My Nox has just flooded.

[Doug H]

Knock on wood, I used my 600 a bunch of times underwater this year as that's my preferred hunting and I've had no problems. But I have to admit, with the flooding reports I've read here on tnet, it's always in the back of my mind.

 

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[sandmartin]

I’ve had my 800 underwater and have experienced no leaks. Yet..
Mine is an early purchase in 2018. So not all are leaking. When I have had it under water for 30 min. I let it air dry in the sun and seem to have no issues. Yet..

I think you will be fine, I would hazard a guess that machines would leak almost immediately if they were one of the faulty ones.

 

[Blak bart]

This is funny....it would take me longer to fill the tub than it would to jump in the ocean and test it in real world conditions. If you people are testing it in a static environment in a bathtub and claiming waterproof in less than a foot and a half of water....well...then your probably not a water hunter to begin with. I hope that's not how minelab tests there waterproof rating. I think were confusing waterproof with water resistant here. I'm not sure if metal detecting company's have a standard to adhere by to claim a waterproof rating....but if they dont they need one. 33 feet would be a good standard like many watch makers do. So if I have a standard pair of headphones on and the socket gets wet my headphones go nuts and the machine is basically useless until i dry it out and fiddle with it. Try that 4-5 time a hunt.....super frustrating!! That could be eliminated by just sending us the screw in type waterproof headphones with our purchase !! You buy a waterproof machine yet you cant take it in the water until you make an additional purchase. That's BS !! Well I said no problemo....I'll just use the external speaker underwater !! Hhhaaaa ha....good luck with that....I looked like some kind of wounded fish trying to hold the speaker close enough to my ear to hear it and swing the coil at the same time. I slowly worked this machine over multiple hunts deeper and deeper until I reached the 6-8 ft level. It held for 20 mins before failing at the 8 ft mark. That's 2 ft. Shy of its rating. By the way that was the first time beyond the 4ft. Mark. Why would I fear taking my repaired unit back to that depth you ask ?? Because it already failed the first time !!! I dont want an ongoing weekly relationship with minelab, I dont want to spend my time filling out warranty apps., I dont want to have to burp my machine all the time, and what good is it to have to dry out my headphone socket everytime it gets splashed..... that is all time away from the hunt.....BS !! Oh....I see I'm supposed to believe that out of the thousands of EQs out there that it's just a tiny portion of those that have failed....you know why ??...because the vast majority never see the water !! What's the failure rate among dedicated water hunters ?? How many of these machines have actually seen a 5ft depth for longer than a couple hours ?? Keep in mind 5ft. Is half its rating and I would wager that only a small percentage of water hunters have actually submerged it for any length of time at that half rating depth. Most hunters wade from knee deep to chest deep water and that control unit never gets submerged beyond 3-4 feet. And that's what mine lab was counting on. Any one who is gonna stay at 4 -6 ft depth with the head unit down there should be wary of flooding. I often keep a tank in my kyak with a 30 ft hose so I can stay at depth and dig effectively.....sand scoops are often useless here in the keys with light sand over coral rock, so its dive down and hand fan. It's obvious to me that many have not been electrocuted with faulty or the wrong headphones......well guess what you may laugh because you think it cant happen well it does happen from time to time as equipment starts to fail. If you've ever been stung on the face by a moon jelly or man o war....well that's what it feels like. Your brain and face become the grounding spot for the stray current. Lit me up good on 2 separate occasions!! So mine failed at 6-8 ft with a pair of underwater headphones after 20-25 mins. It had been in the water wading many times and also worked pretty good submerged at 2-4 ft for 30 mins at a time. There is no doubt about the capabilities of this machine....its a beast as far as its detecting capabilities !! And I'm not worried about the warranty....mine lab is great in that respect (although slow at times). I paid this machine off quickly with finds and was able to throw a banner up top with it in just 3-4 months of ownership !! I love its capabilities. I just wont be taking it in the water past waist to chest deep. When it's time to submerge the unit in real world conditions in water deeper than 3-4 feet for any longer than 10-15 mins....I'll use the excal !! Being realistic....this is a water resistant machine at best in my opinion !!

Ps. It was not the EQ that I got shocked from and I have had no problems in that respect. Just wanted to be clear on that after rereading my post.

 

[Jason in Enid]

The EQX was NEVER a "water machine". Many of us have been saying (since the CTX was released) that the 10ft "waterproof" rating was really nothing more than a heavy duty "rainproofing". Any 10-ft rated detector is really a wading depth only machine. If you are planning on diving and actually spending time down close to the rated depth you NEED a detector designed for true scuba depths, like the excal.

