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Finding deep coins with Minelab Equinox

detectorben

Elite Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2017
Messages
1,068
Location
Nebraska
After using the equinox for over 2 years I feel quite confident in my ability to find deep coins in trashy pounded parks. I decided to put together a short video with some live dig examples and tips. Hopefully this will be useful to some equinox users. Thanks for watching and let me know what you think!

https://youtu.be/S1lVWX6H_Ok


470c56630bd4cce4fc8146d5996e755d.jpg


Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
After using the equinox for over 2 years I feel quite confident in my ability to find deep coins in trashy pounded parks. I decided to put together a short video with some live dig examples and tips. Hopefully this will be useful to some equinox users. Thanks for watching and let me know what you think!.........

Very nice demonstration! Somebody still learning the machine that didn't catch what Ben was talking about on the target with the nails (iron audio) and the target with the wire (pinpointer audio volume) should go back and watch again.

If somebody has an Equinox and isn't willing to dig some signals that hit high conductor numbers both ways, just because they bounce around within that higher conductor range, then they should just sell it. On the other hand, if they have an Equinox and dig EVERY target that bounces high conductor numbers, then they'll dig more trash than somebody who has learned to pay attention to more than just high numbers and high tones. That's pretty much the crux of the matter.

Somebody might watch that video and think "Of course I'd dig it!" But, the skill you didn't see was the patience and ear training it takes to get your coil over and notice those signals in the first place. The "footprint" of deep coins is small. A couple of square inches at most. Those well-defined edges and sharp and quick tones is one way to ID them as coins, but also why they're easy to miss in the first place. Go too fast? Missed it. Bad coil control? Missed it. Catch that weak 18 one way and keep walking? Missed it.

As a side note, your soil sure doesn't hold together worth a darn. Great for the garden...bad for holding a plug together. It's a dirt explosion.
 
Good video. I have found Park2 better than Park1 though. I really gave Park1 a go but that was before the iron bias update. I look for a range that does not go to high or to low while I circle.

I was posting some real deep finds from a supposed hunted out park spring of 2019. I got 10 Mercs, one War Nickel, two Buffs, and lots of Wheats. They were all at least the blade of my predator digger deep. Most like yours were a full pin pointer deep.

I got all of them while the ground was really good and moist. My finds dried up by the end of May last year. I can't pull another silver coin out of there no matter how hard I try.
 
Very nice demonstration! Somebody still learning the machine that didn't catch what Ben was talking about on the target with the nails (iron audio) and the target with the wire (pinpointer audio volume) should go back and watch again.

If somebody has an Equinox and isn't willing to dig some signals that hit high conductor numbers both ways, just because they bounce around within that higher conductor range, then they should just sell it. On the other hand, if they have an Equinox and dig EVERY target that bounces high conductor numbers, then they'll dig more trash than somebody who has learned to pay attention to more than just high numbers and high tones. That's pretty much the crux of the matter.

Somebody might watch that video and think "Of course I'd dig it!" But, the skill you didn't see was the patience and ear training it takes to get your coil over and notice those signals in the first place. The "footprint" of deep coins is small. A couple of square inches at most. Those well-defined edges and sharp and quick tones is one way to ID them as coins, but also why they're easy to miss in the first place. Go too fast? Missed it. Bad coil control? Missed it. Catch that weak 18 one way and keep walking? Missed it.

As a side note, your soil sure doesn't hold together worth a darn. Great for the garden...bad for holding a plug together. It's a dirt explosion.

I agree with ToySoldier here. Great video. Its true that when you are at a spot that you know has deep silver coins, you must be methodical with your swings and listen for quick high tones. Missing a 1 inch strip in your swing, can mean missing deep coins. You will miss them if you haven't practiced patience at really listening. Those deep dimes will not be a stable 29 on your ID. You want to see a consistent tone in all directions. Hit the horseshoe button and assess the amount of iron detected. If there is a lot of iron coming through, the chances of it being a coin are greatly dimished. If it pinpoints larger than a coin and inconsistent, chances are its not a coin. IF you get a repeatable tone all directions, (even if the ID bounces quite a bit) and horseshoe button doesn't register iron, chances are you have a deep coin. For the longest time, I searched old parks and just wiggle back pinpointed the shallow quarters and dimes and couldn't figure out why I couldn't get over any silvers.

