Equinox 800 Is A Nickel Magnet!!!

[BH505Man]

After compiling statistics on US coins found to date in 2021 and after entering my latest hunt in my detector log book, I compared my latest statistics (number of coins found in numbers, denomination and percentage of the total number that that denomination comprises. I have found that of the total coins found presently in 2021 that nickels make up 16 percent of the total number of coins found. The major difference for 2021 vs previous years is that with the exception of 1 time that I used my Teknetics T2...all of the other times that I detected this year, I used my Minelab Equinox 800. In previous years before I upgraded to the Equinox, I used my BH Pioneer 505, BH Legacy 3500 and my T2 Classic & T2SE. In previous years 2020, 2019, 2018, etc., nickels comprised approximately 5 percent of the total US coins found. Previously, the Bounty hunters would miss nickels because the tones emitted were the same sound as for iron (the BH Legacy 3500 was slightly better for nickels than the 505 because it did give a VDI number reading which was accurate. The T2 Classic and T2SE were even better because when placed in 3 or 4 tones, nickels would sound off with the same high tone that dimes, copper cents and higher denomination coins sounded off at. plus they have a VDI readout around 58.
There are a few other factors however which come into play since I purchased my Equinox that account for that higher percentage of nickels. 1. I mainly target copper, nickel and silver coins because zinc pennies do not last long in the ground. Unless I'm hunting an area that is old enough to find Indian Head pennies and old trade tokens, I normally bypass digging a signal in the zinc cent range.
2. The Nox tends to have a very steady clean signal on nickels vs junk. A steady clean signal that doesn't jump around eratic and holds at a steady number from 11-13 is most often a nickel. If the signal climbs up to 14, it is often a beavertail. However, nothing is always 100 percent...even the Nox can be fooled by a pulltab reading as a nickel.

 

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[Rmeav8r]

I agree with you 100%, I have built confidence in my ML800 to pick out nickels from other targets. I’ve been n the hobby for many years off and on and have found my share of coins. Before I got my 800 I had only found one Buffalo nickel and that was with my White’s DFX about 5 years ago. Last week I found two Buffalo nickels in two different locations! That’s proof enough for me that this is an awesome nickel magnet.

 

[McKinney_5900]

My 800 reads nickel signals and pops square tabs a lot, plus beaver tails, more than an actual nickel. The solid 13 signals to boot. I actually mostly cherry pick the solid 13s but still get square tabs and beaver tails instead.

 

[BH505Man]

My 800 reads nickel signals and pops square tabs a lot, plus beaver tails, more than an actual nickel. The solid 13 signals to boot. I actually mostly cherry pick the solid 13s but still get square tabs and beaver tails instead.

If the actual target is the whole beavertail (the pulltab with the beavertail attached) you normally will get a jumpy 14 VDI. If the target is only the beavertail, you'll get a 11-13 VDI. The pulltab itself will give a 11-13 VDI. on newer pulltabs they will read a 11-13 VDI. If the signal jumps below a 10 VDI (with the rare exception of a nickel on edge) it's not a nickel. Nickels usually give a clean signal when hit from all directions. The only exception is if it's next to or masked by other targets.

 

[McKinney_5900]

If the actual target is the whole beavertail (the pulltab with the beavertail attached) you normally will get a jumpy 14 VDI. If the target is only the beavertail, you'll get a 11-13 VDI. The pulltab itself will give a 11-13 VDI. on newer pulltabs they will read a 11-13 VDI. If the signal jumps below a 10 VDI (with the rare exception of a nickel on edge) it's not a nickel. Nickels usually give a clean signal when hit from all directions. The only exception is if it's next to or masked by other targets.

I agree with this except that I usually always only accept nickel disc numbers of 12-13, and eliminate 14. My machine is still running firmware version 1.5, because I don't get near as much "jumpiness" in any Vdi-s.

Yesterday is a good example of solid 13 Vdi number variance results. I was hunting a pavilion area following the holiday, expecting trash but did pop up some change. With my nickel range set to 12 and 13 and literally sticking with STEADY 13 reading for digs, I got one nickel and half a dozen square tabs, and a broken off beavertail(read steady 13.) You're right about whole pulltabs reading a 14. I've dug so many of these there seems to be a sense I have for each, BUT steady, solid 13 signals aren't rewarding me with any majority of a nickel. My Now just isn't a nickel monster.

The 12-13-14 vdi numbers are easy for me to predict a beavertail(12) square tab(13) with actual nickels, and 14 is pretty much a whole pull tab. So, I only dig steady 13s but I get many more square tabs than nickels.

 

[Indywar2]

BH505Man,

That has been my experience with nickels so far as well. It has been quite amazing. I have 3 months use on the Equinox 800 and already have tripled my nickel counts from all of last year. 12-13 on the VDI has almost always been a nickel in my soil. I am ground balancing and noise cancelling before and occasionally during my hunts, but 14 have always been pull tabs and a solid 13 (when I walk around the target scanning) has been a sure fire nickel.

Rob

 

[rayoh]

The Equinox is the best nickel detector I have ever used period. I had always thought that Fisher CZ's were the best, but what sets the Nox apart from the CZ is the unbelievable depth and accuracy. Nickels 8 plus inches is the norm. You definitely have it figured out.

 

[cudamark]

Another reason we're all finding more and more nickels with the Nox is that we're also gaining more detecting experience with an excellent discriminating machine.

 

[McKinney_5900]

I randomly pulled these from my trash pouch from yesterday, and the one nickel I did find. Every one of them laid out on clean ground in a row next to each other, read identical, a solid 13, just like nickels are supposed to read.

Maybe y'all don't hunt trashy places at all, but if you do, the Equinox isn't any better at discriminating nickels perfectly.

