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Equinox - What's Improved?


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So I may be in an odd place as a Equinox 800 user, but my main use is nugget shooting, with a bit of relic hunting just to swing a detector. I needed a waterproof machine, but really only water resistant, in fact I sold my Excalibur II to buy the nox so I'm not interested a submersible just something that can handle a dunking when I take a spill on the kayak. Unless the new 900 is better on gold than the 800 then at $500 au cheaper the 800 is better value to me. Okay the 6" coil cost me $200 au but that is offset by the fact that the 800 came with the WM08 module. I can live without the telescopic shaft. Swings and roundabouts. Phrunt has addressed this I'm just giving another perspective. As to faulty ears well it may be a case of famous last words, but I use a pick to dig and move rocks not the coil. 

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The benefits I can see for a nugget hunter only are purely in the build, not the performance. 

You won't care about having the extra Target ID's, a Red back-light won't change your life at all, I wonder how colour blind people go with a red back-light 😛  Your Nox 800 for the most part unless you're unlucky is waterproof, especially for the odd dunking, full time water beach hunting not so much.  The 3 extra notches of sensitivity wouldn't be a game changer if they do much at all as EMI is likely to prevent you from using them often.   Slightly better target separation isn't going to separate a .07 gram nugget next to a nail 🙂  So unless you want a collapsible shaft you'd be wasting your money.

I don't think I've ever seen a 6" coil ears break, but as it stands it looks like only the 11" coil has the new ears anyway, the 6" is the same ears.

They should have replaced the 600 and the 800 with the 700 and 900 and kept the same pricing, but that's not good money making, it's better to leave the old models to compete with the competition and try drum up some sales with the new models, which are just what the old model should have been 😉  Many of the improvements are fixing up the problems with the original.

In fact unless the audio turns out to be Bluetooth LE, and not some custom thing then many people will prefer the original Nox for having aptX LL to use ear buds and other stuff, not locked into ML headphones.

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For those that want a “discrimination” mode as an alternative for gold prospecting, Nox 700/900 Park2 or Field 2 using DP tones (Pitch) may offer some real advantages over one or two tone Nox 600 or 800 Park 2 and Field 2. If a tone break for a ferrous tone is included using DP tones……….that would be even better. Otherwise I see most of the 700/900 improvements as being more water/beach oriented aside from the expanded target ID range. 
 

My Nox 800 with WM08 for almost instantaneous latency with my choice of wired headphones or earbuds for gold prospecting isn’t getting replaced by the 900 or the Manticore anytime soon. 

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10 hours ago, Jeff McClendon said:

My Nox 800 with WM08 for almost instantaneous latency with my choice of wired headphones or earbuds for gold prospecting isn’t getting replaced by the 900 or the Manticore anytime soon. 

This is me Jeff, I love that little transmitter with small ear buds, that is the one thing that is missing for me in the 700,900 range. That audio is fast and very accurate, I only use the over the ear phones on the beach when its windy.

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10 minutes ago, unox said:

This is me Jeff, I love that little transmitter with small ear buds, that is the one thing that is missing for me in the 700,900 range. That audio is fast and very accurate, I only use the over the ear phones on the beach when its windy.

Hopefully the Bluetooth tech in the Nox 700/900 and Manticore is not proprietary and third party earbuds will become available. If not, maybe some third party wireless transmitters and earbuds will work plugged into the 3.5 mm jack. 

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5 minutes ago, Jeff McClendon said:

Hopefully the Bluetooth tech in the Nox 700/900 and Manticore is not proprietary and third party earbuds will become available. If not, maybe some third party wireless transmitters and earbuds will work plugged into the 3.5 mm jack. 

It is definitely Bluetooth LE that they submitted to the FCC for approval, even for the headphones for both the Nox and Manticore as the Nox new headphones work on the Manticore too, I just don't know if they'd be stupid (greedy) enough to manipulate it with software so it only accepts their headphones.  They've been so secretive with the audio, even at this point when they're being sold they won't say what they've done which worries me.

I also don't get why their promo people running around Youtube making videos have said nothing on it.

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On 12/3/2022 at 5:56 AM, phrunt said:

Yes, the Nox 900 is better than the Nox 800, but is it worth something "upgrading" to it that already has a Nox 800? I'm not so sure.

I'm one of those thinking about upgrading from a Nox 800 to a Nox 900.. I know there are cheaper makes which also include features that I like (vibrating handle, waterproof to 5 metres, flashlight and extended target ID) but if I went that route I'd have to build up another coil collection.. I've got a whole range of Equinox and Coiltek coils to cover all my detecting needs.. I'm glad my old coils can be used on the new Equinoxes.. Another reason for an upgrade is that the Mongrel sits well outside what I can afford right now, and I'd be left with the same problem of having only one coil to start off with.. 

 

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3 minutes ago, Erik Oostra said:

I've got a whole range of Equinox and Coiltek coils to cover all my detecting needs.. I'm glad my old coils can be used on the new Equinoxes..

I really hope Minelab does a price for the 900 [Pod Only] 
I do not want a box of items that I will not use. 

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1 minute ago, Erik Oostra said:

I'm one of those thinking about upgrading from a Nox 800 to a Nox 900..

Eric, you're an absolute exception to my opinion there.  I was thinking for my needs with gold nugget hunting.  As a diving water user and beach hunter the 900 makes absolute sense for you and it would be a great upgrade over your Nox, IP68 waterproof, having more Target Id's, vibrating handle which would be great in the water and you can use your existing coils.  If I were you I'd be seriously considering the Nox 900.  If it wasn't for the wireless audio changes (we don't know yet if they're Bluetooth compatible) I'd think they'd be better off discontinuing the 600 and 800 and replacing them with the 700 and 900 at the same pricing, although we don't live in my perfect world.

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1 minute ago, midalake said:

I really hope Minelab does a price for the 900 [Pod Only] 
I do not want a box of items that I will not use. 

That's about as likely as winning the lotto I think 🙂

 

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