This is one coil I've wanted to put through the paces for years now.
[attachment 169243 4x7testb.jpg]
It was actually the first aftermarket coil I ever purchased a few years ago...but at that time I was going back and forth between ferrous/AM and conductive/iron mask....which completely screwed me up.
I seriously don't recommend anyone new to the explorers doing that..because you need to train your ears and mind for one OR the other...LEARN it...LEARN IT AGAIN...then STAY with one or the other.
I sold the coil...nearly sold the SE...and became so frustrated...I stopped hunting for a while.
There's just no way you can properly learn the machine by switching back and forth because it completely changes the sounds you need to learn in order to train your ears to interperate said sounds.
I made the decision to learn conductive/iron mask and never looked back.
After you have a ton of hours on the machine and want to learn the other setup...It's a proven method as well. They BOTH are. I'm just stating you need to stick to one setup while learning the machine.
If you choose to learn Ferrous/AM first...then the same holds true for it as well. Learn it before trying the other setup.
You need to learn the strange language the Explorer speaks before you can expect to hold a meaningful conversation with it.
Anyway I decided to take this sleek lookin' little critter to one of the sites I have hit before with my other small coils just to see if I could pop another coin or 2 hidden in the dense trash.
[attachment 169242 4x7test.jpg]
The ground was freshly mowed so if I was going to find any deep, masked coins...now was the time to try to do so.
The mid sized X-8 did okay here as did my 6 x 8 SEF...but this trash is so incredibly dense...the X-5 and 6" Excelerator did even better.
I wanted to try the 4.5 x 7 Excelerator here to try squeaking another keeper or 2 out...and also compare it against my Joey coil since it was the one coil I hadn't used here yet.
I would liked to have flagged a couple of targets with the Joey in order to compare the 4.5 x 7 against it.
Fact of the matter is though that I was unable to locate any targets I felt could be coins or jewelry.
I then went back over the exact same area and gridded it the exact same way with the 4.5 x 7 Excelerator.
After 2 1/2 hours I ended up locating 2 additional targets...and both were coins.
The first coin was a wheatie underneath a partial pulltab at 7".
The second signal was one I felt had a shot at being silver...and it was deep. It wasn't a super good signal but I was thrilled to get it at all since I had been here before with other small coils....and it WAS definitely a coin signal to me.
I carefully dug the plug and began to scrape away dirt with my fingers until I saw a big chunk of reddish metal at well OVER 8" deep.
About the same time I caught the glimpse of silver underneath it...and about 1/3 of the coin was covered by the metal chunk.
[attachment 169244 4x7testc.jpg] [attachment 169245 4x7testd.jpg]
Took a couple of pics...then plucked the shiny disc out of the nearly 9" hole...and was rewarded with a Barber dime.
If you look closely at the first pic...you can see the speck of silver in the center of the hole.
The 2nd pic was the exact same shot...but with my camera on zoom.
I realize that many of you fellers' probably wouldn't be happy with sifting through the trash for nearly 3 hours in 94+ degree heat for 2 coins...but if you knew how hard and with how many coils I have hit this place with...you'd feel differently.
I then decided to go to a spot where almost all of my jewelry has come from.
I never dig lower conductors unless I am 100% bored because of lack of signals otherwise...OR I have found trinket jewelry there before. I simply do not have the time and patience to dig nickle type hits...but anything near pulltab and on up I'll try for.
Well after 4 hours I had 11 pulltabs...2 small fuses...1 piece of wire...and one lone nickel in the pouch.
The Sunray X-5...and 6" Excelerator both served me well here.
This place was just a solid carpet of crap when I started testing coils here many months ago...but I bet I have dug 200 targets here since then.
It is nothing to dig a hole and find 2 to 3 pieces of crap in there.
99% of the nickle sounding hits were now gone as was evident with with my one lone nickel find.
Well right before dusk I finally got another decent sounding low conductor...but it wasn't quite as low as a nickel...yet not as high as a pulltab.
It was however a nice... for lack of better words... "robust" sounding signal. Very solid and repeating as well from about 7" or so deep.
