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Perhaps this has been discussed previously... and correct me if wrong, but the Equinox has adjustable recovery settings, which could be set depending on the density and type of targets encountered? But what might be the trade-offs when using fast vs slower recovery speed? Target ID? Depth? Perhaps with the new Equinox technology it does not matter- Oh and do the recovery settings function with single and multi-frequency modes?

I've been considering the equinox 800 and I'm wondering if there is a big (noticeable) difference in the ground noise specifically hot rocks that you hear versus a single frequency unit? Presently using gbpro and Monster for prospecting when I'm not using my gp3000. I recently did some beach detecting for the first time using the gbpro and I enjoyed that experience as well, so a more well rounded machine is appealing on that level too. But right now I'm most interested in what noticeable benefits the equinox brings when running in mult frequency mode. Also curious how much improvement is gained if any with respect to target ID accurracy. Any thoughts? Thanks Matt

The users asked to ask the following question: Is the Equinox snapshot or open gate ? So where will the Equinox fall ? Your personal opinion.

Hey Everyone, Just a quick question on warranty. How long is Minelab’s warranty on the Equinox 800? Thanks, BH

Here are some Equinox Saltwater performance clues... Almost as well as BBS/FBS. My question now is define "almost".

I was cruising through the Minelab website looking for any new bits on the Equinox and came across this marketing video that compares the detectors in the "Treasure Detector" range. I think it's interesting, though not surprising, that the marketing hype is toned-down when the Equinox is compared to the rest of the Minelab range.

I would like to ask how the 8 speeds of the response of the 800-th model correspond to the 3-rd speeds of the response of the 600th model.

Dime sized coin, about 11" , Quarter/ Half sized coin about 16". I'm guessing, lower mineralized dirt?

Steve, having studied the shaft of Nox, it became very interesting to me how he had the weighting? The heavy coil at the bottom, the control unit with the battery is at the level of the hand, and in the counterweight on the armrest there is nothing at all. Logically, this combination should cause increased physical stress on the hand. Can you answer this question in detail? ps: judging by the angle of the handle on the shaft, I have a feeling that the Nox is designed to search under your feet. That is, holding the shaft almost vertically ...

When I called ML today and asked about Multi-IQ frequencies... Mums the word! In their M-IQ description ML states the single frequencies are used... "and more". Makes me ask how many more frequencies? Has this been touched upon here and does anyone know how many frequencies and their range? MLs only answer to that is M-IQ is a new technology. So I speculate something similar in frequencies to BBS or FBS, because of the 50 response tones selection? Might this mean M-IQ runs 50 frequencies? Or might target tones be determined by some other factor?

Steve, one thing I haven't seen addressed yet is how many "slots" are available to save custom programs?

Since I only hunt freshwater the beach mode is of no real use to me. I would use Relic in its place for that. The only quibble I have against the 800 is that the 20 kHz freq should have been a disc mode. That in my mind would have made a more "all around" machine. If budget is a concern, the lower price of the 600 would defray the cost of buying the waterproof headphones. So that is a consideration. I didn't pre-order and facing 4 months of winter have time to decide which would suit me best.

I sent a check to the dealer I deal with on 10/07/17 for my Equinox 800. It’s going to be interesting to see who has been waiting the longest for their Equinox. Chuck

Obviously all our Equinox concerns will be answered soon, but after watching most of the posted Equinox videos online several times... I noticed when near one another all those Equinoxes seem noisy? I guess that's to be expected. Yet I think I also noticed many were set to max sensitivity? Obviously testing a new detector one wants to see max capability, but wonder where sensitivity will have to be set in actual field conditions for stability, such as in saltwater and how lowering sensitivity effects performance? From experience the Excalibur typically runs best at mid sensitivity, perhaps slightly more when in the sea, while still performing great on most jewelry. I hope that will be the case with the Equinox?

I was told by a sales person in the local detecting shop that the Equinox would be out on the 1st of March. Hope it is true , then we have a time line to wait....I was asking about a coin machine and was told it would be out the 1st of March and I should wait for it to arrive......

