ks1652

17 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Except by yours truly, who was finding nuggets with it in the U.S. before anyone else in the country so much as laid hands on one, and wrote articles trying to get the word out. I can’t help it if people don’t listen. 

Here are the first gold nuggets below ever found in the U.S. with Equinox in January 2018. 

Equinox 800, Gold Mode, MF, relatively mild ground and so I was pushing sensitivity levels high, 22 - 25. Three nuggets, two only 0.6 grain each (480 grains per ounce) and one 9.8 grains (0.6 gram). The 0.6 grain nuggets are one smaller, fatter one plus one thin flake. The kicker? I found these with the 11” DD coil!! The Equinox did not even start shipping until February of that year, and I had yet to lay hands on the 6” coil.

So yeah, I knew this dog could hunt on my first nugget outing with it. I also knew it was different, and prospectors don’t like different, so I expected an uphill battle. The lack of  6” coil caused me to soft pedal my report at the time, but I ramped it up after running the 6” coil finally. All while screaming bloody murder for the 6x10 that would end up taking 3 years more appear, and still was not the Monster coil clone I craved.

The thing is, nugget detecting was last on the priority list in Equinox design. Imagine a multi-iq detector designed with only nugget prospecting in mind, with coils made just for that task. That will be a detector worth having, and will probably put the last of the single frequency designs in their graves.

Just so people know, the article I wrote for Minelab was updated with new experiences on my part, and better advice, in the version posted on this website.

Well I'm listening! The depth consideration is big. Granted my GB2 can handle Rye Patch that's not the only place I hunt. And the other areas have more to hunt for than the area my claim is in. Thanks to responses like yours and the other great knowledgeable detectorists on this site I'm sure the Equinox will be next on my agenda and the Monster should follow. I really appreciate your experience and comments. This site is incredible and everyone posting here knows their stuff.... Alaska's loss is Nevada's gain...thank you Steve!

On 1/12/2022 at 4:47 PM, phrunt said:

The GM has auto ground balance where it tracks the ground but its quite slow to adjust, you can speed it up by pumping the coil although with the slow balance it can take 10 pumps, I believe they've sped this up a little on new purchases.  You can lose tiny gold by the auto-tracking tracking it out so its best to not focus on the target too long with swings and swing on surrounding ground too.  There is no way to fix the ground balance point with a manual ground balance, you're stuck on auto. 

It also has the option of auto sensitivity which I found a bit conservative and found using manual sensitivity beneficial.  It's not difficult to establish the optimal sensitivity setting. 

The Nox has auto ground tracking also, along with manual ground balance where you can lock it to a point, I prefer this and this method was adopted by the Garrett 24k which I think is a superior variant of a Gold Monster due to no bump sensitivity with the coils, more settings to enhance performance and superior ground balance with auto and manual. It also has concentric coil support and soon aftermarket coil options from Nel. 

Both the GM and to a lesser extent the Nox have bump sensitive coils, the 24k does not. If you scrub the ground and bump your coil around on rocks it can get annoying. 

I don't often have severe ground in my area but one particular creek causes terrible falsing on my GM, my Nox doesn't like it either yet I recently took my newly acquired Garrett 24k there and it worked beautifully, I was so surprised I took video of it working which I'll upload for the Garrett section of the forum when I return home. 

The Nox doesn't have auto sensitivity, I think that's no great loss. 

The GM only has volume, sensitivity and iron disc on or off.  You need to be extremely cautious using disc mode as it seems to halve depth and may disc out small gold, the Nox disc mode seems to lose no depth at all.  

You also can not trust the gold probability meter on the GM unless it slams hard left to iron, anything else can be gold, especially small gold. 

It's best to use it in all metal and dig virtually everything for best results. 

I've watched a few videos where the gold probability meter bounced back and forth and one that pegged it to the right and the posters found tin cans and other metal objects. I agree using all metal and digging each find will work best on my claim as there's very little trash on the claim. I might be headed towards buying both. I will check out the 24k first. Thank you for your knowledgeable advice I appreciate you!

On 1/11/2022 at 2:29 AM, Northeast said:

I've had both.  Prefer the Nox 800 and sold the Monster.  Just find the Nox can do everything the Monster can but then it can also do a whole heap more. 

Would very much like to have the small coil for the Nox but have never found enough of a compelling reason to fork out the cash as the 11" is a pretty good allrounder.   

