600 Vs. 800 Differences - More Than Just A Gold Prospecting Mode

[Hello]

Thank you for the information Chase Goldman and Steve Herschbach. I apologize that I am a bit slow to take in all the information, as it is new to me and sometimes difficult to understand all the information in the English language.

When it comes to balancing and ground disruption, is that something that the 600 and the 800 detects and fixes for automatically? Automatic field balancing?

[Hello]

When I look at this website: https://www.guldstrom.se/sv/arkeologiska-arbeten I see that the 600 version is not found under metal detectors for archeology, while the 800 version is there. Does this mean that the 800 version is suitable for archeology while the 600 version is not suitable for archeology? Is that also a difference between them, would you guys say?

[Chase Goldman]

59 minutes ago, Hello said:

Thank you for the information Chase Goldman and Steve Herschbach. I apologize that I am a bit slow to take in all the information, as it is new to me and sometimes difficult to understand all the information in the English language.

When it comes to balancing and ground disruption, is that something that the 600 and the 800 detects and fixes for automatically? Automatic field balancing?

 

53 minutes ago, Hello said:

When I look at this website: https://www.guldstrom.se/sv/arkeologiska-arbeten I see that the 600 version is not found under metal detectors for archeology, while the 800 version is there. Does this mean that the 800 version is suitable for archeology while the 600 version is not suitable for archeology? Is that also a difference between them, would you guys say?

Hello,

First, I forgot to mention another related advantage to having the higher frequency options on Equinox - this is somewhat related to the fact that the higher frequencies tend to be better suited to detecting smaller targets.  The higher frequencies may allow you to separate targets better in situations where there are high densities of targets in the ground.  Separation of adjacent targets is mostly a function of how quickly the detector recovers after it detects and processes a target signal during your coil sweep.  High recovery speed detectors (like the Equinox) enable adjacent targets to be picked up better because the detector has detected, processed, ID'd and signaled the target's presence very quickly and is available to detect the next target during your sweep.  Secondary factors that help to better separate targets are the coil size and the operating frequency.  Intuitively smaller coils and higher frequencies working in conjunction with the detector's set recovery speed enhance separation.  

One thing to be clear on though, if you haven't already started to figure this out, metal detecting is all about balancing trade-offs.  In this case, optimizing for target separation can result in a decrease in detection depth.  That may be OK for the situation at hand, but you just need to be aware of and balance the tradeoff.  Your ability to know the capabilities of your machine and to balance its settings and the associated tradeoffs are skills that enhance your detecting success and just like learning a musical instrument takes time, practice, and patience.  It is this learning curve phase, where you are digging a lot of junk targets, that many new detectorists find daunting, boring, or frustrating and they abandon their new hobby as result.

All this to say, do not worry about asking lots of questions at this point.   There is not a lot about metal detecting and metal detectors that is necessarily intuitive.  The questions you are asking indicate actually the opposite of being "slow".  You are asking good questions, especially considering the natural language challenges that come with such a highly technical discussion.

Now to answer your specific question regarding ground balancing:

On both the 600 and 800, ground conductivity effects are balanced through manual action one of two ways.  The manual method has you manually vary the ground balance setting as you listen to the ground feedback noise while bouncing the coil vertically above the ground until the noise "nulls" out or reaches a minimum.  The other "auto" method automatically adjusts the ground setting while you bounce the coil above the ground.  The auto GB method is the one that is most commonly use.  The 600 and 800 also have a tracking mode that automatically rebalances the detector while detecting as changes in the ground conductivity are sensed.  This method has some advantages in highly variable ground conditions but also has drawbacks because it reacts slowly (so it is not good to just start swinging in tracking mode without first setting the ground balance using auto or manual gb) and can also result in reduced sensitivity on very small targets like small gold nuggets because it is not as precise as manual/auto ground balancing.

Regarding your question on whether the 600 is good for archaeology:

Be careful about detecting information or marketing sites putting detectors into specific categories.  When it comes to coin shooting or detecting artifacts, there is a lot of overlap and gray areas.  The 600 does just fine at recovering artifacts as it does with coins, beach detecting, and also its capabilities to detect natural gold.  Like I said previously, the advantage of the 800 is slightly more versatility in settings that enable you focus on more specific target types or deal with unusual site conditions (lots of trash, difficult soils, etc).  Just about any decent modern detector will do well on detecting artifacts as well as coins limited only by the versatility of the settings to handle the site conditions and target types at the site.

