Equinox 6 inch coil vs 11 inch coil....

[Calabash Digger]

If you swing the 6 inch you need to see this...

 

[yammy]

Great video and very informative. I had been considering the 6" coil for quite some time but I was not totally convinced the advantages...if there were any, would be worth the cash. Seems I was right to hold off.

I didn't realise that this blanking thing was going on. I only search beaches and there is a lot of iron nails, aluminium and lead scattered around. I am just wondering now how many targets I may have missed because of this issue.

 

[Calabash Digger]

All detectors will blank in that situation...some are better than others...The Equinox and Deus both are the best..

 

[Indy durtdigger]

This confirms and explains a suspicion I've had but never tested. I see folks singing the praises of this machine as a relic site beast but have never had that experience with it myself on the sites I hunt.

 

[yammy]

All detectors will blank in that situation...some are better than others...The Equinox and Deus both are the best..

It is something I have never come across before but then again I have only done in air tests and of course things can certainly change for targets in the ground.

For example if I place a nail near a coin and run my Q40 across those targets it is will easily pick out both no matter how close I put them together, it even picks out the coin if I put the nail on top of the coin. Now as I say that is an in air test and I assume it may not be that clear cut with targets that have been buried for a long period of time?

I have seen people here in the UK promoting the 6" coil for the Equinox. Especially for use in and around piers where of course there is a lot of iron. I did try under a pier the other day with the 11" and it was pretty much unusable. I figured a 6" would not be so affected by all the iron but I am rethinking that now.

 

[GeoW]

How about adding the XP Deus and coils in the mix, just for fun.

g

 

[rc2125]

I’ve swung over a certain “test” type setups many times where the 11 and 15” coils will see a silver dime from between two elevated crusty 1800’s nails and the 6” will not. Nails above dime 2-3” and about 1-2” apart, ...adjust nails closer so the 6 will miss dime each time, then the larger coils will hit it pretty easy still without falsely hitting off the iron. That was pre-Fe2-update, Hardly ever used the 6” since.

 

[ColonelDan]

Good video CD. I too have kept the 11” coil on my EQX and have done well with it. My view is that if it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it!

 

[cudamark]

What were your sensitivity, recovery speed, and iron bias settings with this test?

 

[Calabash Digger]

I used the f2 0, recovery 5, sens 19 or 20 …. I have done these type tests with different settings too in the past. Results were the same...

 

[gunsil]

I dislike hockey pucks myself, still wishing the folks at Minelab would give us a nice 8" coil.

 

[cudamark]

That's strange. I've hunted around fire pits where there are TONS of nails and other ferrous junk, and I find all kinds of non-ferrous stuff. More stuff than I've ever been able to find with other detectors in iron riddled areas. I detect in all metal, and usually run the recovery speed up to 7 or 8, and the F2 iron bias to at least 6, and sometimes to 9. Naturally, I work it pretty slow because of all the signals. Some of the signals aren't a good solid one, but, if I get any kind of squeak, I scoop some sand and sweep again. I agree that the 6" isn't much of an advantage except for getting close to big iron, such as posts, rebarred concrete, and playground equipment. In turfed areas, I'm a lot more selective. I rely more on depth than numbers or even sound, than I do at the beach.

 

[Bodkin]

Started with the stock coil, it worked great. Bought the 15", but there's too much stuff in the ground and it was "confused" (saving it now for FL beaches). Bought the 6" and have been using it 95% of the time, it's fantastic! A lot of this depends on where you hunt. I laughed at the 6" coil when I bought it thinking that it's too small to do any real damage. Boy was I wrong! I'm certainly willing to give the stock coil a fair go again, and even the 15" for that matter. I would love them to be as effective or more. I could certainly cover more ground that's for sure. Nice video and if anything it starts a conversation, that's good. I don't mind being proved wrong in these things. I win either way. Thanks!

 

[Donut]

Sorry but I’m not totally convinced. My reasoning is the size of the 6” and the 11 or 15” center knife shaped signal of the DD. The 6” only covers 6” so you have to be more precise on the swing over a target and covers a much smaller detecting path. And the 6” can help in heavy trashed areas that items are very close together. In testing the 6” would have to be exactly over a target and because of the size of the 11 or 15” coils are more forgiving and in in trashy areas there could be multiple targets good or trashy under the coil at one time . Could you imagine going into a trashy area with a 10’ coil , that’s an exaggeration of course.

Doug

 

[sgoss66]

VERY interesting results, Calabash. Good video; this motivates me to hit the test garden with my own (unused thus far) 6" coil...

Steve

 

[tabman]

I'm happy that people believe that an 11-inch search coil will pick through trash better than a 6-inch search coil will because it just leaves more for me.

tabman

 

[vferrari]

This confirms and explains a suspicion I've had but never tested. I see folks singing the praises of this machine as a relic site beast but have never had that experience with it myself on the sites I hunt.

I don't think this is saying the Equinox is not a relic site beast, it is saying the 6-inch coil has issues. I have killed it in several relic sites with the 11" coil.

 

[PowerDubs]

Unless I am in the woods (rare) I run the BIG coil.

Low and slow- it will lock on the target even in the trash.

But soon that won't matter...

 

[Iron Buzz]

I use the 6" coil for more than just the hopeful possibility of better separation in junk, though. It is perfect for poking around into the brush and briars. I love it when I get into the woods.

 

[Iffy Signals]

I dislike hockey pucks myself, still wishing the folks at Minelab would give us a nice 8" coil.

They did but its on the Vanquish in the 540 propack.