vferrari and others, no GAIN setting on the EQ???

[CharlesUpstateNY]

One thing I'm a little freaked out about on the EQ is there appears to be no gain setting. That was a rather critical setting for me on the Explorers. Did they rename it or something? Does the EQ have this feature, if not bummer.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

How to Research for Treasure Hunting and Metal Detecting From Lead Generation to Vetting - Grab it through Amazon!

[Terry Soloman]

SensitivityEQUINOX is highly sensitive and has 25 Sensitivity levels. It is important to set the correctSensitivity level for your detecting conditions.Sensitivity adjusts the detector’s level of response to targets andthe environment by controlling the amount of amplificationapplied to signals received by the detector (sometimes called Rxgain).Targets are detected as distinct beeps that stop if the coil is heldstationary. Interference or noise usually sounds like a cracklingor popping, which generally continues when the coil is heldstationary.The Sensitivity setting has a range from 1 to 25 with a default settingof 20.Sensitivity level adjustment is global; all Detect Mode SearchProfiles will be affected by changes to this setting.Sensitivity IndicatorThe Sensitivity Indicator on the EQUINOX LCD shows theapproximate sensitivity level in increments of 5.Level 1-5 Level 6-10 Level 11-15 Level 16-20 Level 21-25Adjusting SensitivityAlways choose the highest stable Sensitivity setting to ensureoptimum performance.You can only adjust the Sensitivity level from the Detect Screen.Before attempting to adjust Sensitivity, ensure that you are not inthe Settings Menu or in Pinpoint.1. Holding the coil stationary, use the Plus (+) button to increasethe Sensitivity until false signals begin to occur.2. Reduce the Sensitivity level by pressing the Minus (–) button,just enough that these false signals disappear.3. The exact Sensitivity Level will be shown on the Target IDDisplay, and will disappear after 3 seconds of inactivity.Recommended Sensitivity SettingsSome experimentation with the Sensitivity level may be requiredfor different detecting locations. For beginners, start with a lowsetting and increase it progressively.Decreasing the Sensitivity of the EQUINOX may reduce false signalsand interference. This will also improve differentiation betweensignals caused by metal targets and those of soil mineralisation.The following recommended settings will help get you started:New user 20Park or field with no trash 22Park or field with trash 20Salt water beach 20Gold Mode 15-25Experienced user 22-25Difficult ground or noisy conditions 15-18Detecting test targets indoors 1-10Tiny ferrous trash targets might be detected when the Sensitivity isset to a high level. The detector will also be affected by minerals incertain soils.

 

[vferrari]

What Terry said - it's called Sensitivity (just like on the Deus) and it is a global setting that applies to all search profiles (the other globals are backlight and master volume). Otherwise, all the remainings settings (except Threshold) such as noise cancel, ground balance, the various tone settings, recovery speed, and iron bias are "local" settings meaning they are set independently for each search profile/mode. Threshold is global for Park 1/2, Field 1/2, and Beach 1/2. There is a separate "true" threshold setting for the two Gold search profile modes.

Transmit power is constant for all Search Profiles except for Beach 2 where it is automatically scaled back (no user control over this) if it senses black sand mineralization detected above some preset threshold (again not user adjustable). This is similar to reducing TX POWER on the Deus to prevent "high beams in fog" transmitted signal scatter in highly mineralized ground, except it is automatically adjusted. There is an icon that warns the user when black sand mineralization "overload" is detected and transmit power is reduced.

HTH.

 

[IDXMonster]

Charles...no volume Gain as you know it. Volume levels can apparently be adjusted for certain target regions,but the thing you’re experienced with on the Explorer....no.
The Gain that Charles speaks of is secondary audio processing...a level that can be set for targets AFTER a machine such as the Explorer has already acquired a signal which has been allowed “through” by the level of Sensitivty used.
Correct me if I’m wrong Charles....

 

[CharlesUpstateNY]

Charles...no volume Gain as you know it. Volume levels can apparently be adjusted for certain target regions,but the thing you’re experienced with on the Explorer....no.

