RobNC

Sure it is possible, IF they wanted to. But why do that when they can instead sell a higher priced detector? That is the business model. What they have now could be upgraded in software to do what the new one will do but they choose to come out with a totally "new" unit that will do it. Look at the XP Deus vs ORX for example. I'm convinced the only difference in the two is software. All about the $$$$

Usually if the price is way lower than everywhere else for same coil = BIG RED FLAG. That old saying comes to mind, if it seems to good to be true it more than likely is a rip-off.

That Sampson shovel is garbage. It appears they are cheaping out on the metal thickness and quality. From your photo of the broken inside part it looks like a nice clean break. Maybe a bad batch of pipe material that was over-hardened. At any rate, not worth the money they asked for it. Sorry you had to deal with that.

I agree with you. The cables they use leave a bit to be desired. The prices they charge for the factory coils vs. quality of the coil is not matching. NEL makes good coils, that much I learned. The T2 with a NEL Snake/ Cors Shrew coil is a cherry picking machine. It has its limits in depth but separation with that coil and sensitivity to small targets surpasses anything else I've ever used. Something like the Cors Shrew/NEL Snake coil for an Equinox... now that would be something. Again I feel the strength of Teknetics/Fisher machines are good availability of aftermarket coils.

Call me pessimistic but has anyone thought maybe they are on the edge of saying goodbye to the "hobby detector" segment? The T2 I had was a good machine but reached its limit and didn't do well around difficult soils. Struggled with iron a bit too. What really did me in was a site where it could not even be used because of chatter.The T2 was a coin getting rascal in decent soil conditions, and it did well with a smaller coil. That much I will give it. But as the conditions got harder it nose-dived. But seriously, after all these years why can't they do something different than the re-mark and re-package game. Maybe they just don't care anymore. Why dink around with little low-end and lower priced units when they can sell a few of the more expensive models.. I don't expect to see anything interesting out of them anytime soon.

Steve, do you see anything an owner could do to further seal the battery area as a source of water ingress? Nothing radical, just a simple extra layer of protection or something similar?

Perhaps that is the reason for the silicone grease. If there wasn't enough installed on the battery at manufacture it would be harder to remove I'd think. That grease serves 2 purposes, sealing and lubrication. Did you take notice of how much grease was present after you removed the battery?

A lot of people fretted over this battery replacement. The concerns of water ingress and such if anyone other than Minelab replaces it. The replacement of the battery is common sense, and no need to send it in to minelab for a battery swap. I'm a little surprised there isn't some kind of plug between the shaft and pod leading to the battery to fill that space. Having such a thing would add even more piece of mind and surely prevent water ingress even more. Seems they used a very miniscule amount of silicone grease too. Anyways, battery replacement seems simple and straightforward. I wonder when they are going to make the batteries more readily available?

Yet another case of corporate greed. Like most things today, "this new flim-flam technology is greater than all prior flim-flams" Just a bunch of greedy rascals trying to fill their pockets yet again by forcing people to migrate to the "latest technology". No let's be honest, it's a greedy arse company that continues to lie in order for more profits. It's a rampant thing, and people keep playing along so companies continue to get by with it. It ranges from even the most smallest items (a simple style of pants you actually enjoyed but are now "discontinued" and replaced by a pair of sucky quality replacements that don't fit anywhere like the old ones did) to everything else. Yep, sick of greedy companies. Items end up being "discontinued", "retired", and "End of Life" all for the sake of selling a newer model that really is not worth the price. Just junk with more flashy lights and more little colors or some other nonsense.

How about some overkill? I particularly like 3M Temflex 2155 for a wide range of uses. If you want to add a lot of insulation to something this is the good stuff. Temflex 2155 and put heat shrink over that.

I've ran one of these many years ago. I even found a real gold ring with it. Matter of fact the only gold ring ever found by myself in all these years. It is capable of finding the stuff but also has some weaknesses. Depth being one of them. It could reliably detect and ID down to about 4 inches from what I seen. Mine loved the can slaw and iron. Forget using it in heavily mineralized soil, it will randomly beep when nothing is there. It's also possible you may be into some interference like others mentioned. Reducing sensitivity is also another wise thing to try, because when that is too high the machine can even pick up moving of the coil cable. Which leads me to the next thing, check that your coil wire is tightly against the rod. If that is loose and it moves it could set the detector off. Do some air testing with your ACE 250. After reading your original post it sounds like to me something is wrong with either the coil or the control unit itself. That is not normal behavior. I echo what others said and would suspect if it is a "real" Ace 250 or not. Lotta counterfeits out there. On the large cans, the detector will see that as a very conductive target and will respond accordingly. You can always check that by raising your coil off the target. If you are still getting a strong response when you raise it 6 inches off the ground that is a good indicator you have either a flattened can or something large under the coil. I wish you the best with this, however the behavior of that detector does not sound very much how mine acted.

