Steve Herschbach

Part of the problem I think is that most testers A. are not required to speak out and B. kind of think it is a waste of time anyway. People can doubt away and frankly, who cares? It's all water under the bridge anyway once the Equinox gets into more people's hands. The doubters will always doubt no matter what if any "proof" comes from people involved with Minelab in any way at all. For me, and yes I am kicking myself to the curb here when saying so, the real proof will only come when thousands of Equinox detectors are in detectorists hands around the world. Even then the doubts will continue. Historically all new Minelab models are met with extreme skepticism along with considerable guerilla attacks from people with hidden agendas. Yet in almost every case, a year or two goes by, and what everyone once questioned suddenly becomes accepted fact. The same exact scenario will play out here except the process should sort rather quickly this time due to the huge number of Equinox detectors that will soon be in the hands of the general public. Many people are already laying plans for boosting their YouTube viewership by reviewing the Equinox. Many will of course be looking to prove predetermined things, but enough video and enough reviews from enough parties should be available in record time for people to sort it all out for themselves. The ace in the hole as far as I am concerned is I know Equinox works and works well. People will no doubt dispute some fine edges of performance difference here and there but there is no overlooking the fact that this is a heck of a lot of detector for the money. The way the detector world REALLY works is success breeds success. It is all about using machines and making finds. If enough people like me get turned on enough to use Equinox exclusively, then the finds will come. The finds become the proof that generates more sales. More sales means more people, more videos, more finds. It's the Garrett formula for success. Get good performing machines into lots of hands with aggressive pricing, and success becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. Because Equinox actually works!

Ok, now those are different things. Remember, what you first said was that multifrequency has lagged single frequency for sheer depth. So technically speaking all Minelab has to do is EQUAL single frequency for raw depth while delivering the extreme target id accuracy for which multifrequency is famous. Here is a key quote from Minelab: “A significant advantage with Multi-IQ is it's FAST. Think of it as the typical multi-frequency performance of a Minelab detector, at the speed of any good single frequency detector you are familiar with. Also, expect no performance downside running in "Multi" compared to a single frequency. Unless in Gold Mode, we recommend "Multi" as the best frequency option. But, you can use a single frequency if you wish, in Park and Field modes." Ultimately it comes down to the semantics of what is truly new or not. I am hanging my hat on one simple fact. I have swung a multitude of detectors in 45 years and have put in insane hours doing so over the years. In the last three years in particular I have been a regular revolving door of the latest and greatest, and when I hit the ground despite great efforts taken by engineers single frequency always just ends up being single frequency. In my opinion the Fisher F75 pushed single frequency to the limit as far as the target id accuracy that can be achieved at depth with single frequency. The battle to get the Nokta Impact to merely match the F75 for max depth as outlined by Tom Dankowski is very enlightening. I still believe that if you don’t care about target id then you can get more depth than the Equinox running quite a few different detectors in pure all metal modes. I think we can agree that what we want here is better target id at depth, and by depth I simply mean in such a way that other detectors are currently not doing it. Equinox needs to accurately identify targets that other machines do not identify correctly or miss entirely. Otherwise we could all just detect for everything everywhere with a GPX 5000. If depth is all that matters, get a high power PI or a GPZ 7000. What three years of detecting locally did for me was show machine after machine hitting an identical wall to the point that I could hardly work up the desire to care anymore. Machine after machine, hit the parks, same old story. I got the Equinox, and silver started appearing in the very same places. I am not saying it is anything more than that magic extra inch or whatever, but I know darn well this machine is doing something different, and it does not take long to see it. It unlocks targets other detectors do not unlock, plain and simple as that. I am therefore of the opinion that while no detector satisfies everyone, I have every confidence Equinox is going to be a real winner. I don’t have to make crazy claims or waste my time trying to prove anything about Equinox because in my opinion in 60 days what I say and think won’t matter anymore. Equinox will either perk up everyone out there or it won’t, but using me as my favorite guinea pig it just can’t lose. I actually held onto my detector collection until the last possible moment so as to not tip the hand too early, but the fact is I cleared them out as soon as I could once the time came because in my opinion the existing market prices for used detectors has nowhere to go but down. I held onto a few as an insurance policy for oddball applications but the fact is that in 2018 I doubt I will use anything but my GPZ 7000 and Equinox 800. And if any company out there would like me to evaluate or report on any new single frequency detectors - not interested! It’s either new tech, multifrequency, or compact PI, but no single frequency machine is getting a second look from me anymore.

Interesting concept - introductory pricing. Very, very rare in the metal detector world. I can only remember one detector that went up in price after being released. The Gold Bug Pro started as the Gold Bug SE for $499 but once the flaws were ironed out got rebranded as the Gold Bug Pro and price increased to $699. You never know but I would not bet on that happening this time with the Equinox.

I am not looking to name names or pick fights, but I have to admit that after years of rumors about new patents and truly new designs, the latest round of repackaging kind of broke this camels back. The game was there to win for first out of the starting gate, and I was as surprised as anyone that it was Minelab that got off the first shot. Maybe it will be a case of the tortoise winning the race but that works better in fables than in real life. I am the first to admit that fully half my excitement over Equinox is just to finally be laying hands on something new and genuinely different. Repeat after me - FAST Multifrequency. There are many implications in those two words. Multi-IQ is different; in that sheer difference alone it will unlock previously hidden targets, and it is not all about just depth, although that is there also.

Not for me. It only remains to be seen for those who have not seen it or who just don't want to believe what Minelab is saying. The secret sauce with Equinox is Multi-IQ, not single frequency. Anyone can build a great single frequency detector and if that's what people crave there are plenty to choose from. Only Minelab will be building Multi-IQ and the Equinox is going to live or die based on it's multifrequency performance, not it's single frequency legacy modes.

