Chase Goldman

I am checking into this also with ML repair folks (See Keith’s response below...)

I have heard threshold blanking even in AM, so not sure if that is just a really weak target or noise attempting to break the threshold. The way I read it this should not happen if nothing is rejected because if not in gold mode this is not a "true" threshold. I just ignore it as an anomaly. Would probably not do that in gold mode, though.

These Soudpeats Engine buds also work. The newer (and more expensive) model of the Soundpeats Engine does not appear to support APTX LL so avoid it. The drivers of the Engine appear to have superior quality to the Q12's and that is backed up by a more robust audio (I own a pair of Q12's also) and the small neck band puts less stress on the buds than the hanging cord which keeps them more securely in your ear. Bonus, they cost less than the Q12's. HTH https://www.amazon.com/SoundPEATS-Headphone-Earphones-Sweatproof-Smartphones/dp/B07KPWCTDR/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmrnull_1_sspa?keywords=soundpeats+engine&qid=1551181581&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull-spons&psc=1

Ration can pieces, ugh.

Cal, Yeah, I know what you mean and wondered about that myself. What I've concluded is that multi IQ appears to be able to compensate for a less than optimal ground balance up to a point (where that point it is, is anyone's guess because ML doesn't go into those details plus it is probably situationally dependent). Tracking GB actually changes the ground balance point on the fly keeping you optimally in balance, theoretically. There is a little bit of a lag to it and the tracking adjustment is triggered by sensed changes in mineralization, so it doesnt work as well in mild ground (but you also probably don't need it to in that situation, either). I suspect that multi IQ/multi-frequency is the means by which ML can compensate for a less than optimal ground balance and you lose some of this capability during single frequency ops. Tracking GB will work in any mode and whether or not you are in single frequency. That's my take on it, anyway. HTH.

Most plowed fields I avoid it because Agree, I avoid it on plowed fields that give up lots of farm machinery parts.

Large iron wreaks havoc with both my Equinox and Deus. Large, flat iron is even better. I use the pinpoint function to trace the profile of large targets so I know what I am getting into, but dig them nevertheless at certain sites as you never know if it's going to be an axe head, hammer, saw, knife, rifle part, sword, bayonet, spur, cannonball, shell, or frag.

You have to buy a pair that has the Equinox waterproof connector. This thread has a bunch of recommendations: Here is information on the waterproof connector: Finally, when switching topics away from the thread title, you might get more responses if you start a new thread. HTH

BTW - Those lead shot pieces sound deep when you hit them. One dead giveaway is to take a shallow plug and flip it. If the sound stays in the plug and there is nothing in the hole, you know it is likely shot and can move on instead of wasting time trying to find the shot with your pinpointer. Of course, if you are trying for small gold...

Man you got that right, lol.

Cal - totally agree with you. Field detecting time is precious and I loath spending my time on signal comparison testing, but there are times when it makes sense, if for nothing else, dialing in your machine for the site conditions and prevalent target types. Not sure Field 2 can be improved upon, but what I do is store a version of Gold mode in my user profile so I can compare back and forth. Now that I have pretty much settled on Field 2 as my relic program, I will probably store that in the UP slot so I can compare it against Park2, Field 1, or Gold as desired. As far as field 2 is concerned, my only tweaks are deciding on whether or not to use tracking GB and tweaking recovery speed as appropriate for the site conditions (4 or 5 for depth, 6 or 7 for separation). I switch back and forth between AM (horseshoe button) as I see fit.

Glad you cleared that up. So you are talking about the two wireless options vs. wired/speaker. That makes more sense to me, but still surprised that .017 and .03 sec delays are affecting such a slow coil movement so noticeably. Might have to try that out and also include plain old long lag bluetooth earphones as well. So you don't find wiggle off to be accurate enough, either, for surgical recoveries out of handheld PP range? That is basically what I default to most of the time, but admittedly I seldom am forced to do screwdriver pop recoveries, either. We are now almost six months on from the last firmware update and just over a year since initisl Equinox release. It will be interesting to see what the cadence will be from ML regarding Equinox updates and what they choose to address in the next update.

