Equinox 800 pinpointing issues

[baddley]

Hi

I am new to metal detecting and this is my first detector, overall I am very satisfied with the quality and features of this machine. That being said I am having a bit trouble locating my targets. Before I have gone out every time I have ground balanced and done the noise cancellation to benefit me. My machine is using the default setting and I am digging in Park 1 mode for now with nothing changed. The last time I was out I dug 7 holes and only located found 1 item out of all of those holes. Towards the end I was only digging targets that has a VDI of 25 or above because I was getting frustrated. Once I find a target I want to to dig I go to the side of the target a 90 deg angle and make sure to sweep over it that way too. Once I located the right tone and highest VDI for it then pinpoint it with the Equinox and mark the spot in the ground were I think it is at. I have dug down to 18 inches and used my Garrret Carrot Pin Pointer all around the hole to try and locate the target and could not find it even though when I swept the coil back over it the Equinox still picked it up the same VDI number. A couple of times I have dug to the right or the left of the target a couple of inches and found the target about 4 inches down, the last one being a 1893 Merc Dime I don't mind digging holes and finding targets but coming up empty handed gets frustrating even if it is trash.

Does anybody have any tips or advice for me besides making a coin garden to practice on ?

Thanks for the help
Scott

 

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[saanich2018]

I am new to this also, and these are the video links I was sent. Maybe they will help you too

 

[smokeythecat]

I can't really help here, but had a friend with an AT Pro that would chase phantom signals. I don't think he figured it out. The videos are a good idea.

 

[ripvanb]

Have you tried using the Pinpoint button? The manual should explain it pretty well. At the end of the day the more hours you put on the machine the better you will get at pinpointing. Also congrats on the Barber dime!

 

[RustyGold]

Welcome to TreasureNet. Best of luck with the pinpointing.

 

[Horst]

I am a new Equinox800 user as well. I don't find it hard to use the pinpoint function. Just hit the pinpoint button and move the coil SLOWLY over the area where the signal was found. When the ring of dots closes to the top the item is directly under your coil. I mean right in the middle of the coil. I suggest you check for a virgin piece of ground with no targets hidden in it and place a coin on a white sheet of paper. Then use the pinpoint function of the detector. You will exactly see where the hot spot of the coil is and where your coin is located under the coil. That should do the job. The other thing is to look for quality signals. If there is old aluminum foil or similar decomposing in the ground you will have a signal all over but sometimes hard to locate. If you stick to signals that lock in with one number maybe 2 numbers close together like 11+12 with no wild numbers jumping in after several times crossing the coil slowly and steadily over the target from different angles then use the pinpoint function the target will be right there. Practice with a piece of fishing lead burried or a coin. That will help a lot. Don't dig too small of a plug it is harder to go deeper if the target doesn't show up in the plug immediately. I hope this helps.

 

[jeff of pa]

Good Video !

Though.... that holds True on Shallow Targets.

.. On my Explorer if the target is very Deep

The target will be found where I put the red X



Remember that the deeper the target the More you must adjust to dig Towards yourself.
If your down about 3" or so & Still it's deeper
Start Digging Towards Yourself in the 6 O'Clock portion of your hole.



on the top of the ground the coil is catching the Edge of the Coin

 

[ARC]

MAn... I love that... your a real artist jeff.

I want to print that and hang on my wall.

Metal detecting art.

This really "speaks to me".

:P

 

[Whyme]

MAn... I love that... your a real artist jeff.

I want to print that and hang on my wall.

Metal detecting art.

This really "speaks to me".

:P

View attachment 1675627

LOL
​

 

[ARC]

Guess Jeff didn't like my post :P

 

[jeff of pa]

(Didn't want to Hijack baddley 's thread by responding)
I was top of my Class at Stick figures

 

[CoinFetcher]

The video is awesome. the first video that is - I didn't need to watch the other video because the first is so succinct!

Let it be noted that he was NOT using the pinpoint function on the detector. That is how I, and other folks, pinpoint. we use the tip of the detector w our DD coils and we find where the beep starts/stops, and thats the edge of our target. I don't know exactly how to use the pinpoint feature on my equinox, but thats ok, because I use the techniques in the video, and in the wonderful illustrations provided by our members.

 

[Owassokie]

Sometimes trash will cause you to dig the wrong area. But my guess is you just need a little more experience. My suggestion, will take a little longer but it helps guarantee you're not digging phantom holes. My suggestion is to start by using the detect function to pinpoint the target. You'll make an "X" over target to determine target location. Go side to side over the target to find the target left/right. Then turn your body/detector 90 degrees and repeat the process completing the "X". This will accurately identify the target within an inch or so. Mark the target with a golf tee (or something else). Now, switch to pinpoint mode and identify the target using the bar at the top of your screen (not the sound) to locate the center of the target. If they are the same, you've correctly identified the target. If not, you either aren't completing the steps properly or it's trash giving a bad signal (this won't happen most of the time). Obviously, this isn't the way you'll be pinpointing a year from now but it's a good way to start, and figure our where your flaw is in pinpointing the targets.

OO

 

[baddley]

Thanks for the good info, I will try the walking the detector back to the edge like somebody suggested and the above post by OO too. Somebody also suggested to make about 5 carboard targets and throw them into my yard with coins or metal objects on the bottom taped to them. Then go and see were I pick them up with the detector and see how close my pinpointing is too were they actually are. Anyways mark a X on the top were i think it is and then check how close I am too. We just got another 2 inches of snow tonight and it is supposed to be -14 tonight so as soon as the snow and mud dries I will be back at it again with it...

Scott

 

[smokeythecat]

What can really mess you up is multiple targets in the same hole.

 

[vferrari]

Hi

I am new to metal detecting and this is my first detector, overall I am very satisfied with the quality and features of this machine. That being said I am having a bit trouble locating my targets. Before I have gone out every time I have ground balanced and done the noise cancellation to benefit me. My machine is using the default setting and I am digging in Park 1 mode for now with nothing changed. The last time I was out I dug 7 holes and only located found 1 item out of all of those holes. Towards the end I was only digging targets that has a VDI of 25 or above because I was getting frustrated. Once I find a target I want to to dig I go to the side of the target a 90 deg angle and make sure to sweep over it that way too. Once I located the right tone and highest VDI for it then pinpoint it with the Equinox and mark the spot in the ground were I think it is at. I have dug down to 18 inches and used my Garrret Carrot Pin Pointer all around the hole to try and locate the target and could not find it even though when I swept the coil back over it the Equinox still picked it up the same VDI number. A couple of times I have dug to the right or the left of the target a couple of inches and found the target about 4 inches down, the last one being a 1893 Merc Dime I don't mind digging holes and finding targets but coming up empty handed gets frustrating even if it is trash.

Does anybody have any tips or advice for me besides making a coin garden to practice on ?

Thanks for the help
Scott

Welcome to the forum.

Pinpointing takes a lot of practice. The cardboard te sd t target Idea is a good way to learn.

Also, you may want to check that dime again because the first mercs were not minted until 1916. You might have a barber.

 

[baddley]

Welcome to the forum.

Pinpointing takes a lot of practice. The cardboard te sd t target Idea is a good way to learn.

Also, you may want to check that dime again because the first mercs were not minted until 1916. You might have a barber.

That is my bad and it is a Barber dime too ��

 

[DDancer]

If you have a few bucks to spend I've found the Fisher F-Pulse to be very useful in high trash areas as well as with coin spills with my Nox 600.