Myers Depot Metal Detectors

Is the difference in a NOX 600 and 800 worth the $

medicchief

medicchief

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Aside from the wireless headphones, are the 20khz and 50khz frequencies worth the price difference? Are they useful in an area where I wouldn't be gold prospecting? I'm thinking a 600 should still find gold jewelry as well as the 800. Am I wrong and why?
 
I think the 600 will work just fine. I never use the gold mode. I believe it's 40khz.
Any how I almost bought the 600 but instead I wanted to take no chances and get the top of the line.
 
metaladdict said:
I think the 600 will work just fine. I never use the gold mode. I believe it's 40khz.
Any how I almost bought the 600 but instead I wanted to take no chances and get the top of the line.
Click to expand...

You're right sir, it's 20 and 40Khz. Using multi-freq, outside of gold mode, is an 800 still running all 5 frequencies? If so, would that be why the 800 (I used to own) falsed on iron at times?
 
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I've ran both, and don't see the 800 finding anything the 600 won't .. 600 is really good, it would be my pick of the two when buying new.
 
woodbutcher said:
I've ran both, and don't see the 800 finding anything the 600 won't .. 600 is really good, it would be my pick of the two when buying new.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I don't see prospecting for fine gold in the future anytime soon. I would just use the 705 and 18.75khz coil if I did. If someone differs, chime in!
 
medicchief said:
Aside from the wireless headphones, are the 20khz and 50khz frequencies worth the price difference? Are they useful in an area where I wouldn't be gold prospecting? I'm thinking a 600 should still find gold jewelry as well as the 800. Am I wrong and why?
Click to expand...

To me, the primary difference between the 800 and the 600 is the adjustability. The 800 offers the ability to make finer and wider scale adjustment to things like iron bias and recovery speed (the recovery speed on the 800 can actually be set slower and faster than the 600). You also have much more control over tone breaks, volume, and pitch on the 800. There are several other settings differences, as well. If those types of adjustable features aren’t important to you, the 600 may be just fine for your needs.

medicchief said:
Using multi-freq, outside of gold mode, is an 800 still running all 5 frequencies? If so, would that be why the 800 (I used to own) falsed on iron at times?
Click to expand...

Just to clear up a common misconception, neither Equinox version actually runs all 5 frequencies simultaneously. Oscilloscope analysis by folks far smarter than me have shown the actual frequencies depend on the the mode, but only 2 or 3 frequencies are being used during multi-frequency operation. That said, in multi-frequency mode, the 800 and 600 operate exactly the same and transmit/analyze the exact same frequencies. The only difference is that you cannot select 20 and 40kHz as individually useable frequencies on the 600 like you can on the 800.

So again, if you don’t plan to use 20 or 40 kHz in single frequency mode, and you don’t need/want the adjustability in settings, you won’t lose anything going with the 600 rather than the 800. (Although technically, the 800 has the potential for slightly better separation in certain situations since recovery speed can be adjusted faster, etc....those settings can make a difference in some situations)
 
medicchief said:
You're right sir, it's 20 and 40Khz. Using multi-freq, outside of gold mode, is an 800 still running all 5 frequencies? If so, would that be why the 800 (I used to own) falsed on iron at times?
Click to expand...

I put my F2 (iron bias) up to 9 so I don't get much iron falsing and that's at an iron rust laden saltwater beach.
I never dig steel bottle caps either.😀
 
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Nope, but if ya gold nugget hunt. Then sure. But to be honest I would not pick a Nox 800 for nuggets [emoji53]

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
As others stated, I like the additional tweaking you can do with the 800. I also like having the user custom save slot.
 
AirmetTango said:
You also have much more control over tone breaks, volume, and pitch on the 800. There are several other settings differences, as well. If those types of adjustable features aren’t important to you, the 600 may be just fine for your needs.
Click to expand...

Well said AirmeTango. What you mentioned above is the primary reason I went with the 800 over the 600.
 
I went with the 600 and have no regrets, there's more then enough settings to play with on the 600 as well. Once I feel I have learned the 600 as much as possible, I may decide to get an 800. I'm hoping by that time, we will have an FBS/Multi-IQ hybrid though, and would go that route instead.
 
The extra tweaking on the 800 is actually a time waster, a distraction. I can appreciate the 2nd user slot, but I don't use it myself. In my 8-plus years of experience with the Whites V3i, I was commented to by more than one veteran detectorist, "You waste a lot of time tweaking."

So, in my personal experiences, ""Aside from the wireless headphones, are the 20khz and 50khz frequencies worth the price difference?"

Unequivocally, no it isn't worth the price difference if you don't detect for gold nuggets and flakes. It is just the opposite. I grab my 600 just as quickly as I grab my 800. jm2c
 
I also went with the 600 and am very happy with it. The only features I miss are the tone breaks and ability to save a user profile and neither feature is that big a deal.
 
kozman4907 said:
Nope, but if ya gold nugget hunt. Then sure. But to be honest I would not pick a Nox 800 for nuggets [emoji53]

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

As a gold prospector, I can totally dispute this post. The Equinox 800 and even the 600 are two of the finest gold prospecting detectors made today. That was not why these detectors were made. Their gold prospecting abilities were unknown until one of the USA field testers who is a professional detector prospector realized how good the 800 was. He is responsible for the Gold prospecting modes on the Equinox 800.

