12x10 SEF

[Finderskeeper]

I've been trying to get a 12 x10 SEF coil and it has been an exercise in futility!

I'm using a modified Minelab Excalibur with straight shaft, Mel Parker / OBN remote switch and the 1600mah battery. I have used in the past the WOT coil on it but I was not happy with the waters edge performance of the WOT with stability problems. So I wanted to install the 12x10SEF coil.

Kellyco sometimes have them but are never sure when they get in. When they do, they are gone within hours.

I have tried E-bay and the factory seems to have a presence there. I tried asking them what the final cost would be and all they tell me is that Kellyco is their US distributor and that they do not make a coil for the Excalibur. I explained to them that they kind of do with their Sovereign model but they seem kind of dense to the fact that their coils are being used on the Excalibur.

So finding a 12x10 SEF is almost as tough as finding a gold ring!

Anyone have any ideas where these coils are available?

 

[E-TREC-Virginia]

Try a WTB on the Classified Forum. Someone out there would have a used one for you.

 

[xwyokid]

I lucked out. I called Kellyco a couple of weeks ago and they had, "several" in stock. Don't know about now though.

 

[Critterhunter]

Yea, they got some in a few weeks back, and it wasn't just to fill back orders because a few people told me they called and just ordered one on the spot too. Did you contact the head guy who's Email is found in the coil sticky (towards the end) under the header "How to find out if Kellyco has a coil in stock" or something like that? If anybody should know when the next shipment is coming in it'd be him.

Detech is playing catchup due to the huge popularity of their SEF coils and now it appears the Ultimate is taking off to (judging by the traffic on the net about it for various machines). Remember that they can't just crank out coils for all the machines at once. They've got to re-tool and set things up for each specific machine they are making that particular coil for, because the internals (windings, gauge, number of turns, etc) are different for every single model of detector out there.

Like he said, best to put a Want To Buy ad in the detector accessories forum here on Findmall, because that's how I got my 15x12, 12x10, S-5, and even my GT and Digisearch meter. I got good deals on all of them by the way. I think when you place a want to buy add you tend to get a response from somebody who wasn't really pressed to sell the item because of needing the cash to buy something else, so they tend (maybe) to be a little less concerned about getting every last penny out of it.

Also, there are other sources on flea-bay that I've seen selling them new over seas I think. There's also a UK version of Kellyco. They are called a different name but I think they might be the same company? Google "Sovereign, 12x10, UK" and see what you come up with.

 

[mazarelo]

I ordered one this morning from Kellyco. They had a couple in stock.
For what it's worth, was told it looks like it's being discontinued.

 

[Critterhunter]

The "looks like it's being discontinued" thing has been an off and on rumor for months, but was only spawned by the shortage of coils as Detech tries to catch up. I wouldn't put much stock in that unless you heard it from higher up. Kellyco had even took the Sovereign version of the 12x10 down several months back on their site, and we were told by a higher up that that was just so they wouldn't get so back ordered on them until they got more in stock, which they just did get more a few weeks back. If they've already sold out of the Sovereign 12x10s in just a few weeks again then I doubt they'd want to stop making such a good seller. The Sovereign version of the 12x10 is also big over in the UK, so it's not like it's just selling here. If anything, perhaps Kellyco might stop carrying the Sovereign version down the road, but I doubt that would mean that Detech is going to stop making it. Detech makes that coil for a bunch of different machines, and many of them are not nearly as popular as the Excal/Sov.

 

[Critterhunter]

Also, even a while back when the Sovereign version was listed on their site, for a while it was hidden and hard to find unless you looked in the right place. Some believed they didn't carry it anymore just for that reason, but if you talked to the right person they knew they had it.

 

[Wayfarer]

I just called Kellyco to order the 12x10" SEF, and they confirmed that the coil has been discontinued for the Sovereign. Aundrea said that they just sold out of the last few that they had over the last 2 weeks and now that's it. The coil has been permanently discontinued. So I guess the 13" Ultimate is in my near future.

 

[deepdiger60]

A few of the oversea,s places say the same thing either out of stock or no longer for sale , personally i would go for the SunRay S-12 which i use great coil on beaches water and land . Jim

 

[Critterhunter]

Wow, I wonder if Detech is still making the Sovereign version or if that's it for it. I also wonder if they are stopping it for other machines, because they make it for several other machines that are less popular than the share numbers of Sovereigns or Excaliburs out there. Both machines have been made for years so there has got to be a heck of a lot of potential customers out there.

