The basics of different coils?? Help

[cincyjon]

Hi,
I just bought a fisher F5 and have began a new hobby with my son, Its been great.

The question I have is a simple one:
What do different size/shape coils do for you and are they worth it?

thanks
Cincyjon

 

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[FarmerChick]

http://metaldetectingworld.com/search_coil_size_applications.shtml


go into this website

it sure helps you learn about coils and more

I have been reading up also and hubby just bought me a 4 in. coil for Christmas. Can't wait to use it

 

[U.K. Brian]

The link gives a very mixed bag of information some of what is misleading. With your F5 you can use any Fisher coil designed for the 5 and third party coils without loss of performance or the need to send the detector away to be tuned to the coil because it has a ground balance.
Fit a new coil and the act of ground balancing takes care of the different type or size of coil. This is why its better to spend a few dollars more and buy the next model up in a range so you are able to ground balance and the detector is optimised to both coil and ground.

With busy sites you could be better off with a detectors stock coil than a smaller coil if the stock coil is double D type and the small coil is concentric.

As for "Hot Head" type coils some are good and some bad in performance and build quality. Many older Hot Head coils needed the gain of the detector reduced because the extra surface area picked up more ground effect than the detector could cope with. The result was no depth gain over the stock coil and increased target masking of good items by surrounding bad ones. Sensitivity to small items was reduced.
Now (some) larger coils are designed to retain sensitivity to small items.
Its always best to ask before parting with money for a coil as they have got so expensive.

Good detector you have got there. Great user interface and useful features.

 

[Elad]

The link gives a very mixed bag of information some of what is misleading. With your F5 you can use any Fisher coil designed for the 5 and third party coils without loss of performance or the need to send the detector away to be tuned to the coil because it has a ground balance.
Fit a new coil and the act of ground balancing takes care of the different type or size of coil. This is why its better to spend a few dollars more and buy the next model up in a range so you are able to ground balance and the detector is optimised to both coil and ground.

With busy sites you could be better off with a detectors stock coil than a smaller coil if the stock coil is double D type and the small coil is concentric.

As for "Hot Head" type coils some are good and some bad in performance and build quality. Many older Hot Head coils needed the gain of the detector reduced because the extra surface area picked up more ground effect than the detector could cope with. The result was no depth gain over the stock coil and increased target masking of good items by surrounding bad ones. Sensitivity to small items was reduced.
Now (some) larger coils are designed to retain sensitivity to small items.
Its always best to ask before parting with money for a coil as they have got so expensive.

Good detector you have got there. Great user interface and useful features.

I also found the information in that link misleading. Depending on what machine you are using will factor greatly into the performance of a larger coil, and in some cases will actually improve ground balance and target seperation.

 

[Frankn]

The basics: The normal coil that came with it is the best all around coil.
Larger coils cover more area with each swing, but have trouble separating targets.
Smaller coils have the best separation of targets, but cover a much smaller area on each swing.
Technical: The wire in the coil Matches the frequency of your detector. They must match!
The plugs on the coil wires vary greatly, even within the same manufacturer.

The fact: if you are a park hunter, or a beach hunter, save the bucks and use what came with it.

​

 

[N.J.THer]

http://metaldetectingworld.com/search_coil_size_applications.shtml


go into this website

it sure helps you learn about coils and more

I have been reading up also and hubby just bought me a 4 in. coil for Christmas. Can't wait to use it

I love my sniper coil (small 4" coil). I usually hit a site first with the stock coil then if the targets are good but become less and less or the site is covered in pulltabs and bottle caps then I switch to the sniper coil. I also purchased a manhole sized SEF butterfly coil and used it once but did not like it. I will have to give that another chance since it was rather expensive.

Found the cob in my avatar with the sniper coil.
NJ

 

[FarmerChick]

http://metaldetectingworld.com/search_coil_size_applications.shtml


go into this website

it sure helps you learn about coils and more

I have been reading up also and hubby just bought me a 4 in. coil for Christmas. Can't wait to use it

I love my sniper coil (small 4" coil). I usually hit a site first with the stock coil then if the targets are good but become less and less or the site is covered in pulltabs and bottle caps then I switch to the sniper coil. I also purchased a manhole sized SEF butterfly coil and used it once but did not like it. I will have to give that another chance since it was rather expensive.

