Coil hover height??

[Texn]

Bounty Hunter Pioneer 505

I have been trying to search for civil war relics in all metal mode with sensitivity turned all the way up and discrimination turned all the way down. I currently use the medium sized coil that came with the detector. My problem is that the ground is extremely uneven with large rocks and roots that stick up. This makes sweeping close to the ground impossible. I have found that hovering the coil farther away from the ground (5 or 6") allows me to sweep above the rocks etc., but I lose some depth in the detection. I recently ordered the largest coil for the bounty hunter. I believe its 10" and is advertised to provide deeper depth detection.

My question is if I hover 6" above the uneven rocks and roots on the surface, will the larger coil allow me to still detect at a decent depth for locating civil war relics, or must I always keep the coil close to the ground? I have found that pressing the ground balance button while the coil is 6" away from the surface seems to help detection, but it also gives some false readings when I calibrate it that far away. Just looking for some advice here on the best way to approach the situation. Thanks .

 

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[BigMerv]

Texn - I've been thinking about your situation and here's my two cents. The fact is, you can only get as close to the ground with the coil as you can get...no changing that variable. Generally speaking, the 10" BH coil (concentric) will get a couple inches of extra depth compared to the 8" (at least in the ground when it's operating close to the ground), so I think you're taking the next logical step to address your problem. Plus, if it doesn't work well, you've still got the 10" coil to use in other places where it will be beneficial and BH coils are a bargain everyday.

If your 10" coil idea doesn't pan out you might want to look at the new 15" x 17" DD coils by either Cors or NEL. It will get good ground coverage and "sees" less soil than a concentric coil, so a DD is generally better in more mineralized soils than concentrics, plus a coil that large should get better penetration. I read some time ago that concentric coils generally have a depth equal to their diameter. For example, the standard BH 8" concentric coil should get approximately 8" depth in moderate to mild soils and that DD coils generally can achieve a depth equal to the diameter of their minor axis. So, the 15" x 17" DD coil should get about 15" of depth in mild to moderate soils.

I have no idea what the effect will be swinging the coil that far above the ground. That's a LOT of airgap to overcome.

I think that having a good selection of coils for any metal detector is money well spent. I have a Discovery 3300 with all three of the concentric coils (4" , 8", and 10") and the 11" DD coil (Fisher F4 with BH type push-on connector) and I'm looking at the Cors and NEL coils for the small 5" DD sharpshooter and 15" x 17" DD coils to further increase the boundary limits of my detecting.

Good luck with your experiment. Please let us know how the 10" coil works. I'm really curious to learn how things turn out. BBJ

 

[Texn]

Texn - I've been thinking about your situation and here's my two cents. The fact is, you can only get as close to the ground with the coil as you can get...no changing that variable. Generally speaking, the 10" BH coil (concentric) will get a couple inches of extra depth compared to the 8" (at least in the ground when it's operating close to the ground), so I think you're taking the next logical step to address your problem. Plus, if it doesn't work well, you've still got the 10" coil to use in other places where it will be beneficial and BH coils are a bargain everyday.

If your 10" coil idea doesn't pan out you might want to look at the new 15" x 17" DD coils by either Cors or NEL. It will get good ground coverage and "sees" less soil than a concentric coil, so a DD is generally better in more mineralized soils than concentrics, plus a coil that large should get better penetration. I read some time ago that concentric coils generally have a depth equal to their diameter. For example, the standard BH 8" concentric coil should get approximately 8" depth in moderate to mild soils and that DD coils generally can achieve a depth equal to the diameter of their minor axis. So, the 15" x 17" DD coil should get about 15" of depth in mild to moderate soils.

I have no idea what the effect will be swinging the coil that far above the ground. That's a LOT of airgap to overcome.

I think that having a good selection of coils for any metal detector is money well spent. I have a Discovery 3300 with all three of the concentric coils (4" , 8", and 10") and the 11" DD coil (Fisher F4 with BH type push-on connector) and I'm looking at the Cors and NEL coils for the small 5" DD sharpshooter and 15" x 17" DD coils to further increase the boundary limits of my detecting.

Good luck with your experiment. Please let us know how the 10" coil works. I'm really curious to learn how things turn out. BBJ

Thanks for the input. I am pretty new to this hobby... I assume the new 15" x 17" DD coils by either Cors or NEL will plug into my Bounty Hunter? That might be an option I will try in the future.

I also bought the BH 4" coil to try out. It would be easier to maneuver the smaller coil down around the uneven terrain, but I would lose some depth detection I "think" and covering a large area would take a long time.

I plan on experimenting with the coils soon by burying some civil war bullets I purchased and seeing what happens with each searching technique. I guess I will try burying them at 6" first and see how each technique pans out.

Thanks again for the helpful advice.

 

[Phantasman]

If you have a protective cover over the coil, I'd go ahead and scrape the ground. It will slow you somewhat, but it would make sure you not missing that valuable 6" of hover.ing high. That's what the covers are made for. Rocky ground. Grass doesn't bother the coil, rocks do. So if your in a rocky area, a coil cover is imperative for coil protection so you CAN get a closer reading

For relics, you're doing it right as far as settings. Relics are a whole different thing, since you need to detect the iron, where Jewelry and Coins you don't.

 

[Phantasman]

Thanks for the input. I am pretty new to this hobby... I assume the new 15" x 17" DD coils by either Cors or NEL will plug into my Bounty Hunter? That might be an option I will try in the future.

I also bought the BH 4" coil to try out. It would be easier to maneuver the smaller coil down around the uneven terrain, but I would lose some depth detection I "think" and covering a large area would take a long time.

I plan on experimenting with the coils soon by burying some civil war bullets I purchased and seeing what happens with each searching technique. I guess I will try burying them at 6" first and see how each technique pans out.

Thanks again for the helpful advice.

A larger coil is less sensitive to smaller things, like bullets. Just thought I'd throw that in. The larger you make the detection field, the harder a small thing registers. Large coils are great for depth and larger things, like cache's. But if you want bullets, I'd stay at no larger than an 11" coil. Just my view.

 

[HighVDI]

A larger coil is less sensitive to smaller things, like bullets. Just thought I'd throw that in. The larger you make the detection field, the harder a small thing registers. Large coils are great for depth and larger things, like cache's. But if you want bullets, I'd stay at no larger than an 11" coil. Just my view.

I hear this very often but I have not experienced it at all with larger coils. I've dug some tiny, tiny buttons and other items with my bigger coils!

I would recommend shortening your sweeps to contour the land you're hunting. It might take more time but you're just wasting time being 6+ inches above the surface....especially with a lower end detector.

 

[Texn]

I hear this very often but I have not experienced it at all with larger coils. I've dug some tiny, tiny buttons and other items with my bigger coils!

I would recommend shortening your sweeps to contour the land you're hunting. It might take more time but you're just wasting time being 6+ inches above the surface....especially with a lower end detector.

Thanks for the input. I have some reviews that the bounty hunter pioneer 505 does well at greater depths. What detector would you suggest I look at for my situation ?

 

[McKinney_5900]

Scrub the grass.

 

[eman1000]

Thanks for the input. I have some reviews that the bounty hunter pioneer 505 does well at greater depths. What detector would you suggest I look at for my situation ?

Depends on your budget... AT PRO, Fisher F75, Equinox, XP Deus, Tesoro Tejon, are all great relic machines (be prepared to shell out $500 though)