First thoughts on my HF elliptical coil

[Oxgirl36]

So i’ve only managed to get out for 2 hours so far using the new elliptical coil. I went back over an area where i found the cut quarter, a Roman and another hamerred silver coin. I was hoping to come away with a handful of silver that i’d previously missed. I know I leave myself open to disappointment but i’m the eternal optimist despite lots of proof that I shouldn’t be in these situations Anyway nothing of note was found (there’s a surprise!)

So reflecting on my trip out what do I think? I tried GMP on standard and just increased the frequency first to around 30khz and then I ramped it up to about 74. On both it was very quiet and very stable. I also tried Fast and again on various frequencies it was very stable. Good signals are loud and clear. Even tiny bits of lead boom out more clearly. I found some bits of copper and they gave ‘stop in your tracks’ signals even as tiny bits at 6” down.

My conclusion to my first foray is that I don’t understand frequencies well enough and what is good for different types of targets. As a result I lost confidence part way through. I then started changing all sorts of stuff like a demented idiot. I should have been using either Deep or Hot I now realise but I’ve never used Deep and I though Hot would be scorching. In reality the higher frequencies on the programmes I tried were much, much too quiet and Hot would have actually just been lukewarm.

I’ve been watching Ferret’s videos with his elliptical coil (thanks for the recommendation Bob ) and he is positively on fire with it. So I just need to find out his programme I suspect he’s using Deep on 54khz but with negative discrimination as that seems to be the favoured programme. Mind you others think 30khz or lower is better for UK conditions.
I’m doing a full day dig next week and I shall use it all day (well that’s the plan) to give it a proper test. I’m going to try both Deep and Hot and i’ll let you know which I prefer. I want to settle on one programme for a while to get used to it.

Now, be warned, if I find silver coinage i’ll think it’s brilliant but if I have a bag of lead I'll hate it so I may be biased

[Steve_T]

I shall be waiting with bated breath to see the outcome, it may hinge on me parting with some money and obtaining one, no pressure but we will be waiting.........

Post up your settings with the results if you can, unless its secret squirrel stuff

Regards Steve

[Oxgirl36]

I will share everything. If it helps someone that would be good. I really don’t understand some people’s reticence to share settings. After all it’s not like we are sharing the same field or up for some major prize money

[bob79]

Only change I make in Hot is to raise disc up to -3.0, this cuts the background noise down.
Have you tried Gary's Ulimate programme Cath, two tone dig or no dig.

Bob

[Easylife]

I will share everything. If it helps someone that would be good.

You mean I get some of your hammies and gold then?

[Oxgirl36]

I will share everything. If it helps someone that would be good.

You mean I get some of your hammies and gold then?

I’m generous but there are limits

[Bibelot]

I am glad that you got one to try. I'm sure you've already seen this one.

[Wilci]

On the minelab site there is a diagram that gives information about weight of a target (nuggets) and the best frequency. https://www.minelab.com/metal-detectors ... ster-1000- scroll a little bit down.

A small half hammy is approx. 0,5 gr. Than 28Khz would be fine.

On the monte nailbord test you will see that the highest frequency the better is, (use a smaller target/coin)
But you will find more tiny bits.

[Oxgirl36]

Thanks for your posts Bibelot and Wilci. You also reminded me I hadn’t updated this....

Let’s start with settings. These are Ferret’s settings that he kindly shared.....

Hot programme. Audio response increased to 4 and reactivity reduced to 2.5. Frequency at 28kHz.

It was a full day’s digs on ploughed. The soil was lovely and the fields were nice and flat. Perfect conditions to start with so I decided to start with the Hf coil and switch to the 11” at lunch if it wasn’t working.
In my head I had decided that whatever settings Ferret was using was going to work for me. As a result I stepped onto the field with confidence. For me confidence seems to be the biggest factor in how much I find. No idea why. Maybe my swing is slower, my step less hurried or I let the field dictate where I walk.

Anyway I found the (very worn) Elizabeth three pence in the first 15 minutes or so. It was a lovely clear signal despite being folded fully in half.

I carried on. There was plenty of opportunity to do target practise with this button field. It was good because it got my ear into the full tones very quickly as I’ve not used hot for a few weeks. By lunchtime I was really into the swing of things and I decided not to change coils. A small mud coated coil is far less heavy than an 11” one!

For the afternoon session I went on a much quieter field. I dug a few bits of lead, a few copper partifacts and the only 1 decent find, a cut quarter. It’s funny how you can get a signal and you know it’s good. I turned 90 degrees and did another sweep. The signal disappeared completely. That got me excited. I knew then it was likely to be a tiny piece of metal and the signal and numbers (59) were more silver than anything else. I don’t know how deep it actually was - finding a cut quarter in rain, in a muddy field with muddy gloves and steamed up glasses is slightly challenging.

So I now love my new coil. I took the trouble to understand frequencies and what they do so I think 28kHz is a good level for my ploughed field conditions. I can see me using it a lot in a few areas where there have been lots of Roman brooches found in the past and where there might be some poor quality silver Roman coinage (if I wish it....) On pasture i’ll be sticking with the 11”. It’s horses for courses.

Do I recommend it? Yes. If you love hamerred silver you would be stupid not to buy one. If you love Roman brooches this would be a very good purchase. If you want to find more precious metal items (coins or artefacts) this can only help. It’s good

Finds from Sunday....
viewtopic.php?f=120&t=96899.

[Bibelot]

Once you've exhausted the majority of the finds from the grounds with that program,another thing you might try is run disc at 0 ,reactivity at 3,silencer -1, audio response to 5 or 6 ,sensitivity at 86 from the #9 hot program and full tones and listen for the lifted tones of the signal. most often, it will not appear as a full high squeak, it will be subdued but yet raised tone from being pulled down with the iron but the audio will have a lifted rise in the tone over the normal iron tones. It is difficult to explain, difficult to first learn from the iron high tones that you get with the elliptical but once you sort everything out it will become second nature.

[Junior]

Is it just me but good targets seem a brighter sound than with normal coil. I'm using 28khz at mo. Only 1 outing so far Still waiting for a coin

[bob79]

Check out Gary's videos on XP website and Ferrets videos on YouTube, Junior.

[Oxgirl36]

Is it just me but good targets seem a brighter sound than with normal coil. I'm using 28khz at mo. Only 1 outing so far Still waiting for a coin

Yes they do. They ping much more so you’re unlikely to miss something tiny like a cut quarter. That’s the main benefit of these coils. And you will find coins - if they are there

Good luck

[Oxgirl36]

Check out Gary's videos on XP website and Ferrets videos on YouTube, Junior.

Good shout Bob. Love Ferrets videos, they show you why the coil is so good. Whilst Gary’s really explain the benefits of the coil, very clearly (as always ). They are the videos that convinced me to get one, along with the advice from Bob, Paul and a few others B-)

[Mud Max]

I will share everything. If it helps someone that would be good. I really don’t understand some people’s reticence to share settings. After all it’s not like we are sharing the same field or up for some major prize money

A nice way to look at it, and a very good review of the coil. Honest and balanced, thanks for taking the time to give so much feedback. I think sales of the HF may have cooled a little in the wake of the impending Equinox, a lot of people are tempted to stump up for a whole new machine which has one coil that does so much. But if you are a Deus fan and you can afford a HF coil I think it's a no brainer. And the Deus has already proved itself too through years of very happy customers.