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How many of you utilize the capabilities of a small coil?...and if so which one is YOUR favorite?
- Thread starter Hotcz70
- Start date
Critterhunter
New member
I admit I don't use my Sun Ray 5.5" coil (actual size) as much as I should since I bought it. I've strapped it on maybe 4 or 5 times and didn't even hunt all day with it. But in that time I did dig a silver rosie about 7" deep that was right in between two shallow pull tabs. I was pleased because this particular old park is super trashy and hit so hard by everybody for years that it's been a couple years since I pulled a silver out of it, although I had only hunted it maybe 4 or 5 times in those prior few years to be fair.
The rosie banged so hard that I think it could have easily been 9" or maybe more deeper and I would still have got a good hit on it. That's impressive, because in that particular soil the best of my prior non-Minelab machines could only muster about 7.5" max on a silver dime in that soil using an 8 to 10" coil, so it appears that tiny little Sun Ray is getting deeper.
I'm so hooked on the left/right super separation abilities of the 12x10 and it's depth that I can't seem to force myself to break away from it, as I've been impressed at how well it will separate stuff left/right wise and so don't feel I'm missing too much. Of course I know that the Sun Ray will find more in heavy trash just alone due to it's shorter DD line from tip to tail though.
These little coils have their place for heavy iron or trash. At sites where I know silver can't sink past say 7 to perhaps 9" and are heavy in trash or iron I need to start forcing myself to strap on the Sun Ray because that is where it should shine above all other coils. No sense in looking for super deep silver at some sites where coins can't sink past say 7 or 8", as that is well within the range of some non-Minelabs in my soil. It's the sites that stuff can sink deeper when I should be wasting my time looking for coins out of the reach of other detectors, and the fact that the 12x10 pushes things even deeper is why it should be used at such sites. At those kinds of sites there the stuff is shallower if I am using my 12x10, I logically there aren't deeper coins out of the reach of a few other non-Minelabs, so if I am using a bigger coil at such a site I should be spending my time digging more iffy or one way coin signals as those are all that is left that most people won't dig.
But for the shallower coin sites with heavier amounts of iron or trash logic dictates the Sun Ray would be the perfect coil. Coins well within it's reach, and the potential to find the worst masked of coins that a larger coil might not be able to.
For a large coil I like the SEF's shape because it's shape is an attempt to increase depth while at the same time increasing left/right separation. But for a trash coil my thinking is the reverse of that. For a tiny trash coil my primary motivation is max separation, so I personally don't want a coil that is longer than it is wide. I know that's an attempt to increase depth while maintaining excellent separation, and I know the 8x6 excells in that respect and is a fantastic coil, but for me personally when I want a trash coil that means the smallest round coil I can find for max separation ability. The Sun Ray sure is tiny at 5.5" in diameter so I'm well pleased with that. However, The Excelerator 5" coil is actually a bit smaller than 5", so if somebody wanted the smallest diameter coil possible they might want to look into that coil. I don't know how it compares depth and stability wise to the Sun Ray though, but I do hear good things about it and would like to try one.
If I were to want a odd shaped trash coil, I saw somebody mention this once and it really intrigued me. How about a 2" wide by about 4 or 5" long trash coil for extreme separation (2" wide) while attempting to maintain pretty good depth? I think that might be a real good seller for somebody on these Minelabs. In that case I'd be willing to "trade off" a little separation ability with the longer length, because that length is still as small as anything out there, but the 2" width might take separation a bit further than when even thought it could get. That said, I don't see how it can get much better than the Sun Ray.
I found out the Sun Ray is a true 5.5" coil as it's filled with epoxy, so the windings don't need padding at the edges to protect it from shock when bumped into something. Some solid coils that aren't filled with epoxy are padded around the outside, so they aren't the true physical size of that coil. An 8" coil, for example, can be 7 & X amount of inches in true size because the windings are what really matters in that respect and aren't going all the way to the edge of the coil.
