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Equinox = Disappointment Coming For Dedicated Salt Beach Detectorists?


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The provocative thread title is not meant as a headline scoop for a newly revealed design flaw in the Equinox but as a discussion point as explained below.

Perspective:  I see the Equinox as a machine that that encompasses advanced detecting technology that enables it to be a jack of many trades, but not necessarily a master of all or even possibly any.  I have a Deus and a GPX and a number of other VLF detectors that sit around collecting dust because I am generally swinging my Deus when I can and my GPX when I have to (deep relic hunting in highly mineralized soil).  The Equinox is attractive to me because I see that it will excel VS. THE DEUS at wet salt beach hunting (an admittedly extremely low bar) which is something I would like to explore further as the Deus limits my ability to do that effectively.  Yet, I do not see myself even becoming primarily a salt beach hunter.   I also see the MultiIQ technology coupled with fast recovery speed of the Equinox and dedicated single high frequency (aka Gold Mode) options as a detector that can seriously challenge the Deus in mineralized soil conditions and thick iron as well as for mid-conductive relic hunting (namely brass hardware and buttons) vice gold.  It, at the very least, may open up some opportunities at sites where I would have to scan the site more than once with the Deus at different frequencies using the newer Deus HF coils.  It will also enable me to do some back woods water hunting without having to engage all the ridiculous antenna and phone bag claptrap  that is required to make the Deus ready to be dunked in the drink.   I never envisioned the Equinox as a detector that would obsolete existing Minelab BBS and FBS machines at salt beach hunting.  Obviously the Excal II is also a Dive machine so the Equinox cannot replace that capability and the Sovs are revered for their abilities on and off the beach as is the CTX, even if it is a bear to lug around.  The PI beach machines are are a different animal altogether.

Basis for Discussion:  I see a lot of dedicated salt beach detectorists here and I can't help but wonder if there will be disappointment amongst the dedicated salt beach crowd with respect to Equinox performance vs. the existing Minelab salt beach "royalty" detectors.  I know that some here consider me "confused" when it comes to discussing this topic, but the only reason I bring it up is to learn from the anticipated back and forth discussion in the thread   I am coming at this not as an expert in salt beach hunting, because I am obviously not that, but as a detector geek.  I can't help but wonder why dedicated salt beach detectorists think the Equinox will hold a candle to their existing beach machines at the price point and with the other non-salt-beach related capabilities offered.  Logically, there just has to be compromises made by Minelab with respect to salt beach capability vs. the Sovs, Excals, and CTX's (i.e., the "no free lunch" axiom).  Don't get me wrong, the Equinox should be capable and up to the task of Salt Beach hunting, but will it excel vs. these other detectors or is it just wishful thinking and a pipe dream?  Is there healthy skepticism or unrealistic expectations?  So please give me your thoughts.  Thanks.

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Hi Chase,

I cant answer all your issues but can relay to you part of some info that I was given when I asked about Multi IQ in 2017.....

Multi IQ uses a different group of fundamental frequencies than FBS/BBS to generate a wide band multi frequency transmission signal that is more sensitive to High frequency targets and slightly less sensitive to Low frequency targets. 

Multi IQ uses the latest high speed processors and advanced digital filtering technology for much faster recovery speed than BBS/FBS technology.

Multi IQ copes with saltwater and beach conditions almost as good as BBS/FBS however BBS/FBS still have an advantage for finding high conductive silver coins in all conditions.

 

Hope some of that might help

cheers :smile:

NSC

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Thanks NSC for posting that information in this thread.  I have seen that technical comparison between MultiIQ and BBS/FBS from Minelab and also related comments from beach detectorists here about not caring too much about the "silver advantage" of BBS/FBS vs. MultI IQ because they are mainly after gold.  So that appears to be the Minelab technical statement a lot of beach detectorists are hanging their hat and dreams on for the Equinox.  I honestly hope it IS a game changer for wet salt beach detecting.  That would be a great thing.

