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A little bit high. Hope you don't have to pay to have a patch lead done as well.
Help Support Prospecting Australia:
The Z Search arrived today.
First impression was that it was extremely light and well put together. I like the way that the skid plate is attached. A flat join makes taping an easy task.
Weight wise, the comparison is quite interesting.
1070 grams for the Z Search (including the lower shaft)
Compared to 1408 grams for the standard coil.
Pretty impressive. Will give a report when I can get out for a play.
Cheers
Les
First impression was that it was extremely light and well put together. I like the way that the skid plate is attached. A flat join makes taping an easy task.
Weight wise, the comparison is quite interesting.
1070 grams for the Z Search (including the lower shaft)
Compared to 1408 grams for the standard coil.
Pretty impressive. Will give a report when I can get out for a play.
Cheers
Les
Goldchaser1
dave
nice stuff lesgold,let us know how it goes,still waiting here in the west but they might not be far away by the looks,is the lower shaft that comes with it a minelab or aftermarket?
Goldchaser1
dave
Well well the boss just got back from doing the shopping and had this with her,shell be taking it out to an old patch on saturday we pulled about 100 bits off last cuppla months,weve canned any serious prospecting a cuppla months ago,to hot and house renos need doin.....
OK guys, time for an initial report. Took a mate out for a swing in an area thats been flogged over the years. This spot was raked recently and was worked to death by a couple of local blokes. I thought that this may be a good area to try as it would really show if there was any advantage to this Z Search coil. Joe and I ran our detectors with an SP01 and used the same settings that we would normally use in this area. The only difference would be the coils attached to the machines. Joe ran the 14x13 and I obviously had the 12 Z Search swinging from my zed. The plan was to look for some small signals and then compare the two coils on the targets before they were scraped out. My initial thoughts about the coil were very positive. Being over 300 grams lighter than the standard coil made it a pleasure to swing. The balance of the machine was good and it covered the ground smoothly with minimal effort. In saying that, I find the standard coil a pleasure to use anyway. If you have shoulder problems or find the standard coil difficult to manage, this coil could help to alleviate those problems. The coil was stable and very quiet. It appeared to run smoother than the standard coil but Im not prepared to call it yet as this was its first outing. Im also aware of the potential for a placebo effect. But to be perfectly honest, I was grinning all afternoon. The major issue I had with the coil was the bloody deep holes Joe and I dug for junk targets. Looks like it punches above its weight in relation to depth. More time and testing will be needed to confirm its capabilities in this area. I finally got a small break in the threshold on top of a mullock heap that had been recently raked. Took about half of an inch off the top and a faint but repeatable signal resulted. Turned my zed off and called Joe. He ran his machine over the area and said that he heard nothing at all. Turned my zed back on and Joe listened to what the Nuggetfinder was saying. Sounds like theres something there he said. Joe took a couple of inches off the top and the signal sharpened right up. Eventually this is what popped out at a depth of about 5 or so:
After digging a couple of deep targets, I ran the coil over someones boot scrape. The faintest of sounds came through the headphones. Again I scraped off a small amount of gravel and the signal sharpened up. Not very loud but it was repeatable. Again, Joe was called over. He said that he saw that boot scrape earlier and ran his machine over it for no result. He then put his coil over area that Id scratched out and he still failed to detect any break in the threshold. I put his headphones on and repeated the exercise with his zed and heard nothing. We then dug the target out using the Z Search and this is what popped out:
Joe and I just looked at each other and went Wow. Now for the conclusions:
1) The coil is light and a pleasure to swing
2) The coil was stable and quiet (on the settings that I was using)
3) We recovered two pieces of gold that the standard coil could not hear (on the settings that we generally use in this particular area.)
Its too early to say anything more at this stage as we need to play more in a number of different areas using a variety of settings. These results were a pleasant surprise. Hopefully there will be more good reports to follow. Well done Nuggetfinder. Looks like you may be onto a real winner with this coil.
