I know this has been widely debated and talked about but I have been on the fence for awhile like maybe a lot of Etrac users about jumping ship to the Equinox. My main reason would be the lighter weight since i am getting older and have shoulder issues. I was about ready to order one and after watching some online videos maybe it’s just me but signals on the Etrac were way better sounding to me in side by side targets.... I would have walked right over some of the Equinox sounds as I have trained myself to be a sound hunter first and then a numbers checker. I don’t want to offend anybody that has an Equinox as I am sure they are a really nice detector but as a mainly old coin land guy I just can’t make a decision. Lol I have had my Etrac for probably 8 years and have found lots of good stuff but sure would like something lighter that would be an equal to the Etrac. Sorry for being long winded but any thoughts?
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Equinox vs. Etrac
- Thread starter fishnnut
- Start date
Big Treble
Active member
I haven't used a Equinox, but just thought I'd offer a piece that might help you if you keep the Etrac.
Look into a Detech Ultimate 13. This thing shaves off roughly 1/2 the coil weight, which makes the machine balance much much better. I found it was deeper, making those iffy deeper scratchy signals, come in more rock solid in my test garden. My main coin machine is a ctx now, but when my go to was a Etrac, I NEVER chose the stock over the U13. The only time the U13 came off is to run a small coil like the 8x6 SEF.
Don't get me wrong the factory coil is great, but the ability to run it all day with much less fatigue was another huge advantage.
Look into a Detech Ultimate 13. This thing shaves off roughly 1/2 the coil weight, which makes the machine balance much much better. I found it was deeper, making those iffy deeper scratchy signals, come in more rock solid in my test garden. My main coin machine is a ctx now, but when my go to was a Etrac, I NEVER chose the stock over the U13. The only time the U13 came off is to run a small coil like the 8x6 SEF.
Don't get me wrong the factory coil is great, but the ability to run it all day with much less fatigue was another huge advantage.
fishnnut said:
I concur with what you are saying about the tones on the Etrac vs Nox. I have a Safari which the tones are identical to Etrac/Explorer. I was forced to switch to Nox due to tendonitis as a result of swinging the Safari. I've come to appreciate the Nox' lightweight, speed and mode options so I guess this is the trade off. If only the Nox' tones were like those of our FBS machines, then we would really have something.
Philber
Active member
Fishnut, don't think of it as jumping ship; think of it as adding a rowboat to your ship! 
Or more like a speedboat! I use the etrac as my main machine, but the nox is a great addition to the arsenal because of its speed. I've picked stuff out of heavy iron areas that the etrac couldn't find. The lighter weight is a big difference too. The only problem, and its a big one in my belief, is that the tones are no where near what they are on the etrac; it's not even close. That said, you can do a fair bit of adjusting to the pitch, the tone of the pitch, the volume that each target range registers at and other settings.
Its different, and it will take a bit to learn how to set it up the best way for your liking (I'm still learning what to tweak), but its going to serve you well. If you've been hunting along time, you have a long list of sites that were productive in the past. You'll be able to go back to those sites and pull more good targets from there; the Nox is that fast and that different in how it seeks targets that you will pull stuff the etrac has missed.
Be sure to get the 800, not the 600 as you don't have the ability to adjust the settings the way the 800 does. The 800 has more variability for the recovery speed and gives you more precise refinements, plus you have the even higher recovery speeds of 7 and 8 on the 800. And since the lowest setting of 1 on the 800 can not be matched exactly by the 600, you can theoretically get a bit more depth out of the 800.
A lot of people dismiss the individual gold modes as useless on the 800 saying "I dont look for nuggets". Their theory is, if I don't hunt for the item that mode is specifically geared for, its of no use to me. The software for each mode is different in how it interprets the signals coming back to the machine, so target signal processing is different in gold mode than it is in park mode. Even using gold mode in an individual frequency will still find (non gold) targets that the other modes may have missed, and its partially because of that software interpretation difference in each mode. It would be like going over an area with a Garrett Ace 250 (6.5 khz) and clearing it of all signals. And then going back over the same area with a Garrrett AT gold (18 khz). And you would find new targets with the AT Gold because its a different frequency, AND because its interpreting things differently. In a nutshell, each mode on the Nox is like its own individual machine, so having the gold modes can be of use. The gold modes are great for relic hunting too.