I wonder if the 5" Excelerator (which measures a bit smaller than 5" on one side of the coil anyway) is filled with epoxy and has it's windings going all the way to the edge, or whether it's not and so the windings are padded against shock and so even smaller than it's actual size. Usually epoxy filled coils are rated waterproof while ones not are rated water resistant. Does anybody know which the Excelerator is rated at? Another way one might tell is to mush the coil with your finger on top and see if it's solid or gives a good bit.
PS- One other tip for a little trash coil. They aren't just useful for heavy trash. At sites with tones of tiny hot rocks or black sand pockets causing off and on nulling a smaller coil like this can "see" between" those null spots and pull better IDs out of coins that might otherwise either null on you or be a very bad signal that you might pass on. I had used the Sun Ray at one such spot, near a gravel road where the gravel sprayed into the nearby grass was causing my machine to null out here and there. The Sun Ray was able to work that area without that annoying nulling that my larger coil was experiencing due to the stray gravel in the area. A smaller coil can also improve ID at depth on targets in some of the worst ground where even a Minelab has trouble handling it. By using a small coil you are taking in less ground "stew" and it is less prone to wash out a target's quality at depth. For that reason there are sites where a smaller coil will get deeper in reality, even if the site isn't loaded with iron or other trash but simply has a bunch of bad minerals in the matrix.
The rosie banged so hard that I think it could have easily been 9" or maybe more deeper and I would still have got a good hit on it. That's impressive, because in that particular soil the best of my prior non-Minelab machines could only muster about 7.5" max on a silver dime in that soil using an 8 to 10" coil, so it appears that tiny little Sun Ray is getting deeper.
I'm so hooked on the left/right super separation abilities of the 12x10 and it's depth that I can't seem to force myself to break away from it, as I've been impressed at how well it will separate stuff left/right wise and so don't feel I'm missing too much. Of course I know that the Sun Ray will find more in heavy trash just alone due to it's shorter DD line from tip to tail though.
These little coils have their place for heavy iron or trash. At sites where I know silver can't sink past say 7 to perhaps 9" and are heavy in trash or iron I need to start forcing myself to strap on the Sun Ray because that is where it should shine above all other coils. No sense in looking for super deep silver at some sites where coins can't sink past say 7 or 8", as that is well within the range of some non-Minelabs in my soil. It's the sites that stuff can sink deeper when I should be wasting my time looking for coins out of the reach of other detectors, and the fact that the 12x10 pushes things even deeper is why it should be used at such sites. At those kinds of sites there the stuff is shallower if I am using my 12x10, I logically there aren't deeper coins out of the reach of a few other non-Minelabs, so if I am using a bigger coil at such a site I should be spending my time digging more iffy or one way coin signals as those are all that is left that most people won't dig.
But for the shallower coin sites with heavier amounts of iron or trash logic dictates the Sun Ray would be the perfect coil. Coins well within it's reach, and the potential to find the worst masked of coins that a larger coil might not be able to.
For a large coil I like the SEF's shape because it's shape is an attempt to increase depth while at the same time increasing left/right separation. But for a trash coil my thinking is the reverse of that. For a tiny trash coil my primary motivation is max separation, so I personally don't want a coil that is longer than it is wide. I know that's an attempt to increase depth while maintaining excellent separation, and I know the 8x6 excells in that respect and is a fantastic coil, but for me personally when I want a trash coil that means the smallest round coil I can find for max separation ability. The Sun Ray sure is tiny at 5.5" in diameter so I'm well pleased with that. However, The Excelerator 5" coil is actually a bit smaller than 5", so if somebody wanted the smallest diameter coil possible they might want to look into that coil. I don't know how it compares depth and stability wise to the Sun Ray though, but I do hear good things about it and would like to try one.
If I were to want a odd shaped trash coil, I saw somebody mention this once and it really intrigued me. How about a 2" wide by about 4 or 5" long trash coil for extreme separation (2" wide) while attempting to maintain pretty good depth? I think that might be a real good seller for somebody on these Minelabs. In that case I'd be willing to "trade off" a little separation ability with the longer length, because that length is still as small as anything out there, but the 2" width might take separation a bit further than when even thought it could get. That said, I don't see how it can get much better than the Sun Ray.
