Minelab's successor to the Equinox 800?

[pulltabfelix]

Been away from the forum for a while. My 800 was purchased in the Spring of 2018 is out of warranty. No worry, I feel Minelab will treat me right if the time comes I need a repair. I am thinking it is way too early in the product life cycle of the Equinox 800 for a Minelab successor to the Equinox 800 to be introduced anytime soon in the next few years. I have not seen any other manufacturer come out with an 800 beater. But I am wondering what would the successor to the 800 be like? The 800 would be a real hard act to follow. What new features/abilities would you like to see on Minelab's successor to the Equinox 800?

If this is a duplicate tread to one that has already discussed this issue, let me know and I will delete this post.

 

[smokeythecat]

I doubt they will do much for another couple years as that series sells very well. Keep it out of water and you probably won't have a problem with it.

 

[Esto Perpetua]

I agree with smokey...
Back in March I purchased an 800 from BBH, and Bart had conveyed to me that they were selling out pretty fast. I don't forsee Minelab trying to top the 800 for awhile, considering that it is still software updateable. That, I think, is where it will stay for awhile.... technology-wise.

Having only owned the NOX for around a month, I've only been hunting our property that I'd already gone over before years ago. Just 4 or 5 times several hours each, trying to learn the machine... found a bunch of clad that my old machine missed, several old hot wheels cars and other random interesting things. So far, I feel that the 800 is a great machine, and I can't wait to get some permissions or take it out to some of our older spots.

The only thing I would like to see:
A way to interface a pinpointer to the wireless headphones, or pair it to the detectector and headphones. Or, ground penetrating radar.
Probably not, but one could wish. It's still light years ahead of the analog machines.

 

[relicmeister]

They by now probably have a preliminary design on the drawing board but a real prototype
Is probably not yet in the works because sales of the Equinox series is strong, and with
Competitors introducing their own versions of SMF, its wise to take them into account as
well as equinox user feedback. It’s not Minelabs thing to revise existing models-everything
they introduce is an independent new machine, although I don’t know about the PI models.
The Vanquish series did spin off Multi IQ
but the machine that comes next May use a different technology altogether- or combination of
technologies like fbs and multiIQ. I have two equinox 600’s and can wait a while for the successor
I am curious about the Nokta Makro that’s coming.

 

[pulltabfelix]

I doubt they will do much for another couple years as that series sells very well. Keep it out of water and you probably won't have a problem with it.

already learned that lesson. Minelab gave me a new control unit when my leaked water. Now I just submerge the coil and shaft, not the control unit, especially since it is out of warranty. Plus at my age, don't go into water over my waist, too difficult to dig targets any deeper with my scoop.

 

[smokeythecat]

Yes, age makes me take fewer chances anymore. My cats and chickens need me.

 

[Bart@Big Boys Hobbies]

I agree with smokey...
Back in March I purchased an 800 from BBH, and Bart had conveyed to me that they were selling out pretty fast. I don't forsee Minelab trying to top the 800 for awhile, considering that it is still software updateable. That, I think, is where it will stay for awhile.... technology-wise.

Agreed, the Minelab Equinox series was a bases loaded home run! Pretty much all I use now myself.

 

[Richard Guy]

R&D never stops

 

[MackDog]

They jacked the price up $50 so just keep giving us updates. I have no problem with this machine at all.

 

[malenkai]

Rumors are more likely a successor to the FBS machines. I don't put much stock in rumors myself, but I've seen such chatter on the forums.

I hope they are true, would be nice to see a next generation FBS machine. And yeah, GPR and ultrasound as well, but IMHO, that is pie in the sky for a consumer level machine, but we'll see.

 

[bigscoop]

First let me say that I like the Nox, however, there's still a lot of room for improvement with the Nox, and personally, having used a wide variety of machines over the years, the Nox isn't everything that all the hype has made it out to be. Per example, it has a very narrow non-ferrous scale which places limits on its discrimination capabilities and as a result there is far greater ID sharing. Another example, it lacks a true variable tone target feature so no additional target information can be gathered through the machine's audio. The threshold feature, only the 800 has a true threshold feature and only in the gold modes, but even this threshold in the gold mode lacks the three tone audio capabilities that made their Sov Series machines so popular, especially at depths. So "a lot" of room for improvements and still a rather limited machine in many respects.

 

[MackDog]

First let me say that I like the Nox, however, there's still a lot of room for improvement with the Nox, and personally, having used a wide variety of machines over the years, the Nox isn't everything that all the hype has made it out to be. Per example, it has a very narrow non-ferrous scale which places limits on its discrimination capabilities and as a result there is far greater ID sharing. Another example, it lacks a true variable tone target feature so no additional target information can be gathered through the machine's audio. The threshold feature, only the 800 has a true threshold feature and only in the gold modes, but even this threshold in the gold mode lacks the three tone audio capabilities that made their Sov Series machines so popular, especially at depths. So "a lot" of room for improvements and still a rather limited machine in many respects.

You should be running all metal to get the bet out of it. Use your brain to discriminate what you want to dig.

 

[bigscoop]

You should be running all metal to get the bet out of it. Use your brain to discriminate what you want to dig.

Look,..........I do just fine with it, frequently use all metal, etc., not sure what you're area of pursuit is but you'll notice I was mainly referencing the non-ferrous side of the Nox capabilities. My reply was in response to the thread topic, and yes, there exist "a lot" of room for improvement with the Nox as it certainly has it's short comings.

 

[Toecutter]

The NOX 1k for me would have a clock, color screen, gps, sd memory, foldable head.. everything I want would just make it cost more

 

[Xraywolf]

One thing is for sure - Its successor will obsolete all other detectors !

 

[Toecutter]

You should be running all metal to get the bet out of it. Use your brain to discriminate what you want to dig.

Very true!! only way I use mine!!

 

[bigscoop]

One thing is for sure - Its successor will obsolete all other detectors !

You might want to rethink that because I seriously doubt Minelab wants to obsolete the rest of its line of detectors. And, in all likelihood, this is probably why certain features and certain capabilities were left out of the Nox, not to mention controlling the price point. But in any event, they would have to really get cracking to obsolete some of the other top performing machines out there. Just depends on what someone wants in a machine and what their personal pursuits are because for every advantage engineered into a machine there is also a loss of performance somewhere else.

 

[Xraywolf]

You might want to rethink that because I seriously doubt Minelab wants to obsolete the rest of its line of detectors. And, in all likelihood, this is probably why certain features and certain capabilities were left out of the Nox, not to mention controlling the price point. But in any event, they would have to really get cracking to obsolete some of the other top performing machines out there. Just depends on what someone wants in a machine and what their personal pursuits are because for every advantage engineered into a machine there is also a loss of performance somewhere else.

Was a pun, you must have missed the mass marketing hype ML came out with in the months before the nox was released

 

[bigscoop]

Was a pun, you must have missed the mass marketing hype ML came out with in the months before the nox was released

lol....No, I didn't miss it, was impossible to miss. And you are right, seems there is always a lot of unestablished hype whenever these new machines are released. Odd thing is though, I can't remember the last one that actually lived up to all of the hype. Personally, I don't understand all of the hype with the Nox, though it is a nice and capable machine for the money it still isn't "all that" that all the hype would have everyone to believe that it is. Yes, it's very good in some respects, but also not so good in others, which is typical of just about every machine on the market, both past and present. I also think the added attraction of certain bells and whistles has helped to create a lot of the hype simply because a lot of detectorist enjoy that type of interaction with their machines, but having said that, still has a lot of room for improvements.

 

[midalake]

There was hype?? NO WAY.............LOL