Chase Goldman

Not worth it to go to these Russian hacked coils IMO. I just keep going back to the Equinox stock coil for 99% of my hunting (I have all three Equinox coils and do all kinds of hunting from beach to relic to coin shooting in different situations). Just going ahead and getting a Vanquish is probably a better bet if you like the Vanquish coil sizes (I've considered it) and then you also have a decent backup beach detector to your Equinox

Sven1, You can only do that if the repair center ins Correct, but you can do that only if the repair center instructs you to do so. ML will tell you whether you should send in the all or just part of the Equinox for repair I get the impression that this Nokta Simplex repair center is just getting off the ground so they are still working out process bugs (shipping, what parts should be sent in for repair, etc). Dilek is apoarently monitoring the situation so that is a good thing. But Chuck is right, Nokta has her spread thin. They need to clone her as she is a good rep for them. Hi Dilek if you read this.

Chuck, You apparently missed the point I was originally trying to make and the fact that was just ribbing you on frequent detector purchases (I did put a smiley face after my zinger). My point was that since you purchase a number of not so inexpensive detectors (Equinox, ORX. Simplex all within the past several months, I have bought the same detectors within the past year because I like to test them out, not because I NEED them i.e., takes one to know one) so you apparently have the means to pay the shipping charges for repair. But you are not the target demographic for Simplex. People are attracted to Simplex for the low price and like Steve said, might balk at paying 15% of the total cost of the detector to ship it back for a warranty repair to fix something practically right out of the gate. Could really turn some potential Simplex buyers away. ML was and may still be providing pre-paid shipping for warranty repairs on Equinox which makes the inevitable early failures more palatable to the early adopters. Sincerely, Uncle Chase

You don't lose discrimination in gold mode. You only lose tone ID. You still have visual ID.

Fred, I get it. It is easier to just use the manufacturers turnkey proprietary wireless solutions, because you know they will "just work" out of the box. But my motivation to go BT is not just about cost, it is also about universal compatibility. BT is one of two compatible wireless solutions for Equinox (and Vanquish) so sticking with that universal industry standard allows me to use my BT APTX LL headphones with my Equinox as well as with my GPX or any other detector I choose, ML or otherwise. It means I don't have to deal with ML's infuriating model dependent proprietary solutions (the Equinox WM08 module is not compatible with the ML Pro Sonic or the CTX WM10 which is also not compatible with the ML Pro Sonic). Kudos to ML for providing wireless capability, boo on their non-interchangeble, non-compatible proprietary hardware across product lines. I am all for universal wireless standards instead of proprietary solutions. Don't need all the different brand specific wireless modules and headphones for Nokta, Minelab, XP cluttering up the gear bag. So not a fan of the dedicated proprietary solutions that frankly don't work any better than BT APTX LL except on a spec sheet (17 ms for the WM08 vs. 30 ms delay for BT APTX LL is imperceptible to most humans if we are being honest with ourselves). I know that the detector manufacturers are motivated to re-invent the wheel not because their wheel works any better than BT, but because they can make some $ off the end user by keeping them in theirvbrand soecific walled technology garden (much like Apple does to my disdain). I know, pretty cynical, but detector manufacturers should stick to designing detectors and adopt existing universal industry standards for wireless audio, integrated GPS, watertight connectors, smartphone integration etc. ML made a step in the right direction by integrating BT into the Equinox and Vanquish, so just they shoukd just stop with the proprietary wireless audio claptrap. Sorry for the rant...

Good coil for what it is, which is a ground coverage monster for the EQX. Your depth increase will likely be a fraction of an inch vs. the stock at 11”, however, because the width if the coil (the dimension that primarily determines depth) is only 12”, 1” greater than stock 11” round. All I am saying is don’t expect depth miracles with the 15”. There is a fear that you might also lose sensitivity to small, shallow targets due to the less dense magnetic field, but I have been pleasantly surprised by its ability to sound off on micro targets similar to its smaller coil cousins.

Agree with Steve that if Fisher is not thinking about building this capability in natively, they risk looking like they are behind in industry feature trends for detectorist convenience. That being said, it is a relatively simple matter to retrofit an affordable (<$60US) low lag wireless system using relatively inexpensive APTX LL bluetooth components to practically any detector with a headphone jack. A lot less expensive proposition compared to proprietary wireless after market solutions offered by ML (ProSonic at $280), Garrett (Lynx at ~$130), and even Quest (at ~$100 - $160). That is the setup I use for my GPX 4800.

