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.

7 hours ago, Chase Goldman said:

Hmm.  The bracing was put there for a reason. The dynamic pressure of the water could now put a lot of flex on the coil which could disrupt the induction balance effect and cause some false signals.  Maybe not so much of an issue light wading but not something I would do in surf.  Not personally a fan of having a fanny pack full of water and the screen at that angle just seems awkward so not my cup o' tea.  I'm usually carrying a scoop in my left hand and hanging on to the detector with the other so I like having the control panel within reach of my thumb with my right hand gripped on the handle for pinpoint and target interrogation.  With your setup I would have to let go of either my scoop or the detector to manipulate the controls.  But, hey, if it works for you, that is great.  Hope you get some rings and bling with that set up. Good luck, Rick!  

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.... 

10 hours ago, FloridaSon said:

Hi Colonel Dan,

Want to turn this into a tutorial?

Do you dial it in for a certain conductor? Or is it to prevent certain conductors from sounding off as much?

Thanks for you articles! 

FS,  Don't know that you need a tutorial from me 😁 but I use my test sticks (seen below) to optimize the EQX performance for the particular beach I'm on at the moment.

The first thing I do is a noise cancel.  I then bury the 10K ring and ferrous bolt at approximately 7-8 inches and adjust the recovery, sensitivity and F2 to a point which gives me the strongest signal on the ring with the least interference as well as the best separation between the bolt and gold ring.

It's my assumption...and experience...that the strongest signal on the mid conductive gold will also be optimal for high conductors.  Ergo, I don't see the need to test silver as well as the gold for that beach.  I've also found that the optimal setting on one beach won't necessarily be optimal for another beach even if the second beach is close to the first one.  Beach conditions can change within a few hundred yards....i.e. mineralization and composition just as an example.

Testing only takes a few moments but it pays off...at least for me in that I go forward with more confidence that my EQX will be better prepared to sniff out the goodies.

Again, and as I always say, that's just the view from my foxhole...

10 hours ago, FloridaSon said:

 

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.....

On 5/16/2020 at 9:11 AM, Chase Goldman said:

Makes sense Dan, that looks like an 1820's "Jacksonian" era (i.e., Andrew Jackson) Federal US infantry button.  Sweet find.

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....

10 hours ago, okara gold said:

I'm still running the 1.7.5. I am most interested in overall depth in wet salt and saltwater and don't mind digging bottle caps. Is there any  depth benefit in the 2.0 update? I was led to believe there isn't. Thanks!

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~

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.

17 minutes ago, GB_Amateur said:

Is this the same site that Tom Dankowski wrote up for Fisher here?

No, it’s not the same site.