Part of Me Says Buy an Equinox.

[DeepseekerADS]

I went from the Etrac to the CTX, and have hundreds of hours on the CTX, so I'm in tune with the sounds a target makes from the Minelab perspective. After all, 30 years ago we hunted by sounds anyway = solid target in two directions equals a dig.

I've had the 800 for pushing a week now, and will be taking it out in my yard tomorrow for my first hunt with it. Have to do that before the rains which come for the next solid week or more = ugly weather coming, but we've had ugly weather already = danged too hot for us old folks. Love the hobby but don't want heat stroke or stroke at all due to the heat.

 

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[Peyton Manning]

heat? you sissy

 

[dirtlooter]

the heat is bad enough but the humidity is the real killer, it drains you so fast.

 

[Truth]

the heat is bad enough but the humidity is the real killer, it drains you so fast.

I mean FAST

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I went out today and only made it about 10 minutes. At least I got to listen to it talk to me. It's a bit different though from the CTX. And I thought it heavier on my elbow.

Supposed to get cooling rains for a few days straight, so I'll be trying it again, basically went out without headphones. I thought it should have been louder, but I'll get to that as well. I've all the time in the world, no rush - or I'd have had it out earlier.

And Jeff, I'd rather be a sissy versus on a cold slab

 

[smokeythecat]

I still do not rely on the VDI. It the signal repeats, I dig it. The Washington Inaugural Button was such an easy signal. Nobody liked that area due to modern trash. Too bad for them.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I still do not rely on the VDI. It the signal repeats, I dig it. The Washington Inaugural Button was such an easy signal. Nobody liked that area due to modern trash. Too bad for them.

In my short excursion, when I'd get a signal it was elusive - throwing up different numbers each time, and also not a solid repeater. Tried to pin point several but it just wasn't happening. However, for clarification that was a rough area I went through. I'd been through there quite a number of times before with different detectors and it is mineralized / noisy.

 

[Ammoman]

I thought it heavier on my elbow.

Watch that elbow! It is indeed not balanced well at all. Try shortening the shaft as much as you can. You may be swinging in front of your toes but it helps.

 

[Terry Soloman]

The Multi Frequency Reminds me of the Sovereign.

But 2 Issues at the Moment Bother me.

#1. too New Yet for My Taste. I figure let everyone else look for Bugs.
and give accurate Depth Info.

& #2

The screen : imo someone needs to make an Alternate Screen, Or Paste over
with Words. I really Dislike Screens with Pictures, But no words.

Reminds me of Cave Art

You know Jeff, part of me told me to marry both wife #1 and wife #2. I've stopped listening to THAT part of me!

 

[smokeythecat]

Ergonomic monster. I'd try putting someone else's upper shaft on it. An "S" curve shaft.

 

[Trezurehunter]

Hey Jeff, Part of me said to buy one also. So I did ! Only thing I dont like, is that little plastic "language screen" that they give you to put over the regular screen, has lettering that is way to small. That thing now forces me to wear my glasses when I detect, just so I can see how I'm setting it up.

 

[vferrari]

Hey Jeff, Part of me said to buy one also. So I did ! Only thing I dont like, is that little plastic "language screen" that they give you to put over the regular screen, has lettering that is way to small. That thing now forces me to wear my glasses when I detect, just so I can see how I'm setting it up.

Try challenging yourself and use one of the foreign language screen protectors. Lol. After a few hours of use it becomes second nature (first setting is noise cancel, second is GB, I don't fool with the tones/breakpoints, last is recovery speed and iron bias), I actually used a plain generic screen protector without any writing so had to learn by the symbols anyway without the screen overlay training wheels.

Plenty of things to complain about on this machine if you try hard enough. I hate the gray color of the control module/handle, it looks like you are grabbing a zombie hand. No printed manual. Can't use a PDF manual, don't take my phone into the field, but I do want to take a full printed copy with me, plus my cell phone just makes the Equinox chirp. Why do I have to have a rechargeable battery, sounds like a conspiracy to make me by a new battery when the warranty expires? Where's the charge plug (I need another one to go along with the 50 laying around from the family's old cell phones). Why do I have to ground my coil to press the user profile button? Why didn't they put that button on the panel like the search profile button so it is easily accessible? Why isn't the coil brightly colored since I want to use it in the water, mostly? Why do I have to scroll through all the search profiles again if I skip over the one I wanted? The list goes on and on. Some legitimate complaints, some griping because that's what we detectorists do, or we are not happy. Do I think about it at all when I'm finding stuff with the Equinox, uh, no.

 

[smokeythecat]

What goodies have you found, V? Clad doesn't count.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Why isn't the coil brightly colored since I want to use it in the water, mostly?

