Chase Goldman

10 minutes ago, TedinVT said:

I'm hoping the Gray Ghost folks can get their hands on the Nox connector so we can have a choice for waterproof headphones.  Problem is that probably won't happen until long after the Nox hits the streets.  I have to say I'm really not very impressed with the whole Nox roll out process and lack of information (delivery date, manual, accessory prices and availanility, etc.).

I am pretty sure Minelab will have their accessories out b4 Gray Ghost, and to be frank, the Gray Ghost waterproof accessories are typically just as expensive as the OEM equivalents.  Don't get me wrong, I have and enjoy my Gray Ghost headphones, just saying that the wait will be longer, most likely and their will be no price advantage.

Regarding the Equinox roll out - welcome to detector roll outs.  Max was no better, Impact no better, even the Deus HF coil and pinpointer release was about as much fun as this.  Frankly, they have not missed a date yet.  Never committed to a time frame until December and last I checked we are still in January, so they still have about 4 days to meet their "shipping" promise which only meant it would be on its way to the dealers by then.  The accessory thing is annoying, though.

Does this make me less anxious to get my hands on one? No.  But certainly not overly disappointed overall with how Minelab is doing this.

Dew - I hear ya.  When I say it was a ML business decision, I say so through gritted teeth.  No technical reason that I can see, unless the CTX waterproof jack was going to make the control box difficult to qualify as watertight, to not allow compatibility with the CTX audio accessories (coils, now that's a different animal).  And even though we are all probably going to wait until the water warms up, it would be nice to be able to have the accessories available from the get go.  My main point was that you really only have two choices, make the old CTX audio accessories compatible or have the Equinox audio accessories available from the get-go.  Waterproof adapters just require too many compromises vs. integral watertight plugs and are subject to premature failure or high cost.

Looking for additional information on this series, can Dilek or some of the knowledgeable testers give us a rundown of the following:

• The more subtle differences between the Impact and the Multi Kruzer beside the stem design, user interface, waterproof enclosure, and the operating frequency differences.
• What are the various detect modes for the Multi Kruzer and Gold Kruzer and how do they differ. 
  • Especially Interested in
    • Why maximum recovery speed is tied to 3 tone operation
    • Whether there is a 99 tone mode like the Impact? 
• Definitions on some of the Nokta unique settings and features:
  • EUD,
  • iSat
  • How variable depth Target ID works.

Thanks!

Great idea, I have a pair of water resistant detecting headphones so that would work.  Hoping there is not too much lag with my BT Sports buds which are water resistant, but they are not low latency so I am not banking on it.  The WM08 solution allows me to stay untethered, so great.  Nice to have several options which seems to be a prime consideration by Minelab.

Like I said above, I believe you could easily hear it if your head was also submerged.

Thanks so much Steve.  Fortunately, I doubt I will be going into deep water for at least several weeks after the 800 shows up (no polar bear genes).  Plenty of dry land or at most ankle deep water detecting can be had in the mean time.  Regardless, an announcement on accessory availability would be quite welcome.  I take it the wireless Apt X phones that come with the 800 are at least weather resistant (i.e., they would be no worse for the wear after a minor rain shower) or will I have to panic if I see rain clouds coming even though I am swinging a waterproof detector 

2 hours ago, Mountain Mike said:

I went back and read part 3 again to make sure I fully understand how all the modes are setup. The only thing I seem to be missing is what is the difference between gold mode 1 and 2 ? 

Neither Steve nor Minelab have listed any explicit differences between Gold 1 and 2 defaults, so it is very possible in that case there is no diiference whatsover.  The default settings could be the same but you are free to save two different custom gold mode profiles, one in each slot.  Then again there could be slight differences in the Multi IQ secret sauce between Gold 1 and 2, but I am sticking with the no difference theory.

2 minutes ago, Northeast said:

Can I ask what may seem like a silly question?  I have never used underwater detector7s and headphones but if the Equinox speaker is anything like the Gold Monster speaker then I am guessing you could actually hear it reasonably well underwater? 

I'm sure in a fast running river or a surf break it might be a bit harder but in a lake, slow flowing river or a calm beach couldn't you just hear it?  

I did warn you it was a silly question so stay calm 

You could easily hear it IF your head was under the water, but if the speaker is in the water and your head in the air, most if not all the sound waves bounce off the air-water interface and reflect back in the water, so you won't hear much if anything.  Certainly not enough to facilitate detecting.  If it vibrated on the other hand...like the new Nokta waterproof detectors.

Reliable waterproof adapters vs. connectors that are integral to the headphone cords are typically expensive to make, so Minelab is probably looking at an expensive accessory item without a large customer base and that would detract from Equinox headphone sales which is probably an even lower priority than the actual waterproof Equinox headphones themselves.  Heck, who knows when Minelab is going to get the announced non-watertight 1/8" to 1/4" pigtail adapter out, much less a custom watertight connector that will only work with a unique pair of watertight phones.  I'm ok with Minelab waiting to get these out by the time the water warms up up this way, but I know you Florida folks want to get in the water now.  Lol.  Guess you will have to just keep your heads dry for now.  We all know what a poor business decision it would have been to make the CTX audio accessories compatible with the Equinox...  Also, I would think Minelab would have the resources to be able to focus on getting these accessories out in parallel rather than in serial, one-by-one, so I really can't imagine that the 6" accessory coul is actually holding up release of watertight headphones, but you never know.

