Minelab Equinox - The Best All Around Detector I Have Ever Used!

[MineBlab]

Right now the only thing I can't do with it is USE IT !!!  But I'm pretty sure I will survive until it gets here. If Steve is excited about it then I'm nearly apoplectic.

[Mtwolf2270]

2 hours ago, Mountain Mike said:

Steve made a comment that I have been wondering about for a while. The EQ is so good that it actually surprised Minelab. I have been wondering about this. Obviously Minelab has realized that they could have easily priced this detector at $1500 and still would be sold out with preorders. People say "Obviously Minelab wouldn't put out a $900 detector that would obsolete their high end treasure machines". I am wondering if they have but only by accident. By all accounts this detector is really good and probably shouldn't be $900. Or is it just  that technology gets cheaper every year (cell phones, tvs, computers, etc) and Minelab is just getting ahead of the competition. Maybe Minelab has an idea of what other manufacturers are working on and the new trend will be excellent treasure machines under $1000. At this point I think there is a possibility they accidently made it to good and I'm gonna get one while I can. I do worry that they are going to overprice the extra coils now that they realize the EQ has become a monster. We will all know soon enough.

I think your right. I also think it's the nature of technology for example a laptop last year with the best Intel i7 process was on performance consider high end and in computers in the 1000 range. Now 1 yr later from a performance stand point of just the cpu. The new Intel i5 8250 "mid range " not high-end out performs last year's high-end but is found in laptops sub $600 range. So when we talk about performance it's very reasonable the new multi iq can indeed out perform older VLf  or even FBS why well even the ctx is using FBS 2 that is 6 yr old tech that's a lifetime in the tech world. Also look at the AT series the gti2500 was Garrett flagship but at 599 AT pro was a better machine less bells and whistles but in the end it was faster lighter and just better.  So just like minelab seems to do when they say it's new and a gamer changer it usually is. 

[Tiftaaft]

There is really nothing I can add of value to this thread that hasn't already been said, and even more true... nothing that could be added past Steve's opening post.  He said it all with resonance to us all.

Having said that... I will add a few of my own comments because this is a forum afterall and usually even things not needing to be said... are said anyway ;)

This forum is called the Minelab Equinox Fan Club.  And Mr. Herschbach opened this forum early on by self proclaiming himself an Equinox Fan Boy.. even before he made it official that he was a part of the design and testing team with an Equinox in hand.   I have followed Steve's posts on many other forums in the past and it wasn't long before I knew that when I saw that icon of Steve hunting against a blue sky... I was getting an honest and experienced opinion on whichever topic he was posting about.  I am confident if I posted a question on Detector Prospector about a Radio Shack detector from the mid 70's, I would get a comment from Steve on how he would approach setting up... and even more importantly (and why I trust his comments so much)... not how I should set it up... but how he would approach it, and what he looks for in the machines response, and what that might tell him.... and then tell me to go out and dig targets to learn what the machine is telling me.  (That has actually happened a few different times.. ;)).  When Steve says the Equinox is the best all-around detector he has ever used, I trust that comment.

So, I am coming out and officially declaring myself a Steve Herschbach Fan Boy. 

This is an Equinox forum, so I will say that I can't wait to have the E800 in my hands and understand why Steve calls it the best all around detector he has ever used... and hope to make the same claim very soon.

Thank you Steve, for all you do for detecting and your loyal followers.

Tim.

 

[Steve Herschbach]

Wow Tim, thank you very much - very kind of you and others.

I am just a big kid from Alaska. I want to play, have fun, go detecting, find stuff, yack about it, and have a good time. To me that is what detecting is all about. Most of my sharing the last couple decades was for me just payback to those who helped me when I got started, and the joy of sharing a passion with people of similar mind. I am however an intense introvert and so at a basic level people do puzzle me sometimes. I truly do not understand all the negativity that has come to envelop what is merely a hobby for most people.