I think it’s funny the number of people who think that when something becomes obsolete it stops working, and so are calling Minelab out because their single frequency detectors will continue to work. Well, last I looked a rotary dial phone still works when I plug it into a phone jack, but that does not mean cell phones have not made them obsolete for most people. BFO metal detectors still function to this day, but would anyone argue they are not obsolete? Peoples existing detectors will continue to work just fine, and there will always be a place for low end product. However, anyone that thinks the future of detecting lies with single frequency is just kidding themselves. The future lies with multifrequency or other sophisticated processing methods. Single frequency has hit the end of the road, and it all comes down to looking forward to the future, or clinging to the past. Equinox is the future, and the latest 13 - 15 kHz single frequency detector dressed up to look new is the past.

Me too. I let the cat out if the bag up front. I pretty much just sold all my other VLF detectors and have no real intention of using any VLF except the Equinox going forward. I know what I think, and so more than most people I am more curious about what others think. So please do post whatever tidbits you find wherever you find them.

Well, here we are with a new year around the corner. Unless somebody else pulls a real rabbit out of the hat, 2018 is shaping up to be the Year of the Equinox. In general, people have no idea just how good this detector is, and I expect things will get a little crazy once they hit the market and the word gets out. The main problem for some time will be a person getting their hands on one. I expect they will sell as fast as Minelab can crank them out for quite some time. Things are quiet right now, and will probably remain so for the next couple weeks, but by the middle of January I expect the floodgates will open and I will no longer be a lone voice in the wilderness. I look forward to stepping back a bit as others come to the fore and speak out more on Equinox. In the meantime, I will push the next few weeks to get out as many technical details as possible. I know there are still questions about many of the finer details of how the Equinox operates. All will be made clear soon. The one area everyone has to be patient about is waiting for Minelab to explain the underlying technology and what it is doing specifically as relates to the different modes. My focus is more on what Equinox does and how to best apply it in the field. Only the wizards at Minelab can really explain what is going on under the hood, so I won’t attempt that. I am really looking forward to 2018, if for no other reason that I can focus on just going detecting again. Equinox has rejuvenated my detecting interests especially as regards coin detecting and 2018 might just be my best coin detecting year ever. And that says a lot for a guy that has been detecting now for 45 years!

Equinox is a multifrequency Minelab - of course it will do well at the saltwater beach. That part should never have been a doubt for anyone. It is people selling single frequency detectors for saltwater use that a person should doubt! I don’t however see anything here that lays the question of CTX or Excalibur versus Equinox to rest for those who are asking such questions. Minelab of course really does not care about that question. They simply want you to buy a Minelab. The main concern for Minelab is how does the Equinox stack up against other waterproof VLF detectors at the beach. Outside of Minelab, what are the alternatives for a brand new waterproof metal detector for use in saltwater? The only other brand VLF detector that comes up constantly in comparisons for saltwater use is the Fisher CZ-21. Other than that and the PI detectors, Minelab multifrequency has ruled the saltwater beach for a long time. Equinox will just tighten Minelab’s already firm hold on that market. For people wanting to hunt saltwater with a VLF, the question now is not so much which brand to get, but simply which Minelab to get. Waterproof Metal Detectors Compared

I have no secret knowledge and I don’t consider myself to be a particularly brilliant detectorist from a technical standpoint. If I have any secret sauce at all it is that I try to find decent locations and put in lots of hours. There are no shortcuts that I am aware of. Just the opposite - patience, perseverance and persistence win the day.

The X-Terra lineup is not noted for a fast recovery speed. I would not call it slow, but it sure is not fast either. Coming from a F75 you would not be impressed in that regard.

The large dark LCD symbols and numbers are far easier on old eyes than the CTX display. It is a flat plastic screen and so at the exact right angle it can turn into a sun mirror. Otherwise one of the strengths of the Equinox is the large, readable display. There is a LCD backlight for low light conditions. Low reflective screen protectors come standard in the box. The bottom picture has the screen protector installed (note the “cheater labels” for the setting icons). You can also see improvements in fit and finish in the last photo compared to the earlier prototypes, the most visible being the bezel around the edges.

My only goal right now is to see my way through the final delivery phase that should get pretty intensive over the coming weeks. Right now is the lull before the Equinox storm. I am sure many YouTube videos will flood the internet soon. I would assume that Brandon (Dr. Tones) will be all over that as will others.

There is a lot to be said for buying from dealers that offer training. The Equinox is however a very easy detector to run. My only goal at the moment is to see my way through the final delivery phase that should get pretty intensive over the coming weeks.

Thanks for the compliment Mitchel. The Equinox is a very easy detector to run. The advanced tone options may seem complicated but most people will never delve into that stuff. The machine will run great for most people right out of the box with minimal adjustment of settings. All this stuff will be covered in great detail soon, and I am sure a cottage industry will emerge producing Equinox videos, books, etc. My only goal at the moment is to see my way through the final delivery phase that should get pretty intensive over the coming weeks. Right now is the lull before the Equinox storm.

There is no graphical display. The target id number is displayed ranging from -9 to 0 ferrous and 1 - 40 non-ferrous. See this thread for details. Here we see a target id of 20 displayed...

Almost identical. The 705 has an upgraded processor, which nobody would probably notice if they did not know about it. Minelab added a ground balance tracking offset, which allows you to bias the tracking slightly positive if desired. There is also a fourth saved pattern (a saved preset discrimination pattern) to the three already available, an LCD backlight and a sizing pinpoint mode. Fairly minor stuff but improvements nonetheless. Download the Minelab X-Terra 705 Instruction Manual Understanding Your X-Terra by Randy Horton X-Terra 70 & 705 On Gold Nuggets

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