Nokta/Makro Simplex+

I already have what many would consider most of the best detectors on the market, but NM keeps putting out deals that are difficult to resist. From the moment it was announced I knew I would eventually grab one. For people like me, whether or not you hold onto it is about managing expectations. I don’t like to use the word “hype,” but this machine has seen a lot of it, and if you have a machine like the equinox, Anfibio etc and you’re expecting that much depth out of it, you’ve been slightly mislead. I did a lot of research prior to purchase and my expectations were that depth would be somewhere in between the AT Pro and the F-75. That’s nothing to scoff at, and I wasn’t disappointed that way. My opinion is you’re looking at upper mid to lower high end depth if that makes sense to you. Not bad at all for $254 (or buy for around $200 used at this point) I think this machine is a keeper no matter what you have or where you are in the hobby. There are always situations where you might not want to take a $1,000-$2,500 machine. 

After the Equinox and CTX breaches I really wanted a machine I’m not afraid to dunk in fresh water swimming holes. This fit the bill and I have to say I’m a fan of the vibration feature and also the built in LED feature for lighting up underwater and at night when it’s cooler to detect in the summer time. The Simplex is a great backup or spare. It’s also great to just get out and have some fun with a powerful but very simple machine on a nice day, on a rainy muddy day, or in the water. 

In park 2 this is a super fast machine. But again, manage expectations. Don’t expect a Deus or ORX. Definitely invest in the 5.5x9.5 inch coil if separation is important to you. The machine also seems to behave a little better with this coil. It will be exciting to see what other coils come out for this. I would imagine a 13” coil or larger would boost depth up even further up into higher end territory. 

If you’re completely new to the hobby or will be lending it to someone completely new, be careful not to try to max it out at first. Knock sensitivity down a couple notches. Just focus on recovering some shallow(er) targets and making nice plugs. This can make the difference between buying a closet queen and giving up in frustration or motivating yourself to continue on. Maybe even have someone, or learn, to set it up to cherry pick for a while. It made all the difference for me and nearly 10 years later I’m as enthusiastic as I ever was. 

I like the build quality and aesthetic look of this machine. It goes to show that you don’t have to make a big heavy monstrosity to be waterproof and premium looking. I like that NM took pride in their design on a $254 machine that looks better than another $950 machine I have. Some guys think there’s a little too much flex in the bottom shaft and I agree. I can live with a bit of flex but some guys may want to invest in the carbon fiber aftermarket lower shaft. The only other criticism I would offer, and I may be wrong on this, but it seems the mineralization meter is either off on this machine or the F-75. On this machine I have 0-2 bar dirt. On F-75 I had 2-3 bar dirt. Can’t both be right or perhaps they are meant to measure differently. 

Lastly, I love Apple products because of the continuity and coherence of one platform working seamlessly with the next in their walled garden. NM is building toward that. The machine works with their wireless headphones, and so does their Pulse Dive pinpointer in either configuration. I would only like to see more integration with the machine in the future, and something tells me we may.