Steve Herschbach

I posted this in my first reply but will post again. The TM808 is no harder to learn than any detector. Utility detectors are often the same type machines with different branding. The Fisher Gemini 3 is utility branded as the TW-6. Information on Deep Seeking Metal Detectors Good luck!

I challenge anyone to prove to me they can find a natural unmodified one ounce gold nugget at three feet with an Equinox. You might claim a one ounce nugget can be found within a three foot range, but not up to (down to?) three feet. If an Equinox could perform such a feat it would not just obsolete single frequency detectors, it would obsolete Minelabs $7999 GPZ 7000. If somebody asked me if they should get a GPZ 7000 to find one ounce gold nuggets at three feet I’d tell them not to waste their money. An Equinox sure is not going to do it. Natural gold nuggets have everything going against you. They are a gold alloy with a much lower conductivity than a pure gold target except those rare nuggets that are of exceptional high purity. Some Australia & California gold is very pure and a lot of Alaska and Nevada gold is quite low purity. The target ID numbers in the chart below reflect lower purity as lower VDI numbers, so some larger nuggets read lower than smaller nuggets. The size is usually irregular and often includes rock material or air spaces. Wire and dispersed gold varieties are almost invisible to metal detectors. Finally, gold is normally found in highly mineralized ground. The nugget top center is just shy of one Troy ounce so a good example of what we are talking about. Probably about 80% gold, irregular shape, and so it reads about the same as a nickel. I can't imagine it would be detectable even at two feet with the Equinox, if I had to guess I'd say maybe 14" - 16" max in milder ground. Click chart below for larger version. Also note that a large solid gold nugget can read as high as a silver dollar! Proving once again it is size more than the type of metal that determines where targets fall on the target id scale.

More Equinox air test videos Air tests are maximum possible depths, actual depth in ground will be less.

The video above says it all. Note that the aluminum soda can fades out at 24" (60 - 70 cm). A flattened 1 ounce gold nugget is roughly the size of a half dollar and a rounded nugget will appear even smaller to a detector. I’m sorry you were mislead. Don’t listen to anything else they say... they may try and sell you an even more expensive detector of some sort. There are some manufacturers that make outrageous claims about what their detectors can do. The larger the item is the deeper it can be detected. Almost no gold nuggets can be detected over two feet deep except under very rare circumstances, and those would have to be very large gold nuggets weighing many ounces or even pounds. I have dug a lot of gold in my life and most of it was less than a foot deep. Information on Deep Seeking Metal Detectors

The Equinox cannot find items that small that deep. You expect too much of metal detectors if you think you can find one ounce nuggets three feet deep. That’s basically not possible with any metal detector. Turn on the detector, use Park 1 and increase the sensitivity to 25. If there is interference reduce the sensitivity until the detector is quiet. Put the detector on a table with the coil aiming into the air and with no metal nearby. Wave items under the coil to see how far you can detect them. For most normal items this will be 1 - 2 feet. For large items and while learning I would stick with Park 1. Playing with the settings too much starting out will confuse you and make things worse. Learn the basic operation of the detector and how it reacts in the field before changing settings too much. If you change settings, use a buried test target to make sure the new settings actually work better.

It would take a lot to get me to buy any new detector now that lacks an update function. All new releases for quite a few years now have needed updates, and the only ones that have not is probably just because you get what you get and that’s the way it is going to be. Even if the machine needs improving after release any manufacturer that puts out a detector without an update feature will be resistant to the very idea. I’m betting the Garrett AT Max would have benefitted from a post release update, but lacking the update feature... well, it’s just not going to happen. Just something to consider on all new releases these days.

One of the best report presentations I have seen in a very long time Chet. Thank you very much for taking the time for the benefit of the rest of us! 👍🏼

We don’t hear too much about any VLF nugget hunting, and of that almost nothing about the Gold Kruzer. The reality is most of the people posting are swinging PI type units these days. There used to be talk of a Nokta/Makro PI detector but all that appeared was a pinpointer. All the other talk has died away completely now. I think the Gold Kruzer is one of the best deals going right now in a VLF nugget detector, but it seems like everyone that needs one of those already has something.