That blows. Let me ask it a different way, silver dime on the surface, at 6 inches, 8 inches, and 10 inches all the same volume say 70 decibels or are deeper targets lower in volume?

 

[nagant]

Lower volume the deeper they are seems to me.

 

[digger460]

Lower volume the deeper they are seems to me.

Ditto

 

[TomNWMI]

One thing I'm a little freaked out about on the EQ is there appears to be no gain setting. That was a rather critical setting for me on the Explorers. Did they rename it or something? Does the EQ have this feature, if not bummer.

Just a guess here but adding a separate gain control would only get in the way and complicate the way the algorithms are used in processing the return signal.

 

[vferrari]

That blows. Let me ask it a different way, silver dime on the surface, at 6 inches, 8 inches, and 10 inches all the same volume say 70 decibels or are deeper targets lower in volume?

OK, what you are talking about in Deus speak is Audio Response. Being able to set up target volume so that it varies as a function of depth. It is not adjustable on Equinox and while there is some variation in volume with target depth, it is very slight AND you do not get an overload for surface or shallow large targets (smashed Al cans). This is a frustrating thing with Equinox but I have learned to work around it with pinpoint mode which is non motion, so you can get a good idea of target size, and has better target depth volume modulation. Gold Mode, though not non motion, is VCO audio vice tone and works similarly. Oh yeah, there are definitely some warts on this beast.

 

[CharlesUpstateNY]

Tom/vferrari actually no. Let me explain what Gain does on the Explorer and why I would want that on the EQ. Gain is nothing more than smart volume knob on the Explore. Its not about the TID of the target, its about the signal strength of the target. With the Gain set to 7 targets 0-6 inches in average soil are loud and clear and about the same volume. Soil mineralization false signals are tiny, because Gain is factoring in the strength of the signal and soil mineralization false signals are tiny, its volume is tiny, just barely audible.

A silver dime very deep or deep but on edge or a smaller silver coin like a 3 cent or half dime at depth, their signals are also small, stronger than a soil mineralization though so Gain increases their volume above soil falsing BUT still lower in volume than coins 0-6 inches. Drop the gain to 6 and the soil false signals are no longer audible, but neither are some of the deepest weakest coin signals. Increase the gain to 8 and it increases the volume on the soil mineralization false signals loud enough that you start wasting time on them. Increase the gain to 10 and ALL signals regardless of signal strength are increased the same loud volume.

So there is a sweet spot on the gain setting where you can banish soil mineralization falses and tiny bits of iron, etc. to barely audible background noise, while deep faint coins are still a bit louder, and coins 0-6 inches are even more loud. That's pretty good target information. Its quite easy to never look at the screen and concentrate on just those deep coin signals that are lower in volume and likely to be a deeper old coin. Depending on the soil of course, in some soils the Gain sweet spot is 6, others 8. In super low mineralization maybe even 9.

FYI Gain is also applied last, sensitivity, discrimination come first then whatever is left over of the signal is then amplified by Gain smart volume as described above.

On the EQ if all target signals large, small, and tiny are at the same volume this would be a step backwards for me vs Explorer. Maybe Minelab just programmed in smart gain to the EQ and its not user adjustable. A couple of guys are reporting a difference in volume depending on depth e.g signal strength. Maybe on the EQ Minelab selected the sweet spot for us.

Hope this helps to understand my question.

 

[b3y0nd3r]

Gain is not needed. The targets I am finding are deep.

 

[vferrari]

Tom/vferrari actually no. Let me explain what Gain does on the Explorer and why I would want that on the EQ. Gain is nothing more than smart volume knob on the Explore. Its not about the TID of the target, its about the signal strength of the target. With the Gain set to 7 targets 0-6 inches in average soil are loud and clear and about the same volume. Soil mineralization false signals are tiny, because Gain is factoring in the strength of the signal and soil mineralization false signals are tiny, its volume is tiny, just barely audible.

