot ground in the mountains. (in the city the 6000D found gold or nickel just fine though high EMI in some city locations would really mess with the 6000D circuitry )

Now detectors read a small piece of a Nickel as gold so I would take a small piece of Nickel glued to a poker chip (or some other all plastic object) to a detector shop and see if the detector of your choice will read that small piece of Nickel. You will likely need a highly mineralized test bed to mimic the hot ground in the mountains but possibly the shop will have such a bed. Just a thought....................63bkpkr

 

[JOe L]

JOe L,
I own the White's GMT and it finds the gold out in the mountains of NorCal with all the mineralization and I've heard it will find coins as well in the city though I've never tried that. For me its all about being able to function in the mountains for several weeks so I must be able to change out the batteries. I had the 6000D in the same canyon and it is not able to handle the hot ground in the mountains. (in the city the 6000D found gold or nickel just fine though high EMI in some city locations would really mess with the 6000D circuitry )

Now detectors read a small piece of a Nickel as gold so I would take a small piece of Nickel glued to a poker chip (or some other all plastic object) to a detector shop and see if the detector of your choice will read that small piece of Nickel. You will likely need a highly mineralized test bed to mimic the hot ground in the mountains but possibly the shop will have such a bed. Just a thought....................63bkpkr

Thanks 63. I really have a Hugh interest in this but, can't justify a pure nugget machine being from the north east. Hence, the interest in the 705 or, maybe the new Equinox 800. If I was out in your area, I would look for a true gold detector. But, hey you never know when I'll be out west and may want to swing a detector. lol. I do allot of wilderness detecting in northern ny and central ny, streams, old stone fences, stream banks, mostly for relics. And allot of folks think I'm crazy, I even do a bit of panning in a few wilderness streams. Being close to VT, where you can pan successfully, I figured, what the heck. Thanks for you input 63.

 

[Jason in Enid]

..... so many people complaining about things that have already been hashed out.

 

[smokeythecat]

And to add to that, it's not even available to ordinary mortals. Joe L, nugget shooting in the northeast mountains will be extremely hard. Even in the Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia gold belts, we don't generally find nuggets.

 

[JOe L]

Not really hearing to many complaints, yes discussion on needing to plug it in (charge) to detect but, would not consider that really a complaint. But that's me. Maybe your idea of people complaining is just different than mine.
Smokey, I have no expetications of finding a nugget, but being out there looking is a lot more fun than not. I have fun just looking...you just never know what you find.
Anyway, I hope the Equinox turns out to be a great machine.

 

[XLV]

i don't know of any yankee nuggets in colonie i remember finding some train parts in guilderland and rotterdam but the word i hear is the 800 should be ok with a 6" coil and thats from a few down under boys so where u looking in that yorker state or u just after those train nuggets

 

[JOe L]

i don't know of any yankee nuggets in colonie i remember finding some train parts in guilderland and rotterdam but the word i hear is the 800 should be ok with a 6" coil and thats from a few down under boys so where u looking in that yorker state or u just after those train nuggets

lol, NY State is going to be the next Gold Rush in the US. No for me it would be a general use detector , but trying to get the wife to retire in AZ

 

[smokeythecat]

Joe L I agree it should be a good general use machine. The salt water capabilities may put it a step above some of it's competition. It's all speculation until a bunch of people have them and give us some feedback. Shouldn't be long now.

 

[Terry Soloman]

I have the 600 on order. I'm really looking forward to seeing how it behaves on the beach.

 

[smokeythecat]

Terry, I'm a fan of the dry sand so a loop on a stick with a 9 volt battery would work for me.

 

[XLV]

good luck in AZ joe l ....... am waiting to hear the word from the #1 yorker detector (terry)and his review before i buy a 800

 

[JOe L]

Old thread but, figured I would chime in and, granted it’s not an 800, but picked up the Equinox 600 and so far REALLY liking it...still here in NY, so if the day ever comes for a move Southwest, I’ll pick up a gold detector.