I just found out last night that the 600 does not have the ability to save a separate user mode that you can access quickly in order to cross check a target, kind of akin to the Quickmask on the E-trac. That can be useful at times, like setting that extra user mode to a 10 khz single frequency setting so you can cross check for potential rust like bottle caps etc.
The Nox has various advantages over the E=trac (weight, recovery speed, possibly processing software/interpretation), but it falls short in the tonal response range and target ID range. Like Happa54 said, if they could combine those differences, it would be a beyond killer machine!
Or more like a speedboat! I use the etrac as my main machine, but the nox is a great addition to the arsenal because of its speed. I've picked stuff out of heavy iron areas that the etrac couldn't find. The lighter weight is a big difference too. The only problem, and its a big one in my belief, is that the tones are no where near what they are on the etrac; it's not even close. That said, you can do a fair bit of adjusting to the pitch, the tone of the pitch, the volume that each target range registers at and other settings.Its different, and it will take a bit to learn how to set it up the best way for your liking (I'm still learning what to tweak), but its going to serve you well. If you've been hunting along time, you have a long list of sites that were productive in the past. You'll be able to go back to those sites and pull more good targets from there; the Nox is that fast and that different in how it seeks targets that you will pull stuff the etrac has missed.
Be sure to get the 800, not the 600 as you don't have the ability to adjust the settings the way the 800 does. The 800 has more variability for the recovery speed and gives you more precise refinements, plus you have the even higher recovery speeds of 7 and 8 on the 800. And since the lowest setting of 1 on the 800 can not be matched exactly by the 600, you can theoretically get a bit more depth out of the 800.
A lot of people dismiss the individual gold modes as useless on the 800 saying "I dont look for nuggets". Their theory is, if I don't hunt for the item that mode is specifically geared for, its of no use to me. The software for each mode is different in how it interprets the signals coming back to the machine, so target signal processing is different in gold mode than it is in park mode. Even using gold mode in an individual frequency will still find (non gold) targets that the other modes may have missed, and its partially because of that software interpretation difference in each mode. It would be like going over an area with a Garrett Ace 250 (6.5 khz) and clearing it of all signals. And then going back over the same area with a Garrrett AT gold (18 khz). And you would find new targets with the AT Gold because its a different frequency, AND because its interpreting things differently. In a nutshell, each mode on the Nox is like its own individual machine, so having the gold modes can be of use. The gold modes are great for relic hunting too.
I just found out last night that the 600 does not have the ability to save a separate user mode that you can access quickly in order to cross check a target, kind of akin to the Quickmask on the E-trac. That can be useful at times, like setting that extra user mode to a 10 khz single frequency setting so you can cross check for potential rust like bottle caps etc.
The Nox has various advantages over the E=trac (weight, recovery speed, possibly processing software/interpretation), but it falls short in the tonal response range and target ID range. Like Happa54 said, if they could combine those differences, it would be a beyond killer machine!
The Nox being able to run in a single frequency gives it options the E-Trac can not.
I like my E-Trac a lot, but based on what the Nox 800 can do, the wireless option, the weight, etc. and the fact I salt water beach hunt and it's water proof, it has features the E-Trac doesn't.
I like switching between wet sand hunting and venturing up into the dry to gold jewelry hunt and the Nox 800 is a better fit for that type of hunting.
Based on the additional features and the faster recovery speed, I can see why E-Trac users added a Nox to the arsenal.
I
I like my E-Trac a lot, but based on what the Nox 800 can do, the wireless option, the weight, etc. and the fact I salt water beach hunt and it's water proof, it has features the E-Trac doesn't.
I like switching between wet sand hunting and venturing up into the dry to gold jewelry hunt and the Nox 800 is a better fit for that type of hunting.
Based on the additional features and the faster recovery speed, I can see why E-Trac users added a Nox to the arsenal.
I
Hey thanks for the good info on the Nox guys and I know it definitely has some advantages over the Etrac with the weight and faster recovery being a huge deal. I already have been wireless for a few years on my Etrac and wouldnt even consider going back to wired headphones for anybody that’s thinking about cutting the cord. Also being more of a waterproof machine the Nox has the edge there also. Like others have said I think having both machines is the answer and then we are covered.
