ColonelDan

I can see the merit in adjusting the mid level zone from a high of 19 down to 18 with the high zone set at 19 and above instead of 20 and above. Good call Alluminati...I just might have to give that a shot.😉

My first machine was a Jetco Mustang (1970) and yes, it made you dig it all. Beep and dig...absolutely no discrimination capability. It had one knob...on/off and volume.

His initial comment was an indicator, for me at least, as to what this review would be; " do not try to open the detector control box. Having spent 15 minutes attempting to uncover my machine, I completely destroyed the housing." My question: Why in the world would any user even want or need to open the control box? Am I surprised that he destroyed the housing? No. What am I missing here? Just the confused view from my foxhole...🤔

Forgot to mention...not only does gold show up anywhere along the 1-19 scale, I have seen times where it also rang up higher...in the low 20's for example so I dig a lot as you can imagine. It all depends on metallurgical composition, soil conditions, depth etc. So if you're looking for gold, be prepared to dig for it. 😉

Yes, depending on soil/sand composition, depth and orientation of the target. I personally dig everything in that range. Do I dig a lot of aluminum? Yes, but I’d rather do that than pass up gold in an attempt to second guess myself. Now if the tone and VDI jump around erratically, I can bet it’s a bottle cap. But that’s just my experience along our beaches where I do 99% of my detecting. Good luck...

Now this is just from my testing and experience on our Florida beaches...your mileage may vary as I always say. Gold, being a mid level conductor, I've found ranges anywhere from 1 -18/19 on the Equinox. Small chains have been detected at 1,2,and 3 while larger gold objects range higher depending on the K. Of course the soil composition also impacts the VDI. Having said all that, aluminum also rings up in the 1-19 range so you'll be digging junk too but that's the price we pay if we want to focus in on gold. Just the view from my foxhole...

The LS Pelso headphones use speakers and although I haven't done a formal decibel test, these are the only headphones I've used where I had to turn down the volume. I don't know about the Black Widows but I can tell you that I replaced my Gray Ghost Amphibians with the LS Pelso headphones.

Just FYI.....On 8 Sep, I posted my review of the LS Pelso waterproof headphones for the Equinox...link below I waited to get my own however until the new version with the longer cable was delivered to Kellyco. They came in this past week and I immediately picked up a set and tried them in my test garden and backyard. I was honestly hearing more tones and more clearly than ever. The volume was much more than adequate. They fit over my hat better than others I've used and were very comfortable as I stated in that initial review. The extended cable made a world of difference as they have a 24" straight section that connects to the control box and can be routed and attached under the detector shaft all the way to the shaft's back end where the coiled section begins....a big improvement! My first impression of these headphones was not only confirmed but enhanced...so much so that I picked up a second set for use on my CTX 3030! Kellyco now can supply these headphones for multiple detectors: Equinox: https://www.kellycodetectors.com/catalog/ls-pelso-underwater-headphones-with-long-cable CTX 3030: https://www.kellycodetectors.com/catalog/underwater-headphones-compatible-with-ctx-3030 Kruzer: https://www.kellycodetectors.com/catalog/underwater-headphones-kruzer Disclaimer: I am not an employee of Kellyco nor am I under any obligation to Kellyco for these reviews. My sole purpose is to share my experience with our metal detecting community.

Until Steve tackles this in more detail, here is a YouTube link that outlines the process. A good YouTube! Although he sets this up for his particular situation and preferences, the process is the same. Instead of using his tone breaks/zones and tones, I used VDI/Target ID -9 to 0 as Zone 1 with tone 1; Zone 2, I set as VDI/Target ID 1-19 with tone 12 and Zones 20+ (all remaining zones) as Zone 3 assigning a common tone of 25 to all those remaining high zones.

Yes, Steve said he wanted to post such a step by step on it. I’m sure you’ll see it soon.

Certainly no offense taken whatsoever. 😉

Sinclair, I totally agree. Settings should be personalized and adapted specifically for the environment in which you hunt. My settings for central Florida beaches would not work as well in New England. For that reason, I always say that this works for me and this is "Just the view from my foxhole." If 3 tones works for others and they prefer it, so be it. If they prefer 5 or 50 tones, so be it. One size doesn't fit all in this hobby! Soldier on...

