Coil depth

Lanny in AB

Gold Member
Apr 2, 2003
5,654
6,350
Alberta
Detector(s) used
Various Minelabs(5000, 2100, X-Terra 705, Equinox 800, Gold Monster), Falcon MD20, Tesoro Sand Shark, Gold Bug Pro, Makro Gold Racer.
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Doc, of Doc's Detecting in Las Vegas sells aftermarket coils (larger ones to go deeper) that punch down in the ground to get bigger stuff; Chris of Arizona Outback sells aftermarket coils (different aftermarket coils from Doc) that go deeper, and Minelab itself (go to their site for info) sells larger coils that go deeper (study their chart that lists the coils and what those coils have been individually specialized for).

A general rule of thumb is that larger goes deeper, but you'll lose sensitivity to smaller gold; however, if you're after large gold that's deep, that's the benefit of a larger coil.

All the best,

Lanny
 

patches63

Full Member
Jun 20, 2009
237
11
republic of trinity usa
Detector(s) used
gpx4500,gmt
howdy abismail,the simplest answer to your query is,any round coil with a diameter greater than 11 inches should go deeper than your 11RM commander.(RM=round,mono)next is the nugget finder 12inchRM.then the 14RM's.16RM's,etc.the rule of thumb for the elliptical (oval shaped) coils is,with some debate,add the two dimensions,say 14x9,then divide by 2 for comparison to round coils.thus 14x9=23/2=11.5.but in practice,and strictly in my opinion,the 11RM commander will sniff em out deeper than the 14x9 (generaly).have not used the 14x9 blitz goldstalker yet,but 4 years with my 4500 and a 14x9 non blitz goldstalker(probly my main coil)has convinced me that its hard to beat the 11RM.at least on my machine.and what i would mainly consider,while searching within an area known to produce detectable gold,success will be measured by number of targets dug.the ratio might be 100 trash/1 gold,or 50/1,or 200/1,whatever it is,you will hear,pinpoint,dig,isolate,secure the target faster with that 11rm,and move on to find the next target,and thus have better chance of success than with a larger coil.which will have you digging huge holes,with huge spoil piles,taking too long to find that clay encrusted 22 short empty cartridge,or worse,a tiny copper or lead bullet frag that screamed from 2 or more feet deep.magnets no help here,only mucho practice helps this process.i consider target acquisition/id,on to next one the main obstacle once in the field.prior to having advanced skills,a large coil can discourage/hinder the learning process crucial to this art.have confidence in your 11rm,or whichever coil you decide upon.and then stick to it.early on,your mental process/confidence level arwe your best friends/worst enemies,.hope this helps,good huntin
 

Hoser John

Gold Member
Mar 22, 2003
5,854
6,721
Redding,Calif.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Amen A--just like women-learn to love the one your with--nice to see your awakened from your absence A and comn' your way pretty soon,will call before as usual-tons a au 2 u 2 bud-John
 

patches63

Full Member
Jun 20, 2009
237
11
republic of trinity usa
Detector(s) used
gpx4500,gmt
most ive said in 3 years or more,politics aside.good site to read for gpx/coil/gear info is uh,golddetecting4umer.com,an aussie forum.lotsa feedback on coils,settings etc.hj,sending pm
 

patches63

Full Member
Jun 20, 2009
237
11
republic of trinity usa
Detector(s) used
gpx4500,gmt
havent tried a commander 18rm,but have heard everywhere that they are stable,quiet,deep searching coils.which i believe,since they were designed for use with ml pi machines.have also heard that this coil rocks in thick,tall grass,as is heavy enough to flatten anything in its path.probly a good big guy coil,or any guy with a hipstick coil.solid coils are nice in that they dont snag up on sticks roots and rocks like the light weight spoked coils can.my 4500 came with a 17x11 em commander coil,which is a proven gold getting coil.i could find flyspecks with mine,if shallow,but i did not enjoy swinging it for long hunts,and as i am not a hipstick guy,sent it off to sudan,then got a 18rm goldstalker+a solid 18rm gs.the latter one for when i had the urge to flatten thick,tall grass.both of those coilteks run so quietly,you will be reaching for your test nugget,wondering if your detector is broken.because,of course,coils this large sacrafice the sensitivity to both high mineralisation,and small gold/targets.best is to try a huntin buddys 18rm,or any huge coil before investing in one.those big rounds are for deep ground and big gold.where is your general area of ops?not specificaly of course.
 

