Minelab Equinox tips and questions

[AussieTex]

All the videos I have seen so far for the Equinox seem to have pretty jumpy Target IDs. I wonder if they will refine the target stability in a later software update. My X-Terra 705 can have a bit of jumpy Target ID but more or less is solid when it hits a good target. One of my worries with the Equinox is that 40 non-ferrous TID segments is too granular but not wide enough. The X-Terra 705 has 48 non-ferrous segments but TID is in increments of 2. This may make the TIDs to be more stable on the X-Terrra. I fully agree that having 1 and 2 dollar coins along with bottle caps in the same TID segment is going to be a bit of pain especially when park hunting.

I wonder if adjustments can be made in future software releases to more regionalise these TIDs.

I also wonder if they may include the smartfind screen in a future release of the Equinox (Equinox 1000 anyone ). I am hopeful that the internals could handle ferrous/conductivity 2D mapping that is found on the Etrac and Explorer. Comes in so handy dealing with iffy signals or deep targets.

 

[Smoky bandit]

It is just a updated 705..will not out preform Etrak or CTX...The machine is priced to suit . :Y:

 

[Secret Squirrels]

So does mine mate ] ] Yahoo.

Mine arrives tomorrow :Y:

 

[hAyyoUinAU]

Dig everything!!!! Its nice to be rewarded when we find treasure, but it is also good to remove some junk as well.
I haven't used a Equinox yet, but with previous VLF machines, the sound is what really matters. Numbers are just a GUIDE.

There is not too much price difference between the 800 and the CTX really...and I wouldn't be surprised if CTX sales suffer, to see a further price drop.

 

[Smoky bandit]

Should be a lot of difference ..at half the price of a CTX you always get what you pay for....don't think minelab would be that stupid to make a detector so cheep .........that would potentially reduce CTX sales.....There smarter than that..IMO. The hype will settle over the next few months.And there will be a lot of equinox detectors for sale...just like the GM. :Y:

 

[hAyyoUinAU]

Will be interesting. I agree there will be a lot 2nd hand for sale after, more because a lot of people who are new to detecting think they can just buy a detector and it will do all the work for them.
And that they will find treasures...not junk (Far from a reality)

$2590 for CTX 3030

Haven't seen a confirmed price but I would assume approx. $1600 for the Equinox 800. Not exactly half price.

I wouldn't compare the introduction of the Equinox to the GM. I don't even know why they released the GM considering the Equinox can do a similar frequency.
They have there reasons I guess. But going by early tests and videos on youtube, seems like they might be onto a good machine in the sub 2K range. Which the CTX was slowly creeping down to anyway.

I won't say it is better than a CTX, but I will say it is competitive. (some have said its better)

 

[Smoky bandit]

Equinox is $1299 some say cheeper :Y:

 

[bigdog]

Equinox 800 confirmed price $1299

 

[Smoky bandit]

Yer about half the price of a new ctx. :Y:

 

[Danny13]

Minelab Underwood rang today there expecting 10 eq,s . Apparently the owner of the store has been using one for a bit and loves it . All but confirmed it will kill ctx sales Initially. The machine goes as deep as the ctx apparently , faster recovery speed , lite weight , and will come with an array of coils later in the year, gold mode but its discrimination screen does not look as advanced as the ctx , however its half the price.

The ctx has the advantage of gps tracking for gridding etc and discrimination screens which are invaluable , has an array of coils already and a proven track record .

Will be interesting to see where the eq slots into the minelab range of detectors in terms of capabilities.

Danny

 

[Moneybox]

I'll try one at the APLA field day this weekend. I want to see the discrimination in action. We sold the 705 because it had a scrambled brain. It would come up with a new ID number on each pass of the same target. There seemed no point in having target ID if the detector is not capable of identifying anything with reasonable reliability. I was turned off the Gold Monster when it identified a target as gold on one swing and iron on the return swing.

