maxxkatt
Forum Supporter
This is for newbies to the hobby considering the purchase of the Equinox 600 or 800 metal detector and newbies who have purchased the 600 or 800. I have read three good books on the Equinox. Clive Clynick's 3 books on the Equinox and Andy Sasbisch's single book on the Equinox.
Clive Clynick’s three books:
The Minelab Equinox: “From Beginner to Advanced” - $16.95. 101 pages
The Minelab Equinox: “Minelab Equinox an Advanced Guide” - $16.95 - 111 pages
Skill Building with the Minelab Equinox Series Metal Detectors - $16.95 - 119 pages
Andy Sabisch’s one book:
The Equinox Series Handbook $24.95 on amazon - 179. Pages
Ok first off let me say they are all good books and the Equinox is a detector that needs some more explaining than you find in the Minelab instruction manual
I will discuss first some of the negatives on the books from both authors.
Clive has received some criticism for a few typos but no factual mistakes about the Equinox or metal detecting theory.
Andy’s book is much more polished and carefully edited. The page length does not imply much other than the book is padded with filler info to get a higher page account. Loaded with what I feel are useless pictures that may at best be found in a Beginners book of metal detecting not one necessary in a guide for a sophisticated detector such as the Equinox. A rough count shows 146 pictures and many of they quite large. I mean who needs to see a picture of a lot of coins or a guy detecting or a Cobra CB scanner? It is just padding the page count. The rest of the book is the free official Equinox manual re-printed in his book.
The worst offense of Andy’s book on the Equinox is the inclusion of about a dozen well known detectorists’ settings they use. Unless this person is hunting on the same field you are hunting, with the Equinox copying these settings (and newbies will do that I promise you) will leave you with an Equinox that is not balanced or tuned for your field that you are hunting. So you will be hunting with a detuned detector that has little chance of finding some more of the elusive targets that the Equinox is famous for when in the hands of an experienced detectorist who knows how to correctly set up an equinox for a specific environment.
There also is a lot of metal detecting beginner’s material in this book and a lot of rehash of the Equinox user guide and Minelab charts and images. I found myself just skimming through Andy’s book rather than really learning anything new about the Equinox metal detectors. But compared to Clive’s three books Sabisch’s book is light on the actual content for the effective learning and using the Equinox that is not found in the Minelab 600/800 free manual.
Now on to Clive’s book. Yes, Clive’s book could use another person other than the author as an editor. Yes, his drawings and charts are not super professional and is guilty of having one or two pictures of finds. The rest of the content of each three books is specific to only topics about metal detecting theory that is needed to learn the 600 or 800. There are very few useless pictures and filler in any of Clive’s book. What you get is almost 100% good information on learning to master the Equinox to be able to get the most out of your 600 or 800 metal detectors.
But the difference is in the meat of the book. His books are about how you get the absolute most out of the Equinox 600 and 800 metal detectors. In Clive’s book he teaches you step by step. You will in a lot of information that is not just a reprint of the 600/800 free instruction manual. The first two books should be read before the third one on skill building.
With Clive’s book I found myself underlining a lot of stuff. In fact, they very much looked like some of my college texts books marked up in preparations for mid-term exams.
Clive’s books require you to carefully study all topics. Why? Because they are packed with content that is specific to the Equinox 600 and 800 metal detectors. In Clive’s three books he makes no secret that in the first book he was learning the Equinox just like everyone else. In his last book it shows that he has mastered the Equinox and shows you how to do the same.
If you have the money, then buy all three of Clive’s books and one of Andy’s on the Equinox and you decide which books are the most useful. If you are budget conscious but really wish to master the 800 by all three of Clive’s books and carefully read them in order. I am now re-reading his third book on skill building with the Equinox.
These are my personal views. I am aware there will be some Andy fans who will disagree with my assessment. But unless you have read all three of Clive’s books and one of Andy’s book on the Equinox you cannot make a fair comparison as I have attempted to do. I have owned and used my Equinox 800 since March of 2018. I run three highly technical book review web sites since 1996. Metal detecting is my hobby. I have no monetary connection to either author. I did not receive free copies to review and I paid for all four books.
