First time out with the EQ 800 in the salt water

[sandnsea49]

I went out today for the first time in the salt water down here in Florida. Only a couple of hours to see how the 800 would react. Very disappointed in the yellow minelab headphones. With sound set to Max (25) , I could barely hear the signals. I can't believe Minelab would not have something better. Are there any electronic experts that have any ideas to make these phones louder or do I have to buy something else. I was also getting false signals that were low in tone. Maybe waves or uneven ocean floor? Only got a sinker, metal junk bracelet and some aluminum. Not a single coin or pull tab. I was in Beach 2, reactivity 2 and 50 tones. Not sure what the sensitivity was since I am not sure how to find it yet. Still learning the machine.

 

[dewcon4414]

Id suggest you get a pair of phones with SPEAKERS for wading..... lot of good phones being made now. ML didnt spend much time on coming up with a decent pair...... what was odd the machine was on the streets way before those phones...... had they used the M12 (CTX connector) people could have used them with their CTX and Nox.... and for modified Xcal.... they did us no favor there. The machine is chatty..... and yes most of that is minerals in the hard pan. So it takes some getting used to. Sounds like you maybe running default 20 sensitivity and GB at 0. GB at 0 is fine..... we dont have a lot of mineral to GB to. Try raising your Recovery to 4..... at 2 yes its trying to go deeper.....but its kind of like lowering your threshold on most machine.... the close you get to silence the more chatter your hear because of targets breaking the threshold.

 

[BigTony]

Have you increased the volume? Have you increased the tone volume?

I have hearing aids in each ear due to hearing loss, so they help me some.

Does anyone know of headphones for the hearing impaired? And waterproof?

Thanks,

Tony

 

[sandnsea49]

and I will probably use that instead because I can hear it better and it is quieter. I thought this machine was made for salt water, but no waterproof phones and chatty to boot does not fit the bill. I thought I was getting something special with this machine.

 

[pasttom]

Think again. I can't talk for Florida, but in California it's about all I see now. I have a ton of friends who were die hard Excal users (myself included) who have completely abandoned their huge investment of time and money to use Equinox units on the beach. It runs very quiet at full or near full throttle. We've been hunting a beach loaded with trash and ir has been very productive and quiet hunting.

 

[bklein]

I agree with Tom except my EQ800 wasn’t one of the quiet ones so I sold it. You may be tweaking the wrong “knob” for volume. There is a tone band volume and a general volume available to set.

 

[Piedmontartifacts]

I hunt Florida and I’m loving my nox in the salt, I use the grey ghost amphibian HP, And volume is not a problem. Also if the detector is chatty then something is wrong in your settings. Try tracking ground balance and backing off the sensitivity a few notches.