50 hour Review...Equinox 800

[usmcscorpio]

Hello to all!

I decided to purchase the Equinox 800 just this past February 2019. (newest version 1.7.5)

Bad weather/temps here in Delaware during much of Feb/March prevented me from really getting out much with the Nox.

So...spent much of that time getting familiar with the detector, settings, etc.

BIG THANKS to "Metal Detecting NWGA", Gigmaster, & "Calabash Digger" and others for great Equinox post and videos!!!

Interesting fact: all of my finds with he Equinox came from local old school sites/grounds that I had pounded

many times with the XP Deus! (Not bashing at all...love the Deus!)

I think the Nox is just as deep as the XP Deus & more accurate TID! ​

Negatives: PINPOINTING a target always seems to be "off" by at least 2 or 3 inches! (sometimes more) and I wish they would have gone with the 99 or 100 TID segments instead of the 50....wheat pennies, clad dimes,

clad quarters are so close to overlapping with silver dimes...I guess there is some good in it...makes you dig almost everything in that range!

WEIGHT slightly heavier than the XP Deus...could be that a new Carbon-Fiber Shaft would hopefully resolve this?

Positives: Price! With Military Discount (15%) from Minelab, paid slightly over $700 as opposed to XP Deus of over $1200!!!

Deep! Waterproof! Big, clear Screen! Operates @ 5 frequencies at once, or single Freq verses XP Deus 1 Freq!

Wireless Headphones & Case/Module Included!!! (NOT so with the XP Deus!)

I have probably forgotten some Pos/negs on both detectors...apologies!

I will say that I utilize Tone ID heavily, along with the display info. (been doing the tone ID thing for many years with White's Machines and XP Deus...helped me greatly!

I have posted a couple of pics of my finds...almost all targets were at least 8 to 10 inches...a couple slightly deeper! Clear tone-ID as well as good display numbers!

PROGRAM: Park 2, noise-cancel & auto-GB enabled, 21-23 sensitivity, 5-tone, Recovery Speed 5 or 6 (depends on how trashy site is) normal discrimination. Iron Bias 0 to 2.

NOTE: I considered trying to run ZERO Discrimination/set the tone for Iron super low...like 1...wondering if that might add and inch or so to depth?

Tip: Slow-Down!!! Espcially when you encounter the familiar "machine-gun" tones indicating an area infested with iron and lower tone signals!

I guess some call this cherry-picking...but really listen for those higher sounds on the Nox...takes time/practice!

The silver square pin is a old "4-H" pin...super popular amongst older farming communities back in the 20's, thru the 50's!

The bent looking coin below the ring is actually a 10 cent play money (aluminum?) coin with Buffalo Bill on the Front...This play money came in "Mazuma Bubblegum" packs back in the 1930's (pic attached how it should

look) The play coin was completely folded in half...like a taco, but flatter...got home, seen writing on it...bent back open. (creased)

Not pictured...1974 Kennedy Half-Dollar, several big and small "Flat-Buttons" look to be really old, as well as a LOT of Wheat Pennies (roughly 26-28 Target ID) so they get a dig! lol

1 Gallon zip-lock baggie more than half full of clad quarters, clad dimes, and memorial pennies.
Sorry for the long-winded post, but want to pass on as much as possible to fellow-detectorist!












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[CoinHunterAZ]

My results mirror yours, except my clad quarters don't come close to overlapping silver dimes. Iv'e been hunting in Park 1 though in 50 tones, that might be the difference? Yep, low and slow is the key, my hunted out old park has come alive again, my finds are just deeper now. Thanks for the great write up and report card. Nice finds.

 

[dirtlooter]

most of the places that I have hammered with my deus have little targets for me to find. I manage a few here and there but honestly either machine would have found them. I really like both machines. The six inch coil is pretty awesome too and has it's place for sure. looks like you will have a good time with the Nox and it should produce for you

 

[HighVDI]

I think the secret with the Equinox is seperation AT DEPTH. This is why people seem to pull keepers at these old parks ect that have been hit hard by others.

