Nox600 Depth Indicator Folly

Seaking406

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Feb 15, 2018
Messages
515
Location
Nova Scotia, Canada
More often than not, when ever my Nox 600 picks up a target, it always shows full depth indication on the screen, regardless of how deep the target actually is.. When ever it shows 2 or 3 inches depth, there's nothing there and the target is usually much deeper (8 inches) either in sand or dirt..

Am I doing something wrong (no idea) or is this a shortcoming of the Nox600?
 
More often than not, when ever my Nox 600 picks up a target, it always shows full depth indication on the screen, regardless of how deep the target actually is.. When ever it shows 2 or 3 inches depth, there's nothing there and the target is usually much deeper (8 inches) either in sand or dirt..

Am I doing something wrong (no idea) or is this a shortcoming of the Nox600?

It should not always show full depth indication.

Each of the 5 depth arrows equates to 2 inches. If you see 3 arrows thats approximately 6 inches, and so forth.
Page 35 of the manual. If you have not downloaded it you should.

https://www.minelab.com/__files/f/326548/4901-0249-1 Inst. Manual, EQUINOX 600 800 EN.pdf
 
Mine is pretty much spot-on with depth. You may want to reload the software and/or do a factory reset:?:
 
It should not always show full depth indication.

Each of the 5 depth arrows equates to 2 inches. If you see 3 arrows thats approximately 6 inches, and so forth.
Page 35 of the manual. If you have not downloaded it you should.

https://www.minelab.com/__files/f/326548/4901-0249-1 Inst. Manual, EQUINOX 600 800 EN.pdf

Thanks, I have that one already.. And as much as the manual points out how it works, and states "less accurate in mineralized soil", I seem to be stuck in that stuff then?
 
Mine is pretty much spot-on with depth. You may want to reload the software and/or do a factory reset:?:

Thanks for the info.. I've already done the firmware update twice now, and FP the unit.. and still.. same thing.

I'll give it another try when it gets warmer (above freezing mark) and see what comes of it.

Cheers
 
I'm seeing the same thing with my Nox600. I'm learning to listen to the sounds for depth rather than using the depth indicator on the display. It frequently shows 8+" of depth only to find the target 4" down.
 
Just about every metal detector manual that I’ve read (when the detector has a depth meter of some kind) says that the depth reading is a possible indication of depth for “coin sized objects”. Any thing smaller or larger under the coil can effect the accuracy of the depth reading. Target orientation is also a factor. A 2” deep, tiny piece of can slaw can read 8” and a 8” crushed aluminum can may read 2” on the Nox. Use your Nox pinpointer (when it works properly) to size the target. A probe can help avoid those deep big targets too.

Jeff
 
Just about every metal detector manual that I’ve read (when the detector has a depth meter of some kind) says that the depth reading is a possible indication of depth for “coin sized objects”. Any thing smaller or larger under the coil can effect the accuracy of the depth reading. Target orientation is also a factor. A 2” deep, tiny piece of can slaw can read 8” and a 8” crushed aluminum can may read 2” on the Nox. Use your Nox pinpointer (when it works properly) to size the target. A probe can help avoid those deep big targets too.

Jeff

Perfect advice! Also lifting the coil progressively higher above the target while swinging will give you an idea of the depth on a coin,provided it’s not sitting weird as mentioned...
 
Just about every metal detector manual that I’ve read (when the detector has a depth meter of some kind) says that the depth reading is a possible indication of depth for “coin sized objects”. Any thing smaller or larger under the coil can effect the accuracy of the depth reading. Target orientation is also a factor...

Excellent point, jmaclen...calibration to a coin sized target is a characteristic of all depth meters that I think a lot of folks tend to forget about. Manuals for other detectors I've owned have talked about the depth meter calibration in detail, but the Equinox manual is rather vague in comparison. But I think it's important to note that the Equinox might be calibrated to the approximate size of a US quarter. Page 35 of the Equinox manual says:

Minelab Equinox Manual, Depth Gauge, Page 35

Here is an example of the Depth Gauge reading and the approximate target depth for a US quarter detected in benign soil:

Minelab graphic showing one arrow for every two inches of depth for the quarter

Calibration to a quarter would explain some of the depth meter readings that I typically see on pennies and dimes (my most common coins), which often show 3 arrows (theoretically 6") but then turn up at 2.5-3" depth. The relatively small but shallow penny shows the same apparent size as a deeper quarter, so the Equinox assigns it a deeper depth. I don't find quarters nearly as often, but when I do, I often find that the depth gauge is pretty close to accurate. It all makes sense if you do the math - the surface area of a flat quarter is almost double that of a flat dime.

Anyway, once I realized all of this, I'm happier with the depth gauge on the EQ. In my head, when I get a penny or dime signal, one arrow equals 1" depth. A quarter signal, and one arrow equals 2" like the book says. If I suspect something other than a coin, all bets are off just like any other machine.

Perfect advice! Also lifting the coil progressively higher above the target while swinging will give you an idea of the depth on a coin,provided it’s not sitting weird as mentioned...

Absolutely, IDX! Lifting the coil a bit can provide a ton of useful information. If the target is "coin sized", and you lift the coil 2", the depth indication should increase by 2". If the target is noticeably larger than coin sized but deep, lifting the coil a couple or even a few inches won't impact the depth indication at all – you might even need to lift the coil half a foot or more before the depth indication changes on the really big stuff. Lifting the coil this way literally only takes an extra second or two, but will save you buckets of time compared to the long minutes you might otherwise spend digging 10" down just to recover a rusty, cell phone sized steel plate that rang up high and indicated 4" down. If the target is small and shallow, lifting the coil should cause too large of a change in corresponding depth indication.
 
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