Thanks, Ben. One of the best videos out there on the Equinox and deep silver. Stabbing shallow clad is one thing, sniffing out deep silver coins is something different entirely. Thank you for a great post and thanks to ToySoldier for his insights.
 
Outstanding video quality, detecting tips and information, and I have thousands of hours on the Equinox. Thank you for taking the time to make it and for sharing your ideas and accurate techniques so pleasantly. I look forward to reviewing all of your videos.

Jeff
 
you don't find a lot of good videos showing you what deep silver dimes sound like on the 800. So I appreciated this one.

Thanks Ben for making the video.
 
After using the equinox for over 2 years I feel quite confident in my ability to find deep coins in trashy pounded parks. I decided to put together a short video with some live dig examples and tips. Hopefully this will be useful to some equinox users. Thanks for watching and let me know what you think!

https://youtu.be/S1lVWX6H_Ok


470c56630bd4cce4fc8146d5996e755d.jpg


Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Enjoyed the video ben, thanks. I just got a 600 and while at a small park I chose because its quiet I started learning. I did pass up some of those same signals you dug old coins from. I was in very hard to dig ground full of roots n rocks though.
 
After using the equinox for over 2 years I feel quite confident in my ability to find deep coins in trashy pounded parks. I decided to put together a short video with some live dig examples and tips. Hopefully this will be useful to some equinox users. Thanks for watching and let me know what you think!

https://youtu.be/S1lVWX6H_Ok


470c56630bd4cce4fc8146d5996e755d.jpg


Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Very nice video. You make it look easy! I do have a question. I know machines are are different as far as the scales go but I noticed those coins are appearing at relatively low numbers. Most of the coins I have been finding have been in the 4 inch deep range. I know the signals get weaker with depth, but do the scale numbers stay in the same ranges at say 8 inches?
 
I have found on really deep silver dimes at the edge of detection the tone is really soft. The numbers don't jump into the mid 30's and won't ever drop below say 18 as you circle the target. They do jump around a lot though. Every situation is a little different and can vary. You almost have to dig a few of these real deep ones to get a feel for it. His video is the best I have seen describing and showing what to look for.
 
Great video Ben. Some nice finds too! Well done all the way around.

BTW, that dark soft soil looks amazing! I’m envious!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Very nice video. You make it look easy! I do have a question. I know machines are are different as far as the scales go but I noticed those coins are appearing at relatively low numbers. Most of the coins I have been finding have been in the 4 inch deep range. I know the signals get weaker with depth, but do the scale numbers stay in the same ranges at say 8 inches?

I'll jump in here since you asked a great question. What you are noticing on the Equinox is partly because of its -9 to +40 numerical target ID range. Mostly those numbers are because even in really mineralized dirt much less awesome looking dirt like Ben was digging in, the simultaneous multi frequency Equinox will not up-average or down average numerical target ID numbers on deeper targets like most single frequency detectors will. Where I hunt, if I use one of my single frequency detectors to detect a US nickel at 4 to 8" depth it will read like a US dime or US quarter. So will a pull tab, can slaw or any target past 4". With the Equinox that same US nickel will have a correct US nickel numerical target ID all the way down to the limit of the Equinox coil's detection depth which is 10 to 13" depending on mineralization of the soil. Simultaneous multi frequency capability as it is employed on the Equinox really is an advantage on deep targets. It's not hype.......
Jeff
 
I'll jump in here since you asked a great question. What you are noticing on the Equinox is partly because of its -9 to +40 numerical target ID range. Mostly those numbers are because even in really mineralized dirt much less awesome looking dirt like Ben was digging in, the simultaneous multi frequency Equinox will not up-average or down average numerical target ID numbers on deeper targets like most single frequency detectors will. Where I hunt, if I use one of my single frequency detectors to detect a US nickel at 4 to 8" depth it will read like a US dime or US quarter. So will a pull tab, can slaw or any target past 4". With the Equinox that same US nickel will have a correct US nickel numerical target ID all the way down to the limit of the Equinox coil's detection depth which is 10 to 13" depending on mineralization of the soil. Simultaneous multi frequency capability as it is employed on the Equinox really is an advantage on deep targets. It's not hype.......
Jeff

Jeff - always read your posts and they have helped in learning my NOX 600. However in Ben's video the first target was a deep IHP that bounced all over, mostly from 18 to 35. So the deeper coin did not show the correct target ID at depth. I agree it isn't hype, but I'm not sure I agree that the NOX provides accurate target ID all the way to the depth limit of the machine.

