Question about tones and numbers on Nox 800

[andygold]

I've had the machine for 4 or 5 months now but have only been out a handful of times with it, so I don't have real experience with it yet.

When I swing and find a target, I get a 3-tone beep-beep-beep for pretty much every target. All 3 tones are not always the same, and the VDI might range from 0 up to the high 30's. So, one target with 3 beeps might read 5-25-38 for example for each and every swing over it. Most of the stuff I'm digging up is large pieces of ferrous metal, down around 8 inches to over a foot. It's very, very rare that I get a single tone and a single number, even when I seem to find only a single coin in the hole. Most of my detecting is with stock settings, although I've reduced sensitivity down to around 18 a few times to try to weed out some stuff. Most of my digging is in abandoned fields, woods, and old logging roads.

Is this 3-tones/3-numbers per target a normal thing (this is my first metal detector, other than a HF 9-function, which only had one tone)? I kind of expected to get a single tone with repeatable VDI when I'm over a coin and nothing but that coin.

Also, with this machine, I can't seem to walk a foot or two without it telling me there is metal underneath, and yet when I dig, most of the time I find nothing. I'm in northern NY if that helps with thoughts about hot rocks or similar.

Any thoughts?

 

[dts52]

Hi, Andy. Your situation does NOT sound normal. First suggestion is to hold the power button (top left on housing) down until the FP appears on the screen (factory preset). Do a noise cancel and ground balance. If the problem persists, even with the sensitivity turned WAY down, I'd contact Minelab for help. Their service folks are top-notch.

It is NOT normal to have VDIs like you described. The best way to ID bottle caps (IMHO) is when you get a somewhat consistent VDI reading, say 25 or 26 in Park1 mode but there is also a "flyer" up around 36-39. All the coins I have found give consistent VDI readings, sometimes with an occasional 2-digit flyer, but never with a difference like you describe.

Hope your new machine works out. I've had mine for a few months and pretty much stick to Park1 because the 50 tone programs are beyond my ability.
HH
dts

 

[pulltabfelix]

I've had the machine for 4 or 5 months now but have only been out a handful of times with it, so I don't have real experience with it yet.

When I swing and find a target, I get a 3-tone beep-beep-beep for pretty much every target. All 3 tones are not always the same, and the VDI might range from 0 up to the high 30's. So, one target with 3 beeps might read 5-25-38 for example for each and every swing over it. Most of the stuff I'm digging up is large pieces of ferrous metal, down around 8 inches to over a foot. It's very, very rare that I get a single tone and a single number, even when I seem to find only a single coin in the hole. Most of my detecting is with stock settings, although I've reduced sensitivity down to around 18 a few times to try to weed out some stuff. Most of my digging is in abandoned fields, woods, and old logging roads.

Is this 3-tones/3-numbers per target a normal thing (this is my first metal detector, other than a HF 9-function, which only had one tone)? I kind of expected to get a single tone with repeatable VDI when I'm over a coin and nothing but that coin.

Also, with this machine, I can't seem to walk a foot or two without it telling me there is metal underneath, and yet when I dig, most of the time I find nothing. I'm in northern NY if that helps with thoughts about hot rocks or similar.

Any thoughts?

Keep in mind the 800 is chatty, meaning it sees a lot of stuff in the ground.

try to find some ground that is clear of signals and put down an array of junk and good signals and practice. (don't bury, just lay on surface) Junk: bottle cap, ring pull, pull tab square, nail, piece of foil, smashed coke can, can slaw. Good: clad coins, silver coins, gold ring, gold bracelet.

Now do factory preset, ground balance, noise cancel. Now practice with your different modes, eg park1 and 2, field 1 and 2. Note your VDI and audio responses. This will tell you if you machine is malfunctioning.

When I got my 800 I thought it was going crazy much like you did. However I had many years of detecting experience with three different models of detectors with the last being an AT Pro for 3 years. The 800 is a complex and capable detector for $899.


