Those of you that follow my metal detecting adventures online will know that this year, after months of talking about it, I got a little upgrade and swapped my trusty Equinox 700 for its big brother, the Equinox 900.
Why did I upgrade from the Equinox 700 to the 900?
Because like every detectorist out there, I thought it would be the answer to all my detecting prayers. I felt like I was missing targets with my 700 (you know that all too familiar feeling on a group dig when everyone around you seems to be pulling out hammered coins left right and centre, but they evade you) and I wanted to get a little more depth because in my head, the deeper the detector works at the better, right? I just kept thinking…..surely I am missing these targets because my detector is not picking up those deeper signals. We all know the age old detecting adage “you have to walk over it”, but in those moments of sheer frustration, we think a better machine is the answer.
But is it?
If you haven’t been detecting long, you might think the answer is yes! But the experienced detectorist will almost certainly tell you no.
So why even swap from the mid priced Equinox 700 to its slightly more expensive big brother (the Equinox 900) if it's not going to immediately give you more depth and find you those elusive (for some) silver hammered coins and other artefacts you crave?
Over the past few months I have been putting this to the test by putting the Equinox 900 through its paces and comparing it to my much loved Equinox 700, so I can give you an honest review. My thoughts might surprise you.
I was expecting a whirlwind romance with the Equinox 900 I have to be honest. I had visions of me skipping through beautiful pasture on a warm, hazy sunny day, all doe eyed and excited about our future ahead and the excitement of the honeymoon phase meaning I wanted to spend every waking minute detecting. [Insert sound effect of screeching tyres here now]. The reality? I soon realised this was a relationship which was going to take a little work and would make me learn a lot about my skills as a detectorist in the process.
So what did I learn? The Equinox 900 IS a better machine than the 700, but it is marginal and ultimately comes down to the skill of the detectorist in not only understanding how to tweak and change the settings, but also WHEN to apply those changes (and in some cases switching coils as the Equinox 900 comes with a fairly nifty 6” coil to help you winkle out those targets on terrain that requires a little more precision).
I have to be honest…..in the first month or so of using the Equinox 900, I was a little underwhelmed - I struggled to see the difference between the two models.
I was also experiencing a bit of a drought when it came to exciting finds. Four months without a hammered, watching my detecting buddies turn them up like potatoes was not helping me feel confident in my decision to move from the 700 to the 900, but finally the dry spell was broken with a beautiful and tiny heavily clipped, Elizabeth I penny, which rang up nicely at a clear 27 on the 900. Success!!
My luck had changed.
So if it’s all about luck (and chance encounters - it’s a cliche that you have to walk over a find, but it's true) why would you spend more money on a new machine and why, essentially, would you pay a premium for the Equinox 900 as opposed to the 700?
The answer? Customisation.
The two machines have the same target ID range but the Equinox 900 gives you more discrimination segments and more recovery speed options than the 700 and the ability to customise the settings to give you fractionally more depth.
If value for money is important to you, you cannot go wrong with the Equinox 700, but if the ability to fine tune the settings is important, the Equinox 900 is going to provide you with all the customisation options you need. But remember, you need the knowledge of the machine and metal detecting in general to make positive customisations for your detecting environment. This is where experience comes in.
I can only liken it to investing in a DSLR camera when you don't understand how, or why, you should tweak the shutter speed and aperture settings! Investing in the Equinox 900 when you don't understand the benefits changing the customisable settings will bring to your detecting experience, combined with not understanding WHEN to apply those changes, means you are never going to get the most out of the machine. Similar to upgrading your standard camera to a DSLR and then sticking to the ‘auto function’ on it! It’s going to take you a crackingly good photo (marginally better than your point and shoot camera phone shots) but educate yourself on how and when to change the settings and you're going to be capturing shots like a pro! It’s exactly the same principle when considering an upgrade from the Equinox 700 to the 900!
As for my experience of using the Equinox 900, getting the most out of this highly customisable machine isn't as simple as picking it up and turning it on…..it requires the detectorist (er, yours truly) to upskill him or herself to understand what they are doing, why and when they should be doing it to get the best out of a higher end machine.
Am I there yet?
No. I have a lot to learn!! But I am developing my technique to become a better detectorist and have slowed things down considerably… no longer striding or stomping across the acres with the mindset that the more ground I cover the higher my finds rate will be. This is possibly the best advice I have ever been given. Slow it down! I also now realise that I need to educate myself because if I stick to the one size fits all approach when it comes to my machine settings, I will be doing the Equinox 900 a disservice and not getting the best out of this powerful machine.
So, I am happy with my decision to upgrade to the Equinox 900, as it has pushed me to learn more about detecting. I’ve improved by technique and I am also now learning more about the appropriate times to adjust my recovery speed or iron bias. Getting a better machine was not necessarily the quick fix I planned for, but is an investment into my future as a detectorist. Watch this space, good times and great finds are coming!
