Ordered an Equinox 600...how hard are they to learn?

[FliesOnly]

My wife bought me my first (and only) detector 5 or 6 years ago as a Christmas present. It was a Garret Ace 300 and I've had pretty good luck with it, but I thought that it was time to upgrade to something a bit better. So, I started looking around, reading reviews, and intended to come to this forum and ask peoples opinions. However, I found an Equinox 600 on sale, and when coupled with points I have earned on my credit card, I was able to get it for $80...so I pulled the trigger and ordered it this morning before it was too late.
My question is this. How hard is it to learn how to use the thing? My current Garret has limited "adjustments" I can make, where as in looking over the instruction manual for the 600, it seems to have numerous settings and sensitivities and custom fields and....well, more than I'm used to seeing. What's the learning curve on something like this? With my garret, I turned it on and started walking. With this new one, it seems to have more bells and whistles than I know what to do with. I want to get the most out of it, so any advice is appreciated.

 

[stetam]

Not hard to use and you will like it. Don't get bent out of shape watching videos with people changing settings. I just noise cancel, ground balance and use factory settings, park 1 and field 2 depending where I am and do well. Run the sensitivity as high as you can.

Steve

 

[Jose159]

Wow ...what a deal! The nox 600 is a really good detector. I recommend using one of the preset modes to start with. My preference is Park 2 or Field 2 but others like 1 one setting in those modes. Just turn on..do a noise cancel and ground balance and have fun.It would probably be a good idea to hunt in all-metal to start with. After you get used to the machine you can start playing with the settings . I also recommend getting the Equinox 600/800 handbook by Andy Sabisch.

 

[yatahaze323]

I have a 600, since your new to it I would say to start using it at first without making any major changes to the settings besides the sensitivity. Get some sample targets and get used to the tones and numbers, then try it out on a few hunts and once you get a better idea of how it handles then start adjusting things.

 

[Diga]

You'll be fine as long as you don't mess with settings until you know what those settings do.

 

[cellrdwellr]

Hardest part will be the tonal differences. So much more information in the nox tones vs. the ace. I would stay in the factory default mode and become familiar with the basics before attempting to change any settings. Experimenting with coins in the back yard will give you an idea of what to listen for in the wild. Videos and reading can only help so much, getting out and using the machine is the quickest way to learn it. Good luck out there, the nox is a great detector!

 

[FliesOnly]

Not hard to use and you will like it. Don't get bent out of shape watching videos with people changing settings. I just noise cancel, ground balance and use factory settings, park 1 and field 2 depending where I am and do well. Run the sensitivity as high as you can.

Steve

I'm currently reading the instruction manual online...and my head is spinning. Thanks for the advice.

 

[FliesOnly]

Wow ...what a deal! The nox 600 is a really good detector. I recommend using one of the preset modes to start with. My preference is Park 2 or Field 2 but others like 1 one setting in those modes. Just turn on..do a noise cancel and ground balance and have fun.It would probably be a good idea to hunt in all-metal to start with. After you get used to the machine you can start playing with the settings . I also recommend getting the Equinox 600/800 handbook by Andy Sabisch.

Thanks...I ordered the book and will probably keep it in my car.

 

[Dave_e]

In line with what the others stated, don't get into changing settings at first - except for audio. It's only a preference.
If your ears don't like the default tones in a mode, change them to something you like. It makes detecting more pleasant.

 

[jmaclen]

Park 1 Multi is a great place to start. Where you live you may not even need to worry about ground balancing it so just leave it on Zero.

The other default settings in Park 1 are good except for the sensitivity 20 setting. You might need to lower it a bit if there is EMI in your search area.

Learning how to use the Noise Cancel feature is really important. It won't completely eliminate the effects of EMI but it will help some.

Learn what the Horseshoe button does. It causes an instant change in the audio response of the discrimination pattern by accepting all target ID audio responses.

If you still have your Ace, do some comparison testing on the common targets that you find in your area and get to know how the 600 responds to them.

You may hear a ton of small blips and pops and start chasing after them using the 600 compared to the Ace. Learn what a good repeatable/dig me target response is from lots of testing.

Keep asking questions too.

 

[Diga]

Probably the first "Oh wow" difference you'll find between those detectors is the noise level. It will be the Oh Wow thing I noticed when I went from a Simplex to a Vanquish 540 and a Legend. That is, SMF detectors are far more suspectable to EMI noise than Single Frequency (SF) detectors like the Ace, Simplex, etc.

The noise reduction feature will do little to nothing in almost all scenarios, so reduce your sensitivity accordingly. Although, the ground noise overpowers the EMI noise, so the EMI noise isn't audible when swinging. As such, I keep my sensitivity high, and just live with the noise when the detector is on the ground and I'm retrieving the target.

 

[Beachhunt1]

The Equinox is easier to learn than EVERY more expensive detector made since.

 

[John Madill]

Andy Sabisch has a good book detailing the 600 & 800 models.

 

[CalReg]

My Nox 600 has served me well. Run the stock settings for a while until you get used to it. I agree, the Andy Sabisch book is a great book and will help you unlock it's true potential...down the line. In the meantime, learn your machine! Good luck!

 

[metaladdict]

I came from an At pro and it's not too hard to learn.
I recommend 5 tones.
If you run your recovery speed lower it will detect deeper and slowing down your swing speed helps. I use the 800.

 

[HungryGhost]

I came from an At pro and it's not too hard to learn.
I recommend 5 tones.
If you run your recovery speed lower it will detect deeper and slowing down your swing speed helps. I use the 800.

I agree 5 tones is key!

 

[Iggyks]

I was finding stuff my Tesoro missed immediately just using defaults/presets. Found more after I used it a while and experimented. Some folks prefer using Beach on fields, etc etc... I am more into the 1 settings (5 tones) but trying to get used to the 2 settings with more tones, think they have helped me find things i missed in 5 tones. So anyway you should do fine at first and then do better.

 

[Retiredsailor]

Not hard to use and you will like it. Don't get bent out of shape watching videos with people changing settings. I just noise cancel, ground balance and use factory settings, park 1 and field 2 depending where I am and do well. Run the sensitivity as high as you can.

Steve

Best advice yet don’t get caught up playing with all the settings, I had a 800 and didn’t have any better luck when I changed the settings.

 

[Big Boys Hobbies]

Congrats on the Equinox 600!

 

[RobNC]

The EQ600 is a turn on and go unit. Once you learn the ID's and tones along with their nuances you'll be on your way to good hunting. It takes time for everyone to learn a new machine. I had the 600 and went to the 800 a few years back. For me, the 800 was the ticket. I still have it and have used it for many hunts. just got a Nokta Legend to play with and can say it is quite different. That's what makes this so fun- learning how each detector talks to the user. They each have their own language.