Chase Goldman

Nuke, you might try just seeing how far down you have to go on sense to get it to quiet, even if you don't hunt that way. Noise may drop off precipitously just a few clicks below 18, you never know. Going as low as 13 to 15 is NOT the end of the world depth wise (bury some coinage and see what the impact is to see if it is even tolerable), especially if you can retain beach mode and multi IQ in the process. I wouldn't go much below 15, though, I have not tested to see what the impact is beyond. I know some folks push it down to very low numbers to be able to hunt against metal fence lines and playground equipment that would be unsearchable otherwise. Just a suggestion. Of course this would only be in the event you don't have one of your preferred machines with you to hunt the intolerable noise areas. Sometimes, drastic situations call for drastic measures just to avoid having to call off the hunt altogether. Good luck.

I also think folks are hesitant to dial down on sensitivity as necessary to mitigate EMI related falsing. I haven't done a scientific test to verify the detection depth vs. sensitivity curve, but based on the respectable beach recovery depths I have achieved even with sensitivity at a few clicks lower than 20, I imagine you can achieve significant relief from falsing at sensitivity settings near 15 yet still retain respectable recovery depth. Optimal improvement in signal to noise ratio vice just raw target signal reduction can be achieved with relatively small reductions in sensitivity as the noise sensitivity can, in some cases, fall faster (on a percentage basis) than the target sensitivity. In other words if relative target signal "S" amplitude drops from 10 to 7 while noise "N" drops from 4 to 2 by reducing detector sensitivity, then the signal to noise ratio (S/N) goes from 10/4 (2.5) to 7/2 (3.5) which can result in an actual increase in target detectability because of the greater signal to noise ratio. Of course not all noise situations will respond as favorably to reductions in sensitivity and there is always a point of diminishing returns but its worth a shot before going to what I would consider more extreme measures such as forgoing the advantages of Multi IQ for single frequency operations. I know Steve and co. would only consider single once all other noise reduction options have been exhausted (i.e., auto noise cancel/manual noise cancel [800 only]/reduce sense/try another perhaps less than optimal mode/try single frequency/Use heavy segment notching/disc). Not sure any of the above options would have helped Nuke, however, in the extreme EMI conditions described. Sounded pretty nasty.

Great news. Is that a custom made straight extension cable you are referring to with WP connections on each end?

Yeah, that sounds more like it. I think there was ap problem with my friend's, perhaps a high impedance in the line somewhere.

How is the loudness, cdv? A friend of mine got his in the first batch and they registered only 45dB which seems anomalous (he may have gotten a defective pair bc they were definitely more quiet than another pair of wired phones he tested).

For its size, has some heft, .8 g. Not magnetic. We'll see. Tone was 17.

Not sure, no marking, need to test it. It may be plate, but so small. The missus thinks it's cute, so it's a win regardless.

Amen to that. After Equinox, the bar is set pretty high before I wait in line again, too.

BTW - Got out to my local beach park this AM to give Goldinox a dip and managed some relatively deep coins again, including nickels. But what was amazing is the small stuff I was digging out of the wet sand. Wet sand and surf recovery is just plain exhausting and to make matters more fun, the tide was coming in. So after 3 hours, I managed just a little over a couple dollars worth of change and this tiny gold turtle pendant for the world's best and toughest mom and I'm beat. Nuke, I have no idea how you manage your 14 hour ironman beach detecting sessions. You have every right to be demanding of your equipment! Tip o the hat to your determination and skill. Happy Hunting to all this weekend!

Well even though I said I was poking fun, you still decided to take me seriously. You have every right to be demanding and fussy. Never said you were or were not endorsing the machine (I dont have personally care whether other people like it or not) nor did I think that you were adding to the "supply problem". I was merely humorously pointing out the amusing contradiction that you (justifiably) want Equinox to be more than it is yet you are still willing to buy a 2nd machine. You missed my point completely. I find it ironic that even people who are not 100% all in on the machine like it enough to get more than one and that those same people wonder why ML can't keep up with the demand. Most folks are more than pleased with the machine so it makes sense that ML never even had a chance to meet that ridiculous end of March backlog clearing goal. Meanwhile the backlog grows ever larger as the Equinox demand snowball rolls down the hill. That just makes me smile and shake my head ruefully. Lol. Nothing wrong with thinking that way, Nuke, it just tickles my funny bone, that's all.

