Jeff McClendon Posted April 29, 2023 Author Share Posted April 29, 2023 The chat I had about the 900 will remain private for the time being because I want it to, not because I was asked to keep quiet. 4 1 Link to comment https://www.detectorprospector.com/topic/22768-minelab-what-the-heck-did-you-do-to-my-equinox/page/6/#findComment-242323 Share on other sites More sharing options...
MFF18B Posted May 1, 2023 Share Posted May 1, 2023 Jeff, I appreciate you taking the time to start this thread. I’ve only been detecting for a little over a year now and although I’m relatively new to the hobby, Ive learned a ton during this short period of time with my D2 and Legend. It’s folks like you and Phrunt (plus many others) that provide wonderful guidance through this forum to users like myself that need a little assistance now and then. This is my first ML machine and unfortunately I am having the same issues discussed by you and Phrunt with my Manticore. I mentioned this in another location, although not anywhere near as skillfully. The reaction was quite intense and got immediately flamed by one person in particular, which quickly got off topic and didn’t solve anything. I’m going to try to incorporate some of the suggestions from this thread to see if it helps. If not, the Manticore will continue to sit in the corner, patiently awaiting an update, while I use the D2 and Legend. 3 Link to comment https://www.detectorprospector.com/topic/22768-minelab-what-the-heck-did-you-do-to-my-equinox/page/6/#findComment-242612 Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtim1973 Posted May 2, 2023 Share Posted May 2, 2023 Out of curiosity, do you know someone nearby with an eq900 to see if theirs acts the same? I took mine to my mom in laws here in town today and there is wifi all over the place along with a power line hub in the back yard where it branches off to other houses and mine ran very good and stable today. Link to comment https://www.detectorprospector.com/topic/22768-minelab-what-the-heck-did-you-do-to-my-equinox/page/6/#findComment-242620 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff McClendon Posted May 2, 2023 Author Share Posted May 2, 2023 I shipped my original Equinox 900 that I bought from Gerry's Detectors in late December 2022 (thanks Gerry!!!!!) back to Minelab America last Friday April 28th so that it could be shipped to Minelab Australia for further evaluation. Shipping to Illinois was paid for by Minelab. I received a brand new Equinox 900 from Minelab America today. Thank you to Minelab Australia and Minelab America for the super fast arrangements and shipping. I have only had a few minutes to test this new 900 both for the triple beeping on some 4" deep USA coin targets and for triple beeping on similar coins in air tests out to 4" even on default 20 sensitivity settings. I also did a quick but thorough testing of this new 900 in my coin test bed. I am getting triple beeping in air tests out to 3" with this replacement 900 detector. I have not been able to get it to triple beep on a 4" deep clad dime so far using Park 1 default settings except for changing the Fe iron bias setting to zero from 4 which is just too high for the ground conditions here. Here are some in the ground test garden results for target ID stability from a few currently produced detectors. These targets are well established and undisturbed. These are the target IDs that are displayed when circling the target with normal left/right swings where the coil fully passes over the target. 6" deep US modern nickel Nox 800 Park 1 default with iron bias adjusted. 12-13 (surface ID is 12-13) Legend Park M1 default with iron bias adjusted. 24-26 (surface ID is 25-26) Deus 2 FMF Fast default 62-64 (surface ID is 63-64) First Nox 900 Park 1 default with iron bias adjusted 24-28 (surface ID is 26-27) Replacement Nox 900 Park 1 default etc......... 26-28 (surface ID is 26-27) 6" deep US clad quarter Nox 800 Park 1 default etc. 30-33 (surface ID is 29-30) Legend Park M1 default etc. 54-58 (surface ID is 52-53) Deus 2 FMF Fast default etc. 93-96 (surface ID is 94-95) First Nox 900 Park 1 default etc. 86-94 (surface ID is 87-88) Replacement Nox 900 Park 1 default etc. 88-94 (surface ID is 87-88) 4" deep US clad dime Nox 800 Park 1 default etc. 26-30 (surface ID is 24-26) Legend Park M1 default etc. 46-50 (surface ID is 46-48) Deus 2 FMF Fast default etc. 88-92 (surface ID is 89-91) First Nox 900 Park 1 default etc. 80-98 (surface ID is 76-78) Replacement Nox 900 Park 1 default etc. 80-96 (surface ID is 76-78) Your comments are welcome. 1 Link to comment https://www.detectorprospector.com/topic/22768-minelab-what-the-heck-did-you-do-to-my-equinox/page/6/#findComment-242730 Share on other sites More sharing options...
