TechGuy

Sorry for the delay in getting back on here been dealing with family health issues.

I did do a factory reset on it, and auto balanced it 

I tried the park 2 setting and it would not pick it up at all the gold 2 setting picks it up but the number goes from 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,10,11  and when i lock in 4 or 5 the detector is like detecting phantom things it will show something is right there, dig, sift through even take any rocks found out run it past and nothing and then check again and now the focus mode shows it several inches away from where it previously showed.

It picks up at the earring at currently between 1 - 1.5 inches at my best guess 

here is the detector running over the earring 

On 9/7/2019 at 2:53 PM, GB_Amateur said:

Can you take a picture of the remaining one (with something in the field to show scale) and post it here?

From this description, the first thing I thought of was that you are discriminating out the signal from the earring.  The horseshoe button on the lower left of the control module front panel toggles between discriminate and non-discriminate (wide open or "all-metal" in Minelab jargon).  Where that discriminate level is set depends upon the mode you are searching in.  I would use Park 2 mode.  There is a large incomplete circle of small dark rectangles on the display that surrounds most of the display characters.  If you are in discriminate the lowest (most counterclockwise) 10 or so will not show.  When you toggle the horseshoe button those either come into view or disappear.  Make sure they are in view.

I'm not questioning what Steve has said.  Even if what I describe actually leads to you getting a signal with the surviving earring, there will be many targets in your search field which will likely give this same signal.  So I agree it's going to be a tough task.

I have attached pics of the earring. I can’t seem to tell when the horseshoe button is activated or not as nothing changes I am wondering if I somehow messed up the settings so that it now discriminates nothing regardless if the horseshoe is pressed or not...   I am in Park2 mode. 

To be honest I’m wondering if this is operating properly its showed a yellow gold ring as a 15-17 and a silver ring as a 36-38. That doesn’t seem line up with what the manual says and all tests of it anything in the 20-26 range has been screws and bolts. Also everything is showing 4 shovels to 5 shovels deep and in several instances the signal showed something and nothing was there... 

Do you know if there are any factory seals that are supposed to be on the Equinox 800 box when you buy it new ? Mine had none and the handle has small scuffs on it, I am starting to wonder if this was a repackaged return. 

On 9/7/2019 at 2:59 PM, fredmason said:

Another problem is that things are not always lost where they are noticed missing.like Steve said...a careful visual search of the parking lot is a priority...before too many cars go over it.

search the clothes and house  too.

how long has this been lost?

fred

It has been lost since August 30th

3 hours ago, Noah (FL) said:

Where are you located??  Someone from the forum may be near enough to lend a hand and a little experience.   

 

Noah, I am in Western NY 

12 hours ago, Skate said:

Like Steve said your detector is going to struggle with something that small. However if you are patient and willing to take the time, get a propointer and sweep the ground with it like a windshield wiper does to your car and just scoot along as you grid the area. I can attest to this as I have recovered diamond studded gold earrings in just this manner. It takes time but as long as you have the time it works. I've run my 800 over these type of earrings and never got a signal/tone but my propointer will pick it up.

Best of luck and I hope you find it.

Skate, 

Thank you, What model propointer ? ( I am assuming you are talking about Garrett’s - I googled propointer) 

15 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Unfortunately that is a near impossible target for most metal detectors. With the Equinox I would want the 6” coil and be tuned up as if I were hunting small gold nuggets, and even then would only expect an inch or two at most detection depth. I know the Equinox with 6” coil will detect this type of target because I have tested mine on a small 10K white gold earring post. About the only machine that has a good shot at doing better is a Fisher Gold Bug 2 with 6” coil, and having run both head to head the improvement is minimal to the point where I sold my Gold Bug 2. I hate to say it but you are going to be extremely fortunate to find the earring. It would challenge an expert operator let alone a novice. If it dropped into the gravel even just a couple inches it’s basically gone. Good luck though, hope you find it!

 

Steve, 

Thank you for your reply. I was hoping a metal detector would be the ticket to finding the earring. I was hoping it was just me being new and not also a limitation of the equipment. I’m going to look at the article you posted.

Is the Equinox 800 a really good metal detector or are there higher end ones that would be better ? 

Hello,

I am brand new to metal detecting. My girlfriend lost one of her grandmothers 1/4 ct diamond earrings, it is set in white gold. She inherited them from her grandmother after she passed so they are very important to her. We think the missing earring is either in the yard or in a parking lot with a lot of loose gravel making it impossible to spot amongst all the debris.  To try to find the earring I just bought a new Minelab Equinox 800. I used the other earring she still has to test the detector. I kept passing the earring by the coil but it doesn't seem to pick up anything, likewise i also tried the earring on the ground in a plastic sandwich bag and got nothing.  I did find other things in the yard tonight like some 1" round metal cap thing with the #2 stamped in it (no idea what it is but it registered between 21 - 24 on the detector) and some dark brown reddish rock that glistens a little in the light so it seems to be working.  I am not sure if I do not have the settings right or if it is the wrong coil or wrong metal detector for what I am trying to do.  

Any suggestions or help is greatly appreciated, thank you in advance.