My review of the equinox 600 so far....

ohiochris

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Jun 22, 2009
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6,186
Location
Findlay , Ohio
Feel free to agree or disagree , it wont bother me.....


Weight is good , no problems. Balance is slightly nose heavy but not a problem , not as bad as the AT pro and stock coil.

Target ID and depth gauge not so good , I think these probably could have been better but atleast it alerts me to targets the AT pro never did. Its not so difficult to adjust to making the best of what it does tell you and be fairly accurate once you know the machine.

Depth is awesome and so is separation of targets. I dont think it possible to get any more out of an 11 inch coil , this is where it excells beyond expectation.

Its not that difficult to cherry pick with this detector , but there is a learning curve....dont expect to pick it up and nail everything right away. There is a process.....that seems VERY different from using detectors like the AT pro ..... you have to learn and experiment with. I like the Garrett AT pro , but using one makes you lazy , not to mention you miss half the targets that should be within range.

The equinox is not perfect , there is a lot to be desired. But it has given me way more sensitivity , depth , and unmasking ability than I have ever experienced in over 20 years using whites 5900 , classic II and III , Tesoro golden sabre umax , bandido II umax , Garrett ace 250 , 350 , and AT pro. I have a lot of experience but not with the high dollar machines , so take my review for what its worth. Even with the weak points of the equinox , it still puts anything I have ever used to shame once it is learned , and that includes the Garrett AT pro. A definite step up. It might not be as good as the Etrac or CTX , but I could never afford those or justify the expense. What I have here is atleast comparable to them in some ways according to many other reports , which puts it on a very short list.

I still have a lot to learn with this detector , but I have been using it consistently in some of the worst ground I have ever seen , the stuff detecting nightmares are made of :lol: I believe this gives me an edge , learning this machine. I am learning it under the worst conditions , better conditions later should be a piece of cake. I think Minelab should have given me one for free , if any of you seen the sites I am testing it in you would agree I am pushing this detector to its limits , places the likes of it has probably never been :lol: And still getting results. I am deliberately putting it into the most impossible situations , which is what I bought it for. Once I feel I know it well enough , I have a site that is so unfriendly to metal detectors that with current technology it might as well be covered with steel plating.....I am not joking or exaggerating one bit. Sometime this summer i will put it to the test. If I find anything at all worth finding I will consider it a win. But i have to know this detector well in the worst of conditions in order to attempt it. It might fail there , but it has given me an edge in the somewhat less terrible sites I have taken it to so it gives me hope. The original site for my countys fairground , which has been a brick yard and a huge tire dump that burned to the ground many years ago , leaving a mesh of steel wire rusting away just below the surface. Thats just the history I know of. Its the worst of the worst and every detector yet has said every inch is just trash. Its a little intimidating to take the nox there , but I want to make sure I am ready first. I am uncertain if having the 800 instead of the 600 would help me in this site. It might , but I I went ahead with the 600 and we will see.
 
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Good honest review Chris,it sounds like your getting along great with your new machine.Cant ask for more than that,your having fun,and new machines are usually fun.Congrats on the new machine,and all you find with it.Being in Ohio you have some old history there,makes it all worth it when the old coins come out.
 
Well done Chris. I think once all the machines are out and about doing their thing,then an honest assessment of real world use can start to trickle in and it has been. The guys doing the testing,the guys like you who have nothing to gain or lose by not pulling punches,and a machine that really does perform well in many ways makes a detector buying decision all that much easier for a prospective EQ owner. I am looking at one for hunting some park gold,just for the fact they seem to do better on lower conductors. Thanks for the “straight talk”.:grin:
 
Sounds like you are getting the hang of your Equinox.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I can relate to a great deal of what you said, not all but lots of it.

Again thanks.
 
The thing that caught my attention, was how you stated that the unmasking capabilities are unreal! I said from two hours after i owned one ,,, i can't wait for a smaller coil , because if the ability carries down to the smaller coil ??? Another major game changer for uncovering concealed targets!
 
The thing that caught my attention, was how you stated that the unmasking capabilities are unreal! I said from two hours after i owned one ,,, i can't wait for a smaller coil , because if the ability carries down to the smaller coil ??? Another major game changer for uncovering concealed targets!

I can't wait for the 6" coil.
Might be a smoker!!

Can you imagine speed 7 with a 6" coil. Holy Jesus. Laser like!!
 
Good review. I agree it is a good detector. The best like some say it is.... not sure on that. For a big coil it separates pretty good, smaller coils do better. It would be nice if Nel would make coils for it.
 
I can't wait for the 6" coil.
Might be a smoker!!

Can you imagine speed 7 with a 6" coil. Holy Jesus. Laser like!!




Yes that 6 inch coil with the already blazing speed of the equinox will put it in an entirely new level , possibly unmatched by anything else out there. I am very interested in how much depth the smaller coil is capable of. There are plenty of claims of 12, 13, 14 inch finds with the 11 inch coil , if there is truth to those results and the same sensitivity scales downward to the 6" coil it could become the primary one I use in my area. Gonna be interesting to see.
 
I like my 600 but prefer my Deus with 9” coil for the iron. It just seems to glide over the iron while Equinox falses quite a bit. Audio much more informative with deus. 6” coil will be nice but I dont like coils that small. 9” is perfect for all around use. Equinox really shines on isolated mid to low conducters though and no slouch on depth
 
I like my 600 but prefer my Deus with 9” coil for the iron. It just seems to glide over the iron while Equinox falses quite a bit. Audio much more informative with deus. 6” coil will be nice but I dont like coils that small. 9” is perfect for all around use. Equinox really shines on isolated mid to low conducters though and no slouch on depth

You are correct 9" Deus coil smoother acting in more harsh iron.
Don't know which 9" coil you have.
If LF coil, Nox can definitely hunt behind and sniff some things out.

I will post this here (not to turn this into deus thread) You may not be aware.

I have been comparing these 2 coils both in test and on targets in the wild.
Some here may have been thinking the strength or added bonus of the round HF coil were the 2 highest bands of frequency added over the LF coil.
Well, not so fast.

My testing indicates there is high likelihood that anything the LF coil can hit separation wise using 18khz any other settings as far as a crippled target, the HF coil using 14.4khz stands a chance to hit and hit even better.
Testing indicates higher disc is allowed to be run using HF coil using 14.4khz vs disc setting on LF coil yet the HF coil is separating even better.
Longer tones provided on crippled targets can result.

Now YES the added freqs added band wise using round HF coil do add some benefits on separation and unmasking in and around iron.
One thing I am still unsure of though is how the use of 14.4khz (HF coil) compares to the 18khz band (LF coil) in higher mineral soil.

I can say the use of the 14.4khz band using HF coil can while using make the Deus a little hotter on higher conductors yet still be separating as good or better the the LF coil in 18khz band.

As far a testing goes, seems same test scenario testing reveals comparing the 2 coils HF coil at 14.4khz and LF at 18khz, the very same reactivty level settings yeild similar results, meaning I usually can't advance the HF coil using 14.4khz one level of reactivity level lower (slower) and it actually alert on nonferrous being testing in compromised scenarios.

I can however lower reactivty and get equivalent and sometimes better if I am using the mid range and higher freq bands on the round HF coil.

Disc level 10 believe it or not using round HF coil does pretty darn good. You try this with the LF coil you'll lose out on some targets in the wild for sure.

Just thought I would share.
 
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