What Does F2 Really Do For The Minelab Equinox?

Did you even know you had this extra setting to mess with inside the Minelab Equinox? What does F2 really do is what we are going to try and answer in this video. I'll show you how to get into this setting and we'll do some tests to see if we can make a bottle cap disappear. I'll leave you with my thoughts and how I'm probably going to use it in the future.
Join me on Patreon where I can help you with your machine. You will have direct access to me over there and I would love to help you in any way I can. / mentalmetaldetecting
Check out Fort Bedford Metal Detectors. If you are looking to purchase this machine or any other machine or piece of gear, please consider giving them your business. Let Keith know you saw this on the Mental Metal Channel. www.fortbedfordmetaldetectors... or give them a call at 1-814-215-1732.
Check out my Equinox Micro Session Videos:
Equinox Extra Search Profile: • Have You Ever Used Thi...
Equinox Pin-Pointing Troubles? Try This!: • Having Trouble Pinpoin...
Equinox Iron Bias Explained: • Minelab Equinox: Iron ...
Equinox Fresh Water Settings: • Minelab Equinox Fresh ...
Equinox 600 and 800 Sensitivity Secrets: • Minelab Equinox 600 an...
Equinox Recovery Speed Explained: • Minelab Equinox Recove...
Should You Ground Balance The Equinox? • Should You Ground Bala...
I've done a bunch of reviews on other detectors including the Equinox over on www.mentalmetaldetecting.com/mentalmetaldetecting.com/category/metal-detector-reviews/
Be sure to check out my Amazon Store for some unique items that you might not have thought about such as: sand scoops, shovels, trowels, solar powered chargers, coin tumblers, magnifiers, digging bags and more: www.amazon.com/shop/mentalmetal
We are now experimenting with high powered magnets on this channel. To many of you this is also referred to as "Magnet Fishing". We've teamed up with Muscular Magnetics and for a limited time you can get 12% off their products by visiting www.muscularmagnetics.com use code: MM314 at checkout.
Please don't forget to Like, Share, my videos and *PLEASE* Subscribe to this channel!
For Correspondence send mail to:
The Mental Metal Channel
PO Box 19
New Windsor, MD 21776
Thank You!
The Mental Metal Channel
Mental Metal Detecting is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Mental Metal Detecting also participates in affiliate programs with Bluehost, ShareASale, and other sites. Mental Metal Detecting is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies.

[@briank.1848]

F1 and F2 operate independently from each other. F2 will only function at your setting you put it on when you stay in F2 for the bottle caps. A high F2 setting may also “knock out” certain gold rings. I enjoy watching your videos and can’t wait to see your next one. Have a Merry Christmas 🎁

[@dennisfelts1167]

Absolutely correct. Put f2 on 7 then go back to your fe on zero and you will see f2 isn't affecting anything.

[@MrDoccus]

Correct…..as I read it. Independent…and exclusive. You can run FE or F2….not both.

[@MentalMetal]

Yep I think I figured that out too based what I learned from messing around with it so thanks for pointing it out.

[@briank.1848]

@@MentalMetal My pleasure! Keith asked me last week if I was subscribed to your channel….Yep absolutely!!! And it’s also a perk when Rocky makes a show 😃 very cool dog !!!!

[@stu3775]

dig everything?

[@surfsidedan6112]

If you are running in F2 program I believe that knocks out the FE program and the same if you are running in the FE program you knock out the F2 program. That's how I read it.

[@MentalMetal]

Yes you are correct.

[@LongIslandsHardcoreDetectorist]

Loving your channel bro 👍🏼 appreciate these helpful videos. Enjoy your holiday and stay safe out there

[@MentalMetal]

Thanks my friend same to you and your family. I hope you have a Merry Christmas.