If you are hunting in bushes/sticks, etc, then getting a solid skid plate for the Nox 11" will make things much easier.   Spoked coils in the bush are a  😖

Best of luck with whatever you do  👍

Thank you. After listening to all of the advantages of the Equinox I think it's safe to say I will get one. Combined with my GB2 I should have my claim covered. I appreciate the review.

On 1/12/2022 at 8:34 AM, Sourdough Scott said:

Since you do much of your detecting at RP. Anyone who has detected there during wet conditions knows how squacky the alkaline soils can get when wet. I'm not sure what detector would work best in those conditions? But something to look into. 

You bring up a good point. So far I haven't detected there after a rain but I can imagine it would throw everything off and cause a lot of noise.

15 hours ago, Gerry in Idaho said:

And I listened to every single word in each of your sentences, paragraphs and phone calls.  I also took advice and doubled down on my order.  That was the 1st detector in all my 25 years of being a multi line dealer that I blew past 100+ units in a year.  

And YES, Yes, yes even to this day, there are a few dealers who do not talk the Equinox 800 as a Gold Detector.  So sorry for the customers who talk with such unknowledgeable dealers as it really does not leave the customers with as many options and or give them the same opportunities as the Multi Use Equinox 800.

Here's the kicker and even to this day.  Minelab Marketing folks are clueless as to what their detectors can do.  If I was in charge, they'd certainly have a different job.  Go to their website and type in Gold Detector.  No mention of Equinox 800?  I've told them so many times, but yea like they really listen to what one of their best dealers selling gold detectors who has been with them 25 yrs actually knows.  Oh well.

https://www.minelab.com/usa/metal-detectors/strike-gold

And don't tell me it's because it's not a genuine gold detector.  Heck it will walk up and down the back of an X-terra 705 Gold and they have it up there.  Just totally clueless so many wasted minds.

Hey, I'm just a stupid guy from Idaho who likes sticking rocks in my mouth.  Yea, big flipping heavy rocks and I love heavy metal too.

Looks like a great high carb diet! You guys are making me a Nox believer.

7 hours ago, rvpopeye said:

We all had to make a decision on what to buy.

If you're not in a hurry , no need to make the decision till you are and then there's always a "new release right around the corner " to consider too. 😉

Stick around and your new machine could become easy to pick tomorrow  !?!🤔

I agree rv.  I am settled on these 2 units. I do like auto features. My DFX 300 offered auto and manual capabilities. So I agree since I'm not in a hurry the decision will come. 

23 hours ago, Jeff McClendon said:

I have owned the Gold Monster 1000 and still own the Equinox 800.

I found the Gold Monster 1000 to be an excellent 45 kHz single frequency gold prospecting specific detector that is easy to use and be successful with. My only problems with the Gold Monster 1000 were its lack of a threshold tone and its difficulty staying automatically ground balanced along with the time it took to sometimes auto ground balance it. These two limitations showed up the most in really hot ground conditions where a threshold tone could have given me possibly a little more depth and  being able to do a button press ground grab to lock the ground balance would have saved me some time and frustration and I wouldn’t have needed to constantly have to pump the coil on really hot ground or after recovering a target.

I found the simultaneous multi frequency Equinox 800 with its highest multi frequency of 40 kHz in its Gold modes to be the equal of the Gold Monster in sensitivity to tiny gold targets with the 6” Minelab coil and with the 10X5” Coiltek coil while also having the option of using the 11” or larger coils for deeper gold targets if the ground mineralization allowed. Doing a push button ground grab, manually ground balancing or using its automatic tracking ground balance along with its SMF Multi IQ technology gave me the flexibility to easily use the Nox 800 at highly mineralized sites where the Gold Monster 1000 could not operate well at all. The Nox 800 also has full single digit VDi notching, fully functioning accurate target IDs unless the ground is super bad, recovery speed adjustments, VCO audio and an actual threshold tone that is capable of adding a little boost to really weak signals. Amazingly enough, the Equinox with the 6” or 10X5” coil is more comfortable to swing than the very top heavy Gold Monster 1000. All of the Nox 800 Gold mode features are very helpful for the gold prospector and if you want to hunt in a discrimination mode you have two options….Park 2 and Field 2 that also have a high frequency of around 40 kHz SMF or 40 kHz single frequency operation along with all of the same features as the gold modes plus multi tone operation.

If you plan to do some coin/jewelry/relic hunting and also occasionally get to a saltwater beach or need to submerge a detector, the Equinox is very capable of doing all of that easily.

