Software changes or enhancements?

[brissietex]

After using the Equinox 800 in the field for more than a few hours, I started to think of things that I'd like to see change or added in the current software. I am not talking about anything drastic like FE/CO TID breakdown but more subtle and maybe doable in the current software with current hardware. Think of it as a software service pack of changes or enhancements...things to make the Equinox more user friendly. Not necessarily bugs, either. I am not sure when Minelab plans to update the software or even if they plan to do so anytime soon but...

I think it would be nice to have:
1) an automatic return to detection mode after a set duration of time. I hate it whenever you go into a screen like noise cancel, make a change, and forget to go back into detection mode. Nothing worse than swinging for 100 metres and finding that you are still in settings mode.
2) a mode subset change within a mode or rather a defineable 2 mode quick switch. I often stay in the Beach 1 but then want to change to Beach 2 when I get the coil in the water and then back to Beach 1 once I clear the water. Currently, I have to go thru all of the other modes until you get back to Beach 1. It would be nice to be able to define two modes that you want to switch between with one press.

Those are the two that I can think of off the bat. Any other ideas?

 

[sgoss66]

brissie --

On your #2 above, you could accomplish that by programming Beach 2 mode onto your user button -- and then set your detect mode to Beach 1, thus the user button becoming effectively a Beach 1/Beach 2 toggle switch (the user button being a nice additional feature on the 800 vs. the 600).

Steve

 

[dewcon4414]

Im a bit more frustrated by the meat and potatoes of the machine......... like the consolidated digits that seems to put everything im looking for in the 14 digit range as well as iron wrap around. I have done what Steve recommended to solve your problem going from beach 1 to 2. I dont see anything getting fixed until we can get on line like with the CTX...... and my feelings its not going to happen with this machine unless they do encounter bugs. Not like the CTX where you can produce several programs to be saved.

 

[Jesseray]

The ergonomics are terrible in my opinion

 

[Mr. Carolina]

For me I'm with Dew on everything grouped on the 14 digit range and the location of the user button is terrible in my opinion. Don't see either changing so I guess I need to get use to it!!!

 

[brissietex]

yeah...that is probably the best workaround for #2 but I use the user profile button for dropping down to 10khz trick to find bottle caps. Maybe better enhancement would be accessing multiple profiles via the same button. Bit convoluted but would work.

Ergonomics of the Equinox don't really bother me but then again I come from an Explorer, X-Terra, and CZ background. Never quite find the best ergonomics though the Deus definitely would be the form factor to beat imho.

 

[dewcon4414]

gezzzz how would you improve such a light machine ergonomicly? I mean the coil is what it is...... its not that heavy IMO. But then i came from explorers, Xcals and CTX. To me this baby is a god sent weight wise. Wait till they get that 6" coil.....that should change it for you. It will just about fly out of your hand it will be so light lol. Honestly thou...... for water hunting its perfect.... coil stays down and glides along the bottle.

Dew

 

[Joedaddy276]

Yeah it feels really easy to swing in my hand and I've never understood the complaints about its design but different strokes for different folks I reckon

 

[Jason in Enid]

Yeah it feels really easy to swing in my hand and I've never understood the complaints about its design but different strokes for different folks I reckon

Because some people extend the rod almost all the way out (WAY further than needed) and then complain that its tiring. You can't hold your empty hand straight out for very long, let alone trying to hold a 3 pound detector.

You can easily add a counter balance to the rear, but then you are adding more weight.... everything is a tradeoff , just like the CTX was much better balalnced than the E-Trac but it weighed more.

 

[Jeff in Pa]

Good point Jason.

 

[Jkr detecting]

Your probly right on jason

 

[Jesseray]

I think the ctx has awsome balancing.weight isn't a factor it's just my opinion that's all

 

[Jesseray]

It could also have more intelligent audince again just my opinion.Say like full tones on another well know machine Its constantly compared to,but then again im strictly a relic hunter.

 

[prairieboy]

Software changes that i would like to see would be a clock and surface blanking capability. Wouldn't it be nice to have the ability to not hear the first 6 inches of the soil but all targets below that and vice versa only the top three inches if you are looking for clad on the surface. They certainly can improve on the depth readouts on this machine because on coins it's not accurate either 2 inches or 8 inches and nothing in between even after ground balancing. I do go by the tones for depth but the depth readout is ignored by me due to the inaccuracy.

 

[bklein]

I am one that extends the coil way out. Covers more in one sweep - I use the Minelab harness and no problem.
I’d like the pinpoint on this and the CTX to stay like it is on first sweep across the target. I don’t want it to drop off so I eventually have to go to the side and restart it.
I want smooth mode on the EQ.

 

[halfstep]

I think it would be nice if the nox had at least one mode that the user can build their own program and change the frequency weighting. Even though the nox has really good modes already, if a person had the ability to change the frequency weighting on a custom program, it would teach the user a lot about how the weighting changes effect the overall performance of the detector.

Even though this next improvement couldn't be done by a simple upload, it would have been nice if the nox had back light buttons.

 

[brissietex]

I always thought that it would be nice to have some ability to limit the target zone as well. Filtering out targets up to a certain depth would be a neat trick but I do see some issues about having a tighter detection area since you would need to be closer to the target location before the deep target is shown. Still it'd be a nice feature for older or trashier sites where you want to see targets at depths greater than X inches.

 

[dewcon4414]

When you are saying filtering out....... arent you talking disc? They have filters..... the faster you swing the less weaker signals you receive. IB ans recovery speed also works as filters...... as does reducing sensitivity. GB be it manual or auto will also change what you might hear.

I assume you are talking about channels like on the FBS machines? I dont believe we are working with the same harmonic shifts we did with FBS..... so noise cancel and GB does some shifting of the freqs. I would have liked to seen a salt setting available for each mode...... or to shut it off on the beach mode.

 

[Kickindirt]

A friend of mine recently went to one of the gold shows where minelab had a booth setup. They told him that there will never be an update to the Equinox. So that being said I guess keep dreaming.