Frustration with my Nox!

[vferrari]

Yep, sounds like a machine problem, were you both using the same coil? Same firmware? Have you done a factory reset.

 

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[sandmartin]

Yep, sounds like a machine problem, were you both using the same coil? Same firmware?

Yes both the stock coils. I didn't ask him if he had the update though. I am on pre update now. I did a factory reset yesterday.

 

[CoinFetcher]

All beaches are different. Some saltwater beaches, i cannot penetrate more than 2 inches. Others, I can get donw a foot!

Also, the target ID numbers will get thrown out of whack in salty areas. A target. That usually rings up 24 might shoot up to 34.

Anyways, you have lots of good advice here, good luck!

 

[vferrari]

Yes both the stock coils. I didn't ask him if he had the update though. I am on pre update now. I did a factory reset yesterday.

Sounds like you have done everything possible save for trying a new Equinox. Keep us apprised and hope you work it out.

 

[cudamark]

So I have an update guys. I have just got back from a beach hunt. I met another guy with a Nox. He showed me a gold ring and several coins he'd found today. I told him about my issues so he set my machine exactly the same as his, same everything. I started hunting and it was falsing straight away and the numbers were all over the place. He was running on 22 sensitivity with no problems. I had to turn mine down to 14 and even then it was still chattering. I have never been able to use it as high as 20 even on grass. It's unusable on wet sand, no wonder i'm not finding anything. Anyone else heard of this? I am really disappointed but I have to get this dealt with. I will be contacting my dealer tomorrow and keep you all up to date.

Sounds like you have a defective machine.

 

[sandmartin]

So I rang my dealer, he said it sounds faulty, I've sent the whole thing back, sounds like he will replace it, hopefully.

 

[smokeythecat]

I think you made the right move sandmartin.

 

[Larwar]

I too just got back from Florida and the same thing happened to me, sometimes it goes through the scoop but what I found even when it did I find after a lot of wasted time it was very small rivets can slaw or just small pieces of junk, also what I found was when it was junk my 600 does not pin point very well.i understand your frustration this is what I found and sounds like you as well .. also when you are digging and not exactly in the right spot your target can get deeper.

 

[sandmartin]

I think you made the right move sandmartin.

I think so for sure buddy, on the beach especially it was unusable.

 

[bklein]

My 800 was same way. One more scoop and you get the target and noisier than I could tolerate. Sold it and will wait for things to work themselves out in the design. I went back and forth with Minelab but how would they see the issue on their end? Glad you did that comparison test with the other guy.

 

[vferrari]

Hitting the small disappearing foil targets seems to be a common complaint from some who use the Equinox. Those who manage to also snag some gold and silver seem to get over it. My only advice is that if you do have a legit target you will snag it after one or two scoops. If it "disappears", move on to the next target as it is likely junk or an earring back not worth the trouble. If it is worth keeping, it should end up in your scoop. With enough swing time the tells of microjunk will become more apparent. The chances of losing a legit keeper to the disappearing target twilight zone are small, so if you don't snag it in the first or second scoop, move on and stop beating your head against the wall.

 

[baddley]

I too just got back from Florida and the same thing happened to me, sometimes it goes through the scoop but what I found even when it did I find after a lot of wasted time it was very small rivets can slaw or just small pieces of junk, also what I found was when it was junk my 600 does not pin point very well.i understand your frustration this is what I found and sounds like you as well .. also when you are digging and not exactly in the right spot your target can get deeper.

Are you referring to your 600 pinpointing on land or water?

I have been having lots of troubles with mine and struggle to get on targets especially the can slaw which is a real pain

Scott

 

[smokeythecat]

I for one hate can slaw.

 

[saanich2018]

I am sure I will get over this, being new to this, any signal makes my heart beat faster - even can slaw and trash.

I do as everyone says, "Dig Everything"!

 

[sandmartin]

So my dealer rand me yesterday, he said he can't get the machine to false in the shop. I said probably not as you aren't trying it out on wet sand...he is contacting the Minelab rep and will get back to me. I'm trying to stay calm but i'm starting to get a little annoyed right now. I have had the machine for only 5 weeks. I am starting to think I should have bought a PI machine. Less to go wrong. All of my hunts will be on the beach from now on anyway.

 

[JoeVal]

There’s a YouTube channel called Relic Dirtyhands. I heard this gal being interviewed on a recent Relics Radio podcast, and she had a hard time getting comfortable with her Nox. She found that she learned best by audio/visual methods, so what she started doing was making Equinox Tutorials on each facet of the machine and all of its features. She’s about half way done with a series that will be about 25 BRIEF tutorials covering the entire machine functions.

I’ve learned a few tips and tricks from these tutorials, one of them being that Beach 2 is for underwater, not just when the head in the water. Actually, it says that in the manual that most of us haven’t read.

You might lookup her channel and see if there’s something you’re missing in setting up your Nox for hunting. This will be an invaluable series of tutorials for all new Nox owners.