I'll report back but it may be a few days before I have an opportunity to run the test on my units.

I am still going to test the 4.2 units in receive mode with the EQX because I always thought I could use them as a compact LL alternative receiver instead of the WM08 which is a tad bulkier (my idea was to attach them to an NDT GG headset using a short patch cord as a self-contained home-brew converted wireless headset). Sounds like that may not be an option. I'll report back to verify whether the 4.2 units are behaving differently than the 5.0 units in receive mode.

The BT 4 2 version of both these APTX LL transmitters pair up with my BT APTX LL headphones and I have used both of them successfully in LL mode with my GPX. I use the same headphones (Miccus SR-71's) with my Equinox and GPX. I have not tried to verify by pairing with my Equinox, but I pretty much know by ear whether I am LL or not. Definitely LL with these. I see they are now BT 5.0 but still designated APTX LL so they should show check mark when paired as a receiver to the EQX. Dunno why they don't. FWIW. TROND Bluetooth V5.0 Transmitter Receiver for TV PC iPod, 2-in-1 Wireless 3.5mm Adapter (AptX Low Latency, Pair with 2 Bluetooth Headphones Simultaneously), Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B4W40VC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_HyqhEbFYDR1FS TaoTronics Bluetooth 5.0 Transmitter and Receiver, 2-in-1 Wireless 3.5mm Adapter (aptX Low Latency, 2 Devices Simultaneously, For TV/Home Sound System) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EHSX28M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_nFqhEbG25PF6C

Mitchel - I bet that "give" you felt was that switch partially or fully popping off the board (broken through hole solder connection), unfortunately. You will likely get a new head unit from the repair center. Th switches themselves are fine, they probably just need to beef up how they are physically connected to the board to be able to better take the abuse. We'll see if this starts to become "a thing" now that the Equinox has been out there for 2 years now.

That was Rick, not Fisher, talking over year and a half ago. Guess they figured after all this time you can't alter the laws of physics and do the impossible (at some point, small gold disappears if you are going to salt balance). Moving on now...and welcome to the reality of Impulse AQ in 2020 vs. the boundless optimism of Manta in 2018.

Are you not getting the results you desire on Beach 1?

I was going to suggest a factory reset. Glad you figured it out. And thanks for letting us know how you resolved it. That will help other folks who might have similar issues. If you've got other questions, fire away. And if you have Equinox specific questions you might get more responses in the deducated Equinox subforum. Specifically, this thread has a lot of Equinox essential information collected in one spot.

Agree with your points, Chuck. I was just thinking that Nokta and the repair center would be highly sensitized to go out of their way to err on the side of not making the warranty repair process a financial or administrative burden to any Simplex owner during this early phase of release of the detector since a lot of folks will be scrutinizing the process. Furthermore, I know you are not cheap because you will buy anything new that beeps . But the typical Simplex buyers are likely casual users that are not going to be happy with infant mortality breakage issues (even though that is the norm for most new releases) nor with having to shell out 15% of the price of the detector to get it repaired under warranty. First impressions and all...

That is a "per battery" WH limit, so as long as both are less than 100 wh each you are within FAA regs. Again, as I and others have pointed out, the spare battery issue is dicey as it is subject to airline approval and it is their prerogative to take a more conservative stance than the FAA regs due to the implications of the worst case scenario (loss of aircraft), regardless of the probability of that happening.

First of all, welcome to the forum. Second, define affordable... Most WP phones, especially those incorporating the special Equinox sealed plug are going to run north of $125 (because they are fully sealed) which is a lot to pay if you are not going to actually dunk them. Another option is to get a set of water/weather resistant bluetooth aptx low latency earbuds or phones, here are a couple links: https://www.questmetaldetectors.com/product-page/aptx-low-latency-bluetooth-wireless-headphones-for-minelab-equinox https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GBVCZZX/ref=psdc_172541_t1_B07P961J94 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y4J2FK4/ref=psdc_172541_t2_B07P961J94 Note that I haven't actually tried the latter two earbuds, the specs look ok but your actual mileage may vary. Soundpeats used to have a popular pair of APTX Low Latency buds but I no longer see them for sale, only APTX HD which has more audio delay and is not suited to detecting since the audio will significantly lag the position of the target under the coil. A quick and dirty option in light rain is to just pull your rain hood up and over your head with the stock Equinox headphones since they are wireless, it is easier to do that than with wired phones. (Assuming you have an Equonox 800, you didn't specify which model you have). HTH

I missed this the first read through, but I must say that $40 shipping on a new warranty repair for a machine about 2 mos old is NOT a great first impression on warranty service, compared to the immediate competition.

