Long: test of 14" /5" EXcelerator vs 6x10 eclipse MXT

[Anonymous]

Ok- finally started the test with all 3 DD coils - and did a ground test with them plus the 9.5 concentric.
I cranked it to the max on gain, 0 disc, trigger forward as directed(my preference too)in Relic and threshold fairly audible (If I turn the threshold down, I lost distance drastically. I ground balanced first and set to Lock before each coil was tried. Earphones: brand new Ultimate Gray Ghosts with clipper on:
AIR:
Silver 1/2 $:
detect signal/ ID Distance / VDI
14" 18" 11.5-12" 83+
6x10 15 10 86-90
5" 12 6 86
****************************************************
early 60s nickel:
14" 16 12 varied 12& 33
6X10 15 9 21
5" 10 6 " 8-24
****************************************************
wheatie
14" 15-16" 10-11 60
6x10 14 7 74
5" 10 5.5 70
****************************************************
3/8 " Sq pc of thin about 20 gauge
14" 17 7-8 0-24
6x10 11 5-5.5 14
5" 7 4 42
***************************************************
In GROUND:
I have also planted in dirt all of the coins and the silver for long-term study. They vary from 8 to 10 and 12 inches.
After I buried them ( moist soil, mineralization of about 80) I went over all of them with all 4 coils, here is what I found:
All but the 14" could detect them in the ground- as a signal; the weakest was the 5, the concentric 3rd, 6x10 pretty good signal strength and the 14 the best signal.
The best part for the 14 is this: It was the ONLY coil to give me a VDI of ANY kind! And it was always positive and for some, pretty darn close to telling me what coin.
As for depth- The 6x10 gave the closest readings, the 14 was one to two inches shallow, the concentric almost as good as the 6x10, and the 5 was 2-3 inches shallow.
I'm not too impressed with the depth or ID with the 5" in this situation, but will reserve final judgment with more time in the field and around tight/trashy places and perhaps nugget shooting.
I am, however fairly chuffed as the English say, about the 14" <img src="/metal/html/grin.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=":grin">
I hope this pleases Jim Mccullogh! I know you've been asking for facts and figures. Will post findings too- plu in early March I'll be in the fields in the UK so it'll get the real test. If this works out as well in the field, I might let JW post this on Kellyco's site too.
HH - Gary ( must get out tomorrow and tuesday) <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt="">

 

[Anonymous]

This is the kind of definative info that many of us have been seeking. Your test is of particular value to me, inasmuch as our soil conditions are nearly identical. To recap your excellent post, you mention that the White's 10x6 DD air tested on a nickel to 15," and the 14" Excellerator got it to 16". Likewise you mention that the 10x6 air tested on a wheatie to 14", and the Excellerator air tested from 15 to 16". From this one could deduce that the Excellerator air tested about 7% farther then the 10x6; not bad. In-ground testing revealed that both the 10x6 and 14" Excellerator could all find the same coins, and that the the 10x6 got a "pretty good signal" and the Excellerator got "the best signal." You mention that the 10x6 provided more accurate depth reading, but that would be expected, due to the great difference in size between the 10x6 and 14" Excellerator. Very laudable information, Gary, for which we all thank you. I hope you do well in England; HH jim

 

[Anonymous]

Good test Gary. Thanks much for doing it. I just got an MXT and was looking for coil options. From what youve posted, the 6x10 looks pretty good. Ive read that its lighter than the stock coil, would you agree? Seems like what you gain by getting the 14" Excellerator is increased coverage and a tad more depth.
Neil

 

[Anonymous]

Gary,
Just want to make sure I understood what you wrote, Are you saying you burried the coins today, at that depth , then went out and the machine picked them up ???
Ray

 

[Anonymous]

Yes Ray--I got positive readings and some IDing-not always right on- not real strong- but enough to tell me that I was onto very diggable signals--the others just didn't do it. How about you?
-g.

