My First " My Experience " Post On Equinox E600

[Tiftaaft]

As I have mentioned in various posts, I was on an early pre-order list for the E800… and I will remain on that list until my E800 is available.  Based on several of the threads and comments by Steve H. and others, when an E600 came available, I had to act, and I am glad I did.  Mostly due to the fact that I would be GOING CRAZY reading about all the early experiences from those that were lucky enough to get an E800 in the first two shipment waves.  Yes, there are things that I will utilize on the E800 when I finally receive my pre-ordered machine, but I don’t feel like I am leaving any detecting power on the table with the E600. 

I have had the E600 in my possession for 2 weeks now, and have had it out swinging every day.  Some days only 45-60 minutes as my work and family schedule would allow, and other days longer hunts.  I have tried to target a few locations that I know like the back of my hand… a few older sites, and a few newer sites, but all I know what to expect from the ground… this is the best way I can measure the performance of the Equinox.  Compare it against my numerous experiences on the same ground I have swung the Etrac, CTX, Explorer SE Pro, Tesoro Vaquero and even to some extent the Garrett ATX PI.  I am not exaggerating when I say that the Equinox performs as good or better at all these sites than any of the machines I have mentioned above.

My settings journey started the same as most new Equinox owners… Stock settings.  Park 1/Noise Cancel/Ground Balance/start swinging.  Then check targets with AM, or in Park 2… toy with Field 1 and 2… even take a few swings with the beach mode just to hear how it sounds on a target.  The Equinox is a feedback machine.  It started providing me information almost immediately.  Over the past two weeks, I have gravitated to mostly using Park 1 with sensitivity between 18-22 depending on the ground, 50 tones, recovery at 3 (which is maxed for the 600 and equivalent to 6 on the 800) and iron bias at 0. 

Before I move on, I want to thank some of the early testers for guiding me to these settings, and being open to sharing their testing and experiences with us on the forum and in PM… Steve H., TNSS, SteveG, Cabin Fever, Tometusns to name a few… but not to slight all who share their information through the forum threads.  Shout out to all of you!

Along with a pile of clad... and more nickels by ratio than I have every dug... and mostly running in the Park 1 settings above, I have been successful in pulling wheats from areas that dried up to me and my other detectors a year ago.  One location, I pulled 1-3 wheats from a 25 yard square at an old park in 5 successive days.  Then went back and popped a 9.5” Aluminum Washington State Tax Token.  It sorts through trash and iron and it goes deep.  I should also say I planted a quarter at 7” last spring in this same area as a test.  I was not able to hit it with the Etrac, the Explorer gave me a squeaky iffy signal on it, the Vaquero hits it in super tuned all metal only, and the Equinox bangs on it in stock settings. 

My first extended hunt (2 hours) also gave me my first Equinox silver.  At another old location around an old ballfield, I got a solid 14 ID, that I nearly passed on, thinking it was probably a pull tab… but the signal sounded round and smooth… so I turned around, pinpointed, and dug a 6” plug to find a silver war nickel. 

Last night, I found myself at a school near my house which was built in the 80’s but is a good testing ground for my detectors… with clad down to about 4 or 5”… but last night, I wanted to test out the 2 tone setting.  I went into the advanced tones settings and move the tone break up to 19.  18 and below – low tone / 19 and above high tone.  I then set out for the trashiest part of the field, just outside the front doors of the school in the playground next to the basketball court pad.  All kinds of aluminum targets littered throughout.  I usually avoid that area because of the machine gun chatter or nulling from my other machines.  Last night, my first target was a clear as can be high tone surrounded by low tones, but easily identifiable.  24-27 on the id.  6” down amongst the trash… 1959 Rosie.  Why a silver coin was in a modern school that was orchards before, I can only guess, but the Equinox found it.

So, my first “my Equinox experience” post is two fold. 

1) The Equinox is for real.  I’m not the first to say that, and I won’t be the last.  But I share that opinion with all the rest that have said it, and

2) The E600 is a sleeper machine with 90% of the features but 100% of the detecting power of the E800. There have been many great posts outlining the differences between the two machines which are must reads.   More important to me than “is the E800 worth the extra $250”… (and honestly, I feel it is worth the additional money for the E800… at least for me), but is it worth waiting for the E800 to become available when you could probably be hunting with the E600 by this weekend… each of us will have a different answer to that… and not everyone is able or willing  to buy both like I have committed to doing.  But if I had made the choice for only one machine, and opted for the E600 and have it now, rather than waiting for the E800… I would have absolutely no regrets, knowing what I know now having used the E600 for the past 2 weeks.

Tim.

[Fskafish]

Awesome, great write up and just keeps me really positive about the 600 which will be the machine i buy.. 

[Skate]

Super write up! It looks like you are quickly becoming at one with the 600. Congrats on that 59 rosie. You just never know anymore where a good find will turn up.

Best

Skate

[Tiftaaft]

53 minutes ago, Fskafish said:

Awesome, great write up and just keeps me really positive about the 600 which will be the machine i buy.. 

Thanks Fish... I don't think you will be sorry by getting the 600... it is a great machine!

[Tiftaaft]

1 minute ago, Skate said:

Super write up! It looks like you are quickly becoming at one with the 600. Congrats on that 59 rosie. You just never know anymore where a good find will turn up.

Best

Skate

Thanks Skate, I didn't call you out by name above, but that was an oversight.  Your posts have been extremely helpful in my path to learning the Equinox... so thank you!    Yes, I had no expectations on finding silver in this location... it was quite a surprise. :)

[GB_Amateur]

Excellent report, Tim, as yours always are.  Glad to hear from someone who is using and doing well in Park1.

Have you had a chance to hit that schoolyard you detailed last year -- where you had found about 10 Wheaties but no silver?  I'm very interested to read how you do there when you go over the areas you've already hunted, along with those you haven't.

Also good to hear another report on the 600 specifically.  No one should feel inferior or apologize with that choice.  It was a close call for me (and I'm not buying both!) but for a couple years I've wanted a detector that would allow me to change the regions of the tone zones and also the audio frequencies of the tones themselves and I just couldn't pass up that feature again -- thus my decision to go with the 800.  (Oh, it should be here in the next couple hours, too.  "Out for Delivery")

 

[Tiftaaft]

Thanks GBA!  and thanks for remembering my "Quest for Silver" post :).  I did go out there for a short hunt right after I received the Equinox, and didn't know what I was doing... I am planning to head back to that school later this week and see what I can find.  Since my original post about that site, I have spent 2 or 3 hours there, with very little to show... but I am hoping the Equinox will change that.  I almost went there last night, but decided to stay closer to home since I had limited time... and found the silver rosie... in my short Equinox hunt at that school, I did find another wheat, and several nickels... but I have a much better feel for the Equinox now, and I am hoping to complete my quest :)  Can't wait to hear how you fare with the E800!!  Tim.

[Skate]

My ration of wheaties to silver is 8-10 wheats for every 1 silver so you're due!

One of the cool things about the nox is you can really cherry pick which is what I would do at the school yard. Maybe switch to 2 tones and go up to 24 for one tone and 25 on up for you're higher conductors and just mash it there. Part of the initial confusion at a site is the amount of tones a site will give you. If silver is what you're after make it as easy as you can given the time available to hunt. I look forward to seeing the silver roll in. 

[ECris]

Excellent write-up. 

 

[Guest Tnsharpshooter]

Top- Notch write-up.

Extremely well organized to contain so much detail.

My hat goes off.

I'll rephrase here.

This IMO is strong candidate post to be put on Minelab Treasure Talk. 

Nice to have a member here who communicates so well.