Cheers
Les
After digging a couple of deep targets, I ran the coil over someones boot scrape. The faintest of sounds came through the headphones. Again I scraped off a small amount of gravel and the signal sharpened up. Not very loud but it was repeatable. Again, Joe was called over. He said that he saw that boot scrape earlier and ran his machine over it for no result. He then put his coil over area that Id scratched out and he still failed to detect any break in the threshold. I put his headphones on and repeated the exercise with his zed and heard nothing. We then dug the target out using the Z Search and this is what popped out:
Joe and I just looked at each other and went Wow. Now for the conclusions:
1) The coil is light and a pleasure to swing
2) The coil was stable and quiet (on the settings that I was using)
3) We recovered two pieces of gold that the standard coil could not hear (on the settings that we generally use in this particular area.)
Its too early to say anything more at this stage as we need to play more in a number of different areas using a variety of settings. These results were a pleasant surprise. Hopefully there will be more good reports to follow. Well done Nuggetfinder. Looks like you may be onto a real winner with this coil.
Cheers
Les
Excellent write-up, Les. I reckon it will get lots of interested readers! :Y:
Hi Folks,
Just a bit of an update on the 12 Z Search. Been out half a dozen times now and the coil continues to perform like a champion. Just been exploring old haunts that have been worked over pretty well in the past. Have been lucky enough to come home with a piece or two of yellow from every trip but in all honesty, most of those bits would have been easily picked up with the standard coil. However, three of the pieces that I found would still be in the ground if I was running the standard coil, so I reckon Im in front. A couple of minor issues we all face from time to time with the standard coil still exist with the Nugget Finder. This coil loves larger tree roots (especially when the trees are actively growing during wet periods) and occasionally some damp ash beds will give a bit of a squeak. Had a couple of false signals yesterday from highly mineralised, damp ground but my detecting mate also experienced this with the standard coil on his machine. Forgot to hook up the bungee cord a couple of times after digging some holes and just continued swinging the coil. The standard coil reminds me very quickly about what needs to happen to make life comfortable. This coil has been great to use on vertical faces, steep gully banks and on the inside faces of old timers holes. The lighter coil does make a considerable difference in those situations. Yesterday I wanted to do some filming of the coil in action but I couldnt find the types of signals that clearly show the sensitivity of the coil. My mate and I were only detecting for a couple of minutes and I got one of those low pitched growls. It was a reasonable signal and I didnt think to much of it until I dug a couple of inches off the top. By that stage the damage was done. I had a fair idea of what I was going to reveal. The signal remained smooth and pleasant like a good sipping scotch and did not display the offensive high pitched squawk that we all know so well. A nice little piece popped out from a depth of about 9. The standard coil would have picked it up comfortably so I wasnt concerned about missing out on a filming opportunity.
Before back filling the hole, I called my mate over and we dropped the nuggie back into its former home. Air tests indicated that both coils could pick up the target about two inches above the top of the hole. In fact, I thought that the standard coil gave a marginally better response in that situation. Struggled all morning to find one other piece but it was an obvious signal and the gold was only about 4 deep. To sum up, the coil continues to perform well. The only negative I can comment on at this stage is the price. It was a bit on the high side but the fun Ive had using it has made it a worthwhile purchase. Wish I had one in the cooler weather as its starting to warm up a bit. Will keep you guys posted.
Cheers
Les
Just a bit of an update on the 12 Z Search. Been out half a dozen times now and the coil continues to perform like a champion. Just been exploring old haunts that have been worked over pretty well in the past. Have been lucky enough to come home with a piece or two of yellow from every trip but in all honesty, most of those bits would have been easily picked up with the standard coil. However, three of the pieces that I found would still be in the ground if I was running the standard coil, so I reckon Im in front. A couple of minor issues we all face from time to time with the standard coil still exist with the Nugget Finder. This coil loves larger tree roots (especially when the trees are actively growing during wet periods) and occasionally some damp ash beds will give a bit of a squeak. Had a couple of false signals yesterday from highly mineralised, damp ground but my detecting mate also experienced this with the standard coil on his machine. Forgot to hook up the bungee cord a couple of times after digging some holes and just continued swinging the coil. The standard coil reminds me very quickly about what needs to happen to make life comfortable. This coil has been great to use on vertical faces, steep gully banks and on the inside faces of old timers holes. The lighter coil does make a considerable difference in those situations. Yesterday I wanted to do some filming of the coil in action but I couldnt find the types of signals that clearly show the sensitivity of the coil. My mate and I were only detecting for a couple of minutes and I got one of those low pitched growls. It was a reasonable signal and I didnt think to much of it until I dug a couple of inches off the top. By that stage the damage was done. I had a fair idea of what I was going to reveal. The signal remained smooth and pleasant like a good sipping scotch and did not display the offensive high pitched squawk that we all know so well. A nice little piece popped out from a depth of about 9. The standard coil would have picked it up comfortably so I wasnt concerned about missing out on a filming opportunity.