Good news Randy. Congrats on the new buds.

Why would that be? Because they can't keep up with worldwide demand? Yeah, this is an unmitigated disaster. Lol. Whites didn't even recall the MX sport en masse even after it started leaking water through the control housing... I have not heard of any issues, including the wonky shaft cam locks, that even come close to warranting an all user warning email, much less a recall. You are seriously questioning why ML hasnt filled all backorders? Perhaps because people like you keep ordering 2 or 3 while at the same time complaining about their performance, lol. Just poking a bit o' fun Nukie. BTW, plenty of 600's sitting on dealers' shelves in the States I think it is hilarious that ML continues to get thrashed by end users simply because they can't keep up with historically unprecedented demand for a new Metal Detector model. The issue is snowballing too as skeptical users buy into the initial positive reports by the early adopters to jump on the bandwagon, while many other folks indeed order their second Equinox (raises hand). BTW, have you given Sinclair's Single freq beach anomaly a go yet? If I can get it to happen, I am going to see if it saves in the User Profile slot, too. Weird. Welp, off to the beach...

P

What mode do you prefer for single frequency beach detecting since you cannot operate either of the beach modes single frequency?

That too is what I consider flutey, fairly bouncy TID usually associated with trash, mixed ferrous, and sometimes deep targets. Deep keepers can bounce but in a fairly narrow range so they are usually saying "dig me!".

Hmm. Two things. Did you try manually selecting the channel instead of having it go through the auto procedure every time? Could save some time and you might find a channel that is stable and that you don't have to keep changing. Otherwise, it may be just a matter of shifting up or down one or two clicks periodically rather than waiting for it to scan all channels. Did you attempt to lower sensitivity at all? May be a matter of just lowering sensitivity a few clicks in addition to the NC that may be the ticket to better stability and you may not be sacrificing much on depth. I know you you are down on the Equinox on depth, but sometimes as far as gain is concerned, less is more because you also lower the noise floor, which results in an overall gain in signal to noise ratio.

Gets me excited to hit the beach even though my beach does not give up the gold and silver like yours do.

Recognizable Large Cent for me.

They are APTXLL

Sitting Elf manages to successfully detect military bases, perhaps you can get some pointers from him so you don't have to just use the pinpointer.

You are going to be fine. As Norm says, a lot of what I told you comes naturally to experienced detectorists, they don't think about it. But sometimes, you do need to think about it when learning a new machine because of the differences in the new hardware from what you are used to. Most of it is common sense. Have fun. Oh, I also forgot to mention one not so secret weapon on the machine and that is the horseshoe button. Great single button push feature that instantly gets rid of any disc and notches you have set up so you can interrogate a target. Say you are getting a bouncy signal. Hit the horseshoe and see if you can also hear a ferrous tone too, that will tell you possible trash or mixed ferrous/non-ferrous target. Use pinpoint to help you discern whether you potentially have two targets under that coil that are mixing it up. Pinpoint may or may not be something that takes getting used to. Suggest putting some targets on the ground under cardboard and practicing with it so you can see how it responds. Has some quirks but works well to help you not only locate but size up and even get an idea of relative depth on your target. HH

Love the V's and silver!

Steve - I think the difference between this and your pre-prod unit is pretty black and white.

I think it's the other way around, if I understand correctly. Water comes up though the shaft into the handle cavity via the nipple hole. Water tends to collect in that cavity and slowly weeps back out. You would have to regularly disassemble the handle to flush It with fresh water. It is disconcerting because the battery is in the handle though it is protected by dual o-rings so the water can't do any damage unless the o rings are compromised. I could be wrong, but do not think there are any metallic parts in the outer handle cavity other than the handle assembly fasteners and battery compartment door hardware. Not an ideal situation to have water collecting there for the long haul, so we'll have to keep an eye on it. Dew posted pics here: http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/topic/6436-handle-and-water/?do=findComment&comment=67191

Almost afraid to see what the ground looks like after you've had a go at it. Lol. If you are going to dig everything, why not just use the Equinox to detect those targets and dig accordingly, at least you will have some idea what you are going to dig up in most cases? Not seeing what the advantage is of using a pinpointer that is just telling you that you have a conductive target under its nose. If you want to ignore deep targets, you can just dial back the sensitivity on the Equinox.