Problem With Equinox 600

[Chase Goldman]

18 hours ago, Natew1214 said:

What about the pinpointer. Does anyone have a problem with the pinpointer not working right? I mean I Know how to pinpoint. I turn 90 degrees and go over the item. I believe it's something to do with my machine... Because sometimes it will say it's under the coil. 11" and it's not. It's way off... Like I'm getting kinda frustrated I even bought a EQX 600 and that's sad because i see other people who have problems and some who dont

Nate - how much detecting experience do you have and with what detectors?  I would like to help you but a little background can help me understand and separate out problems based on lack of experience with a new detector versus lack of experience with using detectors in general.  That will help me determine the best starting point to walk you through your issues.  In any event, I will try to help out in the absence of having that info.

An example of what appears to be possible inexperience and confusion, if you are using the built in pinpointer, no need to turn 90 degrees.  (A 90 degree cross pattern or wiggle off the target are viable methods for pinpointing without using the built-in pinpointer). Once you have achieved a target signal, just slide the center of your coil to slightly the side of the approximate spot of the target and engage the pinpointer than move the coil around to get the strongest signal while keeping the coil level and at a constant height (lowering the coil will give the false impression of centering on the target because the target signal will increase due to the coil height being closer to the target).  Also, be aware that if you move the coil too much to the side when you engage pinpoint, you might actually cause the pinpointer to lock onto an adjacent target which will throw you way off.  Finally, you need to also know that small iron targets such as nails will tend to pinpoint off center (you will usually dig them out of the side wall of the hole you dig that you think is centered on the target). You may also find this to be the case with small targets or round or flat targets that oriented on edge with respect to the coil.   

Understand also that pinpoint mode is a non-motion mode which means that the coil does not need to be in motion to acquire the target (unlike the normal search modes where the coil needs to be in motion to acquire the target), so only move your coil slightly to try to obtain the optimum pinpoint position.  The pinpoint mode on Equinox also tries to "zero in" on the target by lowering sensitivity slightly as you swing back and forth.  This feature results in some quirky behavior such as the target signal in pinpoint sometimes sounding very faint before it "locks in" and gets loud.  If this kind of thing throws you off.  Simply restart the pinpointing sequence by turning off the pinpointer and then start the pinpoint process again. 

Don't be afraid to ask more questions if the above confuses you, but again, a little background on you can help us give you the right type of advice.  HTH.

[Jeff McClendon]

Hi

as for the Equinox pinpointer. Like others have said here it is extremely sensitive. I would love to know exactly what frequency/mode is being used when I press that button. I have a lousy right thumb ( broke it too many times playing HS football) and sometimes I just can’t release the button fast enough I guess. Most of the time the pinpointer works well enough and I recover the targets without issues. Too many times though, I get no pinpoint tone, a very faint tone or a skull shattering blast that sounds like I might have a 2 ton pickup under the coil. After more arthritic thumb presses I usually get an appropriate tone for what I expect the target will be. It is annoying and humbling. I have read and reread the pinpointing procedure, etc. Hopefully it is not just me and my operator error and can be improved.

Even when it goes into pinpoint mode without issues, I have still ended up finding some normally buried targets in places where I didn’t expect them to be like an inch or more up from center and to the right. I wonder if part of the inaccuracy issue could be related to wireless lag time in the wireless system and/or the lack of a form of classic all metal mode for the pinpoint function on the Equinox.

 

Jeff

[Chase Goldman]

Jeff,

i usually use the built-in pinpointer for target size/profile information rather than actual pinpointing for the very reasons you state.  I typically use wiggle-off the edge of the coil for pinpointing the plug.  Edge-on targets will typically pinpoint off-center for some reason.  I don't think inaccurate pinpointing has to do with BT lag because pinpoint is a non-motion mode and the coil is typically not swung rapidly to zero in on the target which is necessary to have BT lag actually show up in practice (we are talking the amount of distance a coil can travel in .03 seconds for APTX LL).  I can see the issue show up in non-APTX LL BT headphones only when swinging very rapidly in a normal search mode, can't imagine it happening with during pinpointing, and much less so if using APTX LL gear.

[Jeff McClendon]

Hi Chase,

in my testing with no headphones, wired headphones plugged into the control unit, wired headphones plugged into the WM08 module, wireless BT Minelab headphones and finally aftermarket APTX LL headphones,  the pinpoint tones (to me anyway) seem to be come progressively less sharp over the target and more elongated and wider with more volume variations and blurring of the tone as I change from no headphones all the way to aftermarket BT APTX LL headphones. That's just my results with my equipment on both the 600 and 800 so far.

Jeff

[Chase Goldman]

I will have to try that out. If you are saying you actually notice a delay difference between the speaker and wired headphones in pinpoint mode, then I don't know what to say about that.  Pretty bizarre.  Perhaps, on second thought, I will just stay blissfully ignorant and not test it out instead of opening my own pandora's box of self-doubt.  I mean, I really don't have a problem with pinpoint mode in the first place as I rarely use it for its intended purpose and when I do, it does just fine, so why should I even go into that twilight zone.  You know now, Jeff, that you have a lot of Equinox newbies cowering in the corner in fear with that information.  Seem to me the effect, if real, would be amplified in the normal search modes.  Not the thing I think folks like Nate wanted to hear.  LOL.

[Jeff McClendon]

hi

the only sound difference between the speaker and wired headphones is hearing it more clearly. Sorry, I did not mean to say there was a difference there or between wired headphones plugged into the control unit and the same headphones plugged instead into the WM08. I stated that poorly. I only start to hear obvious changes to the pinpoint sound when the Bluetooth system is used in comparison to the other audio options.

Unfortunately for me and my fellow detector users where I live, a well functioning onboard pinpointer is crucial due to coin popping regulations. Shoveled plugs are out of the question. Targets beyond handheld pinpointer depth have to be accurately located or a big mess will be the result for the landscape and the detector user. When the Equinox pinpointer works properly it is fantastic. When it doesn’t it makes me wonder why a different under $200 detector I sometimes use does it better?........... Hopefully Minelab can figure this out for those of us who really depend on this basic function.

l am a gigantic fan of the Equinox and no one should consider the inconsistent functioning of the pinpointer as a deal breaker. The issue should be discussed however and I appreciate Nate bringing it up since it is startlingly apparent that there is a problem. I hope Minelab is addressing it soon.

Jeff

[Chase Goldman]

On 2/20/2019 at 4:51 PM, Jeff McClendon said:

hi

the only sound difference between the speaker and wired headphones is hearing it more clearly.

Jeff

Glad you cleared that up.  So you are talking about the two wireless options vs. wired/speaker.  That makes more sense to me, but still surprised that .017 and .03 sec delays are affecting such a slow coil movement so noticeably.  Might have to try that out and also include plain old long lag bluetooth earphones as well.

So you don't find wiggle off to be accurate enough, either, for surgical recoveries out of handheld PP range?  That is basically what I default to most of the time, but admittedly I seldom am forced to do screwdriver pop recoveries, either.

We are now almost six months on from the last firmware update and just over a year since initisl Equinox release.  It will be interesting to see what the cadence will be from ML regarding Equinox updates and what they choose to address in the next update.

[Natew1214]

On 2/20/2019 at 7:34 AM, Chase Goldman said:

Don't be afraid to ask more questions if the above confuses you, but again, a little background on you can help us give you the right type of advice.  HTH.

Hello if you are interested in still helping me can you contact me at my email at nateslucky1214@gmail.com

[Lacky]

Nate, the reason we discuss problem and technique in public on the forum is so that others having the same issues months or years from now can look back on the conversation and learn from it. It's unlikely you will get better help by email than you will just asking your questions here.