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FBS Detectors and the Equinox / A Different View

R

Richard@BackwoodsDetectors

Well-known member
Findmall Sponsor
[size=large]The weight of the FBS machines has been and will continue to be a factor in the purchase of a detector for some. A customer will buy an E-TRAC, for example, and then they get it and trade it right back for a lighter machine. Then there is the health factor, we're getting older. we have arthritis, we've had shoulder surgery, had a broken wrist, etc. we just can't hunt for hours like we used to. POINT and I may be wrong but I think that the Equinox will help to fix the above situation. No, the Equinox is not going to replace the CTX or the E-TRAC but there is a small niche that Minelab can fill. The Equinox is affordable, multi-frequency, has somewhat similar audio, and the weight and ergonomics are great. I see a lot of folks who had to give up their heavier MLs going back to this machine and people who wouldn't buy one before because of the above reason, now buying one.

No Flaming ... Just my Opinion.... HH Richard[/size]
 
Agreed Richard. If health reasons just WILL NOT allow swinging a heavy machine no matter WHAT brand,it’s a moot point...they can’t swing it. I’d rather detect than NOT detect and sit home looking at my heavy machine sitting in the closet,thinking about what it USED to find! For the cost,the all around performance and weight,the Equinox will be a no-brainer for ALOT of people.
 
True that about the weight differences. I'm 27 and in good physical health, and absolutely love the Etrac, but it definitely takes a toll on my shoulder throughout the season. Not to mention the effects it could have over many years if a person doesn't use a harness.
 
Flame, flame!!! How dare you write about me when we've never met? Just kidding. How ever, right on. I thought I was the only one (except for all my friends). I worry that with heavy units even the young and fit detectorists are doing damage that may not show up for years, a ticking time bomb of shoulder damage. I can swing my CTX or Excal for about 4 hours without feeling it, but only a few years ago it was maybe twice that.
 
Richard so true.... light... but that price most think ML may under estimate this machine. Steve said it earlier on another post.... this is several machines in one.... it may well excell at beach and raw gold hunting over the FBS.
 
dewcon4414 said:
Richard so true.... light... but that price most think ML may under estimate this machine. Steve said it earlier on another post.... this is several machines in one.... it may well excell at beach and raw gold hunting over the FBS.
Click to expand...

Its already been shown to hit gold necklaces that the CTX and Excals cant touch.
 
dewcon4414 said:
Richard so true.... light... but that price most think ML may under estimate this machine. Steve said it earlier on another post.... this is several machines in one.... it may well excell at beach and raw gold hunting over the FBS.
Click to expand...
I would not go that far. its more of a general machine overall. Not really good at anything in particular just a overall balanced machine.
 
"I would not go that far. its more of a general machine overall. Not really good at anything in particular just a overall balanced machine. "

How many hours do you have on the machine to make that statement, or do you just 'know' from pictures? 'Not really good at anything in particular', I have SEEN it compared to the ATPro, the Max, the F75, a Tesoro compadre, and the Deus last Saturday on a stretched out 18" thin gold chain, a 10" thick gold chain, 3 gold flakes about .3g total weight, .8 gram rough picker, 1.3 g smooth flat picker, and a 1.3g small gold ring, and only one other machine out of all of them would pick up all of the buried items! ONE, other that the Equinox, and it was NOT the Deus! The ATPro Max hit them all but weakly on the light weight stuff, but did hit them. The Equinox hit them hard on all of them! So, in your long time 'hands on experience and knowledge' could you possibly agree that hitting small gold would put the Equinox in a "good at something" box?

How about it is lighter and faster that any machine out there except for the Deus and that is a toss-up! Would those put it in the 'good at something' box?

How about cost? How about waterproof? How about multi freq? All those rank it in the top of the class! But you, with all the 'hands on' lifetime experience with it say it is 'Not really good at anything in particular!"