23 minutes ago, relicmeister said:

It may be that Minelab got their pricing right here, when you see what's coming up from other manufacturers. Macro is releasing 3 new detectors in February with the most expensive one being the multi kruse, priced at $799. 

Actually it's $749.  And the single freq Kruzer is $649 same as the Eq 600.

17 minutes ago, SteveJJ said:

FM transmitter on the detector from the headphone jack. Lots of headphones have fm receivers...

I wasn’t asking how to do it but how to use it (besides for user instruction).  Or more to the point, “Why?” The Equinox already has this capability built in (you can pair 4 WM08 modules to it simultaneously).  I see a joke in the making, “How many detectorists do you need to operate an Equinox - 4.  One to...” 

8 hours ago, Sinclair said:

+ you can get AA batteries in pretty much every shop or gas station if you have forgotten to charge your ordenary powerbank.

True, and that makes especially good sense if, as Steve points out, you are still rocking backup detectors that use AA's or have legacy AA's on hand.  The AA power bank is excellent backup power insurance.  However, I essentially left the AA cell detecting ecosystem a few years back, and as I stated earlier, these inexpensive 10000 mah  (equivalent or greater capacity to four AA cells) cell phone power banks are everywhere and cost about the same as four high quality AA cells from the convenience store.  So the solution to forgetting to charge your Equinox AND backup power bank and not remaining invested in AAs is to have a second charged power bank sitting around.  They hold their charge pretty well and you don't have to drive around finding that convenience store.

The good news is that there appears to be an unlimited number of backup power solutions for Equinox.  If the AA power bank is a success at adequately powering/charging the Equinox, then that bodes well for just about any 10000+ mah power bank using AA or Li Ion power source.

To Dewcon - the Equinox charge cable has a USB connector (USB is nominally 5 VDC), the question is what is the minimum current the power source has to provide.  Steve’s AA power bank experiment should shed some light on that question.

7 hours ago, Sinclair said:

I think it is a matter of preference.

Personally in this case I wouldn't rely on one persons mind for a single product without any comparison, because I'm too picky about headphones and audio in general.

What's good enough for person a might be a disaster for person b.

Exactly, so test your run of the mill BT ear buds you already have lying around the house and if they don't do the trick, opt for Apt X LL.  Just as Dr. T's experience doesn't guarantee another won't have latency issues, it is not a certainty that the latency of non-APT X LL earphones will not be tolerable.  For example, I have not experienced noticeable audio lag while watching video with my high end BT sports headset, but it is not Apt X LL, so I am going to give them a shot on the Equinox. If latency is an issue, hello APT X LL.  In the mean time I can use the supplied APT X ll headset.

BTW - Thanks for pointing out the difference between APT X LL vs APT X and for the latency comparison chart.

Of these, the Gold Kruzer is most compelling to me.  Nice high frequency selection.  Would have been nice to be able to also select ~30 khz  or 1/2 max frequency too, (a la Deus) to give it a larger optimal target range capability (and 15 khz, even better, to give it some high conductor chops).  If the multi-frequency Kruzer had been released as the Impact a year ago (even at the Impact price point) you would have had a buyer.  Now, unfortunately, competition from another manufacturer fielding innovative detecting technology may keep this from becoming the breakthrough detector series it could have been in 2017.  I really like the intuitive display screen layout and control push buttons (but am still a big fan of that First Texas multifunction, clickable control knob that appears on the F70/F75 and T2/G2).  Really nice line-up Nokta.

I, on the other hand, like to come up with solutions in search of a prblem.  I am not well liked.  I have one of the third party detector stands shown previously.  Cost me a couple of bucks off ebay.

Looks like the new Nokta Kruzer will have a superior detector stand (see the Makro stand posted previously), so might have to reconsider my preorder...

34 minutes ago, MontAmmie said:

I do already have a boatload of rechargeables that I run my camera flashes on.  What would REALLY be great would be a way to use a solar panel to recharge.

Absolutely, this can be done.  There are several practical compact, efficient, and powerful solar panels that you can just hang off of a backpack while you are detecting, some even with integrated storage batteries.  They typically have usb connectors so you could plug the Minelab Equinox charge cable directly into them or just charge one of the power banks we have been talking about.  One drawback is that they need to be continuously facing bright sunlight to do their thing continuously, otherwise you will intermittently drain the Equinox battery.  Power drops off precipitously in shade and cloud cover and as panel area decreases (which makes those power banks with small integrated solar panels impractical as they would take several days of sunlight to recharge).  Also, compared to the rechargeable battery packs we've been discussing, they are quite a bit more expensive for the backpack sized, efficient panels needed to supply enough current to run the the Equinox.

