Steve Herschbach

If hot rocks are a problem going to a GPX 5000 with its Fine Gold timings is more likely to solve your issue than going to a GPZ 7000. The GPZ is more like a super VLF and struggles with some hot rocks and other difficult situations that a GPX 5000 handles with ease. I don’t regret ditching my GPX in favor of the GPZ but I know it handles my locations. If I had to travel the world dealing with anything chance tossed my way, I would lean back to a GPX myself. Between the settings and coil options the GPX 5000 is in my opinion the most versatile nugget hunter made at this time.

Claim corners or markers are posted by law. Many people do post extra signs. Yet BLM often prohibits extra signage in some areas, and Nevada BLM seems prone to this. Further, it is extremely common for people to destroy claim markers. On the flip side old markers and signs can remain long after a claim is gone. The bottom line is legally it is your responsibility to know the status of land you set foot on.

Larger than 15 ounces with 5 ounces contained gold? Sure, people find stuff bigger than that all the time! Any links to the picture?

I like some of the creative photography experiments here with gold nuggets and more.... https://www.instagram.com/goldsweeper/

From Minelab’s Treasure Talk... EQUINOX 800 & Shallow Coin Hunting Mark Williams I can think of no better time to put the new EQUINOX 800 through its paces on shallow targets than after a large festival. After these events, there are always an abundance of lost treasures lying mostly on the surface, hidden only by the grass, or a thin layer of dirt; but you will also hit targets at depth. Over the years, this has become well known amongst detectorists and, as you can imagine, these events always bring a multitude of us ‘out and about’, rushing around to see how much we can find, before everyone else… This year, for me, was going to be a whole new ball game, especially with the EQUINOX having the ability to hit targets quickly and accurately, while also having super-fast recovery between targets. It takes a bit of getting used to the tight target identification system (TID), but once you work it out, it actually works to your advantage. The one coin that gives me the most grief when hunting the good ol’ Aussie $1 & $2 coins is the cursed 1c piece or, as we call them, ‘brown buggers’; because even though they are so close in their TID, they do actually jump around a bit more (typically between 22 – 24). The other targets that do this are aluminium screw caps, but if you set your tone breaks correctly, it is quite easy to tell the difference between both of these unwanted targets and the more desirable $1 & $2 coins. This brings me to the TIDs for the modern Australian decimal currency and where I set my Tone Breaks, Tones, Frequency, Sensitivity, Recovery Speed and Volumes for successful and efficient detecting. Firstly the TID’s you will need to recognize are as below. I have chosen Multi and 10 kHz to match the TIDs against (the reason I use the 10 kHz is simply my preference, because much of the time the signals are slightly more stable). My measurements are close, but not identical, to the information guide in the EQUINOX Instruction Manual: Now let’s look at how and where my tone breaks are set while running in 5 tones. To set your Tone Break simply use the Settings button to move between functions until you highlight the Accept/Reject icon; then press and hold the Settings button until there is a solid line underneath. Using the Accept/Reject button, select each bin and set to the following by using the Plus (+) and Minus (-) buttons: b1 = -9 – 0; b2 = 1 – 14; b3 = 15 – 20; b4 = 21 – 23; b5 = 24 – 40. To set your Tone Pitch, use the same process as above, but this time select the Tone icon and again select each bin by using the Accept/Reject button: b1 = 1; b2 = 5; b3 = 10; b4 = 20; b5 = 25. To set your Tone Volume, use the same process above, but this time select the Volume icon and again select each bin by using the Accept/Reject button. b1 = 5; b2 = 15; b3 = 15; b4 = 25; b5 = 20. After setting this up, I also run my Recovery Speed at 7 and Sensitivity down around 10, because I am specifically aiming at shallow targets (this also reduces a lot of unnecessary noise). The following video shows the typical solid repeatable tone that you hear from a $1 or $2 coin in either Multi or 10 kHz. The audio is very similar in both frequency settings: 1c pieces will only be an issue if you choose to run in multi-frequency AND have your b4 Tone Break set too high. If you do prefer to run in multi-frequency, you will find, by using these settings, it will save you from digging those pesky 1c pieces and most aluminium caps. If you are in Multi, what you need to listen for is a higher tone like a quick ‘chirp’ amongst the signal as it jumps between b4 tone setting and b5 tone setting and this will let you know that it is more than likely either a 1c or screw cap. You can hear this, as demonstrated in the video below: I have found though, that if you run in a single frequency (my choice is 10 kHz), you will eliminate this problem as the TID’s become more stable and the tone breaks will be sufficient enough. With the EQUINOX 800, you can save a single frequency program in “User” and just toggle between both to check targets, which is also very effective when it comes to identifying ferrous screw caps. (Refer to Gordon Heritage’s blog and video.) This is a very lethal program when hunting shallow targets, as you will see from a pic of one of my 2 hour sessions after a festival. These settings are actually just as effective when hunting deeper, as that is where most 1c pieces are located. Just remember to turn your Sensitivity up! So happy hunting all, and good luck out there.

I have posted pictures of my machines before... here is another. I will not be looking for and listing differences between prototype detectors and finished production models. All that matters are production models, not what came before. More to the point, I can’t discuss those things even if I wanted to!

Welcome to the forum! Fisher Gold Bug 2 or Whites Goldmaster / GMT series. Why? Because many successful meteorite hunters use those machines and they have a proven track record, unlike every detector you listed. You can no doubt find meteorites with any of them, but you would be the one proving it.

Is this at only one location? EMI might seem unlikely but always needs to be eliminated as a possibility these days. Performance issues like this need to happen in locations distant from each other to be sure EMI is not a factor. Other detectors behaving well in the same locations is not proof enough since all detectors handle these things differently. If you have eliminated EMI as a potential issue then the unit does sound like it has a problem.

