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Thread: CTX3030 vs. Equinox 800

  1. #1
    Senior Member
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    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.
    Garrett AT Pro, Garrett Waterproof Pinpointer, CTX3030 with 6,11,17" coils.

  2. #2
    Elite Member Bucknut's Avatar
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    Roses are Red
    Violets are Blue
    I like the Nox
    And so will you!
    Detectors I use: Minelab Equinox 900 & Manticore
    Favorite finds I have made:
    1,000+ silver coins
    104pcs of 1700's Trade Era Silver
    Copper Culture Indian Artifacts
    125+ War of 1812 Era buttons and relics
    My wife
    (probably should have started with that one)

  3. #3
    Elite Member Digger_O'Dell's Avatar
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    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)

    Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
    Equipment:
    Minelab: CTX 3030, GPX 4800, X-Terra 705. Whites TDI SL.

    2024: Silver 1, Gold 0
    Best finds: 28 silver dime spill, 1800s Dutch customs seal.
    Oldest/best coins: Late 1700's Chinese Cash Coin, 1837 Upper Canada large cent, 1877 Seated Dime
    Oldest Relic find: 1800 Sailors Luck token
    You Tube: Rediscovering America
    Quote: Treasures are like potato chips, you can never have just one!

  4. #4
    Elite Member Bucknut's Avatar
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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.
    Detectors I use: Minelab Equinox 900 & Manticore
    Favorite finds I have made:
    1,000+ silver coins
    104pcs of 1700's Trade Era Silver
    Copper Culture Indian Artifacts
    125+ War of 1812 Era buttons and relics
    My wife
    (probably should have started with that one)

  5. #5
    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.
    Oldest find: 5,000 year old copper spearhead
    Oldest coin: 1699 William III halfpenny
    Purdiest coin: 1832 Capped Bust quarter
    Coolest find: USA button with blue threads still on shank

    "He who would search for pearls must dive below."

  6. #6
    Senior Member
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    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.
    Last edited by badgers325; 08-25-2019 at 08:26 AM.
    Garrett AT Pro, Garrett Waterproof Pinpointer, CTX3030 with 6,11,17" coils.

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