Ben - thanks for the video. After digging too many nails I'm not sure I would have dug those signals so I definitely learned something.
 
Very nice demonstration! Somebody still learning the machine that didn't catch what Ben was talking about on the target with the nails (iron audio) and the target with the wire (pinpointer audio volume) should go back and watch again.

If somebody has an Equinox and isn't willing to dig some signals that hit high conductor numbers both ways, just because they bounce around within that higher conductor range, then they should just sell it. On the other hand, if they have an Equinox and dig EVERY target that bounces high conductor numbers, then they'll dig more trash than somebody who has learned to pay attention to more than just high numbers and high tones. That's pretty much the crux of the matter.

Somebody might watch that video and think "Of course I'd dig it!" But, the skill you didn't see was the patience and ear training it takes to get your coil over and notice those signals in the first place. The "footprint" of deep coins is small. A couple of square inches at most. Those well-defined edges and sharp and quick tones is one way to ID them as coins, but also why they're easy to miss in the first place. Go too fast? Missed it. Bad coil control? Missed it. Catch that weak 18 one way and keep walking? Missed it.

As a side note, your soil sure doesn't hold together worth a darn. Great for the garden...bad for holding a plug together. It's a dirt explosion.

Thank you a lot I really appreciate the feedback.

Good video. I have found Park2 better than Park1 though. I really gave Park1 a go but that was before the iron bias update. I look for a range that does not go to high or to low while I circle.

I was posting some real deep finds from a supposed hunted out park spring of 2019. I got 10 Mercs, one War Nickel, two Buffs, and lots of Wheats. They were all at least the blade of my predator digger deep. Most like yours were a full pin pointer deep.

I got all of them while the ground was really good and moist. My finds dried up by the end of May last year. I can't pull another silver coin out of there no matter how hard I try.

I have heard this from some others but I have done extensive testing in both modes and park 1 always goes deeper in silver coins here. I am sure factors such as soil content and mineralization and moisture content etc are factors. I'm sure in certain types of soil or other conditions park 2 performs better. Thanks for the feedback and added info I really appreciate it.

I agree with ToySoldier here. Great video. Its true that when you are at a spot that you know has deep silver coins, you must be methodical with your swings and listen for quick high tones. Missing a 1 inch strip in your swing, can mean missing deep coins. You will miss them if you haven't practiced patience at really listening. Those deep dimes will not be a stable 29 on your ID. You want to see a consistent tone in all directions. Hit the horseshoe button and assess the amount of iron detected. If there is a lot of iron coming through, the chances of it being a coin are greatly dimished. If it pinpoints larger than a coin and inconsistent, chances are its not a coin. IF you get a repeatable tone all directions, (even if the ID bounces quite a bit) and horseshoe button doesn't register iron, chances are you have a deep coin. For the longest time, I searched old parks and just wiggle back pinpointed the shallow quarters and dimes and couldn't figure out why I couldn't get over any silvers.

Thanks, Ben. One of the best videos out there on the Equinox and deep silver. Stabbing shallow clad is one thing, sniffing out deep silver coins is something different entirely. Thank you for a great post and thanks to ToySoldier for his insights.

Thanks a lot. You make some good points as well. There definitely is a bit of an art to recognizing good deep signals and it is hard to demonstrate in it's entirety.

Outstanding video quality, detecting tips and information, and I have thousands of hours on the Equinox. Thank you for taking the time to make it and for sharing your ideas and accurate techniques so pleasantly. I look forward to reviewing all of your videos.

Jeff

Thanks a lot Jeff!

Informative video. Thanks!



you don't find a lot of good videos showing you what deep silver dimes sound like on the 800. So I appreciated this one.

