Difference between Gold and Relic detectors - technology

Minelab Gpx detectors seem to be the best for gold but are very pricey.
Equinox has gold mode.

metaladdict said:

Minelab Gpx detectors seem to be the best for gold but are very pricey.
Equinox has gold mode.

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Is the GPX6000 orders of magnitude better than the Eq800?

I dont mind the high cost if it's truly night and day better. I've read the description but sometimes it's hard to know if advertuzing hype matches reality.

I've been swinging a detector for over 40 years. I've used just about every detector on the market at one time or another. That said, Location plays a big part in the success, or failure, of good finds.

After 40+ years my body doesn't handle 12 hours of straight hunting well anymore, so I mainly hunt for gold in tot lots, schools & parks. I also can't spend my short hunting time digging everything that makes a noise. So I have spent a lot of time, and a lot on money, looking for a detector to serve me best in my conditions, and hunting style. Here are my answers.

1) What is the technology difference between a gold detector and a general purpose like the Equinox?

Generally, what most designate a "gold detector" has a few major features in common. 1. Frequency. Frequency plays an important roll in finding gold. Lower conductive metals, like gold, respond best to high frequencies. That is why most gold detectors will have a frequency in the 40 kHz to 100 kHz range. Great for gold, not so good for high conductors like coins. They like low frequencies.

2. The ability to handle ground mineralization well. Gold is often very small and not round, but odd shaped. Being hard for most general purpose detectors to see. The more precise the ground balance, the better a detector can see the small change in ground balance from very small and odd shaped targets.

2) Can an Equinox be configured to be as good as a gold detector? Why or why not?

Yes, to a point. It is not going to prospect as well as a Minelab GPX 6000, but then the GPX 6000 would kill you trying to hunt a trashy park. Right tool for the right job. There is no one tool for all jobs.

What makes the Equinox 800 so good on gold is the ability to run at 40 kHz. Not many general purpose detector can run such a high frequency.

3) What is the single most important feature to be a good gold detector?

In my opinion it is the 40 kHz ability. While Multi-IQ is cool, I believe, for gold, the 40 kHz alone is what separated the NOX 800 from the others.

4) Re: Eq800. Is there such a thing as the "best" settings for gold?

Yes, No discrimination/notch above a target segment of 0, and the 40 kHz frequency.

5) if your goal is to try and find some gold, is there any point in using an Eq800 or should one just bite the bullet and get a gold detector?

If prospecting is your plans, then I might look at a specific gold detector like the GPX 6000. If not, I feel the NOX 800 is a good as it gets on gold for a general purpose machine.

6) Which gold detector would you get if you had an Eq800 too? Or is that an irrelevant question?

Other than a dedicated gold detector if I were prospecting, I'd go with the Equinox 800. IMO, as good as it gets on gold in tot lots, schools & parks.

Detector said:

I've been swinging a detector for over 40 years. I've used just about every detector on the market at one time or another. That said, Location plays a big part in the success, or failure, of good finds.

After 40+ years my body doesn't handle 12 hours of straight hunting well anymore, so I mainly hunt for gold in tot lots, schools & parks. I also can't spend my short hunting time digging everything that makes a noise. So I have spent a lot of time, and a lot on money, looking for a detector to serve me best in my conditions, and hunting style. Here are my answers

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My intent is not to be hard core gold hunter. But I drive my jeep a lot in the mountains and desert. Often I have wondered if there might be gold along streams and such. I thought I might start carrying my metal detector. And since my primary target is gold, I was thinking I might buy a gold detector. My thinking was that if I ever looked in an area that had a nugget, I sure wouldn't want to miss it.

Where are you looking for gold to begin with??

Is it a park, beach or in the gold fields??

Is your ground highly mineralized??

These too play a big factor on your questions.

Gold machines generally have low discrimination, run on higher frequencies and have high gain for picking out the smallest of nuggets.

You could settle for a PI unit. You would find everything and then some.


If your searching on beach or park areas you are going to have to dig everything in the low foil range up to the screw cap range.

That is with your equinox or any other modern unit with many features such as your equinox.

There is no secret. You just dig it all.

MikeSD said:

My intent is not to be hard core gold hunter. But I drive my jeep a lot in the mountains and desert. Often I have wondered if there might be gold along streams and such. I thought I might start carrying my metal detector. And since my primary target is gold, I was thinking I might buy a gold detector. My thinking was that if I ever looked in an area that had a nugget, I sure wouldn't want to miss it.

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Ah! I have never tried the Equinox 800 for prospecting, but I would not be afraid to trust it. As I mentioned, 40 kHz is good for gold. Although a dedicated gold detector would be nice, the NOX 800 should do you well.

My prospecting for the weekend LOL.

You could also opt for an XP ORX
It is a very light unit with 2 gold programs, 2 coin programs and 2 custom slots.

If you get one get it with the white HF coils. The round 9 inch one is 14,28 and 54khz. The elliptical one is 14,28 and 72khz.

Both have 7 offset for each frequency for a total of 21 with each coil.

