One thing I’m not liking about the 800

Wild Colonial Boy

Hero Member
Sep 7, 2013
599
834
the nearest ditch
Detector(s) used
equinox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting

Wild Colonial Boy

Hero Member
Sep 7, 2013
599
834
the nearest ditch
Detector(s) used
equinox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
If the problem prasist go to the F75. We had a conversation about the sniper coil. My 75 LTD does great in iron with the small coil. Sometimes you just have to adjust. I keep the sniper on the F75. It's good around old home sites when set up correctly. Not saying the 800 can't be fine tuned but you list the 75 in you profile. Why not try it. When you are digging iron all day you might sacrifice a little depth.

Is it good to carry this one with equinox or compass 77b?
 

gene the machine

Sr. Member
Apr 24, 2012
304
379
Western New York
Detector(s) used
Compass Coin Magnum, Garrett GTP1350, Minelab CTX 3030, XP Deus, Nokta Impact
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I've pretty much given up on the Nox. It's an iron magnet. I've tried everything that the forums have suggested and can find various sizes and shapes of iron with great sounding TID's at every TID number. tried no disc, high disc, no IB, high IB, 90 degree, lower sans, etc. and anything else that you can think of. It's now my emergency backup machine and about the only thing that I MIGHT use it for is water hunting but that's about it.
 

OP
OP
Truth

Truth

Gold Member
Apr 13, 2016
14,332
32,142
Abita Springs La....Born in New Orleans
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
EQUINOX 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I've pretty much given up on the Nox. It's an iron magnet. I've tried everything that the forums have suggested and can find various sizes and shapes of iron with great sounding TID's at every TID number. tried no disc, high disc, no IB, high IB, 90 degree, lower sans, etc. and anything else that you can think of. It's now my emergency backup machine and about the only thing that I MIGHT use it for is water hunting but that's about it.

I’m very disappointed
 

CharlesUpstateNY

Sr. Member
Nov 13, 2015
263
305
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I've pretty much given up on the Nox. It's an iron magnet. I've tried everything that the forums have suggested and can find various sizes and shapes of iron with great sounding TID's at every TID number. tried no disc, high disc, no IB, high IB, 90 degree, lower sans, etc. and anything else that you can think of. It's now my emergency backup machine and about the only thing that I MIGHT use it for is water hunting but that's about it.

Interesting, my EQ800 arrives today. Its going to go head to head with my Deus and we'll just see how it does in iron. I detected around the Albany, NY area for years and its 300 years of piled up iron. That NY iron is nothing compared to the rusty nails here in the Portland/Vancouver area. Our pacific NW volcanic black sand turns your average rusty nail into a falsing nightmare and the mineralization is so nasty its hard for an Explorer to get even 6 inches of depth. So the EQ800 is about to endure a torture test. If I can get it to work here it will work anywhere.
 

OP
OP
Truth

Truth

Gold Member
Apr 13, 2016
14,332
32,142
Abita Springs La....Born in New Orleans
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
EQUINOX 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Interesting, my EQ800 arrives today. Its going to go head to head with my Deus and we'll just see how it does in iron. I detected around the Albany, NY area for years and its 300 years of piled up iron. That NY iron is nothing compared to the rusty nails here in the Portland/Vancouver area. Our pacific NW volcanic black sand turns your average rusty nail into a falsing nightmare and the mineralization is so nasty its hard for an Explorer to get even 6 inches of depth. So the EQ800 is about to endure a torture test. If I can get it to work here it will work anywhere.

Well let me know when you get the hang of it. Our soil down here is mineralized, they say leave it in 0 GB, but mine will GB in 60-80. I’ve been very pleased in some places, but iron has disappointed me in more ways then one. I have to buy another detector.
 

smokeythecat

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2012
20,724
40,808
Maryland
🥇 Banner finds
10
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I hadn’t heard it was an iron magnet. Huh.
 

