Jump to content

Equinox Software Update 3.0...


GKman

Recommended Posts

8 hours ago, mn90403 said:

I have put on the other updates within 2 days of seeing them.  I'll be putting this one on too but I have to crank up another computer besides this Chromebook to do it.

I was HOPING someone that is using the new update now would tell me it is GREAT or not.  I haven't gotten any takers.

See ColonelDan's “V3 Update Report; My First Impressions” on this Equinox forum.  Recent post with a good wrtieup.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites


2 hours ago, Gold Hound said:

Can't believe all the negative rhetoric!

I didn't notice any, but I might provide some here, so stay tuned.  😏  Not everything I say is necessarily applicable or even relevant to Minelab updates.

Historically there have been concerns/complaints/claims that updates take away features that were desirable to some users but annoying others -- in particular, toning down the max gain/sensitivity adjustment to quiet a detector.  As such, updates can cause a suspicious eye to be cast by some.  (The Fisher F75 in particular comes to mind.  I still don't know if that's exactly what happened, but there certainly was a lot of accusations that it was.)

Typically (from my experience) these kinds of updates result in subtle differences.  As such, we read varied user reports/reviews of how things have changed.  In my experience these reports often either don't stack up, or if they do occur they get exaggerated.

Sometimes wishful thinking by users can cut both ways.  For example, consider the (apparently still ongoing) quirkiness of the Equinox pinpoint mode.  It was noticed from the start, and when the first update (was it 1.5?) was released, some said it was improved/fixed.  I never noticed any difference myself.  Could be me; could be them....  Those who were hoping for improvement of that 'bug' but didn't notice it got even more annoyed.

Another early Eqx complaint was the high conductor --> ferrous wraparound noticed by one vociferous poster in particular for a stack of silver coins.  I recall then that some warned that if Minelab tried to cater to such a rare occurrence they might squash an otherwise more useful, more commonly occurring positive performance quality.  Seems like a reasonable concern to me.

There have been early adopter discussions here on multiple occasions, pertaining to brand new detectors.  To one extreme, some wait at least a full year before buying a new detector, just to make sure it's actually what it's cracked up to be, but also to let the bugs get ironed out (with hardware and software updates).  That has been my approach to these Equinox updates although not to such an extreme.  I wait a couple weeks to read reports, weighing them.  Sure, so far the Equinox updates have been benign at worst.  Is it impossible this one could have a problem?  It is comforting to know that updates are reversible.  Personally I had enough trouble installing the first one (three different Win operating systems to get a positive result) that I'm a bit gun shy of having to go that route.  But that's me.  And I do appreciate the early adopter guinea pigs.  (Please don't take that the wrong way.  Some people are so fond of guinea pigs they keep them as pets.  At least I didn't call you 'white rats'.  :biggrin:)

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was leery about whether 4kHz would make much of a difference over 5, had no idea what stability enhancements actually meant.  This video convinced me to update and see what it could do for me here in the mineralized SE.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No sign of a Version 3 manual on the Minelab web site yet, like the Version 2 manual they provided for download.  Anybody know of an updated manual for Version 3 that might shed some light on the new “various” features?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was able to go to a park that I have hunted a lot this morning. There was an area that I had not hunted before that has quite a bit of EMI. I was using an 3.0 updated Nox 600 in Park 1 Multi, -9 to +40 accepted, ground balanced at 3, Auto noise canceled, sensitivity 22, 5 and 50 tones, recovery speed 3, F2 1. The ground for once was really wet (at least by Denver standards) and my Tek Point pinpointer was going crazy (had to retune often) due to the high mineralization and dampness. 

I was specifically looking for mid conductors (US nickels and pull tabs) or US quarters in high EMI so I could test the "stability" improvements and the function of 4 kHz.

I located some 4 to 6" mid conductors that came in at 12,13,14 so possible nickels and pull tabs. This turned out to be correct one nickel at 5" and one modern pull tab at 5". The EMI was very noticeable with sensitivity at 22 in multi but target numerical IDs were good. I switched to 5 kHz and EMI was very bad, lowered sensitivity to 20= still bad, lowered sensitivity to 18 and checked numerical target IDs which were off by 5 so these two nickel/pulltab targets read 17 to 22 with an occasional 14. I switched to 4 kHz with sensitivity at 18 and there was no EMI. I bumped it up to 20, still no EMI. At 22 there was EMI but doable. I left sensitivity at 22 in 4 kHz and scanned the two 5" mid conductors. They both had target IDs in the high 20s to mid 30s with an occasional 14. I was a bit surprised at this so I ground balanced in 4 kHz again and rechecked.....same result. I thought the Nox was relatively ID normalized for 15 kHz.

I did the same scenario with what turned out to be a 6" deep US quarter. In multi it was a solid 29, 30,31. In 4 kHz the same target was 39, 40 and wrapped around to -9,-8-,-7.  

I did find some shallower (3" or less) pull tabs, nickels and quarters. They all read correctly no matter what frequency I used.

Phrunt, I did not notice any improvement in the pinpoint function. The soil conditions (wet, high mineralization) sucked today so pinpointing with the onboard pinpoint function was a real adventure as usual.

So, 4 kHz is noticeably quieter EMI wise. The up averaging really shocked me however in both 4 kHz, 5 kHz and even 10 kHz to a degree. I rarely use the Nox 600 or 800 in single frequency so maybe this is normal?????????

Jeff 

  • Like 8
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

38 minutes ago, Jeff McClendon said:

The up averaging really shocked me however in both 4 kHz, 5 kHz and even 10 kHz to a degree. I rarely use the Nox 600 or 800 in single frequency so maybe this is normal?????????

I've noticed it at 5 kHz in my test-stand.  (That's with the 2.0 update.)  I've never used 5 kHz in the field because I like multifrequency and have only switched to single frequency when the EMI was really bad.  But in those cases, 5 kHz was really bad, too.  What I've done in the past (coin and relic hunting) to deal with EMI is to step through the single frequencies (starting low at 5 kHz) and stop when I get one that is quiet.  (BTW, I'm talking gain/sensitivity set at least at 18.  And 22 is as high as I ever go except just to check a really quiet target.)  Sometimes it's 10 kHz and when detecting at that frequency I don't remember any up-averaging, but it might have been happening and I just wasn't being very observant.

So it appears from your report that 4 kHz was quieter (EMI-wise) than 5 kHz.  That's interesting.  Were you hunting large conductors in Asia? :laugh:

This is exactly the kind of report I'm wanting to see.  Thanks, Jeff.  Now I anxiously await more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Smithobx said:

So, is everyone in agreement that 4 kHz is a stand alone frequency and not blended in multi in some way in some applications(or not)?🤔🤔

No 

  • Like 1
  • Confused 1
  • Oh my! 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...