All the talk seems mostly over the Equinox 800. But what about the 600? My first inclination too was to get on the 800 list which I did. I wonder though, for a shallow water hunter such as myself, if the 600 might be a better choice? It costs less and the wireless capability is not needed underwater nor are the higher frequencies of the 800. For travel I could buy 2 600s and 2 sets of waterproof headphones (I like back-up on trips), for about the same price of 2 800s alone. I'm most interested in hunting saltwater and guessing/hoping the 600/800 in beach mode will perform similar to an Excalibur. Should that prove to be the case, then the Equinox 600 might suffice? That is if the 600 and 800 run on the same multi-frequencies in beach mode?

Hi Steve, Lot of interesting discussion here. I have a question about using the notch (whether or not you are allowed to answer yet I don't know). You said, "The target id on this thing has hair splitting accuracy and stability with solid id locks on all but borderline targets." That statement made me think about notching. Can the Equinox notch out a single number (as opposed to two or three in sequence). What is the minimum notch you can do? Thank you. Rich

Hi and my first current post here. Guess my detecting passions lean towards gold nugget hunting, but mostly Caribbean shallow water treasure hunting. For years I have travelled with a group in search of such Caribbean Adventure, sharing comradery and expenses. I and others in our group have pretty much tried every water detector available, including customized land machines in waterproof boxes/bags, in search of the best Caribbean gold jewelry finder. There have been some Winners and mostly Losers for our style of hunting. On a 1 to 2 week treasure hunting vacation one needs an efficient detector that finds the most gold in the least time. I'll come right out and say the Top Dog for us has been the Minelab Excalibur- Period! The Excalibur consistently finds the most gold for us in the least time and so much so, all in our group use them. (our trips could almost be ML infomercials with a pile of Excaliburs in the back of our rental van!) I call the Excalibur a Caribbean Gold Magnet! (as many others already know). The Excalibur has a good balance for shallow water vacation travel. By that I mean, good in salt, loves gold, takes the abuse, long battery life and packable... The CTX 3030 has done well, but needs to be handled more gently, the battery does not last as long- with potential leak problems and is not easy to securely pack. The Garrett Infinium was the only PI that could give the Excal a run for the money and clearly outperform it in black sand. But listening to Infinium Hi-Lo and Lo-Hi tones some 8 hours a day becomes buggy! The ATX was interesting, but a heavy beast to pack. For quite some time I have suggested to ML that they come out with a new, smaller and lighter Excalibur... because the technology to do so is here! (I've been told an Excalibur can be stuffed into just headphones today!) A waterproof simplified BBS machine for beach/shallow water. Easy to pack so I can travel with 2 (one as back-up) and hot on gold jewelry. It does not even need an all metal mode, nor discrimination. With an Excalibur none in our group use discrimination- we hunt by ear/tone and rarely do we use pin-point. What I dreamed of was a lightweight Excalibur package and it looks like I will finally have to settle for something potentially even better- the Equinox! I want the new Equinox to work as I imagine so bad I can taste it! The ultimate Caribbean shallow water travel machine! Will it be? I sure hope so because just 1 or 2 gold/platinum finds will pay for this detector easy! I've decided to go out and join on the Equinox limb with others by ordering an 800. All it needs to do is find gold jewelry in the sea similar to an Excalibur. But can it? I suspect yes, because of what one can read between the lines. Like... Steve sold all his other similar machines! What doesn't that say about Equinox capability? Plus it would be very surprising ML would build a new technology multi-frequency waterproof detector, that didn't work well in saltwater? Then ML writes in plain English, talking about their Multi-IQ Technology "This enables maximum target sensitivity across all target types and sizes, while minimizing ground noise (especially in saltwater)". No, ML did not say their Equinox is a Killer saltwater machine here, but it sure is implied! I sure hope the Equinox release is soon, as I would love to take an Equinox on my next scheduled Caribbean trip this mid January! So Santa do you hear me now?

Is it possible for saltwater, or any water, or beach sand to get between the screen protector and the display when the Equinox is used submerged?

