Equinox tone/TID question

pulltabfelix

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Jan 29, 2018
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Ok, had my 800 3 years now. Feel comfortable with all the settings. Can adjust my 800 to each different hunt without a problem.
Set my recovery speed depending on what my threshold audio is telling me.

But where I stay confused is hunting either in park or field modes and multi I have real problems with multiple tones and TID numbers.
Yes I know this often results from multiple targets of different metal composition under the coil.

So if I get say a 32 signal briefly, or bouning back and forth with another tone/tid does that mean that it is truly a 32 is co-located with the other tone?
Or get a 32 one way and a 15 another way, does that mean a 32 and maybe a pop top?

I don't think this is a unique question and maybe there is not one answer. But if you get a 32 is there something that is ringing a 32 or could it be that it is averaging down a 35 with a 19 giving a 32?

Need some clarification on what I am hearing. And I am hearing a lot of those types of signals.

And yes I know I should dig all iffy signals and figure this out for myself, but just wondering what some of our local experienced detectorists have to say on this subject to give me some background theory on what I am seeing and hearing.
 

Digger RJ

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Ok, had my 800 3 years now. Feel comfortable with all the settings. Can adjust my 800 to each different hunt without a problem.
Set my recovery speed depending on what my threshold audio is telling me.

But where I stay confused is hunting either in park or field modes and multi I have real problems with multiple tones and TID numbers.
Yes I know this often results from multiple targets of different metal composition under the coil.

So if I get say a 32 signal briefly, or bouning back and forth with another tone/tid does that mean that it is truly a 32 is co-located with the other tone?
Or get a 32 one way and a 15 another way, does that mean a 32 and maybe a pop top?

I don't think this is a unique question and maybe there is not one answer. But if you get a 32 is there something that is ringing a 32 or could it be that it is averaging down a 35 with a 19 giving a 32?

Need some clarification on what I am hearing. And I am hearing a lot of those types of signals.

And yes I know I should dig all iffy signals and figure this out for myself, but just wondering what some of our local experienced detectorists have to say on this subject to give me some background theory on what I am seeing and hearing.
Have You tried turning on the horseshoe/all metal button and swinging over the same target. If You get any negative numbers it's probably iron.
 

cudamark

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It's possible that you have two signal fighting each other for dominance, but, most of the time when I get a bouncing signal that gives both a 30's signal and a low tone, it's almost always a deep rusty iron target. If you walk around the target and get a few more sample signals, or, maybe change the recovery speed, sometimes you can tell the difference.
 

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pulltabfelix

pulltabfelix

Bronze Member
Jan 29, 2018
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North Atlanta
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Currently have CTX3030 and Vanquish 440.
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Have You tried turning on the horseshoe/all metal button and swinging over the same target. If You get any negative numbers it's probably iron.
Yes I do that. but even if I get the iron signal, there still may be a good target co-located. So in that case which in my hunting areas is common, I just have to dig those signals.

I hunt civil war relics in metro Atlanta. I see people hunting CW relics out in the country, like VA or SC and they don't have the modern trash problem like I do. But, since I don't travel to VA or SC, I just have to deal with the modern trash, no way around it is my thinking. Of course really slows you down.
 

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pulltabfelix

pulltabfelix

Bronze Member
Jan 29, 2018
1,006
1,624
North Atlanta
Detector(s) used
Currently have CTX3030 and Vanquish 440.
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
It's possible that you have two signal fighting each other for dominance, but, most of the time when I get a bouncing signal that gives both a 30's signal and a low tone, it's almost always a deep rusty iron target. If you walk around the target and get a few more sample signals, or, maybe change the recovery speed, sometimes you can tell the difference.
That is kind of what I am currently doing. Blessed with so much modern trash with my civil war sites located in metro Atlanta. So relic hunting in my area is tough. CW bullets on my nox ring up 17 through 19 and so do a lot of wino screw taps. Lots of whinos in Atlanta. Yesterday, out in an urban park, deep in the wooded area where few people go found a bong and other drug related accessories under a rock ledge. Left them there for obvious reasons. Gives you an idea of what Atlanta or I guess any major city is like.
 

Digger RJ

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Yes I do that. but even if I get the iron signal, there still may be a good target co-located. So in that case which in my hunting areas is common, I just have to dig those signals.

I hunt civil war relics in metro Atlanta. I see people hunting CW relics out in the country, like VA or SC and they don't have the modern trash problem like I do. But, since I don't travel to VA or SC, I just have to deal with the modern trash, no way around it is my thinking. Of course really slows you down.
I can understand that. When I'm in the CW field I usual dig all decent signals even if they do bounce a bit. I guess I should do this in most places.
Can't remember where I saw that trick checking for negative numbers, but it is almost always trash in residential yards. I have found CW bullets digging iffy, bouncy signals like that. That iron is just a burger!! Not as bad as aluminum, but it can still mess a signal up. Happy Hunting!!!
 

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pulltabfelix

pulltabfelix

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Jan 29, 2018
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Currently have CTX3030 and Vanquish 440.
Primary Interest:
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Well I did learn something yesterday on a video a guy made comparing the CTX3030 with the 800.

