SP24 coil - My Reality

[mts]

So I bought the SP24 coil based partly on Youtubers raving about how great it is. Many said they noticed no loss of depth, that it had great balance, and that the machine should have originally shipped with this coil instead of the larger coil. Many said that they will never take the coil off of their detector because it is just that good. Well I have to say that some of that is hogwash. This thread is here so that people can share their experiences so that others aren't buying this coil with unrealistic expectations. These are my opinions. I welcome your opinions as well.

Cons:

Depth - The SP24 definitely causes a loss of depth. Around 1.5" to 2". This is to be expected since it is a smaller coil. I dug a 6" dime yesterday and I was barely getting a faint whisper out of the machine. Any deeper and I would have missed that dime. It was laying flat and I was able to measure it directly because it was still embedded in the soil when I found it. My soil is very mild. The stock coil would have picked it up with no problems and given me a very clear signal. For the stock coil, a 6" dime is easy to hear and an 8" dime is a whisper. And it wasn't just that dime. Pretty much all targets deeper than about 4 inches struggled to give me good strong signals. Now don't get me wrong.... depth is not everything and 6" on a dime is pretty respectable for such a small coil. But it isn't outstanding. There are plenty of cheap detectors that can pull a 6" dime laying flat in mild soil.

Depth Reading - Due to the depth issue mentioned above, the depth reading is off with the SP24 coil. They didn't change the algorithm for determining the depth reading and the smaller coil results in lower signal strengths being received. Therefore, the depth reading is not calibrated the same as it is for the stock coil. Keep this in mind. So 3 depth bars on the stock coil typically means about 4 inches deep. Three depth bars on the SP24 coil is only a little over 2 inches deep. This is just more proof that the SP24 coil gets less depth. If they were receiving the exact same signal levels, the depth readings would be the same.

Coverage Area - It probably goes without saying that you aren't going to get the same coverage area out of a smaller coil. This may or may not be an issue given how much better the coil is at trash separation (see below). I don't find the coverage area to be terrible given that it is a DD coil.

Pros:

Balance and Maneuverability - Yes, the SP24 coil makes the machine easier to swing. It is much better balanced. It is also easier to poke it in and out of places that the stock coil can't go.

Noise - The SP24 coil quiets the machine down quite a bit. I think this is where some people may be thinking that it doesn't impact depth. If you are able to turn your sensitivity up with the SP24 because it is quieter then it is possible that your "working depth" is the same as what you might see out of a stock coil where you had to turn down your sensitivity due to how noisy it is. But I typically can run my stock coil at full sensitivity so I lose depth going to the SP24. If you are already losing depth due to having to run your stock coil at a lower sensitivity then perhaps you will get the same depth by running an SP24 coil at full sensitivity. This will all depend on how you currently use your machine with the stock coil.

Pinponter Interference - When using the stock coil I get interference with my pinpointer (Pulsedive) if the coil is within about 4 feet of the hole. The SP24 does not seem to impact my pinpointer nearly as much. I'm not constantly having to move my coil further away from the hole to keep my pinpointer from falsing.

Trash Separation - The SP24 coil is much better at separating items that are near to each other. This is the whole point of using a smaller coil so if it didn't excel here there would be no point to this coil. There have DEFINITELY been times where I have found targets that I simply would not have found with the stock coil. Yesterday, I found four quarters stacked on top of each other within about 3 inches of a piece of iron. I got the iron grunt and almost went past it, but I was able to narrow my swing down to isolate those quarters and tell that there was definitely something there next to the iron. This was not an isolated incident. Over and over again I was able to find stuff that I would have missed using the stock coil. Shallow stuff, but stuff nonetheless.

Overall Results:

Overall I'm glad I bought the coil. But I was clearly misled on the depth capability which has been a huge disappointment. I should have known this going into it because small coils pretty much ALWAYS result in loss of depth. The SP24 is clearly no exception. I really like how much more stable the machine is. However, I had gotten used to the noisiness of the stock coil so this was not as big of a benefit for me. My confidence in the depth capability has been shaken. It makes me hesitant to take this coil anywhere that I am expecting there to be deeper targets. So instead of having a coil I could "leave on the machine" and do all of my detecting with, I now have a coil that I will only use for specialized situations. And now I have to try and decide which coil to use for any given situation. I'll probably end up taking both coils each time and leaving one in the car so that I can swap if I find that the situation warrants it.

