It Better Be Good

[Cabin Fever]

The Big CTX Coil gave me no more then an inch of extra depth over the stock in my ground.  The 17” did seem to score more on edge coins.. I actually see better depth with a NEL Tornado on my E-Trac then I did the big 17” CTX Coil.. From what I understand the width of the coil has more to do with depth then the length, and that has proved to be true in my testing so far.  I’m really hoping for a smaller elliptical and a wider coil for extra depth on the Equinox.. I’m not confident the bigger coil they have on the way will do anything other then add coverage.. This is a new breed of Detector though, so the old rules might not apply..  I will be happy just to get the Equinox with the 11” stock Coil at this point   The Stock coils are really hard to beat...

Bryan

[Steve Herschbach]

39 minutes ago, JoeRivers said:

Steve do you have any idea on what kind of price point on the “6” and “12x15” coils  can’t seem to find any price other than $1123.75 which I know that can’t be right.

No, I wish I did but I do not. Right now accessory pricing is probably the most inportant unknown thing about Equinox that a lot of us would like to see put to bed.

[steveg]

1 hour ago, Chase Goldman said:

Now owe you two likes.  Lol

I gave you one, to make up for it!  ;)

[WesH]

On 2/3/2018 at 11:47 AM, Cabin Fever said:

Great advice.  I do kind of the same thing... I flip things within my hobbies and keep those funds completely separate from the family budget...  If I want a new toy, it comes out of my hobby funds and doesn’t affect the family budget.. That way you don’t get an upset spouse...  Makes it less stressful for myself too.. I don’t feel guilty buying new toys.

Bryan

 

 I do the same thing.  I’ve had a home based auto repair business for 30 plus years that I have used to pay for everything the house repairs have called for along with my toys for my hobbies. Nothing has come out of the family checking account.  I’ve been lucky as my wife of 39 years has never complained about me buying detectors because I have always found enough to Gold to pay for them.  I did put a limit to it when the 5000 came out at almost 6 or 7 grand.  I just could keep up.  

[Wayfarer]

5 hours ago, steveg said:

it looks like it will be such a versatile machine that it MAY do a lot of what FBS can do, as a deep coin hunter.  I don't think it will "rival" the CTX in that application, but it's nice that it likely won't "struggle" as a deep coin hunter, either. 

Steve,

You and I and a LOT of other hunters are holding our breaths waiting to see if the Equinox will hold its own against the CTX as a deep coin hunter.  Multi-IQ is hoped to enable the Equinox to do as well or maybe even slightly better than the CTX in this regard.  Reading between the lines from many tester posts and what can be gleaned from Minelab's technology information releases and various "expert" analyses, the advantage the Equinox could have would come from giving useful target ID information at greater depths.  This is the $64,000 question.  

Reading the manual, I caught something that deflates some of my hope that this will be true and seems to say that Multi-IQ could actually be a disadvantage when hunting for deep high conductors such as silver coins:

On page 28 of the manual:

"Single Frequency Operation
Using a single frequency may have a slight advantage over multifrequency
in certain detecting situations.
For example; if you were searching only for larger high conductive
targets located at great depth, using 5 kHz may give an advantage."

I know it says "may give an advantage," but still, do you think Minelab is trying to let us down easy on any hopes that Multi-IQ will offer any advantage on deep silver? 

It will be very interesting to see if 5kHz single frequency beats out Multi-IQ on deep silver.  Perhaps in mild ground especially, 5 kHz single may turn out to be the mode of choice for deep silver.  

[Steve Herschbach]

Nobody including Minelab can predict how this will play out everywhere and in my opinion this is just CYA language. “may” “under certain circumstances”

It is pretty easy to look at most competition product and make clear decisions. The most difficulty it seems with Equinox has been CTX owners wondering how they compare. I think it will be a very fine line between the two in the balance and I sure am not going to tell every CTX owner out there which way to go because I just don’t know. I only know that on my ground and for my uses CTX did not offer me enough reasons to keep it once I had an Equinox. Others are going to decide just the opposite.

The Equinox from my perspective is a hot, sparky machine whereas the CTX by comparison is smooth and mild mannered. That difference alone may be what tips people one way or the other.

I don’t see the CTX versus Equinox thing settling out until lots more CTX fans have a chance to use Equinox. Even then I doubt the answer will be clear cut. Both are going to have fans. For me though it’s Equinox all the way.

[steveg]

Wayfarer -- I totally agree, it is the $64,000 question.

But that statement on page 28, I'm not sure that's to be taken as any reference to how it will perform compared to FBS.  I think all it means is -- if you are using a combination of frequencies that averages at say 15 kHz, theoretically 5 kHz may be "hotter" on silver.  BUT -- ID will likely be worse, except in very mild ground (as you noted...) but moreso -- there's nothing there to say that while 5 kHz might in some cases give 1" more depth on silver than Multi, that BOTH might be deeper (or shallower) than FBS...

In any case, the $64,000 question is out there, and it will be interesting to see.  

For me, the bottom line is, if Multi-IQ is 90% the capability of FBS on deep silver, but 110% the capability of FBS in the iron, along with all the other perks of the machine, I'll still be a very, very happy camper.  The beauty is, IF Multi-IQ is indeed not QUITE the rival of FBS on deep silver, there are LOTS of affordable FBS machines available for anyone out there, if they require that extra performance on deep silver for some of their hunting sites.  I really think FBS and Multi-IQ will be the perfect 1-2 punch, for many, many, many detectorists.  And to think, a brand-new Equinox 600 at $649, and an excellent used E-Trac at $649 (very do-able), and you are still in very "affordable" territory, when compared to prices on the Deus, the CTX, etc. etc. etc.  Meanwhile, if you have the ability to swing it, a CTX and an EQ 800, and I'm not sure that combination can be beaten in very many situations...

Steve

[steveg]

Steve, you just posted while I was typing my response.

Thought-provoking and informative, as always.

 

I just don't see a down side, either way.  Even if the CTX/FBS proves a tad better on deep silver, as I expect -- the combination of FBS and Multi-IQ in one's arsenal is STILL better than JUST FBS, as I think the Equinox will most certainly excel over FBS in some areas, as well.  So, both would have an important role.  On the other hand, if Multi-IQ proves nearly the equal of FBS for most of us (as it has for you), in ALL applications...then, the CTX will slowly diminish, becoming just one more casualty on the list of "obsoleted" machines (LOL).  In which case, we would all just gradually shift toward grabbing the Equinox more, and the CTX less, until eventually just opting for the Equinox nearly every time -- enjoying exclusively the skill and capability of this new technology, just as you have already decided to do yourself!  ;)

Steve