Thanks Ben for making the video.

Thank you!!

Enjoyed the video ben, thanks. I just got a 600 and while at a small park I chose because its quiet I started learning. I did pass up some of those same signals you dug old coins from. I was in very hard to dig ground full of roots n rocks though.

Thanks! I know how that goes as well. I have definitely passed up some good deep and iffy signals due to roots and rocks or other soil conditions. It always eats at me after the hunt lol.

Very nice video. You make it look easy! I do have a question. I know machines are are different as far as the scales go but I noticed those coins are appearing at relatively low numbers. Most of the coins I have been finding have been in the 4 inch deep range. I know the signals get weaker with depth, but do the scale numbers stay in the same ranges at say 8 inches?

Thank you!! Target id can vary based on depth as well as soil conditions. That is why I don't normally get into my discrimination on videos because numbers I have notched out may be good targets for others. After hundreds of hours hunting I know within a pretty accurate range where the good targets are going to fall so I keep those numbers open. You can run wide open with no discrimination and use these techniques to recognize good targets though which is helpful.

I have found on really deep silver dimes at the edge of detection the tone is really soft. The numbers don't jump into the mid 30's and won't ever drop below say 18 as you circle the target. They do jump around a lot though. Every situation is a little different and can vary. You almost have to dig a few of these real deep ones to get a feel for it. His video is the best I have seen describing and showing what to look for.

That is very true. A lot of deep detecting really is an art as I mentioned earlier and only a well trained ear will catch them while sweeping along. Knowing your detector like the back of your hand is key as well. This comes from digging thousands of targets as you know. I tried to do the best I could to demonstrate some of what I have learned over the last 2+ years with equinox. I am very glad others are finding it useful. Thanks again!

Nice video detector ben.

Thanks!!

Great video! Nice work!

Thanks!!

Great video Ben. Some nice finds too! Well done all the way around.

BTW, that dark soft soil looks amazing! I’m envious!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Haha thanks! I get a lot of comments about the soil. It is very nice. I need to include a few digs in the clay or the old gravel packed soil too! I do run into some nasty soil too. Often times the dig takes too long for videos but I will just have to speed up those digs when editing more.

I'll jump in here since you asked a great question. What you are noticing on the Equinox is partly because of its -9 to +40 numerical target ID range. Mostly those numbers are because even in really mineralized dirt much less awesome looking dirt like Ben was digging in, the simultaneous multi frequency Equinox will not up-average or down average numerical target ID numbers on deeper targets like most single frequency detectors will. Where I hunt, if I use one of my single frequency detectors to detect a US nickel at 4 to 8" depth it will read like a US dime or US quarter. So will a pull tab, can slaw or any target past 4". With the Equinox that same US nickel will have a correct US nickel numerical target ID all the way down to the limit of the Equinox coil's detection depth which is 10 to 13" depending on mineralization of the soil. Simultaneous multi frequency capability as it is employed on the Equinox really is an advantage on deep targets. It's not hype.......
Jeff

Great points! Thanks!

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
Jeff - always read your posts and they have helped in learning my NOX 600. However in Ben's video the first target was a deep IHP that bounced all over, mostly from 18 to 35. So the deeper coin did not show the correct target ID at depth. I agree it isn't hype, but I'm not sure I agree that the NOX provides accurate target ID all the way to the depth limit of the machine.



Ben - thanks for the video. After digging too many nails I'm not sure I would have dug those signals so I definitely learned something.
Jim

I also wanted to say I agree that target id at deeper depths is not the strong suit of the equinox. It will not lock into stable numbers at depth like some detectors such as the CTX often do. But I have found it will give enough information to investigate and often enough to confidently dig targets even deeper than my CTX or any other detector I have used. Especially for the trained eyes and ears the equinox will alert you to extremely deep good targets.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
Jim

I also wanted to say I agree that target id at deeper depths is not the strong suit of the equinox. It will not lock into stable numbers at depth like some detectors such as the CTX often do. But I have found it will give enough information to investigate and often enough to confidently dig targets even deeper than my CTX or any other detector I have used. Especially for the trained eyes and ears the equinox will alert you to extremely deep good targets.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Ben - and that is why I appreciate the video of you scanning these targets. I've been trying to reduce the number of nails I dig and I didn't realize a deep coin would sound like that. The NOX is a good machine, but training my eyes and ears to understand what it is telling me is what I'm working on. I likely would have ignored that IHP because the target ID was jumping from 18 into the mid 30s and I didn't realize that was the behavior of deep targets.
 
