Steve Herschbach

Welcome to the forum! This recent thread has a person just starting out detecting gold finding his first nuggets, so it may help inspire you.

My V3i, ATX, Gold Racer, and Gold Monster all run off AA batteries. Due to that all my flashlights, GPS, etc are AA also. I have a couple dozen high quality NiMH AA batteries ready to go right now I am sure. I never travel without two detectors as a rule so I always have AA batteries around. Therefore my interest in a gadget that might let me have yet another use for those batteries in a pinch. I have a small fold up solar panel that runs any charger that has a 12V cigarette type adapter. My panel has the 12V receptacle and I plug it in. I only ever used it two times I can remember though. Worked great.

You can charge the detector from an external source, or you can run it while attached to an external source. You cannot do both at the same time. So if the detector is attached to a power bank and the detector is turned off, it will charge the detector. If the detector is turned on when attached to an external battery source, it will run off that source instead of the built in battery. Power packs and runtimes are being discussed here

I have a RAVPower 16750mAh External Battery Pack that I have for travel for phones, etc. I did use it once to charge the Equinox while on the road and it barely put a dent in the capacity of the power pack. I also have a couple smaller emergency packs. So I am in theory already set in that regard but the idea of using simple AA batteries was appealing. Just exploring options and saving you all money in the process!

Yes, ground phase number. There is no Fe3O4 meter or "mineral strength" indicator. Ground phase does not indicate the level of ground mineralization directly, though they are related. GB Numbers = Mineralization?

Hi, I decided to test the Equinox battery and stated run time. The test was simple. Full charge, then let sit in a corner with the threshold turned up to make a continuous but not overly loud tone. The machine was down to a flashing battery indicator at 12 hours and sometime before it hit 12.5 hours the unit went dead. That jives with Minelabs stated battery life of up to 12 hours. However, running the coil over the ground makes the circuit work harder, as can numerous options, like using the external speaker at high volumes, ground tracking, wireless, backlight, etc. that can all contribute to a shorter run time. I will try and load it all up sometime to get the short run time. For now I was extremely pleased to see Equinox match the stated spec of up to 12 hours on a charge.

Good catch - I did not notice that and it could be quite interesting. Underwater detecting without needing headphones could be a killer feature for some people. I am a little surprised that did not get ditched as a feature going to waterproof. Intriguing. I sold most of my detectors recently, but kept both the Gold Monster and Gold Racer. I can imagine the Gold Kruzer possibly replacing both those detectors with just one waterproof machine - assuming I replace them with anything at all. For now the Gold Racer does the trick for me but I will be keeping an eye on the Gold Kruzer.

Yeah, that is the part I am curious about. If that proves to be the case I will use it for parts to make something that holds more AA batteries. It seems like all these are set up for 4 AA batteries max, and 8 would be better. I hear you Chuck but being an old Alaskan I hope for the best and plan for the worst. The Equinox does get a genuine 12 hours on a charge so I am unlikely to need anything like this. The bottom line in this case is the insurance is too cheap to pass on - if it works.

I just ordered one of these as an experiment. In theory I can put regular AA batteries or rechargeable batteries in this power pack, and use it to run the Equinox as an external battery pack in case the internal battery goes dead. The question of course is how long will it power the Equinox depending on the batteries used? I always have a ton of AA batteries around, both alkaline and rechargeable, so this seems like a cheap experiment. Report back later. "This compact, portable USB power bank allows devices to be charged from 4 AA batteries while on the move. Ideal for smartphones, tablet computers and many other devices. • Powered by 4 AA batteries • Features a battery level indicator (green for alkaline and blue for rechargeable) • Power supply: 4 x AA batteries (not supplied) • Output voltage: 5Vdc • Output current: 800mA • Dimensions: 79 x 34 x 34mm • Weight: 40g" EMERGENCY USB BATTERY POWERED POWER BANK

Makro Kruzer Series Makro Multi Kruzer Multi Kruzer Display & Controls Multi Kruzer Display Splash Gold Kruzer Display & Controls Gold Kruzer Display Splash Details on the new Makro Kruzer series here

Nice looking display! Click for larger versions....

