Big Boys Hobbies

xcal to nox 800 switch?

Z

zeemang

Forum Supporter
Joined
Feb 24, 2010
Messages
21,273
Location
South of there
Bad news, i hit the beach yesterday morning and my excal is in a bad way. The way things are kind of looking i may be in the market for a nox 800.
My question, is there anyone out there who used to use an excal and has switched to a nox for water hunting exclusively? I do not hunt the wet sand, just knee to neck deep salt water...
How have the units held up so far in these conditions? Drawbacks?
Thanks all, I appreciate all opinions!
 
I switched from a CZ-21 and have had no problems. Many of my friends have switched and noticed no problems with the Nox. I still From time to time pull out my CZ or Dual Field but happy with the water performance of the NOX
 
zeemang said:
Bad news, i hit the beach yesterday morning and my excal is in a bad way. The way things are kind of looking i may be in the market for a nox 800.
My question, is there anyone out there who used to use an excal and has switched to a nox for water hunting exclusively? I do not hunt the wet sand, just knee to neck deep salt water...
How have the units held up so far in these conditions? Drawbacks?
Thanks all, I appreciate all opinions!
Click to expand...



Swinglow and Brncofan both switched to the Nox and are happy...
 
I haven't "switched" but have been going back and forth interchangeably. I prefer the Excal for low target hunts when I'm working the water. Noxy is, for me, much better in the wet sand. I really don't care for its screen and the digital display in the water. When the control unit is under water you basically can't read it anyway. I also still feel I'm on the learning curve with Noxy though and feel more secure with Merlin (my Excal).
 
zeemang said:
Bad news, i hit the beach yesterday morning and my excal is in a bad way. The way things are kind of looking i may be in the market for a nox 800.
My question, is there anyone out there who used to use an excal and has switched to a nox for water hunting exclusively? I do not hunt the wet sand, just knee to neck deep salt water...
How have the units held up so far in these conditions? Drawbacks?
Thanks all, I appreciate all opinions!
Click to expand...

You are talking to me. I sold my exal 2 within 1 week and bought the Equinox 800 exclusively for the beach. This will be my second year with the nox and even though I found many gold rings with the excal, I like the weight of the nox
Had some medical issues last year, hoping to log many hunting hours this season.
 
I like the Nox on wet sand and have used it in the water on calm days. If I intend to water hunt especially if it is a bit rougher I prefer Guinevere (Excal) Don't want to be walking around swinging a Merlin:laughing: Jk Felix
 
Joetrikke said:
I like the Nox on wet sand and have used it in the water on calm days. If I intend to water hunt especially if it is a bit rougher I prefer Guinevere (Excal) Don't want to be walking around swinging Merlin:laughing: Jk Felix
Click to expand...
:laughing:
What's wrong with me swinging my Merlin? ;):lol:
 

Attachments

  • Merlin-Pod.jpg
    Merlin-Pod.jpg
    26.4 KB · Views: 467
  • Merlin-Pods.jpg
    Merlin-Pods.jpg
    30.9 KB · Views: 490
i as well love the nox for wet and drysand hunting ,and in shallow water but when im waist to chest deep i will use my excal good luck:D
 
Excalibur is more quite as I run it than how I run my Equinox 800 (99% water detecting to mustache depth 12 months a year on the New England coast).
I have yet to get a good grip on the hand grip of the 800 over the CF shaft I have on the Excalibur.
Pros and cons for each detector.The 800 gives me more audio information than the Excalibur, but with its wide range for gold, I like the mid tone of the Excalibur.
The 800 is easier / faster to adjust a parameter while swinging it. I do not look at the display often, but when I do the back light and indicators are easy to read.
I have not done a side by side between the two in salt water, yet I know I have dug some targets because of the audio information that I would not have dug if I was swinging the Excalibur. Likewise I think back and there are some Excalibur finds that the 800 may not have signaled on. There are so many variables for me to say is one always going to be better than the other.
The ONE best operation feature I find most useful over the Excalibur is the recovery speed. With the 800 I have been able to separate out coins in a coin spill that the Excalibur could or would not. On the other hand I like the "go quiet" over iron that the Excalibur employs as apposed to the "notch out" of the iron on the Equinox.
I choose each detector for the environment and target type I am going to search for. That is why I have 15 detectors to choose from not to mention the many coil selections I have. However I always take a second detector wherever I go to detect.
If I had to choose just ONE detector, today and forever more, I think it would be the Equinox 800, as hard as it would be to give up my PI detectors and the Excalibur. I sure am glad I do not HAVE to make the choice.
Once you learn one detector you can usually make it work for you in most situations.
Enjoy the Quest!
 