If you are in a trashy area with shallower signals, then the SP24 is the right coil. But understand that you are going to give up the deep stuff. I wouldn't use it in a hunted out park where you are hoping to find 7"+ silver coins. It just isn't going to cut it. In newer trashy parks or in a river where items are potentially sitting on top of bedrock, then it would be a winner. So I'm going to be switching back to the stock coil for general hunting. I will use the SP24 for river beds and other trashy areas where the targets are not expected to be deep.

If you have had a different experience then please tell us all about it. This is just my own experience and I've only been out a couple of times with this coil. But the loss of depth is quite apparent and it was pretty disappointing. Depth isn't everything. Most items that we are going to find are going to be in the top 6". However, the really OLD stuff in a hunted out park is going to be deeper and the SP24 coil (in my opinion) isn't going to get you those items.

FYI... I'm using v2.77 software on the Simplex.

 

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[pescadore]

I agree with you for the most part and really don't get the "I'll never take the SP24 off my Simplex." There is a depth loss with the SP24 regardless of what you might hear or read. I have a 8-9 inch silver dime buried in my yard and the difference in the signal of the two coils is very obvious. I only use the SP24 in trashy areas because the stock coil separates so well and why give up the depth. I was really shocked when I got the Simplex at how well the stock coil performed in iron and in moderate trash. It is a little noisier than the SP 24 at full sensitivity but that is to be expected because it is seeing more targets under the coil. I think that the SP24 is over-hyped but I wouldn't want to be without it in certain situations. My stock coil gets 75-80% use on my Simplex. I see no reason to give up the depth and coverage area when I don't need to. Different coils for different situations (why else would we own different ones).

 

[mts]

I agree with you for the most part and really don't get the "I'll never take the SP24 off my Simplex." There is a depth loss with the SP24 regardless of what you might hear or read. I have a 8-9 inch silver dime buried in my yard and the difference in the signal of the two coils is very obvious. I only use the SP24 in trashy areas because the stock coil separates so well and why give up the depth. I was really shocked when I got the Simplex at how well the stock coil performed in iron and in moderate trash. It is a little noisier than the SP 24 at full sensitivity but that is to be expected because it is seeing more targets under the coil. I think that the SP24 is over-hyped but I wouldn't want to be without it in certain situations. My stock coil gets 75-80% use on my Simplex. I see no reason to give up the depth and coverage area when I don't need to. Different coils for different situations (why else would we own different ones).

Thanks! It's good to hear that I am not alone in my findings.

 

[eman1000]

Sold my Simplex before they released that smaller coil. Kinda wish I had waited just didn't care much for the balance on the larger coil and the flex in the shaft. Overall depth was ok on the stock coil but not Equinox depth. Deepest machine I have owned was my Vaquero (sometimes frustratingly deep!)

For me the simplex with a smaller coil if it gave more stable vdi would have been worth the trade on depth. The update on park1 certainly helped a lot as well.

 

[pescadore]

Sold my Simplex before they released that smaller coil. Kinda wish I had waited just didn't care much for the balance on the larger coil and the flex in the shaft. Overall depth was ok on the stock coil but not Equinox depth. Deepest machine I have owned was my Vaquero (sometimes frustratingly deep!)

For me the simplex with a smaller coil if it gave more stable vdi would have been worth the trade on depth. The update on park1 certainly helped a lot as well.

I still get good depth with the SP 24 but just not as good as the stock coil. It will give a high tone on Park 1 on the 8-9 inch silver dime I have buried in my yard but the VDI is sketchy. I put carbon fiber rods on both of my coils and there is no wobble. Love my Simplex.

 

[mts]

I still get good depth with the SP 24 but just not as good as the stock coil. It will give a high tone on Park 1 on the 8-9 inch silver dime I have buried in my yard but the VDI is sketchy. I put carbon fiber rods on both of my coils and there is no wobble. Love my Simplex.

The 6" clad dime I mentioned above gave a fairly steady VDI number. It was also repeatable from both directions. The depth indicator was full on all bars. So my initial instinct was to believe it was a silver dime at around 8" or so. But the volume of the audio was much fainter than normal. I almost walked right past it. If it had been any fainter I might not have heard it. The 6" dime was able to be detected and I stopped to dig it up. But it clearly didn't have the same signal level that the stock coil would have had. So I think this jives with what you are saying.

Basically, the SP24 can probably detect an 8" silver dime IF you already know it is there and the coin passes directly under the middle of the coil. Otherwise, I don't know that you can count on the SP24 finding that target for you. The stock coil will definitely do it even in less than optimal conditions.

 

[pescadore]

The 6" clad dime I mentioned above gave a fairly steady VDI number. It was also repeatable from both directions. The depth indicator was full on all bars. So my initial instinct was to believe it was a silver dime at around 8" or so. But the volume of the audio was much fainter than normal. I almost walked right past it. If it had been any fainter I might not have heard it. The 6" dime was able to be detected and I stopped to dig it up. But it clearly didn't have the same signal level that the stock coil would have had. So I think this jives with what you are saying.

