Bad Coil?

[KREQ600]

I have had my Equinox 600 since October 2018 and have hundreds of hours of detecting with it. I have had the stock 11 inch coil on it since I bought it. I am not sure if I have a bad cord or a bad coil. I detect a lot in cultivated fields with lots of stubble left over from the soybean harvest and I get lots of false "ghost" signals when bumping the coil into the stubble. This has actually occurred since I have had the detector and I have tried routing the cord in different ways up the shaft to try and keep the cord from moving. I use at least 4 Velcro straps to secure the cord. This is not EMI. No power lines anywhere and no cell towers or interference from cell phone. In fact, I use a ferrite ring clip on the cord and have it attached just below the control head. Noticed that most electronic equipment have these attached to help prevent EMI from interfering with the equipment. It does seems to help a bunch when around power lines and other possible EMI sources.
I run sensitivity around 20. I ground balance and have tried using auto ground balance just to try and see if that helps....it does not. I noise cancel. I try to do everything possible to test settings and adjust accordingly. Just wondering if anyone else has a problem with falsing and getting "ghost" signals when detecting around stubble and bumping the coil into it and what I might can do to help prevent it?

 

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[Back-of-the-boat]

I don't have an Equinox but I think that happens with most detectors I know my Garrett AT gold does that also when bumping into things.

 

[KREQ600]

I don't have an Equinox but I think that happens with most detectors I know my Garrett AT gold does that also when bumping into things.

A friend of mine has a Whites detector and his does it some but very, very little. If yours does it, maybe that is the stubble's way of "protecting" and preventing what we are detecting for!! LOL

 

[Ocean7]

I have had my Equinox 600 since October 2018 and have hundreds of hours of detecting with it. I have had the stock 11 inch coil on it since I bought it. I am not sure if I have a bad cord or a bad coil. I detect a lot in cultivated fields with lots of stubble left over from the soybean harvest and I get lots of false "ghost" signals when bumping the coil into the stubble.

may try turning down sensitivity to see if that makes a difference. make sure to remove skid plate and hose off dirt etc. if you have not recently. A coil wire wound too tight will pull on where it goes into coil and can ruin coil - when the coil is physically rotated too far in wrong direction either way. Make sure you are not wearing steel toe boots, which will pickup a signal when coil comes too close to boot. Might watch this video below for coil maint.

Lastly, coils are not made to bang into anything over long periods of time IMO, and if that crop stubble is frequently grabbing coil wire and yanking on it, eventually you may find you have a coil issue. Good luck!

Care & Maintenance of Your Minelab Equinox 800 and 600

 

[KREQ600]

may try turning down sensitivity to see if that makes a difference. make sure to remove skid plate and hose off dirt etc. if you have not recently. A coil wire wound too tight will pull on where it goes into coil and can ruin coil - when the coil is physically rotated too far in wrong direction either way. Make sure you are not wearing steel toe boots, which will pickup a signal when coil comes too close to boot. Might watch this video below for coil maint.

Lastly, coils are not made to bang into anything over long periods of time IMO, and if that crop stubble is frequently grabbing coil wire and yanking on it, eventually you may find you have a coil issue. Good luck!

Care & Maintenance of Your Minelab Equinox 800 and 600

Ocean7: Thanks for all the advice.....appreciate it!! I have tried turning down sensitivity to 17 or 18 and it does not seem to help. I have my cord run up the bottom of the shaft from the coil about a foot before I start to wind the cord. I leave the coil tighteners loose enough that I can adjust the it easily. I have the extra coil ear stiffeners installed as well. Do not want to break the coil ears!! I definitely do not wear steel toed boots!!! I try to be as careful as possible with my swing speed. Especially around stubble in a field. Actually, helps me slow down my swing speed an keep an even, level swing. I also take the skid plate off frequently and clean it. Thanks again for the video. I have not seen this one!!! Very good and helpful info!!!

 

[Ocean7]

Ocean7: Thanks for all the advice.....appreciate it!! I have tried turning down sensitivity to 17 or 18 and it does not seem to help. I have my cord run up the bottom of the shaft from the coil about a foot before I start to wind the cord. I leave the coil tighteners loose enough that I can adjust the it easily. I have the extra coil ear stiffeners installed as well. Do not want to break the coil ears!! I definitely do not wear steel toed boots!!! I try to be as careful as possible with my swing speed. Especially around stubble in a field. Actually, helps me slow down my swing speed an keep an even, level swing. I also take the skid plate off frequently and clean it. Thanks again for the video. I have not seen this one!!! Very good and helpful info!!!

welcome! Cord too loose can be picked by coil and sound off on you. Try 6" from coil but leave enough slack so coil rotation does not yank line going into coil itself. But too much slack will cause false signals. I had this happen with my new Nox 800 this summer.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Common, turn your sensitivity down some and it will help.

 

[KREQ600]

welcome! Cord too loose can be picked by coil and sound off on you. Try 6" from coil but leave enough slack so coil rotation does not yank line going into coil itself. But too much slack will cause false signals. I had this happen with my new Nox 800 this summer.

