Has Anyone Used The 13x15 Coil For The Gold Racer?

[kac]

Looking for a bigger coil option for my GR and wondering if anyone has used the 13x15 coil on it. If so is it like swinging a wet dog? How does it perform?

Thanks

[Steve Herschbach]

One of the better large VLF coils I have used; I still have the detector and coil below.

From https://www.detectorprospector.com/forums/topic/1387-detailed-review-of-makro-gold-racer-by-steve-herschbach/

"Perhaps the biggest surprise for me was when I decided to give the 15.5” x 13” DD coil a try. Honestly, I did not expect much from it. You normally do not see a coil this large for high frequency machines because the ground feedback usually overwhelms them, negating any gains that can be had regarding depth. Instead, the Gold Racer seemed to be even better behaved with the larger coil than with the smaller coils. I hunted some cobble piles with it and it ran smooth as can be at higher sensitivity levels. I then wandered into some moderately hot ground with it, still with no problems, and was actually surprised when I came up with a couple small gold nuggets with it. The first was only 0.8 grams which I thought was pretty fantastic. So I put a little more effort into it, and found a 0.3 gram nugget. With a 15.5” x 13” DD coil on a VLF? That is really kind of unheard of, and I was thoroughly impressed. I am not sure what is going on there but I do know the Makro detectors can sense what coil is on the detector. Something different going on with that big coil? I don’t know, but the results and performance surprised me. Also surprising was that for such a large coil it actually was not bad swinging it for half a day. That could be from my using large, heavy detectors all summer however. Still, it was an eye opener all around and changed how I think my Gold Racer might get used in the future. It looks to have more use for covering very large areas blue sky prospecting than I would have imagined."

Makro Gold Racer with 15.5" x 13" coil

[kac]

For unmasking in iron I find the gold racer to be really good, using it to pick through areas most walk over. Found an 8" clad dime in with iron my buddy swore it was iron with his Nox. AM mode and seeing the number spike in one direction made me dig it. It has also found my last trime that also was in crap ground and I doubled checked the target with disc 1 that I have imast at 1 on. Trime had an odd broken signal but was worth investigating though it was only few inches down it would be a really easy target to walk past.

I tend to pay more attention to the audio and size of the sound with the GR than my other machines. I find it pretty easy to follow and love how the id's often go as deep as the audio with the audio boost off. Numbers don't really drop off over distance like the MK can do. Overload sound reminds me of an old arcade game which I am also a fan of 🙂

I have only had the machine a few months and it is becoming one of my favorites to use.

Debating on another coil for it though. The stock 13x15 looks good but going through the open fields with stubble it is hard to beat the solid coils. Cors makes a butterfly (same as Nel superfly) for it but no dealers here offer them.

[GB_Amateur]

15 hours ago, kac said:

Debating on another coil for it though. The stock 13x15 looks good but going through the open fields with stubble it is hard to beat the solid coils. Cors makes a butterfly (same as Nel superfly) for it but no dealers here offer them.

These sentences have me confused, although maybe you were just lamenting.  In response: 1) The superfly/butterfly is an open coil, so no advnatage/difference in that feature compared to the N/M 13x15.  2) The NEL superfly is available in US from at least one dealer, at least their website indicates such.  Since the NEL and CORS coils are always the same (assuming same release) except for the name and label, it shouldn't matter which you get.  3) Serious_Detecting is an official CORS retailer in the USA, so either e-mailing or calling them should get you some info on the (upcoming) availability of the butterfly.

As is often the case, I post this not specifically to help you but for others who read it and get confused.  I suspect you (kac) know everything I just said.

[kac]

I'm probably not clear.. I am doing well with the closed prospecting coil and it works really well where there is twigs and crap you typically get hung up on in mowed fields and woods. It does go amazingly deep for it's size BUT I think I need a bigger coil for the fields to get to the deeper targets that unfortunately are out of range for that coil.

That leaves me down to the open coils and either a Cors 12x11 Butterfly or the stock 13x15. The 13x15 might be on the heavy side to go over hills and swing over the cut brush etc. but will cover more ground and easy to purchase.

The Cors Butterfly for the Gold Racer isn't or hasn't been available in the US. I contacted SD if they can notify me if one comes in stock or if they can order me one. They said they will email me but never heard back. I can direct purchase through Cors but afraid it may get hung up in customs and have no idea what the charges would be once it hits the border.

That make sense?

[GB_Amateur]

3 hours ago, kac said:

That make sense?

It's making more sense.  I still don't understand why you emphasize the unavailability of the CORS vs. the availability(?) of the equivalent NEL coil.

I (and many others) agree with your wish for a closed coil.  The Minelab Equinox has only three available coils, all open.  Many of us wished we could get Vanquish-like coils for the Eqx -- they are elliptical -- but even with those the only option is an open coil.  An even bigger wish was for ML to make an intermediate size closed eliptical such as the 5"x10" 'gold' coil (18.75 kHz) for their X-Terra 705 that they proved they know how to make!!  (No response after almost 3 years, as typical.)

One solution (Steve H. illustrated it a couple years back for his Eqx 11" coil) is to attach a polycarbonate shield over the bottom of an open coil.  He epoxied directly onto the coil itself but there is also the option of attaching it to the skidplate.  This isn't as useful as a true closed coil because rubble can still collect on top of the coil housing and stay there until you dump it out.  But it certainly improves swinging over rocks and protruding plant stems, etc.

Unfortunately the aftermarket IB/VLF coil manufacturers only provide closed coils in the smaller sizes, AFAIK.  Probably a weight issue?

[Steve Herschbach]

I tossed the coil on my postal scales to get a weight.

Nokta/Makro 13" x 15.5" GR40 coil for Gold Racer with scuff cover 1 lb 11 oz (766 grams)

Minelab Equinox 12.25" x 15" coil for Equinox with scuff cover 1 lb 7.3 oz (660 grams)

[kac]

Nel doesn't seem to make the Superfly for the Gold Racer but Cors has it as a Butterly but none of the USA dealers I know of carry it.

I find the shorter coils easier to navigate through high target areas. 1.6 lbs isn't so bad to swing. Other option is the Cors Strike that is 13x12.

Been thinking of making a vacuum board and make some solid covers for my current coils, buddy mine wants one for his Nox 11". Just need motivation lol.