Are these false signals on my Equinox 800?

OBXmetalDet

Full Member
Aug 25, 2019
102
53
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I'm here at the beach in Ocean City, MD. When I was detecting today, there were various scenarios that I noticed:

1. I would get a signal. Then when I scan again many times I don't get a signal again. What is causing this?
2. When I was close to the water, sometimes when I swing the detector into the water, I get a signal. This seemed to happen a bit too often. Does the salt water give a false signal?
3. Sometimes I could set the detector in one spot and signals would come and go. Sometimes this happened when I held the detector straight out into the air. What is causing this?
4. There were times when I would get a signal, but no target ID displays. What does this mean?
5. In wet sand, I would get a signal, then dig and throw some sand aside. Then the signal would be in the sand I threw to the side. I would go through it and find nothing. When I dug into the wet sand, I noticed some black streaks, I guess black sand. So although I would get signals, I could never find anything. What is happening here?
 

I'm here at the beach in Ocean City, MD. When I was detecting today, there were various scenarios that I noticed:

1. I would get a signal. Then when I scan again many times I don't get a signal again. What is causing this?
2. When I was close to the water, sometimes when I swing the detector into the water, I get a signal. This seemed to happen a bit too often. Does the salt water give a false signal?
3. Sometimes I could set the detector in one spot and signals would come and go. Sometimes this happened when I held the detector straight out into the air. What is causing this?
4. There were times when I would get a signal, but no target ID displays. What does this mean?
5. In wet sand, I would get a signal, then dig and throw some sand aside. Then the signal would be in the sand I threw to the side. I would go through it and find nothing. When I dug into the wet sand, I noticed some black streaks, I guess black sand. So although I would get signals, I could never find anything. What is happening here?
Sensitivity turned up to high.
Falsing issue.

EMI from a nearby power source.

Did you ground balance?
 

Sensitivity turned up to high.
Falsing issue.

EMI from a nearby power source.

Did you ground balance?
Sensitivity is at 20.

I turned my cell phone off.

I did ground balance.
 

Two nights ago I charged my Equinox 800 for at least 2 hours. During this time, I saw a flashing green light. The owner's manual says this means it isn't fully charged yet.

Yesterday, I used my detector for about 2 hours. Earlier today I used it for about 1 or 2 hours.

Now, in the evening, I am charging my detector and all of a sudden I see a solid green light, which the owner's manual says means that it's fully charged.

How can it be fully charged if I have used it for more than 2 hours since the last time I charged it?
 

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I'm here at the beach in Ocean City, MD. When I was detecting today, there were various scenarios that I noticed:

1. I would get a signal. Then when I scan again many times I don't get a signal again. What is causing this?
2. When I was close to the water, sometimes when I swing the detector into the water, I get a signal. This seemed to happen a bit too often. Does the salt water give a false signal?
3. Sometimes I could set the detector in one spot and signals would come and go. Sometimes this happened when I held the detector straight out into the air. What is causing this?
4. There were times when I would get a signal, but no target ID displays. What does this mean?
5. In wet sand, I would get a signal, then dig and throw some sand aside. Then the signal would be in the sand I threw to the side. I would go through it and find nothing. When I dug into the wet sand, I noticed some black streaks, I guess black sand. So although I would get signals, I could never find anything. What is happening here?
Look at the history of the solar radiation.
It might be some of the issue.

Another member commented that Minelabs didn't like the solar flares.
 

Two nights ago I charged my Equinox 800 for at least 2 hours. During this time, I saw a flashing green light. The owner's manual says this means it isn't fully charged yet.

Yesterday, I used my detector for about 2 hours. Earlier today I used it for about 1 or 2 hours.

Now, in the evening, I am charging my detector and all of a sudden I see a solid green light, which the owner's manual says means that it's fully charged.

How can it be fully charged if I have used it for more than 2 hours since the last time I charged it?
Once mine is fully charged, I can probably get 15 hours out of it. Three hunts. Sometimes I have it on the charger all night and it doesn’t fully charge and it’s because the contacts are dirty, especially after going to the beach so take a little alcohol and clean the contacts.
 

I think people often forget how sensitive the EQ800 is. I've rarely had times sens higher than 18 was needed in the areas I hunt. Lot of EMI causes chirps at times. Noise cancel can help but if the EMI is bad enough it will take a combination of noise cancel and lowering sens until the restless chatter is tolerable.
There have been numerous times I've found little bits of things the size of a writing pen head. Yes, it has that capability even with the stock coil. In those cases it was a lot like what you described, the signal was faint and then sort of disappeared. It's hard for a pinpointer to pick it up unless you are right on it.
I don't water hunt so I can't advise you on the salt water effect but have read numerous times where it will make a detector sound off if the detector is not set to compensate for it.
So yeah, The Equinox 800 is a really sensitive unit that will find tiny tiny pieces of things. You have to realize that even though the "newer greater 900" is supposed to be something, that "old" 800 remains an awesome detector today.
 

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