Got a nice Minelab 8" Coin Search coil brand new never used .

[deepdiger60]

I been looking for a smaller coil for close in woods hunting and even field hunts i had my eye on a few 8x6 sef coils then i saw this up for aution i had 22 hours left to research it there is not much about it to research but from what i read no one had any cons about it i PM Rick i remember him saying he had a lot of good finds with his 8" coin search from what he told me i was sold on it so i put my bid in at 3:27 am this morning i won !! $ 112.00 a lot cheaper then a Tornado 8 or SEF plus free shipping . The seller said he never used it since he got it way back when i guessing 1996? . It looks in pristeen condishion it has hand scribed in the middle 4395 the date? and then under a 5 .I know it is not waterproof so ill put some shoe-goo in the treads where the coil wire goes in the coil , If the weather holds one weekend ill give it a try in one of the 1800,s school yards . Any one else ever use this coil ? on there Sovereign,s . HH Jim

 

[Critterhunter]

Sounds like you got a great deal there. All I know is that some swear by that coil and liked it much better than the old heavy BBS versions of the 8 and 10" coils before those were replaced by the Tornado's. I hear too the audio it produces some feel is easier for somebody new to the Sovereign to learn the tones, or something like that if I remember right. Probably a more broad response then I would suspect to make the tones more pronounced maybe?

The S-12 seems to have a "broader bark" than other coils I've used. Some might prefer that depending on their hearing. I prefer the more crisp and sharper bark of the 12x10. I just seem to be able to hear target differences easier with a more crisp (meaning treble-like) response of the 12x10. I'm sure it has something to do with my hearing, because I often find I prefer the treble on a stereo turned up a bit so I can hear certain parts of the music a bit better. That's why I'm wondering if tweaking the tone pot on the board of my GT might be in order, since I suspect I've got low frequency hearing loss but can hear the higher stuff better?

If I decide to use my 8" Tornado in the woods, I plan to zip tie some coruplast sign material to the bottom so it's solid and will slide easy over the forest floor debri. That stuff is almost industructable so I suspect it will hold up to abuse, and it is also waterproof.

If I read you right (?) you were eying an 8x6 for your Sovereign? Far as I know they don't make that coil in a BBS version, unless it's a new thing?

 

[deepdiger60]

Sounds like you got a great deal there. All I know is that some swear by that coil and liked it much better than the old heavy BBS versions of the 8 and 10" coils before those were replaced by the Tornado's. I hear too the audio it produces some feel is easier for somebody new to the Sovereign to learn the tones, or something like that if I remember right. Probably a more broad response then I would suspect to make the tones more pronounced maybe?

The S-12 seems to have a "broader bark" than other coils I've used. Some might prefer that depending on their hearing. I prefer the more crisp and sharper bark of the 12x10. I just seem to be able to hear target differences easier with a more crisp (meaning treble-like) response of the 12x10. I'm sure it has something to do with my hearing, because I often find I prefer the treble on a stereo turned up a bit so I can hear certain parts of the music a bit better. That's why I'm wondering if tweaking the tone pot on the board of my GT might be in order, since I suspect I've got low frequency hearing loss but can hear the higher stuff better?

If I decide to use my 8" Tornado in the woods, I plan to zip tie some coruplast sign material to the bottom so it's solid and will slide easy over the forest floor debri. That stuff is almost industructable so I suspect it will hold up to abuse, and it is also waterproof.

If I read you right (?) you were eying an 8x6 for your Sovereign? Far as I know they don't make that coil in a BBS version, unless it's a new thing?

Hi Critter i think the 8" will do good in the woods which i like most of all hunting ,as far as the sef 8x6 a BBS verison is made ill post the UK link .Jim
http://www.crawfordsmd.com/metal-detecting-accessories/accessories-minelab/Detec-8x6-coil

 

[Rick(ND)]

That was a great deal on this coil in the shape the picture shows and I know you will be very happy with it and I feel you will leave this coil on more than any other one for your in the woods hunting, or even general hunting.

Good luck and lets us know how well you do with the 8 inch coinsearch.

Rick

 

[Neil]

Jim those 8" coinsearch coils are a full 8", get excellent depth, glide over the grass and brush (since they are not open spider type coils), have good balance and feel nice and light to swing. Stock they are water repellent, not waterproof, remember that.
Your gonna need a small spacer on the coil bolt, on the side you use the wingnut. The wingnut wont tighten down correctly against the coil mount. They came with a spacer, if you cant locate or make one let me know, I think I have a few left.
If you decide you dont like the coil and want to sell it let me know, I will probably take it off your hands

You got a good deal on it. Good luck hunting it.