"I would not go that far!", yes, I can understand that, you, a person with ZERO factual 'hands on' experience, would not go that far! I understand a person would not praise a machine he has never actually used, but to 'rag' on it with ZERO hands on time is even more ridiculous! No time on the machine, no hands on experience equals ZERO credibility!
 
jas415 said:
"I would not go that far. its more of a general machine overall. Not really good at anything in particular just a overall balanced machine. "

How many hours do you have on the machine to make that statement, or do you just 'know' from pictures? 'Not really good at anything in particular', I have SEEN it compared to the ATPro, the Max, the F75, a Tesoro compadre, and the Deus last Saturday on a stretched out 18" thin gold chain, a 10" thick gold chain, 3 gold flakes about .3g total weight, .8 gram rough picker, 1.3 g smooth flat picker, and a 1.3g small gold ring, and only one other machine out of all of them would pick up all of the buried items! ONE, other that the Equinox, and it was NOT the Deus! The ATPro Max hit them all but weakly on the light weight stuff, but did hit them. The Equinox hit them hard on all of them! So, in your long time 'hands on experience and knowledge' could you possibly agree that hitting small gold would put the Equinox in a "good at something" box?

How about it is lighter and faster that any machine out there except for the Deus and that is a toss-up! Would those put it in the 'good at something' box?

How about cost? How about waterproof? How about multi freq? All those rank it in the top of the class! But you, with all the 'hands on' lifetime experience with it say it is 'Not really good at anything in particular!"

"I would not go that far!", yes, I can understand that, you, a person with ZERO factual 'hands on' experience, would not go that far! I understand a person would not praise a machine he has never actually used, but to 'rag' on it with ZERO hands on time is even more ridiculous! No time on the machine, no hands on experience equals ZERO credibility!
Click to expand...

Jas I was one of the guys you let swing your machine over the gold. It was impressive. FTR, I'm the guy who asked if you were Jas. Yes, the Max was the only other machine to do it but not the same way the Nox did. Watching you swing in multi frequency vs 40 kHz was also eye opening. However it's your detector and you have more hours on it than I so I won't give my thoughts on how it operates. You get the honor.
 
Jas...... good info, were you using 40Khz or multi for the testing? Which program were you using? I call it several machines in one...... because a general machine normally cant do all this one can as well as this one can. I know on a beach there is a lot of time id like to have brought a second machine just because the salt setting kills finding smaller gold. I no longer will have to. Im not aware of many ..... if any general machines you can take in the salt water.

Dew
 
"Jas...... good info, were you using 40Khz or multi for the testing? Which program were you using? I call it several machines in one...... because a general machine normally cant do all this one can as well as this one can. I know on a beach there is a lot of time id like to have brought a second machine just because the salt setting kills finding smaller gold. I no longer will have to. Im not aware of many ..... if any general machines you can take in the salt water."

I first used the stock mode to sweep the gold items, all modes and all frequencies. Damp sand, about a 200' from the surf. The gold modes both hit every pass, no matter angle or speed. But, at 4" deep, on the 800 only a couple of the other modes/freqs would hit the thin stretched out chain and the small .3g 'flakes' bag, and it was 'iffy' at best. To me, and I am not a beach hunter, I believe that beach hunters almost universally will dig every repeatable target looking for gold, so I might just use the 'gold modes' on the beach as it appears to be on steroids for targets. Giving credit where credit is due, the Max was loud and clear on whatever mode the man used, in every pass and every direction, on all targets! Even he was impressed with that, along with several others standing there.

Again, I have very little real deep knowledge of what to adjust, what to turn up or down for certain conditions or modes but over the next year or so the 'Sube's, GK's, Jason's, Digger's', etc., will dissect the machine in a thousand different ways and modes and settings will surface that will only enhance this really good 'all around' metal detector. The small coil will allow so much more precise 'in-ground' testing. Actual 'hands-on field experience' will determine how good or bad this machine is, but the basic platform, to me, is outstanding! We just have to figure out the ways to tweak it so that it fits where we hunt.
 