Not a chance. That website specializes in spreading misinformation and stirring the pot. Here is the thread that started it all. By a first time poster on Dankowskis. I follow all the Equinox forums etc. and have never seen this brought up as an issue anywhere else. I think the worst possible thing everyone can do is start pulling batteries and messing with things. If you do nothing and the Equinox leaks, you are covered under warranty. Pull the batteries and add silicone, and now if it leaks you have provided evidence of tampering and likely rejection of the warranty claim. My advice is don’t fix what ain’t broke.

You will have to inquire with Minelab about such things. Seems doubtful right now since they can’t get detectors shipped fast enough. Later, who knows?

Well, there is a little difference in my opinion dealing with Amazon vs Aliexpress when it comes to accuracy of descriptions, refunds, etc. You generally don't have to hope you will get your money back with Amazon.

The main problem is people confusing absolute depth with relative depth. In the real world targets are rarely all by themselves. Once you put nearby trash into the equation, recovery speed starts to be important, and the denser the trash and ground mineralization, the better Equinox will do compared to BBS/FBS. I have said this a couple times before - if a detector finds a coins surrounded by trash at two inches that another detector cannot find due to target masking, then the machine going two inches is the deepest. I can see this all being a question if you know of places that have never been detected with BBS/FBS. But if a park has been hit for decades by BBS/FBS and is no longer giving up the goods, then the depth question is moot. It is only targets hidden by masking that are likely to remain, and Equinox is the tool to get them.

While people may debate about CTX and Equinox on high conductors all they want, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind which one excels on low conductors.

Too bad they are "on ear" instead of "over the ear". I have never like my ears getting flattened by headphones resting on them. The Minelab units are as small as I can go.

The Mpow was recently upgraded from aptX to aptX-LL and it would be very easy for an older version to get sold as the newer version, especially since they apparently look exactly the same. I don't think it's any more complicated than that. I bet the version from Amazon is the low latency version because their ad specifically mentions the Qualcomm CSR8670 chipset, which is the key spec for those looking for a headphone to replace those supplied by Minelab.

Ground balance numbers have nothing to do with the amount of mineralization. My ground is intensely magnetite laden and ground balances in the single digits. Ground balance reflects the type of mineralization, not the amount. In the end I think the CTX and Equinox are just two different options, and for most people it will make a difference that we are talking a 5.2 lb $2500 detector versus a 3 lb $900 detector. The fact there is a $1600 price difference and that the performance difference is even debatable at all is pretty remarkable in my opinion.

It appears most people are holding out for the Minelab phones - hopefully any time now.

Well, up until now I have been running a pre-production Equinox 800 but Minelab did tell me all along that an actual production model would land on my doorstep someday. And so one just did. It was fun to see one nicely packaged in the box - good job with the packaging Minelab! Funny true story is the one I got is one that has a looser upper twist lock that others have experienced. Even with the twist lock firmly engaged the junction is looser than my prototype unit. Looks to be something that snuck into the early production line models. In my case I will do something about it on my own rather than look this gift horse in the mouth. Anyway, I have been wanting to get the Equinox into the water, but frankly I did not trust my prototype as regards how waterproof it might be. I had visions of mine failing after being submerged and so have resisted the urge until I had a backup - which the pre-production model now is. The fact they sent me this means that production must be catching up. Or that they had one of these loose rod units to get rid of so sent it to me. (just kidding guys at Minelab - thanks)! Up until now I was kind of focused on how well I could hunt coins with Equinox and plenty happy on that count. Now it's off to the races for a little jewelry detecting this week.

One thing to always try when having issues like this is go to multiple locations, or at least more than one. It is impossible to know how much EMI there is at any location. Just because other detectors did not react does not mean there is no EMI. There are plenty of machines that run quiet as a mouse in bad EMI but which at the same time lose significant performance due to it - "silent EMI masking". Other machines avoid it by running at a frequency that misses whatever EMI there is. I went to a location yesterday where I could not get the Equinox to shut up until I got down to sensitivity 10 in multifrequency and around 12 if I ran in 20 kHz. Terrible EMI location for some reason. I am not saying what anyone is experiencing is EMI - just passing this along for people with a new detector using it for the first time at their house or backyard.

First report I have seen from somebody getting Equinox actually underwater - this guy on Findmall down to 8 feet with no issues - and some gold!

As has already been noted, that all happened before detectors shipped to anyone.

I have not seen a thing about rod parts. I am sure lots of people will be interested in the lower rod especially for accessory coils once they are also available.

Why not just ditch the Equinox and go back to using the Fisher then?

Great winter results Lunk! All my winter got me was ten pounds extra around my waist!

Normally the SDC 2300 will hit small gold as well as a hot VLF. However, it is a pulse induction(PI) machine and is in fact a variant of the GPX 5000 Fine Gold timing. This means it handles the worst ground as well as possible, and most hot rocks also. This is where a hot VLF will struggle or fail. The downside is there are some weak spots or “holes” in any PI timing scheme, which causes some nuggets to read poorly or not at all. Worse, it’s almost impossible to say what nuggets those might be due to the infinite variety of nugget size, shapes, and composition. This may be why the nugget you have is not reading as well as it might otherwise. The SDC is made primarily to find gold in ground where VLF detectors struggle or fail. Comparing it to a VLF in an air test has no real bearing on how the machines will perform against each other in the type of location where the SDC is going to excel. The real test of any nugget detector is only partially about how it detects gold. How the detector handles bad ground and hot rocks is every bit as important, and air tests completely ignore this aspect of detector performance.