Why all the hype?

I know the detecting community always is buzzing about the "latest and greatest" machine to hit the market. Today it's the Equinox, next week it might be something else. But are the new machines being introduced really that much of an improvement over the last?
From everything I have seen is that manufacturers seem to only release new equipment that just barely tops the competition, or maybe adds a few bells and whistles. Granted, the Equinox looks to be Minelabs response to the Deus, but the actual technology is far from cutting edge and only another refinement of older tech. Maybe it's the cost of manufacturing, thus final selling price that prohibits faster, deeper machines? I don't know. What I can say is that in a factory setting we have relatively inexpensive sensing equipment that is far more complex and lightning fast. Imagine swinging your coil at 50mph over a variety of closely spaced targets at various depths and being able to accurately identify and size and shape of every one? Where I work, we have equipment that does precisely that.
Current metal detecting technology is old. VLF and PI designs have been around forever. Just wondering if we will ever see something actually new and innovative in our lifetime?

Ok

Well if you look at it from a minelab perspective its a huge breakthrough Chris .... the machine weighs a ton less than previous minelabs :lol: But your right its not a FBS type machine but a VLF although I bet its a lot quicker in the response department again something Minelabs have been lacking . Its looks and vdi screen layout is also very "Deus" like .

I think it's just the big kid in all of us

Well most of the tests I seen on numerous videos are only air tests or shallow target hunting. Which has no real comparison in undisturbed soil at common depths. But I have watched a video by detector comparisons where they were in an old swimming hole in salt water and laid out a gold chain and it did hit on it in every direction, which is a huge plus because all Minlab owners know that the ctx , X cal and E tracs won’t even make a sound unless it picks up a charm on it or a specific part of the clasp. They did this comparison with an X cal and the ex cal didn’t even hear it. Even all balled up !! So it’s definitely a game changer for those who water detect and use the ctx or X cal ..

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Originally Posted by Hiluxyota

Well most of the tests I seen on numerous videos are only air tests or shallow target hunting. Which has no real comparison in undisturbed soil at common depths. But I have watched a video by detector comparisons where they were in an old swimming hole in salt water and laid out a gold chain and it did hit on it in every direction, which is a huge plus because all Minlab owners know that the ctx , X cal and E tracs won’t even make a sound unless it picks up a charm on it or a specific part of the clasp. They did this comparison with an X cal and the ex cal didn’t even hear it. Even all balled up !! So it’s definitely a game changer for those who water detect and use the ctx or X cal ..

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One of these days if I ever get rich - chances are slim - I would love to buy somewhere between 5 and 10 detectors and do some side by side comparisons and write about all the bells & whistles. Do a Consumers Report type analysis.


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Originally Posted by kc_hhsl

One of these days if I ever get rich - chances are slim - I would love to buy somewhere between 5 and 10 detectors and do some side by side comparisons and write about all the bells & whistles. Do a Consumers Report type analysis.


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Exactly. A long time ago I subscribed to a magazine call, I believe, Fishing Facts. It was purely a report comparing different pieces of fishing gear whether it be a rod, reel, line or lure etc. There was no advertising in it, just testing between selected products. I found it to be very informative and unbiased. If something was bad or substandard, they told about it. The mag didn't last long unfortunately. Probably got threats from manufacturers or dealers I don't know. But I sure did like reading what they printed. Something like that would sure answer a lot of questions folks have, or at least help. JMHO

At some point it becomes about the user, not the machine. What are we looking for.... a detector that spells out exactly what's under the coil? First of all, that ain't gonna happen, and second of all, where's the fun in that?

The Equinox. I hold little hope, because I use the E-Trac really well so what is there to gain? Someone above says it may be a lot quicker in the response department. Well that's what the White's machines were, and that was fine but I did better using the E-Trac slow. As for gold, everyone knows it's terrible on gold. That's why I own a Minelab Sovereign GT.

As for water detecting, someone else will have to cover that. Not my thing.

We shall see. Does it just get better and better, or is there a limit? I think we've reached the place where the individual running the machine is what makes or breaks it.

