Questions about Explorer 10" and 8" coils

[blaglezz]

Questions about Explorer 10" and 8" coils

Hello. I have another question about the coils I'm using with my XS (8" and 10", both Minelab).

I know I'm learning slowly, (I've been using my detector for about 2 weeks). I've tried to use both coils the same amount of time.

My favorite is the 8" coil for 2 reasons: It is lighter, and I can pinpoint with it much faster than using the 10" coil. I wanted to ask you if I would be missing much (because depth) if I decide to use the 8" coil most of the time. My concern is silver coins, that I know are usually deep. Then, would it be a bad idea using the smaller coil as standard? I don't detect in beaches or fields, only in parks (and they are pretty trashy).

Thanks.

 

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[halfstep]

Re: Questions about Explorer 10" and 8" coils

The 8" will give you a slight advantage in the trashy areas. It may not hit as deep but not by much. Depending on the area, a lose of a little depth can be cost you some finds. I would suggest that you not get stuck using the same coil all the time. Depending on the situation, I would switch back and forth. The 10" will allow you to cover more ground faster so I would use it in clean open areas and use the 8" in trashy areas. As for pin pointing, give it some time and you will get it good at it with any size coil. Later on, you may wish to get a bigger coil so you can take more advantage between the sizes. Even though the 8" is lighter, you will spend more time covering the same amount of ground. A bigger coil is heavier but will allowing you to cover the ground faster. It is a matter of weight vs. time. In most cases, it is an even trade off as far as wearing yourself out. If you have an injury that bothers you, a smaller, lighter coil may be your best option. One trick you can do with a larger coil is to locate and mark 6+ spots then lay your detector down for a while and dig those spots up. You will need a good probe to do this routine. The digging will give you a break from swinging the detector and the swinging will give you a break from digging. Just make sure you don't lay you detector down where someone might borrow it long term. You can mark you spots with golf tees. Don't use green golf tees.

 

[Iron Patch]

Re: Questions about Explorer 10" and 8" coils

Using an 8" (actually 7.5") you're at a great disadvantage losing so much coverage and depth. If you were able to see the math calculation over a few hunts I bet you'd probably not use it again. I don't even think there's an advantage in trash because the explorer seems to have a pretty good ability at powering through the junk to give a diggable signal. I've had an 8" coil no less than 5 times and have never kept it. Usually it's two older style stock coils I go with as is the case right now.

 

[blaglezz]

Re: Questions about Explorer 10" and 8" coils

Thanks for your responses! I know you are right, Iron Patch, but it looks like I need more practice pinpointing with the 10" coil. For some reason it is becoming frustrating for me to find and recover anything with the larger coil (can't find target without digging monster holes). I know I must be doing something wrong. I need so bad an good probe like the Sunray, if I ever get one I will use the 10" more.

By instance, when I use the wiggle method with the 8" coil, the target is right in front of the coil. Don't know why but when I try that with the 10" coil, the sound is "wider" and the target is rarely on spot. It is always in another point (back, forward, left or right) of the very outer edge center. I tried to pinpoint a coin attached to the under side of a cardboard and then it works as it should, don't know why is so different with a buried coin.

 

[Iron Patch]

Re: Questions about Explorer 10" and 8" coils

Thanks for your responses! I know you are right, Iron Patch, but it looks like I need more practice pinpointing with the 10" coil. For some reason it is becoming frustrating for me to find and recover anything with the larger coil (can't find target without digging monster holes). I know I must be doing something wrong. I need so bad an good probe like the Sunray, if I ever get one I will use the 10" more.

By instance, when I use the wiggle method with the 8" coil, the target is right in front of the coil. Don't know why but when I try that with the 10" coil, the sound is "wider" and the target is rarely on spot. It is always in another point (back, forward, left or right) of the very outer edge center. I tried to pinpoint a coin attached to the under side of a cardboard and then it works as it should, don't know why is so different with a buried coin.

Like I said in your other thread, the larger coil is better at seeing the tough targets.... and tough targets are harder to pinpoint. I have near 10 years on an Explorer and God knows how many thousands of targets, so when I say you are always going to have problems, I'm very confident in that remark. I hunt fields and dig with a shovel and if I think a Sunray probe is a good tool to have, it surely is in a yard, park, or pretty much anywhere else. To better understand what is going on scan some oddball size trash on the surface and see where it rings in. Sometimes it's not even close to the center of the coil, so would obviously give you trouble when it's in the ground. It's just the nature of this detector and coil and no matter how many hundreds of hours you put in there's always going to be signals that you pinpoint to the center of the coil but aren't there.

 

[stasys]

Re: Questions about Explorer 10" and 8" coils

Hello blaglezz, if you will take coil cover from your 10 coil its will weight like 8, dont scare to use coil without coil cover, its will last very, very long. most of the minelab 1000 and 1050 coils users, never scratched coil cover till the hole. good luck

 

[lostlake88]

Re: Questions about Explorer 10" and 8" coils

Hello,

I hunt the woods with the 8" coil exclusively and do pretty well. I dug and Indian Head penny once at 9-10" with the 8". This little coil has no problem picking up coin targets at 7-8", this is usually the limit. The small coil is a must for hunting woods, can't do it with the big coil effectively. Although I have witnessed the big coil find a 13" silver dime (friend of mine), personally I have never dug a coin deeper than 10". In normal conditions I have discovered that most coins are detectable with the 8" coil.