Found the answer to my question above. The QCC 3005 chip found in the latest model Soundpeats Engine headphones only supports APTX "Classic" which implies that neither APTX LL nor APTX HD are supported. Reference here: https://datasheets.globalspec.com/ds/3510/Qualcomm/73F98650-C624-4252-9AAA-3CED5DB51059 Good to know. Newer is not necessarily better. The Amazon US link to the "older" Soundpeats Engine earbuds that appear to support APTX LL is here: https://www.amazon.com/SoundPEATS-Headphone-Earphones-Sweatproof-Smartphones/dp/B07KPWCTDR/ref=pd_ybh_a_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WGB8HP918NT0RTRZAHGK

I will have to try that out. If you are saying you actually notice a delay difference between the speaker and wired headphones in pinpoint mode, then I don't know what to say about that. Pretty bizarre. Perhaps, on second thought, I will just stay blissfully ignorant and not test it out instead of opening my own pandora's box of self-doubt. I mean, I really don't have a problem with pinpoint mode in the first place as I rarely use it for its intended purpose and when I do, it does just fine, so why should I even go into that twilight zone. You know now, Jeff, that you have a lot of Equinox newbies cowering in the corner in fear with that information. Seem to me the effect, if real, would be amplified in the normal search modes. Not the thing I think folks like Nate wanted to hear. LOL.

Clive, My sincerest apologies. That is one of the drawbacks to online posting. It is hard to know what someone does and doesn't know out of context and their frame of reference. I directed a specific question at a specific user and stated the reason for why I was asking the question, not expecting a reply from anyone else (unless they happened to also use the same phones). Also, you replied "Yes..." which implied you were answering a direct question from me to you not just offering related information in response to my desire to compile a comatibility listing, which also threw me off. On the other other hand, unless I posted all the headphones I have tested or confirmed as APTX LL and have read all my posts, there is no way you would know that I already have the Soundpeats or know the difference between APTX vs. APTX LL and the whole APTX headphone spec circus. Regardless, even though I already own the Q12's, if I didn't, I would have made a mental note based on your previous reply to goldrat confirming APTX LL compatibility. I do think the info you have posted is very useful to the forum members which is why I posted my appreciation for your reply and thanked you. BTW - speaking of Soundpeats, I have subsequently looked into the Soundpeats Engine model earbuds that are listed on US Amazon (based on your discussion with goldrat above) and have found no less than 2 versions (no Q40 designation). One "older" model - again no model number - that appears to be APTX LL compliant and has CVC mic cancelling, a "updated" model that has the QC 3005 chip and CVC 6.0 which is more expensive but does not mention APTX compatibility. You appear very knowledgeable on the the Qualcomm chips, do you have any information on whether the 3005 supports APTX (before I delve into Googleland)? Thanks.

Jeff, i usually use the built-in pinpointer for target size/profile information rather than actual pinpointing for the very reasons you state. I typically use wiggle-off the edge of the coil for pinpointing the plug. Edge-on targets will typically pinpoint off-center for some reason. I don't think inaccurate pinpointing has to do with BT lag because pinpoint is a non-motion mode and the coil is typically not swung rapidly to zero in on the target which is necessary to have BT lag actually show up in practice (we are talking the amount of distance a coil can travel in .03 seconds for APTX LL). I can see the issue show up in non-APTX LL BT headphones only when swinging very rapidly in a normal search mode, can't imagine it happening with during pinpointing, and much less so if using APTX LL gear.

Thanks. Good to know. I have found that APTX while significantly less lag than SBC or AAC is still noticeable to me vs. APTX LL and throws me off. There is no one size fits all answer either. I know folks like yourself who find just APTX buds work fine for them and I have found folks who complain about the lag on APTX LL. All I know is that APTX LL works for me but anything less (APTX or worse) doesn't. Appreciate you posting that info.

Clive, Thanks, but I think you might have misdirected your post to me for some reason. I did not inquire about the Soundpeats at all as I already own a pair and am fully aware they are APTX-LL. I was asking 67GTA about the Blackweb wireless buds he obtained from Walmart. I too completely understand the difference between APTX and APTX-LL which is why I always inquire specifically about the Equinox display when people just say the phones they APTX compliant because that is the only way to be sure. I have even purchased phones that tout APTX LL support in web marketing materials only to find that they do not. Also, my understanding is that simply having the Qualcomm chip is insufficient to guarantee that the APTX LL is enabled as the the LL feature needs to be enabled by the soundbud firmware. I have purchased phones that have the qualcomm chip on board but only APTX was enabled and they required a request of a separate "beta" firmware update (that was not released publically for some reason) to enable APTX LL. Agree it is totally confusing to the consumer who cares about such details which is why I am trying to compile compatibility from actual users who have paired the headsets with their Equinox that actually shows the BT symbol and plus sign. Thanks for the reply.

