Erratic 900 Nox

[jerrym]

good evening, I came across a post about an equinox 900 operating erratically.  I just registered for the site but cannot find the post and was wondering if the person with the 900 ever got the problem fixed.  I sold my 800 and upgraded to a 900 and it is constantly chattering picking up targets on every swing and the vdi numbers are all over the place.  I tried everything but ended up sending it back less than a week after owning it.  the repair shop now has it and i am waiting to see if they find anything wrong with it, i also sent both coils along with it.  I never had any problems with my 800.  I took the 900 to 5 sites (tot lots) I frequently went to with the 800 just to see what the 900 would do and it was going crazy at each site.  frustrated as the ground is not completely frozen yet and wanted to get a couple more chances to use the 900 before it really snows hard. thanks for reading

[jim tn]

Having sent it in for a check up, I think it's on the way to recovery. Know it frustrating, but the 900 really is a good, smooth running detector. Good luck! HH jim tn

[jerrym]

41 minutes ago, jim tn said:

43 minutes ago, jim tn said:

Having sent it in for a check up, I think it's on the way to recovery. Know it frustrating, but the 900 really is a good, smooth running detector. Good luck! HH jim tn

Having sent it in for a check up, I think it's on the way to recovery. Know it frustrating, but the 900 really is a good, smooth running detector. Good luck! HH jim tn

thanks i hope so

[Zaj56]

My 900 is doing the exact same thing..the problem is that it doesn't do it all the time. I thought I had a bad coil and sent it to the Minelab repair shop but they tested it and said the coil was fine. Please let us know what they tell you!  I keep hoping a firmware update might solve the issue but so far...no update!

[KREQ600]

Had an issue with my stock 11 inch Equinox 900 coil.  It began to chatter incessantly and there was nothing I could do settings wise that would stop it.  To verify it was the coil, I took it off the 900 and put it on my EQ 600.  Same thing, started chattering and would not stop.  Put the EQ 600 coil on the 900, no problems and no chattering.  So, it had to be the coil.  Sent the coil to Minelab and they determined it was a bad coil and they sent me another one.  Has worked flawless so far!!

[Lynk]

I have the same issue with my 900. I had it on its first trip where it started fine. A few days in it became erratic and I switched back to the 800 I also had with. 

Please let us know what Minelab says. 

[jerrym]

On 12/2/2023 at 8:50 PM, Zaj56 said:

My 900 is doing the exact same thing..the problem is that it doesn't do it all the time. I thought I had a bad coil and sent it to the Minelab repair shop but they tested it and said the coil was fine. Please let us know what they tell you!  I keep hoping a firmware update might solve the issue but so far...no update!

 

17 hours ago, Lynk said:

I have the same issue with my 900. I had it on its first trip where it started fine. A few days in it became erratic and I switched back to the 800 I also had with. 

Please let us know what Minelab says. 

Will do waiting to hear from the repair shop

[Chase Goldman]

If ML repair is ultimately saying nothing is wrong with your detectors or coils, one thing you both can do is dial back on the 900's sensitivity setting.  It clearly runs a lot more hot than Nox 800, and that combined with less Target ID stability associated with the expanded TID scale means you should probably run the 900 at a sensitivity setting of 20 or less for most situations for stability.  I would dial down sensitivity until the instability abates, and note that setting.  If it falls somewhere in the range of 15 to 20, go with it. If it is much lower than that, then I would say that your best bet is to make a video of what you are seeing and to show that it happens on multiple coils and at low sensitivity settings if that is indeed the case...HTH and Good Luck.

[Zaj56]

2 hours ago, Chase Goldman said:

If ML repair is ultimately saying nothing is wrong with your detectors or coils, one thing you both can do is dial back on the 900's sensitivity setting.  It clearly runs a lot more hot than Nox 800, and that combined with less Target ID stability associated with the expanded TID scale means you should probably run the 900 at a sensitivity setting of 20 or less for most situations for stability.  I would dial down sensitivity until the instability abates, and note that setting.  If it falls somewhere in the range of 15 to 20, go with it. If it is much lower than that, then I would say that your best bet is to make a video of what you are seeing and to show that it happens on multiple coils and at low sensitivity settings if that is indeed the case...HTH and Good Luck.

Chase ....occasionally the machine will just go crazy, acting like you are right under a high voltage power line. beeping and numbers jumping erratically. The problem is that it doesn't do it all the time which makes it really hard to diagnose.

[Lynk]

Chase, Thanks for the suggestion.  I was having the same random erratic behavior while using the 6 inch coil hunting nuggets.  I generally push sensitivity and then back off when it becomes too chirpy for me.  I was hunting the same area, so I wasn't facing variable ground conditions from day to day.  There also isn't an EMI issue there. I have a 6k and that ran well and there are no power lines or even cell signals for miles. 

I ultimately need to send it in, but life and work keep distracting me. Ha.