WHY has this Equinox CF shaft also got a second handle ?

[Bors]

Now ! I may well be missing the point entirely here ,but why does this "after market" Carbon fibre shaft have this second handle alongside the stock handle. We only use one hand at a time to swing it !!
I am aware the intention is to fit a Dogleg shaft , but if the Stock handle is kept on the new Dogleg Carbon fibre shaft ,doesn`t that seem a bit odd and pointless ? And for the very little benefit if any of fitting a dog leg shaft , I just cannot see the point of having it on there ? It just makes it look ODD and weird . Even attaching the Bottom stem and the handle & control box to the top new CF shaft will not bring any real benefit of using it dog legged , it`ll just end up with a double dog leg .
Originally , the who Idea of replacing any metal shaft on a detector with a CF shaft is to lose weight , but surely this is not going to happen here ,if anything it looks like your adding weight with all the bends and extra CF piled on it.
Sorry, but unless as I said I`m totally ignorant of the true intention and I am missing some vital point of it all , this surely is a pointless overkill of a Pimp your detector ? I`ve studied it and studied it but I`m still failing to see the benefit of fitting it that's worth the added cost on this particular example of a Carbon fibre shaft style..

[Jamesey1981]

In use you stick the stem in the dog leg part, it only goes into the bottom part to collapse it down.

Then you have an S Shaft, which I personally much prefer to the straight shaft that the nox comes with, I'm going to be getting one of these fairly soon as with the straight shaft the coil is too close to my feet which are full of metal, and I also prefer the balance of an s shaft.

You don't have two handles, just a bend in the stem, and the lower part is just to let you nest it all for transport, you can't ditch the normal handle as that's where the battery is.

For me, that set up is a massive improvement and I couldn't care less if it looks weird (I agree that it does.)

[Bors]

Hmmmmm, seems a lot of messing about taking it off and then sticking the Control box handle back somewhere else. Not sure I could be bothered doin all that malarkey . Funnily enough I prefer the Straight shaft to the Dog leg style. For years we complained & complained to detector manufacturers about every detector made ,came with the "same old " dog leg style shaft.
Now the " in thing , is the straight shaft " Folks are deciding they want the O`l Dog leg style back again " Funny Old world init ?
PS you mentioned the Coil with the straight shaft is too near your feet.
Actually THAT is the best position to detect in, rather that the coil being further away from your feet. It puts you out of balance (although you may not think it does ) if your Coils further out , causes you to stoop your back on the further reach..
According to the "books" The Ideal detecting position is the Coil as near to your feet when swinging , rather than you being further at a stretch when swinging. That`s the long term best detecting position to detect in anyway.( I didn`t write the book by the way )
But, people can detect how they like and it doesn`t really matter as long as your happy the way you do things.

[Jamesey1981]

Yep, taking it out and putting it back in again will be annoying, but then the designer had to work around Minelab's daft design decisions, minelab have always been great with the electronics but their ergonomics are pants, the original explorer is a prime example with all the weight off balance, the wobbly lower and the centre joint that works loose as you use it.

Just a shame so many other manufacturers have decided to copy this particular daft design as it means they'll never get rid of it.

Some people like it though, so the same people that make that shaft also make straight shafts for the vanquish, I don't like it, some people do, I don't have a problem with aftermarket suppliers providing options.

I can't have the coil close to my feet as they are full of metal that the detector picks up, I did say that.

[Easylife]

Perhaps it is hoped to provide better balance? Being carbon fibre it may be assumed to save weight but it actually adds some! It weighs 500g, 200g more than the straight carbon fibre version. So this S-stem will add 80g more weight than the standard stem whereas the straight version saves 120g. Just handy info to know before committing.

[Easylife]

I can't have the coil close to my feet as they are full of metal that the detector picks up.

Maybe just extending the straight shaft and using a bungee could be a solution?

[Jamesey1981]

Maybe just extending the straight shaft and using a bungee could be a solution?

I have extended it, but the bungee doesn't help, I use one on the explorer. It's not the end of the world and I work around it, but that stem would solve the problem for me, I don't like straight stems anyway, I just think that it's needlessly awkward having the control box out on a stalk, but doing that has enabled minelab to just stick an 18650 battery in and save a few quid, which consequently makes the nox a bit cheaper.

