bbs1000 vs coinsearch 8"

[z8chase]

whats everybodys input on this?.....which coil goes deeper....and which is the better all around coil....not counting the water proof issue.
i want to use the one thats most dependable with the most depth...i know the bbs is heavier

 

[Critterhunter]

If you mean the old heaver BBS1000 coil, and not the newer lighter 10" Tornado, then I bet most will say 8" Coinsearch is deeper, more stable, and separates better. I have heard from some that the old heavy 8" BBS 800 coil was better/deeper than the 1000 BBS coil. Stability too. The 8 and 10" Tornados came out with the advent of the Elite and continued onto the GT. Lighter, more stable, deeper, or at least more stable/deeper in respects to the 10" Tornado over it's old 10" BBS coil version, where as at least some say the old BBS 8" is as good as the newer 8" Tornado, just not as light. I have heard others say though the newer Tornado eight inch is deeper/more stable/more sensitive to smaller stuff than the prior heavier BBS version.

In the Sovereign coils, there is an old IC in the pre-amp and a slightly different circuit layout than later coils, which use a newer IC and a bit different pre-amp layout. I would suspect this means lower noise to gain ratios just due to IC chips always improving in those respects. One of the biggest and more unique potentials of the Sovereign/Excalibur, is a pre-amp to boost the RX signal somewhat right at the coil to avoid noise and also signal degradation as it travels up the coil cable. Very weak signals, EMI, signal loss traveling up the cable...All these things can cost depth or target quality. Minelab's own site states this. After the received signal enters the box, further gain is done via your sensitivity control.

Many love that 8" solid Coinsearch coil that came on the original Sovereign. They are not filled with epoxy though to save weight so not rated as waterproof. Some use them in water by sealing under the coil nut, but one pin hole breach in that coil in the water and it's game over. I suspect it will also try to float some not being filled with epoxy, as I think I've read in the past.

I don't know that coil's physical dimensions *inside* the coil, but the 8" Tornado is 7.25" in actual outer dimensions, which I hear makes it deadly in trash, being able to snipe out coins in trash or heavy iron that true 8 or 9" coils can't, and yet will punch very deep like a bigger coil. Best of both worlds.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Terry,I have used both the BBS1000 coil and the 8 inch Coinsearch.This BBS coil makes noise and requires a lower sensitivity setting to make more quite or stable.When I used this coil it could get decent depth with a slower sweep speed. A lot of these old BBS coils had cord rot more of a cosmetic problem than function.Between the Coinsearch and BBS1000,no contest,the Coinsearch is lighter,more stable,and in the field deeper.Good Luck HH Ron

 

[Neil]

BBS 1000 is the deeper of the two coils. Its comparable in depth to the 10" Tornado but a much heavier feel to it because of its combination of weight and poor balance. The 8" coinsearch has a much lighter feel. Both are gonna seperate targets about the same.

 

[Rick(ND)]

For me and my hunting the 8 inch coinsearch is the deepest and easier to use for a beginner learning the Sovereign. This 8 inch coinsearch coil has got me some of my deepest finds in the parks I hunt. When I got my XS2 it came with the 10 inch BBS coil and was hunting with the guy that bought my XS with the 8 inch coinsearch coil and he was picking up more coins than I was, so I ask him to let me hear his next signal he felt was a coin. He said he got one and for me to check out, so I did and told him it was good, but weak and hard to hear while he said he got a very good signal on it, so now I wondered if it was the detector or the coil, so we swapped coils and now I got a great signal using his 8 inch coinsearch and he got a weaker signal with the 10 inch BBS, so that is all it took for me to find a used 8 inch coinsearch and sold the 10 BBS which I later cut the cable down on 8 inch coinsearch and liked it even more and made the mistake of selling it on the XS2 when I got my GT.
The coils that worked the best for me was the 8 inch coinsearch, the S-8 of Sun Ray, the S12 of Sun Ray and the 10 inch Tornado coil. I haven't used the 8 inch Tornado but hear many of those that know the Sovereign well like it quite a bit.

Rick

 

[gfatizzi]

Hands down the 8" CoinSearch coil! I will NEVER own that 10" BBS brick again as long as I live. Now the 10" Tornado coil is a different story. But I still think for best all around performance, the 8" CoinSearch coil can't be beat. By the way, inner windings on this coil are the same as the 800BBS and Tornado 800 coil which is 7.25" But for some reason, I always seemed to get better depth out of that CoinSearch coil, especially with a shortened cord. HH George Fatizzi

 

[JimmyCT]

Wow great information! I can't wait to get out and try the coinsearch coil at some of my old spots.