The race is on to see who will get the first and definitive book out on the EQ (Andy, Gary, Clive or Brandon?). Note too the guy who did the famous necklace video used the same necklace in other ones with different machines and the EQ was in a league of its own and that's why he and others are so impressed. I want to see more done with the gold mode. It seems to be far better than I thought it would be. What little I have seen is very impressive. My hunting buddy's 800 shipped yesterday and I expect to see it this week, wahooo! Mine is still in the twilight zone! Not all dealers are equal, but you have to play the cards you are dealt, right?
 
jas415 said:
"I would not go that far. its more of a general machine overall. Not really good at anything in particular just a overall balanced machine. "

How many hours do you have on the machine to make that statement, or do you just 'know' from pictures? 'Not really good at anything in particular', I have SEEN it compared to the ATPro, the Max, the F75, a Tesoro compadre, and the Deus last Saturday on a stretched out 18" thin gold chain, a 10" thick gold chain, 3 gold flakes about .3g total weight, .8 gram rough picker, 1.3 g smooth flat picker, and a 1.3g small gold ring, and only one other machine out of all of them would pick up all of the buried items! ONE, other that the Equinox, and it was NOT the Deus! The ATPro Max hit them all but weakly on the light weight stuff, but did hit them. The Equinox hit them hard on all of them! So, in your long time 'hands on experience and knowledge' could you possibly agree that hitting small gold would put the Equinox in a "good at something" box?

How about it is lighter and faster that any machine out there except for the Deus and that is a toss-up! Would those put it in the 'good at something' box?

How about cost? How about waterproof? How about multi freq? All those rank it in the top of the class! But you, with all the 'hands on' lifetime experience with it say it is 'Not really good at anything in particular!"

"I would not go that far!", yes, I can understand that, you, a person with ZERO factual 'hands on' experience, would not go that far! I understand a person would not praise a machine he has never actually used, but to 'rag' on it with ZERO hands on time is even more ridiculous! No time on the machine, no hands on experience equals ZERO credibility!
Click to expand...

Zinc Penny is a troll, just ignore her.
 
Pretty harsh Jason buddy. Things have really changed for detectors........ we used to call a general use machine one that had a freq capable of working most dirt that about anyone could use. Machines have really evolved. Now they are water proof..... and really the term general use machines takes on a different meaning. We could call it a general use, multil use...... or even several machines in one..... which is the way i see this machine. With each category having its own algorithms and freqs..... and the beach even a salt setting for multi freq....... and we get single freqs to boot. Sure cuts down on the number of machines a company has to produce this away. Which reduces cost.
 
dewcon4414 said:
Pretty harsh Jason buddy.
Click to expand...

How else would you describe somebody coming into a specific detector forum, without owning one or having any in-depth experience on the machine and making repeated comments along the lines of "Not really good at anything in particular"?

I've never owned a v3i, but I've owned whites and I've swung a v3i in the. According to ZP, that means I should be fully qualified to go into the v3i forum and start talking about how bad the detector is.
 
Minelab of course recognized that the CTX AND ETRAC are heavy machines and therefore developed the Minelab harness to illeviate the weight problem.

The harness is well designed and is very easy to get used to. Therefore I would not consider weight to be such and issue as to cause me to quit using my ETRAC.







and ETRAC
 
Minelab of course recognized that the CTX AND ETRAC are heavy machines and therefore developed the Minelab harness to illeviate the weight problem.

The harness is well designed and is very easy to get used to. Therefore I would not consider weight to be such an issue as to cause me to quit using my ETRAC.

The ETRAC and CTX are still today two of the most versatile and technically advanced detectors ever developed and will likely remain so for quite a while.

Granted there are some great detectors on the market today but none that I would personally consider capable of replacing or outperforming an ETRAC OR CTX. Yep, just my opinion.
 
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