Do bigger coils really give big depth?

[digitrich]

I'm getting my SE tomorrow. I currently have a bounty hunter land-star. I imagine thats like trading a Yugo for a Ferrari. Anyways, I see ads on the web claiming 18 inch coils go 20 -22 inches on dimes and such, now I haven't been at this very long but, who is digging that depth in there local park??? Think its BS for sure. However, I was hoping maybe someone has some insight or experience with these monster coils and can give me some info. The area I'd be using it at is pretty old and clean of modern trash. I'm planning to get a five inch coil for a really trashy train depot, I'm just not sure who makes the best, and I'm a little Leary about the company with the 20 inch claim, sounds like something I used to tell girls in high school Appreciate any advice, good hunting to all.

 

[Boony]

Hi digitrich, I use a 15" WOT from Coiltek mostly on the beaches and yes I have recovered Australian $1 coins from around 18". the Aussie $1 is about the size of your Quarter, Having said all that the 15"WOT is heavy to swing, in the parks I use the 11.5" Platypus, like you I not permitted to dig holes in the parks, so it's just hunting the top 3 - 4" with a screwdriver, it sure would be nice to be able to dig those deep signals in the parks.

All the best.....Boony

PS Using these coils on an Explorer II

 

[Dan-Pa.]

Short but sweet Greg from transbay one of our overall Guru's said a lot.
Basically larger coils give you more coverage and weight are more subject to masking and depending on a particuliar coil do give more depth...Sunray although a bit pricey offer ones with different designs, lighter weights and would look into them..The coverage alone for large beaches or fields along with added depth make for good acc. coils..and many do well with them...Have to add Jimmy Sierra over the years has also made some dandy acc. coils but none for the Explorer to my knowledge..

 

[Clifford Powell]

I use a WOT coil at times but, as I learned yesterday, target masking may make you miss good signals. Just yesterday I was searching an old school yard with the WOT and I looked at where I

 

[JW]

A bigger coil can give you better detection depth on larger objects, and a Larger DD coil loses little sensitivity, so smaller objects can be detected at greater depths.

In areas with little or no mineralization such as FL depths of 15" or more are common on coin sized objects, whereas in heavily mineralized ground with a larger coil you must turn down the sensitivity get extra depth ( especially with the Explorer II & SE ).

http://www.kellycodetectors.com/minelab/explorer-standard.htm

http://www.kellycodetectors.com/minelab/explorerSE-buy.htm

 

[Erik]

n/t

 

[digitrich]

Awesome question, I called soil scientist and the actual soil surveying department and couldn't get that answer.

 

[WThesing]

I have purchased the following items in this order. 1st, Sunray X-1 probe. Since you will be learning your machine for a while, the probe is by far the best and first investment you should make. 2nd, Sunray X-5 coil for the trashy areas. 3rd. Sunray X-12. This coil is lighter than the stock coil, has greater sensitivity and depth. I have not owned it long enough to give an accurate assessment but thus far I am VERY impressed as well as happy. I used it on the beach a few weeks ago when I 1st got it with good results, but did not dig anything deeper than previous occasions with the stock coil. (luck of the finds) I have yet to try it in farm fields due to not being able to get out recently but I will say that it sniffed out a Mercury Dime and a wheatie that were not signaled under an old clothesline area that I had checked out a day earlier with the stock coil. This was done when I was first checking out the X-12 about an hour after receiving it. This area is at a beach house that I rent every year, and the property has been swept thoroughly year after year with the different machines that I progressed with. Last year was the 1st for my Exp. II, as it was only 2 months old at the time of vacation.

 

[au4greg]

Hi Dan,

Someone Vaporized My short but sweet reply.

 

[w1ki]

Generally, the larger the coil, the deeper it will go. However, as they say, there is no free lunch, and what you pay for depth is the ability to find the smaller targets near the surface. You may well find the quarter at 18 inches but you might not know that the small diamond stud erring right under the surface is there. So, I guess what I am saying is that you have to evaluate your priorities as to what you really want to find.