What was strange though was that I was getting a second signal 2" away from the hit I wanted to dig...but it was more of a "wire" tyoe of sound.
I dug a big plug and found the "wire" type hit which turned out to be a washer type object.
I then ran the probe and still got the initial robust signal.
I just plopped out a chunk of dirt and saw a color which is usually foreign to me because it was GOLD.
After I stopped slobbering
...I rubbed away some of the caked dirt around the inside to get a better look.
It felt heavy and solid and I wanted to get an actual "fresh dug" pic...so I went to the car and got my camera.
[attachment 169246 ring.jpg] [attachment 169247 ring2.jpg]
[attachment 169248 ring3.jpg]
I can probably count the gold rings I've found in my 35 year detecting career on one hand...so this was quite a thrill for me.
After geting it home and rinsing it off...it indeed turned out to be genuine. Stamped 10K and is Black Hills gold.
I went out again today with the temp at 98 degrees and hit 2 different sidelines/bleachers areas until about 8:30 this evening.
I feel very fortunate for 2 reasons...1) because I didn't pass out from dehydrationuke:...and 2) because I was able to come up with 3 more silver and a few wheats.
Nothing too old today but all the coins were found in a mixture of crap such as foil wads..wire pieces and other numerous junk bits one would expect to find along the sidelines of old abandoned football fields.
[attachment 169250 test4x7.jpg]
As you can see the one roosey still has the iron stains on it from sitting directly under a rusty bolt.
Would have liked to have taken a pic of it in the hole like that...but again...I feel lucky not to be in the hospital having fluids put in me from the heat today.
Normally I would be a little more detailed with how things were found...but I'm honestly half sick.
I think this little 4.5 x 7 Excelerator coil will be a nice addition to my arsenal because it can be run smokin' hot. I am thankful I gave it a second chance after better learning my SE and what it was telling me...because this hot little football coil speaks very clear.
1) Exceptional depth for such a tiny coil
2) Exceptional separation
3) Exceptional stability
4) I could go on...but it would get redundant because everything about this coil was outstanding EXCEPT for ground coverage
[attachment 169243 4x7testb.jpg]
It was actually the first aftermarket coil I ever purchased a few years ago...but at that time I was going back and forth between ferrous/AM and conductive/iron mask....which completely screwed me up.
I seriously don't recommend anyone new to the explorers doing that..because you need to train your ears and mind for one OR the other...LEARN it...LEARN IT AGAIN...then STAY with one or the other.
I sold the coil...nearly sold the SE...and became so frustrated...I stopped hunting for a while.
There's just no way you can properly learn the machine by switching back and forth because it completely changes the sounds you need to learn in order to train your ears to interperate said sounds.
I made the decision to learn conductive/iron mask and never looked back.
After you have a ton of hours on the machine and want to learn the other setup...It's a proven method as well. They BOTH are. I'm just stating you need to stick to one setup while learning the machine.
If you choose to learn Ferrous/AM first...then the same holds true for it as well. Learn it before trying the other setup.
You need to learn the strange language the Explorer speaks before you can expect to hold a meaningful conversation with it.
Anyway I decided to take this sleek lookin' little critter to one of the sites I have hit before with my other small coils just to see if I could pop another coin or 2 hidden in the dense trash.
[attachment 169242 4x7test.jpg]
The ground was freshly mowed so if I was going to find any deep, masked coins...now was the time to try to do so.
The mid sized X-8 did okay here as did my 6 x 8 SEF...but this trash is so incredibly dense...the X-5 and 6" Excelerator did even better.
I wanted to try the 4.5 x 7 Excelerator here to try squeaking another keeper or 2 out...and also compare it against my Joey coil since it was the one coil I hadn't used here yet.
I would liked to have flagged a couple of targets with the Joey in order to compare the 4.5 x 7 against it.
Fact of the matter is though that I was unable to locate any targets I felt could be coins or jewelry.
I then went back over the exact same area and gridded it the exact same way with the 4.5 x 7 Excelerator.
After 2 1/2 hours I ended up locating 2 additional targets...and both were coins.
