Equinox beach hunters

[stateguyt]

I was wondering how you guys like the nox at the beach
For those of you who owned the 3030 prior to the nox. Which one do you like better now
I own the 3030 and eels like it has to many functions for me. But if the 3030 is better especially for beach hunting I would stick with it
I am ask for opinions on what you guys feel about the equinox

 

[stumppass]

I've got and use both on the beach, IMO the ctx is a superior machine however, the nox is supper light and compact, I won't be getting rid of either anytime soon.

 

[greenmeanie]

Before the Update I would have still chose my CTX if it was lighter.
After the Update I think it brought the NOX closer to what I liked about the CTX.
I want to test the Update more thou just need some time to get out there and water season is pretty much over here for me.

 

[pasttom]

CTX is geat, but it's collecting dust while the Nox is pulling finds. I just like it better. I have trouble reading small text on the CTX and its just not as easy to wrestle with. I don't feel I am missing anything I be seeing with the Excal or the CTX except maybe a sore arm.

 

[goodmore]

Some have dumped the Nox because of it's inability to distinguish trash like bottle caps. I have no idea if the update has helped in that area. True beach hunters do not want to analyse targets. In fact if you are in the water you don't have time. BBS did it with the first tone. Other than that I think the Equinox can do an outstanding job in the wet. It is as deep as any Non PI I have ever used on a beach. With a 15 inch coil down the road it could be better yet. It sure is lighter than the CTX. Fatigue is a huge factor while beach hunting because it is just hard work. Digging unessesary holes and swinging a heavy detector take their toll. It is all about time, energy, and the ability to read a beach.

 

[dewcon4414]

Its not as refined as the CTX. The CTX is more difficult to control in moving water....... like swinging a dead horse and you get a lot more coil flip. Opening that box.... you really have to take time to make sure you did it right. It is heavy.... but the Nox can get a little nose heavy too out of the water. No one talks about this much...... but man you have to love being able to SEE the screen without holding your hand over it. I like the CTXs ability to adjust the target tones better as well as the smartscreen thats where they could improve the Nox for sure. Coil cover is totally secure on the Nox where on the CTX the cross overs act like rutters. IF they made a lighter CTX where you didnt have to open the battery box........ id be all over it, but they dont. The Nox is just a great value and has 3 years of warranty. Ive always dug a lot of targets...... but to me its not digging targets.... with some chatter especially on hard pan.... knowing its a target is more difficult than the CTX. In the water...... id say both with find the same targets just a little more work with the Nox. In the wet sand..... id choose a Nox any day. I dont think the noise cancel is as good as the CTX. Iron tends to wrap around to the second bin on the Nox where as it hits in the tones on the CTX which i prefer. Bottle Caps..... just ugh. The game changer MIGHT be the larger coil coming. But the thumbs down for both is the lack of coils available.

 

[midalake]

Minelab really screwed up when they did not make the 3030 hip/chest mount ready.

Dave

 

[goodmore]

With electronics today it could all fit in credit card size box. But you still have that coil on the end of a stick. Include a counter weight that fits in the back of the shaft with the 15 inch coil. A unique marketing idea.

 

[Charles (Upstate NY)]

I have been talking with a forum member who took an Equinox to Oahu, HI. He said the machine was so unstable in or out of the water that it was unusable. He borrowed a CTX and that was working pretty well. Any HI Equinox owners who can chime in on this? Also he tried someone else's Equinox and it was just as unstable so I don't think he has a bad machine.

 

[crookednail]

I live in Hawaii and my equinox works flawlessly, he had his sensitivity set too high

 

[Charles (Upstate NY)]

I live in Hawaii and my equinox works flawlessly, he had his sensitivity set too high

Thanks for responding. He said he turned the sensitivity down to the low teens and it made no difference. He's been detecting 40 years so its not lack of experience. Apparently he tried Beach 1 and 2, and all manner of reduced settings and could never get the machine to settle down. The 10 beeps a swing he was reporting to me, sounds like salt water found a path through the coil to the inner shielding. The old original Explorer XS coils were not waterproof and once saltwater found a path into the coil and hit the shielding paint it was a falsing nightmare and unusable. But that he tried someone elses Equinox and it had the same problem poked a hole in my theory that his machine was malfunctioning.

Can you share your settings I'll pass them along.

 

[TerryinHawaii]

Charles, I was the person that loan my CTX to him in Hawaii. He just did not take the time to learn and understand his Equinox. I love my Equinox so much I brought a 2nd one as a back up. And now with the software update. I am now digging even deeper targets. Only down side of digging deeper targets is I pulled a muscle in my back. But I did get 5 gold items too with a nice number of other old items like a Navy button from the 1850 time period.