I found out the Sun Ray is a true 5.5" coil as it's filled with epoxy, so the windings don't need padding at the edges to protect it from shock when bumped into something. Some solid coils that aren't filled with epoxy are padded around the outside, so they aren't the true physical size of that coil. An 8" coil, for example, can be 7 & X amount of inches in true size because the windings are what really matters in that respect and aren't going all the way to the edge of the coil.
I wonder if the 5" Excelerator (which measures a bit smaller than 5" on one side of the coil anyway) is filled with epoxy and has it's windings going all the way to the edge, or whether it's not and so the windings are padded against shock and so even smaller than it's actual size. Usually epoxy filled coils are rated waterproof while ones not are rated water resistant. Does anybody know which the Excelerator is rated at? Another way one might tell is to mush the coil with your finger on top and see if it's solid or gives a good bit.
PS- One other tip for a little trash coil. They aren't just useful for heavy trash. At sites with tones of tiny hot rocks or black sand pockets causing off and on nulling a smaller coil like this can "see" between" those null spots and pull better IDs out of coins that might otherwise either null on you or be a very bad signal that you might pass on. I had used the Sun Ray at one such spot, near a gravel road where the gravel sprayed into the nearby grass was causing my machine to null out here and there. The Sun Ray was able to work that area without that annoying nulling that my larger coil was experiencing due to the stray gravel in the area. A smaller coil can also improve ID at depth on targets in some of the worst ground where even a Minelab has trouble handling it. By using a small coil you are taking in less ground "stew" and it is less prone to wash out a target's quality at depth. For that reason there are sites where a smaller coil will get deeper in reality, even if the site isn't loaded with iron or other trash but simply has a bunch of bad minerals in the matrix.
I bought a 6" DD EXcelerator EQ 2 Pro for my Quattro and I am now using on SE Pro. What I like about it is it's ability of picking up coins in heavy trash and iron, without too much of a depth lost. Also I am able to get closer to sidewalks with rebar and swing sets with 6 inch coil then with the stadard 11 inch coil. I was able find a few older coins that 11 inch coil would have missed.
John .
John .
Critterhunter
New member
Maybe somebody can clear this up for me? I seem to remember that a couple years back Detech made a 6" Excelerator trash coil for the BBS and FBS units. If they did then now for sure it's a 5" coil for at least the BBS machines, but is the current one for the FBS units a 6" coil or is it the same size too? I am not sure if they ever did make a 6" coil but I could have swore they did up until a couple of years ago, but often I see the current Excelerator refered to as a 6" coil on the FBS machines so I'm a bit confused on it's actual size for both platforms.
Below is a pic of the current 5" Excelerator that somebody measured in the BBS forum, and his quote is this...
"It is just shy of 5 inches on the top half and the bottom half is RIGHT at 4 and 3/4 inches across."
So was there ever a 6" coil for the BBS and FBS machines, and is the current FBS coil the same size as the current BBS one or is the FBS a 6" coil? I've been wondering about that for a year or two now. This might seem trivial but it might be important to those looking for the smallest round coil they can find for asbolute maximum separation. If it's 6" for the FBS units then the 5.5" Sun Ray might desired, but if it's the same size of the current BBS one then they might perhaps want to opt for the Excelerator as it's a tad smaller than the Sun Ray.
Below is a pic of the current 5" Excelerator that somebody measured in the BBS forum, and his quote is this...
"It is just shy of 5 inches on the top half and the bottom half is RIGHT at 4 and 3/4 inches across."
So was there ever a 6" coil for the BBS and FBS machines, and is the current FBS coil the same size as the current BBS one or is the FBS a 6" coil? I've been wondering about that for a year or two now. This might seem trivial but it might be important to those looking for the smallest round coil they can find for asbolute maximum separation. If it's 6" for the FBS units then the 5.5" Sun Ray might desired, but if it's the same size of the current BBS one then they might perhaps want to opt for the Excelerator as it's a tad smaller than the Sun Ray.