Hope this helps.

 

[Hello]

Thank you very much Chase Goldman, for the help. Very kind of you.

[Jeff McClendon]

Hi Hello,

I agree with Chase, the Equinox 600 and 800 can both be used very well for artifact or relic hunting. The Gold Modes on the 800 may offer a little more depth in certain situations, but the Park and Field modes on both the 600 and 800 will do very well on 3 to 5 mm and larger targets with a lot more features and information than in the Gold Modes. I would not hesitate to buy an Equinox 600 unless you want the extra audio features, wireless headphones and WM08 module and Gold Modes for prospecting.

The dealer website you referred too makes no sense, even in English. No reason to exclude the Equinox 600 from the Archeology category.

Jeff

[Hello]

43 minutes ago, Jeff McClendon said:

Hi Hello,

I agree with Chase, the Equinox 600 and 800 can both be used very well for artifact or relic hunting. The Gold Modes on the 800 may offer a little more depth in certain situations, but the Park and Field modes on both the 600 and 800 will do very well on 3 to 5 mm and larger targets with a lot more features and information than in the Gold Modes. I would not hesitate to buy an Equinox 600 unless you want the extra audio features, wireless headphones and WM08 module and Gold Modes for prospecting.

The dealer website you referred too makes no sense, even in English. No reason to exclude the Equinox 600 from the Archeology category.

Jeff

Hi Jeff,

Thank you for your help.

You think I can do just about as well with the 600?

Sounds good. In that case I can save money and also buy a pinpointer detector, an sand scoop in stainless steel for picking up things from the water, in lakes, the ocean etc.

Have you used both the 600 and the 800 and compared the to them in practice?  And you've come to the conclusion that 800 doesn't give so much more value for the extra money?

I take the opportunity to ask some more things.

What is the WM08 module?

What about these arguments?:

"Coin hunters will find 800 unit more enjoyable due to having more ways to configure detector tonally per target of interest."

"Prospecting modes on 800 unit are not only good for gold. They are good for depth plus they actually give the best separation/unmasking performance in heavy iron and nails. Will take a user some time to get accustomed to. Trust me, this is no BS."

From post 17: http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?s=d4156c03e7a40a8c7a1640e8a13e9de7&t=270372

"Backlight on 600 is either on or off. Reports suggests it is too bright (non adjustable)."

What is the backlight of the detector?

"600 unit will get no wireless headphones."

Do I need headphones? Can I detect without them?

[Jeff McClendon]

I own and use both regularly. If you set them up in 1, 2 or 50 tones with the same settings they will detect the same in Park, Field and Beach modes. If you try to use 3,4 or 5 tones there is a big difference with the available audio features on the 800. The tone breaks are fixed on the 600 so tone options are 1, 2 5 and 50 tones. Since the tone breaks are movable on the 800 it is easy to set the 800 up with 3 or 4 tones along with 1,2,5 and 50 tones. Volume and pitch are adjustable for every tone break on the 800. Only the iron tone break has adjustable pitch, volume and tone break on the 600. 

I use my 600 almost everyday for coin, jewelry and relic hunting. I do not agree with the post from the MetalDetecting forum you sited. The more settings for recovery speed and iron bias are nice, but for coin sized objects or bigger, the 600 does just fine.

For me, the biggest operational difference between the 600 and the 800 is the 600 has the simultaneous multi frequency setting which uses frequencies in theory between 5 and 40 kHz in the Park, Field and Beach modes. The 600 has single frequency settings in Park and Field modes of 5, 10 and 15 kHz. The 800 has the simultaneous multi frequency setting which uses frequencies in theory between 5 and 40 kHz in the Park, Field, Beach and Gold modes. The 800 has single frequency settings in Park and Field modes of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 40 kHz and 20 and 40 kHz in the Gold modes. The 800 also has the single slot for a custom program.

The WM08 module uses Minelabs proprietary Wi-Stream wireless system. You can plug wired headphones or earbuds into the WM08 module and clip the module to your front shirt or coat pocket and you do not have a headphone wire to deal with connected to your Equinox. So the WM08 gives you another way to have wireless operation.

