Minelab equinox compared to whites v3i

[49er12]

I No probably posted before, let’s try again. I understand whites machine cost more but given that, minelab machine very comparable,both have optional frequencies etc. so some say minelab technology has over taken whites, both good machines but what ami missing, opinions are nice but what’s the facts performance wise

 

[Terry Soloman]

Not any v3i machines in the goldfields. Lots of Equinox 800's though. My friend is selling his v3i after trying to use it once. His words, "Too complicated."

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/t...-s-spectra-v3i-metal-detector-headphones.html

 

[49er12]

Respectfully asking whites v3i is to complicated in what ways I mean do you have constantly change settings or not good for gold compared, obviously you can hunt by turn on and go but like any machine you can adjust for soil conditions, that’s why I ask appreciate the opinions

 

[49er12]

If I may ask a honest question then. Why do people buy the whites v2i then if it’s to hard to learn, I mean you can use factory settings and still learn machine correct, please educate me a quality machine considered by many but everyone should no on any machine you have to learn certain things don’t you

 

[eman1000]

I bought the Equinox when it first came out and sold it for the V3i. As far as gold prospecting I have no experience as I only hunt for relics and coins. The Equinox is vastly lighter and this is a big deal and very fast at separation (with the 6" coil there is really no comparison.)
The 3 negatives for me with the Equinox were compressed VDI range, backlight on the 600 (now Fixed with software upgrade), and the Minelab Tones. (The 5 tones were not terrible just different to my ears)

The V3i is also not waterproof. The V3i has thousands of settings and I found that generally I would stick to the main Coin and Jewelry and adjust gain, and recovery, but even this is somewhat complicated because I found myself second guessing if I had the right settings or not. For example ..keeping in mind the V3i is at least 10 years old I would adjust recovery down to 60 in trashy areas to get the best separation (trying to mimic what the Equinox could do by default) then in open areas I would stop and adjust the recovery back up and the gain to get depth. (Since there are so many settings you'll get a hundred different answers on how to hunt with this machine) - Each person really has to put in the time to find what works for them. At the same time I have an Whites MX5 and found myself using it more often because it was light and simple and just as fast.

I bought the V3i because I got it for $600 dollars and at that price I was curious to try one out. The multi-freq is actually very useful on the V3i because you can see what each freq is doing (You can see what freq the target is responding to). For me this made mult-freq actually useful I would pinpoint and see what the freq or polar-plot was reporting and use that information to my advantage or disadvantage as I can't say if I didn't dig every target. The machine was really ahead of it's time and the fact that we are still talking about it says something.

Really for me a V3i that is faster, 3 pounds lighter, and waterproof would get me interested again. I really considered making a carbon waterproof version of the V3i but I'm far too busy to invest the time.

You could make the argument that both can be complicated machines though. The Equinox has Park 1,2, and Field 1,2 and now an additional FE setting to add to the mix and you can ask 10 different guys and get 10 different answers.
To answer your question why do people buy it when it is so hard to learn. I knew I could learn it but after I used it for a few months the other negatives (weight& speed) outweighed the positives of learning how to write custom programs with different tones, colors, freq, icons, etc... and I really underestimate just how much there is to adjust and how you can really waste a lot of time fiddling with these settings instead of swinging the coil.



FYI, I am now using the XP ORX and it weights about as much as a broom and I turn it on and pick program 3 Deus Fast and turn on my wireless headphones and go. Depth is not an issue, speed and separation is right there with the NOX, tones are fine, vdi is great, really no issues with bottle cap separation. I would prefer maybe 4 tones instead of 3 but that is my only minor issue. Even with all the fancy features it is hard to imagine lugging the V3i around after swinging the XP for a few hours. I don't doubt if I missed something with this machine after I am done at all.

I did keep my Whites MX5 - I like the Whites Tones, VDI Range for coin shooting, the little 5.3" coil, and speed. EMI is an issue at times. I may consider picking up an MX7 or Sport if the price is right.

IMO, and I said the same thing about Tesoro if I were running Whites as a company I would scale back the models they offer and the V3i would be discontinued. It was a great machine but if your not going to release a new version then at this point your just not keeping up with the times. I would sell the MX7, Sport, Goldmaster, and maybe one a version of the TDI and hope I could develop a hybrid that could replace 3 of the 4 soon.

There is some insight into My V3i journey and Terry did warn me ahead of time, but I'm still new to the hobby and have to learn some things the hard way.