As time goes on, each Minelab machine has a trick up it’s sleeve......I’m still Noxless,but will have one by Spring.....I to beach hunt and waterproof works for me....Owning various Minelab machines, I have tuned keenly into two big factors on these machines the newer they get......One that’s very obvious is the tones....Going from the Soveriegn to the Etrac took me a LONG time to adjust.....I still have an older model Soveriegn that I will hang on to for old time sake....The other is the unmasking abilities of the Etrac as compared to the Soveriegn....A big “uh huh” moment running both the machines in trashy NYC parks......Now I’m hearing again about the lack of tones, but the better unmasking abilities of the Nox...We have a pattern here....I believe that one of the most important features any detector can have would be to have great unmasking abilities......Everybody screams for more depth....Think about this for a minute.....If you can’t get past the trash,how do you expect to get more depth ?
The light weight, unmasking abilities, and being waterproof, and the Gold frequency, should be enough to get me past the lack of tones ....If my ears get lonely, I can always go back to my older machines for a spin.....and my back will remind me of the progress that Minelab has made !!........Jim
The light weight, unmasking abilities, and being waterproof, and the Gold frequency, should be enough to get me past the lack of tones ....If my ears get lonely, I can always go back to my older machines for a spin.....and my back will remind me of the progress that Minelab has made !!........Jim
The 800 once you get used to it is a GREAT machine!........I compare signals all the time...with Etrac's(which i still have and love to death)..and Deus's...The 800 with a 6"coil is the machine for trashy Parks.....Nothing can beat it!!!....And for a Minelab it hits hard on low Conductors....In a open field the Etrac is easier to tell deep coins....But in the trash ..Watch out...Full tones ..23 Sens..No ground balance......
CoinHunter2
Member
I have the Equinox 600 and it will do everything that the Equinox 800 will do except it don't have the 2 gold modes. If you after gold, then I would buy the Equinox 800. The Equinox 600 goes just a deep and has just as fast recovery speed as the Equinox 800. I have hunted with a friend that has the Equinox 800 and we do comparison tests and both machine have same depth and recovery.
The Etrac is an incredible detector......So is the Equinox. If you put the Nox audio in 50 tones it starts to sound a bit like the Etrac. Otherwise, the Etrac has far better target ID and is great on most targets, especially higher conductors. The Equinox is a MUCH faster detector as far as recovery speed, target separation and most importantly unmasking of targets with either the 11" coil or the 6" coil. For those that do not do gold prospecting I can also tell you from experience that the Nox 800 is an amazing gold prospecting detector. Like most of the others have said, when you throw in all of the other more modern features on the Nox the choice is pretty clear if you want a lighter detector with built in rechargeable batteries and wireless capabilities.
Jeff
Jeff
Trashfinder
Active member
I have the CTX, Etrac and Nox 800. If you learn the Nox, the ctx and etrac cannot come close to the ability to unmask deep old coins. The main thing with the Nox is those deep old masked coins are not going to jump out loud and clear dig me signals. So if you try the Nox and you only hunt for very strong ID and tone signals you will be dissapointed and sell the Nox. I suggest you keep your Etrac as i love mine too. Hunt your spot with the Etrac till you cannot find anything else. Then break out the Nox. Set the iron bias to 0 or 1 no higher. Use a recovery of 5 or 6. Use a slow sweep speed , do not whip the coil around like a Deus user. Tone is first and foremost. I set up a custom tone bin to make my coins , even nickel sound high pitched. If you hear a high tone, concentrate on that spot warbling the coil just like you would a fbs machine over the spot. If that tone is fairly repeatable in a tight warble , watch your ID. A masked target will have a jumpy ID but you should see glimpses of desirable numbers with the tone. This is not foolproof but my good finds to trash are 80 percent good or slightly better.
