Tiftaaft

I may be wrong, but from what I am reading and seeing... this machine in different modes makes it contrary to itself! :)

Thanks for the disclaimer Steve. I won't let the results of the Equinox in your pummeled park lower my opinion of the Equinox if nothing is found... but if you do find something.... WOW! :) Good Luck on finding a squeaker or two. Tim.

Word!

The ground balance knob is a 3 3/4 turn knob... so it could get out of whack if turned a few times around (your son playing for example... I completely understand, I have kids and you just never know what they find interesting to turn). The Tesoro manual says to turn 5 turns counterclockwise, then turn back clockwise 2 turns to get it close to center. The knob will spin endlessly, but you should feel a slight drag in the knob when it has maxed in one direction. What I have found, is once I am at or near center... my ground will be within 1 turn to balance... and usually only a half or 3/4 a turn to find the sweet spot. Tim.

Hey Fish!. I have had that issue a few times with my Vaquero. I can only speculate as to why, but when it happens, I walk to a different area and ground balance there. I usually find the sweet spot then hunt a bit negative anyway, so if I can get close to even, and turn it back 1/8 to 1/4 turn... and I'm good to go. I have noticed a time or two I will try to ground balance on top of a target (or near to one) and have to move around in AM to find a good clean spot to level it out. Hope that helps. Good Luck!

My order is safe with my Dealer, even if that means I have to wait until late March.

Thanks TGO!

Steve... I am VERY interested to hear your findings on this test. I think there are a lot of Easter Eggs hidden in the Equinox... this may be one of them. I have a park exactly as you outlined above... old, pounded hard over the years, found a 'hot spot' where I pulled several oldies... and has now become silent... when I get my E800, that is one of the first places I will go once I get familiar with it, and test out P1 and P2 - and Gold as well since it is the hottest of hot :). -Tim.

Dan! Thanks for the write up... And sharing your settings, and results. Your comment about your Deus and CTX supports what many others are saying. Can't wait to hear about Day 3. Tim

Bill is amazing. Knowing that he received an Equinox and is posting vids makes the wait for mine a lot easier. Tim

So this is what I gather from the posts above and some of the others. (and forgive me for over simplifying my understanding due to not having a unit in hand). Park 1 or Field 1 may not hit 'harder' than Park 2 or Field 2... but they will be a lot more stable where other targets, including smaller targets exist. Park 2 or Field 2 give you the ability of cranking the Equinox into "6th gear" where there aren't as many competing targets, which allows the machine to be more sensitive to smaller and potentially deeper targets. I think of it a little like using my PI machine... I won't miss anything with the PI. It can pick up a flake of iron at 8 inches. But that isn't a positive when I'm hunting a location that is littered with flakes of iron and everything larger... The Equinox P1 and F1 are tuned to perform in these environments better than P2 or F2.. saving a lot of chasing bb sized targets (or smaller). Mike, to your comment, I haven't seen a lot of video footage on that assumption (which may be totally off base), but that is what I can gleen from what I have seen. Hopefully there will be some more comparison videos to help us understand those differences a little better. I can think of a few locations where I have spent a significant amount of time "clearing" the path for a hot machine... and other locations that I will thank the heavens for the tuning of P1 and F1 to work around the 'noise' in the ground. I am also very interested to see the difference between "1" and "2" in my mineralized ground... and honestly no video will tell me how it will perform out my back door. I need to have the machine in my hands for that. Tim.

Mike, I was just thinking about how to ask this exact question on the threads but didn't want to ask a question that has already been answered... so THANKS!! I am also curious about Park 1 and Park 2. Especially in "the wild". I second Mike's thanks to all those that put themselves out there at the risk of being openly criticized or mocked for the way they hunt, or the settings they use, or the tools they show in the videos. My appreciation goes out to you. Tim.

Agreed Steve. I'm looking forward to the Equinox threads evolving into more like this one... settings, experiences, questions, answers, finds, results.. from real users (not that the testers aren't real users.... ;) Just more data points to better understand what is under the hood of the Equinox). That is where these forum threads will shine like they always have... in good information sharing between users... which will rebuild our network and metal detecting community after the unfortunate tangent we have been on since September. Tim.