 

[Anonymous]

I think the 6x10 is a little lighter than the 9.5- but then it's a DD and not a concentric too- so no real comparison. Frankly, I can do without the 9.5- especially now that the 14 is looking so promising. <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt="">
-gary

 

[Anonymous]

Quote from my post
All <span style="background-color:#ffff00;">but the 14"</span> could detect them in the ground- as a signal; the weakest was the 5, the concentric 3rd, 6x10 pretty good signal strength and the 14 the best signal.
The best part for the 14 is this: It was the ONLY coil to give me a VDI of ANY kind! And it was always positive and for some, pretty darn close to telling me what coin.
Sorry what I meant in the first part was- "All could detect them in the ground as a SIGNAL..."
<span style="background-color:#ffff00;">The important part is that the 14 was the only one </span>giving me ANY info beyond possible depth!!!!
That's what really impressed me.
-gary

 

[Anonymous]

Gary.
Maybe the ground is different and the threshold setting I use may be affecting it but I had a quarter and a nickel at a measured 7 inches. the ground reads in the 60's and it is red dirt. I had them marked and couldn't get the stock coil to respond to them. Well I moved the rocks I had them marked by when mowing grass and was unable to locate them. Then I got the 14 inch coil, I found both of the coins, the quarter id'ed properly and the nickel id'ed in the zinc range. I located them with the gain set on 8 with the 14 inch coil. I need to plant a few more and try using an audible threshold. I always hunt with silent search. Maybe why I couldn't get the coins with the stock coil. Alot of places I look I can't get a smooth threshold running a high gain so I turn the threshold back til I can't hear it. That was a very informative post you made, may have to adjust my settings and see what I get, Air test results are about the same. As I have said before this tecting game seems to always be a learning game and any info we get or can give is always helpful.
Ray

 

[Anonymous]

Went to a park today and dug a lot of pop tops and some coins. I was mostly concerned in getting a feel for how to pinpoint.
Two ways seem to work well- the first is a + pattern:
Find the strongest signal by tone and bars on the screen (I prefer tone), once centered: while keeping contact with the ground side-step and rotate 90 degrees and move side to side to get the best signal-that is usually real close - same works for the 6x10.
2d way: start as with the first- side to side, then while in the strongest position, push it back and forth- this gives a close mark- now for the tricky, but fast part-- push it away an a bit to one side so that the signal decreases and when a few inches away from the "center" point, detune by releasing and pulling on the trigger--then go left (or rt to center line and pull back. On mine, as I come back with the coil, the signal rises and the suddenly dies
at the "EX" part of the word Excelerator -which is pretty close to the most distant part of the vertical bar the shaft is attached to --6.5 inches from the shaft screw. It seems to work at the gold rectangle containing the serial #- behind the shaft too.
Does it come close?? YES!! I was digging 4" deep plugs and the pull tab or coin was almost always at the end of the plug or at the very bottom of the hole--I'd stick my pinpointer probe in the hole a BUZZ- right there. NICE... If I got in a bit of a hurry- it might me on the side of the hole near the bottom. Nearly everything was 3-4 inches today- a couple at 4-5. I need to take some time to look only for deep signals, but I hate to dig very deep in nice grass! Some of the coins were pretty close to trash and I could still make out a signal for a coin.
So far so good. More later.
<img src="/metal/html/glasses.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=""> -Gary

 

[Anonymous]

Gary
I had to go try this test with an audible threshold. Only tried the 14 inch coil today, I have a dime at 7 inches that it will hit and ID. My ground ranged from 68-88. I planted a quarter at 8 inches and got a good beep and the ID bounced, I planted another quarter at 10 inches and do not get a repeatable beep. My ground has alot of iron in it also. I had the mxt in relic, 0 disc trigger forward gain on +3 ground to track. And adjusted the threshold til I could here it humming slightly. With your mxt set up like this is it smooth ??? I don't know how lond I could take it running the machine like that.I could here the threshold in the background of a lot of chatter, when I flipped the trigger to the center the threshold tone went away. If I reduced the gain the chatter went away. Also I put the disc on 4 and went over the 8 inch quarter and the signal was broken. Put disc back on 0 and got a good beep again. I definately think the ex coil does better with very little disc. Anyways sounds like yours likes your ground.
HH Ray