 

[Deep1]

Not everybody, just the people who expect to turn it on and walk out their front door and expect to find a 1796 silver dollar or that beautiful silver SC belt buckle in their front yard without ever reading the manual or understanding how it works. Or they think they can go to the trashiest pulltab, bottle cap filled park and believe they're going to dig nothing but silver coins and gold rings.

But you are correct, start with factory settings, get to know the detector and then start tweaking with settings.
That's true with all of the more advanced detectors.
The V3i hasn't been White's flagship detector without good reason.
It is a high quality detector.
It's deep and fast with very good discrimination. The best machine for bottle cap discrimination I've seen.
But I'm talking about relic hunting and coin shooting. Not native gold hunting.
It looks to me, that you're trying to talk yourself into buying one.
I see you've had a DFX for 20 years.
Even though it's a far cry from a V3i, it still a White's. Because of that it will be easier to learn and suit your brain better.
If you've had success with you DFX, you'll do even better with the V3i.

 

[smokeythecat]

I know guys who really do well the the V3i. They have stuck with White's and White's has great company stability and great quality and design build. You can't break one unless you use a truck. They are very reliable. The Deus is also very reliable. I dropped mine (momentarily) in the salt water the other day and it lived!

I am sure all the major companies will be looking at each other's products and make some major changes soon. For me, there really is nothing to upgrade to, so I'm staying with what I have. Take the time to learn the V3i. It is a SMART machine with great build quality. I take test targets into the field with me to make sure I'm doing stuff right with my machines.

 

[49er12]

Thankyou that was very good knowledge and very helpful to many of us, thanks you

 

[Tahts-a-dats-ago]

Having never touched an Equinox I’m not able to comment on that machine. Lots of people use it though so I must assume that it is a good machine.

I have owned a CTX 3030 (and an Etrac) and still own/use a V3i. The two Minelab machines were sold because I much prefer the V3i — in my opinion the V3i is still one of the top machines on the market.

For me the V3i is less complicated than the CTX 3030, but far more adjustable. Even the most basic machines typically need a bit of adjusting to optimize performance, but the factory programs easily suffice for those who just want to turn the machine on and hunt.

The same is true with the V3i — the factory programs are set up to be sufficient for most hunters (turn on and hunt) but a bit of tweaking lets the user get the most out of the machine.

That’s the beauty of the V3i — nearly everything is customizable; from screen colors, to information presented, sounds, programs, discrimination, etc… The V3i can be set up for almost any hunting condition, user preference, or experimental program.

But it doesn’t have to be.

The V3i can be a turn on and go machine. It’s all up to the user.

When I first bought the V3i I did spend a bit of time creating programs that fit my preferences (and hunting conditions). Even that didn’t take long, but now it’s just a matter of ground balancing and perhaps making one or two tweaks to the program I’m using — and I’m hunting. Literally speaking, it amounts to a couple seconds — if I decide to make some slight changes to a couple of settings. If not, it’s just a matter of turning the machine on and ground balancing; then I’m hunting.

There aren’t any gold nuggets in NJ; at least not as far as I’m aware of. But there is gold jewelry and the V3i is an excellent jewelry machine. One of it’s strengths is nickles (the V3i is the best nickle machine I’ve used) and that happens to be the same range that a lot of gold jewelry is found.

The V3i is a slower swing type of machine (that can be changed if desired). I happen to prefer swinging rather slow and methodical, so this is a positive in my mind. I find the V3i to be good at separating targets that are close together — if the swing speed isn’t too fast.

I think the whole (the V3i is too complicated) issue is due to people thinking they have to make all sorts of adjustments to get the most out of the machine. That is not the case — a few tweaks will do just fine (the rest of the adjustments are more about personal preferences). I also suspect that many users made too many extreme adjustments, which hampered the performance of their V3i.

As I see things the strengths of the V3i are as follows:

Fantastic target information — the best on the market in my opinion.

Fantastic screen — the best on the market in my opinion.

Can be adjusted to hunt nearly any condition (or preferences).

Wireless headphones work great.

User can create (and save) a lot of custom programs.

Well balanced.

Hits hard on silver and nickles.

Pinpoint trigger and information given when pinpointing


Weaknesses of the V3i (in my opinion)

Heavy compared to most of the machines that are offered currently

Not waterproof

Battery hungry (compared to other machines)


I happen to like Whites machines quite a lot. I’m just comfortable with them, the way they work, the sounds, the target ID, etc… That’s not a jab at other manufacturers (I love my Multi Kruzer and my Compadre too) but if I were forced to sell all but 1 of my machines, it would be the V3i that I kept.

