Coil cords - To wrap or not to wrap?

JavaDetector

Greenie
Sep 21, 2012
13
3
Dayton/ Old River- Winfree TX
Detector(s) used
Garrett Ace 250
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All Treasure Hunting
Okay so the reason behind wrapping your coil cord is obvious and in all cases you will to some extent. I read recently that a cord that is not wrapped tight enough can rattle around and give false readings. The author suggested taping the cord straight up the shaft for about 1/2 to 3/4 of it's length and then wrapping the remainder. Now this is on an ACE 250(in my case), and my results are this: Wrapped like all the others I got a lot of bouncing signals on the display and my depth was nearly useless. With it taped straight up the shaft and wrapped the excess in the last 8"-10" before the head unit everything changed? Not only do I have more accurate depth, but my signals are more steady, and best of all Pinpoint is now a snap! All this in the same place, same detected objects, etc.

Should it really make this big of a difference? I tried to keep any variables out to truly see if there was a difference in what I was changing. Anyone else have experience in this?
 

stevemc

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Feb 12, 2005
2,121
277
Sarasota, FL
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Whites Surfmaster PI Pro and Whites Surfmaster PI, Minelab Excal NY blue sword. 2 White's Dual field pi, Garrett sea hunter pi II (but don't use it for obvious reasons) 5' x 3 1/2' coil underwater Pi
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I have tried to tell people when they have a picture of the coil wire hanging down close to the coil, or tightly wound the whole way up, and they dont believe me. I dont even mention it any more having people argue about it. The more metal and electrical fields out of the picture the better it will detect. There is a reason people have carbon fiber or fiber glass upper shafts. Plus many detectors dont have shielded cables and the coil will mess up the cable, so get it away from it. I like mine taped straight along the side of the shaft (less water resistance on the side) and excess coiled and taped behind or on head unit. If a non PI detector I wrap the cable that will be up by head unit with aluminum duct tape, then coil it, and do the same to housing if near it, to reduce crosstalk and alien crosstalk. Think of the coil as an antennea and it will pick up any metal or electrical fields, like from the cable, or upper shaft, reducing the sensitivity of the unit and making a lot of noise. Its just common sense.
 

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Terry Soloman

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May 28, 2010
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Okay so the reason behind wrapping your coil cord is obvious and in all cases you will to some extent. I read recently that a cord that is not wrapped tight enough can rattle around and give false readings. The author suggested taping the cord straight up the shaft for about 1/2 to 3/4 of it's length and then wrapping the remainder. Now this is on an ACE 250(in my case), and my results are this: Wrapped like all the others I got a lot of bouncing signals on the display and my depth was nearly useless. With it taped straight up the shaft and wrapped the excess in the last 8"-10" before the head unit everything changed? Not only do I have more accurate depth, but my signals are more steady, and best of all Pinpoint is now a snap! All this in the same place, same detected objects, etc.

Should it really make this big of a difference? I tried to keep any variables out to truly see if there was a difference in what I was changing. Anyone else have experience in this?

Yes, it does make a big difference. Great post!:occasion14:
 

Frankn

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Mar 21, 2010
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It doesn't make a bit of difference. The lead from coil to control box is Shielded. You just made extra work for yourself when you have to remove that tape to shorten the shaft. Maybe the guy that wrote that guild sells those Velcro straps. It seams like a lot of people want to add work to operating a detector. Frank hand print-2_edited-5.jpg
 

LuckyThirteen08

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Sep 17, 2012
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197
Grundy VA
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Methane detectors in a coal mine are also shielded from electrical interference due to mine equipment pulling such mass amounts of three phase power to operate them,Doesnt stop digital methane detectors from giving false readings. So id say in some if not most cases there would be some truth to this post.
 

Tom_in_CA

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Mar 23, 2007
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Okay so the reason behind wrapping your coil cord is obvious and in all cases you will to some extent. I read recently that a cord that is not wrapped tight enough can rattle around and give false readings. The author suggested taping the cord straight up the shaft for about 1/2 to 3/4 of it's length and then wrapping the remainder. Now this is on an ACE 250(in my case), and my results are this: Wrapped like all the others I got a lot of bouncing signals on the display and my depth was nearly useless. With it taped straight up the shaft and wrapped the excess in the last 8"-10" before the head unit everything changed? Not only do I have more accurate depth, but my signals are more steady, and best of all Pinpoint is now a snap! All this in the same place, same detected objects, etc.

Should it really make this big of a difference? I tried to keep any variables out to truly see if there was a difference in what I was changing. Anyone else have experience in this?


Java, the thing that stevemc is talking about, is a chord so loose that it dangles (or flops or wiggles or whatever) down near the the top of the coil. I don't think THAT'S how loosely wound you were speaking of :)

To answer your question: If you got such serious improved performance, by taping it to your rod like that, I'd say you had a loose or frayed wire somewhere. For example: a peak operating chord would give no warbles or flutters when you wiggle it, to begin with.
 

OP
OP
J

JavaDetector

Greenie
Sep 21, 2012
13
3
Dayton/ Old River- Winfree TX
Detector(s) used
Garrett Ace 250
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Tom, I get the real loose cable idea. Mine was wrapped "properly" and the detector is new. That does not mean that there cannot be something wrong with it for sure. I just really doubt it. I do have to wonder if that many wraps could expose more and more leakage through the shielding to the shaft, and therefore the coil and circuitry. I really have no technical basis for this since I have only tested usage and not actual signal quality and in ohms, voltage, etc.
 

Terry Soloman

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May 28, 2010
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It makes a difference..
 

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dougofpa

Banned
May 18, 2012
486
121
PA
Detector(s) used
Minelab Safari, Garrett ACE 250, Garrett Pro Pointer, Lesche Digger
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Yes is does make a huge difference....I own the ace 250 and would get all kinds of falsing when detecting in the woods...from the coil hitting small brush, I wrapped and taped it and can swing in this stuff all day with very little falsing...yes, sometimes when I hit something it does false.....but that is on a rare occassion....I used black electical tape for mine...works great.

YES, Tapping and wrapping does help.
 

Frankn

Gold Member
Mar 21, 2010
8,711
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Maryland
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You know, I think it might be the brand or quality level of the detector. I use a 10 year old XLT for yards and parks and don't get false signals. Of course I hold my coil about 1" above the grass also. The detector and coil are all original equipment and I might say the coil wire is wound a bit loose. I can't imagine where the interference would come from because the lower shaft on most modern detectors is a plastic base material and the cable is shielded right down to the coil itself.
 

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