Bad points about the Equinox series

[RichieRich]

great advice

 

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[Echoplex]

The only thing I am a little uneasy about so far is the charging system , basically the charging cable is your lifeline and if something happens to it you are SOL and the detector is worthless . I wish ML would have included 2 cables and a wall and car adapter . I hope that they make extra cables available soon , I dont see any for sale yet . If anyone has any alternative method to charge it or if there is any aftermarket type cables that would work please let us know.

Mine came with two charging cables, but I agree that not including a basic wall charger with a $900 machine is lame. Then again, we have a drawer full of iPhone, iPad, and smart phone chargers that work just fine with the cables, but the principal of providing a proper factory charging system is important on an expensive piece of electronics. No one likes to charge stuff off a laptop or computer for 18 hours.

I do love their magnetic charging cable though. When it clicks into place, it is oddly satisfying.

 

[Wiganer]

The REALLY BAD thing about the Equinox series is that it will most likely kick the competition into high gear and within a year or two there will be a revolution in detecting. Wait...that''s not BAD! That's awesome! Let the games begin. Wouldn't it be cool if this started a manufacturing "war" like when we went from computers with no hard drive in 1988 to the gaming and data have now? It won't be "catch up", it will be "outdo". Of course the targets have to be in the ground to begin with....that's always a problem. We may have to dump all our machines in a couple years and start over.

There may be nothing left in the ground in a few years, after the nox is finished with it.
I can see the tv commercials now, please give 3 bucks a month to house there poor neglected non equinox detectors

 

[Goldstar1]

Mine came with two charging cables, but I agree that not including a basic wall charger with a $900 machine is lame. Then again, we have a drawer full of iPhone, iPad, and smart phone chargers that work just fine with the cables, but the principal of providing a proper factory charging system is important on an expensive piece of electronics. No one likes to charge stuff off a laptop or computer for 18 hours.

I do love their magnetic charging cable though. When it clicks into place, it is oddly satisfying.

Yours came with two cables ? That is good maybe it is just the 600 that only comes with one , does anyone have the 600 that came with two cables ?
I kind of like the magnetic charging too for some reason, its just kind of cool , it will be interesting to see how it holds up over time with the beach hunters in sand and saltwater.

 

[vferrari]

The only thing I am a little uneasy about so far is the charging system , basically the charging cable is your lifeline and if something happens to it you are SOL and the detector is worthless . I wish ML would have included 2 cables and a wall and car adapter . I hope that they make extra cables available soon , I dont see any for sale yet . If anyone has any alternative method to charge it or if there is any aftermarket type cables that would work please let us know.

I get that. It's kind of one of those d@mned if you do, d@mned if you don't things. People will complain either way ("Why do I need another one one of these wall warts?" vs. "Why were they too cheap to include a wall wart?")

I agree that it is vitally important to not lose or damage that charging cable. But this gives me the opportunity to point out that the charging cable used for the Equinox is the same as that used for the WM08 audio receive module, so if you have an 800 you got two separate but identical Equinox charging cables in your box so you got a spare . Protect it at all costs until the accessories come on line.

 

[Echoplex]

That explains why I got two cables. I didn't even think about the WM08.

 

[smokeythecat]

Wiganer, it's already too late. Got into a virgin colonial site today and the stupid dig bag was so heavy it almost took my pants down! Will clean up stuff and post tomorrow, assuming I'm not going back.

 

[Jacza]

Seems to have big problems with EMI (despite noise cancel):

 

[Echoplex]

A follow up from my previous "needs improvement" post regarding the poor balance of coil rocking when I swing. Today I tested a S-Rod from another detector on my Equinox. Had to Jerry-rig it with duct tape. WOW! It completely balances the swing out for me and eliminate the x-axis rocking. Minelab: if you are reading these types of threads, PLEASE offer us an S-Rod for the Equinox ASAP.

 

[smokeythecat]

Echoplex, I'm glad I'm the only person who figured out the first time I saw one somebody had scrambled brains NOT to put an S rod on it. Glad I'm only partially goofy. Gotta love duct tape. On second thought, maybe they made it for Aussie Chris Hemsworth (aka Thor).

