11 x35 or 9" HF

[usmctop]

First of all, I am a relic hunter and running a DEUS with 9x35 LF coil. I am considering adding a second coil and wondering what folks recommend....the 9" HF or the 11x35 LF? I was thinking the 11" for more ground coverage.

 

[wyohunter99]

Why not get the Hf and a old 11” Lf coil? They can be had at a decent price nowadays. Good luck!

 

[calabash digger]

9HF for relics all the way...

 

[Lodge Scent]

Seeing that you don't have an 11" coil I would go with the 11" X35. That extra 2 inches gives you about 50% more coverage. It is also has very good separation with the higher Reactivity settings and the 25 kHz setting is excellent on relics. Plus with the 9" LF coil you already have, you can still run that at 18 kHz which is very good on the low conductors. If you are a relic hunter and had no coils, I would agree with Calabash and get the 9 " HF coil first. It is tough to beat that coil in the iron choked sites. But I think between the 9" LF and the 11" X35, you will be pretty well set for most situations.

 

[Monte]

First, I also enjoy 'Relic Hunting' but live in the western USA, in eastern Oregon, and have been enjoying my old-site adventures since May of '69, but most especially since we got better detectors in July of '83.

Second, I have a good selection of detectors in my outfit that cover my wants and needs for urban Coin & Jewelry Hunting as well as the Relic Hunting I do at remote locations. A lot of those are a day's adventure here in eastern Oregon or western Idaho, but most of my detecting also takes me into Utah and Nevada. naturally some old-site environments are a little more open with more scattered trash so I do enjoy the benefits of "coverage" in those open areas, but the majority of the locations I search have an over-abundant supply of nails and other ferrous debris, to include cans to shared of densely-scattered rusty tin. I keep each detector outfitted with the better-performing search coil for the site conditions I'll be using it in order to get best performance. Most of my units have smaller-than-stock coils mounted for best success. My two XP models and a Nokta / Makro Simplex[sup]+[/sup] are the only ones that wear a standard supplied search coil.

Third, I do not use a Deus, and instead I own two XP ORX models. I bought my first with the 5X9½ DD HF coil, and that combination really captured my interest in the XP design and performance potential for certain applications. Then three months later I bought my 2nd ORX with the 9" X53 DD coil and went to work using it to get comfortable with that detector's behavior, as well as work those two set-ups together in some areas to get to know them better and find the strengths and weaknesses I wanted to know for future hunts.

There isn't a 'perfect' detector made, but there are some terrific detector and coil combinations that offer us a lot of performance, and I've trimmed my Regular-Use Detector Outfit to a great set of devices that complement each other quite well for all my needs.

Ron, you didn't describe the type of site environment you generally hunt where you feel you would benefit with a larger-size coils for more so-called "ground coverage." In less than two months I start my 56th year of being a very avid detectorists and I have used and evaluated larger-size search coils a lot during this time. Doing so, I found that after a certain size, we start to loose smaller-target response ability and, for the most part, a larger-size coil is better suited for searching for medium to larger-size objects. There is no specific size to determine this because it's not only a coil's diameter but also the type of coil design and, more importantly, the circuitry design of the detector the coil is attached to.

I do hunt a few locations that are more open and I considered an 11" DD coil. I have one now, but it's the only coil available for, and came with, my Simplex[sup]+[/sup] and it's working fine. But those places are in the more open and less target-rich open grassy parks, sports fields and such. I took it to one of the available [size=small](due to winter's snow and cold)[/size] old-use sites that has more ferrous and non-ferrous discarded trash, and also areas with more brush and weeds, and the 11" DD was just too big to be very useful. It wasn't so challenging that I needed a smaller-size coil, bt I know I've done well there working a smaller coil. I put the Simplex+ back and grabbed the next coil size down from the, my ORX w/9" X35 DD. The 9" handled the conditions or brush, weeds, and trash, much better.

Unless very congested with debris, I have found the complement of the 9" X35 DD and the 5X9½ DD HF coils to be working out well for me. In places where I can get coverage and work a coil without much snagging and such, the 9" X35 is doing well. Coins, metal buttons and all manner of neat stuff is very findable, and the ORX & 9" round coil are providing me very decent depth-of-detection, too. Coverage is fine. I could probably get along just fine with only one ORX and coil considering the complement of detectors I have. However, while I enjoy the slightly increased depth of the round 9" X35 LF coil, once I get into more weeds, trashy, brushy conditions or working in and around building rubble or into a jumble of trees, the 5X9½ elliptical HF DD that got me started with the ORX is still my more versatile coil favorite.