You aren't helping my attempts at being patient here Mark... haha. That is great! I'm glad the Equinox is opening up old ground for you. Crossing my fingers for some similar experiences in my PNW ground. Tim.

Double nickel trifecta! NiCE! Great finds Dan!!

Well said Chase. Stings is a good word.

Thanks for the update Mike! So on the wheats next to trash... what kind of sound profile were you getting. An evident high tone next to a low tone? Easy to lock in on the high tone?

Hi have a work trip planned the 2nd half of March... will be away from my home for 10 days. I am certain that my E800 will arrive the day I get on the plane... and will be sitting inside my door mocking me for the remainder of my trip. Oh, wait, the question was 'what do I do', not what the Equinox will do..... In that case... I will cry. lol.

Thanks Steve... the more data points the better!! Tim.

Of course GOLD is where the value is.... but My #1 want for the Equinox is simple. Old Silver in a Pounded Park. Everything else falls into place after that.

I just wanted to take a moment to recognize the extremely difficult position that dealers have been put in with the announcement and subsequent staged and allocated release of the Equinox. Having been a dealer and manufacturer's rep in a past life (though not in the metal detector field), I very much understand the unenviable position Minelab dealers have been in. Who would have thought in September, dealers included, that when the Equinox was announced there needed to be a strategy on WHICH preorder list get on. Maybe it was my naiveté that helped me assume that any preorder list would ensure I received my E800 when it was released, along with everyone else on the various lists across the country. The reality is, I should have researched and called around and found a small dealer with the Minelab rep status, with the shortest preorder list possible.... as it turned out, I jumped on the preorder list with my "go to" dealer (and many other's "go to" dealer) the day after the Equinox was announced, and I was #11. My dealer's first shipment was 2 units. Through therapy and self medication, I am learning to live with that decision ;) Here is where I offer my shout out. My dealer, and I am sure all dealers, have been fielding questions for the past 5 months about what they know, when the units would be released, and why haven't the customers received theirs yet. I am certain that dealers are dealing with hundreds, and potentially thousands of emails and phone calls. I can't speak for all the dealers... but giving the difficult position of middle man between Minelabs allocated distribution waves, and hungry detectorists... my dealer has been nothing but professional and quick to answer any reasonable question I posed. Being in customer service, especially when there are delays in delivering the product, is one of the toughest and most underappreciated jobs in the world. So..... Dealers... I appreciate you. :) Tim (Future Equinox E800 owner - date TBD)

Congrats Judy.. the 6 month clock starts now! :)

Live digs and settings. Thanks for asking Mike. And good luck with your new 600!! Tim.

I'm in. Can I start the 6 month clock when I actually receive mine?

I have tried to stay out of the timing and delivery threads across this and other forums... it is drama I don't need in my life. I just love this hobby and I'm REALLY looking forward to strapping the Equinox on my arm. I pre-ordered the E800 within the first few days of the announcement... and my dealer didn't want payment until he saw the whites of the detectors eyes... but I did send my payment to solidify my place in the preorder line a few weeks ago at my dealer's request. That may push my delivery back until after those that prepaid in September receive their units. Is that a little disappointing... sure... just like everyone, I wanted it last fall and everyday since. Is it a shot below my waterline and ruined my life... no. If I have to wait for my number to be called until April... so be it. I will be just as excited to see my fedex guy then, as I would be today. I am choosing to practice perspective. And I am actually thrilled that OTHER members will be getting the machine next week, because that means it is just a matter of time before mine arrives. 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, a few months.... that is out of my control. I know that Minelab will deliver to my dealer when they can, and my dealer to me will deliver when they can... It isn't a personal attack on me or the metal detecting community... it just is what it is... Sure, a little more proactive communication from Minelab would have helped smooth things over, but the end answer wouldn't change. As MY unit is available, it will be sent to ME. :) I can picture it in the production line now.. it has my name on it ;)