midalake

Hi Chase I was there for over three months and detected 4 days a week for 3-4 hrs a trip. One thing I do like [which is local] The Equinox completely ignores the 1,2 and 5 peso Mexican coins, they ring in at -6 -7. This is an advantage in the wet sand as I can cover much more beach than I would otherwise. This is high season and any given day many hundreds use the beach. But I really encourage beach hunters with forceful waves to check their targets when water is moving up and down that slope. The amount of targets that disappeared was just short of unbelievable. But just as fast to reappear once the water had drained out. Thanks to all who put tips on here. I can tell from my years behind a detector that the Nox is most likely a beast on land. Dave

I am not totally discounting the Nox, but it will not go to the low trough with me often. I can see it doing well after a large wave event, high wet sand line where I can cover lots of sand. However that is a limited use. The EMI is concerning for me. I have talked to many detectorists on this beach every year. One thing never talked about was the EMI over...……..there. I have never had a conversation about EMI on this beach until now. I just want some people using the Nox to look closer and do some testing when the waves are moving lots of water. Dave

I have been salt water beach hunting for over 20 years. I have used A sovereign XS, XS2a, Elite, GT, Fisher CZ-21, Garrett beach hunter AT-4, Minelab Excal. I have tested several whites machines as well, but never owned one. I am always open to helpful hints! 😉 Dave

You did not read fully, 100's of targets disappeared with the wave moving past and back down from my location on the beach. The targets were only able to be heard when moving salt water drained. The sensitivity setting did not matter for this issue. You are completely incorrect. This is the first detector I have ever had EMI issues with. Dave

For me the definition of "auto" [automatic] is the same as tracking GB. Yes, having to back off for EMI of 1-2 points is an issue. Not only that, but everyone seems to be carrying a cell phone on the beach. I can not tell you the amount of times I can HEAR cell phones coming toward me, and of course much worse if they are standing next to me watching. I also wonder even though one "knocks out" the audible EMI just how much it still effects detection. Even backing it off, I can still hear pulsing and or disturbance in the sound when a target is detected. That is 100% EMI caused. Grade [F] To be set-up to just work the surf [complete water/wave action] I need to be in the 17-18 range for sensitivity as compared to 21-22. However in my location is never just an option to stay in the water only [it is too rough] So when the beach does drain for those precious seconds, I am sitting in a detection mode that is under powered for what I am swinging. I found it was most likely better to remain in the best possible wet sand setting and wait for the water to drain to work the low trough. Working the beach in this fashion GREATLY reduces the amount of beach that can be covered in a given session. The worst part of this equation is the loss of detection with moving water, as stated 100's of targets could not be heard while water was moving past the coil. The water drains and the target re-appears. Grade [F] Dave