 

[Blak bart]

Yup...totally agree jason !! I'll use my repaired unit for beach and light wading duty. Excal for heavy water use !!

 

[Bayoutalker]

The EQX was NEVER a "water machine". Many of us have been saying (since the CTX was released) that the 10ft "waterproof" rating was really nothing more than a heavy duty "rainproofing". Any 10-ft rated detector is really a wading depth only machine. If you are planning on diving and actually spending time down close to the rated depth you NEED a detector designed for true scuba depths, like the excal.

That's the key point that a lot of people are ignoring. A 10' rating doesn't mean it was made to operate at that max depth indefinitely. Probably half that depth is actually a long term reality. If you are serious about hunting more than chest deep you need a different machine.

 

[sandmartin]

This is funny....it would take me longer to fill the tub than it would to jump in the ocean and test it in real world conditions. If you people are testing it in a static environment in a bathtub and claiming waterproof in less than a foot and a half of water....well...then your probably not a water hunter to begin with. I hope that's not how minelab tests there waterproof rating. I think were confusing waterproof with water resistant here. I'm not sure if metal detecting company's have a standard to adhere by to claim a waterproof rating....but if they dont they need one. 33 feet would be a good standard like many watch makers do. So if I have a standard pair of headphones on and the socket gets wet my headphones go nuts and the machine is basically useless until i dry it out and fiddle with it. Try that 4-5 time a hunt.....super frustrating!! That could be eliminated by just sending us the screw in type waterproof headphones with our purchase !! You buy a waterproof machine yet you cant take it in the water until you make an additional purchase. That's BS !! Well I said no problemo....I'll just use the external speaker underwater !! Hhhaaaa ha....good luck with that....I looked like some kind of wounded fish trying to hold the speaker close enough to my ear to hear it and swing the coil at the same time. I slowly worked this machine over multiple hunts deeper and deeper until I reached the 6-8 ft level. It held for 20 mins before failing at the 8 ft mark. That's 2 ft. Shy of its rating. By the way that was the first time beyond the 4ft. Mark. Why would I fear taking my repaired unit back to that depth you ask ?? Because it already failed the first time !!! I dont want an ongoing weekly relationship with minelab, I dont want to spend my time filling out warranty apps., I dont want to have to burp my machine all the time, and what good is it to have to dry out my headphone socket everytime it gets splashed..... that is all time away from the hunt.....BS !! Oh....I see I'm supposed to believe that out of the thousands of EQs out there that it's just a tiny portion of those that have failed....you know why ??...because the vast majority never see the water !! What's the failure rate among dedicated water hunters ?? How many of these machines have actually seen a 5ft depth for longer than a couple hours ?? Keep in mind 5ft. Is half its rating and I would wager that only a small percentage of water hunters have actually submerged it for any length of time at that half rating depth. Most hunters wade from knee deep to chest deep water and that control unit never gets submerged beyond 3-4 feet. And that's what mine lab was counting on. Any one who is gonna stay at 4 -6 ft depth with the head unit down there should be wary of flooding. I often keep a tank in my kyak with a 30 ft hose so I can stay at depth and dig effectively.....sand scoops are often useless here in the keys with light sand over coral rock, so its dive down and hand fan. It's obvious to me that many have not been electrocuted with faulty or the wrong headphones......well guess what you may laugh because you think it cant happen well it does happen from time to time as equipment starts to fail. If you've ever been stung on the face by a moon jelly or man o war....well that's what it feels like. Your brain and face become the grounding spot for the stray current. Lit me up good on 2 separate occasions!! So mine failed at 6-8 ft with a pair of underwater headphones after 20-25 mins. It had been in the water wading many times and also worked pretty good submerged at 2-4 ft for 30 mins at a time. There is no doubt about the capabilities of this machine....its a beast as far as its detecting capabilities !! And I'm not worried about the warranty....mine lab is great in that respect (although slow at times). I paid this machine off quickly with finds and was able to throw a banner up top with it in just 3-4 months of ownership !! I love its capabilities. I just wont be taking it in the water past waist to chest deep. When it's time to submerge the unit in real world conditions in water deeper than 3-4 feet for any longer than 10-15 mins....I'll use the excal !! Being realistic....this is a water resistant machine at best in my opinion !!

Ps. It was not the EQ that I got shocked from and I have had no problems in that respect. Just wanted to be clear on that after rereading my post.

Good post with some good points but the Equinox is advertised as being waterproof up to 3 meters and so in my way of thinking it should be just that. Waterproof and Water Resistant are two entirely different things! You are still risking it in even waist deep, I dropped mine in a foot of water and it leaked.