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abismail

abismail

Tenderfoot
May 27, 2012
6
0
I have been prospecting in east africa rift valley with GPX5000 and have been succesful with minelab 11rm. Plenty other prospectors are using older minelab SD and GP . With so many holes dug ip in the area i have decided to go deeper and i believe there is plenty large nuggets below the reach of smaller coils. I havent seen anyone use a larger coil let alone 18rm. I am stuck for choice between larger Minelab, NF and Goldstalker coils
 

patches63

Full Member
Jun 20, 2009
237
11
republic of trinity usa
Detector(s) used
gpx4500,gmt
Snapshot_20120627.JPG ok,i understand now,have heard of some compatability issues with the 5000 and nuggetfinder coils.some 5000 users have no problems,many others report erratic behavior.(gpx5000 with nfa coils)i have a nuggetfinder 14rm,superlite series for my 4500,is a very good coil for early hours,when the atmospheric disturbances are minimal,and away from micro-towers,air traffic,etc.heat,thunder clouds,etc,late day conditions make my nugfinder coil unstable,is also more touch sensitive,prone to falsing when bumped against rocks etc.i think the nuggetfinders,on a well tuned gpx,and in stable atmospheric conditions,with the coil lead properly stabilised to shaft just above coil,is slightly better than any other coil.and provided the particular gpx machine/coil work well together.believe it or not,these machines can have their own personalities.this comes to mind when considering nuggetfinder/gpx5000 combos.some work,others dont.the goldstalkers are a sure thing,in my opinion.there is rarely anything else on my machine.can you buy them in your country?
 

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abismail

abismail

Tenderfoot
May 27, 2012
6
0
I live in UK. Was in East Africa and i hope to go back there in a months time . This time going full time prospecting and i am in the process of acquiring all the accesories for Gpx5000. i.e gold screamer power pack . Coiltek pinpointer probe , outdoor handheld gps and camping gear for lengthy periods prospecting. The only dilemna am facing is which large coil to go for . Really looking to target deep large nuggets this time
 

patches63

Full Member
Jun 20, 2009
237
11
republic of trinity usa
Detector(s) used
gpx4500,gmt
have decided against quitting my day job to become a freelance photographer.why make starving a sure thing?clockwise from top,right,18rm,18rm,16rm,17x11eddpro,and lil joey at 6pm,5x10 em.hard to tell what i like,when asked where all my $$ went,well,fast women,slow horses,and uh,i wasted the rest,oh,bottom right,14x9em gs,definitely my most productive coil.
 

patches63

Full Member
Jun 20, 2009
237
11
republic of trinity usa
Detector(s) used
gpx4500,gmt
docs goldscreamer on my wishlist for sure.kinda pricey,469 2 batterys and shipped.cant stand the stock harness,half day or less hunts i strap my stock battery right side of the box,the stock bungee perfect for this.long hunts i use a tactical vest for the battery(s) etc.tac vests snap to belt/waist of pants,dont get twisted or up around my neck while digging or what not.im a 165 soaking wet,not a big guy.and hipsticks/curly cords/etc make me claustrophobic and whiney like a little girl.hey,dont forget a good couple of digging picks,and spares/xtra everything.your in uk,the absolute best control box covers/battery covers are made there.pro-tectors i think,are on ebay now,just search minelab gpx,25 bucks or so,worth twice that.will post other pics here later,luck
 

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