pondering the minelab equinox please chime in multi freq mode

[calabash digger]

I was in the bed last night thinking about detecting as I do a lot and the equinox came into my mind. This is what I thought about , I use a deus which can change freq one at a time and not run multi at the same time, my coils will go 4kh, 8kh,11 kh, 14 kh, 17 kh, 28 kh, 56kh, 74 kh, That includes both new hf coils. Ok so I was thinking about changing freq because I have been doing so for a year or so and seeing the advantages on higher verse lower freq etc..

This is what I have discovered 8 kh to 14 kh are great for general relics , 17kh to 28 kh great for cleaning up a site BEHIND THE LOWER FREQ. 56 to 74 useless to me unless prospecting for gold. So the equinox is gonna run from 5 kh to 40 kh I think so correct me if I'm wrong don't remember the exact number of freq it will run at the same time. 4 or 5 I think but lets focus on the 20 kh and 40 kh it will run at the same time.. So when you crank the deus up to those higher freq what happens? It will smack bb ,s some of the tiniest stuff you ever saw. It will light aluminum foil up like you wouldn't believe and other small non ferrous garbage like no other. What I'm getting at is those higher freq will make hunting in a modern trash site VERY VERY difficult because it will make it smack foil and gum wrappers so hard and tiny objects. Now I hunt iron infested low MODERN trash sites sometime and 17 kh to 28kh will have you digging bb ,s all day if your not careful but if I'm cleaning up I don't care. For all who have experience with multi freq machines and have used higher freq in the field please chime in... how is the minelab gonna run at such high freq and do any different in the modern trash than the deus does?? Seems to me it will be a foil magnet too in the multi freq mode and I will bet and make a prediction A LOT will be hunting in single freq mode after they take it for a spin in modern trash... I'm excited about the minelab but that popped into my mind and triggered a red flag! Please chime in folks . btw imo 40 kh to 74 kh for relics or coin shooting useless imo and from what I can see from test. If your hunting gold rings or earrings then it might work but be prepared to dig A LOT gum wrappers, foils and bb ,s , btw I'm very excited about the equinox and will have one was just a little concerned about the higher end of the multi freq spectrum.

 

[bugg]

Good thoughts Cala. I would think the multi freq settings would produce results similar to the etrac, ctx, etc. I thought I read somewhere that the beach setting on the EQ series is the multi- freq setting.
If so, It should handle the ground and salt very well. The fbs detectors are not sensitive to tiny gold, foil , etc. I wonder if this resultant will be the same? If I were to be looking for microgold, I would try the 40khz. Lots of unanswered q's til they hit the market.

 

[calabash digger]

I take it , its more like the deus vlf but can run them at the same time and that's where my concern is. The 40 kh at the high end should make it super sensitive to foil, gum wrappers, and tiny objects. I love the multi freq at same time but wondering about the 40 kh but like you said we shall see when it hits the market.

 

[mtwolf2270]

My thoughts is where ml has stated target I'd at depth like BBS and fbs. My thinking is whatever the have engineered will better I'd targets then a single freq machine so once you learn where foil and gum wrappers fall you can bypass those singles with much higher confidence like you can with a ctx. Just my thinking maybe way off base.

 

[dewcon4414]

The advantage come that it will run those high freq AND run multi in the water. Right now the deus wont do that..... nor will any other machine. The V3 cant get wet and aint water proof. So we have a lot of options for working a beach without have the need for more than one detector

 

[calabash digger]

I know the deus wont do that , the problem is the 40 kh and what it makes a machine react to. Maybe the minelab ID will help out with that problem BUT mark my words if its running 40 kh its gonna smack foil and small bb size targets. When you shift the deus up to higher freq it smacks those type targets hard and tonal wise a small bb size target will sound like a coin size target. I'm not a numbers type guy as I dig relics by tones most of the time. I'm looking forward to the equinox but I'm wondering how its gonna do with that higher freq. What are higher freq designed for ? Think about that for a moment... and put that in the coin shooting trashy park situation . I cant wait to get my hands on one and see what it will do this machine has me excited because its not just a rehash its actually new!

 

[Jason in Enid]

The problem is we dont know HOW the multi-freq is going to function. Maybe it only uses the 5-10-15, maybe it uses all 5, maybe it doesn't use any of them and instead follows closer to the FBS method of using only a couple primary freqs and the rest are harmonics? Maybe it wont use the 5-10-15 but something else like 7.5 and 19.25. Who knows?

 

[calabash digger]

They released the info on the multi freq didn't they? I saw a post on it.. that is it ran 5 11 20 and 40 at the same time. correct? I don't understand the tech behind the fbs machines , I was assuming the equinox was more like a traditional vlf but I might be way off .

 

[sprchng]

It's not a matter of what frequency or for that matter how many but HOW that signal is processed that's important.
You seem to assume that everything is done the way XP does it with the Deus,,,more of your bias showing I'm afraid.
One of the primary frequencies ML runs is 25khz at the same time as 3 khz and processes those signals in a way totally different than the Deus , hence their superiority in the ID department in modern trash.

 

[Charles (Upstate NY)]

Two points, first I look at the Equinox as a waterproof lightweight replacement for my Excalibur which weighs like 49 pounds. Second is that the Equinox has improved target ID accuracy at depth. That's a big one if true and cuts right through all the theories and comparisons. How do you improve target ID at depth if not by better rejecting soil mineralization...think about it.

Calabash consider the higher Deus frequencies for getting hits on targets on edge. Flip some coins and buttons straight up on edge and do some testing, I did recently. You have a ton more experience than I with the Deus, if you can tell the difference between a coin/button on edge and a bb, digging only the coins/buttons when running HF, then you can make another pass on your most productive sites searching for those targets. Ditto for the 40 kHz Equinox frequency in relic hunting.

