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Eq800 Update Or Not?


RobNC

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My new Equinox does not seem to have the newest firmware. I do not see the F2 option so pretty sure it is not the latest firmware.

I've read varying opinions on the newest update. All sorts of things have been said, good and bad. Some say it has messed with the ID a bit too much and thrown them off from what it used to be. Some say the addition of F2 has been a good thing, others say nope.

So, what do you think? Should I just run it like it is or is the new firmware somehow better in general? Curious is all and would enjoy hearing from anyone that cares to respond with their experiences and findings. Thanks for your time

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I haven't really noticed a change in ID - nevertheless if you are just starting over with the Equinox, that shouldn't be a factor for you.  F2 is an added option that I like and since ML retained FE, then you don't even have to revert the firmware to stick with FE.  So basically, I see no reason not to upgrade.  That being said, are you certain you used the proper key sequence to get you to the F2 option and it was not there?  Specifically, once you navigate to the iron bias settings menu you need to press the accept/reject button to toggle between FE/F2. Pardon the question, but it is just a tad tricky to get there so just wanted to be sure.  Apologies if you already did this as state and were not able to pull up F2. 

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4 minutes ago, Chase Goldman said:

I haven't really noticed a change in ID - nevertheless if you are just starting over with the Equinox, that shouldn't be a factor for you.  F2 is an added option that I like and since ML retained FE, then you don't even have to revert the firmware to stick with FE.  So basically, I see no reason not to upgrade.  That being said, are you certain you used the proper key sequence to get you to the F2 option and it was not there?  Specifically, once you navigate to the iron bias settings menu you need to press the accept/reject button to toggle between FE/F2. Pardon the question, but it is just a tad tricky to get there so just wanted to be sure.  Apologies if you already did this as state and were not able to pull up F2. 

I will go check right now, but thought I did press the accept key and got a bleep but no F2 change. Thank you for the info!

Update: Nope, no F2 option using described method only a bleep sound

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You can try them all and see which you like the best. You can upgrade or downgrade to any firmware version with the update app from Minelab. You just have to choose the firmware version you want. IMHO, if you hunt in a lot of iron you should try the new F2 setting.

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I recommend the upgrade, but perhaps you should wait to see what other folks opinions are on version 2.0.  I have a primary and backup 800 since one gets abused beach hunting.  I had 1.5 on one and 1.75 on the other.  Once 2.0 came out with the F2 filter, I went ahead and upgraded both to 2.0.  I felt 1.7.5 caused the 6-inch coil to false a little more on iron.  F2 adjustments addressed that concern.  The good news is that you can easily move between all three firmware versions so there is no situation where you can't go back to a version you like if the new one does not float your boat.  Check out this thread - the OP is not a fan of 2.0 and has tried out all three versions and is deciding between 1.5 and 1.7.5.  So you can read through his experience in the field and in his home testing to get his perspective on the various versions.

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I have to say I have no issues at all with the 2.0 upgrade. I have been hunting on beaches that have tons of black sand in layers. With the original 800 it used to really react to those layers..with the 2.0 upgrade it has been my experience that the iron interference has been cut down by a noticeable degree. I have not done much hunting yet on 'solid ground' so can't comment on how the upgrade works in those circumstances.

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For me...... the upgrade did a lot more for the dirt hunters who work in a lot more iron.   Odd a new Nox wouldnt have it.   But in any case the website will tell you when you plug in to upgrade what version you have.   IF you want to go to another version .... there are three little dots in the lower right corner.   I went back to the original version and like it best for beach hunting.... digits were just reading better for  me in the water.   Id liked to have had the F2 option for the original program.... but it dont work like that.  

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“Odd a new Nox wouldn't have it.“

Not odd at all. Product can sit in the distribution pipeline and on dealer shelves for way longer than people know. That is why there is an update function.

Funny how everyone complained how the CTX did not get enough updates, yet when Minelab puts them out for Equinox people don’t want them.

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I'm on the fence about updating it. Things went really good on the first hunt. To be honest I'm sort of afraid to tinker with things seeing as how it did so well the way I had it set. There is always a concern that perhaps the factory flash is the best and maybe some weirdness could be introduced doing it "at home". That is me being brutally honest. I imagine they already have the chips loaded up from a hardware programming perspective (direct connection to the board itself with factory interface) vs when we do it through a USB port that is primarily used for charging. Just a thought. Now that may seem a bit paranoid to you guys but hey.. I've seen a PC BIOS flash go bad a time or two. This is really no different, as you are indeed upgrading the firmware on a chip.

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If it ain’t broke don’t fix it! :smile:

For what it’s worth I’ve done more Equinox updates than anyone and never broke a detector yet doing it. Millions of people do product updates every day. My watch just updated a couple days ago. I think nothing of it but that’s just me. And I was an IT person, not somebody blind to reality. Putting a sound card in a old PC on a network... that was risky. Modern updates, not so much.

Seriously though, if you are happy with your Equinox leave it alone. The detector worked fine as originally shipped. It worked fine after the first update. It still does well after the last update. Stuff people discuss on forums most users don’t notice and don’t care about. It’s the locations chosen, hours of detecting, and your expertise that brings home the goods, not which particular software version you are using.

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