Nate - how much detecting experience do you have and with what detectors? I would like to help you but a little background can help me understand and separate out problems based on lack of experience with a new detector versus lack of experience with using detectors in general. That will help me determine the best starting point to walk you through your issues. In any event, I will try to help out in the absence of having that info. An example of what appears to be possible inexperience and confusion, if you are using the built in pinpointer, no need to turn 90 degrees. (A 90 degree cross pattern or wiggle off the target are viable methods for pinpointing without using the built-in pinpointer). Once you have achieved a target signal, just slide the center of your coil to slightly the side of the approximate spot of the target and engage the pinpointer than move the coil around to get the strongest signal while keeping the coil level and at a constant height (lowering the coil will give the false impression of centering on the target because the target signal will increase due to the coil height being closer to the target). Also, be aware that if you move the coil too much to the side when you engage pinpoint, you might actually cause the pinpointer to lock onto an adjacent target which will throw you way off. Finally, you need to also know that small iron targets such as nails will tend to pinpoint off center (you will usually dig them out of the side wall of the hole you dig that you think is centered on the target). You may also find this to be the case with small targets or round or flat targets that oriented on edge with respect to the coil. Understand also that pinpoint mode is a non-motion mode which means that the coil does not need to be in motion to acquire the target (unlike the normal search modes where the coil needs to be in motion to acquire the target), so only move your coil slightly to try to obtain the optimum pinpoint position. The pinpoint mode on Equinox also tries to "zero in" on the target by lowering sensitivity slightly as you swing back and forth. This feature results in some quirky behavior such as the target signal in pinpoint sometimes sounding very faint before it "locks in" and gets loud. If this kind of thing throws you off. Simply restart the pinpointing sequence by turning off the pinpointer and then start the pinpoint process again. Don't be afraid to ask more questions if the above confuses you, but again, a little background on you can help us give you the right type of advice. HTH.

Can you confirm that the BT symbol with the "+" symbol appears on the Equinox control display when you use these headphones? That confirms that they are indeed APTX LL and not just APTX or APTX HD. Thanks. Would eventually like to compile a consolidated list of wireless APTX LL supporting earbuds because the posted earbud specs at web retailers usually do not provide enough detail or are ambiguous to the type of APTX codec that is supported.

First a comment on the Sonys. The MX3 are great audiophile/.wireless/noise cancelling headsets but they only support APTX/APTX-HD not APTX-LL which will give you some noticeable lag on fast coil sweeps (the delay results in in the perception that you have two targets in the ground separated by the distance equal to the distance the coil travels during the delay time - it can be quite noticeable above 40 ms and the APTX/APTX-HD spec is 60 to 80 ms. APTX LL tops out at 40 ms (typically around 30ms or less with the included 800 bt headset), while the ML Proprietary WM08 "Wi Stream" module included with the 800 is about 17 ms. I have a similar Sony APTX compatible set of the Wireless BT cans and the delay is noticeable and annoying. Also, I personally would have some hesitation about exposing a $350 set of headphones to the elements and rigors of metal detecting. I plan on getting a set of MX3's at some point for travel, but I certainly won't be using them at all for detecting in the rain, in a muddy field or on the beach. Regarding BT speakers, not entirely sure why that would be preferred over the built-in detector speaker, except perhaps as a personal closeup sound source with the need to wear a headset or for video purposes. However, what I have found is that most BT speakers use the standard AAC or SBC BT codecs which have delays between 100 to 200 ms which is totally unacceptable for metal detecting. Note also that BT does not work if the detector control head becomes submerged in water (just submerging the coil is not an issue). So if you are anticipating using the speakers for submerged water hunting at the beach, then they will not work. You need to use plug in headphones at that point. HTH

I know, when I saw your post and pics it was like deja vu except with you being 4400 miles to the northeast from my Chesapeake Bay beach location. The 1g 14k gold pendant made chopping through the frozen "wet" sand with my scoop a worthwhile misadventure. First finds of note with the big coil. Great coverage without sacrificing the ability to zero in on some micro targets. It was fun.

Bryan I get it now. You have eliminated the ferrous/non-ferrous breakpoint altogether and are running just notches so you have ferrous notched in which you can customize using added notches to knock out the low ferrous as desired. I basically notch nothing, use the default ferrous/non-ferrous breakpoints and cut in or out the ferrous region using the horseshoe. I like being able to cut ferrous out quickly with one button (horseshoe) if necessary in machine gun, bed o nails situations so your pattern wouldn't becessarily work for me. But your setup illustrates the awesone flexibility of of the Equinox to set up very sophisticated disc/notch patterns. Thanks for laying it out for me.

Ha looks familiar - except my frozen landscape and hunt area was a lot further south in Maryland!

Congrats, Randy. I always amazed at how well mankind worked metal in ancient times and discovered alloys, like bronze, that gave copper the strength properties needed for useful tools and ornamental items. Of course, by 100 BC, the British Isles had been using bronze for well over 2400 years. Amazing.