Again, thanks for replying!! I have tried the 6 inch and the longer foot from the coil. Will just have to experiment a bit more to find the best setting.

 

[KREQ600]

Treasure Hunter: I have lowered sensitivity and it has no effect. But thanks for the reply!!

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Treasure Hunter: I have lowered sensitivity and it has no effect. But thanks for the reply!!

Hiw much did you lower it, you said sensitivity set around 20?

 

[KREQ600]

Treasure Hunter: Guess I did not say in my OP how low I have tried to lower the sensitivity. As stated, I do normally run at 20 but this morning during a hunt, I started lowering it incrementally from 20 all the way down to 15 and it still had no effect. Again, I am no nubie to the Equinox. I have hundreds of hours with it. I hunt bean fields predominately because I look for Civil War and Native American Indian artifacts. I have no issues when hunting parks or old home places that do not have stubble. But again, I do appreciate you trying to help diagnose the issue. I will take all advice and try to work the issue.

 

[McKinney_5900]

I don't have an Equinox but I think that happens with most detectors I know my Garrett AT gold does that also when bumping into things.

Sound right to me also. I don't hit things with my coil. If it is a place where that seems to happen a lot, get a smaller coil to just quit and move to a "friendlier" place.

About the integrity of the coil question though. Did this coil function ok hitting soy bean stubble up until now? I would question my coil too if so. Another question. Can you run single frequency, not multi, and eliminate the chatter?

Possible that the farmer increased his nitrogen mix in his fertilizer on this grow. That could make the zone near the ground hotter. jm2c

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Treasure Hunter: Guess I did not say in my OP how low I have tried to lower the sensitivity. As stated, I do normally run at 20 but this morning during a hunt, I started lowering it incrementally from 20 all the way down to 15 and it still had no effect. Again, I am no nubie to the Equinox. I have hundreds of hours with it. I hunt bean fields predominately because I look for Civil War and Native American Indian artifacts. I have no issues when hunting parks or old home places that do not have stubble. But again, I do appreciate you trying to help diagnose the issue. I will take all advice and try to work the issue.

If it has no issues in parks and on private land odds are pretty good the coil is okay.

 

[KREQ600]

Sound right to me also. I don't hit things with my coil. If it is a place where that seems to happen a lot, get a smaller coil to just quit and move to a "friendlier" place.

About the integrity of the coil question though. Did this coil function ok hitting soy bean stubble up until now? I would question my coil too if so. Another question. Can you run single frequency, not multi, and eliminate the chatter?

Possible that the farmer increased his nitrogen mix in his fertilizer on this grow. That could make the zone near the ground hotter. jm2c

McKinney_5900: Thank you for the suggestions!! I have noticed that when ground balancing, I do get higher readings in these fields. Did not consider the extra nitrogen in the fertilizer making the soil hotter. I have noticed when performing a auto ground balance, the readings are higher. Thanks for pointing this out. But, the stubble is still my nemesis. When searching for Civil War/Native American artifacts, the bean fields are the very best places to hunt. I do have the Coiltek 10 inch coil but normally use the 11 inch to cover more ground and use the Coiltek around parks and trashy areas where it performs really well. Will have to give it a try next time out. Even with all the time I have used the Equinox, you still learn things about it and have not seen anything concerning stubble issues in fields. That is why I posted my issue to see what I could learn from others. Always willing to learn and take advice!!!

 

[pepperj]

McKinney_5900: Thank you for the suggestions!! I have noticed that when ground balancing, I do get higher readings in these fields. Did not consider the extra nitrogen in the fertilizer making the soil hotter. I have noticed when performing a auto ground balance, the readings are higher. Thanks for pointing this out. But, the stubble is still my nemesis. When searching for Civil War/Native American artifacts, the bean fields are the very best places to hunt. I do have the Coiltek 10 inch coil but normally use the 11 inch to cover more ground and use the Coiltek around parks and trashy areas where it performs really well. Will have to give it a try next time out. Even with all the time I have used the Equinox, you still learn things about it and have not seen anything concerning stubble issues in fields. That is why I posted my issue to see what I could learn from others. Always willing to learn and take advice!!!

Over the years I have detected in "Hot soils" fertilizer is the reason.
I remember one permission in England the fields were useless to detect on because of the stuff slayed down on them. ( seemed to have effected every machine)
Have you tried any other machine on this stubble field?
Some bean stubble is hard to detect in if they haven't dropped the combine head right down.

The Explorer's had a bump the coil issue, and yesterday I even noticed the Deus ll having a bit when in the corn stalks-and in the woods.

 

[KREQ600]

McKinney: I just got a used Minelab Vanquish 440. I have not used it yet but, weather permitting, I will try it out today. Will see how it does on the stubble. Yes, the fields I normally hunt, they leave the stubble up around 4 to 6 inches. As the season progresses, the stubble does get a bit lower. Think stubble and I will just have to coexist and we will just have to get along!!! LOL

 

[McKinney_5900]

You might get speedy/pleasant results walking down in-between rows(empty area) and "dragging/hovering" your coil on the empty space next row over. I use that style for hunting my mile long jog trails here. Jewelry and stuff logically doesn't jump far enough but things surely does. It's fast.