 

[vferrari]

A follow up from my previous "needs improvement" post regarding the poor balance of coil rocking when I swing. Today I tested a S-Rod from another detector on my Equinox. Had to Jerry-rig it with duct tape. WOW! It completely balances the swing out for me and eliminate the x-axis rocking. Minelab: if you are reading these types of threads, PLEASE offer us an S-Rod for the Equinox ASAP.

Post pics please. Since the control panel is integral to the handle I envision an S-rod giving the control panel a double-decker feel. Gotta see it in practice.

 

[Echoplex]

No double decker feel. Quite the opposite. I'm no physicist, but having the coil shaft in line with your arm seems to be important with this particular "top heavy" machine. For example, if you are to invert the S-rod upside down, the Equinox rocks horribly like a pendulum when you swing (double decker feel). This tells me that the more in line with your arm (higher up) the coil shaft is, the better. S-rods don't work for every machine, and I know some don't like them at all, but I feel like the Equinox needs one. Unfortunately, this S-rod (from White's) doesn't fit properly and I had to Jerry-rig it with extra rubber washers and duct tape. Minelabs lower rod is a bigger diameter than White's S-rod, so I had to use the Whites lower rod. I feel like the improper fit at the coil connection puts to much stress on the coil tabs for prolonged use or if I bumped the coil hard, so I took it all off. I hope someone makes an aftermarket S-rod soon or Minelab offers one. IMO, the machine should be fitted with one from the factory.

 

[G.A.P.metal]

That video is such a joke ...he tries to Ground Balance in the house over a rug.... and then announces it Ground Balanced a 20 then i shut it off.
All kinds of non sense on these videos !

 

[Jacza]

I think the ground balance is necessary after you have turned the multi kruzer on. Even with high gain of 90 the machine is more stable with EMI than equinox. This is important for me, because I have a lot of high-tension power lines in my vicinity.

I've seen also some tests, where the equinox (like the etrac) is not capable of detecting gold chains and other small gold objects in beach mode.

 

[smokeythecat]

They need to put the S rod on the top, seems like. No more tests. Go dig.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Sorry, but for me the video is a joke, air tests inside a house, ground balance inside house, states flat out he knows nothing about the Equinox or how to set it up. I have ran tests on both the Equinox and the Kruzer in test garden and I preferred the Equinox over the Kruzer, and yes Equinox saw a very thin gold chain buried in the ground

 

[sprailroad]

I think the ground balance is necessary after you have turned the multi kruzer on. Even with high gain of 90 the machine is more stable with EMI than equinox. This is important for me, because I have a lot of high-tension power lines in my vicinity.

I've seen also some tests, where the equinox (like the etrac) is not capable of detecting gold chains and other small gold objects in beach mode.

I sir would beg to differ with you. I have seen a couple of (very well done) videos of the EQ IN salt water with a very slim gold chain, (stretched out) picking it up each time, whereas another well known machine did not, at all. Another video showing a number of small items including gold items that again the EQ picked up, where two other well know machines did not. Both of which I viewed on Treasure-Net. Now, a question, do you own a Equinox? Or were these "test" viewed on You Tube. Just asking.

 

[smokeythecat]

Treasure_Hunter is correct. And the machine won't be worth the powder to blow it to perdition unless you take it outside in the real world and find some stuff. Time to go play with the new toy. Please. That's what you got it for, right? If you got it to make youtube videos, wrong move. Like someone else said, I generally blow through them to the targets to see what was found. I mainly watch cute animals on youtube. New toy must be played with. It's a rule.

 

[Truth]

Yeah, just so your grandson can use.
I think I know what will happen.

Hint-better buy 2.

Yeah I might buy one for the wife you never know when one day she might say ok I’ll come detecting with you )))))

 

[Jacza]

So, has someone tested the Equinox under high-tension power lines? Would like to know how stable it works and if the machine in beach mode is able to detect smaller gold objects on the beach without salt water (not only 14K but also with higher purity).