New Minelab Equinox
- Thread starter ghound
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Big Treble
Forum Supporter
To answer your questions?
No
Besides you likely will have the bigger biceps!!
Thank God, for a moment I thought Minelab Execs and Management had went off the deep end .
Big Treble
Forum Supporter
Actually that might have been planned, as many people's anticipation continues to swell the more that it gets noticed on social media.
How many pages is this thread and how many views does it have?
Well,
We had one manufacturer who launched a model and a date for official release to public.
To only find out later, detector was being changed, hence release date was pushed out.
No one here, even Minelab is telling you to buy anything.
Your choice.
You certainly can buy a detector now if you wish.
You can wait.
You might even be able to pick up a good used model cheaper too (could be driven by Equinox and or other models pricing).
Btw First Texas has been saying they have a new model coming.
Only problem is they have been saying this for quite a while,,still no release or even a bird's eye view of detector, even though it could be in testing stage(s).
Maybe the moral of the story here.
Anyone who likes surprises now in Metal Detector Land, don't be clicking or reading threads/posts.
Seems most if not all manufacturers now are taking advantage of the digital world-facebook, Internet, etc.
But by not reading, a person in effect could snooze and lose too.
ohiochris
Elite Member
Be patient , the release is not yet " late ". Their word from the very beginning , as far as I know , has always been that the release was likely very early 2018.
Popsgoatee
Elite Member
Well, just sold my HHPI and put some $ together to add to it to purchase my next machine, (been wanting a fully submersible for awhile) just waiting for some deliveries and reviews to see if the new machine measures up tho the anticipation. Patience before purchase and then no regrets! 
Some folks may find this info in this link helpful.
Talks about some differences between 600 and 800 models.
Mr Herschbach btw does have Equinox in hand.
http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/topic/4806-20-khz-disc-mode/?tab=comments#comment-50518
Talks about some differences between 600 and 800 models.
Mr Herschbach btw does have Equinox in hand.
http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/topic/4806-20-khz-disc-mode/?tab=comments#comment-50518
Just one more
Senior Member
I'm sure they showcased the Equinox prototype ASAP to take some of the wind out of the sails(sells) of the AT Max. Maybe a little earlier than they otherwise would have.
MrNovice
Forum Supporter
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If you would use both hands (based on your little pic) you could earn your second million twice as fast.
Meaning 2 cents at a time. Lol
MrNovice
Forum Supporter
I gave up on the 1st million, about to do so on the 2nd as well.
Lol
Just poking fun at you.
Like the little pic.
Besides humor may hep pass the time,,while we wait for Equinox.
MrNovice
Forum Supporter
TNS, you have familiarity with Minelabs. Whatcha think about the single VDI dispay that the EQ is supposed to use (negative numbers for ferrous and positive for non-ferrous, think it ranges like -20 to +40?)? Is that going to seem familiar to you do you think? What about others like me never having used such a system (most are probably used to VDI's of 1-100), think it'll be easy or tough to adapt to? Any thoughts on this single display in particular?
steveg
Elite Member
I spoke with Minelab today about a separate question, but while I had them on the line, I asked about the Equinox...they are sticking to the "no official delivery date has been announced yet" statement... 
Steve
Steve
My 2 cents here.
I have read some of what Mr Herschbach has said about Equinox.
Now, if we look at Etrac and CTX.
A user could in effect live without the ferrous numbers as long as a person could still disc out iron.
I think this is exactly what Minelab has done with Equinox in a sense.
We'll have to see how the multifreq IDs targets as far as accuracy.
If I had to bet right now based on what some of the actual Minelab folks have said, and thinking how well or bad the CTX and Etrac work.
In milder ground I think the CTX/Etrac will still have advantage on deeper./smaller silver, maybe copper.
But in higher mineral soil, Equinox may take lead slightly, bu this is saying a bunch when it comes to detecting in mineral.
Remember CTX and Etrac from a purely conductive standpoint have scale of 1-50, with ferrous at the bottom.
There is a little indicator it seems on Equinox that seems to be a key to using.
May be mimicking what a cursor sorta does on CTX or Etrac.
Minelab has been very bold IMO as far as Equnix from the beginning of launch.
I don't think they are stupid, meaning it is coming time to put UP.
Meaning releasing the detector.
And I heard this, and it may or may not be true.
The higher freqs on 800 units seems were being worked.
Time will tell what the Equinox will do.
The only other thing I can say right now.
This obsoleting they mentioned, we'll see.
Don't know exactly what they mean by saying.
And Equinox at least at first will be coil size limited.
Meaning can Equinox keep up,with Deus wearing 9" round HF coil?
With Equinox wearing 11" dd coil??
I can say right now, Equinox has some big shoes to fill in the relic hunting dept to oust the Deus.
And I mean this seriously.
I will be testing Equinox after I buy.
Curiousity is killing the cat here for me.
Why?
What I want tosee is just how good or advanced is the use of multi freq as far as unmasking /separating in iron and nails.
Or does a user have to depend on use of single freq (higher freq) for better performance here?
Time will again tell.
MrNovice
Forum Supporter
I appreciate that insight. Thank you!
One more question? On many single frequency detectors we hear about really deep coins almost out of detecting range (and possibly because of surrounding mineralization) being ID'd as iron or the numbers skewing close to that. Based on what you know from the Etrac & CTX, could this massive skewing also happen to them and the EQ on super deep coins even though the multifrequencies handle the mineralization better and they are known to give better ID's at depth (even deep), or is there just a point at where multifrequency detectors begin to skew toward iron also on coins because they are almost out of detecting range?