He laid a pop top on top of a dime and using multi the 800 did not see the dime. Switch to 4 khz and it did see the dime on the TID. I did that in park 2. In multi it returned a sold 13 in 4khz it returned a solid 25. Wow, it can see right through the pop top. I knew that 4khz was for coins due to the conductivity factor, but did not realize it was that strong of a difference.

That really pointed out to me how different frequency is huge in zeroing in on different metals. No wonder the 800 can sometimes be confusing, with multi frequency being used, the 800 seems to be reporting back a little bit of everything it is seeing below the coil. I am guessing here in multi-frequency the dominate metal is winning the bouncy signal contest but not always.
 

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smokeythecat

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I'm glad it wasn't just me. One thing I noticed was with multiple targets under the loop the machine did get a little confused. I dug it all so got it all. 95% of the time it was old targets. Of course, it wasn't metro Atlanta either. It was out in a farm field.
 

kentuckycornelius

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May 14, 2021
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What can be happening is a couple of things. One, it is an odd sized target For example, copper wire sounds good when you swing perpendicular to the wire and not so good when you swing parallel. The other thing that is happening is that you are initially hitting the edge of a target with the front of your coil and getting a higher signal. Once you move more of the coil over the target the number get closer to accurate. This happens to me all the time as I use the front of the coil to pinpoint an object instead of the pinpoint function. You could also be falsing off to the side as well. The end of your swing stops at the edge of a target, giving you a high number. This would happen a lot in a high trash area like what I assume metro Atlanta to be.
 

Bart@Big Boys Hobbies

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Well I did learn something yesterday on a video a guy made comparing the CTX3030 with the 800.

He laid a pop top on top of a dime and using multi the 800 did not see the dime. Switch to 4 khz and it did see the dime on the TID. I did that in park 2. In multi it returned a sold 13 in 4khz it returned a solid 25. Wow, it can see right through the pop top. I knew that 4khz was for coins due to the conductivity factor, but did not realize it was that strong of a difference.

That really pointed out to me how different frequency is huge in zeroing in on different metals. No wonder the 800 can sometimes be confusing, with multi frequency being used, the 800 seems to be reporting back a little bit of everything it is seeing below the coil. I am guessing here in multi-frequency the dominate metal is winning the bouncy signal contest but not always.
If that was an air test or a freshly buried target it may not be real accurate. Minelab needs a target buried in the ground for it last year for a real world experience.
 

CarsonChris

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Here's a little test. Place a nickel and a quarter 2 inches apart and check the reading. I've dug numerous quarter nickel combos that sound like garbage and VDI is all over the place. Especially when swinging over the nickel first.
 

nwdetectorist

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Oct 23, 2021
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16
Here's a little test. Place a nickel and a quarter 2 inches apart and check the reading. I've dug numerous quarter nickel combos that sound like garbage and VDI is all over the place. Especially when swinging over the nickel first.
YEP! Been there-Done that. I detect regularly in a heavy trash (dense with targets)city park, and multiple coins in the same hole along with other trash definitely skews the TID numbers. Go figure. :)
 

sphillips

Bronze Member
Jan 4, 2008
1,046
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Western NC
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Equinox 800
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Well I did learn something yesterday on a video a guy made comparing the CTX3030 with the 800.

He laid a pop top on top of a dime and using multi the 800 did not see the dime. Switch to 4 khz and it did see the dime on the TID. I did that in park 2. In multi it returned a sold 13 in 4khz it returned a solid 25. Wow, it can see right through the pop top. I knew that 4khz was for coins due to the conductivity factor, but did not realize it was that strong of a difference.

That really pointed out to me how different frequency is huge in zeroing in on different metals. No wonder the 800 can sometimes be confusing, with multi frequency being used, the 800 seems to be reporting back a little bit of everything it is seeing below the coil. I am guessing here in multi-frequency the dominate metal is winning the bouncy signal contest but not always.
Good thing it had subtitles:laughing7::laughing7:
 

midalake

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Aug 25, 2014
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Yes I do that. but even if I get the iron signal, there still may be a good target co-located. So in that case which in my hunting areas is common, I just have to dig those signals.

I try to explain how important coil control is compared to recovery speed. [all the time]
It is real hard to see how someone uses their detector. I have seen many use their detector wrong.

There is a sort of magic that happens with the Equinox in Horseshoe mode. The bin between ferrous and nonferrous comes more clear. I also know from experience that the horseshoe mode has more depth capability, but may not TID better.

For deep or fringe targets, even possible masked targets keep your user profile set with different settings. For instance, set the machine in a higher sensitivity than you could tolerate if you were hunting normally. Set a higher Iron Bias. Set a higher recovery [6] if your not already hunting there.
Then it is coil control, coil control, coil control.

To get full information on the target you must complete a 360 around it In Horseshoe mode. If this target breaks down in signal or double rings it is ferrous 99% of the time. If the signal does not breakdown or double rings, it is non-ferrous 99% of the time.

In congested areas this may be a challenge as to the double ring, but this is where your higher recovery speed will come into play [higher]. But one thing to remember the Equinox will have signal breakdown or double ring to faintest of signals on ferrous targets.

If you have worked a target a bit, don't be afraid to do a noise cancel and recheck the target for new information. HH
 

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