So, in my opinion, since you already have the excellent single frequency 71 kHz Gold Bug 2 for tiny gold nugget prospecting, the Gold Monster 1000 is kind of redundant. The Equinox would offer so much more versatility both as a gold prospecting detector and coin/jewelry/relic detector than the Gold Monster 1000.

Great insights. Now my head is spinning I need again. The versatility of the Nox makes it a good choice. Was think Monster just a few minutes ago.  Now I'm back on the fence. Good thing I'm not under the gun to buy. Thank you for your post.

On 1/10/2022 at 9:24 PM, oneguy said:

GotAU summed it up best....

 

Honestly at this time my focus is gold. Not to say finding other things doesn't get me pumped up.  Finding a meteorite on my claim was awesome. That's said most claims at Rye Patch are placer gold finds. I'm leaning towards the Gold Monster then see if I still need another detector. 

5 minutes ago, oneguy said:

my feelings exactly.  I'll never know how good the Nox is because I love that Monster too much to switch.

What to do??? I think the best option is to acquire both over time. The features offered by both detectors give a lot of flexibilty when terrain or ground conditions change. Theres no doubt both are fantastic machines. Getting my hands on one of these will fill in the gap when conditions require me to lay down the Gold Bug 2 which is a perfect machine for the Rye Patch area where rumor has it that most of the gold is small flakes and in the top 4 to 6 inches of soil.

I hope to validate that statement soon. I appreciate your input! 

16 minutes ago, ks1652 said:

Great review Sergio and the information you provided matches a lot of remarks I'm finding on the web. Thank you for responding.

I've never seen a cowshoe before. I can only imagine the sound the piece let go with. The nails probably sounded off insanely as well. One of the areas I have hit a few times is covered in boot tacks and those turned my DMX into sound machine. 

4 minutes ago, GotAU? said:

Some other great input here though- Gold Catcher makes some very good points why one may want a GM over a Nox. In my case, I bought the GM first and really liked it for gold and meteorites.  I even used it for meteorites at a dry salt lake and it did well. I then bought the Nox to do some relic hunting and as a second gold detector to share with my wife and other family members.  Some of the areas that I wanted to prospect have a lot of ironstone and other hot rocks, and I also ran into a lot of the basalt hot rocks out in Franconia, Az while looking for meteorites there too with the GM. After that, I started reading about the positive reviews about the 24k, and for to try one out with Jim McCulloch for a day- that sold me on keeping the 24k over the GM, especially after using it in areas with lots of gravel sized hot rocks and layers of black sand. I also decided to keep the more versatile Nox as I also want a relic/coin detector.

I guess what it comes down to is if you are only going to be prospecting for gold, the gold monster is probably a good choice for you, but if you think you might want to try some other types of detecting, especially if you don’t live close to a good prospecting area, you may find yourself wanting to go swing for other things besides shiny stuff and will be more happy with something like the multipurpose  Nox.

We have the same interest in gold and meteorites. Not saying coins and relics don't interest me. It's the Buzzards fault I have gold fever. Living in Reno NV has me a couple of hours away from some really good gold locations. My house is just below Virginia City and there are a number of sites to hike to that look interesting. When I'm out detecting or drywashing I have my eyes open for anything. I like the target ID feature of the Equinox and I'm impressed with the nugget finding capabilities of the Monster. The auto features of the Monster are appealing. What I may consider eventually is picking up both detectors if I can gain approval from the finance czar before I slip the noose around my neck! Thank you for your experience and insights

5 hours ago, Sérgio Campos said:

Hey ks!
My experience is with the monster. It’s the only machine I have detect with. My hunting ground is schist rocks and the machine It is very stable and I can use it between the 7 and 8 “gain”. When the ground changes you need to adjust the gain or “pump” say about ten times and just keep going. I also use the “auto plus” combined with the manual for target verification.
It’s fairly light weighted and after a couple of ours I need 10 minutes to recover my arm stamina. Very good battery life, at least 12 hours!? Pretty awesome machine!! It will detect crazy small bits. It has two coils and I prefer the larger coil because for scouting because it’s not as sensible and will skip bird shotgun pellets.
What I miss is target ID ( which I believe the NOX has).

I hunt for gold nuggets and often I will dig nails from old cow shoes 🙂 - something I discover from detecting is that in the old days they would do it!-  and these are made of a metal that often is mixed and gives strong non ferrous signals. If I had target ID I would skip those. The monster does give sound variations easy to identify in swallow targets but for deeper targets the variation is not as noticeable. 
The monster works for my current gold, which is gold 🙂 but because I need depth my future detector will be a PI. 
Anyway, if I was to decide for another VLF I will go for something with good target ID. Say a NOX or a Legend?