[@troysvisualarts]

Excellent video, I will definitely be tweaking my Equinox 800 I recently bought to knock out those bloody beer caps! Down in Australia they are literally everywhere in parks and reserves!!! For 3.5 years I was using a Nokta Makro Simplex and it was an absoloute dog of a detector when it comes to beer caps especially rusty caps and also rusty iron in general, they ring up like big silver coins in the ground!!! I've dug them by the thousands with that damn detector over 3.5 year period and it has killed my enthusiasm for metal detecting parks/reserves!!! With my Equinox 800 so far I've not dug a single beer cap yet and when I use your F2 settings it will keep it that way!

[@MentalMetal]

Glad you haven't given up. Good luck out there my friend.

[@Thetruthprevails1]

By 10 mins in i'm shouting at the screen. FE and F2 don't run together. Try this put FE at 4 and F2 at 7 ( make sure it's in F2 ) Then it should cancel the bottle cap , ie. It doesn't matter what FE is set at as long as you are in F2 when you're detecting. Hope i explained that ok. Ps great channel and i really enjoy your videos. 👍

[@MentalMetal]

Thanks I appreciate that.

[@jabeachdates853]

Great Video. I will try it this summer at the beach. Thanks!

[@MentalMetal]

Awesome thanks!

[@WiscoDetect]

Very informative video, thank you for sharing.

[@MentalMetal]

My pleasure!

[@TeamLynchBMD]

Great video, it would be nice if Minelab would put out videos like this addressing our inquiries. Nice video

[@MentalMetal]

Thanks glad you enjoy them.

[@DetectDigSmile]

Good video I am still trying to find a good setting with FE0 and FE2 around an old site.😀

[@jimbutcher785]

I’ve been struggling to work the FE out as the higher I went the ids were jumping all over the place. FE at 0 and the machine runs stable. Brilliant video. Thanks 🙌

[@MentalMetal]

You got this!

[@brettellis1837]

Vdi jump because there shallow as for bottle cap ya have notch.???????.

[@brettellis1837]

Machine is still out smarted by a one of a kind ie jack Daniel bottle cap even I.n notch so notch is 21 22 23 in all others out this is for Aussie 1 and 2 dollar coins any other bottle cap never hear it.

[@jamesbonss]

Excellent video,a lot of the people using the NOX don’t know how F1 and F2 work,last software update for Nox is the F2👌🏻👌🏻

[@MentalMetal]

Yes, exactly

[@GarysMetalDetecting]

Great information here.

[@MentalMetal]

Thanks for watching!

[@mjlangsy]

F2 works with all metal mode being on , f2 is made to make iron grunts more pronounced at the lower numbers ,or it hears the iron more than the good signal but it will not knock out the iron sound all together ,it’s not made to do that , on the higher numbers of iron bias you will hear less iron more good signal or metal of the target , but the all metal mode must be on .

[@MentalMetal]

Good points thank you! I will give that a try.

[@stu3775]

you should make detector videos

[@theyarddogs4100]

But Scott bottle caps are so much fun to dig lol. Great video buddy. Carl

[@MentalMetal]

They really don't bother me that much but on the beach if there were loads of them I see why this would be something I would do. I haven't messed too much with F2 simply because I really didn't need to but now I know how and when to use it. Thanks again Carl!

[@harley092355]

I’m more confused than I was now-LOL. GRRRRRRRRR

[@justinberry3991]

Which ever setting you close out on either FE or F2 will be the one you use. That's the impression I got and go with.

[@somebeachdetecting]

Interesting info.. Im need to try that on the beach.... But I would like to try some silver and a few different karat's of gold in the mix to see what changes. Cool video... thanks ☠️👍

[@MentalMetal]

Thank you! Good luck

[@harley092355]

You need to do a follow up posting of the original posting.

[@dadams1437]

Bottle Cap rejection needs to be programmatically addressed like on the D2. Beavertails too while we're at it.

[@MentalMetal]

Agree with you there! LOL

[@TommyBoy3D]

SUBBED! found this on a quick break. I'll be back to watch it all. THX

[@MentalMetal]

Thank you and welcome!

[@jerrydineen2827]

Scott I haven't messed with the F2 very much either, but I enjoyed your video. MInelab is going to have to come up with another update if the Legend is what they say it is and the new Deus II is already outperforming the 800 in some test! "according to some heads up test I've seen"!! Merry Christmas !!!