I got a cheap drone last year to explore the concept. What I discovered is I want to go detecting more than I want to launch a drone. I managed to not use it even once. Kind of pathetic but it is the same success rate I have with thinking I am going to take videos while I am prospecting. It all seems like a dandy idea, but once I hit the ground I go into work mode and stuff like that seems a waste of time. Still, the drone I believe is a good idea for the right situation.

Not at all. I wade quite often using chest waders and I have never fallen in yet. That said I figure for working in and around water that the submersible headphones are the way to go - one less thing to worry about.

I have never used Equinox ground tracking on a saltwater beach. In general I do not trust ground tacking in a saltwater or salt flat / alkali environment and I use manual ground balance under those circumstances. That is not anything to do with Equinox - that's just me. Accurate target id is always a function of proper ground balance. Every mode on Equinox stores it's own ground balance setting separately and so ground balance is mode specific. The ground balance number reflected in Beach Mode will be a different number than that displayed in another mode for instance, even when on the same ground. On any detector it is recommended that your update the ground balance if you do something as simple as change the sensitivity/gain level. The same applies in each mode where the underlying frequency "mix" varies and therefore whenever a mode change is invoked it is a good idea to update the ground balance setting if you have moved around at all.

No, the wired phones that come with the Equinox 600 are the same as come with the Gold Monster, and they have a simple 1/8" jack attachment. The connection is not waterproof.

The Equinox is fully waterproof or totally submersible out of the box. It can be used in pouring down rain or dropped in the water while wading without fear. It has a built in waterproof speaker and built in wireless. If the pod is submerged to a foot (for instance) you can no longer hear the external speaker and the wireless can’t transmit from underwater. So all we are talking about here is how to hear an Equinox when the pod is underwater. As long as the pod is at or above the surface the external speaker or wired/wireless headphones or WM08 may be used. It should be obvious that the optional waterproof headphones come with a waterproof connection that mates to the waterproof connection on the detector pod. Now you can hear the detector while the pod is submerged. You can also stick your head underwater. Unlike some waterproof detectors you can adjust the volume of the headphones via the volume control on the detector. Some waterproof detectors have no volume control. The waterproof headphones are optional and so if you want to use the Equinox and stick your head underwater, yes, you need an accessory item - the headphones. Minelab Part No. 3011-0372 If you want to wade and stick the pod underwater but not stick your head underwater, you can get the optional Minelab 1/8” to 1/4” adapter cable. This cable has the same 1/8” waterproof fitting on one end and a standard dry land type 1/4” female jack on the other end. Attach the waterproof end the the detector. Keep the 1/4” end out of the water and dry. Like run it up your arm and attach to your shoulder. Now plug any 1/4” style metal detector headphones in and detect with the pod underwater. That is it - all the options you have for sticking the pod underwater and hearing the detector. The wireless headphones that come with the Equinox 800 are rechargeable. If they go dead while in the field, they come with a cable that has a standard male 1/8” stereo plug on each end. One end plugs into the headphone, the other end plugs into the Equinox directly or the WM08. The connection is not waterproof.

Overlap depends on time and place. If I am on a patch looking for the last missed nugget at depth I may advance the coil an inch at a time and hit it from four directions. If I have 100 miles of open terrain to cover I may not overlap at all. A fifty percent overlap works for me a lot of the time.

You never know unless you try. You have the coil so the only investment will be time.

I use screen protectors on all my detectors. I have never come close to wearing out a touch pad on any detector so I don’t worry about that. I won’t be surprised to see some sort of aftermarket cover for the entire pod appear someday.

The Equinox can employ automatic ground tracking. I don’t know what methodology is used. There is no control for ground balance adjustment speed. Tracking is either on or off.