NF 12" Evolution & Coiltek 11" Elite

[Dignit]

Hi all
I have been trying to understand how the new NF 12" Evolution & Coiltek 11" Elite coils work, pro's and con's and whether it is really worth adding either one to my range of coils. I currently run a minelab 15x12" and 8" Commander on my GPX4500 and switch coils subject to the ground I'm hunting and my expectation of the size of gold I'll find; Typically small coil on diggings and larger coil on virgin ground.
I was at a gold prospecting shop in the Vic Golden Triangle on the weekend and was informed both coils have an inner small winding sensitive to picking up sub gram gold and a outer winding for finding the deeper larger gold. It is apparently like having two coils in one, and why people are finding sub gram and larger with the one coil. Can anyone confirm this?
I was also told the Nugget Finder can be noisy if you swing it too fast. You have to swing it slow.
Apparently there is only marginal improvement in ability to find gold over the Commanders I currently use, but the real benefit is having two coils in one.
I'd appreciate any experiences with either or both coils added so all us considering a purchase can get some valuable insight.
If all this is true, a two in one sounds worth having. Appreciate your thoughts.
Cheers

 

[Guest]

But having 'two coils in one' has the trade-off of loss of depth. Hence I traded my 12'' dual-field Spider coil for a single field model.
While the extra depth is only a couple of inches, that's a bonus for a green-horn like me.

 

[Jafnob]

I used the 11" elite on the weekend around Beaufort and picked up 2 nuggets one would have been .3 and the other .2 both at a depth of about 6 " in fine gold setting, it ran smooth and quiet the whole time, I also have the nugget finder and I find it to be noisier than the elite but both really good coils, if you're asking my preference then I would go the elite and yes they are definitely better than the standard commander coil imho as that is what I used to use, the other coil I find fantastic is the little sadie coil

 

[old hand]

I have used both coils and found gold with both bit off a price difference between the coils I was using them on a new 4500
the Elite coil ran very smooth and quiet 2 pieces about 0.2 at 5 inches I could not ask for any better result
the Evo coil runs quiet and smooth the gold I recovered with it was from ground that had been racked and detector previously
I thick I would be happy using either of these coils, if you contact coiltek Maryborough they have test coils regards john

 

[Baldy]

Haven't found any gold with my 11 elite yet but it sure pings on lead, a great bright signal..

 

[Bjay]

Haven't tried the 11 inch coil tech but brought the 12 inch NF but have only used it once . Like its lightness and got three smalls .11 about 3 inches .20 about the same and .33 at about 6 inches. All in previous raked areas, thanks for those that did the work. Must say that it wasn't freshly done as I wouldn't feel quite right about that. Seen the spot about a months ago and hasn't been revisited yet. Just goes to show for all us newbies out there that no one gets it all.

 

[Bjay]

 

[Bjay]

Gotta mention though for all the new guys gotta put the time in on the ground for results. More time spent the more you'll learn the more you'll get. I don't know too much yet but put in 12 hr days and you'll find some generally.

 

[Jon]

I was told they were just a single flat winding in each of them. Never heard a mention of two windings! For those who have used both, either have the edge over the other depth wise?

 

[Dignit]

I was told they were just a single flat winding in each of them. Never heard a mention of two windings! For those who have used both, either have the edge over the other depth wise?

Hi Jon. I hadn't heard this either and why I asked the question?
I hope someone out there can clear this up with some authority.

 

[ILikeGold]

They have a single winding with a slightly different wire. If they had 2 windings they wouldnt be a mono.

 

[Dignit]

They have a single winding with a slightly different wire. If they had 2 windings they wouldnt be a mono.

Hi ILikegold
Can you explain in any more detail, and how do you know this?
Thanks for sharing your understanding. Cheers

 

[PhaseTech]

The new Detech coils have a picture of a spiral wind right on the coil - no secrets

Hope to be testing a 12" mono evo next week.

 

[Dignit]

PhaseTech
I look forward to your thoughts after your trial, and any insight on the windings. Cheers

 

[Jon]

Is true, one winding. On the Evolution there is a line running around the coil top 75mm in from the outer edge. That's how wide the winding is, from the outer edge in to that marker line. The marker line indicates the spot at which a target will be at its loudest when close to the coil. It aids in pinpointing. The coils outer edge is no longer its sweet spot. Other coils are bundle winds , grouped together like a circular sausage kind of. The Evolution and Elites are flat wound, all the wire faces the ground instead of being bunched up .

 

[PhaseTech]

To answer your question in general terms, the new Elite, Evo and Ultimate series have a heightened sensitivity. This results in sharper target signals, allows for a slightly faster sweep without losing as much sensitivity as other coils, and depth capabilities on bigger gold are either the same or slightly improved.

Drawbacks?
1. They are slightly heavier than equivalent sized coils using a traditional winding.
2. Due to their fantastic near coil sensitivity for their size, they can be more reactive to hot rocks, and can struggle to gb all the way to the ground in heavy hard packed clays, similar to the GPZ. Saw this while in Vic, where I opted to use a traditional wound coil in the 15x10 detech and had no issues. My mate also went back to his 11" minelab SGS mono and it ran perfect and he pinged 3 bits.

So as good as the new generation of coils are, I'm still hanging on to my 16" NF advantage, as I know it purrs in bad ground. Small coils like the 8" monos and 12x7" etc still have their place in thick scrub, tight access areas etc.

Nenad

 

[PhaseTech]

Came across this comparison between the 14" Elite and the 17x13" Evo on an undug nugget.
Interesting, the Elite sounds a bit louder, but the Evo seems a bit sharper. Maybe it was the higher tone??

[video=480,360]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5Y8CshJFTA[/video]

 

[Dignit]

Thanks everyone, and particularly Phase Tech for the real life video comparison. There's nothing like a real life undug nugget test for a real comparison.
It's disappointing the gold detecting shop I went to was offering wrong information. You go to these places expecting expert advice. Yet it seems very difficult to get. The three shops I've experienced have been woeful. Thanks to this forum we can get real experience.
Thanks again to all.

 

[Jon]

The misses seemed to be swinging the Elite a bit slower and dipping the coil slightly towards the target sound in mid swing, the bloke was swinging the Evo a bit faster, not hugely but still a bit, than the Elite and his swing was more level. She was using tight slower sweeps and him wider and slightly faster. Maybe if he slightly dipped into the target like she did, swept slower and with a tight sweep and set the audio the same it would, I have no doubt, been a little different. Not criticism just observation.

 

[goldwright]

The coiltek 11 is a very smooth running coil indeed. I am alot like most of the people with the Commander 11 being one of my favourate coils, but this new coiltek does allow a fair bit more tweeking on the 5000. Running in Sensitive Extra and gain at 15 was about it's max but mind you storms were about so in cooler months I think it would be possible on this ground with even a bit more gain. I don't feel that it is more sensitive than the Commander just think it is quiter, smoother and allows for some tweeks to settings with less chatter. Mind you I have only used it for 3 days so far.