If your VDI and audio responses are all over the place on your test items, then call Minelab support with your findings.

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

Hi Andy. I checked out your profile and you did incredibly well with your Harbor Freight detector. Congrats. The 800 is a different animal all together. If I were you I would stick with Park1, sensitivity 21 until you get some serious hours under your belt swinging the Nox.

Targets that give 3 vastly different numbers are almost always trash or rusty iron, maybe deep. Use the pinpoint function to check and see if the target is small before digging. Also click on the Horse shoe button to to here if there is a corresponding iron grunt with the target you are interested in, if grunt is there then most likely trash. You are looking for consistent small targets that don’t jump around too much.

Good luck and keep at it!

 

[HighVDI]

IMO, I'd lower your Gain down to around 16 and do auto GB. Recovery 5, park 1, IB 2 (for now) and GO SLOW! Keep an eye on your swing and keep it smooth. Not herky jerky, up and down ect. Usually those VDI's that bounce all around and spike to the upper 30's are falsing iron. bury a couple items that you have dug up that are large and also a coin a few feet away. Right away you will hear the difference in the signal duration. play around with the pinpoint feature and learn how big a coin sounds vs those bigger hunks of junk. I'm learning more and more that these machines have INCREDIBLE audio if you just learn it. The visual numbers......well, that's a whole other story! audio is KING! That screen is just a tool that kinda helps.... sometimes. hahaha. Hope this info and the words above help you out!

 

[Truffles_EOD]

HI Andy, I think with the Equinox because there is such a huge capacity to personalize the settings and save your profile with those personalized settings, it can become very confusing especially if you start watching too many videos on it and everyone with their own preferred settings, I followed Matthew Ballard's fairly basic set up, the only thing I do that he doesn't is Ground Balance from time to time, but have a look at his video, try setting it up identical and see how you go with it as your tones etc; as other people have said certainly don't seem normal, when a good target is found the machine really does sing and indicate it's something good, each coin I've found stick with one number and if you are searching East to West, try then to run over the target North to South to see if it changes, every time with coins it doesn't change, my first ever ring find, which was last week using the Equinox it screamed out at me and was showing only two numbers, probably due to the slight shape variation in the ring. Anyway, here's that video link to Matthew Ballard's basic settings I hope this helps and hope it's not a problem with the detector that will need returning to Minelab... Good Luck

 

[RayinAlaska]

The best instructions for new users is right on the Getting Started Guide that comes with the detector. But since the OP probably has changed some of the settings, this is what I do (outside the house):

a. Perform a Factory Reset (Reset the detector to factory specs by holding the power button 5 seconds until the letters FP appear on the screen)

b. Navigate to Park 1 using the Detect Mode button (the black button with a search coil on it)

c. Now, press and release the Settings button (the button in the middle between the - and + buttons). The screen flashes

c. Then press/release the Accept/Reject button (the other black one on the top right). The detector makes a sound as the noice is cancelled. When the sound stops the screen will continue flashing because the detector still is in the Settings screen. Press and release the Pinpoint/Detect button (the center one at the bottom), and the detector switches to the Detect mode. Go detecting now.

Stick with one mode until you learn the detector. Switching modes and changing the settings is not the best idea at the beginning. I am new at the Equinox 800 and received at lot of help from folks in this and other forums. I "bookmarked" 3 Equinox forums on my browser, and got all kinds of instructions. But the best was to stick to one mode for awhile before changing modes and settings. If you are into relic hunting where there could be a lot of iron, follow the ideas poster in this thread provided for you, and also check with "calabash digger" in this and other Equinox forums.

P.S.
When detecting and you are constantly getting a lot of iron signals (very low tones), make sure that you aren't in the All Metals Mode (the Horseshoe button). I did that recently and it was driving me crazy until I realized that the detector was not discriminating When set on the right mode, the scale on the scale or bar should be blank from the bottom left to about number 10 on the scale. When in All Metals, the entire bar from bottom left to bottom right turns black.