Forearm / Elbow issue

[DeepDigs]

DeepDigs, I will look forward to your report!

Thanks,

Steve

I was able to get out with the Equinox 800 w/ 11" coil for about 10-12 hours over the past several days. I can honestly attest that Steves Custom Fiber Shafts w/ counterweight makes a HUGE difference in eliminating forearm/wrist fatigue while using the 800 for long hunts. I highly recommend this setup if arm comfort is your goal!

 

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[sgoss66]

DeepDigs --

Thanks for the feedback, and the kind words! I'm REALLY glad to hear that the counterweighted shaft worked well for you, in improving the ergonomics of the machine, and making your long hunts more pleasant! That is always the goal, and I truly believe that the science/theory behind counterweighting is solid, in terms of resolving the EQX ergonomics issues. But, with that said, it's always good to get "real-world" confirmation -- and it's always good to know that a customer is satisfied!

THANKS!

Steve

I was able to get out with the Equinox 800 w/ 11" coil for about 10-12 hours over the past several days. I can honestly attest that Steves Custom Fiber Shafts w/ counterweight makes a HUGE difference in eliminating forearm/wrist fatigue while using the 800 for long hunts. I highly recommend this setup if arm comfort is your goal!

 

[Rawhide]

Well Minelab was quick to send out a replacement arm cuff. Bought a small coil and Im ready to go. Lets see if my arm swells up now.

 

[sgoss66]

You should be OK with the small coil, Rawhide. Most folks feel the small coil is pretty comfortable to swing. Glad you got your arm cuff quickly!

Steve

 

[hunt2day]

Steve's

I purchased a lower and upper rod from Steve with the counter weight on the end. Wow, what a difference. I can swing my 600 all day without getting tired. This thing works great.

 

[Ammoman]

I just don't get it...I swung my sons 800 for 5 min and knew it was going to be a problem with my elbow. Is it really that hard to make a balanced machine? Yes I am knocking Minelab and every other Detector maker who does not consider balance in their design.

 

[vferrari]

I just don't get it...I swung my sons 800 for 5 min and knew it was going to be a problem with my elbow. Is it really that hard to make a balanced machine? Yes I am knocking Minelab and every other Detector maker who does not consider balance in their design.

I know what you are saying. The best balanced machine I ever used was the Fisher F75 with a great user interface to boot. However, I know folks who preferred a straight shaft for the F75 and did not rave at the ergonomics even though they were in the minority. In other words, you can't please all the people all the time when it comes to balancing the design for each user. To make a balanced machine suited for everyone means that some significant range of adjustment and customization is required because we are all built differently. I have Steve's shaft system but the range of adjustment provided is good enough that it doesn't necessitate the counter weight balance system. Even with Steve's counterweight system, some customization is necessary because it is not a once size fits all proposition. I can't imagine ML including all these customizations in the box and keeping the Equinox at the same price point. I prefer to let 3rd party shaft system designer experts like Steve handle the customizations needed for best fit and balance because they are the ones who can do it right, and let ML handle the budget shaft system that the rank and file user doesn't mind dealing with.

 

[sgoss66]

hunt2day -- THANKS for the very kind words -- and endorsement of the idea! I'm really glad to hear that the counterweight "does the trick" for you!

Steve

 

[sgoss66]

vferrari -- thank you! I really appreciate your kind words!

You are right, there certainly is a large range of individual needs, in terms of comfort and preference. It would definitely be an essentially impossible goal for any company to try to make a perfect, one-size-fits-all machine that is comfortable for everyone; adjustability and flexibility is certainly necessary, and can't be done easily from the "mass production" perspective.

Steve

 

[Ironfeathers]

Ok, I managed to get my mess of an arm cuff to the lower position. This puts it in a much better place on my forearm, and I'll now lose the strap and either heat the cuff and bend it, or build it up on the sides to fit my arm a little better. Think I should be ok now. [emoji106]

I took a cheap rubber knee pad I bought at a dollar store and cut it to fit into the cup. It really cushions the arm and works quite well.

That's a good point, and not something I considered... that the positioned where the cuff is mounted may also be part of the problem. I'm also now question if even moving it, as well as losing the strap, will be enough for it to feel good enough for me to want to swing. I wonder if buying an Anderson shaft would be a good idea, or would just be a distinction without a difference.

 

[relicmeister]

Customizing my equinox to my personal preferences has been an enjoyable project, with the result being a great detector that feels like an extension of my arm and permits highly efficient detecting, and hopefully better results because of it.