I'll see if I can dig up any info about if Detech stopped making the Sovereign version and if they also stopped it for any other machines. Maybe they Ultimate is cheaper for them to make so they are phasing out the 12x10 for some if not all machines perhaps?

I'm just glad that I've got one myself. If it turns out Detech no longer makes it then you're only hope is to watch for a used one to come up for sale here or there or to post a Want To Buy ad. I'm really shocked by this because the coil is very popular among BBS users, and not just in the US either. It's big in the UK for the BBS machines too.

If anything, just glad Detech is making the Ultimate now. Thus far it appears to be a great coil and maybe as deep if not deeper (still testing) that the 12x10.

For water hunting anyway I'd probably opt for the S-12 due to less drag being a round coil. Even if I owned an Ultimate I don't know if I'd trust using it in the water since it's not rated as water proof. Even with the nut/sealer precautions one breach in that coil casing and it might be lights out for that coil. Some Excal guys seem to be fine using it in the water though.

I suspect maybe Detech has got so many coils they are making now for so many machines that perhaps they are trying to streamline their operations a bit. Phasing out the 12x10 for some (if not perhaps) all machines and replacing it with the Ultimate for all of them?

Well, if Detech has stopped making the 12x10 for the Sovereign/Excal, looks like those of us lucky enough to have one have a true secret weapon in terms of depth/separation. I can say this coil has my GT going as deep if not deeper and unmasking coins masked badly in iron and other trash just as good as my friend's flagship silver killer when we compare signals. Every single time the response is the same for both. No difference.

You might even see these coils do what the Digisearch meter did when they stopped selling that and start selling for more than they were new. It's that good of a coil. Depth, stability, and separation is outstanding on this coil. Best coil I've owned thus far for any machine. I just hope the Ultimate turns out to be just as good so people have that option if they can't find a 12x10 used. It brings the Sovereign into the 21st century.

 

[xwyokid]

Glad I got mine ! Haven't really got to use it much because other things have happened . However, in my test garden I had for my X-70 the 12x10 is king. I initially buried some coins about 5 years ago at 7". The X-70 was still picking up the 25cent piece. It could no longer pickup the penny. Swept the 12x10 over the spots and it was if the coins were on the surface!! There is no hype on this coil. It's the real Mccoy.

 

[Finderskeeper]

I contacted Detech which is selling on E-bay.

I was going round and round about how the Sovereign 12 x10 was being used on the Excalibur. He kept saying that they don't make a coil for the Excalibur and I kept telling him that people with Excaliburs splice their coils into them.

I finally told him I wanted the Sovereign 12 x 10 and here is what he said.....

Well! Will sell 12 * 10 SEF Minelab Sovereig!
There will be no additional payment. Just buy this item!
Http :/ / www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221095766424?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
Sincerely Svetoslav!

- slavitoooosvetoslav

So they still make them and are still available. But, for how long is the question!

 

[Critterhunter]

Wayfarer, I know you are knew to the GT and might be a bit bummed about the potential of the 12x10 perhaps no longer being made new, but for you and those others who are considering buying a Sovereign or just did...Don't let that bother you too much if you can't find a used 12x10 and if Detech no longer perhaps makes it so there's no hope of buying a new one. Reason being that the stock 10" Tornado is the best stock coil I've used on any machine, concentric or DD, for any machine I've ever owned over the years. It's a fine coil, very stable, goes very deep, and separates really well. Much better than the 10" coils I had on my Explorers, so if you read how many FBS guys don't feel the stock 10" coils on the FBS machines are all that great, don't think that's also talking about the 10" Tornado on the Sovereign. It's NOT the same coil. Completely different beast all together IMO.

It's only that I feel the 12x10 raises the bar a bit more in terms of stability, allowing higher sensitivity settings, separation, and depth...But that does NOT mean the 10" Tornado isn't one awesome coil and as said the best stock coil, concentric or DD, that I've used on any machine over the years. The Tornado made it's first appearance on the Elite. The prior Sovereigns had the old BBS 10" coil which was very heavy and many say not nearly as good. Same deal with the BBS version of the 8" coil versus the newer Tornado version of that in many's opinion that I've read. In fact, many Sovereign guys opt for the 8" Tornado over the 10" for their soil/style of hunting, and that little coil will get some pretty outstanding depth. I've read of coins around a foot deep with it. Those coils are actually 7 & 1/4" in actual size, so not only is that draw dropping in terms of the depth they get, but many love them for their ability to really sniper coins out of heavy trash or iron.

