25 replies to this topic

[AzOverland]

After over a year of spending alot of time behind the GPX5000 I have found I use the stock 11" round mono most of the time. I really like the weight, depth,stability and sound of the coil.

I have a CoilTek 18x12.5 too but everything sounds the same to me..... big, little, shallow, deep targets all seem to give off the same kind of sweet tone. It can get noisey too with EMI.

The CoilTek Joey is a great coil but of course lacks on the depth.

The Minelab Commander 15x12 mono is great but heavy.

So I'm thinking about getting a new Blitz or Nugget Finder 14" and wondering....If you could only choose one coil what would it be?

[oldies1955]

Im using the 9x14 mono coiltek goldstalker. It my mainstay that I use 99% of the time.
I can usually tell when im on gold or ferrous metal by the sound. Also getting better at telling the size of the nug before I dig it up. So, to my untrained ears (detecting 1 yr) it does make different tones and sounds as to what target your on.
I also use the 6" mono goldstalker for getting in small areas and for final clean up on an area after Ive scraped off the overburden.
Ive used the big eliptical mono that came with the 5000 but have to figure out how to put wheels on it....heavy!...and im weak!!
Tom H.

[matt]

If I could only use one coil it would be the 14" eliptical. I have found tiny surface pieces and larger pieces over 2 feet deep wih that coil. I use mine 99.9% of the time.

[DolanDave]

I use my 15X12 commander coil 90% of the time. I have come accustomed to the sounds. I have a certain setting with it, where it makes an almost broken erratic sound, which almost always is an indicator of small placer pickers to be classified and panned at home.
Dave

[Crazy Pete]

I use the Commander 11" Mono most of the time, sweet GB,low touch sens and has pulled some big gold at pick handle depths too,
but when i need extra coverage i switch up to
my tried and trusty Coiltek 17x10 Mini UFO Spider coil, again very sweet on the 5k and great sens to the flyshit also.

Pete

[FlakMagnet]

I would use my 14 elip. Advantage.
There are lots of very good coils out there
(most of them are mentioned above),
I am a big fan of the Advantage coils
but the 11 inch stock Minelab coil is the biggest sleeper coil of all of them,
mostly overlooked by everyone in their rush to grab the latest aftermarket
flavor of the month (I include myself in that rush btw),
but that stock coil is a killer.

fwiw

[Rob Allison]

Hey AZOverland,

Some good responses so far to your question about only using one coil. Over the last 3-4 years I have sworn by the Coiltek 14-inch Elliptical Mono. I'm now swinging the "Blitz" version, which I like even better than the original Goldstalker Mono. This coil is lightweight, gets great sensitivity to small gold, easy to pinpoint with and still gets good depth.

I personally believe when I'm out prospecting with this coil I'm getting 95% of the gold I swing over. The other 5% will be gold too small or just too deep.

Just my thoughts,

Rob Allison

[Grubstake1]

I really like the Platypus, it has proved its self over and over. Grubstake

[minerjoe01]

I'm with you grub, i was just thinking all these guys, and no platypus! I love mine in the gold country because when i backpack in, one coil is just lighter. I hate leaving my joey behind though, so whats 10 oz!! I think most of you guys are in the desert obviously, but the plat can go anywhere. If i were in the desert the 14in goldstalker would be my choice.

[Grubstake1]

Yep, when your hunting tall wet grass or in the small streams, or dry ground, the platy. will get them. Grubstake

[Uncle Ron]

On both my ol' Baboo 2100 and my new Baboo 4500, the NF original 14" E Mono fiberglass is the best coil going for me ... Found well over a pound of dinks to whoppers with it, shallow and deep ... I've gone through 2 of these coils and well into my third and still cranking out the nuggets ... If I had to use only one coil, this would be it ... My second fav is the NF 17 E Mono and third is the CT Wallabee 17 Mono ... Found bunches o' gold with these three ... Cheers, Unc

[Hawkeye]

Well I think I would be more confused now than when the question was first asked. A lot of different size coils and all are good choices. A lot depends on the terrian where one is detecting. I can never make up my mind on which one I like the most thats why I have eight coils. I guess I would have to say that the two I use the most are the 9x14 and the 11x17 nugget finder elliptical mono's. I like the ellipticals because I can pinpoint with them using the tip and they have a little more ground coverage than a round coil.
Good luck.
Wes.

[local digger]

Here in Virginia I prefer the Coiltek 14X9 unless I am in a very trashy site which requires the use of the stock 11" DD or the small Joey coil. I also use the larger mono when I suspect deep nuggets but I find most days the EMI noise prevents me from using the big ones except very early in the morning.

[Grubstake1]

I think the answer to this question, is what works best for you! In your detecting area. There is not going to be a universal answer. Grubstake

[AzOverland]

Seems like the 14" mono ellipticals get the most votes. Does anyone have time behind the CoilTek Blitz and the Nugget Finder with Litz wire? Plus the Nugget Finder says its "Water resistant" up to 2 feet so you can still hunt that wet grass and shallow streams if you're brave...???

[Crazy Pete]

I wouldnt be sticking any other coil under water except the Platypus no matter what they say about it.
Bzzzzzzzzzz crackle POP!

Pete

[Beer Beeper]

So far my favorite size choice is the NFA 17E & 24E for an all around coil, but I cannot wait to see if a CT GS 18E Blitz comes out is what I would like to have. I do not want to get in to trouble here but from the reports I have heard I think that new 14E Blitz coil is slightly better than the same size NFA coil. The Commander 15E is good to but too heavy. I honestly cannot see why JP likes a round 18" as a general all around everyday use gridding coil.? Because instead it is a specialty coil for bigger nuggets at depth and the round 18" has less depth on nuggets under about 2 grams which are the most common nugget sizes, and nuggets bigger than this that it excells at are much too rare to be specifically looking for them. So to get the maximum depth on nuggets under about 2 grams coupled along with good ground coverage then the Elliptical coils I mentioned above are best along with the NFA 14E and CT GS 14E Blitz. The 11", 12", and 14" rounds are also good but I prefer ellipticals for more coverage and better pinpointing.

[Idaho Al]

G'day All, I have to say my 14" NF E Advantage, I have a old 14 E that works fine but the Advantage is sooooo Quiet and does not pick up much EM like my 17"
That my two bits worth....................Idaho Al

[MANZANITASLAYER]

I run the blitz 14x9 goldstalker 95% of the time. This coil is super sensitive, has good depth, lightweight and easy to pinpoint with, Especially on the gpx series. I've ran a lot of coils over the years, from small to big elliptical to round DD to mono. This is my favorite coil!!

[Reno Chris]

I think you are missing the point - no one coil does everything. That's the whole reason why we have multiple coils of different sizes and designs. I've had plenty of situations where I got everything that could be found with one coil and then came back with another coil - larger or smaller or whatever and found more gold the first coil couldn't see. It's OK to have a favorite coil, its OK to use one coil most of the time, but if you only use one coil, you are leaving gold in the ground, no matter what the favorite coil you are using is.