Your information is out of date. The newer Equinox 600 should have been updated so that the backlight now has an Off, Low and High setting.

The 600 has the built in Wi-Stream transmitter for using the WM08 wireless module and the Bluetooth Low Latency transmitter built in for use with any compatible ATPX low latency wireless headphones and earbuds. I have a set of Avantree LL headphones which work great along with a set of Aukey B80 earbuds.

I would study the Minelab Equinox Essential Information area of the Equinox forum for lots more information.

Jeff

[Hello]

5 hours ago, Jeff McClendon said:

I own and use both regularly. If you set them up in 1, 2 or 50 tones with the same settings they will detect the same in Park, Field and Beach modes. If you try to use 3,4 or 5 tones there is a big difference with the available audio features on the 800. The tone breaks are fixed on the 600 so tone options are 1, 2 5 and 50 tones. Since the tone breaks are movable on the 800 it is easy to set the 800 up with 3 or 4 tones along with 1,2,5 and 50 tones. Volume and pitch are adjustable for every tone break on the 800. Only the iron tone break has adjustable pitch, volume and tone break on the 600. 

I use my 600 almost everyday for coin, jewelry and relic hunting. I do not agree with the post from the MetalDetecting forum you sited. The more settings for recovery speed and iron bias are nice, but for coin sized objects or bigger, the 600 does just fine.

For me, the biggest operational difference between the 600 and the 800 is the 600 has the simultaneous multi frequency setting which uses frequencies in theory between 5 and 40 kHz in the Park, Field and Beach modes. The 600 has single frequency settings in Park and Field modes of 5, 10 and 15 kHz. The 800 has the simultaneous multi frequency setting which uses frequencies in theory between 5 and 40 kHz in the Park, Field, Beach and Gold modes. The 800 has single frequency settings in Park and Field modes of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 40 kHz and 20 and 40 kHz in the Gold modes. The 800 also has the single slot for a custom program.

The WM08 module uses Minelabs proprietary Wi-Stream wireless system. You can plug wired headphones or earbuds into the WM08 module and clip the module to your front shirt or coat pocket and you do not have a headphone wire to deal with connected to your Equinox. So the WM08 gives you another way to have wireless operation.

Your information is out of date. The newer Equinox 600 should have been updated so that the backlight now has an Off, Low and High setting.

The 600 has the built in Wi-Stream transmitter for using the WM08 wireless module and the Bluetooth Low Latency transmitter built in for use with any compatible ATPX low latency wireless headphones and earbuds. I have a set of Avantree LL headphones which work great along with a set of Aukey B80 earbuds.

I would study the Minelab Equinox Essential Information area of the Equinox forum for lots more information.

Jeff

Thank you Jeff.

The 600, has simultaneous multi frequency setting for between 5 and 40 kHz, but just in theory? What does that mean?

I think I can do well without WM08 module, wireless headphones etc.

So you have used hte 600 and the 800 a lot. And both have found objects equally. Have you never come across a situation when you needed the 800 and you were glad you had it too? If so, in what situation? May I ask why do you still have the 800 if the 600 works just as well?

 

 

[Jeff McClendon]

Minelab will not tell any of us mortals what frequencies are actually being used in the simultaneous multi frequency settings except to say they are the same frequency combinations on the 600 and the 800 depending on what mode used.

I am a gold prospector, so I use my 800 mostly for small gold nugget prospecting and for relic hunting using the Gold modes.

Other than gold prospecting where the 800 is clearly better on tiny targets using the gold modes, I would not pick one over the other. They work equally well for me.

[Hello]

5 hours ago, Jeff McClendon said:

Minelab will not tell any of us mortals what frequencies are actually being used in the simultaneous multi frequency settings except to say they are the same frequency combinations on the 600 and the 800 depending on what mode used.

I am a gold prospector, so I use my 800 mostly for small gold nugget prospecting and for relic hunting using the Gold modes.

Other than gold prospecting where the 800 is clearly better on tiny targets using the gold modes, I would not pick one over the other. They work equally well for me.

Thanks Jeff. Yes that makes sense, gold mode for gold prospector.

So you are using the gold modes on the 800 for relic hunting too?  Is the gold modes best for hunting relics? And only gold modes on the 800 as I understand it.