Phoenix50

Images of the holey dollar and dump.

G’day MC. Until 1910 we used English coins, with the exception of gold sovereigns (Full and half.). Australian sovereigns have mintmarks that differentiates them from the English mints. Your threepence is the same as we had. If you are interested, you should google ‘proclamation coins’. When first colonised, Australia had a mix of coins, one a Spanish dollar which had the centre punched out. It was referred to as a holey dollar and dump. Very valuable, if found now. English coins still circulated here after 1910 and it is not unusual to find them still. David.

G’day WH. Yeah, no. I tried to post on AMDRH but the app wouldn’t let me upload photos. I have detected this particular goldfield since the early 1980’s and had some spectacular finds, including gold. I usually stay at a mates property on the river and went down there last year to help him repair fences and tend to stock during the horrific bushfires last year. Through him I met another farmer who owns property across the river. That farmer invited to detect his property, should I be interested. There is a long abandoned township smack in the middle of his holdings that has never had a coil over it. That’s where I had the success. Getting there is problematic and I was extremely lucky to get out during the heavy rain. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have dragged my caravan in there in the first place. It took me an hour to travel 5 kilometres to a better track and another two hours to travel the 53 kilometres to bitumen. Needed a little lie down after that. I would do it again in a heartbeat.😁

I like a bit of a challenge and, during the recent lockdown here in Oz, I decided to tune my Nox 800 to hunting just threepences. For those who don't know, a threepence used to be Australia's smallest silver coin before converting to decimal currency in 1966. They weigh about 1.3 grams and are 16mm in diameter. Once free to roam, i went to an old goldfield that lasted from 1855 to the late 1930's. There were a couple of old homesteads in the area that lasted until the mid 1970's. I figured i had pretty well worked out the best settings for the coin and was pleased that, after a full day's hunt, I detected 14 of the little beggars. I didn't get back to put in other hunt for larger coins as it persistently rained for the next three days and I was lucky to get my vehicle and caravan out through the resulting boggy bush tracks. Still, I have narrowed down several old homesites and, what I believe was, an old pub site. Now for another leave pass from the Minister for War.

You’ve got to love a straight shooter. Kudos Dilek.

My digging tool. I’ve never had a problem with nicked targets. 😂😂😂

Oh no. Due to my experience with the last up date, I’m very wary of plugging the Simplex into the laptop. I might bite the bullet and buy a cheap secondhand one, rather than using my mates again. That aside, I’m impressed how well Nokta interact with our swinging community.

I contacted Nokta Monday morning (local time) and attached a video of the problem I had during the update. In the meantime, I was able to resolve the problem. Nokta have replied and recommend I do a hard reset by holding down the power button for “10 to 15 seconds”. Although I had already overcome the problem in a different way and, the detector is operating without any issues, I thought posting Nokta’s reply may be of value to any other users who may experience problems and consider a hard reset may be the solution. I actually had tried this method but didn’t hold the button down near anywhere long enough.

I received it and took it at face value. I completed the survey.

Wham. And there it is. Into the minefield I bumbled. My post was not a criticism, but an observation. In fact, I thought I was writing in support of what was intended. Reinforcing, if you will. If you had read to the bottom of the post, you’re reaction may have been less explosive. (Pun intended.). I READ comparisons. What I draw from them is on me. My initial point was trying to agree that it be like vs like or, type vs type. Price bracket vs price bracket. As well as being cognisant of whom the comparisons may be useful. Anyway, here’s my head bobbing back below the parapet. Peace brother.

Detector comparisons are a minefield that so many people seem happy to stumble through. Does one compare detectors based on price, features, ergonomics or environment? (By environment, I mean country. IE. conditions.). In Oz the Simplex+ sells for $475. The closest Vanquish, in price, is the 440 at $499. If I was to buy a Vanquish, I would get the 540 Pro Pack which is $699. So, should I compare the Pro Pack with Simplex+? Well, no IMO. So, without field testing, how does the Simplex+ measure up against the 440? The first obvious point is the the 440 has Multi IQ, whereas the Simplex is single frequency. 440 wins. Build quality: Having held both detectors, my opinion is for the Simplex. Simplex wins. Coils: Each has relatively the same size coil. A draw. Waterproof. Simplex is fully submersible while the Vanqush has 1 metre depth with a rainproof control box. Simplex wins. Modes: Simplex has 5, Vanquish has 4. Simplex wins. So, what does that prove? Nothing. Because, most of you reading this have already picked apart my arguments. Fair enough. I own both Equinoxes and a Simplex. The 800 is a terrific machine that has capabilities that I am yet to master. I use it 90% of my detecting time. I have a 6 inch coil on the 600 so I can pull it out to use in tight areas. I bought the Simplex as a loaner. I’m impressed by all three detectors. So, everything is relative, I have three coin and relic detectors that I am very happy with and comparing them (For me) is an exercise in futility. I’m not going out to buy a Vanquish in the hope of getting a detector that will out-perform the Simplex+. I already own two Equinoxes that do that. So, where comparisons are useful, they are primarily for a beginner looking for their first detector, an experienced detectorist looking at adding to their stable or a detectorist who is dissatisfied with the machine they already have. Sure, there would be more reasons. Therefore, it is incumbent on the tester to approach any comparison without pre-conceived notions about what the reader knows, wants or already owns. As I said, it’s a minefield when one embarks on comparison testing. For example, I’ve always been a Mercedes fan but, every time I see a BMW, I wonder. If I could buy one of each, I’m sure I would find fault in both. But, if I chose just one, relying on reviews and comparisons, I would be very unimpressed to find the sources were inaccurate or based on bias, or worse, paid opinion. Good luck conducting any tests, someone is sure to cry foul if the results don’t already suit their pre-conceived views. And, please, I am not knocking anyone who does. I read them. 😁