Those are some great points! And I do understand marketing is what keeps a company in business. But I see again and again a new matching hyping such great improvements, but in reality they are usually marginal at best. But the rush to buy the latest and greatest happens anyway. Each of the top machines like the E-Ttac/CTX, Dues, or v3i blow the rest of the field away in well experienced hands, especially in the toughest conditions. But none are perfect in all situations and I think it comes down to preference. Of course there are the PI machines that hit everything far deeper than a VLF machine and sometimes that's the best choice over anything else such as on a heavily detected salt water beach. As for water detecting, I wouldn't use anything but my CTX. I even plan to use it for scuba diving down to about 40 feet using some proven water proofing mods. Anything deeper, I would probably have to break down and buy an Excalibur.
There are a few unusual technologies out there too such as the hybrids that are found in kit form mostly. They use both VLF and PI signals, then use both sets of information to give a reading. That technology is far from being perfected but looks extremely promising. Another one is the mini hand held ground penetrating radar with live display on a smartphone from OKM. Sounds nice, but very expensive. Also, since I can't find any real demonstrations of its functionality in the field, they seem pretty shady to me. There are several more out there too that seem like they are selling snake oil, so I won't even go into those.
Guess what I would like to see is the big companies refine and perfect that hybrid technology to see if it lives up to the promise it seems to have.

Well I am excited about the Equinox. I have had an Etrac for 7 years now and I think I have had a lot of success with it. However there are places that I believe it struggles at...mainly iron trashy sites. So a few years ago I bought the XP deus for these type of places. This is a great machine but I could not get a handle on it. This was my fault not XPs. So I sold it and bought the EQ800.

I was looking for a machine that was faster than the Etrac, waterproof and light weight. I think the EQ800 might be exactly what I am looking for. Will it be? Not sure...I have not taken it out of the house yet (still snow on the ground). Will it make all VLF machines obsolete? I highly doubt it! Will I never use the Etrac again....heck no!

I firmly believe that the success someone has is primarily their skill and knowledge of the machine they are using. Having a "better" machine is an advantage but no guarantee of success...I am a perfect example of that with the XP deus (great machine) and going to many great sites and finding very little but then using the Etrac (great machine) and going to the same great sites and having lots of success. The difference between having success or not was me.

Since this is a Minelab product I think I might be able to understand it. This is why I'm excited about the Equinox! VERY EXCITED!

Well, I do hope the new machine performs as well as hoped. Sure, if I had the money to afford it, I would probably buy a few machines including the Equinox, Excalibur, and a higher end PI machine. Plus I would probably play around with one of those kit hybrid machines to try it out. Of course, not likely to happen unless I win the lottery! Lol
But I do see huge differences in machines. My X-terra for example is a pretty good machine which I think i had dialed in pretty good. I could keep up with most everyone else on finds up to the limits of the machine. But once I upgraded to the CTX and spent many many hours swinging and testing and learning, it was night and day difference. And like the E-trek, it does have difficulties in iron due to speed. But I've worked with the machine and do the best we can do as a "team". Not often have I felt disappointed. When I did, I would work on more testing and changes, then go back to take on the challenging location again.

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Originally Posted by Digger_O'Dell

I know the detecting community always is buzzing about the "latest and greatest" machine to hit the market. Today it's the Equinox, next week it might be something else. But are the new machines being introduced really that much of an improvement over the last?
From everything I have seen is that manufacturers seem to only release new equipment that just barely tops the competition, or maybe adds a few bells and whistles. Granted, the Equinox looks to be Minelabs response to the Deus, but the actual technology is far from cutting edge and only another refinement of older tech. Maybe it's the cost of manufacturing, thus final selling price that prohibits faster, deeper machines? I don't know. What I can say is that in a factory setting we have relatively inexpensive sensing equipment that is far more complex and lightning fast. Imagine swinging your coil at 50mph over a variety of closely spaced targets at various depths and being able to accurately identify and size and shape of every one? Where I work, we have equipment that does precisely that.
Current metal detecting technology is old. VLF and PI designs have been around forever. Just wondering if we will ever see something actually new and innovative in our lifetime?

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After thinking of this the real question is will there ever be a leap in technology? Electric currents are just that - you have various metals and they know the resistance of the metals. Then when you add in whatever is in the dirt that adds "noise". The real jump if there is a jump will have to be in the processors that can decipher the return signals.

Another question - what are people wanting a detector to do that is happening today? Would be interesting to see what everyone's tope 5 list would include.