Book Excerpt: Skill Building With The Minelab Equinox Series Metal Detectors

[cjc]

I’ve gotten a lot of questions from hunters (who learn that I have two books out on the Equinox) asking for “settings.”  One guy saw some rings I had found in salt water with the Equinox and asked for my “settings.”   Others describe a type of site they are hunting--“cellar holes” for example and want to know just what “settings” to run.   I can’t answer these questions because what they need is not a “setting” but rather a skill set--a “system” of tuning the detector, (in relation to the specific ground and target matrix), listening to and examining targets with the coil, selecting responses and conducting their overall hunt.  To focus on simple “settings” or the technology of any detector type ignores the fact that there are a whole range of skills needed for success at difficult sites.  Not all involve the detector itself.  The real skill lies in understanding and managing the interactions.  A good maxim is that:

“…predetermined settings only get you into the ball park—it’s up to you to find the best seat…”

The ideas is to learn to recognise what the conditions demand and apply your machine’s strengths based upon basic skills--not hope it will take the place of them.  

What I advocate is a broad-based approach to learning and detecting.  This is kind of like the Equinox itself--just as a multi-frequency signal gathers more information to be analysed, examining your signals from a wide range of standpoints lets you learn and develop a broader knowledge base--faster.  Then, as you encounter problem targets or sets of conditions which are new--you have the general skills to adapt.  Part of the misinformation about the Equinox comes from those who have had success under highly specific conditions--many in situations where not a lot of skill was needed--flat out “hear and dig” in stable inland conditions.  While there are sets of conditions where this is the only way to operate--it’s a narrow mindset.    Why buy a detector that has the versatility of the Equinox and not develop the kinds of skills that will let you get the most from it?

From” “Skill Building with the Minelab Equinox Series Metal Detectors” by Clive James Clynick (Prestige Publishing, 2019)

[flakmagnet]

Hi Clive, I have both your previous books on the Equinox and look forward to reading this one. Thank you for giving us a sampling. Best of luck with it.

[Monster]

This “skill building” is such a basic concept, yet it still seems that DROVES of people still want “the magic settings”....the ones that you never have to move again and will optimize whatever machine it is in question to every site they will ever hunt. Why would the machine in front of you have various controls to change various things? Learning WHAT DOES WHAT seems like quite a chore to some, downright frightening to others. WHY? The more you know (information that is scientific in nature and can be replicated anywhere) the better your odds of repeated success. It takes effort, more for some than others. But being totally reliant on others to tell you what to do under what circumstances doesn’t allow for growth in the skill set, and relegates the “average hunter” to remain that way. Only when a person decides to take control of their own hunting will results progressively move into the positive.

[cjc]

Totally agree, Monster.  Going from the specific (settings, for example) to the general doesn't work.  To be versatile and have consistent success needs a broad set of skills.  These skills will help you under any conditions--instead of trying make "one size fit all".    When you have some solid complete definitions in hand (modulation, gain, iron bias for example), and basic skills to apply these features any set of conditions will be easier to figure out.  
There's no such thing as "push button detecting"--contrary to what the companies would have us believe. cjc

 

[cjc]

On 10/31/2019 at 7:24 PM, flakmagnet said:

Hi Clive, I have both your previous books on the Equinox and look forward to reading this one. Thank you for giving us a sampling. Best of luck with it.

Thanks, Flak--came out okay--hope you like it. 

cjc