There is no need to quit anything in life Reg if it is not working against you. I’m certainly not out to convince people of anything and am the last person to judge what others do. It’s not about amounts or how often or anything else. A wise person told me “it’s only a problem if it’s a problem”. I was not drinking, I was killing myself. That’s a problem. There is nothing about substance abuse that predicates how people will be after they stop. Nothing about quitting anything inherently makes people boring or turns them into preachy religious types. Those are separate issues. It’s only a wagon of boredom if that’s what you make of it. I have no idea who is addicted to things or who is not, but I can promise you one thing. If you are an addict, your mind will find a million reasons not to quit. Many if not most addiction issues have underlying causes. This can be seen clearly with food, spending, and gambling addictions. There are people addicted to bad relationships. It’s every bit as much a mental health issue as a chemical dependency issue. A large number of people with chemical dependencies are self medicating for underlying mental health issues. Personally I was at first self medicating and only secondarily developed a chemical dependency. What that means is there are many people who quit whatever their drug of choice is but who are far from normal, well adjusted people afterwards. There are many classic “dry drunks” and they may have quit drinking but are still generally miserable human beings. Quitting drugs or alcohol is not some automatic magical road to happiness. For me quitting drinking was just the start of a process that has continued ever since.

Thank you all for the kind words of support, it’s much appreciated. Though I do have to be careful. My ego is my number one enemy and humility my friend and protector. I am not an AA member per se, but they recommend anonymity for good reason. The downside of that however is it does contribute to the stigma side of things. It’s important that people know it’s not just that skid row bum but everyone in all walks of life that faces these issues. Business owners are just one of many classes at particular risk. I’m still on the Board of Directors of my old company. They look at me like some amazing old guy, one of the founders, successful business person and all that hoorah. My last visit up I gave a presentation to the entire company where I told them no, I’m just a high school kid who made good but not because I am perfect by any means. I told them my story and let them know people in need would always get our support, to not be afraid to come forward and ask for help. There were literally tears in some eyes... it was a very emotional thing. The dark, cold, and social isolation of Alaska means the rates of every bad thing in the book are sky high. I am a good speaker and good story teller so I want to leverage those strengths to best advantage. I can help people one on one but it’s all about finding ways to be of more influence than that, and a book plays right into it. The problem always is making it about me instead of the people I want to help, and therein lies the danger in being public about this sort of thing. All I can say is I have always been a risk taker and will walk that tightrope as best I can. I can’t imagine giving up the peace of mind I have attained for any reason, but addiction is a tricky thing and I’m not entirely normal, whatever the heck that means! That’s ok though, I have learned to embrace my weirdness and above all laugh at myself. If I start taking myself seriously I know I’m on the wrong path. Anyway, once again, thank you all. It really is massively off topic but hey, I think I’ll give it a pass this time. That’s enough from me on the subject though, the rest can wait for that book. It’s been in the works all year with the goal of getting published next year. I’ve denied myself any more new toys, vacations, you name it until that thing is done and in the bag. Going public with all this does help put a fire under my goal, so there is a method here at work where I am purposefully making the commitment publicly as one of my self motivation tricks. With that, my best to all of you in your own journeys, and if you do need some help, please seek it out. It is amazing how many people want to help if all you do is admit you need it and ask. That is indeed the key. It’s ok to be human.

As one of the few who knew... thank you George. Best wishes to you and Bee!

It’s a book on alcoholism and recovery, something I know too much about. I was addicted to alcohol and am coming up on eight years sober. It was the hardest thing ever did, with it taking lots of miserable years and two stints in rehab to get clean. I’m working towards a peer support specialist certificate at the University of Nevada, Reno. It’s a continuation of a new chapter in my life that I’m very excited about. Oddly enough I count my struggles with alcohol now as among the greatest blessings in my life as it set my feet on a path I don’t think I would have found otherwise. Thanks for asking. That was my official “coming out” statement. A real issue with addiction is the false dual life a person leads, and I’m enjoying finally just being whole in who I am. The good and the bad, no more energy devoted to presenting a false front. I’m just a flawed human doing the best I can. One of the reasons I am doing this is that as a so-called “successful person” I am in a position to speak out on issues surrounding the stigma attached to addiction and recovery issues. As an Alaskan I knew far too many people who are not with us now due to drugs and alcohol. It’s an issue that has touched too many lives in this country. My goal is to make some hard earned lemonade out of the lemons I grew and hopefully help some people the way I was helped myself. I am amazed every single day and eternally grateful for how fortunate I am. Thanks again for asking. This post is another big step forward in my ongoing recovery journey. But definitely off topic!

I’ll run a bunch of rings past my V3i and Equinox tomorrow and compile the results. Relative positioning compared to a nickel and a zinc penny should be the same, and if not that would be good to know. What firmware version, modes, and tweaks like iron bias are we talking about Tom? That might matter.