 

[Blak bart]

I'm even skeptical that it would hold at half depth rating for any prolonged use repeatedly. I guess time will tell. I was fooling myself and bought the hype !! I knew better !! Itll be a great machine for the beach and some light water duty !! I've been up and down in 45 feet with the excal on the treasure salvage boat last week without even a hiccup, so I definitely know what it takes to be truly waterproof. I just wanted to believe the hype. When I took it out of the box I had that sick feeling that It wouldn't cut it at depth. The main thing I would like to get across is that I DONT REGRET THE PURCHASE !! it's a fantastic machine....but one should be realistic about a waterproof rating of only 10 feet !!

 

[Blak bart]

I agree with you sandmartin....there claims I personally believe are a bit deceptive boarding on false advertising.

 

[SanMan]

Oh....I see I'm supposed to believe that out of the thousands of EQs out there that it's just a tiny portion of those that have failed....you know why ??...because the vast majority never see the water !! .

Yes, that's what I mentioned in an earlier post.

Detectors are like cars.

You buy a new car, an expensive one,.... and the first time it rains, you notice your floor is wet.
That car owner is going to be upset.

That is why a lot of people don't buy a car the first year it's introduced.
They wait a year. So the kinks can be worked out.

Yes I know makers should, and claim they do, perform extensive testing,......
But, we have all seen recalls from the auto manufacturers.
That is why some people say, "the buyers are doing the real world testing for the makers"

I would like to try out one of these machines, (the 800), but I'm going to wait until the factory
has sorted out the leak issue.

My time has value.
Filling out forms, packing up and shipping,..... I'd rather not have to do that.

Also, if I wait two years, Minelab may come out with an EQ II.
If so, I wait a year or two for that unit to be proven solid, in actual use, then I'll buy one.

So, Minelab will see a purchase from me in about 3 to 4 years.

At that point I will be much more confident that the unit will perform as advertised.
Meanwhile, I have a bunch of machines that work great, I'll use them, and keep an
ear to the ground with respect to the consumer reports on the Equinox.

I'm a patient person, that prefers to avoid hassles whenever possible.


I'll let other users do the testing, flooding, form filling, and shipping, for me.

Sitting back and watching until the madness has subsided, that's more my style.

I'm one of those that doesn't go out of my way to bring drama into my life.

Life has enough headaches,.... no need to go out and buy more.

 

[Bayoutalker]

I'm even skeptical that it would hold at half depth rating for any prolonged use repeatedly. I guess time will tell. I was fooling myself and bought the hype !! I knew better !! Itll be a great machine for the beach and some light water duty !! I've been up and down in 45 feet with the excal on the treasure salvage boat last week without even a hiccup, so I definitely know what it takes to be truly waterproof. I just wanted to believe the hype. When I took it out of the box I had that sick feeling that It wouldn't cut it at depth. The main thing I would like to get across is that I DONT REGRET THE PURCHASE !! it's a fantastic machine....but one should be realistic about a waterproof rating of only 10 feet !!

Well the Excal says waterproof to 200' for $1500 so yes I would expect it be a bit more waterproof. I still wouldn't trust it at 200' for extended periods on a regular basis.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Well the Excal says waterproof to 200' for $1500 so yes I would expect it be a bit more waterproof. I still wouldn't trust it at 200' for extended periods on a regular basis.

You know the good thing about a 200 foot depth rating? NOBODY is going to use it at that depth! But it makes a great margin of error for normal scuba depths.

 

[Bayoutalker]

Yes I know makers should, and claim they do, perform extensive testing,......

I've worked for manufacturers and they indeed do extensive testing but there is no way a few people can possibly think of every possible way that a customer may handle or use any product. Not everyone uses any product in the same way as the next guy. Once a product hits the market there are always issues that pop up unexpectedly and must be corrected. Also once mass production begins people on the line do make mistakes and cause failures. I can assure you there has never been any product ever produced that hasn't had all of these issues occur. The key is how well the manufacturer handles the problem.

 

[Bayoutalker]

You know the good thing about a 200 foot depth rating? NOBODY is going to use it at that depth! But it makes a great margin of error for normal scuba depths.

That is exactly the point. It is rated at deeper than expected to be used for normal operation. It is intended to be used for diving. The Nox is not designed for use as a diving machine so a 10' rating should be sufficient for wading as in normal use the control head should rarely be more than waist deep leaving some margin.

I own a CZ21 that I bought for shallow diving. It is rated at 250' but I never intended to use it for that purpose. The most it will see is probably 25' if that but I wouldn't take the Nox diving. The right tool for the right job.