Did you have the target id switched on..the little + on top of screen..mine is very stable especially on coins..really only jumps around if its junk :Y:

Smoky, I wasn't happy with it's performance so I went to see a local guy who bought his new and runs the 705. We played about on the same targets with the same result. I just couldn't see the value in trying to identify the target with a poor result. I may as well stick with the Whites GMT and rely on the % of iron, the iron grunt and the tone of the signal. The tone of the signal can be quite a good indication of what's down there but we have no idea how deep it is.

Last weekend we went with friends to an old timber mill site. I was swinging the 4500 with an 11" Commander DD, Mrs M had the Whites GMT, Jason had the AT Pro and his daughter and mate had GoFind 20 each. We found copper and brass wire, bullets and bullet shells, lots of milk bottle tops and other non ferrous items while each of those guys found coins. Jason went home with three coins and a rising sun badge, his daughter got two coins and Matt got three coins.

I really don't know if they just got lucky or a dedicated coin and treasure detector made the difference.

 

[Smoky bandit]

Hi Moneybox Identification of coins is pretty easy on a coin machine with good discrimination target id..I will guess what I think it is before I dig ...and would say I get it 90% right....Coins have a solid short sharp beep.....then confirmed in pinpointing mode with another very very short sharp beep.....followed by a stable id.....unless masked by junk/or it's to deep..then it can jump around a lot....the id is the most stable on coins cause they are round does not really mater the angle of the coin....Where junk or relics are usually all sorts of shapes....Anyway I always get much more coins than my hunting mate that uses a pi machine....And he always gets 99.8% of the gold .....D :Y:...But this is just through my experience with the 705...i have not used other coin machines long enough to make a comparison..after 20mins of swining a different detector....it's always .....give me back my xterra :Y:

 

[Heatho]

The CTX target ID's can jump around a bit sometimes, especially on deep targets as Smoky said. You need to average it out in your head, with a bit of practice it's easy and I can 99% of the time pick $1 and $2 coins, 50 20 10 and 5c coins with ease, the main problem targets for me are aluminium screw caps which sound exactly like 1 and 2 dollar coins. You need to swing from different angles to get a feel for the average TID if it's jumpy, then use the pinpoint TID to compare. It all comes with practice and getting to know your detector. A dedicated treasure detector will run rings around any gold detector on the beaches.

The Equinox doesn't have the discrim capabilities of the CTX but it has other benefits, such as a much lighter weight, very fast recovery speed and more sensitivity.

Same as any detector though, once you get to know your Equinox and listen to what it's telling you and combined with the target ID's it's going to be a formidable detector for beaches and trashy parks.

 

[Heatho]

Dig everything!!!! Its nice to be rewarded when we find treasure, but it is also good to remove some junk as well.
I haven't used a Equinox yet, but with previous VLF machines, the sound is what really matters. Numbers are just a GUIDE.

There is not too much price difference between the 800 and the CTX really...and I wouldn't be surprised if CTX sales suffer, to see a further price drop.

Digging everything is not practical in most situations where I detect unless you want a bucket full of junk at the end of each session, that's why excellent discrimination is the key to success. I still dig plenty of junk in the seach for gold jewellery, if it were not for the want of finding the gold then I could leave 90% of trash targets in the ground.

 

[Sovereignone]

My dealer is expecting my Equinox to be available next Tuesday, can't wait to try it.

 

[Smoky bandit]

OMG...if you dug everything at the little beach I hunt you would not move more than 5mtrs in a whole day. ...Though if your after gold I assume that would be good advice :Y:

 

[Trash]

Have just done a factory reset on the CTX.

In my experience & what I have read it certainly sharpens up the machine .

Interesting to see how the Equinox performs in Australia

 

[Wally69]

 

[Danny13]

On the way to pick mine up from Miners Den

 

[Secret Squirrels]

I will be expecting a report and results in a few hours digger dan ]

On the way to pick mine up from Miners Den