Optimal size coil?

[Canewrap]

When using a smaller coil (6", 7", or 8") what would be the optimal size when considering separation and depth, when hunting in a somewhat trashy area and you want to hit targets 6"- 8" deep? Would a DD coil be better for this or a concentric if you're in moderate to good ground?

 

[BarberBill]

My choice is either a 6" or 7" concentric. The concentric will give a bit more depth in moderate ground and discriminate better.
BB

 

[Monte]

I am not referring the Double-D (wide-scan) Vs Concentric, but the actually internal size and relationship of the Tx and Rx windings. A lot also depends upon the make/model detector and how it functions.

That said, I will state this: My personal preference is for a coil in the 6"-7

 

[pescadore]

I love the 7" coil on my Troy Shadow X-3. It is small enough to use in trashy areas but I do not believe that I give up very much depth. It has been my favorite size coil that I have ever used.

 

[silversmith]

Actually, almost all detectors come with an "8in" coil. I doubt manufacturers selected this size just for the Halibut, but was selected as the best all around size coil, for general applications. So, why fight 'em ? If you just have one coil, stick with stock. Next, if your using a fancy discriminator with a digital readout that will almost give you the date on the coin, go with the concentric as others have stated. I got 4 coils for my old Big Bud 220-d standby but mostly use the 8" coil that came on it. Have fun.

 

[Southwind]

I prefer the DD's myself. Yes you do have a slight depth advantage with the concentric, but remember that depth advantage is only at the very tip of the detection field which is only 1" wide. That means to take advantage of that depth advantage you would need to overlap your swings by less than an inch, or hope to get lucky. I prefer to battle the odds of getting over a good target with a bigger area rather than a very small area 1" deeper.

 

[Canewrap]

The reason I gave the range is because different detectors have different size, small coils. The X-terra I have has a 6" DD coil that is really good in heavy trash, but just reaches the 8" mark and doesn't ID very well at 8". However, I have a Musketeer Advantage that has a 7 1/4" coil (they call it 8") that is just phenomal that gets up to 9", but you can only tell if its iron or non-iron. The CW sites I have left to hunt are the ones where there is a lot of iron or a mix of iron and trash. The rub is that most of the good targets are in that 7-9" range. Guess I'm gonna be busy working to unmask targets by diggin iron over the next few months, oboy !

 

[BarberBill]

In the end it seems like it always is a trade off between depth, separation, and coverage. In my own experience I've done pretty well with the stock 8" donut on my tesoros, but also use the 7" concentric a lot around parks and fair grounds. On the other hand, in several local parks the stock 9.5 concentric on my MXT is too large to do a good job of separation in all the trash and I do much better with the 5.3 (6inch) coil. I'm a firm believer that a good selection of coil sizes really makes any detector much more versatile and usable in different locations and types of hunting.
HH
BB

 

[gmanlight]

I think most DD coils can be 2 or 3 inches bigger than a concentric and be as good or better in trash

 

[BarberBill]

Yes, the 6X0 on my MXT is considerably better in the same trash parks I mentioned in my previous post.
HH
BB

 

[Canewrap]

You know, if the X-terra had a 7.5" DD, 7.5khz coil I wouldn't need anything else for most of my hunting right now. The 10.5" DD is a good coil, but just not enough separation in the real iron-infested areas that have always been hard to hunt and therefore still have some worthwhile targets. Maybe I can get good enough with my Musketeer to understand what its telling me and I won't feel like I need a TID machine. Gotta admit its certainly easier to hunt with the Musketeer.

 

[Dan-Pa.]

Really kill your coverage, depth etc. but go where stock coils won't go and in high mineralization and trashy areas excel..I am sure we all have our favorites but about the best I have seen are the Whites 5.3 which is actually closer to 6 inches..of course your favorite may differ larger or smaller but indeed acc. coils are a plus in many cases.

 

[Jackpine Savage]

about matching the coil to the detector. The Musky and 8" is a great combo for what you are doing. Spend some time learning its language and I feel you will be successful at pulling those toughies out in the depth range you want. Another one is Teknetics 11" Elliptical DD design. I was impressed with it on the T2 and now the Omega with its iron suppression discrimination system along with the 11" DD makes the job even easier (for me).

Tom