It started in July of 2018. Took my new Nox to Mexico and even though I did testing at home before leaving it was disappointing to find that my Black Widows would not work, nor my Sun Ray pro golds. I did do some detecting but the wave noise on my beach made it difficult to really get into the machine. Fast forward to January, armed with the correct connector to use my black widows I starting learning the Nox. First impression was, chatty, difficult to PP, and issues with moving water and black sand. After the third time out I installed the update. WHAT A FAIL! I had a new machine alright but it was working way worse. I consulted a few people with the machine and was told that the update may not always take. I uninstalled and checked performance [seemed ok] Then put the up-date back on. What a difference! The machine seemed to perform better! Off to the report card! Saltwater Beach, Beach 2, GB auto. Dry Sand- [N/A] The dry sand is not worth my time where I hunt. Wet sand grade: [A- ]: I found the machine to work the wet sand well [no water]. With light black sand I could work in 21-22 sensitivity. Very little false signals, worked recovery between 4-6, iron bias 2-3. Even though I did not make any great recoveries in this part of the beach by the end of the season I felt confident there was not much getting by me. Wave Trough [moving water] grade: [ F] This is where I really like to hunt. To put it bluntly the Nox is a complete failure in moving salt water. It is like the moving salt water makes the machine blind to detect and see targets. The beach is rough where I hunt. At any point water could be over waist deep, then 50’ or more of wet sand to the water. If I were to stay in the wave zone completely I would have to significantly de-tune the machine do to the moving water causing the machine to false. When the water would drain out and I would locate a target the next wave is right there. When the wave would come through, repeated sweeping where the target was produced no sound at all. When the wave pulled back, re-sweeping showed the target was present. This happened over and over for 100’s of targets. Another drawback: It was clear there was two different set-ups needed. One for wet sand, another for moving water. If I had the machine set for moving water that meant every time the wave swept out I was WAY under matched for wet sand only. Mainly I found I had to run around 17-18 sensitivity and 5-6 on recovery. Other issues comments. EMI grade[ F] I have over ½ mile of the beach where I need to back off the sensitivity by 1-2 regardless of other conditions or controls. Pinpoint Mode grade [F] The worst functioning I have ever used, Especially on a beach! All metal mode grade [A] Or as I nick named it the “truth mode” Almost every jumpy target I had would lock in somewhere, once put in all metal mode. Recovery of targets grade [D] Well part of this grade is due to the pin-point mode, but make no mistake there are other issues, Even though I had the target out of the hole, many time the detector was still sounding off. Also it seems to be easy to bury targets or make them undetectable after missing them in the scooping process. Thanks for listening. Please do not tell me how it works on land, in fresh water, or gold mode [I don’t hunt land] This is my honest review. Sure I have a few more things to learn, but I doubt my grades would change much. Over-all grade C+

Thanks, but I never go to the beach for a coin hunt. 😉 Dave

Well as the OP, this was meant to be a discussion about recovery speed in Saltwater. Interesting...……...anyway. Dave

Other detector manuals have not exactly told me what is the best way to hunt and/or hunt in my location. I was hoping to get a real fringe target that day that I could work in either mode to see what rang up better. I did not consider any of the targets that day fringe targets. Except for a few ferrous ones. Unfortunately I will not be back on the beach until July. Also it seemed neither mode allowed me to jump a power level. I was able to hunt both ways running 21 [beach2] . there was too much chatter in going to 22 in each mode. Dave

The last day I hunted because of this thread, I switched between manual and auto GB. In manual I had it set at zero. EVERY target dug I went into each of the GB modes. I did not notice a depth increase over another mode. The only thing I noted was a little more stability [quiet running] in tracking GB with moving salt water up and down the beach. Dave

There is a thread on "other sites' asking about recovery speed and depth? With SALT WATER. The only question was do you loose depth, in a higher recovery? I would say with the NOX at 6 there is a balance with quiet running and depth in salt water.[esp with black sand] With a machine like the Sovereign in all metal Pinpoint mode it is doubtful you can overswing or swing this too fast on ANY salt beach. Yesterdays take with the sovereign in all metal pinpoint [for those who never had a 186 coin day]. [347 pesos]

Beach 1&2 are not the same. [I am a salt beach hunter] 2 is WAY more stable. Try keeping your recovery speed at 6. At least in Salt and especially black sand it seems to keep it more stable. Confirm targets by going to "all metal". But as you may know NOTHING is the same in poor soil or black sand conditions. When in doubt, dig it, and check targets from more than one position. What are you doing with GB? Dave

For whatever it is worth [signal transmission aside] In saltwater and light black sand conditions, I get way more accurate target ID numbers hitting the all-metal button and re-sweeping the target. Dave

Kind of weird...I do own a Xcal with custom headphones but that machine is back in the US. I would be the "Dave" with the chest mounted Sovereign GT, and the under performing Equinox. Now 14 days no gold! Yes I had a Margarita today. Dave

YEP, time for a margarita. I have 12 days in so far here in Mexico and no gold yet. The beach conditions stink. Dave