1 hour ago, Steve Herschbach said:

I have a RAVPower 16750mAh External Battery Pack that I have for travel for phones, etc. I did use it once to charge the Equinox while on the road and it barely put a dent in the capacity of the power pack. I also have a couple smaller emergency packs. So I am in theory already set in that regard but the idea of using simple AA batteries was appealing. Just exploring options and saving you all money in the process!

Good clue as to how little battery capacity the Equinox needs to operate for a full day.  Bet the AA pack can get it fully charged.  Really want to know the outcome of the experiment.

I use Grease Monkey Gorilla Grip gloves for all weather conditions.  Perhaps not the best when cold and wet but at $3 pair, they last a long time and are easily replaced and I can still operate my phone, detector controls, and handle tiny targets without removing them and even though they are form fitting, have never ripped them or cut myself on sharp targets in the hole.  The inside (grip side) uses a nice grip nitrile-like material and the back is a breathable fabric.  Small enough to just shove into your pants pocket and light/compact enough to always carry a spare pair with ease in your finds pouch.

Thanks Steve for running the test.  Encouraging results.  I wish ML would give us the mah rating of the Equinox battery so we could size the emergency power bank to give us at least one complete recharge.

I would just get one (or more) $10, 10000 mah portable power bank.  It's cheaper (when you account for the alkaline battery cost), less weight per mah, can give you the necessary current, and you are giving the environment a break.  (Each alkaline AA battery cell has about 2500 mah capacity).

E.g. Aibocn Power Bank 10,000mAh External Battery Charger with Backup Flashlight https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013HIR1Q2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_w2rAAbNKAEE5J

Not trying to burst a bubble (and I too am interested from an academic standpoint in what Steve finds out as to how much of a recharge he can get from the AA power bank gizmo).

All I am saying is that the state of Li Ion and Li Polymer technology has gotten to the point that using single use AA or even rechargeable AA batteries for applications where you are not constrained to using a legacy AA battery compartment is neither cost effective nor efficient from a weight, volume, energy, or power standpoint.  Heck, I use a Li Ion battery pack the size of a paperback book to jumpstart my car!

Time to overcome collective fears of being stuck in the middle of the desert with a dead Equinox battery and having nothing but a pocket full of AA spares you originally purchased for your AT Pro.  Just get one of these inexpensive rechargeable power banks to keep your depleted Equinox going and you can use its flashlight to get you back to your vehicle after detecting for 16 hours straight.  

If you do have a boatload of spare AA's sitting around, though, because you got rid of your AT Max or whatever to get an Equinox.  Steve's little battery pack is a GREAT way to put them back to work for you in a pinch. 

43 minutes ago, BeachHunter said:

I need more hours on my Deus. Thanks guys.

And if whatever you are doing is working for you, DO NOT CHANGE just because of what [us] so called experts are saying.  You may have discovered some quirk of the machine or something.  Just because we don’t understand why it’s working for you, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.  But, yeah, get more hours, get comfortable and then try some “informed” tweaks.  Unfortunately, you may be spending too much time with your Equinox to get there.  Lol.

Thx.  Steve.  Probably taking a big chance anyway going deep enough to submerge the control box and thinking your head won't get wet.

Is the connector on the non waterproof wired phones that come with the 600 also not waterproof?

Would have been nice to be able to use the wireless phones that came with the 800 in a manner such that you could have them wired to a submerged the control box without ruining the wired cord connector at the control box end even if you never intended to have the phones themselves (or your head) get dunked since wireless doesn’t work with the control box submerged.  If the 600 wired phones enable you to do this, that would be advantageous over the 800 setup.

1 hour ago, Steve Herschbach said:

The Equinox can employ automatic ground tracking. I don’t know what methodology is used. There is no control for ground balance adjustment speed. Tracking is either on or off.

Is the expectation that accurate GB tracking on wet salt sand is independent of whether you are in Beach mode 1 or 2 and Equinox can accurately GB track in wet salt sand in any mode (I am only talking wet salt sand GB tracking not target ID in wet salt sand which is obviously optimized when in beach mode based on the Multi IQ  algorithm independent of ground tracking accuracy)?  Or are they interrelated in that optimal Target ID in wet salt sand is dependent on the combination of superior wet salt sand GB tracking which only occurs in Beach mode combined with the Beach mode Multi IQ targeting algorithm?

2 hours ago, Mike Hillis said:

HA!  HA!

The post title suckered me into reading a sales pitch.  Way to go.

I'm only looking at the Equinox out of curiosity as it doesn't offer anything that would help better identify non-ferrous treasure in non-ferrous trash, or see through walls better than others.   In reality,  just owning one would be a time waster for me, but hey, itches got to be scratched, right?   The good news would be that one could scratch his itch and still get most of his money back afterwards if they moved early, unless of course it deploys with glitches.  Will it continue to generate a itch or will it fade?   Right now my itch is fading.   

What I really like about the Equinox though, is the way it is stirring the waters of detectorland.   
HH
Mike  

Lol. C’mon, Mike.  Give in to the dark side.  Resistance is futile!  Scratch that marketing generated itch.  You know you really want to.