Small Coil?

[Chase Goldman]

5 hours ago, phrunt said:

They've caught it up a little bit with the recent update, however it's still a long way behind current gold prospecting machines and that HF elliptical is the missing piece of the puzzle.

It would be great if @Jeff McClendon would weigh in on this one.  I think his last head to head amongst VLF detectors including the Legend and Deus 2 with the latest update indicated relatively small gap remaining in micro gold sensitivity vs.  Legend.  At the end of the day, I think Jeff has embraced the Axiom as his new gold machine over and above any of the VLF machines mentioned above, but noted significant improvement in the D2, such that "long way behind" the current crop of multipurpose SMF machines is no longer a fair characterization (unless you were actually referring to dedicated prospecting machines), though I do not recall any D2 v2 testing head-to-head with the Nox 800 or Manticore.  I understand, Simon, that at least half of your detecting involves gold and also that you have relatively mild ground and not a whole lot of iron trash to deal with, so I get that the D2 may not bring anything game changing to the table for you.  No detector does it all, as we know.  Therefore, I am trying to determine whether the Manticore brings anything to the table for me to compliment the Deus 2 as far as relic detecting is concerned.  I don't think that will know until I can get my hands on an M8 coil - which is getting rave reviews from fellow hot dirt/high iron relic detectorists who do have an M8 for their Manticore and who also have the Deus 2.  All that being said, no argument from me that a small elliptical coil would definitely help matters wrt to small gold performance (and Jeff states this as well in the test post linked below) and of course in tight terrrain.  I also link a field test outing where Jeff put the D2 head to head with the Legend (9" coil on D2 vs. the Legend's 10x5).  Just trying to provide perspective on the D2's gold performance with facts vs. adjectives that may lack context.

One additional point, I think earlier in the thread people were also mentioning that the D1 HF elliptical coil also operated at much higher frequencies.  While true, I think that SMF detectors such as the Nox, Manticore, and Legend, as well as the Deus 2, have conclusively demonstrated that SMF gold modes, ostensibly operating at 40 to 45 khz top end frequencies are getting the job done on small gold, such that I think that if XP simply provides a D2 compatible small elliptical running at the same frequency FMF (XP's term for simultaneous multifrequency as implemented on the D2) range as the other three D2 normal search coils, would be sufficient.

 

[Jeff McClendon]

6 hours ago, phrunt said:

The lack of that coil is the primary reason I've never bought a D2 as I refuse to buy a multi-purpose machine that's not a gold prospecting one seeing that's half of my detecting if not more.  They've caught it up a little bit with the recent update, however it's still a long way behind current gold prospecting machines and that HF elliptical is the missing piece of the puzzle.

XP have actually caught it up to the point where amazingly enough, I no longer see the need for a 9X5 elliptical coil in order to up the sensitivity to small targets. I doubt that slightly smaller platform will make any difference. At the moment, Deus 2 Version 2.0 software using the FMF 9" coil is equal to Deus 1/ORX using its 9" HF coil whether Deus 2 is using its FMF gold prospecting mode or its Mono modes running at 45 kHz as far as small gold prospecting. From Deus 2 to the Legend I am seeing Deus 2 slightly less sensitive to small gold than the Legend with its 6" or 9.5X5" coil. Slightly means .5 inch or slightly less on targets smaller than .75 grams. Deus 2 runs much quieter and could be tweaked even more on your milder ground. The Legend and Equinox 800 using the same sized coils.......I don't see a difference. I don't have the Manticore M8 coil so I can't do a head to head yet.

[phrunt]

Do you think much of that has to do with your crazy soil Jeff, do you believe in milder soils the Deus 2 could keep up with the Nox 800 and tiny gold at depth? 

[Jeff McClendon]

It already “keeps up” with the 800/Legend enough where I wouldn’t hesitate to use it as is. 
 

If XP releases a small elliptical coil for Deus ll they will have to do a software update that allows for a much higher operating single frequency option than 45 kHz for there to be a major performance difference.

[CPT_GhostLight]

While I agree with many points expressed here, I also think there would plenty of D2 owners in the US and overseas that would happily jump on a small elliptical FMF coil. Maybe a trial first run would show what the market would bear. I would be glad to beta-test one in my hot iron dirt! 😉   

[Jeff McClendon]

52 minutes ago, CPT_GhostLight said:

While I agree with many points expressed here, I also think there would plenty of D2 owners in the US and overseas that would happily jump on a small elliptical FMF coil. Maybe a trial first run would show what the market would bear. I would be glad to beta-test one in my hot iron dirt! 😉   

I didn't say that there is no need for that smaller coil. I would absolutely buy one for Deus 2 if one became available (see next paragraph) especially if XP provided a Mono Goldfield mode along with that coil that could take a selectable single frequency higher than the current top end 45 kHz. 

Getting into tight spaces and hunting really trashy sites with that small elliptical coil no matter what I'm hunting for would, be fantastic.

[CPT_GhostLight]

I was lumping you in with us D2 owners that would probably jump on a small elliptical coil, Jeff. 😉

[Timmysys]

The small coil would be great for diving between rocks and littered freshwater beaches. I was hoping it would be more sensitive to gold chains. It would also be great for traveling, I would definitely buy it if it were released. I almost only use a small coil on the equinox.

[Doc Bach]

35 minutes ago, Timmysys said:

The small coil would be great for diving between rocks and littered freshwater beaches. I was hoping it would be more sensitive to gold chains. It would also be great for traveling, I would definitely buy it if it were released. I almost only use a small coil on the equinox.

All good points that you make there Timmysys.There are a whole lot of us around the planet that would jump on a smalley right from the git go.And yup you can bet the farm that would include a whole bunch of the naysayers from this forum and others who thumb their noses at it. And XP knows it just from past and continuing sales of the d1 elliptical.

[midalake]

3 hours ago, Timmysys said:

The small coil would be great for diving between rocks and littered freshwater beaches. I was hoping it would be more sensitive to gold chains. It would also be great for traveling, I would definitely buy it if it were released. I almost only use a small coil on the equinox.

 

2 hours ago, Doc Bach said:

There are a whole lot of us around the planet that would jump on a smalley right from the git go

 

The current D2 coil at 8 3/4" is not small enough??  The Detector with the best separation values in the world.   Not knowing any better, I might think it was April 1st.   Or do they need to make a 3" coil?