MNCoinhunter
Active member
My favorite small coil, which you consider to be mid-sized, is the X-8. I have the X-5 also, but have not used it very much. And my reason for buying the X-5 was not so much for using in trashy areas, but more for tall grass and brushy spots where the larger stock and 10X12 SEF coils would be non-productive.
Critterhunter
New member
AHA! So there *IS* the 5" and also a 6" Excelerator too then for the FBS units! Thanks for clearing that up, as I could have swore I remember seeing a 6" BBS version of that coil a year or two back on Kellyco. I might still be remembering that wrong though. Maybe they never made a 6" version for it. I need to snoop around on the net and see if I can clear that up. If they did then perhaps Detech still makes the 6" BBS version as well as the current 5" one.
I just figured some people were calling the same coil a 5" and some were calling it a 6" and it was in reality just one coil.
The 6" is also a DD coil I assume? That might sound like a funny question but I know Detech at least makes an 8" concentric for the BBS machines. Only concentric I know of for it besides an old 5 or 8" Hot Head ferret coil that might have been concentrics.
Any differences in performance of the 5 and 6" other than the physical size to them, with slightly more separation perhaps of the 5" but with more depth with the 6"?
I need to clear this 5"/6" thing up so I know which I want to buy when another Explorer gets added back to my line up of machines in the near future here. It'll be featuring the 12x10, unless the 13" Ultimate I test out next week really knocks my socks off. Reason why I'm adding another Explorer to my line up is after using the Etrac here and there I prefer the smart screen VDI setup and a few other things (sound on silver at depth for one) on the Explorer, and you sure can't beat the great prices on used Explorers these days so it's a no brainer as to which one goes back in my line up. It's almost a crime not to take advantage of the used prices these days, and I can't really understand it, because it's no worse of a machine than it was 10 years ago. You know what I mean? It doesn't expire like old food after a certain age. Still right at the top when it comes to a silver killer.
I just figured some people were calling the same coil a 5" and some were calling it a 6" and it was in reality just one coil.
The 6" is also a DD coil I assume? That might sound like a funny question but I know Detech at least makes an 8" concentric for the BBS machines. Only concentric I know of for it besides an old 5 or 8" Hot Head ferret coil that might have been concentrics.
Any differences in performance of the 5 and 6" other than the physical size to them, with slightly more separation perhaps of the 5" but with more depth with the 6"?
I need to clear this 5"/6" thing up so I know which I want to buy when another Explorer gets added back to my line up of machines in the near future here. It'll be featuring the 12x10, unless the 13" Ultimate I test out next week really knocks my socks off. Reason why I'm adding another Explorer to my line up is after using the Etrac here and there I prefer the smart screen VDI setup and a few other things (sound on silver at depth for one) on the Explorer, and you sure can't beat the great prices on used Explorers these days so it's a no brainer as to which one goes back in my line up. It's almost a crime not to take advantage of the used prices these days, and I can't really understand it, because it's no worse of a machine than it was 10 years ago. You know what I mean? It doesn't expire like old food after a certain age. Still right at the top when it comes to a silver killer.
dirt doctor
Well-known member
Most of my spots are so hunted out that I don't need a really small coil very much so the smallest coil I ever use on the Explorer is the 6x8 SEF .
deeponedge
New member
6" xelerater for me bud. You got me hooked on that one.
deeponedge
New member
n/t
For me, the 6" Excellerator coil is my favorite. Its stable, and hits coins at depths I would have never believed had I not experienced it for myself. I have to force myself to just look at the ground in front of me though. If I'm in a big field, and start looking around, I think "Look at all this ground I have to cover....and here I am with this little coil!" 
Its best suited for really trashy areas and demolition/construction sites where the terrain is not so detector friendly.
Knipper
Its best suited for really trashy areas and demolition/construction sites where the terrain is not so detector friendly.
Knipper