I have never done anything quite like the post that starts this thread, but it is nothing but the truth. I really love running the Equinox because it just clicks for me personally on many levels. The trolls of course will think I am declaring Equinox the best detector ever, and make it their goal to prove otherwise. They can't win that with me because I don't care what other machines do as regards Equinox, and if somebody shows a video of brand x beating Equinox at some particular task, I just don't care. I can only use one detector at a time, I really, really like this one, and it's the one I am going to use. I know I can make it perform the way I want and that is all that matters. Any minor issues that crop up and create some future forum firestorm - whatever. My focus will be strictly on how to get the best out of the machine, not dwelling on whatever it is that it can't do.

I set this forum up early with the idea of trying to round up a bunch of really good people to hang out with and learn as we go about Equinox. You folks really are terrific, and have made this all a pleasure, so thank you. As alluded to before I have other business to attend to starting this weekend and so will be a rarer feature of the forum after that. I always will be here daily to help with what I can and to eject any trolls that sneak in, but I really am counting on machines getting into other people's hands and posts from them taking up the slack going forward. I certainly have more to say about Equinox and so I am not going away, but if people are looking for responses from me after this weekend the responses may be slower in coming.

Thanks again for being such a great bunch of fun people! 

[Mark Gillespie]

[JoeRivers]

27 minutes ago, Mark Gillespie said:

Why the long face , Mark

[bamajoe]

Looking forward to getting my E800 and appreciate the opportunity to read and learn behind you Steve. Question if you don't mind...My E-trac and CTX3030 runs good in auto ground tracking. Since the NOX default for detecting coins in an old park is manual GB, have you noticed much of a difference between manual and auto GB? I've always heard that a little positive GB in manual can get a little more depth. Any info is appreciated. Thanks

[Steve Herschbach]

Nothing much beyond what I posted above. To me presets don't mean much. The preset for Gold Mode is ground tracking, and generally the first thing I am going to do is go to manual, ground balance slightly positive, and get too it. The thing about Equinox is that it is dangerous to assume old ways apply... my GPZ 7000 for instance almost never leaves auto ground track mode. Ground tracking to me is more an efficiency thing for variable ground, but when the ground is relatively homogenous I personally still prefer manual.

I have used ground tracking while park hunting a couple times, and it seemed to work just fine. It's something I will have to build confidence in over time as to when and when not to apply it.

[mn90403]

23 hours ago, Skate said:

I just sold my Surf PI and I'm down to my excal II and my xp deus. If the Equinox works out for me as I hope I will sell one of the two and purchase a second equinox as a back up machine. I envision a day when I can have an equinox in both automobiles so I can be ready to detect whenever the opportunity arises. 

Skate,

I envision the day when you can have an Equinox in each hand!

You were an easy target. I couldn't resist. (Maybe someone beat me to it.)

Mitchel

[mn90403]

21 hours ago, Gerry in Idaho said:

Holy crap Steve.  If your words of wisdom have not started a new frenzy of late EQ sales, I honestly don't know what will.  Funny how I had 2 calls and 3 emails this evening...but I did not answer them as the Super Bowl was airing.

Now there is a way to make a bigger splash for next year, a commercial during the Super Bowl showing you using the new Minelab CSI  (Clear Screen Imagery). How has it been working out so far and do you think "seeing the actual target on the display screen" worth the upgrade and price.  I was told $2500+.  I don't care if they offer it for $5000, I'm in.

Gerry,

I'm a few steps ahead of you.  I know there is going to be a virtual detecting 'game' and real finds by way of using Google Earth.  You'll be able to take your detector and go to anywhere in the world.  It will already be scanned to a depth of 6 feet or so and you can find the minerals on your computer.

News flash ... you can now make finds with your Smart Phone.  The vocabulary has not been invented yet to describe the thrill of this type of virtual detecting.  And the beach finds ... you get the idea.

Mitchel