Since you have the 9" X35 coil now, I think the better coil to complement it is a 'HF' coil, but instead of the round 9", consider the elliptical 5X9½ DD HF. Together they are making a great team.

Monte

 

[usmctop]

First, I also enjoy 'Relic Hunting' but live in the western USA, in eastern Oregon, and have been enjoying my old-site adventures since May of '69, but most especially since we got better detectors in July of '83.

Second, I have a good selection of detectors in my outfit that cover my wants and needs for urban Coin & Jewelry Hunting as well as the Relic Hunting I do at remote locations. A lot of those are a day's adventure here in eastern Oregon or western Idaho, but most of my detecting also takes me into Utah and Nevada. naturally some old-site environments are a little more open with more scattered trash so I do enjoy the benefits of "coverage" in those open areas, but the majority of the locations I search have an over-abundant supply of nails and other ferrous debris, to include cans to shared of densely-scattered rusty tin. I keep each detector outfitted with the better-performing search coil for the site conditions I'll be using it in order to get best performance. Most of my units have smaller-than-stock coils mounted for best success. My two XP models and a Nokta / Makro Simplex[sup]+[/sup] are the only ones that wear a standard supplied search coil.

Third, I do not use a Deus, and instead I own two XP ORX models. I bought my first with the 5X9½ DD HF coil, and that combination really captured my interest in the XP design and performance potential for certain applications. Then three months later I bought my 2nd ORX with the 9" X53 DD coil and went to work using it to get comfortable with that detector's behavior, as well as work those two set-ups together in some areas to get to know them better and find the strengths and weaknesses I wanted to know for future hunts.

There isn't a 'perfect' detector made, but there are some terrific detector and coil combinations that offer us a lot of performance, and I've trimmed my Regular-Use Detector Outfit to a great set of devices that complement each other quite well for all my needs.

Ron, you didn't describe the type of site environment you generally hunt where you feel you would benefit with a larger-size coils for more so-called "ground coverage." In less than two months I start my 56th year of being a very avid detectorists and I have used and evaluated larger-size search coils a lot during this time. Doing so, I found that after a certain size, we start to loose smaller-target response ability and, for the most part, a larger-size coil is better suited for searching for medium to larger-size objects. There is no specific size to determine this because it's not only a coil's diameter but also the type of coil design and, more importantly, the circuitry design of the detector the coil is attached to.

I do hunt a few locations that are more open and I considered an 11" DD coil. I have one now, but it's the only coil available for, and came with, my Simplex[sup]+[/sup] and it's working fine. But those places are in the more open and less target-rich open grassy parks, sports fields and such. I took it to one of the available [size=small](due to winter's snow and cold)[/size] old-use sites that has more ferrous and non-ferrous discarded trash, and also areas with more brush and weeds, and the 11" DD was just too big to be very useful. It wasn't so challenging that I needed a smaller-size coil, bt I know I've done well there working a smaller coil. I put the Simplex+ back and grabbed the next coil size down from the, my ORX w/9" X35 DD. The 9" handled the conditions or brush, weeds, and trash, much better.

Unless very congested with debris, I have found the complement of the 9" X35 DD and the 5X9½ DD HF coils to be working out well for me. In places where I can get coverage and work a coil without much snagging and such, the 9" X35 is doing well. Coins, metal buttons and all manner of neat stuff is very findable, and the ORX & 9" round coil are providing me very decent depth-of-detection, too. Coverage is fine. I could probably get along just fine with only one ORX and coil considering the complement of detectors I have. However, while I enjoy the slightly increased depth of the round 9" X35 LF coil, once I get into more weeds, trashy, brushy conditions or working in and around building rubble or into a jumble of trees, the 5X9½ elliptical HF DD that got me started with the ORX is still my more versatile coil favorite.

Since you have the 9" X35 coil now, I think the better coil to complement it is a 'HF' coil, but instead of the round 9", consider the elliptical 5X9½ DD HF. Together they are making a great team.

Monte

I was interested in the 11 inch for hunting in open field. It is a hay field that is currently not cut. It is cut once in the spring. I do occasionally hunt in rocky wooded terrain as well and feel like my 9 X35 is good for that(and it works well in the field as well). The field I generally hunt was a union camp and therefore there are many small square nails and of course horseshoes. And it has been a cattle pasture during most of my lifetime although there hasn't been any cattle on it for years so we do occasionally find an old modern hayfield implement but mostly find civil war items...ie, bullets, buttons, small brass pieces, and many pieces of iron camp stoves.

