Are new coils a possibility, since there's new models?

[Canewrap]

I was playing with my new 705 and doing some air tests with the stock coil and the 10.5 DD coil when it hit me that if Minelab would just produce a 10.5 or 11 inch concentric coil it would be a serious competitor in the relic hunting field as well. I don't imagine that an 11-inch spoked concentric would be any heavier than the 10.5 DD (might be a tad lighter in fact). I came to the X-terra because the MXT I was using was tearing up my shoulder with anything bigger than the stock coil.

On a side note I found out I had been operating on a false premise when I did the air test. I found out that the 10.5 DD air tests at the same distance as the stock coil, using identical settings. So, it would seem that the big coil is only good for more coverage and bad ground. In good ground you won't see any increased depth. At max sensitivity I was getting about 9.5" inches on a penny and 10.5" on a quarter. Now I know air testing is not the same as in the ground, but it does show the potential and serves as a constant for comparison when comparing two coils. Next thing I'll do is take it out hunting and find a deep target in prospecting mode and do a comparison by switching coils. Maybe I better learn to hunt in prospecting mode for those deeper targets, which I'll know are deep when I switch to C/T mode and it doesn't register.

 

[KurtB]

I agree with your statements. The 10" DD coil for the Exterra makes the detector front heavy. It would be nice if Minelab would make, at least, a slim line version of it and also maybe a 8" and 12" or bigger. The Exterra series of detectors has a lot of potential that is limited by coil selection in the DD catagory. A 12" concentric would be a nice addition also. IMO.

Kurt

 

[wayne_etc]

Hey Cane...how does the 705 compare with the 700 "in our ground"? Would you consider it a significant improvement in performance? Also, considering our dirt can be a little hot, do you think DD coils are significantly deeper than the concentric? I really want a small coil and wonder if I need the DD, or would the little concentric do me just as good in the trash.

Thanks

w

 

[John(Tx)]

I'm happy with that, the hit is a nice soft repeatable signal with the ID at 42. HH

 

[Canewrap]

Wayne, you need the little DD coil. The concentric just doesn't seperate as well. I just got the 705 and will be trying it out for the first time this Sunday. I played around with it in the backyard yesterday a little and did some air tests; so far its at least as good as the 70. I think where it will shine is in the plowed fields, because as you probably have found out by now, the tracking can be all over the place in a recently (last few years) plowed field or cattle field. While using tracking in that situation really helps to keep depth constant, having a ground balance offset will enable max depth out of that tracking situation and when you're looking for a needle in a haystack it pays to have a stronger magnet.