ColonelDan

I really like Steve's predictions! Whatever they come out with, I'm sure the technology will be ground breaking...it's the Minelab way. My request of them however would be to avoid being "penny wise and pound foolish" like they were with the original thin CTX gaskets and the thin coil ears on the EQX. My requests of Minelab: If they advertise WATERPROOF to 10 feet, I want it WATERPROOF. I also want to see much thicker, sturdier coil ears. Those two requests would save them many thousands of dollars in warranty replacement costs and many thousands of happy customers. Just the view from my dreaming foxhole...

I received a text message from a friend yesterday telling me that one of our neighbors up the street lost his wedding band while playing on one of those large inflatable water slides. He asked me if I could help. Of course I said yes and my friend picked me up in his golf cart and we headed to the man’s house. Our neighbor was standing by the water slide staring pensively at the ground--his face and body language told me the whole story. 😰 He pointed out where he was standing when he shook the water from his hands and felt his ring fly off. He and his young son had searched the area for over an hour...even using a magnet in desperation--not very effective on a gold ring. 🥴 Fortunately, the suspected area was only about a 10 foot square. I cranked up the EQX in Park 1, noise canceled, lowered the sensitivity since this would be a surface find and started to grid the area. I hadn’t gone 3 feet when I got a nice solid mid tone. I pulled out my Pro Find 35 and told him to look exactly where it was pointing. He parted the grass, which was about 3-4 inches high and there was his ring. The look on his face was one of total relief and incredulity. He couldn’t believe I found it that quickly (neither could I). I’d spent all of 1 minute at the most swinging the EQX before it sounded off. To say he was mightily impressed would be an great understatement. He then asked me all about my equipment and detecting since he knew zero about any of it. His wife came running out of the house and thanked me profusely saying her husband was no longer in the dog house! Quick find; quick return and all is well. 🙂

Good report! Your experience tracks what I’ve seen the few times I tried to use a PI on our Florida beaches... they just weren’t for me. Digging down 22 inches because a PI can’t discriminate well at all is not my idea of efficient detecting and at 72, I’ll stick with my VLF machines.

Steve is right. Beach and surf hunting is my life and I don’t care how convincing the advertisements are, you’ll experience a leak at some point during the life of that detector.

Colonel Dan's Detector Rack Anyone who is into metal detecting knows what its like to pack your vehicle for a day in the field or at the beach. This is what my SUV looked like...and that was on a very organized day! Two detectors, a shovel, a sand scoop, equipment bag and cooler Not much room left for Miss Mary's suitcase or art equipment when she goes along. Not much usable space for anything else really except for a small area behind the passenger seat. I'm sure everyone has their own version of this load plan but you know the deal. There had to be a better way. I experimented with different ideas that worked to some level of success but none that fit the primary Cavalry Principle of KISS. I wanted a system that was portable, i.e. easily and quickly installed in and removed from my SUV. It had to be solid and stable with some heft so my detectors could ride safe and sound without tipping over or sliding around back there. Secure vertical stacking seemed to be the solution for me. The question was how to do it. I thought about several things I could build or re-purpose and finally settled on an unused truck gun rack. It was solidly built for my intended purpose, had rubber protection on the hooks to prevent damaging the detectors and had pre-drilled holes I could use for mounting it on a vertical frame. I decided to use 2x4s: easy to build with enough weight and heft to provide stability for my detectors. I built a frame that was 20” in height, 24” in width with feet 8” long which prevents tipping over or sliding around when fully loaded with equipment. Padding on the back helps protect the sidewalls of my SUV and a layer on the feet adds an additional level of prevention against slipping. My detectors finally have a safe place to ride—they're happy campers! And my load plan now looks like this. Much more available space for Miss Mary to use any way she likes! Life is good!

Steve's right on target. Just think how "penny wise pound foolish" they were with the CTX gasket issue. For an extra penny or so per unit from the beginning, they could have saved tens of thousands in control box replacement costs...go figure. I see the same approach with the EQX coil ears. Eventually, new coils will come with heavier duty ears. Again, Penny wise Pound Foolish.

I’m very disappointed that the EQX isn’t as reliably waterproof as advertised. 🤨 I decided long ago that my EQX's control boxes will not be submersed...at least intentionally. If I ever go beyond knee deep water, I’ll use the Excal.

Did you have a protective cover over the control box...one that covered the speaker vents in the back? That happened to me while hunting on a hot day in the Florida keys. Although mine didn’t read err 41, it started acting abnormally. I removed the cover, let it cool down and all was back to normal. After I got home, I cut the back out of my cover exposing the vents and haven’t had a problem since and I hunt in the Florida summer heat.

Although I never used a Whites, I hate to see this but the competitive market place demands that those who play the game keep up with the competition. As Steve has said, they failed to move beyond the big box detectors and their competition out did them. I would like to have seen Whites successfully compete as that would have served the entire detecting world well. Competition breeds better products at better prices....just the way of our capitalistic market place. Too bad

👍 You'll be even happier with Steve's rod once you get your first opportunity to detect with it for hours on end! Looks great.

I agree with Chase's reservations on this one. I would also add a personal note in that I wouldn't like the cable dangling in front of me that way. Knowing me, I'd get tangled up in it. Also, I'd like to see your report on any falsing you might get due to that loose cable flopping around. Securing the cable to the shaft is done for multiple reasons/benefits. Just the view from my foxhole...it may work fine for you.

Thank you Steve for the kind words and fixing the upside down photo! Well done...

Anyone interested in a report on the 440 can find it here: https://www.kellycodetectors.com/pages/field-test-minelab-vanquish-440-metal-detector/ My hunting buddy Gary and I collaborated on the report for Kellyco and they published it on their website. We found this a very impressive machine for $279 but you can read the report and judge for yourself. Note: Gary and I are not employees of Kellyco nor do we have any financial interest in or relationship with Kellyco.

Comparing a VLF to a PI machine for depth is like comparing a hammer to a screwdriver. They're designed for different jobs. The PI will always win out on a depth scale but can't discriminate as a VLF machine can....just the nature of the beast. But...if you want detection of very small targets with a discrimination capability, keep the Equinox. Keep the Sea Hunter for a solid underwater machine where trash may be minimal. Having said that, prepare yourself to dig everything and at considerable depth...as you've seen. Bottom line: No one detector does it all. Choose the best tool for the job at hand...don't try to turn screws with a hammer or drive nails with a screwdriver. 😉 Just the view from my foxhole....