Is it worth buying a HF???

[AnalogueSkywalker]

I have the 9inch and 11inch X-35 coils, and i have mulled over acquiring a HF coil... but, after talking to quite a few people that use them i realised that quite often they are being used at under 30khz. Well, my X-35’s go up to 28khz, so if 30khz or less is the sweet spot, then i am not sure that i would be gaining much by obtaining one. I know that users often say that the HF’S are good in the iron too, but my 9inch X-35 is superb in the iron too, no question.

So, is there something i am missing here? Do the HF’s have some other secret ingredient that makes them perform slightly differently to the LF coils when being used on a similar frequency? One fella on one of the forums seemed to think that the difference was down to the operating system/source code that runs in the coils, but no one could confirm this, and it sounded more like hearsay or a theory to me. In fact on one page that covered this topic, that garnered many many replies, there were lots of people saying how good the HF coils were, but no one could say WHY. That is to say no one could specify exactly why the HF coils operated better in some conditions than their LF counterparts. I get that the higher frequencies can give a better signal on smaller/difficult targets, but if they are quite often being used at less than 30khz, what would be the point of buying one if my X-35’s can do 28khz? Gary himself says in one of his vids that he doesn’t tend to use the higher frequencies on his HF coils.

I am not really looking for short answers saying how great the HF coils are, i already see that the HF coils have a dedicated following, i get that. What i’m looking for is the WHY. What do they do differently that would make someone with an X-35 coil or two want to invest in one, bearing in mind that many people seem to run them at 30khz, or less. I hear that the really high frequencies (above 30 khz) on the HF’s can be too fine of a tooth comb, and that you end up chasing very small/fine fragments of scrap all day.

If anyone can enlighten me, i would really appreciate it? Cheers.

[pasttarg]

i work rivers so thought it would be usefull to have the HF elliptical .undergoing tests so far

[Moruglah]

I prefer my X35 9” and 13x11 over the HF.
When I made the CORE PROGRAM it uses the X35 to run at 27.6 ( highest the coil will go)

[Mega B]

In my opinion the HF elliptical coil is my favourite coil running @ 30khz is a deadly combination on the Deus....please take note that the opening poster is no longer a member of this forum

[Koala]

personally I think frequency is a marketing tool to sell more coils.

XP needed a HF coil when they broke into the African gold prospecting market and come into there own when searching for sub gram nuggets where it is a must.

Why not also sell them as an extra accessory

a Good HF coil will beat a bad LF coil. Just a a Good LF coil will beat a bad HF coil and certainly no difference up to cut half size. I have never tried with a cut quarter. There is a slight variation in coils. Two coils or control boxes rarely behave exactly the same. Its been known for a dealer to test a batch and pick the hottest coil and control box for themselves. Although we are only talking
small differences.

[Moruglah]

My fist coil was an HF round. When I got into the XP machines I really did not know anything about the coil differences.

I then purchased an X35 coil and tested it side by side with my round HF coil.

It is going to boil down to what your really looking for and what your soil conditions are like.

I found that both coils had their advantages. The black X35 would hit harder on coins at depth than the HF one did. The HF coil coil hit the deeper coins too, it just did not sound off as clear. I have found more targets on edge with my HF set up than any other unit I have ever owned. The HF coils ran quieter around power lines and in urban settings where there is a lot of EMI interference. With that being said I know the X35 can be ran up to about 25Khz or so. But using the HF coil at 31Khz it was so much quieter in those same areas.

I love the Boost on the X35.

I stuck with the HF set up. I am thinking of adding another coil for a back up. I believe that I may go with the X35 again to have as a spare just to have the low frequency options.

[dep1699]

I use elliptical mainly on stubble. I have an old 9" coil so it makes sense for me to have it. If you have x35 I guess you can do without the HF. I mainly use it at 29khz and sometimes I get annoyed by all the microscopic bits of lead that I need to dig out. 72khz it's unbearable from this point of view

[dig-dog]

I don’t have any x-35 coils but I do have an hf elliptical.
It’s great in the stubble but really comes into its own on iron infested sites.
Here’s a good example:


You won’t be digging deep but seeing through high concentrations of iron is next to impossible with any machine.

[Moruglah]

You miss many many finds when using a single hf as your general coil, they just don’t have penetration, they are a specific site coil .
Imo a single freq over 20khz is pointless.
Using a deus for 9 years I personally found the stock black 9 inch coil was perfect.
Switch to black 11 inch for pasture and they are the only coils you need .

But, I’d say if xp re-released the standard coil in red plastic with a flashing blue l.e.d people would still pay £250 for it .

You having a laugh??? The HF is as deep as the X35.

[Phil2401]

All I can add is that using the 9.5" elliptical coil can be useful - sometimes an iffy signal turns into an excellent signal if you go over the target with increasing frequencies. Have to say my only success so far is a cut quarter, which I'd probably have ignored using the standard black coil.

Phil

[Stubble trouble]

I run an HF elliptical coil alongside an x35 coil,it’s served me very well,especially on a freshly cultivated field.In this instance,I’m not looking for depth,just a reliable coil to sweep up any small items brought up,which it invariably does.Strongly recommend

[pasttarg]

You having a laugh??? The HF is as deep as the X35.

in air tests show that to be the case.no difference between old and hf coils

[Moruglah]

in air tests show that to be the case.no difference between old and hf coils

Air tests isn’t detecting tho.
And you’ve basically said the same as what I said.

[pasttarg]

imo the high frequencies are a gimmick as they only find tiny peices of metal smaller than any coins available..apart from 14khz in my experience..

really for gold field use

[Batman]

Just an observation, I have a Nel Tornado 7.5Khz on my X Terra 705 and it finds such very tiny pieces of scrap at reasonable depth that i really struggle to find with my pro pointer when the general view is that it's the higher frequency coils that are better on locating the smaller stuff.