ColonelDan

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....

Outstanding! Great recovery...

Agree with Steve, the counterweight is a true game changer. Over the years (since 1970) I’ve used many different shafts; stock, aluminum, carbon fiber etc. and none compares with Steve’s Detector Rods. If you’ve never tried a shaft with the counterweight, you’ll be shocked at the difference in perceived weight. All Steve’s work is well designed, thoughtfully engineered, precisely constructed and perfectly balanced. I’ll use no other shaft...period.

I was hunting at the beach yesterday and did my usual "dial it in" routine...adjusting F2, Recovery and Sensitivity using my test sticks to optimize my EQX 800 performance for that particular beach. As I hunted, I got a strong tone of a high conductor and started to dig and dig and dig. I couldn't see or find the target but I knew it was still there...somewhere...the EQX said it was! I finally narrowed it down to a certain pile of sand from the ever growing hole. Still couldn't see it but it was there among the brown sand...somewhere. Finally resorted to my Pro-Find 35 pinpointer. It rang up nicely but I still couldn't see this high conductor! I started to test small hand fulls at a time and finally...finally I saw a minuscule piece of wire on the edge of my hand. Could this be what all the fuss was about? YES. I measured the depth of the hole with the Pro- Find 35 and saw that it was approximately 8 inches! I brought the wire home specifically to post this story about the importance of adjusting your detector to meet the conditions. When we change beaches, I "dialed in" my EQX again for that new beach and had to change the settings from that first beach where my EQX sniffed out that piece of wire. Conditions change and so must your settings....one size DOES NOT FIT ALL.

Chase, yes, relicman.com. Again, you nailed it straightaway.....

Chase you were right on target! Jacksonian....We found the maker!

My hunting buddy, Gary, found this button yesterday at the Seminole Indian War site we've been working. Any assistance in identifying it would be most appreciated. We think we can see CHI and ARMY on the back but we're not sure. Thank you.

Just now air tested a 1943 S war nickel...solid 13

I have a 440 specifically for use by my grandkids. I can size both the coil shaft and arm rest to suit those little arms. It's an accurate and very easy to use detector for children, those new to the hobby and visitors. Since we live close to all the Florida attractions and beaches, we get our share of visitors from up north. The Vanquish is perfect for them. Just the view from my foxhole....

I did not see any depth difference in the test I ran but again, my test objective and set up was not focused on depth. I was interested in stability and separation.

I leave my wallet in the car. I place my key fob in a thick zip lock bag and then put the bag in a waterproof dry box that I carry with me.

I can't lay claim to anything clever or imaginative...it's just a reflection of my former life long ago! 😉

Super! Congratulations.🎉

I wrote this up awhile back for Kellyco's website but never posted it here for some reason. After posting the story of the Flung Ring return, I thought, why not post this story on the forum since it was one of the most personally meaningful returns of my metal detecting life. Although the returned item was not all that valuable in monetary terms, it was priceless to the lady who lost it and became even more priceless to Mary and me as we put it back in her hands. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My wife Mary and I were spending a nice day at Daytona Beach Pier this past summer..she for painting and me for detecting. While I was hunting the beach, Mary struck up a conversation with a lady she met there. The lady was very pleasant and told her that she and her boyfriend were homeless and lived in a makeshift tent right on the beach. She said the local police leave them alone as they routinely clean up the beach of litter and don’t bother anyone. As the conversation continued, she told Mary that she had lost a sterling silver charm the day before and although she and her boyfriend searched for hours, they failed to find it. The small charm was the head of a kitty with red “ruby” stones on its head and black eyes. The little charm was extremely meaningful to her and likely one of the most valuable items she owned. Mary told her of my metal detecting and asked if she would like me to try and find it. The lady was overjoyed at the prospect but said she didn’t hold out much hope of ever getting her little kitty back. Mary brought me over to the area where the lady said she thought it was lost and I began the grid search. About 10 minutes later I got that familiar exciting high tone of silver. In my scoop was a little kitty’s head with red “ruby” stones and black eyes! When I brought it to her, she began to tear up, thanked me profusely and asked if she could hug me. She called over to her boyfriend who was busy making little items out of palm fronds he sold to tourists. The smile on her face and the tear in her eye was absolutely the best reward Mary and I could have ever hoped for that day. ~The Challenge: Big Beach; Little Coil; Tiny Targets~ ~"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication"~ Leonardo da Vinci ~Pre-determined settings serve only to get you in the ballpark. It’s up to you to pick the best seat~