But I digress. You would learn how to listen, and stop quickly when you got a tone and work it. It is simple in my mind. You'd miss the actual rows were the beans stalks are but a big coil should reach out to the perimeter somewhat. Plus, those rows wouldn't be exactly the same place next year.

Not swinging would take getting used to.It is fast though.

I may have forgotten the width of the in-between row space though. I farmed and grew beans in the 1950s-106s but ain't stepped foot in a bean field in decades. My dad farmed but we kids all pitched in. How wide are they?

 

[KREQ600]

McKinney: Yes, I do try to stay between the rows as much as possible. By doing so, you can somewhat do a search/grid pattern to try cover as much ground as you can and still be sure you have not missed or covered the same ground again. Again, I am not a novice with this detector. I literally have hundreds of hours with it. My original post, I was basically trying to find out if anybody else has had an issue with stubble in bean/corn fields.
I tried using 50 tones but it was just too much for me. I use 5 tones and I can pretty much pick out good stuff from trash with the sounds and what the display ID numbers indicate. When hunting bean fields, you will run across some trash in the form of aluminum cans, brass shotgun shell hulls, which ring up in Field 2 around 15, which is where some musket balls will ring up. When searching a known Civil War site or possible Native American Indian site, I will dig stuff I would normally not dig. By the way, I am not a grave robber when searching Native American sites or Civil War sites. I am friends with two archeologists who work for the Chickasaw Nation. I have shown them all of the relics I have located and where I found them. If I believe I have found a possible burial site, I leave it alone and notify the archeologists where I found it. I am an avid historian and I never sell anything!!! I have donated some of my finds to the Chickasaw's and plan to donate more as I find it. I am just trying to preserve a piece of history one relic, musket ball, minie' ball, etc. at a time during my hunts.

 

[McKinney_5900]

McKinney: Yes, I do try to stay between the rows as much as possible. By doing so, you can somewhat do a search/grid pattern to try cover as much ground as you can and still be sure you have not missed or covered the same ground again. Again, I am not a novice with this detector. I literally have hundreds of hours with it. My original post, I was basically trying to find out if anybody else has had an issue with stubble in bean/corn fields.
I tried using 50 tones but it was just too much for me. I use 5 tones and I can pretty much pick out good stuff from trash with the sounds and what the display ID numbers indicate. When hunting bean fields, you will run across some trash in the form of aluminum cans, brass shotgun shell hulls, which ring up in Field 2 around 15, which is where some musket balls will ring up. When searching a known Civil War site or possible Native American Indian site, I will dig stuff I would normally not dig. By the way, I am not a grave robber when searching Native American sites or Civil War sites. I am friends with two archeologists who work for the Chickasaw Nation. I have shown them all of the relics I have located and where I found them. If I believe I have found a possible burial site, I leave it alone and notify the archeologists where I found it. I am an avid historian and I never sell anything!!! I have donated some of my finds to the Chickasaw's and plan to donate more as I find it. I am just trying to preserve a piece of history one relic, musket ball, minie' ball, etc. at a time during my hunts.

Interesting about the Indian artifacts. Our first family farm, where I was raised until 13, was in an area called Mounds, in Arkansas. Mounds referred to the Indian mounds the Indians lived at and worked. My aunt had walls of shellacked arrow heads she collected. Us kids just took them for granted and I never kept any myself. I remember seeing lots of stuff, just never got excited.

It would be fun to go back in time with a metal detector but historic metals there mighta been nil in discovering anyway. That 160 acres is now owned commercially and has been leveled and irrigated. I could get permission though. I know the owner.

I envisioned your row widths narrow, but research today shows a general width of 30 inches, sometimes 20 inches. A 20 inch coil would be feasible for my drag/hover and walk straight style.

Good luck! I'll be interested to see your finds. Can you get in there when they disc it up for planting?

 

[KREQ600]

McKinney: I have thought many times that I wish I could go back in time and take my detector with me to sites that now are developed or you can no longer detect on!!! Here in Mississippi, they no longer row up crops as in years past. They plant soybeans by basically just pushing them in the ground with the planter. Around here in the Spring, they bust up the field, come right behind with a section harrow, then plant all on the same day. The soil now does not get disturbed as much. Makes hunting for arrowheads much harder now. Just about have to hunt the creeks for them. I do look for them while detecting. But they are getting harder to find. Just like your Aunt, my Grandfather and my uncles all had great arrowhead collections. What ever happened to them, I do not know. I guess my cousins have them but I doubt it.
The picture is of a find I made and was in a midden pit. The lock and gun barrels, the bells and other relics date to the 1730’s. The other picture is of some Civil War cannon ball fragments and minie’ balls I found on an afternoon hunt.