 

[Donut]

I wish we knew if the ones that are flooding were from deeper than just surf waves and that would tell us if we are ok with just an occasional dunking. That would help us a lot that just do beach surf detecting.
So has anyone hade one flood when it was just submerged only about a foot.
mine has only been underwater about a foot.

Doug

 

[sandmartin]

I wish we knew if the ones that are flooding were from deeper than just surf waves and that would tell us if we are ok with just an occasional dunking. That would help us a lot that just do beach surf detecting.
So has anyone hade one flood when it was just submerged only about a foot.
mine has only been underwater about a foot.

Doug

Yep, mine did.

 

[pulltabfelix]

That dealer is grossly uninformed, lacks fundamental detecting knowledge, or is potentially dishonest. Since Bluetooth cannot be used with the control head continuously submerged (a physical impossibility for low power, high frequency radio based technology), the only way you SHOULD and CAN use the Equinox submerged is with a wired set of preferably waterproof headphones. Mine lab actually sells this accessory specifically for Equinox users. The headphone connection jack is DESIGNED EXPLICITLY for submerged use. It is right in the manual. ML should be informed immediately of the nonsense this dealer is spewing to the users of their product. It is bad enough that ML quality control is letting a small number of defective units to get into the hands of their customers, but this guy is just compounding the situation by adding insult to injury with this idiocy.

Forget the dealer and send directly to Minelab. When my display leaked, that is what I did, they returned a brand new head control unit the same day they received my defective 800.

Remember some dealers or sales people make things up as the go along to sound like they know what they are talking about. He was completely wrong. I tried the wireless headphones in chest deep water and lost the wireless signal when the head unit was less than 1" completely submerged. As V said, you must use the wired connection and only the plug from Minelab that is 100% water proof.

 

[smokeythecat]

Pulltabfelix is correct. Go directly to Minelab.

 

[SanMan]

I've worked for manufacturers and they indeed do extensive testing but there is no way a few people can possibly think of every possible way that a customer may handle or use any product. Not everyone uses any product in the same way as the next guy. Once a product hits the market there are always issues that pop up unexpectedly and must be corrected. Also once mass production begins people on the line do make mistakes and cause failures. I can assure you there has never been any product ever produced that hasn't had all of these issues occur. The key is how well the manufacturer handles the problem.

"You've worked for manufacturers"

"I am a manufacturer"

And I take exception to how you have portrayed them.
And, to how you have lumped all of us together.

I'm in my 44th year of the trade. Not counting 6 years of school prior.
Did my apprenticeship in a European shop.
"From the very start the focus was on "Quality", production sure, but quality first.

Hung out my own shingle in 1984.

Some manufacturers have a focus on quality, others focus first on profit.

I've worked for manufacturers and they indeed do extensive testing

There is no way on earth you can speak for each and every manufacturer.

In this case it's painfully obvious that the factory, "Isn't testing the units before shipping"

And that testing should be done at 15 FT.
"That's the blanket engineering allowance for 10 ft certification".

The same reason that firearms are tested with a "Proof Load".
Passing that, the unit is good to go.

If the factory was testing these units before shipping, no end users would receive a bad unit.
Those units would never leave the factory. Only units that passed the test would ship out.

It appears that they are skipping a step, a crucial step, when it comes to "Quality Assurance".

When you quote a specification for unit you'e brought to market, you have to test it to
assure the end user that it will perform as advertised.

These units should come with a sticker or stamp showing that they have been tested, and
are certified to be watertight to a depth as stated.

In my industry the unit would come with a, "Certificate Of Conformance".


The standard in some industries is 1% defects.
One percent or less of course.

That can't be done reliably without a decent quality system in place.


Some pictures of my work,........















How many mistakes do you think I'm allowed?

And before you all say, "sure with today's CNC machines,.......

The newest machine in my shop was made in 1962.

That work, and all the work I push out, is "all done on worn out manual machines"

What you see there is skill and experience.
"And a lot of inspection, checking, and double checking"

If I can manage to check out every job I ship out, and I'm just a small one man shop,.......

And they are a multi million dollar company with plenty of employees, and the wherewithal
to institute a good quality system,........

"That's not a good indication"

It appears they are taking a short cut, and it came around and bit them on the backside.


What have you heard in the past?

"Do it right the first time"

"A job worth doing is worth doing well"

"Do you want it right?, or do you want it right away?"

"Haste makes waste"


These sayings came about because of "Life's Lessons"


End users in this case should ask that the unit they will receive has been tested,
to assure it's watertight to the depth the manual states.

Honestly, all of these units should be tested before they ship.
When they get failures down to about 1% or so, they have the problem on the run.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

No detector manufacturers test each unit before shipping and having worked on multiple brands of detectors all detector manufacturers have ocassional manufacturer issues.