Another one bites the dust !!

[Blak bart]

Just sent another EQX 600 in for repair. Should be there by Friday, and I hope they get one back to me like they did Before. They shipped one to me the day they got mine and I wasn't down long. This will be # 3 I think, and there is another one in its box, next to my front door ready to go back for water intrusion. This one just showed CD after working flawlessly for its first 4 months !! Strange how I used it all the time fully submerged and had no problems. Went to get in the water and it would not cycle on. After about 25 tries...IT CAME ON !! I jumped into the water and used it for 2 hours at about 3-4ft. With no problems. Got home turned it off and it just shows CD again and won't cycle on.

You may ask me why I still use a detector that breaks constantly.....I hunt 80% of the time underwater. And this machine in my opinion is the best...totally submerged, or beach hunting. I found 30 rings with this one before it broke....thats just since july....I got this EQX in June!!
Just these few rings covered the cost of this machine and that was 2 hunts !! They get the goods folks !!

This is the little pile of goods since july 1st. Until it broke....not including the pounds of clad !!

The last one i had before this one I left in the bahamas with SAD669, after I found another pile of real treasure....it had failed me and I had it repaired and it got me this pile this pile was found in three months from February till June of this year !! So you see....I love the EQX 600 even though I've never had one last a year before repairs were needed !! They are not waterproof but are water resistant for a period of time. Ive never had to pay a dime for the repairs except shipping. When I get them back they go directly in the water totally submerged again....after using the repaired ones I will usally order a new one and gift my repaired one to someone !! I take the brand new one directly out of the box, and straight under water. It has fresh warranty, and I don't baby these machines !! Ill get to know my excal again if there is any delay with the repair !!

I did feel ripped off at one point by what could be considered false advertising !! They lied when they said its waterproof to ten feet....all mine have failed at less than the rated depth. Im over it now...such is life....I've been lied to before !! Remember the old timex water RESISTANT watches.....where are they now ?? All broken in a drawer somewhere because water resistant means that sooner or later its gonna fail if ya keep going in the water.

Waterproof ratings should be standardized for all electronics...watches these days that are waterproof rated are held to 33 feet....one atmosphere!! Why not all metaldetectors that claim waterproof ratings ??

 

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[Gulf Coast Pirate]

I've had to send the AT Pro in for intrusion and it's never been deeper than 4 feet. Based on your results, I may have to invest in a EQX!

 

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[smokeythecat]

Well, you'll have to decide what to get next (if you want another machine of course) at the end of its warranty. First time it breaks after that, you're probably off better getting a new machine, of any kind. It's like cars, after so many years we just get another one.

 

[CASPER-2]

CZ21 goes deeper on land also if used right
went to a Civil War hunt where it was hunted by 300+ guys on 5 different occasions
I had been here a few with other land machines and every relic machine had hit here
I always wanted to try CZ21 on land knowing I can get lead fishing sinkers down close`
to 2ft down in water - most of these items were found in woods where i could see
past dig holes - 2 guys that hadnt found anything came up to me and i pulles out a handful
of my finds - i got a faint hit and they both checked with their top of the line machines
one could not read it the other said it was a ghost - in and out
dug down foot and a half and pulled a large round ball bout 6 ft away got another
faint signal with same results ...they were both amazed
the small buck balls were in the 1 foot range ...everything else was deeper

 

[smokeythecat]

If I did the water I'd get an Excal for myself. It's just not right if you buy a machine then have to buy several more coils, ear stiffeners, a carbon shaft rod, and then a waterproof box to over the machine's box just to make it work as it was advertised to work.

It's like buying a brand new car, and then realizing you have to buy new tires and rims, due to bad engineering, and seats and larger brakes, 'cause it doesn't stop correctly. Not right.

When someone buys a machine (or car), blasted thing is supposed to work as advertised. On the other hand, most of what we get made in Asia these days is junk anyway.

 

[cudamark]

Excaliburs haven't been trouble free either, but, most water machines will have leak issues sooner or later. Excals have had leaks occasionally, cable and battery pod deterioration, crappy control knobs that easily break off, and switch pots that can break. The coils are hard wired, so, coil interchange is tougher to do. IMO, a straight shaft, headphone upgrade, and a pin point switch on the handle is a must also. Kind of makes the Equinox and it's problems a rather minor annoyance!

 

[Slimpickins]

If Minelab could make an aluminum control head with thicker gaskets as a modification, would that make it more reliably waterproof. I got my Nox 800 control head replaced due to water intrusion and going forward I'll keep it above the water. Has anyone had any good results applying silicone around the seams on an out of warranty control head? Since I only use it with headphones, would completely sealing the speaker improve its waterproofability? (new word)

 

[bigscoop]

Quality doesn't rate very high these days. Sure, they could make a higher quality and more dependable machine but where's the advantage in that? The old train of thought use to be to make a high quality product that would last a long time but how do you sell that same individual another machine two or three years down the road then? Well, for most folks, you probably aren't going to unless they need it and if that old machine is still purring right along then no need for a new one.

 

[OBN]

Bottom line is, if they are replacing a few hundred units a year and they are still making money. Why not make more money and correct the issue and save on that few hundred ....

My thinking; why re-tool a machine that is going to be replaced soon, if Minelab follows their pattern, there is a new machine coming. Like the Excalibur series (3 Generations), the Sovereigns (3 Generations), or like the Explorer Series (3 Generations) ..and so on..

 

[bigscoop]

Bottom line is, if they are replacing a few hundred units a year and they are still making money. Why not make more money and correct the issue and save on that few hundred ....

My thinking; why re-tool a machine that is going to be replaced soon, if Minelab follows their pattern, there is a new machine coming. Like the Excalibur series (3 Generations), the Sovereigns (3 Generations), or like the Explorer Series (3 Generations) ..and so on..