 

[Hard Nosed Dave]

This is partially MY take and only one possibility with a partial reference to what may be part of the sum total of what "mineralization" of the ground or soil , might mean when it comes to metal detecting.

You could use a magnet to see if it picked up granules, fine or course particulate of the dirt(surface of just below).
If iron(oxide)"mineralization" is the most common factor-affecting the ability of a metal detector to see it's target effectively, then in the case of the Explorer, you would know this by the continual predominant tone sound that it would make to indicate so, with the IRONMASK SET AT -16 or the EX SE set to All Metal(AM). I think that this would also apply

You could also try to determine, with the use of a glass pippet and a Bunsen burner for the heat source, whether the iron content of a small sample of the dirt (NOT always a rusty red color) can be heated up into an iron "pig-got".

There are other types of ground

 

[Ace]

n/t

 

[Bill W.]

It really depends on how mineralized your ground is, as to how much deeper (if any) a big coil will be. There are places I hunt that my 15 inch WOT is definitely deeper. But, then there are places it not any deeper than my stock 10.5 coil. One other thing to mention is that 15 inches is supposed to be the optimum/maximum size for depth. Going bigger than 15 inches will do nothing for depth. Check out Coiltek's 15 inch WOT. It's a great coil.

-Bill

 

[KING OF ACE]

Bigger Coils give much better depth on larger targets about 6 inches to 10 inches extra depth depending how big the target is. They dont find coins much deeper though maybe an inch or so "extra depth" on a coin with say a 12 inch coil. I think this is accurate but if any one knows better please post.

 

[NH Bob]

If I knew you had a whole season to learn your first Explorer, I would have never questioned anything you said.
Sorry for my ignorance. You are a very knowledgeable person.

 

[tab-nabit]

A partner uses the WOT coil also and says it's great on the cleaner open ground. I haven't tried the WOT myself. I recall him once saying that you have to watch out for masking. The WOT is the only coil he uses that's larger than stock.
Stock coil and the Sun Ray X-5 Stealth coil is all I have for the Explorer.

 

[digitrich]

Straight Skippy there Bob, imagine how good I'll be with it this year Everything I have ever done and taking an interest in, I've picked the brains of those who are better, read every book I could find on the subject, questioned everything I heard and read, until I proved or disproved it to myself, and then practice, practice, practiced. Then magically delicious, I became better than my teachers and started to learn things that they didn't even know. And you can too Bob, if you spend less time typing this year and more time detecting. Try hunting in trash.

 

[minelab locust]

i have the sunray x12 and i have to say that i did dig a dime at a MEASURED 121/2 inches..(only measured it because i never dug that deep for a SMALL coin before) but i think for the most part its good for more coverage rather than depth because that ONE deep dime was the deepest dime i ever dug.... mostly i get them between 7 and 10 and my stock coil has no problem in that range...so unless im hunting a farm field the stock coil is fine for me and the smaller ML8 coil for trash but i would love to try the SR8 for trash as well..just my experience with the larger coil in MY soil ...might be completely different in YOUR DIRT tho.....

 

[NH Bob]

Believe it or not.
But what I don't understand is why you pick me out to crap on when I was giving my opinion about the subject we were all on.
I don't come here looking for a fight. I come here to participate with other Explorer users. I know I come across in the wrong way sometimes, but most people here and on other forums know me well enough to know I mean no harm. If you take a good look at yourself as someone told me to do some time back. you will see me in the way you present yourself. Now two of us on the same forum with the same attitude will continue to abuse each other until we stop it or someone else stops it.
So I say to you, lets stop attacking each other and both of us act like adults. I'm willing if you are.

 

[coinnut]

Hi, New to this Minelab forum, but have had similar issues elsewhere. I too just want to talk with others and not fight. (Save that for ex-wives). I think sometimes when reading things on line, it's impossible to tell HOW it was said. In a person to person conversation, you have the luxury of hearing how it is meant to be said. On line it all generic. Sometimes it may be interpreted differently than meant, and then the fight begins. Show your finds, be happy and help one another