 

[usmcscorpio]

most of the places that I have hammered with my deus have little targets for me to find. I manage a few here and there but honestly either machine would have found them

. I really like both machines. The six inch coil is pretty awesome too and has it's place for sure. looks like you will have a good time with the Nox and it should produce for you​

As I mentioned Dirt...I really do have a ton of respect for the XP...have owned one myself for well over 2 years, and have a cumulative total of well over 30 years metal detecting in general.
When I say I POUNDED these 2 schools in my area with the XP, multiple times over the course of more than a year...I mean I REALLY hit them hard! (each school has a "foundation corner stone" dated 1927 and 1931) which is why I concentrated hunting them to death in the past with the XP. When I hunt an area, I "grid-hunt" (like mowing the lawn), then cross-hatch grid search the other way, interrogating targets that I encounter, and digging even "iffy" signals that are super deep.
I actually STOPPED hunting these 2 schools after many hours at each because they stopped producing. Only wanted to try my new NOX 800 at these 2 schools as sort of a test, I guess.
Once I learned the settings and got familiar with my Nox, I started popping up all kinds of things, including the things pictured above and more!
I feel that the Nox 800 has breathed new life into old, hunted-out areas!
I really do think that the Multi-Frequency of the 800 is giving it the ability to find these targets that I passed on signal/digging with the single-Freq XP.
(I cannot attest to the relative power of your Nox 600 vs 800 with regards to my observations & finds)
I will say that I have that mentality of "No area or site is hunted out until I have hunted it!" lol
Xp Deus? Equinox 800? I think BOTH are amazing detectors and BOTH have their pro/cons & are the only two that I own!
All of my "comparative" statements are simply MY observations purely based on finds & perfomance.
Again, ty for the post. HH​

 

[Hawks88]

Great post. Great machines, fantastic saves. Congrats

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

Go back after you have 250 hours on the Nox and I bet you will pull even more keepers. The more I use it the better my results. Congrats

 

[dirtlooter]

I wasn't intending on arguing or discrediting your post. Time will tell down the road on some of my places as the rain and hard freezes may help me to find more targets. I truly believe that when set up right for the locations, both can be very deep machines. The main thing that determines which detector that I use between the two is how far I plan to be walking. With my disabilities, distance means the Deus strictly because of weight. The six inch coil has made longer walks with the Nox more feasible for me. What I really need is a new foot, a shoulder replacement, knee replacements, a back replacement, an eye replacement, a hip replacement, feeling restored to my right hand and a rebuilt brain. I do like my HF coil and what it has brought to the table. I do like the tone quality of the Nox better. I also don't have access to properties as old as yours in metallic history so you may by that very nature have much deeper targets than what I may have at my sites. The very fact that you are once again finding targets and good ones at that is exciting for you and that I totally understand. I hope that the Nox will produce some more bucket listers for you soon. DL

 

[usmcscorpio]

No worries at all Dirt! (hang in there with the disabilities!)
I like to think that we all share these finds, settings, and stories as a source of sharing experience and ideas on how to improve for all! Hoping we all find that item that we've dreamed of! TY again, and HH!

 

[usmcscorpio]

Thanks pa-dirt! I'm looking forward to learning the machine even more & sharing the results! TY again & HH

 

[cougar14]

How did you get that military discount, and is it honored only through Minelab, or resellers?

 

[Deep1]

The discount is honored by all authorized dealers.
You need a copy of your DD-214 or a veterans drivers license.

 

[ATPRoDon]

Pinpointing is easy on the Equinox, you have 3 ways to do it. You can go manual mode and visually make an X on the ground and the target should be dead center of the coil. You can use the pinpoint mode and the Arc should close with the target north of the center coil shaft about 2 inches. Or you can do the wiggle method over the target and as you pull the coil back towards you when the sound stops the target is at the top tip of the coil. With a DD coil you will only detect in the center of the coil top to bottom.

As far as a Clad Quarter overlapping a Silver dime they shouldn't. With the standard 11 inch coil in Park 1 a silver dime should read about 27 and a clad quarter should read 30 maybe dropping to 29. In Park 2 with the 11 inch coil a Silver dime should read 26 or 27 and a clad Quarter should read 30.

 

[RayinAlaska]

The discount is honored by all authorized dealers.
You need a copy of your DD-214 or a veterans drivers license.

Military ID works. I bought mine at Sportsman Warehouse.

 

[usmcscorpio]

Pinpointing is easy on the Equinox, you have 3 ways to do it. You can go manual mode and visually make an X on the ground and the target should be dead center of the coil. You can use the pinpoint mode and the Arc should close with the target north of the center coil shaft about 2 inches. Or you can do the wiggle method over the target and as you pull the coil back towards you when the sound stops the target is at the top tip of the coil. With a DD coil you will only detect in the center of the coil top to bottom.

Thanks ATPRoDon! I'll give those a try as well! After thinking about it, I decided to make another post just now, regarding a method I use to "micro-pinpoint" with the Nox...hoping it works for all HH and TY again!