I swing one all the time. There are guys using them in the gold fields too. It was really designed for that but XP took and added some all round detecting settings to it as well.

I had an equinox but sold it and held on to my XP stuff. I find the XP stuff is easier to set up and run and finds stuff my Equinox wouldn't.

QUOTE=MikeSD
I'm sure this has been discussed ad nauseum but I still have questions.

Actually it hasn't since there are not many gold prospectors on this site and most people don't know what the Equinox 800 is capable of.

1) What is the technology difference between a gold detector and a general purpose like the Equinox?

There are some differences in VLF gold prospecting detectors and the Equinox 800. Most VLF gold prospecting detectors use a threshold based all metal mode for most of their gold prospecting since they are generally more sensitive to all targets, especially tiny/shallow ones.

The Gold modes on the Equinox are specifically for shallower and smaller gold nugget prospecting and can also be used for micro jewelry and relic hunting. They are basically a hybrid, single tone, kind of threshold based all metal mode (as close as you can get on the Equinox anyway) The big difference between most VLF gold prospecting detectors and the Equinox is explained below.

2) Can an Equinox be configured to be as good as a gold detector? Why or why not?

Using the Gold modes in the Multi IQ multi frequency setting with some or all of the the iron target IDs accepted and using manual ground balance turns the Equinox 800 into one of the finest shallower gold prospecting detectors available today. I am not giving an opinion here. I use the Equinox 800 for gold prospecting weekly.


3) What is the single most important feature to be a good gold detector?

As another poster said, having a higher frequency helps to hit smaller low conductive targets like very small sub gram sized shallower gold nuggets.

There are several detectors that are either gold prospecting specific or general use detectors that can run at a high single frequency above 30 kHz.

However, the big advantage that the Equinox has is not its 40 kHz single frequency operation ability. Instead, it is its ability to operate in Multi IQ simultaneous multi frequencies including 40 kHz which gives it a huge advantage over any other single frequency gold prospecting capable VLF detectors in moderate to high mineralization along with its ability to notch out single digit target IDs.

Since the Equinox is simultaneous multi frequency capable in the form of Multi IQ, it will work well even where other SMF detectors made by Minelab and others will not. If I can't get my 800 to work at a gold prospecting site due to extreme mineralization, my only other detector choice is a pulse induction detector. I always carry an Equinox 800 with me when I am gold prospecting for this reason since I know it will work at just about any gold prospecting site unlike many other VLF high frequency gold prospecting detectors that I have used. I use it for shallow patch hunting and for final cleanup of smaller gold nuggets when I am done searching for the deep stuff.

Notching out single digit target IDs makes it easy to silence some really difficult ground noise and hot rocks. No other gold prospecting capable VLF has this single digit notching.

4) Re: Eq800. Is there such a thing as the "best" settings for gold?

I already gave them to you in basic form. You have to know your detector and your detecting sites could be different from mine.

5) if your goal is to try and find some gold, is there any point in using an Eq800 or should one just bite the bullet and get a gold detector?

The Equinox already has gold prospecting modes and even though Minelab does not advertise it (that would damage Minelab Gold Monster 1000 sales big time) it is a general use AND gold prospecting detector. Many professional gold nugget prospectors use the Nox 800 everyday.

6) Which gold detector would you get if you had an Eq800 too? Or is that an irrelevant question?

The Equinox 800 using its 6" coil or the new Coiltek 10X5" coil (if you can find one) will take care of surface to 6" or so gold prospecting in really bad dirt which makes other VLF gold prospecting capable detectors overload and barf. Using a bigger coil in really mineralized ground is a bad idea on any VLF gold prospecting capable detector. On milder ground you can use the Equinox stock 11" coil.

If you are after the really deep stuff (6" and deeper/larger gold) whether the ground is highly mineralized or not, you will need some type of pulse induction detector. The GPX 6000 is Minelab's newest pulse induction detector. It is almost as sensitive on really small gold as the Equinox 800 in really mineralized ground and is almost as sensitive as the GPZ 7000 on deeper/larger gold in bad ground. It weighs around 4 lbs, is easy to operate and really works well (I have one) Just realize that Minelab names many of its detectors using numbers which approximately reflect their price


The Equinox 800 is also an excellent relic detector, works very well on coins and jewelry and is great at fresh and saltwater beaches too. Submerging it.........there have been plenty of leakers but Minelab has replaced them under its 3 year warranty.

The GPX 6000 only has one way to discriminate ferrous from non-ferrous targets unlike the Equinox which has several ways along with a great informative display. The GPX 6000 has a display but it is about settings not discrimination and target ID information. The GPX 6000 like most pulse induction detectors is all about the target's audio response. In the gold fields or at a slightly trashy beach that is no big deal since dig it all is the general rule. At a trashy park, ghost town, beach or gold mine site, pulse induction detectors can really be a major pain.

I wouldnt hesitate to use a Nox as a dedicated gold detector. Ive found a total of four nuggets totaling 20g with it.