Ronzie

Hero Member
May 27, 2009
755
473
Southern Ontario
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Outlaw w/Garrett pinpointer

past machines - Minelab Explorer SE Pro/ Garrett GTI 2500 /Garrett GTAx1000
Well let me know when you get the hang of it. Our soil down here is mineralized, they say leave it in 0 GB, but mine will GB in 60-80. I’ve been very pleased in some places, but iron has disappointed me in more ways then one. I have to buy another detector.

This was my thoughts in trashy, iron areas with my Explorer. I really loved my Explorer but it didn't come close to my Outlaw in these areas. I'm still going to get the Nox 800 over this coming winter because I miss having a Minelab. I'll just stick with the Outlaw in those types of conditions.
 

1942 merc

Sr. Member
Sep 14, 2012
413
755
sd
Detector(s) used
xp deus , Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I have very little trouble with nails . I have no problem with iron either . My equinox 800 finds things in 40 yr old beaten ground no other detector can . Area has everything to do with it . I continue to go to old hunted out sites and make ppls heads spin with ...You found that here ? Here is some finds from a 1900s school that has been hammered to death . 1891.jpeg hetland.jpeg
 

smokeythecat

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2012
20,724
40,808
Maryland
🥇 Banner finds
10
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
1943 Merc, I had your experience when I got the Deus HF coil. I went back to my hunted out CW site and pulled out another dozen minie balls and maybe that many buttons, an early flying eagle cent, I think 1858, the common one, and a kepi hat letter "A" amongst other things. And I LOVE the tiny percussion caps.

People gave up on that one particular site about 5 years ago. The owners tell me no one goes there anymore but me.
 

Last edited:

CharlesUpstateNY

Sr. Member
Nov 13, 2015
263
305
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
This was my thoughts in trashy, iron areas with my Explorer. I really loved my Explorer but it didn't come close to my Outlaw in these areas. I'm still going to get the Nox 800 over this coming winter because I miss having a Minelab. I'll just stick with the Outlaw in those types of conditions.

Agree the Explorer wasn't a great in heavy trash, but I learned to master it in iron around Albany, NY area which was founded in the 1600's. Working iron, its a learning process but if you setup an Explorer properly, wielded it properly, and understood what the machine was telling you it was quite effective in iron.

Now a rusty nail infested hell hole, you had to rethink your game plan with an Explorer. There was this 1800's park in downtown Albany. One edge of that park was first a park, then houses were built on it in the 1800's, then torn down and todays its a park again. The rust nails are so thick there that in spite of several hunts with the stock coil, nada a complete skunk. But it always irritated me because the rest of the park was littered with old coins. So one day I put the Minelab 8 inch coil on my Explorer and waded into that mess of nails, BINGO Indian head cents, seated, barbers, large cents popped out all over the place.
 

cudamark

Gold Member
Top Banner Poster
Mar 16, 2011
13,239
14,622
San Diego
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus 2, Equinox 800/900, Fisher Impulse AQ, E-Trac, 3 Excal 1000's, White's TM808, VibraProbe, 15" NEL Attack, Mi6, Steath 920ix and 720i scoops, TRX, etc....
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I've pretty much given up on the Nox. It's an iron magnet. I've tried everything that the forums have suggested and can find various sizes and shapes of iron with great sounding TID's at every TID number. tried no disc, high disc, no IB, high IB, 90 degree, lower sans, etc. and anything else that you can think of. It's now my emergency backup machine and about the only thing that I MIGHT use it for is water hunting but that's about it.

That's strange......my 800 is wonderful in heavy iron compared to other machines (several dozen models) I've used in the 48 years I've been doing this. Around fire rings at the beach, it's not unusual to have a half dozen nails under the coil at any one time. The Nox will still sniff out a non-ferrous target hiding among them. I haven't made any major mods to the stock programs either. I use Beach 1 and raise the recovery rate to 8 (max) and adjust sensitivity as needed. I swing a bit slower, but, that's pretty much it.
 

laidback4sho

Hero Member
Aug 31, 2014
623
897
Laconia, NH
Detector(s) used
Currently:
XP Deus v4.1
Minelab Equinox 800
Fisher Gold Bug 2