Everyone needs a vehicle, a refrigerator, etc., but not everyone needs a detector. Minelab knows they have a limited market. If Bigscoop and OBN and others like them buy a dependable, capable machine that keeps producing, then not very likely that they're going to sell us next year's model, and so that portion of that limited market is already lost. Today's machines are of poor quality for a reason, because they don't want them to perform and last for ever. Just look at the coil ears on the Equinox, a no-brainer and yet they are still as weak and as thin as paper. It's all about recycling that limited market.

 

[Blak bart]

Excaliburs haven't been trouble free either, but, most water machines will have leak issues sooner or later. Excals have had leaks occasionally, cable and battery pod deterioration, crappy control knobs that easily break off, and switch pots that can break. The coils are hard wired, so, coil interchange is tougher to do. IMO, a straight shaft, headphone upgrade, and a pin point switch on the handle is a must also. Kind of makes the Equinox and it's problems a rather minor annoyance!

So true....seems the knobs fall off first, then they get locked into position and can't be adjusted reliably, then the cables start to rot. Every repair I've had done on the excal has cost me, and took longer than normal !! They are more rugged, but cost more for repairs. A new pod for 350$, and a fresh 3 year warranty is not a bad deal at all !! I havnt changed detectors because they just keep sending me new gear when it breaks....everytime I feel like changing brands....a new pod shows up and im back out there. Ill use them like toilet paper as long as they keep up the service. Ill test the sea ghost next !!

 

[bigscoop]

My old blue excal is 25 years old, had new seals once just as a precaution, still using the original stock coil. This machine has seen the worst of it too, from pounding saltwater surf to burning sun and muddy and rocky rivers. It's super sensitive, has great discrimination capabilities, and it's even as deep as most PI machines and it's still #1 on the beach and in the water. Not very likely that anyone is going to sell me another machine unless I just want a new "toy" to play with.

 

[Slimpickins]

$350.00 for a new control pod with a 3 year warranty is a great deal that should keep Nox users happy for quite a while. The Sea Ghost looks like the fix for water intrusion. What would that mod cost including shipping and insurance ? I'm sure someone will copy that design possibly improving it and it may be available at Kellyco in the not too distant future

 

[Blak bart]

$350.00 for a new control pod with a 3 year warranty is a great deal that should keep Nox users happy for quite a while. The Sea Ghost looks like the fix for water intrusion. What would that mod cost including shipping and insurance ? I'm sure someone will copy that design possibly improving it and it may be available at Kellyco in the not too distant future

Not sure tom....but I'm gonna find out soon....should be getting it back this week I hope.

 

[Blak bart]

Well to be honest....I do use a vast array of machines, and im never totally down when they break. My job often includes treasure hunting !! As a first mate/captain in a large private operation that has many vessels i often take guests on treasurehunting adventures. Most of the yachts i set up and am involved with will have at least a basic set up like this. View attachment 1948940
Thats including the brownies third lung for treasure hunting and lobster diving. I like to keep 1 or 2 excals on each boat, but will often carry a couple EQXs on trips also. I might be anywhere from the carribean, or as far north as prince Edward Island and newfoundland. Often times my bosses will let me take a break from fishing like they did last week and I will actually dive with some real permitted treasurehunting groups here in the keys. When im with these guys im using alot of higher end equipment including the sea spy magnetometer, geometrics magnetometers, DX 300 hand held mags. Pulse 8X, old yellow a big JW wand mag. And other hand held mags i can't even remember right now. So im very fluent in different metal detecting languages. Try figuring out mag data on auto cad software overlayed on a GPS plot chart....even God doesn't know everything about auto cad !! All of them are tools, and even the best tools break. The fact that my eqx have never cost anything to fix is the one saving grace for them.....this last week I found a giant 1700s anchor...by the time I was done digging i had somehow put a hairline crack in the face of a pulse8X. Luckily we have 4 of these machines and I was able to cobble another head unit on to my rigg. I hate to even think what a new faceplate will run with a full check of the machine !! Here is the pulse8X complete with tape to get through the week !!

 

[Slimpickins]

What a fantastic job for sure. Running a fishing,treasure hunting charter boat in FL with the best equipment. Talk about the wrong way to dispose of batteries, back in the late '60's I was in the CG on a buoy tender out of Woods Hole on Cape Cod. The larger lighted buoys had 1 or 2 battery racks with 5 or 6 car batteries in each rack. When they were replaced, the dead battery racks were dumped into the ocean. Same thing with worn out 1 1/2" mooring chain and sinkers. And worst of all, when we were tied up back at Base Woods Hole, whenever anyone took a dump on our 180 ft tender or the smaller tender in front of us, the "brown trout" would be flushed into Little Harbor. Yuk!!! I'm sure the million dollar homeowners on the opposite side of Little Harbor were unaware of this "plumbing issue". It didn't bother us because all summer on duty weekends we would jump off the bridge or dive off the buoy deck. Semper Paratus

 

[cudamark]

You guys don't wear gloves? I don't detect anywhere these days without them. I guess I've just been cut too many times!

 

[CreakyDigger]

You guys don't wear gloves? I don't detect anywhere these days without them. I guess I've just been cut too many times!

I've never worn them. What do you recommend for gloves?

 

[cudamark]

I've never worn them. What do you recommend for gloves?

That depends on where I'm detecting. In the water, I use dive gloves. On the beach and shallow water where I'm not necessarily sticking my hand underwater, I use the Craftsman mechanics glove I get from Lowe's. Turf hunting or cold weather, I use either some Husky's or some Wells Lamont hydra Hyde gloves for more insulation and protection.

 

[Blak bart]

Ya....I should have had some gloves...my hands were all beat up!! Alot of times i do wear gloves !!

 

[Blak bart]