I think the truth of the matter is that all of the major manufacturers offer very capable machines. The differences in capability are rather minimal if the owner really learns their machine, so the choice in machines really boils down to what features are desired and which machine is the most comfortable to the prospective buyer.

I didn’t care for the CTX 3030 at all; others absolutely love that machine.

I think both sides of that coin are right.

The same goes for the V3i.

 

[49er12]

So after information from many, I’ve come to determine, whites v3i is heavier, not water proof, doesn’t separate as good,not a good gold machine, learning curve , cost more. Other than that if you have money, time to learn, thisstill is a moachine for years to come. I myself unfortunately haven’t master my 20 year old whites dfx so I no I missed targets but we all have can’t say how many times we go back and find something we thought we covered. I like the fast separation of the equinox 800 had a chance to watch it in action at our clubs picnic hunt, only down fall is I wish this machine had the option of using a battery pack not just usb charging that sucks no backup option not good, thankyou

 

[Tahts-a-dats-ago]

I think any machine will have a learning curve.

I don't know how well the Equinox separates (never used one) but I do know the Compadre ($160 new) separates at a very fast swing and the MMK is roughly the same. Still I wouldn't say that either separates better than the V3i, but they both allow for a much faster swing. Since I actually prefer a slower swing speed, I've never adjusted the V3i to allow for a faster swing speed.

I mention that because I didn't want to give you the wrong impression.

If you're wanting a backup (Nox) battery option, wouldn't a power bank be an option?

The MMK has internal batteries (usb charged) and it's a feature that I like quite a lot. I did buy the optional battery pack for it though - because I wanted to make sure the machine was still usable once the internal batteries no longer hold a charge.

 

[gunsil]

So after information from many, I’ve come to determine, whites v3i is heavier, not water proof, doesn’t separate as good,not a good gold machine, learning curve , cost more. Other than that if you have money, time to learn, thisstill is a moachine for years to come. I myself unfortunately haven’t master my 20 year old whites dfx so I no I missed targets but we all have can’t say how many times we go back and find something we thought we covered. I like the fast separation of the equinox 800 had a chance to watch it in action at our clubs picnic hunt, only down fall is I wish this machine had the option of using a battery pack not just usb charging that sucks no backup option not good, thankyou

I simply carry around an 8,000 Ma battery bank or pack in my car, it can easily be taped or wire tied or velcroed to the Nox shaft in an emergency dead battery situation. It will also charge the Nox and phones while not in use if not near a power source. I seldom hunt for more than three hours straight anymore due to age related aches and pains, but the Nox battery will last for an all day hunt easily.

 

[☠ Cipher]

To me there's no point in owning a multifrequency detector for inland applications if you're not getting the benefit of seeing in some form what they are doing/how they are reacting or at the very least the kind of target ID stability some multifrequency units have. The CTX has FE:CO and Target Trace among other features. The V3i has color coded frequencies and 3 frequency pinpoint among other features. For inland field hunting the V3i only has one rival (visually) and that's the CTX-3030. For mild to moderate parks hunting coins and jewelry it has no rival as the CTX will miss gold micro jewelry and is not as deep on small low conductors.

In extreme conditions, the Equinox can be a valuable tool and outperform the V3i. For water hunters obviously the Equinox or some other waterproof machine is a must have. That's why I own both. But most of us won't encounter the most extreme conditions, other than perhaps trash. Most Equinox owners will not realize the full benefit of having a multifrequency unit both because they aren't in such extreme environments and because there is no visual aspect to it with the Equinox. Equinox also doesn't offer the kind of target ID stability it's FBS and BBS predecessors did.

The V3i can prospect. It is more sensitive than the MXT at this task and obviously has a better visual ground readout. Prospecting is just not what it's best for or best at. If you could import the Equinox ground tracking into the V3i's visual system...now that would be something.

 

[Toecutter]

This guy is very informal on the comparison of the Nox800 and the V3i, he does head to head comparisons in the field, he no longer uses the v3i because it was missing targets and he WAS a hardcore Whites guy... Basically the Nox is king!!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN_VreKXjNMaAlE247QTHxw

 

[McKinney_5900]

"If you could import the Equinox ground tracking into the V3i's visual system...now that would be something."

