CTX3030 vs. Equinox 800

Hi all,

I may be opening Pandora's box with a question like this for everyone has an opinion and I would certainly like anyone's opinion on this one.

I have an ATPro, kind of like it. I will say that I am way better with the CTX3030 on all the "tricky" signals. Now I have an itch to buy a new detector and maybe dump the ATPro. I have the money saved up for an Equinox 800, but am wondering if I am suffering from the grass is greener mentality.

For those of you that have a CTX3030 and bought a NOX800, are you glad you did and why?

Thank you for your input.

Roses are Red
Violets are Blue
I like the Nox
And so will you!

While I dont own a NOX, I was able to try one out. My initial impressions were that it was going to take some getting used to.

On the negative side: I really missed all the info on the screen the CTX has. I also didnt like the balance and the way it swung. To me it felt like I was swinging a lead weight on the end of a stick. Just very nose heavy, unlike the CTX being almost perfectly balanced with the 11" coil.

On the plus side: The recovery speed was awesome! I was at the beach so didnt get to try it in heavy iron, but through a ton of pull tabs the speed helped. The caveat though is that apparently the faster the recovery speed, the more depth is lost.

Honestly, I would love to try one in a few of my most challenging spots to see how it compares. But again, the right tool for the job. I would probably use the NOX in really trashy areas where the targets are not deep, and the CTX where raw depth is needed or high mineralization areas like black sand beaches. (If no PI machine available)

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DOD is correct about the recovery speed. The faster you have it set the shallower it goes. But that is the case with all detectors right? Maybe I am wrong. For the Nox800 the recovery speed is 1-8 with 8 being the fastest. With the stock coil I can dig targets regularly the size of a penny at 8 inches in the sandy mineralized soil in my area with the recovery speed at 6 (which is where I typically set it). It is hard for the Nox to detect anything over 11 inches down that is the size of a penny (with stock coil) in my experience with it. My eTrac can detect a bit deeper and I am sure that the CTX is also deeper than the Nox.

The Nox is much lighter than my eTrac and I have had no issues with it being toe heavy. I attached my pinpointer on the shaft which should make the detector even more toe heavy and I have no issues. But maybe I am just used to it. Swinging the eTrac for half a day would hurt my arm and I would dig crap signals JUST to stop swinging for a few minutes...but with the Nox I have no issues with swinging all day.

Calabash Digger and Detector Comparisons have a bunch of videos comparing the Nox with lots of other detectors. You should check them out (if you have not already) and see how your current detectors compare.

Your AT Pro and CTX are proven machines. Getting a Nox will only mean you are using a different toy that has its strengths and weaknesses. Getting a new toy is always fun.

Bucknut is correct. Recovery speed has an impact on depth with any machine. The Deus is a blazer when it comes to Recovery speed. I will hunt with a very low recovery speed in clean ground because it goes deeper. But you can test this with any machine. Hunt with a low Recovery speed until you get a deep weak good signal. While over the target, increase the Recovery speed and see what happens. Deep weak targets can disappear if you raise the "R" to high.

Thanks DOD. Those are my impressions (minus the physical one on balance). I haven't used the NOX at all.

Bucknut - love the poetry and explanation. Calabash does some great and honest reviews. I certainly have appreciated his videos. Getting a new toy is fun!!!

Lodge - good advice. Since I consider myself still new to all today's technology on machines, this is a great reminder on recovery speed vs. depth. I was looking at the Deus too, but really don't want 3 sets of equipment.

I appreciate all the advice/tips.