I previously posted a similar thread on this forum but thought I'd expand on and share my reasoning for using 3 tones. I've now used this exclusively/extensively and like it more every day. Over the years, I've tried numerous ways through a combination of VDI and tones to better identify targets that were under my coil. It didn't take long for me to discover that trying to cut the tone and VDI distinction too fine in an attempt to accurately identify targets was unproductive. Through some trial and error, the obvious finally became clear. VDI is not an exact science by any stretch. Target ID can be affected by numerous variables such as depth, soil composition, the metallurgical make up and orientation of the targets in the soil. Expecting a consistently exact value for each possible target was unrealistic. I finally concluded that what I wanted was only an indication of what might be under my coil rather than expecting or trying for a precise ID. Can VDI and Tones do that for me? Yes After realizing what I wanted or needed from of a tone/VDI combination, I settled on a 3 tone option. Below are a few bullet points that summarize my case or reasoning for adopting that 3 tone solution. ~ My attempt at using 50 tones proved impossible for me...information overload! I then tried 5 tones and although much more understandable than 50, I felt that 5 tones was really unnecessary and might even be overkill. Why? ~ ALL targets fall within 3 categories/zones of conductivity of Low, Medium or High so it made more sense for me to focus on those 3 zones and then align the tones accordingly. The tones provided information on what zone I was dealing with while the VDI gave me some rough indication as to where that target fell within the range of that zone. ~ I also wanted a system that wasn't apt to cause me to ignore good targets because they were similar in make up to worthless targets. Example; gold and aluminum are both mid level conductors and generate similar VDI within that range, I therefore didn't want to exclude anything within the Mid or High level conductivity scale. Yes, I'll dig aluminum so as not to pass up potential gold and dig other high conductive targets so as not to pass up silver. ~ I tested quite a number common targets of varying size and metallurgical composition and came up with some common VDI ranges that I see on our beaches for each of the conductivity zones. I then modified the 5 tone option to 3 tones which suited me just fine for the beach hunting I do. My results: Conductivity VDI Range Tone Low -9 to 0 1 Medium 1 to 19 12 High 20+ 25 ~ In my work with a local museum however, the 2 tone option could also be used. When digging museum quality artifacts, iron is a valued metal so I dig everything. I also dig it all when I detect along Florida's Treasure Coast as remnants of the ships fall within the iron or low conductive range and are often times found along our beaches. Just the view from my foxhole...your view may vary.

A “how to” step by step guide would be useful I’m sure to those new the EQX and there’s nobody that could do it better than you. Personally, I like the three tone option. Adjust the zones, assign the tones to your liking and go for it. No muss; no distracting fuss! 😉 Soldier on Steve...

In an effort to simplify my detecting life with the EQX 800, I limited the number of tones to three corresponding to the common low, mid and high conductive ranges. I thought I'd share this with the forum...for what it's worth anyway. Please keep in mind as you read on, it may be worth even less to you than you paid for it! 😎 Since 99% of my hunts are on east coast Florida beaches, I hunt in all metal and dig just about anything that doesn't sound specifically like iron. Yes, I dig a lot of aluminum! But having a rough and simple indication of what my coil may be over, be it a low, mid or high conductive target, I thought would be helpful and shield me from the “tone overload” I get using 50 tones. Even using the factory presets of 5 tones , I sometimes find it tricky to distinguish between tones over the ambient sounds along the beach. Again, I asked myself if I really needed that fine level of distinction anyway based on where and the way I hunt and dig. Agreed, that's strictly a personal preference. I tested quite a number common targets of varying size and metallurgical composition and came up with some common VDI ranges that I see on our beaches for each of the conductivity zones. I then modified the 5 tone option to 3 tones. My results: Conductivity VDI Range Tone Low -9 to 0 1 Mid 1-19 12 High 20+ 25 I can now easily hear a distinct difference in those three tones and my life is simpler. Granted, the specific conductivity ranges based on the VDI display will vary depending on the soil, target depth and metallurgical composition. All of which is a known and acceptable factor to me for the purpose of this “approximation exercise.” Just the view from my sandy foxhole...