Clive Clynick’s three books:
The Minelab Equinox: “From Beginner to Advanced” - $16.95. 101 pages
The Minelab Equinox: “Minelab Equinox an Advanced Guide” - $16.95 - 111 pages
Skill Building with the Minelab Equinox Series Metal Detectors - $16.95 - 119 pages
Andy Sabisch’s one book:
The Equinox Series Handbook $24.95 on amazon - 179. Pages
Ok first off let me say they are all good books and the Equinox is a detector that needs some more explaining than you find in the Minelab instruction manual
I will discuss first some of the negatives on the books from both authors.
Clive has received some criticism for a few typos but no factual mistakes about the Equinox or metal detecting theory.
Andy’s book is much more polished and carefully edited. The page length does not imply much other than the book is padded with filler info to get a higher page account. Loaded with what I feel are useless pictures that may at best be found in a Beginners book of metal detecting not one necessary in a guide for a sophisticated detector such as the Equinox. A rough count shows 146 pictures and many of they quite large. I mean who needs to see a picture of a lot of coins or a guy detecting or a Cobra CB scanner? It is just padding the page count. The rest of the book is the free official Equinox manual re-printed in his book.
The worst offense of Andy’s book on the Equinox is the inclusion of about a dozen well known detectorists’ settings they use. Unless this person is hunting on the same field you are hunting, with the Equinox copying these settings (and newbies will do that I promise you) will leave you with an Equinox that is not balanced or tuned for your field that you are hunting. So you will be hunting with a detuned detector that has little chance of finding some more of the elusive targets that the Equinox is famous for when in the hands of an experienced detectorist who knows how to correctly set up an equinox for a specific environment.
There also is a lot of metal detecting beginner’s material in this book and a lot of rehash of the Equinox user guide and Minelab charts and images. I found myself just skimming through Andy’s book rather than really learning anything new about the Equinox metal detectors. But compared to Clive’s three books Sabisch’s book is light on the actual content for the effective learning and using the Equinox that is not found in the Minelab 600/800 free manual.
Now on to Clive’s book. Yes, Clive’s book could use another person other than the author as an editor. Yes, his drawings and charts are not super professional and is guilty of having one or two pictures of finds. The rest of the content of each three books is specific to only topics about metal detecting theory that is needed to learn the 600 or 800. There are very few useless pictures and filler in any of Clive’s book. What you get is almost 100% good information on learning to master the Equinox to be able to get the most out of your 600 or 800 metal detectors.
But the difference is in the meat of the book. His books are about how you get the absolute most out of the Equinox 600 and 800 metal detectors. In Clive’s book he teaches you step by step. You will in a lot of information that is not just a reprint of the 600/800 free instruction manual. The first two books should be read before the third one on skill building.
With Clive’s book I found myself underlining a lot of stuff. In fact, they very much looked like some of my college texts books marked up in preparations for mid-term exams.
Clive’s books require you to carefully study all topics. Why? Because they are packed with content that is specific to the Equinox 600 and 800 metal detectors. In Clive’s three books he makes no secret that in the first book he was learning the Equinox just like everyone else. In his last book it shows that he has mastered the Equinox and shows you how to do the same.
If you have the money, then buy all three of Clive’s books and one of Andy’s on the Equinox and you decide which books are the most useful. If you are budget conscious but really wish to master the 800 by all three of Clive’s books and carefully read them in order. I am now re-reading his third book on skill building with the Equinox.
These are my personal views. I am aware there will be some Andy fans who will disagree with my assessment. But unless you have read all three of Clive’s books and one of Andy’s book on the Equinox you cannot make a fair comparison as I have attempted to do. I have owned and used my Equinox 800 since March of 2018. I run three highly technical book review web sites since 1996. Metal detecting is my hobby. I have no monetary connection to either author. I did not receive free copies to review and I paid for all four books.
Last edited:
