Day 2 Equinox 800/newer users and potential buyers

[DFX-Gregg]

First been getting some great help on a few sites... Having not detected in over 10 years (since my 10000 coin year seriously burned me out...) I will be asking the questions to get this detector (the Equinox 800) correct.
I post on 2/3 sites as that is the way I get the help I need...and the newest beast is...

the Equinox...

From hunt #1 what I did wrong... I had a lot of chatter turned down sensitivity...to 15...
Hunt #2 found out the emi.. was caused by>>>>my phone! So for hunt #2 did not bring a phone ...lol...maybe I suggest just turn it off..so you know when to leave...

Also with my phone I had issues with my handheld pin pointer interfering with the detector...without the phone none...

Next I was told by a couple to dig only repeatable signals... I mixed that up with repeatable tid..after talking with a few seasoned vets on the Equinox... The tones are important..the target id numbers on the Equinox not so important...they jump around quite a bit with the numbers cluttered way to close together...

So onto the hunt again a very heavily hit park... ground still frozen below 3-4 inches...and the results just over $2 in clad...better than last trip...one of those clips...used for keys and other things... and I read about it... got my first annoying pencil head eraser...

Getting there... also the equinox has a tendency to pick up on extremely small metal.. Dug up a few tiny pieces of metal...

As I continue to hunt and progress will continue with notes... and again been detecting a long time but been on a ten year break... after burning myself out...but I am always looking for more information... thanks!

One note would be great if Equinox users post the tid # for their gold/silver finds when found...some do some do not...

Again this journey and my posts may not be to exciting..BUT they will be real.. no inflated numbers or pictures of coins from my change jar...and for those worried about my wife's tablecloth no more...box used...
Any potential buyers, newer users... anyone that can help please do...

 

[KindManTall]

Jewelry you got to dig everything .. a round ring will sound different if it is cracked.. has something soldered on it.. bent.. or close to another target.. VDI 20 / 22 you better be digging that ..

 

[fwcrawford]

About that eraser…. What I have found is that they will read like a nickel along with the older tabs from pulltabs.
Other than that, in my experience the Equinox is very good at finding nickels.
Most read 12/13, but depending upon the soil some lock in at 12 or 13.
If you are after them I would not notch out 9-10, and 11…. I have seen those numbers flash quickly too along with 12 and 13.
I would not notch out 14 either.. that gives me even more information when looking for nickels…if 14 comes up along with the 12 and 13, it is not a nickel, but could be a gold ring.

 

[DFX-Gregg]

Jewelry you got to dig everything .. a round ring will sound different if it is cracked.. has something soldered on it.. bent.. or close to another target.. VDI 20 / 22 you better be digging that ..

Exactly the kind of info. I am looking for... up to now the only solid reading I am getting is the 13 for the nickel... quarters for me 29-30...even 31... crazy how they have the zincoln and wheatie with other coins hitting in-between.. or the dime basically showing the same... Will take some getting used to... did get a great suggestion of just go by/learn the tones... as the tid is a little tight with the number range...

 

[DFX-Gregg]

About that eraser…. What I have found is that they will read like a nickel along with the older tabs from pulltabs.
Other than that, in my experience the Equinox is very good at finding nickels.
Most read 12/13, but depending upon the soil some lock in at 12 or 13.
If you are after them I would not notch out 9-10, and 11…. I have seen those numbers flash quickly too along with 12 and 13.
I would not notch out 14 either.. that gives me even more information when looking for nickels…if 14 comes up along with the 12 and 13, it is not a nickel, but could be a gold ring.

great info on the 12, 13 14... and I know someone who will say 14 may be gold... I am amazed at the tiny pieces of metal it picks up!

 

[KindManTall]

The best way to learn a detector .. Put something covering the VDI and go by tones .. Let your ears tell you what to dig not your eyes ... you spend so much time thinking should I or should I not looking at the detector screen

Stay away from that Iron Bias crap you will loose targets.. you will spend more time pushing buttons then detecting

 

[Ted S]

Gregg..Another tip is to put your cell phone on airplane mode. And if you are getting EMI interference,try switching to field 2..Good luck!

 

[JimmyCT]

great info on the 12, 13 14... and I know someone who will say 14 may be gold... I am amazed at the tiny pieces of metal it picks up!

Double check these holes with tiny pieces of metal. It may not be the only target in the hole. This has happened many times to me. I pull out the junk metal but the tone (I only use 50 tones) was telling me different. Sure enough a large percentage of the time there was a coin or coins in that hole as well.

 

[dmckee17]

I hunt by sound like Kindman tall said, I use the Minelab Explorer and rarely look at the screen. Over time you learn the tones by ear and become very adept at the audible nuances. I couldn't tell you what any of the screen numbers are.

 

[Mark kus]

Sound here also I rarely use the screen and I use all metal mode no discrimination
Mark

 

[JimmyCT]

Exactly the kind of info. I am looking for... up to now the only solid reading I am getting is the 13 for the nickel... quarters for me 29-30...even 31... crazy how they have the zincoln and wheatie with other coins hitting in-between.. or the dime basically showing the same... Will take some getting used to... did get a great suggestion of just go by/learn the tones... as the tid is a little tight with the number range...

Gregg,
TID is useful however as I have mentioned in other posts, I always use 50 tones. Over time you will learn how iron, clad, and silver coins behave. Coins tend to up-average in TID's whereas junk targets mainly display a number and don't move or "ramp up" in tone. A good example of this is a modern bottle cap. This bottle cap will display (for example) a 24 and you will notice how its tone is bold and brash. a clad penny of the same TID value will be "soft" and smooth in tone. Its going to take time. You stick with this machine, the tones of different metals will become etched in your brain of what sounds like what. Will you and I still get fooled? Of course we will BUT it will minimal. I have had the Equinox since it was introduced. The first year it was all about learning for me. I hovered over many unknown targets. I would scroll through Park1, Park2, Field1 and field2 mainly because I hunt parks and wooded areas. I also adjusted iron bias, recovery and sensitivity. All Spring, Summer and Fall, that's all I did. I know I have found a super setup (for settings) for my type of hunting and have found an enormous amount of coins since owning the Equinox. This tells me I am definitely on the right track.
The take away: Watch how coins behave in tone and in TID. When you get over a target (like fwcrawford mentioned) perform little sweeps / scans right over the target. If it falls apart and bleeds out, its going to be iron junk. If that target ramps up in tone and holds together, get your digging instrument out and start digging!

 

[DFX-Gregg]

The best way to learn a detector .. Put something covering the VDI and go by tones .. Let your ears tell you what to dig not your eyes ... you spend so much time thinking should I or should I not looking at the detector screen

Stay away from that Iron Bias crap you will loose targets.. you will spend more time pushing buttons then detecting

Sounds like a good idea once I am used to pinpointing...using the top of coil.Still using screen with pinpointing too.

 

[DFX-Gregg]

Gregg..Another tip is to put your cell phone on airplane mode. And if you are getting EMI interference,try switching to field 2..Good luck!

thx seems easier then not knowing the time...

 

[DFX-Gregg]

Double check these holes with tiny pieces of metal. It may not be the only target in the hole. This has happened many times to me. I pull out the junk metal but the tone (I only use 50 tones) was telling me different. Sure enough a large percentage of the time there was a coin or coins in that hole as well.

ok will do.. pretty good at double checking.

 

[DFX-Gregg]

I hunt by sound like Kindman tall said, I use the Minelab Explorer and rarely look at the screen. Over time you learn the tones by ear and become very adept at the audible nuances. I couldn't tell you what any of the screen numbers are.

have a feeling this is where I will be after 10 hunts...still learning tones the quarter is easy reminds me of explorer.

 

[DFX-Gregg]

Sound here also I rarely use the screen and I use all metal mode no discrimination
Mark

for where I hunt not sure on all metal mode but within a few months should know what to use where.

 

[DFX-Gregg]

Gregg,
TID is useful however as I have mentioned in other posts, I always use 50 tones. Over time you will learn how iron, clad, and silver coins behave. Coins tend to up-average in TID's whereas junk targets mainly display a number and don't move or "ramp up" in tone. A good example of this is a modern bottle cap. This bottle cap will display (for example) a 24 and you will notice how its tone is bold and brash. a clad penny of the same TID value will be "soft" and smooth in tone. Its going to take time. You stick with this machine, the tones of different metals will become etched in your brain of what sounds like what. Will you and I still get fooled? Of course we will BUT it will minimal. I have had the Equinox since it was introduced. The first year it was all about learning for me. I hovered over many unknown targets. I would scroll through Park1, Park2, Field1 and field2 mainly because I hunt parks and wooded areas. I also adjusted iron bias, recovery and sensitivity. All Spring, Summer and Fall, that's all I did. I know I have found a super setup (for settings) for my type of hunting and have found an enormous amount of coins since owning the Equinox. This tells me I am definitely on the right track.
The take away: Watch how coins behave in tone and in TID. When you get over a target (like fwcrawford mentioned) perform little sweeps / scans right over the target. If it falls apart and bleeds out, its going to be iron junk. If that target ramps up in tone and holds together, get your digging instrument out and start digging!

got it thank you.

 

[KindManTall]

pinpointing try swinging it like a 8 / X / + over the target easier on the ears

 

[Blind Squirrel]

First been getting some great help on a few sites... Having not detected in over 10 years (since my 10000 coin year seriously burned me out...) I will be asking the questions to get this detector (the Equinox 800) correct.
I post on 2/3 sites as that is the way I get the help I need...and the newest beast is...

the Equinox...

From hunt #1 what I did wrong... I had a lot of chatter turned down sensitivity...to 15...
Hunt #2 found out the emi.. was caused by>>>>my phone! So for hunt #2 did not bring a phone ...lol...maybe I suggest just turn it off..so you know when to leave...

Also with my phone I had issues with my handheld pin pointer interfering with the detector...without the phone none...

Next I was told by a couple to dig only repeatable signals... I mixed that up with repeatable tid..after talking with a few seasoned vets on the Equinox... The tones are important..the target id numbers on the Equinox not so important...they jump around quite a bit with the numbers cluttered way to close together...

So onto the hunt again a very heavily hit park... ground still frozen below 3-4 inches...and the results just over $2 in clad...better than last trip...one of those clips...used for keys and other things... and I read about it... got my first annoying pencil head eraser...

Getting there... also the equinox has a tendency to pick up on extremely small metal.. Dug up a few tiny pieces of metal...

As I continue to hunt and progress will continue with notes... and again been detecting a long time but been on a ten year break... after burning myself out...but I am always looking for more information... thanks!

One note would be great if Equinox users post the tid # for their gold/silver finds when found...some do some do not...

Again this journey and my posts may not be to exciting..BUT they will be real.. no inflated numbers or pictures of coins from my change jar...and for those worried about my wife's tablecloth no more...box used...
Any potential buyers, newer users... anyone that can help please do...

Howdy DFX-Gregg--
It's always fun to learn a new detector or to fine tune an old one! Most importantly have FUN! Best of luck and...
Happy Hunting!
Blind Squirrel