Random noise from Equinox 800

[brianc053]

Hi all. I would appreciate your opinion on something going on with my Eq 800 detector.
I've attached a video to this post, and while it's 3 minutes long you can get the general idea from the first 10 seconds.

Randomly - and not all the time - the detector just starts making noise and giving random readings.
In the video you'll see me do a noise cancel (no effect), change the sensitivity (noise dies down but doesn't stop), a power off/on (no effect), and I "jiggle" the wires (no effect). I move the coil toward the end and the noise changes.

This was happening at the farm I've referenced in other posts. It also was happening at the beach back in late June, but not this badly. And it doesn't happen all the time, just maybe 10% of the time, so i can still find targets - but it's challenging.
At one point I powered down the wireless headphones and the noise instantly stopped...then came back (even with the headphones off).
I carry an iPhone - just in case anyone thinks that may be causing interference.

Any suggestions on what might be going on?

 

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[Underwonder]

I am curious about this as well. I have the 600, and like you, have experience times of excessive noise/chatter. I tried changing frequencies which sometimes helped a little. I thought it was because of the neighbor’s electric fence...but it is very random. When it DOES happen, I can’t seem to quiet the machine. Frustrating when this chatter happens. When I noise cancel, I lift the coil to waist high to do so. Does it work as well keeping it low to the ground?

 

[Bayoutalker]

I've had this happen a couple of times. I may be wrong but I do think my phone, an Android, was the culprit. When at the beach I leave it in the truck and have never had the issue. It might be coincidence but it's worth a try.

 

[Toecutter]

Thats EMI turn your sensitivity down till the bleeps go away, its from the electricity lines above.... This is normal in high EMI areas...

 

[Bayoutalker]

Thats EMI turn your sensitivity down till the bleeps go away, its from the electricity lines above.... This is normal in high EMI areas...

I thought that too but why only occasionally in the same area? We don't have overhead powerlines.

 

[Underwonder]

Thats EMI turn your sensitivity down till the bleeps go away, its from the electricity lines above.... This is normal in high EMI areas...

I detect at my own home a lot and it is inconsistent..same area, mostly fine, but occasionally it happens...I try changing frequency and have detected with all the noise until I can’t stand it.

 

[digger27]

Up higher on the sense it makes noise, you turned it down to 15 and it got way quieter.
One or two numbers lower it would probably go dead silent.
Obviously it is EMI coming from somewhere so I don't understand what you think is the problem.
Mine has done this a few times in some high EMI sites, I just turn it down and go merrily hunting and turn it up again when I move to more quiet areas.
I have been at sites where it gets noisy in only certain small areas where it gets crazy and goes silent when I move away from that area and not as far as you might think.
Why...it might be major WiFi coming off a public building, all my detectors did this in the same 20 foot spot in front of a highschool, another site I hunt all the time is next to a firehouse and sometimes it is quiet as a mouse and other times it acts exactly like yours so something in that building is being turned on and off periodically.
Another site I hunted in a big park was a mile or two away from a big tower, maybe further, radio or TV or something.
There was a ten yard area I could stand in where all my detectors went nuts every time, when I moved out of that spot they went back to normal so I know these towers transmit in multi directions but in certain spots they appear to kick out way more interference in some small areas around that 360 circle of transmissions.

Try doing a factory reset on that site or any site with major EMI, not just turn it on and do a noise cancel, on some detectors that might actually help to mitigate that EMI issue because I know it helps if you use Fishers and it might work on this one, too.
I never really tried that myself, I usually just turn mine down to quiet levels and keep hunting...confidently.

Don't worry much about hunting on lower sense, 15, 14, 13 and 12 can still get you surprisingly deep...maybe even lower than that.

 

[Bayoutalker]

Up higher on the sense it makes noise, you turned it down to 15 and it got way quieter.
One or two numbers lower it would probably go dead silent.
Obviously it is EMI coming from somewhere so I don't understand what you think is the problem.
Mine has done this a few times in some high EMI sites, I just turn it down and go merrily hunting and turn it up again when I move to more quiet areas.
I have been at sites where it gets noisy in only certain small areas where it gets crazy and goes silent when I move away from that area and not as far as you might think.
Why...it might be major WiFi coming off a public building, all my detectors did this in the same 20 foot spot in front of a highschool, another site I hunt all the time is next to a firehouse and sometimes it is quiet as a mouse and other times it acts exactly like yours so something in that building is being turned on and off periodically.
Another site I hunted in a big park was a mile or two away from a big tower, maybe further, radio or TV or something.
There was a ten yard area I could stand in where all my detectors went nuts every time, when I moved out of that spot they went back to normal so I know these towers transmit in multi directions but in certain spots they appear to kick out way more interference in some small areas around that 360 circle of transmissions.

Try doing a factory reset on that site or any site with major EMI, not just turn it on and do a noise cancel, on some detectors that might actually help to mitigate that EMI issue because I know it helps if you use Fishers and it might work on this one, too.
I never really tried that myself, I usually just turn mine down to quiet levels and keep hunting...confidently.

Don't worry much about hunting on lower sense, 15, 14, 13 and 12 can still get you surprisingly deep...maybe even lower than that.