A silver dime very deep or deep but on edge or a smaller silver coin like a 3 cent or half dime at depth, their signals are also small, stronger than a soil mineralization though so Gain increases their volume above soil falsing BUT still lower in volume than coins 0-6 inches. Drop the gain to 6 and the soil false signals are no longer audible, but neither are some of the deepest weakest coin signals. Increase the gain to 8 and it increases the volume on the soil mineralization false signals loud enough that you start wasting time on them. Increase the gain to 10 and ALL signals regardless of signal strength are increased the same loud volume.

So there is a sweet spot on the gain setting where you can banish soil mineralization falses and tiny bits of iron, etc. to barely audible background noise, while deep faint coins are still a bit louder, and coins 0-6 inches are even more loud. That's pretty good target information. Its quite easy to never look at the screen and concentrate on just those deep coin signals that are lower in volume and likely to be a deeper old coin. Depending on the soil of course, in some soils the Gain sweet spot is 6, others 8. In super low mineralization maybe even 9.

FYI Gain is also applied last, sensitivity, discrimination come first then whatever is left over of the signal is then amplified by Gain smart volume as described above.

On the EQ if all target signals large, small, and tiny are at the same volume this would be a step backwards for me vs Explorer. Maybe Minelab just programmed in smart gain to the EQ and its not user adjustable. A couple of guys are reporting a difference in volume depending on depth e.g signal strength. Maybe on the EQ Minelab selected the sweet spot for us.

Hope this helps to understand my question.

I don't recall talking about TID at all in my explanation just before your post. Thought I addressed in the answer that there is no similar adjustment and what I do to work around the lack of modulation. You will likely be disappointed in this respect of the Equinox if that feature is important to you. On the other hand both deep and shallow "keepers" will be obvious to you. What will not be obvious is that shallow large junk will not overmodulate the detector. I find that frustrating.

 

[CharlesUpstateNY]

Okay I lost the Gain feature, but have a new feature on the EQ Tone Volume. TID based vs target signal strength so different. Never had that on the Explorer that does give me something new to work with.

Tone Volume - Glass is half full

1. It will be so nice to lower the volume on iron, gawd no more blasting loud low iron tones in all metal like I endured on the Explorer.

2. If rusty crown caps ID fairly consistently on the EQ then I can selectively lower their volume to give me an audio way of telling rusty crown caps from other targets, without having to go to the screen so often.

3. Adjusting silver high in volume and rusty crown caps low in volume would give me back my silver hiding under rusty crown cap technique. Even better than my Explorer trick on those possibly. Assuming that both don't ID the same.

 

[adamBomb]

If we just had true all metal for all modes...

 

[Terry Soloman]

Sorry, but it seems you can't please everybody all the time. If you spent the money on a new Equinox - LEARN how to use it. It is not a Deus, or an Explorer, or anything else you have had in the past. Stop *****ing and start swinging. You might just find something.

 

[CharlesUpstateNY]

Sorry, but it seems you can't please everybody all the time. If you spent the money on a new Equinox - LEARN how to use it. It is not a Deus, or an Explorer, or anything else you have had in the past. Stop *****ing and start swinging. You might just find something.

This is a technical discussion take this ^^^ elsewhere.

 

[vferrari]

Okay I lost the Gain feature, but have a new feature on the EQ Tone Volume. TID based vs target signal strength so different. Never had that on the Explorer that does give me something new to work with.

Tone Volume - Glass is half full

1. It will be so nice to lower the volume on iron, gawd no more blasting loud low iron tones in all metal like I endured on the Explorer.

2. If rusty crown caps ID fairly consistently on the EQ then I can selectively lower their volume to give me an audio way of telling rusty crown caps from other targets, without having to go to the screen so often.

3. Adjusting silver high in volume and rusty crown caps low in volume would give me back my silver hiding under rusty crown cap technique. Even better than my Explorer trick on those possibly. Assuming that both don't ID the same.