I am getting questions via PM instead of the forum.... “Why did they put an external speaker on the Equinox? Is there anyone that even uses them now days? I know a few that have had trouble with the speaker leaking on the CTX” and “I saw a post saying the Equinox may well have a true AM mode like the Xterra does for prospecting. Would this bring it to an equalizing depth against the Xcal and CTX in the salt water? Have you tried the all metal mode and IF you have, could you do a post on it (true all metal, threshold based, does it lock on when the button is pushed or do you have to hold the button). Curious as to if it is something that could be used like an Excal in Pinpoint or if it is just a quick push of the button to go to a non-notched mode of discrimination.” My perception of Equinox is that it is a general purpose all terrain detector intended to take market share from Garrett AT and Deus. It is waterproof to ten feet and does have a multifrequency beach mode. I think it will do well in salt water. I question whether it will replace a true diving detector like the Excalibur with the hardcore water crowd. For people like me who get in the water maybe three weeks out of the year it’s just great however. Whether it proves sufficient for the hardcore water hunters, only time will tell. The all terrain, all purpose intent of the Equinox pretty much demands it include a speaker. It is just a fact that people expect detectors to have an external speaker. The Fisher CZ-7 was an early attempt to make a detector without a speaker (it had a plug in accessory speaker). It was not a well received idea. The Minelab SD, GP, and GPX detectors have no external speaker, and people have been selling external speaker kits ever since. The vast majority of people think a detector should have an external speaker.. Again, we are talking an all terrain detector here that will see more use out if water than in it, not a dedicated diving machine like the Excalibur. The Equinox has four Detect Modes. Park, Field, Beach, and Gold. The Park, Field, and Beach modes are discrimination modes. Everything is discriminated visually by target id and/or tones. You can block or notch out specific target id numbers or ranges. You can also, at any time, by hitting the “Horseshoe” button, go to a wide open “All Metal” mode where all items are accepted, similar as to the way it is done on X-Terra and CTX. This is not a true non-discriminating all metal mode, but a discrimination mode set to accept all items. The discrimination filter is engaged. You can at any time engage the pinpoint mode, which activates when you press the pinpoint button, and turns off when you press it again. It might serve like the all metal pinpoint on the Excalibur but I am a bit doubtful of that. The pinpoint of the Equinox currently “ratchets” automatically to focus on and pinpoint targets. This is still being tweaked so I can’t say for sure, but I personally would not buy an Equinox thinking it will duplicate how the Excalibur acts as far as pinpoint mode goes. It might in the final version, but I would not want to bet on it. The Gold Mode on the Equinox 800 is somewhat like the Prospecting Mode on the X-Terra 705, a threshold based all metal mode. It operates at 20 kHz and 40 kHz plus MF (MultiFrequency) and is too hot for salt water or wet salt sand. It might be good on dry sand for micro jewelry, but that’s it. For wet salt sand or in salt water, the Beach Mode, which only operates in multifrequency, will be the go to mode for most people.

Thanks Steve! Just wondering how that would work for a carry on on an airplane, I don't trust check in with anything electronic plus from what I've read, lithium battery items aren't allowed in check in so want to make sure it's travel worthy. I figured there would be headphones as well since bluetooth isn't an option for submersion. Thanks!

Just found this site and signed up and am enjoying the information on the new machine. I been wanting a fully submersible machine for awhile and was looking at the CTX, not sure though if I really need the extra bells and whistles at the over double cost. I'm not afraid to spend the dollars so much but like most things, what meets your needs/style always makes me ponder my choices. I will probably wait for reviews once this gets into pre-order hands since I am fairly patient with my buying as to not have regrets and I'm sure at this point the pre-order lists ar probably miles long! I have a couple of questions that maybe someone can shed some light on. 1. How easy will the new machines be to break done for traveling? 2. Will Minelab have a submersible set of headphones available as well for these units? Thanks for all the great info! Pops

