Quote
UtahRich
I'm pretty sure that Monte is going to need some of these larger than Ghost Town size coils as his hunt sites transition to urban settings with larger open areas.

Leave him something to hunt with. . . .

rich -

For decades I've relied on smaller-size coils for most of my hunting, and now-and-then have had a reason to mount what used to be a 'standard' coil for more open areas. In more recent years, like the past decade, I have still favored the smaller-size coils most of the time because I worked trashy, brushy, challenging locations. But I started to also work in what I consider to be a 'mid-size' coil for fringe areas or scouting purposes in remote sites, as well as working the modestly littered urban locations.

Let me explain how I have viewed and classed search coils on the factory-produced detectors I have used the most:

1968 to 1988:

► Smaller-Size Coils: Typically ranged from ±4" to 6½".

► Standard-Size Coils: Mostly 7", 7¼", 7½", 8" and some 8½":.

► Larger-Size Coils: Those were 'accessory' coils that measured 10" to 12".

► 'Over-Size' or 'Big' Coil: Those were even bigger coils of 13", 14", 15" and 16". Their primary purpose was for Cache Hunting or Relic Hunting for larger-size objects.

The vast majority of the search coils used during that period were round-shaped so the measurement was the coil's diameter from any starting point. Also, most of them were of Concentric design. I have used Double-D's since they were first introduced to hobby detectors in '71 by Compass, and I used some of Garrett's in the mid-'70s.. During this period of time I started out Coin & Jewelry Hunting in both 'average' sites to modern trash sites, as well as occasional remote Relic Hunting sites, like ghost towns, military encampment and fort sites, homesteads, etc. In mid-'83 we got much better detectors with slow-motion and quick-response / fast-recovery and I made a shift to about 85% Relic Hunting mainly old town sites and the like. For that, and on those models I used, I mainly mounted a 7" Concentric coil.

I did have a use for the 'Larger-Size' Accessory Coils, opting for one in the 10" to 12" size when I was doing contract searches for lost / hidden caches and similar for-hire hunts.


1988 to the Present:

► Smaller-Size Coils: Typically, they are still in that 4½" to 6½" size, most of them round shape or just slightly 'Out-Of-Round' (aka 'OOR'), as well as smaller elliptical-shaped coils. Also, we have seen a trend in more recent years to make most of these a Double-D design coil.

► Mid-Size Coils: This is a newer category, the way I have viewed it, due to a change in the 'Standard' coils most detector makers moved to. I consider these to be a round-shaped 7" or 8" size, or an elliptical coil that might be something like 5X8 to 5X9½.

► 'Standard' or a Larger-Size Coil: These coils range in size from 9" to 12". They came with a change by White's in '88 to go with the larger 950 coil, and in '13 they offered models with a 9" Concentric or 10" Double-D. Minelab had moved to a 10", 10½" and 11" round-shaped Double-D on most of their popular models, and we have seen other brands bring out other round or elliptical-shaped coils, such as the elliptical 11" BiAxial from Fisher & Teknetics, the 7X11 DD from Nokta / Makro, the newer 6X11 from Garrett and 7X10 from Minelab, and on to the round 11" DD's on XP, Nokta / Makro, and Minelab. They have now added the V12 which is a 9X12 DD.

► Bigger-Size or Over-Size Coils: These still include accessory coils that might be 13" or 15" or a larger in size.


So what really happened was about '88 there started the trend to make a 'standard' coil larger, from a 9" diameter up to include what used-to-be a larger-size coil of 10", 11" or 12". The 'Smaller-Size coils remained the same, and the 'Standard-Size' coils went larger. That left a void between the two groups, and that gap was filled with the coils I call 'Mid-Size.' The 7" Concentric on my F5, the 5X9½ on my Simplex +, and the 5X8 on my Apex and V-540 are examples.

One of the reasons the coil changes work today compared with two or three decades ago for the bigger 'standard' coils is that we have moved to modern digital-designed circuitry and have detectors that can make use of the coils in the 9" to 12" size range to work better on smaller-size targets than what we used to be able to do. Therefore, Yes, I am going to be using some of the 'standard' coils for hunting the more open grassy parks, sports fields, farm and ranch land, freshwater beaches, and other inviting locations with minimal trash to deal with. Those include a round 11" DD on a Simplex +, 8½X11 on my Apex, and the 9X12 DD on my Vanquish 540.

Those coils will be used on a more limited basis, just as I used to use what were considered Larger Accessory coils, but today they are just a 'standard' coil. Most of the time I will be using the new Mid-Size Coils that take the place of what once was a 'standard' coil, and I still have my Small-Coils at the ready for places where they excel. I will NOT have any of the 'larger-Size' coils of 13" or more as I have no need for them.

Most of the hunts in 2021 I will be using a Mid-Size Coil, which is now my 'standard', and the current 'standard' sizes, that are too big for most ghost town hunting, will be put to work in the moderately-littered locations. And I am sure that, based on the limited hunting I have done with them so far, the Apex w/8½X11 and V-540 w/9X12 are going to see a fair amount of action this coming year. Far more comfortable than a lot of the old-time standard and larger accessory coils used to feel and balance. I'm looking forward to it.

Monte

"Your EYES ... the only 100% accurate form of Discrimination!"
Stinkwater Wells Trading Post
Metal Detector Evaluations and Product ReviewsI'm now 'back home' in Farr West Utah monte@ahrps.org ... or ... monte@stinkwaterwells.com 503-481-8147Detector Outfit: A selection of my chosen makes and models, with the best coils mounted for the tasks I'll take on.F-19 * F-5 * Racer * Racer 2 * V-540 * Relic * Silver Sabre µMAX * Bandido II µMAX * XLTPinpointers: Garrett AT Pro-Pointers .. Headphones: 'Hornet' .. MS-3 Z-Lynk .. ML-80 *** All working well today to make memories for tomorrow. ***