 

[dewcon4414]

Anyone beach hunting looking for micro gold knows they will have to kick some foil...... im more than willing to kick some foil for a chain. Not so much in a city part. There are trade offs..... working more targets is one of them just like using a PI or VLF. I like all the transition options. Like Charles..... it going to be interesting what TID on small gold will be.....lot of sand and it will be a different type of hunting that not many do now..... could open some nice targets up on the beach. Way to many people swing to fast and to high on a beach especially looking for small gold. Faster recover, better TID, and maybe depth on micro gold could be the ticket to getting stuff a lot of people walked over. 20Khz sounds promising....... as does combining some of those other freqs.

 

[calabash digger]

You know I'm pretty much digging it all on a productive relic site. What ive found is the shallower targets lead etc come in stronger with the higher freq. Of course there are better sounding signals on sites but when I get down to the clean up stage if it peeps its coming out. I hunt my hf coil in 14 kh most of the time... Ive basically turned my machine in to a 2 tone machine after I discover a site with multi tones and get a feel for it. very simple compared to coin shooters..

 

[calabash digger]

I was just bringing up a thought I had about a detector that's coming out, that's it and I will be buying one myself to add to my arsenal. I just wanted to discuss the disadvantage of higher freq and get others thought on them.. Heres a question ??? If minelabs run 25 kh and processes it in a way where it cant see gold it makes 25 kh kinda useless doesn't it?? Since 25 kh should be smacking gold , whats the point?? What is high freq for? Ive tested the etrac, ctx on a gold earring in the garden and neither could see it and yes the deus could with the hf coil so what it .. It was in a freq I would never use for relics.. 54kh and 74 kh .

It's not a matter of what frequency or for that matter how many but HOW that signal is processed that's important.
You seem to assume that everything is done the way XP does it with the Deus,,,more of your bias showing I'm afraid.
One of the primary frequencies ML runs is 25khz at the same time as 3 khz and processes those signals in a way totally different than the Deus , hence their superiority in the ID department in modern trash.

 

[calabash digger]

I'm not hating on minelabs either we all know they are the best on silver , they say the equinox is good on lower conducters so maybe it processes toward the higher freq. All I know is when they roll out I will be getting one !

 

[JP.Diggzzit]

Calabash...I am considering the 600, being primarily a saltwater wet sand and shallow water hunter. The single frequency 20 and 40 for prospecting are of little use for me. Now as far as which frequencies are used for multi, that has yet to be determined. We may never know with ML being tight lipped with technology. The graph on the ML website appears to indicate all 5 - 40 frequencies are used for multi. However, I believe I heard the ML rep on YouTube at detectival say there is a "multi associated with park, multi associated with field and multi associated with beach" and "all specially tuned for different scenarios". So the park multi mode may not be exactly the same as multi field or multi beach. Guess we have to wait for more info. GL & HH!

 

[lytle78]

“Tuned for different scenarios” doesn’t necessarily mean using different frequencies - it could mean different software settings for all. Kinds of operations parameters.

Their existing multifreakers use two freqs. The high one 8 times the frequency of the low one. The only two Equinox frequency pair in that relationship is 5 and 40 kHz.

 

[Charles (Upstate NY)]

I was just bringing up a thought I had about a detector that's coming out, that's it and I will be buying one myself to add to my arsenal. I just wanted to discuss the disadvantage of higher freq and get others thought on them.. Heres a question ??? If minelabs run 25 kh and processes it in a way where it cant see gold it makes 25 kh kinda useless doesn't it?? Since 25 kh should be smacking gold , whats the point?? What is high freq for? Ive tested the etrac, ctx on a gold earring in the garden and neither could see it and yes the deus could with the hf coil so what it .. It was in a freq I would never use for relics.. 54kh and 74 kh .

It's not a matter of what frequency or for that matter how many but HOW that signal is processed that's important.
You seem to assume that everything is done the way XP does it with the Deus,,,more of your bias showing I'm afraid.
One of the primary frequencies ML runs is 25khz at the same time as 3 khz and processes those signals in a way totally different than the Deus , hence their superiority in the ID department in modern trash.

Minelab may be using the higher FBS machine frequencies for rejecting soil mineralization, auto ground balance, etc. vs trying to hit on small gold targets. Deus will hit all my small gold targets with the HF round coil, my Se Pro won't hit any of them even if you rub them on the coil.

 

[UtahRich]

I believe Charles and Rick have it right.

Minelab has been using 2 frequencies for the BBS and FBS detectors; 3.125kHz and 25kHz or a slight variation up or down depending on EMI. The transmitted frequencies are NOT simultaneous, but sequential.

Following this Minelab methodology, the Equinox 800 might have 5,10,15kHz as well as 20kHz and 40kHz. IF Minelab continues using pairs, and IF they are using the lower frequency for the hunting and the higher frequency for the ground cancellation/ground noise, might they be using the 5kHz paired with 20kHz for PARKS, 10kHz paired with 20kHz for FIELDS, 15kHz paired with 20kHz for BEACHES and then 40kHz pairs with 20kHz for GOLD?

And also have the ability to NOT pair the 5,10,15,20 or 40kHz and use any of them as stand alone. It would require also using a NORMAL ground balance methodology like other signal frequency detectors.

Just mulling this over. Thoughts?


Rich

 

[calabash digger]

interesting thoughts thanks for posting that...

 

[lytle78]

We’ll see when someone puts the required test instruments on it.

Minelibe is likely to NEVER tell us - after all, they speed that 28 frequency fairy tale for decades.

They have excellent technology - but they persist is letting their Marketing Department tell fairy tales.