 

[vferrari]

So my dealer rand me yesterday, he said he can't get the machine to false in the shop. I said probably not as you aren't trying it out on wet sand...he is contacting the Minelab rep and will get back to me. I'm trying to stay calm but i'm starting to get a little annoyed right now. I have had the machine for only 5 weeks. I am starting to think I should have bought a PI machine. Less to go wrong. All of my hunts will be on the beach from now on anyway.

Understand your frustration.

Trying to get a better handle on whether you are experiencing a setup issue (due to general detector inexperience) or an actual detector issue.

How much experience do you have with detecting in general and beach detecting in particular? What other detectors have you used? How many hours do you think you've put on the Equinox?

When you met the other Equinox user on the beach did you compare how the machines behaved side-to-side before and after the machines were set up with equivalent settings? You never said what those settings were.

Understand what JoeVal is saying above, but regardless where you are using it, Beach 2 is designed to be the most stable of all the Equinox detecting modes. It is perfectly ok to run it in shallow water, it should run stable in wet sand, but if you can get away with it, slightly less stable Beach 1 can be used also. If you cannot get either Beach 1 or Beach 2 to run stable at all in wet sand, there is likely an issue with the detector or severe EMI.

Yes PI's are simple, deep, dig it all machines. Deep bobby pins are always fun to recover.

 

[sandmartin]

Hi again and thanks for your time. I will answer each question if I may.

Understand your frustration.

Trying to get a better handle on whether you are experiencing a setup issue (due to general detector inexperience) or an actual detector issue.

How much experience do you have with detecting in general and beach detecting in particular? What other detectors have you used? How many hours do you think you've put on the Equinox?

I probably have around 3 or 4 years detecting experience in total but maybe only a few months beach hunting. I had a CZ21 and a Makro Racer before this and have used a AT Pro on land. I guess I have put in around 50 hours on the beach with the Nox.

When you met the other Equinox user on the beach did you compare how the machines behaved side-to-side before and after the machines were set up with equivalent settings? You never said what those settings were.

The guy I met on Sunday with the Nox went through each of my settings. He ground balanced and noise cancelled it first. The settings were; Beach 1, Vol 25, Threshold 0, 5 tones, Accept/reject default recovery 3. Sensitivity...he put it on 22, the same as he was running(at this point I thought this guys nuts!) I have never been able to have it above 16. Unfortunately he was packing up to go home so I didn't ask him to try my machine, wish I had now. The sensitivity was the only setting our machines differed. I started detecting and it went nuts, falsing, numbers all over the place. He told me he had been running on 22 and his was pretty stable. I had to turn mine down to 14 to get anything like quiet. It was then that I knew somethings not right.

Understand what JoeVal is saying above, but regardless where you are using it, Beach 2 is designed to be the most stable of all the Equinox detecting modes. It is perfectly ok to run it in shallow water, it should run stable in wet sand, but if you can get away with it, slightly less stable Beach 1 can be used also. If you cannot get either Beach 1 or Beach 2 to run stable at all in wet sand, there is likely an issue with the detector or severe EMI.Yes PI's are simple, deep, dig it all machines. Deep bobby pins are always fun to recover.

I hear you about my inexperience with the Nox but after 50 or so hours things have not got any better. A typical dig goes like this. I get a 12 and saying 4'' deep. I dig and the target disappears then say a foot away(where I had already scanned) another target shows but it will be totally different, say a 26 and 8'' deep. Then after ive dug, that will disappear. Another scenario, I get a target, its saying its 8'' deep(4 bars) I dig say 10'' and its still saying 8'' deep, I dig maybe another foot and its still saying 8'' deep. That's how it's always been after 50 hours. I never know what a real target with this machine. I really can't believe this is how it is for everyone.

 

[vferrari]

Hi again and thanks for your time. I will answer each question if I may.



I hear you about my inexperience with the Nox but after 50 or so hours things have not got any better. A typical dig goes like this. I get a 12 and saying 4'' deep. I dig and the target disappears then say a foot away(where I had already scanned) another target shows but it will be totally different, say a 26 and 8'' deep. Then after ive dug, that will disappear. Another scenario, I get a target, its saying its 8'' deep(4 bars) I dig say 10'' and its still saying 8'' deep, I dig maybe another foot and its still saying 8'' deep. That's how it's always been after 50 hours. I never know what a real target with this machine. I really can't believe this is how it is for everyone.

Yes, it's not supposed to be that way. Have you tried modes other than beach mode on the dry tops, test targets? My conclusion is that something is borked with your Equinox, probably the coil. The only thing that does not add up is the fact that you had success dry land hunting without similar issues which could point to EMI at the beach except for the fellow who was doing fine wjth his at the beach. Continue to hold your dealer accountable. It is good he is contacting ML. I wish I could meet up and run mine in your conditions so we could know for sure, plus I would love to make it across the pond to go detecting in your wonderful country. But that's not happening, unfortunately. Hang in there, try not to get discourged, and keep us posted.

 

[wallrat_1975]

OHHH! I thought those were Bobby Dazzlers!