I misunderstood the question I think, and erased my previous answers, as well as the cell phone discussion. I thought you were asking why 15 kHz was not included as a single frequency option in Gold Mode and tried to offer a rationale for that. The real answer to that question is “I don’t know why Minelab only offered 20 kHz and 40 kHz single frequency options in Gold Mode”. I have some pretty good ideas but at the end of the day it does not matter, it is what it is. I believe however Walt what you are really trying to ask is “why does Multi as incorporated in Gold Mode not include 15 kHz?” Nobody has ever said that 15 kHz is not included in the mix. The single frequency options offered have nothing to do with what frequencies make up the Multi option, if that is what you were assuming. Nobody but Minelab knows what is really going on in the processing side, but here are the scope results of the transmitted frequencies https://www.detectorprospector.com/forums/topic/8565-equinox-is-multi-frequency-or-isnt-it-is-it-not-it-is-isnt-it/?do=findComment&comment=85296 And does not answer the question directly but good nonetheless...

Just the opposite, story and adventure threads with photos are the kind people enjoy the most... you are not getting lots of views for any reason but that. Thank you for taking the time to write it up and post the photos as it does take effort but is appreciated. 👍🏼

Minelab has not authorized aftermarket coils on any detector since the CTX 3030. Not for the SDC 2300, GPZ 7000, or Gold Monster. The Coiltek coils for the SDC appear to be an unauthorized suprise that caught Minelab off guard, made possible by the lack of protective chip in the coil. They assumed the way the machine was designed was enough to preclude aftermarket coils. The history is not looking good for Equinox in that regard. It would be nice to get a positive surprise but I’m not holding my breath at this point. Minelab seems now to put out a machine with two or three coils, and then move on to the next machine they are working on. SDC 2300, one coil, done. GPZ 7000, two coils, done. Gold Monster, two coils, done. Maybe it’s Equinox, three coils done. Then Vanquish, three coils, done. Then on to whatever comes next. Aftermarket seems to boil down to, if there is not a direct buck in it for Minelab for each coil sold, they want to block it.

I’m not saying you can’t make money selling coils, just not enough for Minelab to care about doing it. Holding higher margins on machines is more important to them then picking up pennies selling coils. But I could be wrong of course, it’s all just speculation.

I’ve been advocating for coils by saying things like “if I had a small coil for the GPZ I would not need my SDC.” Maybe that is exactly why when I advocate for certain coils they never happen!! 😱

There is another theory about Minelab and coils that I used to think was silly. Now I am not so sure. It basically states that Minelab makes machines that are unique and distinct. There is almost no sharing of accessories between various models, and in fact the various models have a very unique look and feel. Almost like six different companies making detectors. It could therefore be policy to keep model series very distinct and different, and to never let one model undermine another. No accessory sharing. Three different WM wireless modules for three different detectors. An accident? I don’t think so. That explains why no small coil for the GPZ 7000. It might undermine SDC 2300 sales. A small coil for the GPZ makes it as good or better than the SDC on tiny gold. So don’t do that. Conversely, don’t let the SDC use larger coils. That might undermine GPX sales. A properly designed elliptical coil for the Equinox 800 would make it slam dunk better than a Gold Monster 1000. So don’t do that. Equinox has three coils of different size and shape than Vanquish, and vice versa. Don’t make round coils for Vanquish, and don’t make smaller ellipticals for Equinox. There are starting to be enough examples of this I am actually starting to think it’s true. Minelab is not interested in selling coils, they want to sell complete detectors, and limiting coils is a strategy for doing that. Even if it’s not true, it’s a great conspiracy theory because it matches reality pretty well.

That’s nice to hear. Jimmy and I were allies a few times battling White’s on stuff. Thanks for posting that.

From https://www.detectorprospector.com/forums/topic/8607-fisher-impulse-aq-formerly-aqua-manta-pulse-induction-metal-detector/?do=findComment&comment=97913 "the first to go out AQua the Terra should not be long it's the same platform, some components that change + the facade / the rest is of the programming .." As far as I know the Impulse AQ was first rumored by Tim Mallory of First Texas on Facebook in July 2014. Here is part of what he said: Tim Mallory - Joe, we have 15 seasoned engineers. Still it takes 3 to 5 years to get a new platform to the intro stage. Let me just say, a PI is in the works. Dusty Willis - So I was wondering.... When is fisher going to get into the pulse induction business and come out with a pi machine for gold to compete with minelab? Tim Mallory - Dusty, it's on the bench. But still in research...arguably close to development stage...someday we will have a kick ass PI." So 3 - 5 years.... as of August 2019 we are at five years.

Finally, an answer from somebody that knows something. Why was Jack telling everyone it was a folded mono, creating all this confusion? Thanks Walt!

There are a few dealers who hang out on these forums and help answer people’s questions, like Jim up above. Reward them for it when possible.