Yes. But the catch is, if you get a legacy LF coil, you might have to downgrade the controller to the version the used LF coil is presently at in order to get the controller to "see" the LF coil before you can upgrade everything back up to the newest version. (Every time you upgrade or downgrade the controller, you lose all your custom programs and settings, and don't accidentally "downgrade" your HF coil to below 4.X or you will brick it). Honestly, however, I really wouldn't waste my time getting an LF coil, even for cheap. The X35 coils are so much better both in terms of EMI immunity and their extended range of frequency operation and other settings features (TX power and frequency shift flexibility) vs.the LF coils, not to mention the fact that the LF coils have been out of production for over a year, so their battery age is older, even if you get a relatively "recencently" manufactured used unit. HTH.

When was it ever "inferred" that the machine could alter the physics of salt conductivity compensation and magically see targets that also fall in the same range. I missed that one.

Sheds the most weight compared to what, the stock Equinox rod and stem? Or which one is lightest overall? As Steve H. said, most of the mult-piece CF systems like steveg's system eliminate wobble by providing appropriate tube wall thickness. This typically results in something a few ounces heavier than the Equinox stock shaft system. If it's lighter than the Equinox system, it typically has some flex or wobble.

What they are saying about checked baggage is more stringent than the FAA regs, but the Airlines have the final say about what can and cannot be in checked baggage, and as long as they are not violating the rules by creating a safety hazard, it is their prerogative to be more conservative. Unfortunate, but true. Yep the Equinoxes are Lithium Ion, I provided their Wh rating above (16.5 Wh). Well below the 100 Wh limit.

Interesting thought. One thing I thought of is to just plug headphones into the headphone jack and tell them it is battery powered audio amplifier (i.e., a self-contained electronic device rather than a spare standalone battery). Which is what it is! Lol.

Well it takes about 0.2 seconds to google the info for US Domestic flights, so here you go for the FAA rules (so this does not apply to international travel): https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/packsafe/more_info/?hazmat=7 Bottom line - maximum capacity you are allowed to bring on board per battery = 100 Watt-Hours (Wh) (an Equinox cell is 18.5 Wh, a GPX large cell is about 63 Wh). There is no limit to the number you can carry on board as long as the capacity limit is met and the battery remains installed in the electronic device. In addition, you can carry up to 2 spare batteries less than 100 Wh each, subject to AIRLINE approval. So if the GPX detachable battery packs are categorized as "spare" Li-Ion batteries can present a problem if the air carrier objects, which is their prerogative (as demonstrated in Steve's GPX Arizona detectorist example). All "spare" or standalone Li-Ion batteries must be carried on and cannot be in checked luggage. However, devices that contain Li-Ion cells less than the 100 Wh capacity limit can be in checked baggage as long as the device is secured and is prevented from inadvertently being turned on and is protected from physical damage. International rules vary and can be more restrictive than US FAA rules as encountered also first hand by Steve, so your best bet is to discuss the situation with your international carrier ahead of time. HTH BTW Watt-Hour is a measure of energy which roughly tells you the potential for fire causing Li Ion material. A Watt-hour = Operating Terminal Voltage (Volts) x Current Capacity (Amp-Hours). So a 10,000 mAH (10 AH) capacity alone does not tell you the energy (the parameter of interest to the FAA and airlines), you need to also know the operating terminal voltage which is usually between 3.5 to 22 VDC depending on how the cells are connected.

Thanks, Steve. Curious note included in the listing - might want to pass if you are concerned about flex with the stock or larger coil... "If you use an oversize coil you may experience more flex than desired. If you are swinging your machine at correct speeds with the standard coil or a smaller coil, any flex in the shaft is not noticeable for most users."