OK, I promised myself I was not going to do this - start showing finds yet. It seems kind of mean. "Look what I found" when nobody can get their hands on an Equinox yet. I also have a real problem discussing depth on coins in my area, as do a lot of people in the Western U.S. but also anywhere mineralization is very high. Despite all the talk of 10" plus dimes back east or wherever, I never see that kind of depths normally. The soil here is basically decomposed granitic rock and it is heavily laden with magnetite. Just drop a magnet and pick it up, and a big glob of magnetic soil comes up with it. A Gold Bug Pro/Tek G2 will get 6 out of seven bars on the Fe304 meter here. People who have not experienced this type of soil may find it hard to imagine, but getting a dime past 6" here is very hard without using a PI. The dime signal tends to have the target id shift down until at about 6" it turns into a ferrous reading. You can detect it, but it sounds like a nail, and if you have ferrous rejected, you never hear it at all. The problem is not so much depth but accurate target id at depth, and this magnetite really interferes with detectors. I moved to Reno just over 4 years ago, and have spent considerable time park detecting, mostly while testing various detectors one against the other. And the story never changes, no matter the machine. That 6" depth barrier keeps appearing. What that means is that when I say I hit a dime at 7" it is a "whoa, wow" kind of thing. The other issue is the parks have been pretty well detected, and so for the last four years I have made few silver coin finds with VLF detectors. The explanation locally is that the parks are just hunted out, though some experiments with PI detectors had me thinking that was not true. The coins are there in at least some places, but all the detectors over them so far were missing them. Not because they were super deep, but because they read as ferrous targets past that 6" mark. Now I am not going to make crazy claims about the Equinox blowing past this barrier and doubling depth, but it is unlocking stuff by seemingly getting that "extra inch". I think there is more to it than that however. Equinox is not only getting that little bit better target id at depth, but also unlocks coins next to trash, so it is a double whammy. What this leads to is repeated moments like just happened to me a couple hours ago. I went to this little park where I found a 1944 Mercury dime with the Equinox previously. The first silver I found in the park actually. I needed to check some things and figured it was a good spot for a test run. So I fire the Equinox up, and in twenty feet I get a nice high tone, quite clear. An easy signal. I dig a plug and sure enough, at about 6" I see silver. And out pops a 1916 Mercury dime! It was worn but the date was clear. I did not want to rub it and so wrapped it and stuck it in my pocket to examine closely when I got home. The whole time I am wondering if it is one of "those" 1916 Mercury dimes, but for the life of me I could not remember which mint mark was the magic one. So I swing 10 more feet, and another nice clear high tone. It ends up being a second Mercury dime at about 8"! - a1941 S Mercury. OK, I hear everyone going "yeah, yeah, 6" or 8", big deal". That's the whole problem with talking depth with people around the country. All I can tell you is you just don't go to a local park here and walk thirty feet and dig two mercury dimes in a row in ten minutes. I in fact can't remember the last time I dug two mercury dimes in a row, it's been that long. The thing is, I did nothing special. Sensitivity was 22 out of 25 and no magic settings. Just nice high tones, dig, coins. That simple. And decent signals at that. That 1916? I washed it and put it under my 30X scope and the D I hoped for (I had checked the internet by now) turned out to be an S instead. A 1916 D in this condition might be worth around $1000 but the 1916 S, well, this is more like a $3 coin. But an exciting find all the same when it happened, that's for sure. If this was all there was to it it honestly still would be no huge thing, but this kind of thing happens repeatedly and often with the Equinox. I got a really big tease today and I am offering this little tease for you all out there. I sure like this detector! Note added 1/4/2018 - see the followup post at http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/topic/4973-2018-year-of-the-equinox/