[@MentalMetal]

I'll be getting the Deus 2, I'm not too interested in the Legend just yet but would like to try one out. Maybe Fort Bedford will loan me one. Thanks Jerry! I should have the Deus 2 in couple of weeks.

[@jerrydineen2827]

@@MentalMetal good, I'm glad you're getting one. That will be an honest review

[@somebeachdetecting]

I think those tests got a lot to do with the users too..... I'll keep my equinox 😆😂😆

[@antruok4950]

The Deus 11 is marketed against the CTX3030

[@pastuh]

Equinox should increase scale to 100 scale.. And magic should appear for sure

[@jamesgordon4433]

Thank you. You have a nice dog😊

[@MentalMetal]

Thank you! 😊

[@jasonpalmer3607]

Great information! Tell Keith I said Hi.

[@MentalMetal]

Thanks I will!

[@dannylee9138]

I have tried to get rid of them but I ran a test on several caps and pull tabs and made notes on the numbers

[@MentalMetal]

Danny you won't get rid of them all together you are basically trying to use enough of the F2 just create a distortion so its sounds different and hopefully keep you from digging it.

[@SPOOKYJJJ]

I feel this setting will knock out the gold and I feel its a risky move. Beaver tails and bottle caps are unfortunately in gold ring territory any yeah it stink's but you gotta dig em. I'd like to see gold ring that hits a vdi of 15 16 on your setting and see the result. Thoughts?

[@meinereiner8137]

Exactly, Im searching in Germany and i have found in 2020 a old German goldcoin from 1876 10 Mark. The size is about 2 centimetres and the Wight ist 3,8 gramm The vdi is exactly 15. I think the little old us gold coins came in the same range. But I don't know it

[@MentalMetal]

You guys have a point and I agree 100% but I'm willing to pass it up where I am because the chances of finding gold on my permissions is slim to none which explains why I never took into account the gold loss you could have so I agree. Thanks for pointing it out.

[@adam69ify]

I have a question ...F2 is available only with 3.0 update??

[@MentalMetal]

The F2 option was added in update 2.0

[@Jedidiahcarroll]

Where did you get the minelab neck gator?

[@MentalMetal]

They gave them away at a Digging in Virginia event last year.

[@Jedidiahcarroll]

@@MentalMetal pretty sweet gator. Enjoy your channel. Loving the 10x5 as well.

[@buddywilliamson3098]

Beaching hunting slot different. Especially the Beaches like Myrtle beach where the bottle caps are very very corroded so bad the core is only left. Which will make them sound like gold diamond rings (5-11 on ID ). Unfortunately the only thing to do is dig everything when beach hunting. I have dug up deep gold rings that would bounce all over the place like from 11-17 on the ID. There are only a few machines I would trust on a heavy bottle cap beach and that's the Minelab Sovereigns and a Minelab Explorer 2. The Deus 2 looks promising but definitely would dig everything for a few months before skipping targets that sound like CRAP. Salt water is like acid to melt and over time the melt will chance shapes so will the ID numbers.

[@MentalMetal]

Thats what I do most of the time as well dig everything. I think the Deus II will be interesting competition for the Nox but I'm waiting for some unbiased reviews to come out. I hope its the real deal. The Deus is a great and under rated machine. I own one but was more impressed with the coin detection on the Nox. Thanks Buddy.

[@largesmallgarden7648]

At least we found out that Fe & f2 run independently of each other. 👍

[@MentalMetal]

True.

[@gasmandl]

Those settings will get rid of bottle caps, but what else will they discriminate out? My machine reads rusty nails like quarters. That drives me up the wall.

[@MentalMetal]

For F2 its bottlecaps, FE is where you can bump up the numbers to around 4 and that will knock some of them down.

[@gasmandl]

@@MentalMetal I played around with these settings today and came up with that same conclusion. I dug up a rusty bolt( thinking that it might be something good) and put it back in the hole and played with f2 and FE. Your channel has helped quite a bit. A while back, you did a video on settings from Andy Sabisch’s book on finding coins that I cleaned house with. Keep up the good work

[@treasuresurfer720]

Thank you for the video. I wish you would have had a gold ring on the board to see if the F2 would have eliminated that as well.