Found the cob in my avatar with the sniper coil.
NJ

sniper coil....you know I love that name!

yea I never tried the butterfly coil cause the one that came with the detector seems enough for me right now, but that SNIPER coil seemed to be a must

I grew up in Jersey--nice state!

 

[N.J.THer]

I grew up in Jersey--nice state!

Jersey is very close to my heart. I've lived elsewhere for short work projects (few months at a time) but I always come back. I can't imagine living anywhere else. When I want a change I take a vacation and then back to good old NJ.

NJ

 

[FarmerChick]

yea good old Jersey

sure changed since I left....lived near orchards and a farm....went back many moons later and it is an executive park...yikes lol

My bro lives in Hackettstown....is that Middlesex CTy?? I don't know lol

 

[Woodland Detectors]

The basics: The normal coil that came with it is the best all around coil.
Larger coils cover more area with each swing, but have trouble separating targets.
Smaller coils have the best separation of targets, but cover a much smaller area on each swing.
Technical: The wire in the coil Matches the frequency of your detector. They must match!
The plugs on the coil wires vary greatly, even within the same manufacturer.

The fact: if you are a park hunter, or a beach hunter, save the bucks and use what came with it.

​

And I agree.

 

[N.J.THer]

yea good old Jersey

sure changed since I left....lived near orchards and a farm....went back many moons later and it is an executive park...yikes lol

My bro lives in Hackettstown....is that Middlesex CTy?? I don't know lol

Hackettstown is not in Middlesex and I'm not sure which county it is in but Bergen keeps coming to mind.

Where I grew up there was a farm next to my developement. It was also changed into an executive park. I hear the farmer did a 100 year lease. There has to be ten or so huge office bulidings on the land now. It is getting harder and harder to find land to hunt but I'm still up for the challenge...

NJ

 

[Frankn]

Hackettstown is in Warren county. About 20 mi. East of PA. About 10 Mi. below I80.

​

 

[FarmerChick]

yea I would definitely think NJ is getting hard to hunt....heck everything is under concrete or asphalt by now lol

but me in NC...heck I just don't know good hunting places just yet since I am new, but come spring I sure will be looking and researching

 

[FarmerChick]

Hackettstown is in Warren county. About 20 mi. East of PA. About 10 Mi. below I80.

​

thanks!

being gone from NJ for so long I sure can't remember any counties lol

 

[Frankn]

I have never been to NJ except to pass thru on the Garden State Pike but I am doing my winter research and had my atlas out. There are plenty of things to look for in NC. The last time I was down there I was looking for the confederate pots of gold that were buried along the train tracks. Might try again some day. I live in Maryland but I hop in my motorhome to look for treasure and might wind up anywhere. In the spring I will probably be in NY State looking for a gangster's Casch. I think I have nailed down the location. If it was there and is still there, it is mine. You have to be an optimist to do this. LOL Frankn

​

 

[N.J.THer]

Good luck Frankn...my vacations now are planned around my kids but once their old enough to get bit by the treasure hunting bug I plan on taking them on a few adventures.

NJ

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

The basics: The normal coil that came with it is the best all around coil.
Larger coils cover more area with each swing, but have trouble separating targets.
Smaller coils have the best separation of targets, but cover a much smaller area on each swing.
Technical: The wire in the coil Matches the frequency of your detector. They must match!
The plugs on the coil wires vary greatly, even within the same manufacturer.

The fact: if you are a park hunter, or a beach hunter, save the bucks and use what came with it.

​

I have used the WOT (15 "), Sunray S-12 and 12"x15" SEF Butterfly coils on my 2 Excals and Sovereign GTs and the 15"x18" SEF Butterfly on my Sovereign GT, I would never go back to the stock 8 or 10 inch coil......

I have no problem what so ever getting seperation on multiple targets on the WOT or SEF, have done it many times on the beaches as well as in the parks with the WOT coil. I have hit many pocket spills and was able to pinpoint and recover the targets, knowing instantly I had multiple targets under the coil.....In the parks I also use my Detectorpro Uniprobe, at the beach I just dig the targets.

The large WOT and SEF Butterfly DD coils get amazing coverage and depth, and I have dug 1/2 gram rings with them so they do see small targets.....

I hunt in the water with the WOT up to chest deep all the time, have no problem swinging the coil at all, but then again I am a young 62....