Thanks for the opinions so far!
Darn, just when i good at telling coins from pulltabs and being able to hear a big difference between SS and yellow.
I said in the past that if the day came that i could not reasonably repair my excal again i would try the nox, and the price difference is HUGE now between an excal and a nox, makes the decision a bit easier. Now I just have to sell off some finds...
 
zeemang said:
Bad news, i hit the beach yesterday morning and my excal is in a bad way. The way things are kind of looking i may be in the market for a nox 800.
My question, is there anyone out there who used to use an excal and has switched to a nox for water hunting exclusively? I do not hunt the wet sand, just knee to neck deep salt water...
How have the units held up so far in these conditions? Drawbacks?
Thanks all, I appreciate all opinions!
Click to expand...
Im going through this now as I have Only my excal and need an emergency back up for long road trips. Will decide shortly. I would have got another excal but minelab doesnt make 8 could anymore.
 
In my experience, a modded Excal in reverse mode (pinpoint mode) is deeper then the Nox, CTX, and my Dual Field. I was out detecting and comparing targets with another hunter and I could not hear targets. Only the Excal was finding the whispers. Maybe it is my hearing but that is my experience.
 
A friend of mine uses both, on both uses the small coil. He is always in the water... We have gone round and round, but when hunting his finds have not gone up when he changed. He actually found more with the Excal. It could be the devil you know, compared to the devil you don't know.

Once in the water, re-tuning the machine with the Excal is easier. He even admitted that. You have how many hours on the Excal? Your numbers were always solid... Something goes wrong you can tinker with it, could be a simple fix. With the Exuinox, you are sending it back in. In mineralization the Excl handles it better as well...

When he hunts with me he knows he is missing targets because of what I use, but the trade off is worth it to me, he does not like finding "extra" targets... Water intrusion is his fear though, whenever he uses the Equinox, he always beings the Excal. But if he uses the Excal, he sometimes brings the Equinox.

Confidence in your equipment is something you ever see a post about, but it changes how you hunt. Something I have never seen posted, with all the different settings, how do you know you are in "the sweet spot"? Testing on land with known targets is one thing, once hunting how do you know you are in the optimized setting...
 
I use all

3, Excals in the water will be what i use them for, around here in knee deep only, you might get pounded with waves, its very hard for me to hit the wash line, Nox and Ctx for shallow, wet, high and low tide lines and dry Z , having plenty equipment gives you choice, , for submerging Excals, in your case, knee deep, the Equinox 800 would be a great choice, happy hunting , Earl. Ps keep in mind, two things, you will want a strait shaft, #2 you will need water proof headphones, however hunting knee deep, if you dont have wave action , you will be ok with the wireless phones that come with the 800, if you submerge , Toney's waterproof phones recomended . If i was a OBN style hunter , i would say No, Get a new Excal, however i am not a fan of the Green Machine or Sword model's, just the good old hot Blue's . Ps FELIX is see a major issue going on with Merlin, no OBN pp kit, that being said i hope your stock goes up in Zinc, however someone has to clean up the beaches :lol:
 
Last edited:
BBS is still the best for salt water hunting. Wet sand I like the Eqinox. As another Mid Atlantic hunter I will also say that the splash zone can woop your butt. My personal opinion on Excals.....they need a lot of attention. Fragile beasts. In the water discrimination mode was enough for me. Wet sand? I prefer a Sovereign myself over an Excal. And personally I pulled some yellow this year with the Equinox I don't think the Sovereign would have seen. If i was to use an Excal in the wet sand a PP mod would be mandatory, and that just upped my investment because I stink at doing that stuff.
 
I have thought about trying a Nox but I just cant beat my modded excal. It goes deep and I am really happy with it. One day I will try it out but I think it can wait.
So I take it your repair didnt work out? That really sucks...I know that board looked pretty rough but maybe someone out there can help fix it or replace the board. I've seen a few float around on ebay so you never know.
 
I hate to say it but I would go Nox, and under these conditions. 3 year warranty, dry, wetsand to water...saltwater calmer waters only...No rough water for the Nox. Bad is you have to learn a new machine. I would call the repair center and see what they say. Maybe they have some used boards?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

yandosan
Nevis Island
Replies
0
Views
96
yandosan
yandosan
LongJohnSilver1
Gold price
2
Replies
33
Views
645
LongJohnSilver1
LongJohnSilver1
L
Here is a Little Strange Ring for Ya
Replies
14
Views
393
KingTotsalot
KingTotsalot
LongJohnSilver1
Honk
2
Replies
21
Views
403
GroundSweeper
GroundSweeper
G
You tube rant
2 3
Replies
40
Views
1K
TampaBayBrad
T
Back
Top Bottom