Updating Your Minelab Equinox 600 & 800 Metal Detectors
Published by Jenna Anderson on 07/30/20
Minelab Metal Detectors has rolled out a new software update for Equinox 600 and Equinox 800 metal detectors as of July 2020. This new update has enabled a new Single Frequency of 4 kHz. Kellyco understands this new frequency improves your ability to find silver targets deep in the ground. YouTuber Iffy Signals has provided a helpful comparison between the last update and this most recent 3.0 update. You can watch that video below.
How To Update your Equinox 600 and Equinox 800:
- Connect the Equinox to the computer via the USB port.
- Turn on the Equinox. Only one Equinox can be connected to your computer at a time during the software update.
- When the Equinox is discovered by your computer. the MUU will “talk” to your detector and determine which update your machine currently has.
- If an update is available for your Equinox metal detector, your computer will display “Update are available for your detector.”
- Click the yellow INSTALL button to begin the installation process. (If your Equinox is already up to date, your computer will display “Your detector is up to date” and prompt you to close the application.)
- During the installation process, the screen on your Equinox 600 and 800 will go blank and a greed LED light will blink rapidly at the top left of the control box.
- Installation should take one minute to complete.
- Once the software installation is complete, your Equinox will restart itself and the application will ask you to disconnect the machine’s USB cord and close the application.
- To update another Equinox metal detector, disconnect all machines, restart the application, and begin the process again.
Equinox 800
The Minelab Equinox 800 brings a new perspective to the detecting world through the implementation of what Minelab calls Multi-IQ technology. The Equinox 800 can simultaneously operate on up to five VLF and LF frequencies (5Khz, 10Khz, 15Khz, 20Khz, 40Khz), designed to enable detection of small and large targets, both ferrous and non-ferrous. Or, each individual frequency (except for 20Khz and 40Mhz) can be selected separately, allowing the Equinox to operate as a traditional single frequency VLF detector.
There are a series of factory-preset detect modes: Park, Field, Beach, and Gold. These allow you to jump to different situations with slightly varying levels of discrimination, sensitivity, recovery speed/separation, number and type of tones, and so on. Each mode has two levels, the second of which is generally more finely tuned for that environment.
The Equinox 800 was operated primarily in Field 2, however, Field 1, Beach 2, and Gold 2 were also tested. In all modes, Multi-Frequency was used in order to thoroughly vet the detector’s Multi-IQ technology in the heavily mineralized environment. The all-metal mode was utilized frequently to assess the detector’s target separation fidelity and recovery speed. Tracking ground balance was unable to be used, however, because of the highly volatile, scattered soil conditions.
- Weight: 2.96 lbs
- Frequency: Multi, 5kHz, 10kHz, 15kHz, 20kHz, 40kHz
- Waterproof: EQUINOX is Fully Submersible, Ideal for Detecting at the Beach and in Rivers, Streams and Lakes (3m / 10-feet)
- Warranty: 3-year limited (detector), 1-year (battery)
- The Equinox 800 has a noise cancelling feature that enables the machine to deconflict with interfering nearby detectors, power lines, or other forms of electromagnetic interference, and automatically select the optimal operating frequencies.
- This is in addition to the ground balance capability, which optimizes the detector based on soil conditions.
- Ground balancing the Equinox 800 can be done manually, as traditionally done with most detectors, or it can be set to automatic/tracking ground balance for more highly mineralized conditions or changing conditions.
- Field 2 seemed to provide the most consistency once the recovery speed slowed down to 5, and with constant ground balancing.
- The Equinox is also able to easily receive factory software updates by connecting the detector to a computer and following a few simple steps.
- The Equinox 800 struggled throughout the day to consistently maintain lock on targets, or in several cases even detect the target.
- The Equinox 800 can take some time to learn. It has a lot of detailed advanced and custom setting options that allow you to fine-tune the machine, such as threshold, threshold pitch, number of target tones from 2-50, tone pitch, and tone break.
- However, good results can be obtained with the Equinox straight out of the box using one of the standard factory-preset modes.
- Checks of the Field 1, Beach 2, and Gold 2 did not provide any increase in detection capability or consistency, although out of those three modes, Gold 2 did the best.
For this evaluation, the machine was operated first with the factory-installed v1.75 software, and then upgraded to the v2.1.12 update and tested again.
Minelab Equinox 600
This detector is multi-frequency, and also has a wide range of single frequencies. These frequencies have a high level of accuracy. One customer reported that he was detecting at the beach and fine-tuned his frequency settings. It beeped in the dime range, and sure enough, he found a dime. It’s good at filtering out the junk and does well in freshwater or saltwater.
- Weight: 2.96 pounds
- Frequency: 5, 10 and 15 kHz; multi
- Waterproof: Up to 10 feet
- Warranty: Three-year limited detector; one-year battery
- Lightweight
- Easy to use
- Waterproof up to 10 feet
- Does not come with wireless headphones, but you can use bluetooth
- It does not have the ability to switch to single frequency for gold modes
- It does not have a backlight
- I am a newbie to metal detecting and bought this detector. Out of the box, it was super simple to use since it has presets of beach, beach water, park and field. I have used it about seven times on the beach and have found two necklace pendants and lots of quarters and dimes. I have nothing to compare it with, but feel it is very good and solid as I rarely get alerted to junk metal and it gives you a minus number when it is garbage. The coil is large, perfect for trying to detect in large areas like a beach. I am hooked and my young adult daughter and I have had a blast. I can totally recommend the Equinox 600. - Avana
Pairing 2 Headphones to the Minelab Equinox 800 & 600
By: Dan Meyer
Every once in a while I will have someone come to me with a question that I don’t know the answer to and can’t find the answer to online.
Recently a father asked me which detector I would recommend with great performance and the ability to hook up two sets of headphones at the same time so his daughter can listen in as he detects. Having a daughter of my own, I loved the idea of a father-daughter-detecting duo but had never thought of hooking two sets of headphones to the same machine.
After doing a little research and coming up empty-handed, I started thinking and experimenting with my Equinox 800 and found a solution! The Minelab Equinox 800 comes with the Minelab WM 08 Wireless Module, designed to hook a pair of wired headphones to the module on your belt to free yourself from being wired to the detector. After connecting the WM 08 and a pair of headphones, you can then attach a set of wired headphones to the detector itself, both working at the same time! Now your child can use the wireless module with the ability to move about freely, while a parent can use the headphones attached to the machine.
A step-by-step guide to getting two pairs of headphones running on one machine:
- Turn on your Equinox.
- Connect your WM 08 module. To connect the module, first power on the module by holding the power button for 2 seconds. Then hold the pairing button on the module for 2 seconds until the light on the module starts flashing faster. Then, on the Equinox, hold down the “wireless” button on the top right of the control panel. This will pair the module to the detector.
- Attach headphones to the module, and headphones to the machine and you are good to go on both sets of headphones! With its excellent multi-frequency technology and high-quality performance, coupled with a two-headset solution, the Minelab Equinox 800 & 600 recommendation was an easy decision. I thought I’d share for anyone in the same boat, looking to hook up two sets of headphones to the same detector!
For more information, you can read this guide: How to connect two devices at the same time to the Minelab Equinox 600 & 800?