Is there a difference between the 5.3 eclipse and the 4x6 DD coils?

[Bajanick]

I have the 5.3 eclipse and am wondering if I should have bought the 4x6 instead? Would the 4x6 be better for gold, maybe?

 

[khouse]

Yes, they are wound different. The dd coil pinpoints off the front or rear of the coil. They send the signal different into the ground. The dd is for high mineralized ground. The 5.3 pinpoints dead center. Buy the 5.3 coil. I separates targets real fine. Just leave the 5.3 on your detector all the time.

 

[Jackpine Savage]

Would the 4x6 be better for gold, maybe?
Ans: probably not, unless you are hunting in high mineral ground or when the elliptical shape allows you to work the coil closer to the ground surface, such as when nugget hunting bedrock cracks or where the shape/size allows you to work in and around surface rocks in nugget country.

If you are referring to jewelry hunting the 5.3 coil has excellent sensitivity to small gold (chains and such) when attached to an MXT and it generally offers better discrimination at low disc settings as well. DD coils such as the 4x6 work better in high mineral ground of course but part of the reason they are made with an elliptical shape is to get back some of the sensitivity a DD loses on small gold when compared to a similar size concentric coil. Something that has to be kept in mind when discussing small gold is the difference between nugget hunting and jewelry hunting. Comparing small "nugget gold" and small "jewelry gold" is apples and oranges. With a detector like the MXT that will see sub grain size nuggets, finding small jewelry is an easy task regardless of the coil. Big or small DD or concentric they all work well when attached to the MXT for jewelry. As a general rule of thumb go with the better discrimination of the concentrics unless you prefer the increased ground coverage of the DD's or need to handle "tough" ground conditions.

Tom

 

[Rick(ND)]

The 4X6 I have seem to pinpoint right in the center of the coil too. I never tired the 5.3 yet and hope to some day, but if that 5.3 is better than it really has to go deep as this 4X6 I have I have never seen a small coil go this deep plus pick out coins out of trash like no coil I have ever seen. If the 5.3 is better and deeper i will have to get one to try this summer and see what it can do for me in the heavy trash.

Rick

 

[MontanaMatt]

I really like my 4x6 for real trashy sights such as campgrounds and heavily used parks. The 4x6 also lets you crank the gain without a lot of chatter unlike the 5.3 and the target seperation is top knoch!!

 

[ArtWI]

That little 4x6 DD is awesome in heavy trash. The small foot print of the 4x6 will pick stuff from between trash like no other coil I've used (and I've used plenty). Last fall I hunted a real small trash laden park that is hunted alot. I picked up 25-30 coins that had been in the ground a long time (dis-colored) and missed by many others.

ArtWI

 

[au4greg]

Basic Difference:
5.3 is concentric design
4x6 is a wide scan design.

Both will give you different 'looks' into the ground and tag targets missed by the other.

 

[Reno Chris]

The 5.3 is a concentric coil design, the 4x6 is a DD design. The DD is better in highly mineralized ground, something common is a lot of gold fields, so it is better for prospecting. The 5.3 works great hunting through trash in locations with mild to moderate soil mineralization. The 6x4 also pinpoints easier in my opinion, but the difference is not huge.

Chris