The first coin was a wheatie underneath a partial pulltab at 7".
The second signal was one I felt had a shot at being silver...and it was deep. It wasn't a super good signal but I was thrilled to get it at all since I had been here before with other small coils....and it WAS definitely a coin signal to me.
I carefully dug the plug and began to scrape away dirt with my fingers until I saw a big chunk of reddish metal at well OVER 8" deep.
About the same time I caught the glimpse of silver underneath it...and about 1/3 of the coin was covered by the metal chunk.
[attachment 169244 4x7testc.jpg] [attachment 169245 4x7testd.jpg]
Took a couple of pics...then plucked the shiny disc out of the nearly 9" hole...and was rewarded with a Barber dime.
If you look closely at the first pic...you can see the speck of silver in the center of the hole.
The 2nd pic was the exact same shot...but with my camera on zoom.
I realize that many of you fellers' probably wouldn't be happy with sifting through the trash for nearly 3 hours in 94+ degree heat for 2 coins...but if you knew how hard and with how many coils I have hit this place with...you'd feel differently.
I then decided to go to a spot where almost all of my jewelry has come from.
I never dig lower conductors unless I am 100% bored because of lack of signals otherwise...OR I have found trinket jewelry there before. I simply do not have the time and patience to dig nickle type hits...but anything near pulltab and on up I'll try for.
Well after 4 hours I had 11 pulltabs...2 small fuses...1 piece of wire...and one lone nickel in the pouch.
The Sunray X-5...and 6" Excelerator both served me well here.
This place was just a solid carpet of crap when I started testing coils here many months ago...but I bet I have dug 200 targets here since then.
It is nothing to dig a hole and find 2 to 3 pieces of crap in there.
99% of the nickle sounding hits were now gone as was evident with with my one lone nickel find.
Well right before dusk I finally got another decent sounding low conductor...but it wasn't quite as low as a nickel...yet not as high as a pulltab.
It was however a nice... for lack of better words... "robust" sounding signal. Very solid and repeating as well from about 7" or so deep.
What was strange though was that I was getting a second signal 2" away from the hit I wanted to dig...but it was more of a "wire" tyoe of sound.
I dug a big plug and found the "wire" type hit which turned out to be a washer type object.
I then ran the probe and still got the initial robust signal.
I just plopped out a chunk of dirt and saw a color which is usually foreign to me because it was GOLD.
After I stopped slobbering
...I rubbed away some of the caked dirt around the inside to get a better look.It felt heavy and solid and I wanted to get an actual "fresh dug" pic...so I went to the car and got my camera.
[attachment 169246 ring.jpg] [attachment 169247 ring2.jpg]
[attachment 169248 ring3.jpg]
I can probably count the gold rings I've found in my 35 year detecting career on one hand...so this was quite a thrill for me.
After geting it home and rinsing it off...it indeed turned out to be genuine. Stamped 10K and is Black Hills gold.
I went out again today with the temp at 98 degrees and hit 2 different sidelines/bleachers areas until about 8:30 this evening.
I feel very fortunate for 2 reasons...1) because I didn't pass out from dehydration
uke:...and 2) because I was able to come up with 3 more silver and a few wheats.Nothing too old today but all the coins were found in a mixture of crap such as foil wads..wire pieces and other numerous junk bits one would expect to find along the sidelines of old abandoned football fields.
[attachment 169250 test4x7.jpg]
As you can see the one roosey still has the iron stains on it from sitting directly under a rusty bolt.
Would have liked to have taken a pic of it in the hole like that...but again...I feel lucky not to be in the hospital having fluids put in me from the heat today.
Normally I would be a little more detailed with how things were found...but I'm honestly half sick.
I think this little 4.5 x 7 Excelerator coil will be a nice addition to my arsenal because it can be run smokin' hot. I am thankful I gave it a second chance after better learning my SE and what it was telling me...because this hot little football coil speaks very clear.
1) Exceptional depth for such a tiny coil
2) Exceptional separation
3) Exceptional stability
4) I could go on...but it would get redundant because everything about this coil was outstanding EXCEPT for ground coverage