Previously:
Garrett GTA 500
Garrett Ultra GTA 1000
Garrett GTAx 1250
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That's strange......my 800 is wonderful in heavy iron compared to other machines (several dozen models) I've used in the 48 years I've been doing this. Around fire rings at the beach, it's not unusual to have a half dozen nails under the coil at any one time. The Nox will still sniff out a non-ferrous target hiding among them. I haven't made any major mods to the stock programs either. I use Beach 1 and raise the recovery rate to 8 (max) and adjust sensitivity as needed. I swing a bit slower, but, that's pretty much it.
Same. I'm having no trouble at all. I dig very little ferrous trash with my 800. I generally run iron bias at 3 and reactivity at 4 to 6, depending on how trashy the area is. And I generally swing slower with the Equinox than with the Deus.
 

CharlesUpstateNY

Sr. Member
Nov 13, 2015
263
305
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That's strange......my 800 is wonderful in heavy iron compared to other machines (several dozen models) I've used in the 48 years I've been doing this. Around fire rings at the beach, it's not unusual to have a half dozen nails under the coil at any one time. The Nox will still sniff out a non-ferrous target hiding among them. I haven't made any major mods to the stock programs either. I use Beach 1 and raise the recovery rate to 8 (max) and adjust sensitivity as needed. I swing a bit slower, but, that's pretty much it.

Beach 1, for added depth? Less noise in mineralized ground? Just curious.
 

smokeythecat

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2012
20,724
40,808
Maryland
🥇 Banner finds
10
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Are you using either park 2 or field 2 out of the box? No tweaks? Tweaks sometimes wreck things. Sometimes.
 

flgliderpilot

Bronze Member
Apr 28, 2015
1,504
1,427
Saint Augustine, FL
Detector(s) used
CZ-21, Minelab Equinox, Garrett AT Pro
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Are you doing the wiggle back method to check for iron with the front tip of the coil? It also helps to turn up the volume of iron.

Not sure why people are having so much trouble with iron.. disc notches is not the way to deal with iron.
 

Last edited:

CharlesUpstateNY

Sr. Member
Nov 13, 2015
263
305
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Are you using either park 2 or field 2 out of the box? No tweaks? Tweaks sometimes wreck things. Sometimes.

^^^ what smokey said. I only read half the EQ manual and thoughtful adjustment of settings seems wise. All kinds of information to pay attention to in the manual, and to ignore. Minelab's take on what mode to use in dry sand is totally wrong! Some guys yesterday seemed surprised to discover Beach 2 operates at reduced transmit power vs Beach 1, that's buried on page 25.

In other news its 2pm and Fedex still hasn't showed up with my EQ800 :cussing:
 

CharlesUpstateNY

Sr. Member
Nov 13, 2015
263
305
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
1943 Merc, I had your experience when I got the Deus HF coil. I went back to my hunted out CW site and pulled out another dozen minie balls and maybe that many buttons, an early flying eagle cent, I think 1858, the common one, and a kepi hat letter "A" amongst other things. And I LOVE the tiny percussion caps.

People gave up on that one particular site about 5 years ago. The owners tell me no one goes there anymore but me.

My Se Pro Explorer is a complete FAIL at one of my sites, the Deus and HF round coil at 54 kHz got more than a dozen buttons and a few rifle slugs. Se Pro gave up at about 5 inches of depth, targets were swamped by the mineralized ground beyond that depth. Se Pro did pick off a Merc though, some things never change Explorers and silver coins lol.
 

OP
OP
Truth

Truth

Gold Member
Apr 13, 2016
14,332
32,142
Abita Springs La....Born in New Orleans
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
EQUINOX 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
^^^ what smokey said. I only read half the EQ manual and thoughtful adjustment of settings seems wise. All kinds of information to pay attention to in the manual, and to ignore. Minelab's take on what mode to use in dry sand is totally wrong! Some guys yesterday seemed surprised to discover Beach 2 operates at reduced transmit power vs Beach 1, that's buried on page 25.

In other news its 2pm and Fedex still hasn't showed up with my EQ800 :cussing:

That’s it I’m gonna read the manual which I have printed (took up all my ink) but that’s as far as I got. I’m gonna do it!

Not tonight but differently probably tomorrow.
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top