Basically, the SP24 can probably detect an 8" silver dime IF you already know it is there and the coin passes directly under the middle of the coil. Otherwise, I don't know that you can count on the SP24 finding that target for you. The stock coil will definitely do it even in less than optimal conditions.

You are exactly right !! If I didn’t know exactly where the 8 inch dime was, I would probably walk right over it. The 11 inch gives a much better audio response that would definitely stop me to investigate.

 

[Richard Guy]

My impression/experience is that v2.77 with the SP24 is more 'productive' than with the SP28 (stock) coil, initially. Once I've cleared out an area with the SP24, changing to the SP28 works the additional depth with much less interference. They both excel when used this way. I haven't tried a Simplex in salt water, ... I wonder which coil would work best

 

[louisianaman]

My coil gets more depth but again I ground balance properly and I use Park 1

 

[louisianaman]

Absolutely! I hunt in Park 1 and have dug targets 15 inches deep. Now I'm not crazy about digging that deep but the target was there.

 

[mts]

I hunt in park 1 as well. But there is no way you are going to get a silver dime at 15". Yes, I've had large iron objects that I dug down over 12" for. But those aren't the type of targets I'm personally looking for.

I can detect my SUV at over 2 feet away! But that is not indicative of how deep the machine will detect a silver US coin or gold ring. So I'm not sure that touting such an accomplishment is useful to mostv detectorists.

 

[NWMP]

Good info mts, appreciated. The latest software version allows me to press a button to mute the chatter from my Garret carrot.

 

[pescadore]

My impression/experience is that v2.77 with the SP24 is more 'productive' than with the SP28 (stock) coil, initially. Once I've cleared out an area with the SP24, changing to the SP28 works the additional depth with much less interference. They both excel when used this way. I haven't tried a Simplex in salt water, ... I wonder which coil would work best

I recently used my Simplex in salt water and the SP
24 was definitely quieter. I could
run full sensitivity with no issues. The stock coil
also did fine but was not as quiet.

 

[Capncrunch]

I too bought the SP24 based on other's recommendations. It is quite good, with reasonable depth, but it WON'T compete with the SP28 for depth- NO small coil can.
I have been hunting and re-hunting an 1850 site, with BOTH coils (one on each of my Simplex machines). I had found ZERO silver dimes, after hunting the entire 2-acre yard, east-to-west and north-to-south, plus about half of it diagonally. Then I took the SP28 and started hunting it again. So far, I am up to 10 Silver dimes- 1 Roosevelt (3-4" deep- on edge), 2 Barbers and 7 Mercury's (most between 7-9" deep).
I posted this on FB, about this very subject, today:
I agree that they WILL miss some of the deeper targets- from a lack of depth. I have also found that you must be VERY diligent about getting coil-overlap, or you will miss even more targets- by not covering ALL the soil. I LIKE the SP24 (in trashy, nail-beds, and high EMI areas), but I have the SP28 mounted to my second Simplex, and after using them both (sometimes on the same target-before digging it) I can attest to the fact that you WILL miss some targets with it. That's not my OPINION, but the results of the empirical evidence.
That's my experience with the two coils I own.
Keep digging, folks!

 

[Bart@Big Boys Hobbies]

I agree with you for the most part and really don't get the "I'll never take the SP24 off my Simplex."

Agreed! great coil!

 

[Tinhorn2]

this info is great guys, I really mean it.

Have mine a little over a year & almost think some of the Remarkable Remarks over months came from manufactured money to save those good things of the Simplex. [I mean other forums too]
I like the Simplex but I think its way over-hyped

my 2¢

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

this info is great guys, I really mean it.

Have mine a little over a year & almost think some of the Remarkable Remarks over months came from manufactured money to save those good things of the Simplex. [I mean other forums too]
I like the Simplex but I think its way over-hyped

my 2¢

In the end it is still a $250 detector

 

[rks1949]

The Simplex is a 250 dollar detector,but a darn good one! Nothing in it's price range even comes close. You do miss some deep coins with the SP 24 coil,but the separation in trashy areas is great! The SP 28 is a great coil,but makes the Simplex unbalanced. The best way to run the SP 28 is to shorten the lower shaft as much as possible for a comfortable swing at your height,and swing closer to your feet. This makes the angle much sharper,and helps to eliminate the arm fatigue from swinging the coil out too far in-front of you. Both of the coils have their place in detecting.