 

[dewcon4414]

Terry.... Max had him call me and we spoke. I gave his suggestions. He thought it was a bad coil and I told him to swap with you and see if it was the coil or use yours. I gave him a lot of options. ..factor reset and settings. It appears it may not be his type of machine. Regardless of years detecting....

 

[Mark kus]

I and and a friend both use nox on saltwater beaches and I never have any falsing problems and I just cleaned house on a small beach near my house I watched
A guy hunted this beach before me not to good and never saw him hunt the heavy sand red black high tide mark I got over $20.00 in mostly quarters!
The equinox ran flawlessly!

 

[TerryinHawaii]

He is now back home. I tried his Equinox and it was like my first Equinox. A little noisy but then my first Equinox was one of the first ones made. I have not tried my first Equinox with the software update to see how it run now. My 2nd Equinox is smoother and now with the software update. It is a even sweeter unit. Now waiting for the larger coil to see what it will do. I did have on order the White TDI Beach Hunter but canceled the order after what I saw the Equinox can do with the software update. I am 82 years old and getting too old to be digging hair pins and other pieces of iron with a PI unit. I love the TID partly due to bad hearing.

 

[dewcon4414]

Mines is chatter than any machine ive ever used in the water. Im also used to modulation on targets. So i keep saying ..... am i missing deep targets in between that chatter...mostly iron flakes it seems? Interesting you should mention first models out. I mean youd think and Xcal II is like a Blue Xcal.... but they differ. I just wonder if they tweaked the programs with each new batch of machine...... and here we are now with an update. The machine does a very good job..... best deal ever for the price. But theres something raw about it that makes it a little more work.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Mines is chatter than any machine ive ever used in the water. Im also used to modulation on targets. So i keep saying ..... am i missing deep targets in between that chatter...mostly iron flakes it seems? Interesting you should mention first models out. I mean youd think and Xcal II is like a Blue Xcal.... but they differ. I just wonder if they tweaked the programs with each new batch of machine...... and here we are now with an update. The machine does a very good job..... best deal ever for the price. But theres something raw about it that makes it a little more work.

I noticed the factory software on mine was V1.5 and the update was V1.7. So what was 1.6? Was it ever loaded onto any machines? Did the very first batch have 1.4 or earlier?

I see some very different behaviors reported from people around the world, it cant all be from changing conditions. The reports SEEM like the machines are acting different than mine (and others). Just guessing out loud. Has anybody done an update and seen a factory loaded version other than 1.5?

 

[sgoss66]

I noticed the factory software on mine was V1.5 and the update was V1.7. So what was 1.6? Was it ever loaded onto any machines? Did the very first batch have 1.4 or earlier?

I see some very different behaviors reported from people around the world, it cant all be from changing conditions. The reports SEEM like the machines are acting different than mine (and others). Just guessing out loud. Has anybody done an update and seen a factory loaded version other than 1.5?

Excellent points, Jason. I wonder if there WERE some machines with, say, a V1.4, and some with a V1.6.

It will be interesting to see if anyone saw any version other than 1.5, before they did the update. One thing I will say, is I THOUGHT when I updated both my 600 and 800, I am pretty sure I saw V1.75 as the update version, while you are saying V1.7...

(BTW, both my 600 and 800 were running 1.5 pre-update...)

Steve

 

[dewcon4414]

You always leave me wondering Steve....... now the 1.7 vs 1.75, some one let me know so i dont have to go look lol. Steve .... id be MUCH more interested in the 1.4. Lot of things can happen we'd never know..... different hardware changes, different software.... each tweaked for location some based on what the government device freq allow and some just based on the soil/conditions in that country. Full disclosure i dont think ever really happens..... bad for business.

Now..... i tell you what id like see. With the ability to now down load 2 programs....... why not give us that want a tweak (which already might be available) for small gold a third program. It may not run as stable enough for everyone..... and some dont want it anyway, but for those of us who had high hopes...... i cant see anything but win win. Id love to show some of the small stuff that could be found...... maybe open a few eyes to gold only inches down we just miss from lack of sensitivity. Wonder what direction this might lead ML? Id sure like to see a PP mode like the Xcal has....... since i NEVER use the one i have. There is just a lot of potential as many of us have found by using the Xcal in PP mode.

 

[Jason in Enid]

....., I am pretty sure I saw V1.75 as the update version, while you are saying V1.7...

(BTW, both my 600 and 800 were running 1.5 pre-update...)

Steve

I will have to re-connect my EQX to check. I cant swear that the version isnt 1.75