Those places you talk about sound like the issue is always there. In my case it is only there occasionally. It seems that if my phone is not there or turned off it doesn't happen but it is so random I can't be sure.

 

[vferrari]

Those places you talk about sound like the issue is always there. In my case it is only there occasionally. It seems that if my phone is not there or turned off it doesn't happen but it is so random I can't be sure.

It's most likely your phone, then. It occasionally transmits to ping a cell tower or because an app wants data, that will drive the nox crazy if the phone is anywhere near the control head (the control head not the coil is likely picking up the cell phone interference). That is also why you only see it happen intermittently. Either put it in a pocket opposite the side you swing your detector or go to airplane mode.
Noise cancel works on continuous EMI like power lines (buried and overhead), transformer boxes, electric fences, invisible fog fences, wifi transmitters, fluorescent lights (this is why EMI is more prevalent near houses and modern buildings), or nearby detectors. It does not work on transient EMI like intermittent cell phone transmissions or pulsed noise sources like some electric fences and radio towers. Shouldn't really matter where you place your coil when you do the noise cancel. Unless you are sure the issue is a buried power line, I just keep the coil off the ground during noise cancel so the coil can act as an antenna and pick up the worst case noise.

If auto noise cancel can't seem to find a quiet channel, try manually stepping through the channels to see if you can find a quiet one yourself (you can only do this on the 800).

Once you have the quietest channel but things are still chatty, lower sensitivity down. If you find you are having to lower sensitivity too much to your liking (for me that is less than 15), then try single frequency. Higher frequencies are typically less susceptible to EMI chatter, but you never know. 5 khz or 10 khz could do the trick based on whatever the noise source is, but 15 khz and 20 or 40 khz are typically quieter. If I can get away with 15 khz or 20 khz, that works for me even though you take a slight hit on high conductor depth vs. the lower frequencies. 15 khz is a good middle of the road frequency. 20 khz is ideal for mid conductors like gold jewelry or relics.

If none of the above works and you think it is still worth it to detect the site, try discriminating everything out other than your target ID range of interest. Say, only allow 22 and above to come through or only 10 through 20 if searching for gold and relics. Those specific, narrow ranges of target ID's might be less susceptible to interference for that particular sight.

On the beach or in a park you may get interference from other detectors or folks with cell phones. Try to just distance yourself from other folks if you can. If it is another detector (especially a buddy with s nox) then doing s noise cancel can help.

Finally, you may find your pinpointer is the culprit. If you have interference when you turn on your pinpointer, then shift the PP frequency if you can. If not, then turn on your pinpointer and then do a noise cancel on the nox.

Also remember, the noise cancel is mode specific, it sets the optimum channel for that mode. If you are using more than one mode at a site, the each need to be noise cancelled separately. [Same is true of ground balance, which is also mode specific].

HTH

 

[Bayoutalker]

Vferrari, that's what I figured too so now I just leave the phone in the truck. That's also why I posted my original comment about the phone. Maybe the OP is having the same issue.

 

[midalake]

Vferrari, that's what I figured too so now I just leave the phone in the truck. That's also why I posted my original comment about the phone. Maybe the OP is having the same issue.

On the beach I can hear phones coming at me from 15-10' away.

Dave

 

[brianc053]

Up higher on the sense it makes noise, you turned it down to 15 and it got way quieter.
One or two numbers lower it would probably go dead silent.
Obviously it is EMI coming from somewhere so I don't understand what you think is the problem.

Digger, thank you for the suggestions and insights. I know you said "obviously it's EMI..." but to me that wasn't obvious. I've had this detector a few months and put maybe 20 hours on it; before that I had (and still have) two Whites detectors that I've used almost exclusively on the beach, so this is my first serious attempt at relic hunting in parks/fields. I'm still learning. (I'm confident you didn't mean to sound condescending, but.... "so I don't understand what you think is the problem" comes across as condescending).

I'll try the things that you and vferrari suggest. I'll experiment with my phone on airplane mode and on changing sensitivity settings. I also like the idea of discriminating out the single-digits; most of the "good" stuff I'm finding starts with readings in the mid-teens.

I went back to the farm today (it's 5 min from the house), and only after Digger mentioned EMI did I notice the power lines near the dig site (red arrow)... So that's probably the answer.

Thanks everyone!

 

[CoinHunterAZ]

I was having the same problem and traced it to my phone. Now I just leave it in the truck, problem solved.

 

[digger27]

Those places you talk about sound like the issue is always there. In my case it is only there occasionally. It seems that if my phone is not there or turned off it doesn't happen but it is so random I can't be sure.

A few places it is always the same in the same areas, at the firehouse site it comes and goes.

 

[Hawks88]

I was at the beach this week with the nox 600 and I got within 30ft. of a guy sitting on an ATV talking on his cell phone. I got both sides of his conversation loud and clear on my Bluetooth earbuds. I think it’s the cell phone. Good luck.

 

[67GTA]

My Nox kept going crazy when I would lay it down beside me to locate a target. Then I noticed the control box was actually inches from my phone on my hip. Moved my phone to my digging bag, and no more problems.