Curious if this phenomena does happen with multifrequency detectors because we seem to hear about it a lot with single frequency units... Kind of goes back to what you were saying before about being able to test the EQ against itself in single vs multi modes.
One more question? On many single frequency detectors we hear about really deep coins almost out of detecting range (and possibly because of surrounding mineralization) being ID'd as iron or the numbers skewing close to that. Based on what you know from the Etrac & CTX, could this massive skewing also happen to them and the EQ on super deep coins even though the multifrequencies handle the mineralization better and they are known to give better ID's at depth (even deep), or is there just a point at where multifrequency detectors begin to skew toward iron also on coins because they are almost out of detecting range?
Curious if this phenomena does happen with multifrequency detectors because we seem to hear about it a lot with single frequency units... Kind of goes back to what you were saying before about being able to test the EQ against itself in single vs multi modes.
CTX, Etrac I know for a fact, will start IDing nonferrous objects in higher mineral soil as ferrous (both ID and tone).
Deus will too.
Other Vlf detectors do too like Fisher F75, etc.
The fbs/fvs2 units are a bit strange though in milder soil.
They have what Incall good effective depth, meaning they give tone and ID and for the most part this extends to a longer range then shuts off moreso.
Where some single freq detectors seems can (at times) go a bit deeper providing tone, ID unreliable (meter).
Now conductivity of targets, size, shape play into this " when a target transitions" to ferrous.
Fbs style units like higher conductors better on average.
Remember a highe conductor starts out higher in the food chain with conductivy.
As a target deepens the felt conductivity by the detector this starting point of target conductivity key.
A small cuff button will become compromised much faster than a silver dime.
Now, this needs to be said.
There is soil masking.
And there is what I think is combo soil/ decomposed ferrous masking.
Fbs units handle soil masking better I think than decomposed ferrous masking.
A story to share with you and others here.
You will notice my post on use of round HF coil for Deus posted yesterday and today.
Today I get a compromised signal, I felt was nonferrous lurking.
Upon digging and turning over plug.
The Deus went bonkers with mix of ferrous tones and a little nonferrous tone indication.
I gently moved the dirt around and then my nonferrous target was a lot better signal wise.
After removing the small nonferrous target.
Imswept the dirt.
Notta, no iron tone whatsoever.
What happened?
I can't prove but highly suspect,, decomposed ferrous was bound up, enough so Deus would see the ferrous.
But my disturbing the what looked like soil, I weakened this bound up mess, hence Deus would no longer detect the ferrous.
Btw this happened about 5 times today.
No visual nails, Ferrous noted either.
This is what happens in 250 year old approx sites.
So a detector has to deal with both of these types of masking.
Now remember mild soil but old site, still could mean problems for detector exposing nonferrous.
How in the world these engineers develop algorithms to unlock these situations is beyond me.
You can't really man make these situations I don't think.
I would give my eye teeth to visit and talk to XP and Minelab engineers/testing facilities , etc.
MrNovice
Forum Supporter
Thank you, TNS! That's what I was really curious about with the EQ coming.
Some of what you described above, could have been something like soil leaching or basically a form of contamination. Heavily decompossed bits like you described, natural and otherwise, spreading charged elements (by water, heat, fertilizer, ph, decay) causing extra mineralized spots. Like the way an object forms a halo in the dirt, but has totally decayed. Sometimes you can tell with iron deposits because discoloration of the soil like an orange chalk residue remaining in surrounding brown dirt, basically iron dust.
Reminds me we should all be wearing gloves and probably masks too digging around in all this dirt!
Some of what you described above, could have been something like soil leaching or basically a form of contamination. Heavily decompossed bits like you described, natural and otherwise, spreading charged elements (by water, heat, fertilizer, ph, decay) causing extra mineralized spots. Like the way an object forms a halo in the dirt, but has totally decayed. Sometimes you can tell with iron deposits because discoloration of the soil like an orange chalk residue remaining in surrounding brown dirt, basically iron dust.
Reminds me we should all be wearing gloves and probably masks too digging around in all this dirt!
Thank you, TNS! That's what I was really curious about with the EQ coming.
Some of what you described above, could have been something like soil leaching or basically a form of contamination. Heavily decompossed bits like you described, natural and otherwise, spreading charged elements (by water, heat, ph, decay) causing extra mineralized spots. Like the way an object forms a halo in the dirt, but has totally decayed. Sometimes you can tell with iron deposits because discoloration of the soil like an orange chalk residue remaining in surrounding brown dirt, basically iron dust.
Reminds me we should all be wearing gloves and probably masks too digging around in all this dirt!
Bingo.
One problem with the soil in this area is its general color.
Rust colored.
So unlike say some of the Hoover boys videos where I have seen the rust spots in the dirt/plug.
Something I may try and do.
Carefully scoop a little of the close surrounding dirt and put in container.
See what magnet does to it.
And try and get some dirt from just outide this what seems like a less ferrous contaminated area and compare as far as quaintly of (dirt, etc) that stick ps to magnet.
Might tell me some thing.
I wonder though, is this decomposed ferrous (assuming)- is it ferrous or nonferrous.
Nonferrous (decomposed ferrous) I suppose could mask a nonferrous target too.