phrunt Posted May 2, 2023 Share Posted May 2, 2023 So are you thinking there is inconsistency in builds causing some to ID better than others? That's a can of worms Minelab won't want. You would assume if that was the case it would come down to coils more than detectors. Your numbers are pretty close though between the two to the point a different days EMI could be at play perhaps? I've decided I'll stick to using my CTX, Nox 800 and Vanquish for stable target ID's and the Manticore can be used when I'm not needing some good ID's, if they fix it with a firmware update fantastic but I'm not going to stew on it like I did the GPX 6000 EMI issue, that drove me nuts until they finally fixed it, for the Manticore I'll use it where it has strengths and use something else when its weaknesses are at play. Who knows, once I buy the smaller and larger coil for it the ID's may improve if it is a coil related issue. Link to comment https://www.detectorprospector.com/topic/22768-minelab-what-the-heck-did-you-do-to-my-equinox/page/6/#findComment-242733 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff McClendon Posted May 2, 2023 Author Share Posted May 2, 2023 19 minutes ago, phrunt said: So are you thinking there is inconsistency in builds causing some to ID better than others? That's a can of worms Minelab won't want. You would assume if that was the case it would come down to coils more than detectors. Your numbers are pretty close though between the two to the point a different days EMI could be at play perhaps? I've decided I'll stick to using my CTX, Nox 800 and Vanquish for stable target ID's and the Manticore can be used when I'm not needing some good ID's, if they fix it with a firmware update fantastic but I'm not going to stew on it like I did the GPX 6000 EMI issue, that drove me nuts until they finally fixed it, for the Manticore I'll use it where it has strengths and use something else when its weaknesses are at play. Who knows, once I buy the smaller and larger coil for it the ID's may improve if it is a coil related issue. EMI in Park 1 default in my test bed is not bad enough to cause a 4" clad dime to read between 80 and 98 on multiple occasions with my first Nox 900 and for the replacement to read 80 to 96 today. The other detectors tested on that same dime, even Deus 2 with a 75 non-ferrous target ID range up averaged it a little but not as much as either Nox 900 or with nearly as much target ID spread. US clad dimes weigh around 2.27 grams so they are not a tiny target. Yes my dirt in my test garden measures 8 of 10 mineralization bars on my Deus 2. Link to comment https://www.detectorprospector.com/topic/22768-minelab-what-the-heck-did-you-do-to-my-equinox/page/6/#findComment-242736 Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB_Amateur Posted May 3, 2023 Share Posted May 3, 2023 I'd like to comment but first I have a question: when you say "surface ID", how far above the coin is the coil when you determine this? Link to comment https://www.detectorprospector.com/topic/22768-minelab-what-the-heck-did-you-do-to-my-equinox/page/6/#findComment-242742 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff McClendon Posted May 3, 2023 Author Share Posted May 3, 2023 37 minutes ago, GB_Amateur said: I'd like to comment but first I have a question: when you say "surface ID", how far above the coin is the coil when you determine this? 1 to 2 inches Link to comment https://www.detectorprospector.com/topic/22768-minelab-what-the-heck-did-you-do-to-my-equinox/page/6/#findComment-242745 Share on other sites More sharing options...
abenson Posted May 3, 2023 Share Posted May 3, 2023 So the triple beeping is both edges and the center of the coil hitting the coin at shallow depths. Probably due to the nature of both the Manticore and 900 being high gain detectors. I'm guessing the wide variance in the ID on the 4" deep dime is your high mineral dirt. My dirt fills the Deus 2 meter about 70% and I get the up averaging on both the Manticore and 900 on my 6" deep clad dime. But I also saw the same thing on my 800 with a 6" dime. If there is a problem with the 900, it's not real apparent in my soil. In any case hope Minelab gets it sorted out for you Jeff. 2 Link to comment https://www.detectorprospector.com/topic/22768-minelab-what-the-heck-did-you-do-to-my-equinox/page/6/#findComment-242755 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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