Example of a hunt. I was invited to an early 1900 booming town that since is almost a ghost town by a friend. I started with Ctx i used all 3 coils, 6, 11, 17 and hunted at least an hour and a half with no finds. I then broke out the Etrac and hunted at least another hour and a half and no finds. My friend using a couple of very desirable dectectors found nothing either. The weekend before he had taken another friend of ours to that spot and the other friend found many old coins and the friend that brought me found none that day either. The other guy had used a Nox 600. So frustrated i stopped hunting and asked the guy the brought me what the heck did the other friend do to find all those old coins, and where did he hunt? He proceeded to tell me basically right where i had been hunting. He then told me that the Nox 600 user had told him that the signals were not bam loud dig me signals that anybody would dig. So i broke out my 800 and went back to where i had been hunting and working the coil slowly i heard a good peep but had i not listened to what he said i would have just ignored it and kept hunting. I then warbled the coil very tightly over that spot and i kept seeing the ID jump from 19 to 28. I decided to dig and out pops a barber dime at almost two sampson shovel lengths deep. That was approximately 2 to 3 minutes after i broke out the Nox , hunting where i had just spent at least 3 hrs with the 2 fbs machines. I then proceeded to dig 20 old coins in the next 2 plus hours before i had to leave. I went back with him the next weekend and i used the other machines again thinking maybe it was just me. I found nothing but this time i did not spend 3 hrs before i broke out the Nox again. This time i found 18 old coins. My friend managed zero the first hunt and on merc the second time hunting the same area as i was hunting and the other friend had previously hunted. I was using only the stock coil on the Nox cause at the time that is all i had. Planning on going back again with the 6 inch when the heat breaks, the heat index here as been well over the 100's but fall is coming soon.
I have since been hunting spots i previously hunted and i am finding coins i left that were very masked and the FBS machines just cannot find. On another forum i posted some of my story and mentioned that some of the more famous detector guys should be making videos of this machines capabilities. To my surprise one of them who hardly ever posts outside his own forum posted some incredible pictures of finds he made with the Nox in some worked out areas and then said thank you for the conformation and vindication. Here is a short video of me finding a coin where i had missed with the CTX and Etrac kinda demonstrating what i was trying to convey. [video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2lImonx8nY&t=17s[/video]
Example of a hunt. I was invited to an early 1900 booming town that since is almost a ghost town by a friend. I started with Ctx i used all 3 coils, 6, 11, 17 and hunted at least an hour and a half with no finds. I then broke out the Etrac and hunted at least another hour and a half and no finds. My friend using a couple of very desirable dectectors found nothing either. The weekend before he had taken another friend of ours to that spot and the other friend found many old coins and the friend that brought me found none that day either. The other guy had used a Nox 600. So frustrated i stopped hunting and asked the guy the brought me what the heck did the other friend do to find all those old coins, and where did he hunt? He proceeded to tell me basically right where i had been hunting. He then told me that the Nox 600 user had told him that the signals were not bam loud dig me signals that anybody would dig. So i broke out my 800 and went back to where i had been hunting and working the coil slowly i heard a good peep but had i not listened to what he said i would have just ignored it and kept hunting. I then warbled the coil very tightly over that spot and i kept seeing the ID jump from 19 to 28. I decided to dig and out pops a barber dime at almost two sampson shovel lengths deep. That was approximately 2 to 3 minutes after i broke out the Nox , hunting where i had just spent at least 3 hrs with the 2 fbs machines. I then proceeded to dig 20 old coins in the next 2 plus hours before i had to leave. I went back with him the next weekend and i used the other machines again thinking maybe it was just me. I found nothing but this time i did not spend 3 hrs before i broke out the Nox again. This time i found 18 old coins. My friend managed zero the first hunt and on merc the second time hunting the same area as i was hunting and the other friend had previously hunted. I was using only the stock coil on the Nox cause at the time that is all i had. Planning on going back again with the 6 inch when the heat breaks, the heat index here as been well over the 100's but fall is coming soon.
I have since been hunting spots i previously hunted and i am finding coins i left that were very masked and the FBS machines just cannot find. On another forum i posted some of my story and mentioned that some of the more famous detector guys should be making videos of this machines capabilities. To my surprise one of them who hardly ever posts outside his own forum posted some incredible pictures of finds he made with the Nox in some worked out areas and then said thank you for the conformation and vindication. Here is a short video of me finding a coin where i had missed with the CTX and Etrac kinda demonstrating what i was trying to convey. [video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2lImonx8nY&t=17s[/video]
dirt doctor
Well-known member
Thanks Trashfinder , this post and your excellent video have been very eye opening to me .