Hope this info helped. 

Here is a photo of a “Cowshoe”  for future memory… Cheerio!
 

Great review Sergio and the information you provided matches a lot of remarks I'm finding on the web. Thank you for responding.

4 hours ago, GotAU? said:

I’m still a newby at this, but personally, if you are using a GB 2 and do well with handling it, I’d think the NOX would be a good partner for it over the GM for the adaptability it has to be a good multi-frequency  gold and relic/coin machine with lots of coil selections. The GM is great for gold, but can’t do everything else a Nox can do and it only has the two coils (that isnt as important though as most use the 5” puck for it over the other one anyways).

I now use a Nox and 24k myself, went that route after using a GM for awhile but found the 24k a more adaptable gold detector than the GM, especially for all the hot rock areas we have.

Thank you GotAU. This is exactly the experienced user information I am looking for. I appreciate you for taking time to educate me and any other readers thinking about picking up one of these detectors

I had so many incredible responses to my first post that it made perfect sense togo back to the well and run this by you all.

With my DMX in it's later years another detector is will be in my future. I've been researching a number of sources including YouTube hoping to narrow down my choices.

Considering finances.... to date I have settled on 2 detectors. The Gold Monster 1000 and the Equinox 800.

Both are in the same price range....both get good reviews and I see them producing nice finds. The operation of both seem relatively learnable and so far I am finding no negative reviews.

I do question some of the YouTube posters for one reason......it seems the reputable posters have allegiance and financial deals with manufacturers.

Again it's my goal to keep the cost down for now while I learn as much as possible about the art of proficient detecting using my Gold Bug 2. Once I'm comfortable with where I am I will consider a higher end detector.

I can manufacture a few more AR's and sell those to fund my next purchase.

That's where users of these units come in to play. Will someone detail your real world reviews of these detectors? I trust this forum won't  steer me wrong.

Thanks in advance!

23 hours ago, MSC said:

ks152,  when I bought my 5000 most of the information in the manual went zipping over my head. Only after using it for some time, I went back to reading the manual again an found that I understood quite a bit more, same with the 7000 after some use.

I still go back from time to time to pick up on anything I may have overlooked or misunderstood. Always a good idea to go back to the manual if you do not understand everything about the detector. 

 

I agree. Being one of those " older folk " a lot goes zipping by me. It's always nice to be able to confirm via the manual what you discover during the trial and error phase.  I carry all that stuff with me in the field in the event a senior " moment occurs. Thank you for commenting.

8 hours ago, rvpopeye said:

I only had the quick start guide for the first few months....

No internet so no manual till I found someone to download it for me.

Still don't have a printed copy...but I did make a cliff notes manual on file cards to keep in my headphone case.

Then I found DP forum. 

(I think Chase has the manual memorized ??)🧐

 

Wish I lived closer to Rye Patch so I could hang out with Gerry  and Lunk , doubt the manual would come close to that !
 

If you can get into one of their classes , you'll be SET UP !

 

 

 

 

This website is a God send. There's an incredible amount of experience here. Hanging out with folks who know a lot is on the job training.  I found most manufacturers website offer manuals in pdf format. Like you I carry them into the field. However nothing beats a well seasoned mentor willing to share the knowledge. When I go to detect or rockhound or arrowhead hunt I'm like a 10 year old and I just want to get busy findin'.....momma was right " you got no control boy"

12 hours ago, lostcoast said:

I hear that. I have a tiny back yard, yet in a few hours I filled up a 2 quart jar with rusty screws and nails alone, not counting aluminum and other trash. I saved some for placing near test targets, but honestly there's still so much crap in there it's almost unnecessary.

When I first started detecting the place I lived at was on a couple acres that once held junk cars. Some book or another instructed to clear out a 20' or so patch of ground to use as a test garden. That was quite the training experience. Filled up half a garbage can before I finally just used the ground as is. My kid had a great time at 'guess what the heck this is'. 

It's amazing what's in the ground aroundour homes. I believe you can collect a garbage can full over time. You did a good thing cleaning that much junk up.. This is great training for my claim which is amazingly clean.