Coils EQX 06 Double-D Smart Coil The waterproof 6-inch round Double-D coil is very sensitive to small targets, and perfect for finding treasure in high trash areas. It is also ideal for detecting in difficult terrain. A protective skidplate is included. Part No. 3011-0333 EQX 11 Double-D Smart Coil The waterproof 11-inch elliptical Double-D coil provides good all-round performance for general detecting. It provides a good balance between sensitivity, weight, and ground coverage. A protective skidplate is included. Part No. 3011-0334 EQX 15 Double-D Smart Coil The waterproof 15 x 12-inch elliptical Double-D coil provides maximum depth for specialised treasure hunting. It is also great for wide ground coverage in open spaces. A protective skidplate is included. Part No. 3011-0335 Skidplates EQX 06 Skidplate Black replacement skidplate for EQX 06 smart coil. Part No. 3011-0376 EQX 11 Skidplate Black replacement skidplate for EQX 11 smart coil. Part No. 3011-0377 EQX 15 Skidplate Black replacement skidplate for EQX 15 elliptical smart coil. Part No. 3011-0378 Charging Accessories USB Charging Cable with Magnetic Connector A spare or replacement EQUINOX USB charging cable. It features a handy snap-on magnetic connector, so the charging contacts can be easily wiped clean or dried after detecting in water. Can be connected to any standard USB port for charging on the go. Part No. 3011-0368 2-Way USB Car Charger Handy 2-way USB charger that plugs into a standard car charging socket so you can charge on the go. Part No. 3011-0375 4-Way Universal AC Charger A four-way USB AC charger with universal plug pack. Part No. 3011-0374 Audio Accessories WM 08 Wireless Audio Module Allows you to listen to audio wirelessly for greater freedom of movement. Up to four WM 08 Modules can be connected to an EQUINOX detector for group training. Has a 3.5mm (1/8-inch) headphone jack, and also has a threaded socket to use with EQUINOX waterproof headphones. Note that the WM 08 itself is not waterproof. USB charging cable with magnetic connector included. Part No. 3011-0371 Minelab Bluetooth / apt-X Low Latency Headphones Headphones come with regular Bluetooth technology, but also have enhanced, super-fast apt-X Low Latency technology for minimal time delay. Can also be connected directly to the detector's 3.5mm (1/8-inch) headphone socket for wired use, via the included aux cable. Part No. 3011-0370 Waterproof EQUINOX Headphones Waterproof headphones with EQUINOX connector. Can also be connected to a WM 08 Wireless Audio Module. Part No. 3011-0372 Headphones (wired) 3.5mm / 1/8-inch Wired headphones that connect to any standard 3.5mm / 1/8-inch jack. Part No. 3011- 0364 Headphone Adaptor Cable 3.5mm (1/8-inch) to 6.35mm (1/4-inch) Connect 6.3mm (1/4-inch) headphones to your detector or WM 08 Module with this handy adaptor. The 3.5mm (1/8-inch) end forms a waterproof connection so that the cable can be submersed- note that the 6.3mm (1/4-inch) end is not waterproof. Part No. 3011-0369 Screen Protectors EQUINOX Multi-Language Screen Protector Pack Low-reflection screen protector pack. Keeps the original screen free from scratches. Available languages: English, Russian, German, Dutch, Polish, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Czech, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Mongolian, Turkish, Arabic. Part No. 3011-0379 Here are all the MAP or Internet Prices for all the Equinox accessory items except the 15" coil.... EQX 06 Double-D Smart Coil (includes skidplate) Part No. 3011-0333 $179.00 EQX 11 Double-D Smart Coil (includes skidplate) Part No. 3011-0334 $229.00 EQX 15 Double-D Smart Coil (includes skidplate) Part No. 3011-0335 Unknown EQX 06 Skidplate Part No. 3011-0376 $10.00 EQX 11 Skidplate Part No. 3011-0377 $18.00 EQX 15 Skidplate Part No. 3011-0378 Unknown USB Charging Cable with Magnetic Connector Part No. 3011-0368 $20.00 2-Way USB Car Charger Part No. 3011-0375 $20.00 4-Way Universal AC Charger Part No. 3011-0374 $40.00 WM 08 Wireless Audio Module Part No. 3011-0371 $259.00 Minelab Bluetooth / apt-X Low Latency Headphones Part No. 3011-0370 $139.00 Waterproof Equinox Headphones Part No. 3011-0372 $149.00 Headphones (wired) 3.5mm / 1/8-inch Part No. 3011- 0364 $30.00 Headphone Adaptor Cable 3.5mm (1/8-inch) to 6.35mm (1/4-inch) Part No. 3011-0369 $40.00 Screen Protectors (Set) Part No. 3011-0379 $12.00