 

[Maxwedge]

JIM, YOU WILL LOVE IT. I LOVED MINE. IT WORKED VERY GOOD AND WENT PRETTY DEEP, AND I TURNED THE SENSITIVITY UP ALL THE WAY SOMETIMES WITHOUT FALSING. UNFORUNATELY MINE FINALLY WENT CRAZY SOMETIMES, AND I QUIT USING IT. WHEN I CAN, I WILL GET ANOTHER ONE, OR AN S-8. HH-MARK

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Jim,the Coinsearch coil is a nice coil.FYI make sure you have the small spacer washer and a bolt that the hex head will fit between the Finns of the coil mount support.Usually a small hard plastic tube can be cut to make a good spacer.Good Luck Ron

 

[deepdiger60]

Jim,the Coinsearch coil is a nice coil.FYI make sure you have the small spacer washer and a bolt that the hex head will fit between the Finns of the coil mount support.Usually a small hard plastic tube can be cut to make a good spacer.Good Luck Ron

Hi Ron i have a box of assorted hard nylon washers i can use thanks for the tip , i cant wait to try it in my long hunted out front yard lol Jim

 

[deepdiger60]

Jim those 8" coinsearch coils are a full 8", get excellent depth, glide over the grass and brush (since they are not open spider type coils), have good balance and feel nice and light to swing. Stock they are water repellent, not waterproof, remember that.
Your gonna need a small spacer on the coil bolt, on the side you use the wingnut. The wingnut wont tighten down correctly against the coil mount. They came with a spacer, if you cant locate or make one let me know, I think I have a few left.
If you decide you dont like the coil and want to sell it let me know, I will probably take it off your hands

You got a good deal on it. Good luck hunting it.

Thanks Neil as soon as time permits i will try the coil and see how it preforms those VA doctors are relentless lol , i got plenty of nylon spacers . Jim

 

[Critterhunter]

JIM, YOU WILL LOVE IT. I LOVED MINE. IT WORKED VERY GOOD AND WENT PRETTY DEEP, AND I TURNED THE SENSITIVITY UP ALL THE WAY SOMETIMES WITHOUT FALSING. UNFORUNATELY MINE FINALLY WENT CRAZY SOMETIMES, AND I QUIT USING IT. WHEN I CAN, I WILL GET ANOTHER ONE, OR AN S-8. HH-MARK

Max, chances are it's going crazy due to a short in the coil cable. Usually the coil cable right behind where it plugs into the machine. Wiggle the cable in various spots, starting at the coil, and working your way up to the control box. If it seems to get worse or better in one spot while wiggling, then there you go. If you don't know how to solder, take it to your local RC car and plane hobby store. Often they have guys on staff that solder stuff for people and will solder something dirt cheap in price.

If it's not the cable, I've seen some guys cut open BBS coils and get at the guts to repair them. Usually the problem isn't the windings, since the only thing that can really go wrong with them is the protective varnish wearing through and windings grounding to each other. Or, being that coil isn't filled with epoxy (thus not waterproof), perhaps the coil windings have come out of their proper alignment to each other. If that's the case, simply re-positioning the coil where it's supposed to sit and gluing it down will take care of the problem.

But the most common problem internaly I've seen others fix on BBS coils, is that the pre-amp circuit in the coil has a failed component on it. Which is either going to be a resistor, capacitor, or the IC pre-amp chip...which is a standard off the shelf part you can get anywhere and not exclusive to Minelab, as it's used in many electronics applications.

The perk to that coil is that it's not epoxy filled so it'll be easier to crack open and fix. I've seen people fix epoxy filled Sovereign coils, but that takes using an angle grinder or something to cut into the epoxy and get at the pre-amp circuit or whatever they were after fixing. If you use a angle grinder with a cut off wheel and cut that coil right at the seam all the way around it (being careful not to cut too deep), you should be able to slice it open like an apple cut in half and get after whatever the problem might be. I bet it's a short in the coil cable though, which is an even easier fix.

 

[Critterhunter]

If I read you right (?) you were eying an 8x6 for your Sovereign? Far as I know they don't make that coil in a BBS version, unless it's a new thing?

Hi Critter i think the 8" will do good in the woods which i like most of all hunting ,as far as the sef 8x6 a BBS verison is made ill post the UK link .Jim
http://www.crawfordsmd.com/metal-detecting-accessories/accessories-minelab/Detec-8x6-coil

WOW, that is fantastic that Detech is making an 8x6 for the BBS units. I suspect that's a new thing, because I've searched in the past and never saw them mention they make a BBS version of it, even though I looked over in the UK where Detech lurks, as I know they make some coils (such as the 4.5x7 or 10x14) for the BBS units, along with some other machines, that Kellyco doesn't carry over here. I know many have wished for a BBS version of the 8x6 in the past, so I wonder if Kellyco will special order it for a group of 10 or more who pre-pay a down payment, because they have said they are willing to do that for the 12x10 should they stop carrying the BBS version, and probably for any other Detech BBS coil as well, so long as we get a group of 10 commited pre-order down payment to them as a group to insure the order.