Great news. It’s amazing that the update was out for such a short time and people were already bagging it. It had to have been on FB, surely. I noticed it is a bit chatty when my pinpointer is on but that was easily fixed by moving the coil a bit further away. Simple really. Is it because I’m Down Under that Dilek’s cap was reading backwards? 😂😂😂

Yes mate. Apart from dirt clinging to them the coins were in remarkable condition. The area I detected had never seen fertiliser and was a beautiful loamy soil. Usually the copper coins are pretty well toasted when dig up, although the old Viccies seem to survive much better in most soil types. Although I know coins shouldn’t be cleaned, I do, using an ultrasonic cleaner and then 1000 grade steel wool. The photo is of the coins after the ultrasonic. I later brought the silvers up with the steel wool. I’m not a coin collector, just an accumulator.

Well, this hunt pre-dates the problems I had with the latest update, which is covered in another thread. I went to a local property that had been farmed for over 100 years. I used Park mode over a well grassed lawn opposite where the original farm house was built. The day was extremely hot, in excess of 40 Celsius and the humidity was close to 100%. Oppressive. 3 hours later and I had detected 15 pre-decimal coins. A terrific hunt by anyone’s standards. I ended up with what we call a full House. (A complete set of each coin issued during pre-decimal times.) In fact, I got equal to two of them. An added bonus was that one of the florins was a commemorative issue. The down side was that, subsequently, a neighbour of the farmer learned of my success and managed to convince the landowner to let him detect the property, trampling all over my permission. They’re out there folks. I was so impressed with the Simplex that I contacted Nokta and told them of my experience with the machine. They asked me to send a short story and photos so they could put it on their website. I did, and they did. More than that, the story and a photo was put up on Instagram and in a full page advertisement in an Aussie treasure magazine. A lot more than I signed up for. I don’t blame them really but felt I had been a little (Lot?) used. Yeah, I know, I’m sticking my head up here, too. Anyway, I have to say I am impressed that such a low cost machine can perform so well. I am impatiently waiting for the current pandemic to subside so I can get out and see just how well the latest update enhances the machine. It’s just a pity that I won’t be able to run over my original site as a comparison.

Yes mate. Being a computer troglodyte, I was very cautious about following the instructions in the update panel. I initially had problems accessing the actual update but I didn’t connect, or turn on, the detector until I was supposed to. Apart from the scare I got when the Simplex started its catatonic state, the most confusing thing is that I don’t know why the problem occurred. The update seemed to function correctly until the very last minute, including the message that the update was successful. As they say in the classics - “WTF?” All that aside, I have to say how impressed I am with the scope of changes made. I’m yet to run it over the ground to see how it all goes but, for such an inexpensive machine, Nokta have impressed me with the amount of grunt under the bonnet and the effort they put into producing and improving a machine that rivals far more expensive units. Kudos deserved.

Thanks Phrunt. I tried that and was able to access the updater successfully but, same error message about Com3. So, out of pure frustration, I pushed and held the power button down, while still plugged into the computer and while the updater was still running. The detector screen went blank and the the logo appeared along with the charging icon. So, I tried the update again and this time IT WORKED!!!! The coil works and I was able to turn the detector on and off without a problem. Maybe, if someone else has the problem, just holding down the power button while connected to the updater will solve it. Bloody technology, don’t you love it when it works? A big thank you to my international brothers for your suggestions. 🤛🏻👌👏🏻👍🏻

Thanks mate. It’s been nearly two hours and the screen is still showing. Maybe there is a way to do a hard reset?

Yes, it’s unplugged from the laptop. Yes, the coil was, and is, connected. The updater confirmed a successful update. Almost immediately, the error message for Com 3 appeared. The machine is still showing the above screen and the coil isn’t picking up any metal passed under it. There is no sound at all from the detector. Thanks mate.

Sorry mate. I’m no expert on this, as the above post illuminates.

Well.......;;;;;;; I tried to update the Simplex on a Windows platform. I don’t know what happened but now the detector won’t power down and I get a basic screen: I also get an error message on the laptop screen: When I push the power button, I have to hold it down for the machine to power off, but it just turns on with the basic screen. any gurus out there who can tell me what is the problem?

No. They said they were going to make it updateable (Is that a word?) on my iMac.

When I first bought my Simplex+ I had trouble registering it online. I contacted Nokta and told them of my problem. In the same email I said that it was a pity that updates could only be done in a Windows platform. They told me there would be an iOS ability in the near future. Given the world situation, it may take a little longer than they had anticipated. I use a friend’s laptop to update my Nox’s and will have to do the same with the Simplex until the alternative is launched. I could buy a cheap laptop but, that would use money I would prefer to spend on detecting gear. My pension penny has to be turned over three times before I spend it. 😁😁😁

Hi Chuck Yes, Nokta do a great job of interacting with its customers and the detector world. Other manufacturers should take note. If it wasn’t for the current movement restrictions, I’d nip over to your place and watch the video. 😁🤛🏻😎 David (In Oz.)

Unfortunately the video won’t run for me and I’m not on Facebook. So, what is the news? I’d appreciate a dot point précis of what Dilek had to say. 😊

Well, if they don't bring out a coil option for the Simplex, I'll be disappointed. (And I do mean 'if'. It is an excellent machine at the price and I would jump at coil choice. Maybe Nokta would like to jump in with advice? I know the world is in a state of flux right now and most of us are responsibly keeping to ourselves. Forums like this are a greater godsend but it gives us time to ponder our navels and I am biting at the bit to get out again. Probably why my patience is what it is.