[@MentalMetal]

Yep me too but thanks for watching anyway.

[@scottp4193]

I don’t know if anyone mentioned it yet but you can’t have any thing notched out for F2 to work

[@MentalMetal]

Nope no one mentioned that I'll have try that again. Thanks for the tip!

[@neilsbluesky8027]

It makes no sense to discriminate things out. The ears are all we need. We learn to recognise signals. We do not have to dig them. Crazy to even have these settings 😭😭😭. Probably just a marketing feature…

[@MentalMetal]

True, don't use it if you don't need to.

[@_Tarihe_Yolculuk_]

I'm using the same device, they can't compete with this device for the next ten years

[@MentalMetal]

Its a great machine but I think the Deus II will give the Equinox a run even though it is priced higher.

[@_Tarihe_Yolculuk_]

@@MentalMetal i think 800 is better and 1000 coming soon

[@luvbgrass]

Isn't FE and F2 both iron bias settings that work independently. I am thinking they are, maybe I'm wrong. If so when you switch from F2 with a higher setting, back to FE with a low setting, wouldn't that explain why the bottle cap is back. It's in a different iron bias mode. Maybe I'm wet behind the ears, lol.

[@MentalMetal]

They do work independently over the other.

[@jaystrongbow9435]

My understanding that FE is the default and if you want to use F2, leave FE off. I don't know anything about beach or park hunting as I live in rural Colonial New England and made my bones pulling colonial coins and relics from iron nails. FE + F2 got to be at zero to work where I live. Do a test with iron nails a couple inches from a trime or half Reale. You don't stand a chance running iron bias on these tough coins if colonial iron is close to them. I run all metal, so it makes hunting iron a lot easier, but that won't help on bottle caps. I think it's easier hunting a 250-year-old homesite than modern park man !!!

[@MentalMetal]

Yeah I agree w/you after running some of those tests. Its pretty obvious really. Use one or the other and I also agree hunting an old homesite is my choice over a park too.

[@jaystrongbow9435]

@@MentalMetal Right on, I think parks and beaches would be frustrating to hunt. Trash that sounds good! All I have to worry about is hoping to have enough of room between square nails I can get a tone. Coppers are usually loud regardless, but little silvers are easily masked. Merry Christmas buddy !!!!!

[@DugMoneyDetecting]

Hey guys, need some advice. Just got the Nox 600 and I hunt mostly cellar holes and ghost towns in western PA. I was going to try Field 1, recovery speed at 2, Iron Bias at 0, and Fe2 at 0. If I run all metal mode, would you keep those settings the same? Sensitivity would be at 20 to 22. Let me know how you guys set it up, I’m just trying to get a base line for when I head out. I’ve been using the Etrac for 8 years. Thanks

[@impact9801]

you should be in all metal mode to really show the difference. also what everyone else said. f2 and fe are separate modes

[@MentalMetal]

Thanks thats good to know, I never really messed with it or needed to. Appreciate the tip.

[@judycowling7069]

How could you punish that gorgeous face 😂

[@tajsalmeriitaliano265]

You can not use them at the same time

[@MentalMetal]

Correct you have to use or the other.

[@Mr16829]

FE OR F2 YOU CANT USE BOTH AT THE SAME TIME.

[@MentalMetal]

Yep I'm tracking, that became pretty clear when I did my tests and you guys confirmed it for me. Thank you!

[@coreylamiri3313]

Bought it twice..sold it only twice ! Only gold modes are good...poor balance

[@MentalMetal]

Thanks for sharing

[@halfbaked870]

poor detecting. Great machine

[@oldArmyVet]

😆 I bought it twice also but I wish I never would have sold it the first time. I've tried them all, for me it's the best out there.

[@tomaszk1548]

Fe 2 work better on all metal settings

[@MentalMetal]

Thanks someone else said the same thing. I'll have to give it a try. Thanks again!