As he said there's also the S-12, which is either a 12.5 or 12.25" coil, and also there's the Ultimate, the 12", 14" and 16" Excelerators, and of course the 14.25" WOT. The Excelerators (the newer versions) are said to be decent in what few posts I've read on them. I did see one guy compare the 12" Excelerator to the S-12 and it compared well in field use he said from memory. Then there's the 15x12 SEF. Might have been discontinued with the 12x10 (if the 12x10 was discontinued?) but it might be easier to find used. It didn't go as deep as the stock 10" coil in my mineralized soil but it did in my mineralized beaches, and some say on land it is deeper on coin/ring sized targets *in their soil*.

I'm going to do some digging and see if the 12x10 was canned by Detech, and if it was is it just the Sovereign version or did they can some if not all for other machines too? Maybe the SEFs are a hard coil to build/more expensive than the Ultimate and they are trying to streamline production of it instead for the many machines they make coils for?

Then again, if Detech is canning the 12x10 maybe it's just temporarily so they can concentrate on building the Ultimate and catch up on orders? While the Ultimate is fresh and new and hot maybe they won't to crank as many of those out for a year as they can to get their vendors off their back about waiting on back orders? Then maybe in a year when the Ultimate orders slow down and are caught up they'll re-tool and start cranking out 12x10s again? Just a theory...

 

[Critterhunter]

Did some searching and can't find any info of the 12x10 being discontinued, or the Sovereign version being killed either. Ran across one used on fleabay in the UK but didn't search further on there to see if other new ones are being sold that way. I really hope this coil is still being made, and that it's still being made for the Sovereign too. Like I said, maybe they are just tooling down on the SEFs for a while while they catch up on the Ultimate orders. Perhaps they got sick of always playing catch up and want to crank out a billion Ultimates for various machines for a long while to flood the demand for that, and then down the road they'll be back at the SEFs again making them in mass for another long run?

Or, might even be they've got some other new coils coming down the pipeline and want to clear the air first. Now wouldn't that be cool...Something BETTER than the SEFs...Like an SEF II version? One could dream, but I honestly don't know how they'll improve on the current ones if they do. Also hoping this Ultimate pans out to be as good in my tests. If I find the Ultimate isn't as deep and/or doesn't separate as well, then I'll compare the Ultimate in some tests to the 10" Tornado so you guys can see if it's a viable option over the stock coil at least. Right now I suspect it might keep up with the 12x10 in depth, but in terms of separation I'll be shocked if it's as good. Better than a round DD coil of it's size in separation? Probably, as I've already read some FBS guys say that, but better separation wise than a 12x10? That I'll have to prove to myself in these tests one way or another.

 

[Critterhunter]

Saw a blurb in an FBS forum that they too can't seem to be able to get the 12x10, and one guy said he's getting the Ultimate instead because Kellyco has that in stock. Wondering two things- Is it the SEF coils are being phased out because the market is so saturated now, and Detech's game plan is to now work on selling the Ultimate and other various coils they make, or perhaps they are going to say run the Ultimate for a year to meet demand and then go back to another run for a while of the SEFs when demand spikes again from more people wanting one? I'm hoping that's the reason. Other possibility is they are just on back order again as Detech is running some Ultimates off before churning out another batch of SEFs in a while here. Don't know what's up.

Maybe they are going to replace the SEFs with some new coil design, like maybe a "Pro" version of it with some design enhancements to push it's performance further. I wouldn't doubt something like that could be a possibility, because that company seems to be churning out some varied and great coil designs for various machines, and not just the SEF coils.

Might even just be they are on back order again and communications got criss crossed as to them meaning they would be running off a bunch of Ultimates to meet demand before making more SEFs, because I've seen some communications on the net people have had with them and there seems to be a huge language barrier as to what they are trying to say to people in the past.

Somebody contacted me in a Email and said they know a higher up somewhere who should know what is going on, so when I hear anything I'll let you guys know. I just hope the SEF isn't gone for good and it's only a production thing with priorities on the Ultimate right now, or perhaps as said they are coming out with a new line of coils better than the SEFs. Those guys seem to be fantastic coil makers with really inovative designs, so I wouldn't put anything past them.