Minelab, What The Heck Did You Do To My Equinox?????

[Dug D]

Thanks for the update, in many ways my Manticore seems to have the same issues as you describe for your 900s. 

I'm slowly adjusting, but I'm really hoping for another software update. You said it best when you started this thread, did you find stuff yes, was it fun NO. 

My tone break for high tone is in the low 50s because a good target can bounce from 80s to 50s at 4 inches. Much less fun.

[Jeff McClendon]

26 minutes ago, Dug D said:

Thanks for the update, in many ways my Manticore seems to have the same issues as you describe for your 900s. 

I'm slowly adjusting, but I'm really hoping for another software update. You said it best when you started this thread, did you find stuff yes, was it fun NO. 

My tone break for high tone is in the low 50s because a good target can bounce from 80s to 50s at 4 inches. Much less fun.

I am still in the beginner learning stage using the Manticore. For coin and jewelry hunting in moderately iron mineralized ground, I have stuck to using All Terrain General with iron audio ON and with very conservative/tame settings. I have not done anything experimental or extravagant with the Manticore. Maybe that is why it is behaving a little better than the two 900s I had even though I didn't do anything radical with them either.

[phrunt]

The Manticore in lower settings should be very competitive with an Equinox 800 maxed out, but it is a bit like driving a car on an icy road, you have to be very careful not to push it too far or you'll spin out of control.  The extra power of the machine may have uses at times if conditions allow, I'd rather have the extra power and rarely be able to use it than not have it at all.

It's a learning curve though, after being so used to running the Nox maxed out to have a detector running on very conservative settings feels a bit weird like you're missing out on something.  I do have a place in a remote area a long way from any interference I was able to run the Manticore maxed out and it ran smooth and fine, the only problem was being such a remote area there were no targets to find 🙂 At least in my mind it cleared the question can the detector ever be used maxed out, and it can.

 

[HardPack]

12 hours ago, Jeff McClendon said:

Maybe the 700/900 do really well for coin, jewelry and relic hunting in low EMI and milder soil conditions. I did not get to try that experience and I don't live and hunt in an area with those conditions. 

That was a long and interesting read, can’t say it was a Minelab Equinox 900 confidence builder. I believe we both bought from Gerry about the same time, I am just now getting my 900 in the dirt. So far I have managed not to wrap it around a tree but there is always tomorrow. Good luck with the Manticore, for me I am finished with Minelab. 

[Jeff McClendon]

1 hour ago, HardPack said:

That was a long and interesting read, can’t say it was a Minelab Equinox 900 confidence builder. I believe we both bought from Gerry about the same time, I am just now getting my 900 in the dirt. So far I have managed not to wrap it around a tree but there is always tomorrow. Good luck with the Manticore, for me I am finished with Minelab. 

Yeah, I used to be a big time Minelab treasure and gold prospecting detector lover. I am still a huge fan of the 800, but the Legend and Deus 2 have surpassed it. Hopefully, so has the Manticore. However, for me anyway, Equinox 700/900 are a step in the wrong direction as far as versatility in some of the more difficult soil conditions that the Equinox 600/800 handles with ease. 

I started reporting on my struggles with the 900 almost a year ago. So did Chase and Abenson. This forum is especially for getting the word out about potential issues with as much careful and unbiased information as possible that is provided by experienced users.

Sorry you are struggling with yours.

[phrunt]

What do you do when you've tapped out the technology? Expand the Target ID range when you previously used below the industry norm on what can only be described as a brilliant detector (Equinox 800), improve build quality when you previously had subpar quality compared to competitors, pump the gain right up and call it them the most powerful detectors available.  

I've said it all along, if you're happy with the Equinox 800 there is absolutely no need to upgrade and expect wonderful things.

[Jeff McClendon]

16 minutes ago, phrunt said:

What do you do when you've tapped out the technology? Expand the Target ID range when you previously used below the industry norm on what can only be described as a brilliant detector (Equinox 800), improve build quality when you previously had subpar quality compared to competitors, pump the gain right up and call it them the most powerful detectors available.  

I've said it all along, if you're happy with the Equinox 800 there is absolutely no need to upgrade and expect wonderful things.

Like many have said, why didn’t Minelab slightly expand the target ID range of the Equinox 600/800 to give the low to mid conductor range a few more IDs to prevent so many common targets from piling up on target IDs 11, 12, 13 and 14 (at least that’s what happens in the USA). Fixing the shaft quality, redesigning the hand grip and control box and improving the lower shaft to 11” coil connection were fantastic. 

How could Minelab be so far off the mark with what I was told (by a Minelab Equinox design engineer) was a conscious decision to take the Equinox in a “new” direction. What a screw up direction is all I can say as far as the original Equinox’s vaunted target ID stability and versatility.

The only big improvement for me has been my recovering a ton of US nickels and a few gold rings that I had walked over using the 800 because I just missed them due to target ID 11, 12, 13, 14 fatigue burnout at some really aluminum trash filled park sites.

[phrunt]

Well, I didn't buy a 900 and I'm exceptionally glad I didn't, I'd normally be all over it 🙂

And the Manticore while two steps forward is also two steps back.  When you have a hit product you shouldn't deviate too far from it, and if you do it's wise to allow owners to use legacy modes.  A simple settings switch to the Nox target ID's would go a long way for some including me, and they could have done it.  I remember the uproar when Microsoft changed the Start button on Windows, many businesses appeared to bring back the classic start menu with various software making a fortune off selling software to put it back how it was.

Change can be good, but not everyone wants it, especially when it's controversial and may not be a benefit to everyone and when it just requires software modifications then having old modes could please more people, even as you suggested a slightly expanded range would impress many and likely be more stable, with the price of the Manticore why didn't they have variable ID range options.    If my Manticore could have my Nox ID's I'd dump my Nox for everything but prospecting and that's because the 6" coil limitation they've decided to do with the Manticore, to keep it different to the Nox..... why? The Manticore is the most expensive, why not give it the best coil options available, why does the Nox get the bigger and better range? 

[Valens Legacy]

I have said so many times that I will never give up my grandfathers 800 for any reason, as it is the best detector I have seen out there for what I use it for. I don't get much time to go detecting, but when I do go it is with the 800.

I have no idea why a good company would go out on a limb to make a detector that they hope will be better than it's earlier model unless they have no other idea on what to do to make it better.

[Jeff McClendon]

11 hours ago, Valens Legacy said:

I have said so many times that I will never give up my grandfathers 800 for any reason, as it is the best detector I have seen out there for what I use it for. I don't get much time to go detecting, but when I do go it is with the 800.

I have no idea why a good company would go out on a limb to make a detector that they hope will be better than it's earlier model unless they have no other idea on what to do to make it better.

The 700/900 are better than the 600/800 in every possible way except for the way they actually detect targets. So Minelab got what was wrong on the 600/800 fixed up very nicely on the 700/900 as far as the external deficiencies. I wish they had left the actual internals alone.

If you want to do some water hunting but are afraid to use your grandfathers 800......get a Legend or better yet, the new Score or Double Score. They don't look the same as the 800 and the user interface is very different but they actually detect very similarly and they cost less than half of what an 800 costs and you can use the ML80 headphones with the Legend, Score and Double Score (I think, could be wrong on that).