 

[BH505Man]

I randomly pulled these from my trash pouch from yesterday, and the one nickel I did find. Every one of them laid out on clean ground in a row next to each other, read identical, a solid 13, just like nickels are supposed to read.

Maybe y'all don't hunt trashy places at all, but if you do, the Equinox isn't any better at discriminating nickels perfectly.

I never said that I don't dig my share of pulltabs while digging nickels...because they fall into the same VDI range. However, if you're not finding more of everything else including nickels, then you don't have your Nox set up correctly.

When first turning on and setting up your Nox
1.) The first thing that you should do is to noise cancel your Nox.
2.) Then go to all metal mode and find a spot with no metal buried underground and ground balance your Nox.
3.)Then go to the search mode that you are going to use and adjust the sensitivity if neccesary (if your detector is too chattery, turn down the sensitivity so it quiets down, or if it's quiet already you can turn up the sensitivity some until you start to hear it chatter some... then back it off where it quiets down).
Those are the main steps that I use when setting up to hunt. Most of the other settings I go with the factory default settings. In most cases this will give you the best depth and find the most targets.
BTW...sometimes a 11VDI reading is a nickel on edge.
Walt

 

[Rmeav8r]

As others have said....it’s never a guarantee what you dig. My ground seems to work in my favor most of the time when I get a solid 12-13 or 13 VDI. Most of the pull tabs I dig is when I’m hitting the 14-16 range hoping for rings. The Equinox is still hands down the best metal detector I’ve ever owned.....I’m still learning it and now I am going back to locations I’ve hunted before and having success. No two people will detect the same and most likely no two people won’t use or set up their detector in an identical way.
None of us would be here if it wasn’t fun!

 

[BH505Man]

BH505Man,

That has been my experience with nickels so far as well. It has been quite amazing. I have 3 months use on the Equinox 800 and already have tripled my nickel counts from all of last year. 12-13 on the VDI has almost always been a nickel in my soil. I am ground balancing and noise cancelling before and occasionally during my hunts, but 14 have always been pull tabs and a solid 13 (when I walk around the target scanning) has been a sure fire nickel.

Rob

If you've tripled your nickel count, then you've got your Nox set up correctly.
Walt

 

[BH505Man]

I agree with this except that I usually always only accept nickel disc numbers of 12-13, and eliminate 14. My machine is still running firmware version 1.5, because I don't get near as much "jumpiness" in any Vdi-s.

Yesterday is a good example of solid 13 Vdi number variance results. I was hunting a pavilion area following the holiday, expecting trash but did pop up some change. With my nickel range set to 12 and 13 and literally sticking with STEADY 13 reading for digs, I got one nickel and half a dozen square tabs, and a broken off beavertail(read steady 13.) You're right about whole pulltabs reading a 14. I've dug so many of these there seems to be a sense I have for each, BUT steady, solid 13 signals aren't rewarding me with any majority of a nickel. My Now just isn't a nickel monster.

The 12-13-14 vdi numbers are easy for me to predict a beavertail(12) square tab(13) with actual nickels, and 14 is pretty much a whole pull tab. So, I only dig steady 13s but I get many more square tabs than nickels.

You say that you're running software version 1.5? That may be why you're not finding as many nickels as the rest of us. Software version 3.0 had revisions which actually enhanced detector stability. It also added the 4KHZ frequency to the Nox. The jumpiness that you're referring to, may be signs that version 3.0 made your detector more sensitive and you probably lost some sensitivity and depth in going back to version 1.5.
Walt

 

[BH505Man]

You say that you're running software version 1.5? That may be why you're not finding as many nickels as the rest of us. Software version 3.0 had revisions which actually enhanced detector stability. It also added the 4KHZ frequency to the Nox. The jumpiness that you're referring to, may be signs that version 3.0 made your detector more sensitive and you probably lost some sensitivity and depth in going back to version 1.5.
Walt

Just to verify my theory of software Version 3.0 improving sensitivity, What software version are the rest of you guys running?
Walt
Note: Most software updates are put out to improve or enhance the performance of a detector by correcting omissions or fixing flaws in previous versions of the software.

 

[vferrari]

I am running 3.0, but mainly because F2 iron bias is a bottlecap killer. Anyone who hasn't upgraded to Ver 2.0 at least is missing out on this great capability. IMO, iron bias was botched on the first go around with the underperforming FE iron bias filter. F2 is excellent, should be used at least at Minelab's recommended default setting (6 for all modes - Equinoxt 800) and has little downside. I like 4 khz - it is interestingly more quiet than 5 khz. Wasn't expecting that, they must be implementing and "field testing" some new signal processing software to enhance single frequency depth performance by increasing signal to noise ratio somehow. Signs of more good things to come in the future for Equinox, its successor, or a Multi IQ variant of the CTX 3030.

 

[BH505Man]

I am running 3.0, but mainly because F2 iron bias is a bottlecap killer. Anyone who hasn't upgraded to Ver 2.0 at least is missing out on this great capability. IMO, iron bias was botched on the first go around with the underperforming FE iron bias filter. F2 is excellent, should be used at least at Minelab's recommended default setting (6 for all modes - Equinoxt 800) and has little downside. I like 4 khz - it is interestingly more quiet than 5 khz. Wasn't expecting that, they must be implementing and "field testing" some new signal processing software to enhance single frequency depth performance by increasing signal to noise ratio somehow. Signs of more good things to come in the future for Equinox, its successor, or a Multi IQ variant of the CTX 3030.

Thanks for sharing the info about utilizing the F2 iron bias setting. Perhaps it will help eliminate most of the false coin signals caused by bottle caps.
Walt








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