Yes, that would!

 

[garikfox]

The EQ800 is simply an amazing machine, i love the thing

 

[Hawks88]

I have the equinox 600 and it is a great machine. Took me awhile to learn but I really like it now.

 

[☠ Cipher]

Square Nail Squirrel is actually fairly new to the hobby. He just happens to be able to put up decent quality videos. I wouldn't say he was a hardcore Whites guy. He barely had either the V3i or the MX Sport long enough to squint before he picked up the Equinox. The best that can be said of his V3i experience is that he butchered the battery compartment to do a weird battery mod that left a huge LiPo battery affixed to the outside of his machine and then used the machine in very basic configurations for a little while. The Equinox is not a replacement for a machine like the V3i. It's more of a supplement. It is a reality though that most people who pick up a V3i are not versed well enough in the underling technology to be able to operate it proficiently, rather than sufficiently.

 

[masterjedi]

The CTX 3030 is truly still the King... IMHO...

I have a CTX an Etrac and a EQ800... plus a F75LTD and 4 other detectors...

 

[eman1000]

Square Nail Squirrel is actually fairly new to the hobby. He just happens to be able to put up decent quality videos. I wouldn't say he was a hardcore Whites guy. He barely had either the V3i or the MX Sport long enough to squint before he picked up the Equinox. The best that can be said of his V3i experience is that he butchered the battery compartment to do a weird battery mod that left a huge LiPo battery affixed to the outside of his machine and then used the machine in very basic configurations for a little while. The Equinox is not a replacement for a machine like the V3i. It's more of a supplement. It is a reality though that most people who pick up a V3i are not versed well enough in the underling technology to be able to operate it proficiently, rather than sufficiently.

I'm not sure I agree with the above statement or at least I think it needs further explanation. "It is a reality though that most people who pick up a V3i are not versed well enough in the underling technology to be able to operate it proficiently, rather than sufficiently"

Is this a failure on the operator or the reseller? I spent many month's reading everything I could get my hands on about this machine prior to buying it and I spent at least 20 hours playing with settings trying to understand how the machine would respond.
I created one video mainly for myself on youtube as I don't really have talent for media creation testing settings I had been working on for several days. I even went so far as to read the original manual for the ARM processor (why I don't remember) I kept a small notebook with vdi readings at different frequencies and tested my test bed coins and numerous gold rings. I printed the manual and read thru it many times mainly because I would get confused with the slightly different terminology using terms like SAT, RX GAIN, ALL METAL, Recovery Delay, Band Pass and what I found as an admitted novice was that I could only outperform my MX5 the other machine I had on hand in terms of separation and I contribute that more to the fact that I had a concentric coil on the MX5 and a DD coil on the V3i.

Particularly what I found interesting probably more so than with any other detector I have used is that it became obvious at least for me that the path to proficiency would involve some hunting days where I had settings wrong for the environment and/or sweep speed was also a factor and it was effecting my confidence. These we really critical factors I noticed that you had to really understand. For example you reduced recovery delay to <60 you were probably going to have some negative effect on your RX GAIN or depth which could be offset by " TX boost" or running at a different Band Pass. all of which could equally be effected by your sweep speed factoring in a machine that weights a little over 4 pounds. Means you have to go slower and swing more weight to cover less ground ...

By comparison the Equinox although it has many settings it is kinda hard to really screw up just shy of notching out the upper range and it's pretty forgiving to even the fastest of sweepers. It's also 1.5 pounds lighter!


The worst part about this thread for me is I really wanted to love the MX7 when Whites released it, but it seems that the engineers that whites had the built the V3i have moved on and Whites isn't releasing anything with the same muli-freq xy polar plot technology in a more modern light setup. (but they do have a pink one which you can't get in the Equinox so you have to factor that in as well)

I would like to add that even though the V3i is heavier if felt better balanced to me than the stock Equinox. Here are the weights just to show some comparison.
equinox 2.94
V3i 4.4
XP ORX 1.9 (this machine also isn't balanced well but neither is a broom and they weight the same)
CTX 3030 5.2

I would also add just to stir the pot a bit that If I were comparing machines that I have personally used in my environment up against the Equinox in terms of performance the Tesoro and ORX is actually a closer competitor than the V3i in term of strictly unmasking good targets and depth. Sure they are simpler machines and a lot less features but again for me they are light, fast, and they just work for coin hunting. Not a good comparison for beach hunting or water hunting though..