 

[Monte]

usmctop:
I was interested in the 11 inch for hunting in open field. It is a hay field that is currently not cut. It is cut once in the spring. I do occasionally hunt in rocky wooded terrain as well and feel like my 9 X35 is good for that(and it works well in the field as well). The field I generally hunt was a union camp and therefore there are many small square nails and of course horseshoes. And it has been a cattle pasture during most of my lifetime although there hasn't been any cattle on it for years so we do occasionally find an old modern hayfield implement but mostly find civil war items...ie, bullets, buttons, small brass pieces, and many pieces of iron camp stoves.

On the smaller-size targets, like bullets, buttons and small brass pieces, what depth range do you usually find them. Shallowest to deepest and an 'average' depth? Just curious because a friend and I have hunted a pasture that used to have cattle, but not for a while, and most of the deeper targets are closer to where they have worked a ditch through the years, but otherwise, the bulk of the smaller-size targets could be from surface/sub-surface to an honest 6" to 7" and most probably 'average' 3½" to 4½". About a hundred years ago there was part of a small town that was on the fringe area of part of the pasture and from that area we also came across small coins, trade tokens and more modern metal buttons. This place had activity that started about 15-18 years after the CW.

That's here in Oregon. There's another pastureland / rangeland area I've worked in a different western state that had military encampments from three or four forts, especially about 1886 or so, but several periods in summers going back to the late 1860''s. There, most of the military buttons, uniform insignia, bullets and other smaller targets associated with that activity were found from just sub-surface to no more than 4". By 'most' I mean about 95% of everything we recovered,

Just curious what sort of site you're dealing with.

Monte

 

[usmctop]

usmctop:

On the smaller-size targets, like bullets, buttons and small brass pieces, what depth range do you usually find them. Shallowest to deepest and an 'average' depth? Just curious because a friend and I have hunted a pasture that used to have cattle, but not for a while, and most of the deeper targets are closer to where they have worked a ditch through the years, but otherwise, the bulk of the smaller-size targets could be from surface/sub-surface to an honest 6" to 7" and most probably 'average' 3½" to 4½". About a hundred years ago there was part of a small town that was on the fringe area of part of the pasture and from that area we also came across small coins, trade tokens and more modern metal buttons. This place had activity that started about 15-18 years after the CW.

That's here in Oregon. There's another pastureland / rangeland area I've worked in a different western state that had military encampments from three or four forts, especially about 1886 or so, but several periods in summers going back to the late 1860''s. There, most of the military buttons, uniform insignia, bullets and other smaller targets associated with that activity were found from just sub-surface to no more than 4". By 'most' I mean about 95% of everything we recovered,

Just curious what sort of site you're dealing with.

Monte

Most of what I find are rifle and pistol bullets from the war. This site was primarily a campsite during the war, but there was a battle that took place here in 1864 that encompassed the campsite. Most targets, including the brass items, are recovered from 5-10 inches in soft soil. There are also horseshoes and the occasional cannonball frag that may be deeper. The hay right now for the most part is beat down, but does still cause the coil to be a few inches higher when swinging. There are some thicker patches that can't be swung thru. The 9 X35 works well in this and I still find items; however, I am looking for suggestions for a backup/standby coil.

 

[squirrel1]

The elliptical 5x10” Hf coil would be my recommendation. Quiet running and deadly. The only reason you want a x35 Coil really is if you are into coins. Hunting around more modern trash.
I have lot of hours on Deus. I know how good they are. For the heavier iron sites elliptical Hf coil can pull finds. I pulled 2 real nice finds out of site where I had had loads of detectors in with various coils even the Deus with legacy 9” and 11” coils and the 9” Hf coil. Two trips in site as a greenhorn with elliptical Hf coil BAM!!
I may try and find pic of the finds on my other iPad and post here. Hf coil has external to coil battery. So can be changed or replaced yourself. You can even buy a spare and use.

 

[Waterdog]

I have the xp deus, had the 9 inch lf coil on it, put the 9.5 ELLIPTICAL hf coil and I was really amazed at the seperation and stability it had. I put the 9 inch lf coil at home and now use the 9.5 ELLIPTICAL hf coil only. I am finding more gold and things right next to trash as the seperation is best of my machines I have.

 

[CT Todd]

Ground coverage is key. There is negligible difference in depth between the two coils and very small amount of separation advantage between the two. There is a difference in separation with the 13" and I don't care for it. Relic hunting is targets struck for the day. The more positive targets dug during the day will add up to mere keepers in your bag. The X35 gives you more options on frequency and that is also an advantage. Of the two White coils the Elliptical is the larger of the two and if your swinging it then separation of targets should be your goal. So for that reason I would pick the Elliptical smaller physical size with larger detection size. These are double D coils and the strip down the middle is where it's at. If I'm not in a nail bed then I want the larger coil. The additional 2" adds up all day long. i'm a relic hunter too.