[size=medium]Jim, when I first got my XLT in the mid 90's, I bought a Hot Shot coil ~ why?... because of all the hype that the Hot Shot people talked up the performance of the their coil. Yeah, sounded great: Faster than a speeding bullet * Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound * More powerful than a speeding locomotive, yada yada yada. Well I used the new super coil with great expectations day after day. I saw no "improved" depth", "More finds," "Better separation" etc etc. The coil I got was a 10", slighter larger than the Whites 9.5 stock coil and in theory the Hot Shot being larger should have had a littler more depth the the Whites but you couldn't prove it to me . Face it, Whites who has been making metal detectors and coils for longer than most of us has been alive, they ought to have the latest technology designed by some of the best technicians in the business working for them. They are putting out the best coils available for THEIR product. Now I'm not saying the Hot Shot's a piece of junk, I'm just saying I've found it to be a little more hype than help. I have every coil Whites makes for the XLT, from the little 4" DD to the trash can lid size 15" monstrosity. Of those coils, my favorite are the 4" DD, the 5", the 8", and the standard 9.5". Those coils will handle any situation that you would normally come upon as far as detecting in high or low mineralization, or trashy areas you would commonly detect in. My two cents worth.
Vernon [/size]