[Bors]

Well Ian . Theory is,your "Still" causing the back to bow more even doing that. Don`t know if you`ve ever noticed but take a look at detectorists if there`s any around you at any time and watch the way they detect. The majority I`d bet ,Stoop forward shoulders hunched looking down. Often because they have their Coil too far away from their feet hence having to detect on the stretch..
The text book "technical" approach was the detectorist is "supposed " to walk straight as possible with head slightly bent enough to see where your going and Coil swinging in-front of the feet as near to you as possible with the bottom shaft not extended out more than is needed to be other than just a few inches from your feet as you detect . That is the " Text book " walking and swinging method ( I didn`t write the book by the way ) So don`t think I`m preaching how you should detect
Its just that its supposed to be the most comfortable way to detect to save fatigue & back ache over long periods of detecting.But most people just do their own thing and end up with an aching bad back after swinging for a couple of hours or more. Mostly because of bad detecting posture , but Hey ho, we all do what we want to do anyway but hey , don`t go thinking I`m telling anyone how to detect ,as I wouldn`t dream of telling anyone else "what to do", I`m just saying what the detecting mags/Books tell you upon first starting off detecting .

[Jamesey1981]

Well Ian . Theory is,your "Still" causing the back to bow more even doing that. Don`t know if you`ve ever noticed but take a look at detectorists if there`s any around you at any time and watch the way they detect. The majority I`d bet ,Stoop forward shoulders hunched looking down. Often because they have their Coil too far away from their feet hence having to detect on the stretch..
The text book "technical" approach was the detectorist is "supposed " to walk straight as possible with head slightly bent enough to see where your going and Coil swinging in-front of the feet as near to you as possible with the bottom shaft not extended out more than is needed to be other than just a few inches from your feet as you detect . That is the " Text book " walking and swinging method ( I didn`t write the book by the way ) So don`t think I`m preaching how you should detect
Its just that its supposed to be the most comfortable way to detect to save fatigue & back ache over long periods of detecting.But most people just do their own thing and end up with an aching bad back after swinging for a couple of hours or more. Mostly because of bad detecting posture , but Hey ho, we all do what we want to do anyway but don`t go thinking I`m telling anyone how to detect as I`m not, I`m just saying what the detecting mags/Books tell you upon first starting off detecting ..

MY FEET ARE FULL OF METAL, MY DETECTOR DETECTS METAL, THE COIL CANNOT BE CLOSE TO MY FEET.

How many more times do you want me to explain that before it sinks in? I literally use my feet to test my pinpointer is working properly.

[Bors]

I know I know don`t lose ya cool. , I`m not saying you shouldn`t do what you do,. I`m just quoting from the "Books " If you read my posts you`l see I`m trying to get that point across. We all do what WE WANT no one can tell us what or how we should do this or that, Its just like any other hobby there`s always a instructional Bible to read on how the preferred way should go, but we all find our own methods don`t we ?

[Jamesey1981]

I know I know don`t lose ya cool. , I`m not saying you shouldn`t do what you do,. I`m just quoting from the "Books " If you read my posts you`l see I`m trying to get that point across. We all do what WE WANT no one can tell us what or how we should do this or that, Its just like any other hobby there`s always a instructional Bible to read on how the preferred way should go, but we all find our own methods don`t we ?

I don't have a choice about doing what I do so your point is completely irrelevant, the books don't account for metal plates and a load of screws in each foot.

What you're doing is equivalent to telling someone deaf that they would enjoy a TV programme more if they turned the subtitles off and just listened to it because that's the best way to enjoy it. That may well be so, but it's not a choice that is open to them.

[Blackadder43]

Hopefully that stem will help make detecting a bit easier for you Jamesey when you get one, not sure of the cost of those, but if it helps solve a unique issue then alls good in the world

What it looks like is irrelevant really as most of the time we are alone in a field with only nature for company, and she rarely laughs at us, unless we walk straight past the gold coins she is looking after in the fields

I must have looked a right numpty with my first machine that had the shepards crook type handle...cant remember the model now, but it was a cscope

[Jamesey1981]

I had one of those CScopes, definitely felt it in your arm and wrist after a day swinging it, glad no one makes them like that anymore!

[Easylife]

Well Ian. Theory is, your "Still" causing the back to bow more even doing that........................................

Yes, I completely agree Pete but I just thought that it may work for Jamesey's particular situation, though it is not for me.

[DaveP]

my feet which are full of metal,

You could always notch out your feet

I used to run a T2 which is similar in design (S shape and control/handle position) to your new shaft but I can't recall the T2 coil being that much further from my feet. But it did have the best arm-cup design and function.