 

[Anonymous]

Your experience is normal, and is not due to any fault of the Excellerator coil. Higher discrimination levels reduce depth. That is why I always encourage using as much power, and as little discrimination, as possible. Keep up the good work! HH Jim

 

[Anonymous]

That was the theory I had in mind Jim. I know it was here that I read it a while back that usind discrimination could cost you some good deeper targets. I did come to one conclusion today though. Even using 0 discrimination you always have the option of digging what targets you want to, And I have yet to find anything good that came in the foil range so left a little in the dirt today for the next guy. I have been digging a lot of trash as of late and a good part of it I pretty much new would be trash but on the same hand was hoping that maybe one of the 8-10 vdi balls of foil would be a ring. maybe next time.
Ray

 

[Anonymous]

Ray, I wouldn't say that mine isn't chatty at those highest levels of gain, 0 disc and some threshold, but I'm using the Ult Gray Ghosts and can turn it down to a tolerable noise and still get hits.
I'd like to crank the trheshold up more, but it does get annoying..
gary

 

[Anonymous]

I also have the gray ghost and keep them turned down 2 ckicks most of the time, they are not as bad as some but still get a little loud on shallow hits. I did see an increase in depth with an audible threshold but also heard alot more noise. Guess a deeper target may be worth a little static. Just when you think you got it figured out you gotta try something different, as I say it's always a learning game.
Ray

 

[emmons]

e
where do you get service for the ecelator coil??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

[Monte]

Service/repair of aftermarket search coils usually needs them to be sent to their maker. In the case of the Detech's Excelerator coils, I checked their website and I didn't see any comments about warranty coverage or specifics of getting service, so if you have a defect or other problem, you can contact the coil maker or send the coil for service.

DETECH Ltd.
5 Vasil Levski str.
Shumen
Bulgaria
9700

This is one reason why, with any detector model I use, I prefer to use only the metal detector manufacturer's search coils and not 'aftermarket' coils. It would seem logical or reasonable that if a detector company can manufacture quality, high-performance metal detectors, then they should be expected to make the search coils for them to bring out their best performance.

Just my thoughts, but I have had some defective search coils on a number of occasions through the years, and every time they were the detector manufacturer's coils so repair or replacement was very quick with the detector maker.

Monte

 

[PSS1963]

Service/repair of aftermarket search coils usually needs them to be sent to their maker. In the case of the Detech's Excelerator coils, I checked their website and I didn't see any comments about warranty coverage or specifics of getting service, so if you have a defect or other problem, you can contact the coil maker or send the coil for service.

DETECH Ltd.
5 Vasil Levski str.
Shumen
Bulgaria
9700

This is one reason why, with any detector model I use, I prefer to use only the metal detector manufacturer's search coils and not 'aftermarket' coils. It would seem logical or reasonable that if a detector company can manufacture quality, high-performance metal detectors, then they should be expected to make the search coils for them to bring out their best performance.

Just my thoughts, but I have had some defective search coils on a number of occasions through the years, and every time they were the detector manufacturer's coils so repair or replacement was very quick with the detector maker.

Monte

Despite their reputation for performance, I've never heard anyone say that Detech was responsive to customer complaints. Also, given that most (all?) search coils these days are waterproof, its pretty much a given that they are either glued shut or potted (encapsulated in epoxy) and therefore not serviceable, so a defective coil would have to be replaced rather than repaired.

BTW, Monte, got my items yesterday - thanks!

-pete

 

[Monte]

n/t