OK - if that is what you need, yes you have tone volume (have never never fooled with it myself), but remember you have AT MOST, only 5 tones you can customize and based on where crown caps show up your solution is not going to be easy. 50 tone mode (which is what I mostly use), like Deus full tones, is fixed by the firmware and cannot be user adjusted other than the tone pitch gap between the lowest non-ferrous tone and highest ferrous tone. So you are not going to be able to customize every TID tone. Crown caps (steel alloy) fall right around the nickel range (between 12 to 15) unfortunately, but they are also readily identified in several ways - first by tone - crown cap tones sound hollower, less intense than a solid nickel target ping - this is something that clicks with hours on the machine. When you can tell via audio you have a crown cap, then you have mastered the Equinox audio. The most popular method is going to 5 khz single frequency - a crown cap reading 12 or so will shoot up into the 20's at 5 khz. This is where the User Profile feature of the 800 comes in handy because you can stick a single frequency profile there and instantly switch to it when needed to interrogate a target. Note that the effect is less pronounced (less high TID bounce) the higher the single frequency you use. Most folks use 5 or 10 khz. The method I like to use at the beach is using AM (horseshoe) because the crown cap, especially with corrosion, will give you a ferrous grunt along with the higher non-ferrous tone (mixed ferrous/non-ferrous) as you sweep off it and is a dead giveaway vs. a coin or mid-conductive ring. If you lower the crown cap volume segment, you will also lower nickels and gold (which can ring up anywhere but mostly between 8 and 12), if you care about those targets.

Again, I avoid over focusing on TID and go with 50 tones and tonal nuances (distortion, intensity) and repeatablity to give me target clues.

Charles - I must say at my own peril, that I feel you may be overthinking things a bit. Trying to turn the machine into something you are used to (e.g., Explorer) rather than giving it a run in default settings and seeing what it is telling you before you start tweaking is really the best approach. I did not try to turn this thing into a Deus or F75. Two of my favs ever, but took what the machine gave me until I clicked with it and frankly have had great success over the past few months. Yes, the tools and settings tweaks are there, but I really suggest getting some swing time with it in Park 1, then try Field 2, then try the Beach modes if at a salt beach using the default settings mostly with at most minor tweaks in recovery speed or number of tones and gradually get a feel for the beast. Once you have a good feel for it, then start tweaking to you heart's content. It really is a different animal. The unique Multi IQ profiles for each search profile, truly turn it into 8 detectors in one. The key to Equinox in my opinion is, embracing the default settings as a great start, learning the audio and maximizing the signal to noise ratio by using the adjustments afforded by EMI noise cancel, robust ground balancing, and fast recovery (which also minimizes ground feedback), coupled with the ability to lower sensitivity as necessary to quiet the machine down without sacrificing a lot of depth. Finally, I think the all metal/horseshoe button placement which instantly removes all disc and notches while leaving the Multi IQ profile intact, is BRILLIANT and I use that feature A LOT along with what pinpoint tells me as well as instant search profile mode switching using the user profile button to interrogate targets. I think less is more with the Equinox and straying too far from the defaults with massive customizations off the bat might just lead to frustration. Just my $0.02.

 

[HighVDI]

I agree with vferrari. If you use all the tools the machine has to offer and as Terry mentioned actually put some serious time on the unit the Equinox is dead nuts consistent on many targets.

I try to use signal strength and duration and combine that with VDI along with pinpoint and sometimes a coil lift. All these with a few hundred hours and IMO you can be super efficient with the new minelab!

 

[CharlesUpstateNY]

but remember you have AT MOST, only 5 tones you can customize

Ahahaha, well that idea didn't last long, confirmed and only 2 adjustments in 50 tones.

 

[CharlesUpstateNY]

Charles - I must say at my own peril, that I feel you may be overthinking things a bit.

One sec I'm setting up my oscilloscope, LCR meter, and BK Precision multi-meter. Okay, what? lol No I'm not kidding I broke out the gear. V your advice would be correct 99% of the time but that's not me bro. Before I take the EQ out for a single hunt I will have run all my normal tests, and sampled a bunch of different targets (coins, silver, gold, trash) in different orientations, in different modes, documenting my observations, and printing out laminated cheat cards for use in the field. Now that's over thinking it!