Axiom Coil Covers And Detection

[rled2005]

Has anyone had issues with the coil covers falling off? I have. Garrett acts like this is new to them. They sent me another cover for better fitment, but it fit the same. Then they sent a coil and cover, but there was no difference in fitment. 

NEXT ISSUE:
I did an air test win a small gold piece. The Axion detected it at 2.5-3”. I air tested the same piece of gold with my GMX Sport, it detected it at 4-4.5”. This was also the case with the ATX.

is the air test the issue?

[peterinaust]

I thought the cover on the 11" mono seemed a bit loose, so taped it before I went out. I have since sold the Axiom.

[phrunt]

A VLF is always going to slam the tiny nuggets in an air test very well, put the nugget into some difficult ground and see which one detects it deepest. 

Garrett was very nice to send you a replacement coil due to a coil cover not fitting snug.  Do you not use PVC tape around the edges of your coil cover to ensure a nice snug fit and keeping the dirt out? Common practice on Minelab machines, not only that it takes a bit of the wear and tear your coil cover would get from bumping into rocks and so on.  My Coiltek 10x5" coil for the 6000's coil cover fitment is terrible; it just falls off if you lift the coil off the ground and shake it a bit however tape solves it completely so no problem! 

 

[Steve Herschbach]

I've used close to a dozen Axiom coils and if anything the covers have been hard to get off. I have never had one that was loose enough to need taping. But Nugget Finder and Coiltek have always taped coils so that's not unusual either, both to keep dirt out, and to keep loose covers on.

No, you don't air test VLF detectors against PI detectors. The whole point of PI is performance in highly mineralized ground where VLF detectors do not perform. If you have low mineral ground, you really don't need a PI unless you are going to run super large coils.

It is a common misperception that a PI will detect objects at a greater distance than a VLF under all circumstances. That's not remotely what is going on. Both a VLF and a PI lose depth as you increase ground mineralization. But the PI loses depth at a far slower rate. So in an air test a PI will often lag a VLF. In the ground, the higher the mineralization, the more the PI will pull ahead of the VLF. It is the whole reason PI became a thing. In the worst ground a PI will often get double or more the depth of a VLF. This VLF vs PI thing is one of the major reasons why I hate air tests.

But if you are detecting for stuff in the air, stick with the VLF. 

[dirtman]

I have never in 16 years of detecting gold nuggets with a P. I. OR VLF  detector used either machine without Taping the cover onto the coil.

Basically to keep any contaminants especially Black sands out of the space between coil and cover. 👍

And after a couple of outings wether needed or not I would strip the old tape from perimeter empty out any debris in-between coil and cover and retape.

It's a "must do" if your serious about top performance from any machine VLF or PI.

To go a step further with this I would say that's the fastest way to insure "interference and poor performance" in detectors is to use without Taping covers on coils to keep contaminants out Besides turning a detector on Inside of a building 🤣.

 

[rled2005]

On 8/9/2023 at 8:57 PM, phrunt said:

A VLF is always going to slam the tiny nuggets in an air test very well, put the nugget into some difficult ground and see which one detects it deepest. 

Garrett was very nice to send you a replacement coil due to a coil cover not fitting snug.  Do you not use PVC tape around the edges of your coil cover to ensure a nice snug fit and keeping the dirt out? Common practice on Minelab machines, not only that it takes a bit of the wear and tear your coil cover would get from bumping into rocks and so on.  My Coiltek 10x5" coil for the 6000's coil cover fitment is terrible; it just falls off if you lift the coil off the ground and shake it a bit however tape solves it completely so no problem! 

 

Garrett has always been outstanding and generous in backing their detectors. I’ll just tape them.

[Gomb]

I emailed Garrett in January a question about the headphones dropping connection (just needed to put them on the correct direction) and mentioned how the cover was a sloppy fit and tape cured the problem, no big deal. They sent me a new tighter fitting cover anyway. Great service. 

[rled2005]

1 hour ago, Gomb said:

I emailed Garrett in January a question about the headphones dropping connection (just needed to put them on the correct direction) and mentioned how the cover was a sloppy fit and tape cured the problem, no big deal. They sent me a new tighter fitting cover anyway. Great service. 

I've gotten 3 covers and a coil from them and none fit tight!

[wltdwiz]

a bit of clear silicone will keep the cover on & the dust out

[rled2005]

9 minutes ago, wltdwiz said:

a bit of clear silicone will keep the cover on & the dust out

True. But, why should you have to?