Good idea. Definitely adding flattened out split shot to the grid. I certainly don't need to add nails or screws to the mix a my home reno makes sure I have plenty of those targets! I have a few pickers of gold in vials and they sound off however the tone might be altered through the glass and water. Everything I'm running into is another step in the learning curve so roadblocks with resolution are welcomed. Some tones are very discernible while others kinda just meld....or blend into the impossible to differentiate. Step by step. Once I feel comfortable I'm going to look into either the Gold Monster 1000 or Equinox 800. I'm not going to get mommas OK for that for a dtector like the GPX 6000. I already have my brains full with the GB2 so a new one is down the line. I appreciate everything you guys are suggesting.

Great idea. I'm going to add those to the samples in my yard.  So far the tones are close but there is a difference. I was watching a Bill Southerns video the other night and he's amazing....he can hear the slightest of tone variations. Un real. I'll get there!

Thank you all for the input and advice. The level of knowledge and willingness to share on this site is unrivaled. A virtual brotherhood!

While working the practice grid yesterday  I played with all of my machines settings and different controls and I found at least in my yard what worked and what doesn't work. The big eye opener for me was the simplest and most important fuction of getting my ground balance adjusted for the terrain. It changed everything. Being able to eliminate hot rocks and nails is a game changer.

At Rye Patch where I park on the claim it looks like someone designed a dancefloor hardpack with every rock imaginable. When I get out of the truck and set up I start detecting right at the truck hoping the find of the day is right there. It's hotrock city. No longer will that issue prevent me from enjoying the day. I might still run into them but at a much lesser rate.

So my rant is all about the obvious.Start with the most important function and that is mastering ground balancing. Get more in tune and learn the machines language and different dialects, and try different settings to match the specific site and soil conditions. 

The folks on this site and incredible....thank you all for respectfully sharing. I hope to post some findings soon....as long as Reno and the outlying areas remain hospitable in the near future. SNOW GO AWAY

Thats hilarious. Looks like the younger skinny me. Yes....so much to absorb but I have time now. 

I'm a detecting newbie and that excuse is worth maybe a bowl of soup and a hat going forward. I've been binge watching videos the last few days and I'm beginning to think my ancient DFX 300 has a few miles left on it after all. There's a boatload of information available on my detectors and reading it leaves me starry eyed after a bit but.....DUH...they wrote those manuals for a reason! I am publicly stating that I am ashamed and embarrased that I have wasted so much time in the field just turning on the detector running and swining it. If I found anything it was dumb luck ( such as my Majuba meteorite. After watching a number of "how to ground balance your detector" video it's been a real eye opener. Jeez....there are a lot of smart guys out there who have a lot of knowledge to share. So today I headed out back and laid out a practice grid of coins and gold finds and really tuned my Gold Bug 2 correctly. I feel like the kid in school that finally understands Algebra. My practice area gave me te opportunity to listen and be able to hear the small differences in tone. Like a dork....I found myself closing my eyes and wondering through the maze. NOT recommended. It made a difference to be able to distinguish the tones my detector produces. . Maybe just maybe my upcoming run to the claim at Rye Patch will justify the expense of my new detector. This isn't news to most of you Im sure but dang....I feel good and the blue skies are clear now and I can hear the nugget birds singing. 

Hi Tom

All true and noted. The site has seen it's better days due to the harse soil and weather.

Most glass and ceramics have been exposed to extreme heat and cold so long not much is left on the surface.

As far as hotels....I agree. I felt at times I was running a youth hostel at home when my twin sons and their wives all lived here while attending college!

Thats why I was shocked to find the small bottle and saucer. I think you're not alone is chosung to pass on the site and just maybe that can be a plus. Considering the sites proximity to my claim its a hop skip and a jump so not too much time wasted trying one more time. One thing to consider is the Majuba meteorite strewn field appears to move in that direction...maybe a space rock to be found there!

I found a small 27 gram meteorite on my claim where 2 others were found and documented on the Meteoritical Society website. Thinking the heavier stones travel further....you never know!

I appreciate the responses everyone.

I know this isn't necessarily detecting material but its definently relic hunting land and of course boot tack heaven!

Thank you for responding. I guess I need to pull that book off my bookshelf and take a look. 

I was camping at my claim on Rye Patch and spoke with a park ranger who directed me there.

Apparently he and his boss are big metal detectorist. He put me right on the spot.

Theres an incredible amount of shattered plates and material of that sort.....and rattlers!

I have an image of that foundation somewhere....I'll post it if I can find it.

Thanks for the info...have a great New Year!