Jeff - always read your posts and they have helped in learning my NOX 600. However in Ben's video the first target was a deep IHP that bounced all over, mostly from 18 to 35. So the deeper coin did not show the correct target ID at depth. I agree it isn't hype, but I'm not sure I agree that the NOX provides accurate target ID all the way to the depth limit of the machine.

Ben - thanks for the video. After digging too many nails I'm not sure I would have dug those signals so I definitely learned something.

If you look carefully at all of the numbers that the Equinox displayed while Ben was swinging the coil over the Indian Head penny, the vast majority of them were 18 to 24 with the depth gauge basically maxed. The tones were mostly medium high also. When I airtest one of my Indian Head pennies the numbers will vary between 18 and 22 out to 8" and then some higher numbers will pop in the farther away the IHP goes out. If I saw those numbers on a deep target with a small audio footprint and somewhat softer tones, with similar numbers from all directions and no major iron responses, I would be all over that target knowing that it had to be a medium-high conductor for sure.

The example I gave in my earlier post was especially pointing out how the Equinox responds to lower conductors at depth. But Ben's IHP example was very telling about how consistent the deeper IHPs respond on the Equinox. I have had the same experience on all medium to high conductors EXCEPT for the most modern zinc pennies which can read 18 to 30 even on the surface if they are really corroded and have white zinc oxide all over them.

Jeff
 
...... in Ben's video the first target was a deep IHP that bounced all over, mostly from 18 to 35. So the deeper coin did not show the correct target ID at depth. I agree it isn't hype, but I'm not sure I agree that the NOX provides accurate target ID all the way to the depth limit of the machine........

That Indian Head Cent wasn't even that deep. He even says it in the video. But, the Equinox isn't the only machine that struggles to repeat numbers within a few digits in response to a medium depth Indian Head Cent. (Is it indeed "struggling" or is it simply reporting the actual variations in conductivity? That depends on what it was designed to do: Alert you to coins or inform you about the conductivity of metal that's in the ground. We'll get back to that in a second.)

Until you get another detector out for comparison, whose to say the repeating high tone wouldn't have been pretty good, even though it was bouncing? At the end of the day, it was clear and repeatable enough to get the user's attention. Right?

So, let's try to look past the 5 tone audio and the precise numbers for a minute. Imagine it was a three tone machine (low-medium-high) with no VDI. Minimal iron discrim. Old school! I would have dug those coins all day. No brainer.

But, with the extra audio info from 5 tone bins, we get a signal repeating mostly in the mid twenties but throwing an occasional 18-20 and an occasional low 30s. It's hitting three different tones! That sounds "jumpy", and even worse if a few of those number have been notched out.

So, it sounds worse than it really is if you are only paying attention to tone pitch. Not seeing the forest for the trees. Clues like signal size and depth, consistent pinpoint shape and audio. Hints of iron. Age of property. Prior evidence of other deep coins or relics.

So, are the bouncing high numbers a bug or a feature? Is the Equinox failing to "lock onto" some singular true conductivity? Is it failing to go "DING DING" when it sees a coin? Or, is it designed to show the very real variations in conductivity that are coming off of a tarnished, sideways, 9 inch deep coin that's been in the ground before any of us were born? (Hint: There is no "coin mode" on an equinox or even coin target IDs listed on the screen or in the manual.)

Variation would be a red flag for a single shallow target, but we depend on that ability to show variation across multiple adjacent shallow to medium targets. Why expect this variation to stop when it detects a deep target. Do we want the the detector to report the data, or interpret it for us?

What's cool with the Nox 800 is that we don't have to imagine turning it into that 3 tone machine. We can easily customize the tone bins. I've done it to hunt for deep coins and focus more on tone quality and repeatability rather than being misled by jumpy pitches.
 
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