I think it is best left alone. It would be another matter entirely if you had stumbled across it unintentionally while out detecting THEN learned of the situation surrounding the loss. It's all about perception, and in today's climate of finger pointing I just don't see any good coming from it. Some things and wounds are better left closed.

I'm a realist. I'd settle for getting into some places I asked permission for but they either said NO or did not respond.

OHH YEAHHH. Fun with PVC!! My wife still does not understand my fascination with PVC pipe. I do all kinds of things with it. The office chair I'm sitting in now for example- The hydraulic lift kept sinking down without me pressing it. I set it to the height I use all the time, measured and cut a piece of PVC pipe to go over the pump. Sinking chair problem gone for over a year now!

Thank you for sharing the finds and interesting observations about the area. It is always fun to get into places where "why is that here?" pops up in your mind. You do have a point though. Just what went on there? Keep on scanning and digging. The more shallower things you dig out the more deeper items can sound off for you. Happy Hunting! I hope you find some great things there.

I live in Rockingham County. Nothing here to hunt but pulltabs, can slaw, and clad if you are lucky. The climate towards metal detecting around here has sure became unfriendly. I sure hope you have it better there in Catawba County.

The weight, no cords, and collapsing stem are all reasons why I had to buy another ORX. It is good on those days you don't want to swing something heavier.

Welcome! You will find there are many kind people here. I don't do prospecting but metal detect for coins when I can. Too cold and wet right now for me! Be safe out there and hope you find a bucket full of gold.

How long has it been lost? This may sound counter-productive but if it is a recent drop I would turn the sens down. Listen for whispers, not deep signals or strong ones. You will be wanting to home in on a very small signal. I've been able to find things as small as tiny shoe sequins smaller the size of a pencil eraser and with the stock coil. It's going to take some serious patience on your end. Do you have the other earring at hand for analysis with the equinox? That would also help greatly in tuning.

I'm really surprised about fishing lures and the absent hooks. Do the hooks just rot away or do people remove them for photos? I'd sure hate to dig up a lure with hook intact.. Talk about a real nightmare if that rusty tetanus-laced hook got in a finger.

My box label also says Made in Malaysia. I'm really sorry your unit took on water. Your hardship with the water ingress along with others has reinforced my decision to never submerge the control unit of mine. It's a shame because the Equinox is a good detector all around. Sort of sad that the one thing it is so good at (in the water) it can't be trusted 100% not to break because of these seal problems. Send it in for warranty!

I can verify these headphones work with the Equinox. They are high quality aptx. They work well and have better sound compared to the wireless headphones that come with the Equinox 800. https://www.mypaww.com/products/paww-wavesound-2-1?variant=14356841300010

I will say that not everyone likes metal detecting. They may think they do, but when they go out and expect buckets of gold and come back with pull tabs instead they lose the desire. Please understand that the pickin's are sometimes slim. I'd hate to see you spend $800+ for an Equinox 800 or near $750 out the door for an Equinox 600 and then your husband loses interest because he didn't hit gold rings and silver coins his first 5 times out. I think it would be best to go with the Vanquish series to start with. In many cases the Vanquish is even better in Target ID than the Equinox if my reading is correct. I would not buy anything less than the Vanquish 440. The wireless headphones with the Equinox 800 are to me not that great. For me, it is better with the WM08 module and wired grey ghost headphones. A lot more sharp tones in my rattle head. The wireless included phones are muddy in my ears. Please be aware that if your man does enjoy metal detecting you will create a monster, as he will forever be thinking that the more expensive detectors will net him more finds. NOT SO. It is all about LOCATION and skill of the nut on the handle. We all suck at first and on some days even years later we still suck! It is nice you are willing to enter into the fray of metal detecting. Best of wishes to you.

In my area the red clay occurs. The worst of it has little glitter specks throughout. My Equinox goes through this without chirping. My ORX also works with that same red glitter soil. The bigger problem for both are when you hit iron in that same soil. I don't see where one or the other has a clear advantage. The ORX does seem faster and has sniffed out some good targets for me in heavy iron areas. You lose a lot with the ORX though from an ID perspective vs. the Equinox or Vanquish. While I do not have any experience with it, some say that pulse machines do better in extreme soils. And again, the lack of ID capabilities with the pulse units make them dig it all machines. But admittedly, I have never owned one and only go on what I've read.

As tboykin said, still a VLF in the grand scheme of things. It does manage mineralized soil better than a single freq VLF unit. It will get better depth usually than a single freq machine in such cases. It's not perfect but a "perfect" metal detector has yet to be made. The Vanquish is a real deal in a lot of ways and should not be thought less of just because it is using VLF albeit multiple VLF's referenced at once.