Last year I wrapped bright yellow tape around my Excal coil, but it didn't last long and became kinda messy. All my trips to the coast last year, the water was murky on the East Coast. On the West Coast of Florida I could see my feet at chin deep. Might have been a fluke the time I was there. That black coil on the EQ will be all but invisible in murky water = more scoops required to retrieve the target. I've tried reaching my foot out to find the back of the coil on the Excal, but that's dangerous to the equipment.

Maybe a industrious member on TNet will invent some kinda bright sleeve to slip over the EQ coil. On the Excal, I think I'm going to paint it bright yellow all over except the Minelab label.....

 

[vferrari]

Anderson makes a small yellow coil weight you can attach to the top of a Whites coil to keep it from floating. I have found the EQX coil to be neutrally buoyant, so a similar weight is not necessary and may add unnecessary drag. But but I suppose a somewhat form fitting, unweighted, yellow "upper" coil cover attached with cable ties might work.

 

[relicmeister]

Ergonomic monster. I'd try putting someone else's upper shaft on it. An "S" curve shaft.

I recently fitted a whites s-shaft onto my 800. The only alteration is the need to shim the s shaft where it goes into the nox handle , and I cut the lower part off since I also have a folding mechanism. The result it terrific portability and it swings more ergonomically
Than the straight shaft.
I'm only beginning to realize the potential of this machine-the more I use it the more I understand it's unique language.

 

[WisconsinPirate]

I am on the fence between buying the Makro Multi Kruzer and the Equinox 600. I am leaning toward the Multi Kruzer since it seems to be a little more robust.

I bought both: 600 & multi-kruzer. I switch off using both.The depth meter does not work well with the 600 and VDI is bouncy. I find a lot more nickels with the Kruzer, and I seem to only find things between 1-4" with the 600. Not sure what is going on with that but it is a bit depressing. The wireless headphones are really nice on the Kruzer, and the wired headphones stink with the 600. With the Kruzer you can make a lot of adjustments that cannot be made with the 600, like the tones can be changed at different levels of discrimination, which I really like. I like the geometry of the Kruzer's coil over the 600 as I think it is easier to separate targets in trashy areas. I found my first and only gold item with the Kruzer - a very tiny child's earring.

I don't know which one I like better yet, and I was hoping to make that decision based on which machine I found more and better items with but I have been working like a slave this summer and have not been able to get out since early June. Right now I think they perform about the same. If I had to choose between the two I would go with the Kruzer as it has more features and the wireless headset is included.

 

[vferrari]

I bought both: 600 & multi-kruzer. I switch off using both.The depth meter does not work well with the 600 and VDI is bouncy. I find a lot more nickels with the Kruzer, and I seem to only find things between 1-4" with the 600. Not sure what is going on with that but it is a bit depressing. The wireless headphones are really nice on the Kruzer, and the wired headphones stink with the 600. With the Kruzer you can make a lot of adjustments that cannot be made with the 600, like the tones can be changed at different levels of discrimination, which I really like. I like the geometry of the Kruzer's coil over the 600 as I think it is easier to separate targets in trashy areas. I found my first and only gold item with the Kruzer - a very tiny child's earring.

I don't know which one I like better yet, and I was hoping to make that decision based on which machine I found more and better items with but I have been working like a slave this summer and have not been able to get out since early June. Right now I think they perform about the same. If I had to choose between the two I would go with the Kruzer as it has more features and the wireless headset is included.

Get an inexpensive pair of APTX LL Bluetooth headphones at $30 to $60 for your 600 and you still will have paid less than the Kruzer and will have wireless capability and a pair of headphones you can use with other devices.

Performance wise, something is not right with the way you have the 600 set up. I have actually never found more nickels than I have with the Equinox and when the target is NOT trash or not mixed with trash, the ID is very stable plus the 50-tone audio gives a wealth of additional target info. The Equinox 600 is like 6 machines in one and I have found it to be VERY stable in salt water without having to reduce sensitivity and that is something I have seen complaints about over in the Kruzer forum. The 800 gets you more wireless accessories, gold mode, but also the tonal options you have on the Kruzer, albeit for $150 more (but the included wireless hardware alone, including a module that allows you to plug in any wired headphone and make it wireless) probably worth at least most if not all of that price delta.

Don't get me wrong. The Kruzer is a great machine from the looks of it. What the Impact should have been. If the Equinox had not shown up at the same time, I would seriously have been considering it. Certainly, the best multiple, selectable single frequency waterproof machine in its price range.

Hope you figure out your dilemma, but you have two pretty good machines in your hands right now.

 

[sheep.dog]

I found the equinox uncomfortable to swing. My Safari is way heavier but I could swing it all day, after an hour or so with the Nox 800 my wrist was killing me. I like the machine just not the ergonomics. I sold the Nox and got a Deus.

 

[HighVDI]

My shoulder hurt after swinging the 800 for a couple weeks but my body must have adjusted to it and strengthened the muscles needed to swing it for hours because it now went away.