X-coil Connection Update

[mn90403]

Minelab has a 'problem' on its hands which is not all bad for them.  They promised to give us a smaller coil and should or could have done more than that with the 7000 platform after all these years.  We could have had more software upgrades and/or hardware modifications over time to feel current.

Now an upstart coil manufacturer has released a coil that turbocharges the 7000.  I think all aftermarket turbochargers void an engine's warranty no matter what.  People still buy them because they are fun and win races.  These coils require a splicing of the coil cable wire so that you can use both coils afterwards.  If done properly reports are that enough gold is being found for it to be more fun and potentially find enough gold to pay for any mistake one makes in buying it in the first place.  

The XCoils could potentially be better and tested longer but they will still help Minelab sell more 7000s the way they are.  I am a 7000 owner considering the purchase of one of these coils unless Minelab is on the verge of releasing more coils on their own soon.  I believe my fellow prospectors when they say they are finding more gold with them than without them.  It can't be that big of a mistake to buy one or more.

Mitchel

 

[jrbeatty]

7 hours ago, jasong said:

ML themselves or another 3rd party ARE working on a range of legit licensed coils and this Russian company put their coils out quickly before proper testing in order to make money before the legit coils were released.

Bingo! Jasong: After careful consideration I think you just hit the nail squarely on the head.

That would neatly explain JP's sometimes bizarre x coil criticism - and reluctance to publish results of his testing.

He knows the x coils deliver the goods  but would prefer people wait for the legit option - and can't say anything!

It would also explain other key players silence on the topic du jour. 

Stay tuned - - -

[Norvic]

Regardless of the static, I am having a ball digging up gold, that is my agenda, I recommend to whoever wants a coil choice for the Z have a look at the X coils. IMO the talk of touch sensitivity is not so for the 3 coils I have, I have found the ferrite serves no purpose for me plus this talk of the coil you cut the lead to make the patch lead up for is sacrificial is just not true. As to "proper" testing of X coils, I made a decision to buy the 15" knowing full well there is always an element of risk, I was prepared to push the pram, well I`ve 3 prams now and they are golden lined.

Go with the negative stuff or go with the positive stuff that is up to the individual.

Money is the source of all evil, nah Phrunt huuuuuumans are, but we are seeing another old saying brought to life "Gold brings out the best in mans ingenuity, the worst in his nature"

 

[Norvic]

Nah, the touch sensitive I`m on about is when you hit rocks, the ground, grass shrubs etc in your swing, my 3 X coils are not touch sensitive but they are gold sensitive, the gold Monster coils I have are not touch sensitive but  also are gold sensitive. Thinking back, MLs "garbage" lid coil was touch sensitive and the first two I had also weren`t gold sensitive thus why they received the name garbage lid coils and were quickly made redundant, in comparison to MLs first attempts at large PI coils the X coils like most coils we are blessed with these days are simply light years ahead.

[jasong]

Phrunt, losses and error handling is much easier to deal with in digital communication. There is no circuitry in the Z coil (or is there??) so it must be analog only going in and out (other than the security chip comms).

Analog is notoriously susceptible to noise, and there is no real way to correct it or resend, there are no checksums, nothing. You have filtering. But filtering generally reduces sensitivity and/or resolution. It reduces noise but it reduces signal too in a lot of cases.

Any time you add a connector you add a potential source of noise both from inductive or capacitive sources or via mechanical motion unless it's somehow perfectly shielded and immobilized. That has nothing to do with detectors, just electronics in general. One way coils get touch sensitive when the windings, solder joints, or connections come lose as one example (hence why I only used potted coils on the GPX).

Another way coils can be touch sensitive is if they are weak and the winding flexes slightly when bumped.

I too am curious about the inner construction of the X Coils for these very questions, and if it comes apart easily I'm going to see what's inside. 

[Trent King]

Geez look at the shit fight mentioning a problem caused ?. You blokes need to spend more time swinging, less typing.

Great to see that Dave came and sorted it out for Steve.  You may need to recommend that not just anyone makes these patch leads if a little too much heat on the soldering iron can wreck the chip or you won’t get much detecting done, running around the country trying to problem solve would  be time consuming.

[jasong]

1 minute ago, phrunt said:

There is a small IC in the stock GPZ coils on an X-ray, not sure what it's there for.

Interesting...have you X rayed an X Coil to see if there is an IC in it out of idle curiosity?

[jasong]

Pretty sure that isn't an x ray man... 

To me the location and solder points on that board look simply like a way to terminate or connect the ends of the wires from each lobe, keep them immobilized, and send it on up into the shielded cable. I don't see an IC on there. No idea though, photo is small. 

I agree they could just disable the firmware security check. Charge $200 for that update instead of a patch cable that might induce noise, and then Minelab could make money off the X Coils at least a little bit instead of no licensing fee at all as it stands now. I mentioned that a few days back in the large pile of posts related to this subject that get rapidly buried. I was hoping it might elicit a response from JP inferring it might be on the drawing board before I cut my cable for good, but no such luck. If ML ends up doing that after I cut my cord I better be getting a free coil for the idea. 

[afreakofnature]

We need a comparison between the SDC 8” and the Z 10.”  Cause if they are similar it would make more sense to buy a used SDC for about $800 more.  Then you could turn around and sell it when or if Minelab releases a small coil, might be harder to resell an xcoil.  I need to do these things cause i cant afford to buy new all the time.  I need to resell and buy used to keep up.  So resell matters to me.  My two cents only.  Does anybody have a SDC and 10” xcoil to do this?