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Yes, gold hunters should like it being H freq. biased. Silver is not worth much anyway.

Almost as good as BBS/FBS in saltwater .  (I read that as stability. I then read from that stability can equal depth. Maybe I read too much into it :biggrin:)

Better recovery probably doesnt apply too much on most beach sites.

I guess we will find out soon enough eh ?:smile:

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5 minutes ago, NSC said:

 

 

Yes, gold hunters should like it being H freq. biased. Silver is not worth much anyway.

Almost as good as BBS/FBS in saltwater .  (I read that as stability. I then read from that stability can equal depth. Maybe I read too much into it :biggrin:)

Better recovery probably doesnt apply too much on most beach sites.

I guess we will find out soon enough eh ?:smile:

Hope so!

BTW the complete discussion including the excerpt posted by NSC is at this link:

https://www.minelab.com/anz/go-minelabbing/treasure-talk/equinox-technologies-part-1

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Minelab says "Multi IQ copes with saltwater and beach conditions almost as good as BBS/FBS"

Seems straightforward to me. "Almost as good" is not "better". The silver part has nothing to do with the beach part of the statement. We are talking "coping with saltwater and beach conditions".

My expectation is that Equinox will crush the intended competition in saltwater - similarly priced waterproof single frequency detectors. I have said it before and I will say it again - I still believe there is a place for Excalibur and CTX. Why anyone expects Equinox to handle saltwater and beach conditions better than BBS and FBS when even Minelab is making no claim of that sort is beyond me. When you expect something nobody is promising, it would seem to be a recipe for disappointment.

I ditched my CTX mainly over the cost, the weight, and it being a bummer to pack. I figure only that Equinox will be "good enough" for my saltwater needs, nothing more. I expect it will be far better than many alternatives on the market. But I do not expect a detector good to 10 feet to replace a detector good to 250 feet (Excalibur) and I will be tickled pink if a $900 detector manages to be roughly in the same ballpark as a $2500 detector. 

Now freshwater is another story. I expect Equinox to slay BBS and FBS in situations where it can be run hotter than is possible in saltwater. The same would be true when actually out of the saltwater and up on the drier sand regions of the beach. But when Equinox hits the saltwater, the Beach Mode must downshift enough that the saltwater itself does not signal. That simple constraint imposes a limit on all detectors that operate in saltwater and Equinox is no different.

This link compiles all the Minelab Multi-IQ tech docs that have been released so far....

http://www.detectorprospector.com/metal-detecting/minelab-multi-iq-technology-details-explained.htm

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I have a Sovereign GT that is only used on the wet saltwater beach sand. I don't use it on the dry as it's heavy (though I hip mount mine) and it's not as good on the small gold as a couple of other detectors I prefer to swing on the dry. The Excal is too heavy for the dry and the wet sand, (I'm old) and it's expensive. My only use of the Excal would be wading in the surf as the west coast surf is usually to rough to actually hunt in, at least the beaches I hunt. To be able to have a waterproof to 10' detector that runs multi frequencies, is light enough to swing for hours on the dry sand, and all this for $900. Just what the Doctor ordered. In addition I can use it in the local fresh water lakes, and hit the parks for some silver that's been hiding next to trash, I'm ready! Of course this is JMHO. Will it be the best at all detecting? NO, but I think it will be a darn good all arounder. 

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Thanks to everyone that contributed to this excellent thread. I haven't up to now paid very much attention to discussions about wet salt sand detecting as I have never as yet done any beach detecting. Be that as it may, this was an interesting and informative thread. 

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I started with the Excal and for me, the recovery speed is what’s important. If I’m using discrimination, I don’t want it to null out on ferrous and then be too slow to reset and miss the good target next to it. So a faster waterproof design, among other considerations, is why for me.

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Like you Chase, my go to machines are the Deus and GPX. I also go to the Outer Banks once or twice a year and must hunt the dry sand. Hoping that the Equinox will have at least better performance than the Deus in this environment. 

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