Coil Protectors?

[shmbry]

Does using a coil protector reduce the capabilities of the detector ?

[Mega B]

Nope,they are designed so they take all the wear of the bottom of the coil,its far cheap to replace a coil cover than replace a expensive coil is it not.

[ManOnTheMoon]

Coil protectors, also known as 'skid plates', are usually made of the same material (a plastic of some sort) as the rest of the coil housing. Consequently, they do not affect the coil's performance.

As Mega B writes, a coil protector usefully absorbs all the underside abrasion wear and tear a coil experiences, as it is swept left and right across varying surfaces. It is much cheaper to replace a worn out coil protector, than a coil, by many orders of magnitude!

It is worthwhile removing a coil protector occasionally, to clean out any sand and muck that may become trapped between the protector and the underside of the coil. Of course, how much dirt gets trapped in there depends on the environment being detected, and the handling of the detector. It is supposed to be swept just above the terrain, but we know they regularly get scuffed up against sand, gravel, mud, rocks, stubble, tree roots and all!

With beach detecting in particular, I understand that cleaning out is beneficial due to the mineralisation and salt encountered on beaches which, if left in situ, could possibly affect the detector's performance.

Particular care should be taken installing or removing a coil protector, as some of them only have a relatively narrow overlapping lip to hold on to the underside of the coil. Remove/replace it carelessly, or too often, and you risk damaging that attachment, which might lead to the protector struggling to stay attached. As with any tool, look after it and it will serve you well!

[Makro 2]

Great advice there ManOnTheMoon

I've always used a coil cover on my detectors for all the reasons you have stated above.

Just bought a spare for the Simplex as it is starting to thin a little on the front edge.

Thanks for posting

Regards
Makro 2

[Duncanmagoo]

Worn a few out. You’d be amazed how much bumping they absorb. Worth every penny.