I suspect Detech will continue to make BBS versions of their coils, as they continue to make SEFs and such for some rather obscure or long since discontinued detectors that were never nearly as popular as the Sovereign/Excalibur (Musketeer for one....they make SEFs for it), but even if they stopped making a certain coil for a certain model detector, I suspect if Kellyco has a order ready Detech will be happy to run off a production run for a ready to go special order.

Those people over there seem to pride themselves in pushing obscure or long since defunct detectors beyond their abilities, and I suspect they are more of a "mom and pop shop" type of mentality, where they don't necessarily need a huge order or a currently made machine to encourage them to run off a production run. Think of it as more of a chain home improvement store that won't order custom items for you, where as the small mom and pop stores will tend to do that, because they have less overhead so the profit is worth the extra effort to please a smaller segment of people.

I'm guessing they perhaps had enough people mention to them they'd like a 8x6 for the BBS platforms (I've probably heard this one wish in a coil choice from them in posts than any other coil that didn't exist for BBS), and decided that it was time to do a production run on them. As I said, those people over there seem to pride themselves of moving quickly and appealing to a bit more "obscure" markets than others might want to deal with messing with. For that reason, even if they stop making a BBS 12x10 one day down the road for instance, I bet after a amount of time when demand builds up again they might run off another batch. I love that idea, and if they do stop making a certain coil for BBS, let's hope that kind of thing is true. Seems to be for other far less popular units long since gone that they run off coils for.

There might be some who missed your discovery of the 8x6 due to this thread's title, since they might not have interest in the 8" Coin Search but might very well have been drooling over buying a 8x6 for their BBS unit, so I think it's worth the effort to post a new thread pointing people interested in that coil to this thread with your fantastic find that they do have a BBS version. Anybody know if this 8x6 BBS version is a new thing? I suspect it is, because I never saw mention of one in all the searching I've down over the last few years, digging into the Detech coils at various sites across the web to read up on them.

 

[Gary In Old VA]

I also just bought a 8" coin search for $100.00 I would like to know if the coil is a DD or a concentric coil.
Gary

 

[Maxwedge]

Thanks Critter, I'll check it out sometime. HH-Mark

 

[deepdiger60]

I also just bought a 8" coin search for $100.00 I would like to know if the coil is a DD or a concentric coil.
Gary

Hi Gary great price for a great coil !! that coil is a DD , weight is 562 grams, and the cable is 7'9" good luck with it iam still waiting to get mine outside soon i hope . Jim HH

 

[Gary In Old VA]

Thanks Jim I am also waiting to get out ti play with mine, but alas the SNOW on the ground has put my fun on hold.
I have just started using the Sovereign GT I really don't know much about Minelab. I have been hunting for 32 years mostly Whites
but also Fisher Tesoro Garret Shadow. I take the time to learn each unit and I find it a lot of fun using different units and finding good stuff with each.
I find that each one has strong and weak points and I like to exploit the strong points. What little I know about Minelab I do like. So time will, tell I am looking
forward to the challenge.
Gary

 

[deepdiger60]

Gary i used a Whites DFX for years and found plenty of good targets before i got my Sov.GT i found the GT is much easier to use and learn but it out performs the DFX by a slight edge , give the Sov some time to learn you wont be disappointed any questions this form can answer them .That coil you just got is rated in the top 3 coils for a Sovereign it came with the XS Sov. first unit made i believe in 1996 . Good luck Jim

 

[Critterhunter]

I also just bought a 8" coin search for $100.00 I would like to know if the coil is a DD or a concentric coil.
Gary

All the coils, factory or aftermarket, for the Sovereign or Excalibur are DD coils. Only exception I know of is the 8" Concentric that Detech makes for it. I used to hate DD coils and prefered concentrics, but mainly because of a poor DD coils I used on certain detectors (not the Sovereign). After being exposed to what a quality DD coil will do on a machine, such as the 10" Tornado, I don't ever want to go back to a concentric. DDs seperate left/right wise much better for me, run more stable in my ground, and I feel get deeper in my soil (which is true when minerals are involved due to a DD's smaller footprint of exposure to sucking up ground matrix). Length wise the DD has a line of detecting running right down the center of the coil, so in effect it's only seeing in a sense a "slice" or "line" of the ground at one time. That doesn't mean it has less coverage, because that line runs the length of the coil so it covers the ground like a wiper blade. Also, concentrics tend to start losing small target sensitivity past about 10" or so in size of the coil according to some (and I believe), where as DD coils seem to retain that coin/ring size sensitivity at larger coil sizes, like say up to around 12 to maybe 14" in coil size, so you should still gain depth on coin/ring sized stuff with a larger DD coil. The ground minerals also effect this. One large coil might show improved depth in some soils but not in others, or even get less depth due to sucking up too much ground stew. I've found in my soil around a 12 or 13" coil size is about max in a DD to still see gains in depth. The 15x12 was not deeper than the stock 10" coil in my soil, where as the 12x10 is.