I have used both the 800 and 600 for gold prospecting. Park 2, Field 2 and both Gold modes can find extremely small gold nuggets along with larger nuggets at depth even in mineralized soil that makes most other VLF detectors overload and puke all over the place. I have found almost 2 ounces of small gold nuggets and flakes along with over $5,000 melt value worth of gold jewelry with the 600 and 800 in some of the worst mineralization in the USA.
 
Rattlehead said:
Well said AirmeTango. What you mentioned above is the primary reason I went with the 800 over the 600.
Click to expand...

If you are okay with the lack of moveable tone breaks, not being able to change the pitches of the individual tones and their volume levels then you don't need the 800. I started with the 600 and quickly found out that it was a fantastic detector in 1, 2 and 50 tones. The 5 tone mode default pitches and volume levels could not be changed except for the lowest iron tone which did not make me happy. Plus, the 5 tone mode was my favorite mode for normal coin and jewelry hunting and I did not like the tones chosen by Minelab for the mid tone US nickel and US zinc penny. When I was able to get an 800 I found out (unlike what was said earlier) that customizing the 5 tone modes audio features was extremely easy. So was setting up the User Profile customizable extra mode setting.

So, the Nox 600 and the Nox 800 detect almost exactly the same in 1, 2 and 50 tones using multi frequency in Park, Field and Beach modes. The only differences are the extra recovery speed and iron bias adjustments on the 800. In 5 tones they are very different and the 800 has a huge advantage. Plus with the 800 you can even turn it into a 4 tone or 3 tone detector by adjusting the tone breaks and pitches.

With the 600 you do get the built in Bluetooth ATPX low latency transmitter which works really well with the appropriate Bluetooth headphones and earbuds. The wired headphones included with the 600 sound okay but will break in multiple places even if you look at them wrong.

As much as many disregard the WM08 Wi Stream wireless module as a useless added expense of the Nox 800, it is my favorite way to use the Equinox 600 and 800. I can use any set of wired headphones or earbuds with the WM08 and get as good a sound quality as wiring directly to the Equinox audio plug and with much less sound lag than with the slower Bluetooth ATPX Low Latency wireless system.
 
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Rattlehead said:
Well said AirmeTango. What you mentioned above is the primary reason I went with the 800 over the 600.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Rattlehead...me too. The fully customizable settings on the 800 make it an incredibly versatile machine, and a user can literally tailor the machine to their own exact tastes and soil conditions. I’d find it hard to go back to a machine without a similar level of user selectable features!
 
Martin_V3i said:
The extra tweaking on the 800 is actually a time waster, a distraction. I can appreciate the 2nd user slot, but I don't use it myself. In my 8-plus years of experience with the Whites V3i, I was commented to by more than one veteran detectorist, "You waste a lot of time tweaking."

So, in my personal experiences, ""Aside from the wireless headphones, are the 20khz and 50khz frequencies worth the price difference?"

Unequivocally, no it isn't worth the price difference if you don't detect for gold nuggets and flakes. It is just the opposite. I grab my 600 just as quickly as I grab my 800. jm2c
Click to expand...

I would suggest you stroll on over to the Dankowski forum and read a little bit about the Equinox. I can assure you tweaking allows you to get the most out of the machine. If your running a high iron bias your missing some targets. If your running the default Recovery Speeds your missing targets. If your not running the sensitivity as high as you can your missing targets. How hot your dirt is plays a role in how much you can tweak, but most people can tweak for more depth and potential unmasking.
 
longbow62 said:
I would suggest you stroll on over to the Dankowski forum and read a little bit about the Equinox. I can assure you tweaking allows you to get the most out of the machine. If your running a high iron bias your missing some targets. If your running the default Recovery Speeds your missing targets. If your not running the sensitivity as high as you can your missing targets. How hot your dirt is plays a role in how much you can tweak, but most people can tweak for more depth and potential unmasking.
Click to expand...


I know dirt. I know how to set peak, stable sensitivity, and I know recovery speeds. Iron bias is a bit tricky. I know it though, and me being an FBS user of past, I know how I want to run IB for high conductors.

All of that was easy with the 600. The 800, for it’s price increase, simply doesn’t have enough payback performance “per extea dollar” compared to the 600. That’s all I’m trying to convey.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Martin_V3i said:
I know dirt. I know how to set peak, stable sensitivity, and I know recovery speeds. Iron bias is a bit tricky. I know it though, and me being an FBS user of past, I know how I want to run IB for high conductors.

All of that was easy with the 600. The 800, for it’s price increase, simply doesn’t have enough payback performance “per extea dollar” compared to the 600. That’s all I’m trying to convey.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Gotcha I was talking about tweaking the Equinox in general. Not that the 800 is worth the extra cost. That's debatable.

I'm just saying nothing ventured nothing gained as far as tweaking setup goes. The defaults are very good for most people(Especially for new users), and the easier targets, but that tweaking helps you in hunted out places and getting max depth.
 
cellrdwellr said:
I went with the 600 and have no regrets, there's more then enough settings to play with on the 600 as well. Once I feel I have learned the 600 as much as possible, I may decide to get an 800. I'm hoping by that time, we will have an FBS/Multi-IQ hybrid though, and would go that route instead.
Click to expand...



I'm hoping by that time, we will have an FBS/Multi-IQ hybrid though, and would go that route instead.[/QUOTE]

Jeff, Bingo, the rumor mill has been churning. Will be interesting to see just what Minelab comes up with. Speculation, an announcement in Sept. I'm in. Maybe thats why your seeing so many FBS machines for sale. A hybrid Multi-IQ--FBS would be ?????? Cool.
 
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