While detecting several hundred yards south of the Daytona Beach Pier, an elderly gentleman approached me to tell me about a lost ring that was “flung” from the patio deck of their hotel and asked if I might be able to find it. He said they looked for it several times without any luck. I asked him several questions such as how long ago this happened and in what general area did he think the ring landed. He told me he could show me the area and where they thought it landed after being tossed off the hotel deck. As we walked over to the area below the patio he told me how all this happened. It seems his grandson threw something off the patio onto the beach and the ring went with whatever it was he “flung” [the grandfather's word]. When we arrived at the area below the patio, the gentleman described where they were standing on the deck and about how hard his grandson “flung” whatever it was. I laid out a general search area based on what the grandfather described. Fortunately it was in dry sand not more than 15 feet from an elevated patio overlooking the beach. I began to grid search the area and within several minutes the distinct tone of gold rang out. I pushed my scoop into about 4-5 inches of dry sand and out popped a ring. Not showing what I'd found, I asked him to describe the lost ring. He said it was white gold but that's all he knew. He would have to ask his grandson's wife for a more specific description. I told him to please ask her to come see me. A few minutes later a young lady approached me and identified herself as the wife of the man who lost his ring. I asked her to describe it in as much detail as she could and she nailed it to a T. I showed her the ring I'd found and a big smile brightened her face as she exclaimed “That would be it!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!” I asked if I could take a few photos and she agreed. She then quickly headed back to the surf where her husband and the older gentleman were. As I resumed my detecting near the water line, I caught site of the grandfather making a bee line my way with a big smile on his face. He couldn't thank me enough. I simply told him that I was happy I could help. After we exchanged a few pleasantries, he wished me “good fortune in my day's hunt” and rejoined his family. That was the only ring I found that day but I walked away from Daytona Beach convinced beyond any doubt that my time was extremely well spent as there were big smiles all around for those visitors from South Carolina!

The way I “classify” beach sand determines which search mode I use on my Equinox. It works well for me on our central Florida beaches. Since all beaches differ in terms of salinity/mineralization, I’d be interested in hearing from other beach hunters if they too make this “4 layer classification” of beach sand conditions. Dry Sand: area where the surf doesn’t or hasn’t covered. The sand is extremely dry and where most beach goers spread their towels and chairs. Area to the lady’s far left in the photo. Damp Sand: Area where the surf once covered but has recently receded to the point where it no longer does leaving the sand still somewhat damp. Smooth area to the lady’s immediate left. Wet Sand: Area where the surf still covers as the waves come on shore but recedes with wave action leaving the sand distinctly wet. Smooth dark area to the lady’s direct front and immediate right. Surf: Self explanatory...in the water. In the Dry and Damp areas, Beach 1, All Metal with sensitivity, recovery speed, and F2 settings adjusted for conditions works best. If I try to use Beach 1 and All Metal in the Wet sand and Surf, the amount of falsing naturally increases significantly. In the Wet sand and Surf, Beach 2, discrimination activated and sensitivity being situationally dependent works best...the EQX settles down considerably. This simply confirms Minelab’s recommendation but I’ve distinguished between damp and wet sand where they use dry, wet and surf classifications. Question: Anyone else see a performance difference in Damp and Wet sand modes/settings?

Choosing between Beach 1 and 2 is not the only setting you need to address. In either mode you should “dial in” the EQX to suit the conditions. Noise cancel, Ground Balance, Sensitivity, recovery speed, iron bias all interact to give you optimal performance. You can certainly run in factory settings but you can optimize the capabilities of the EQX by “dialing in” those factors I listed. Just the view from my foxhole...

Thank you all for those kind words. I’ll update our progress on this site as events unfold.

No, it’s not the same site.