Before back filling the hole, I called my mate over and we dropped the nuggie back into its former home. Air tests indicated that both coils could pick up the target about two inches above the top of the hole. In fact, I thought that the standard coil gave a marginally better response in that situation. Struggled all morning to find one other piece but it was an obvious signal and the gold was only about 4 deep. To sum up, the coil continues to perform well. The only negative I can comment on at this stage is the price. It was a bit on the high side but the fun Ive had using it has made it a worthwhile purchase. Wish I had one in the cooler weather as its starting to warm up a bit. Will keep you guys posted.
Cheers
Les
Jennifer
Jennifer
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Eluvial said:
.... and for those curious how much those of us in America are paying for them, I just purchased one through Chris at Arizona Outback and my price was $1,100.00 USD, so for once, you all down under are getting the better end of the deal on pricing. Very Happy
Jen
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I have spoken to Minelab who said, as a general rule, they do not get involved with aftermarket and 3rd party companies. The tech I spoke to was curious as to how they got the coil so light...nothing further was said on the matter.
The Zed has been around for some time now, it's good to see a local company producing options for it. I can definitely see the benefit of lighter weight, slightly smaller size, but BEST OF ALL - quieter operation in noisy ground. Sometimes it's just little differences like this that speak for themselves.
That said, at that price, I won't be buying one when we all see the GPX coils selling for MUCH less. Surely there isn't some magic manufacturing cost that justifies the price of a zed coil to GPX coil. I know its all about business and specialty products - but I thought $525 was steep for a coil (but paid it for the quality).
As we can see, NF were testing the market with a safe option, now they might branch out into more options????
Respect to Rohan, calls it as it is: "The real benefit of the Z coil is a significant weight reduction (Approx 300g) and quieter operation in noisy ground."
The only negative attached to this product: PRICE!
The Zed has been around for some time now, it's good to see a local company producing options for it. I can definitely see the benefit of lighter weight, slightly smaller size, but BEST OF ALL - quieter operation in noisy ground. Sometimes it's just little differences like this that speak for themselves.
That said, at that price, I won't be buying one when we all see the GPX coils selling for MUCH less. Surely there isn't some magic manufacturing cost that justifies the price of a zed coil to GPX coil. I know its all about business and specialty products - but I thought $525 was steep for a coil (but paid it for the quality).
As we can see, NF were testing the market with a safe option, now they might branch out into more options????
Respect to Rohan, calls it as it is: "The real benefit of the Z coil is a significant weight reduction (Approx 300g) and quieter operation in noisy ground."
The only negative attached to this product: PRICE!
Jennifer
Jennifer
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A-team said:
There's a LOT that can be said for Rohan's honesty and transparency, and why I've been a NF customer for years and will continue to be. I have the stock 14 and the 19 so this was not a need (especially when I paid the same in USD here in Arizona as you all pay in AUD) but anything that can give me that little edge helps and the return on sales to NF will hopefully entice them to make an ellip and other sizes. But more importantly, I'm VERY impressed by his response to you... business's like this are getting harder to find each day, well done Rohan. :trophy:
Jen
Jen
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According to Rohan the advantage of his coil is in the weight, and initial reports seem to back this up, while reports from Davsgold and Phrunt on the Russian X coil seem to indicate a definite performance increase with Xcoil comparing them to the standard coil. A comparison between X coil and Z coil would be interesting.
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I think Rohan is being sensible with his marketing of the Z Search 12" & not over hyping any performance gains. "During testing we did see some gold recovered that the standard coil would not pick up, but in some instances this was put down to the Z coil running quieter allowing faint signals to be more easily heard."
"quieter operation in noisy ground."
That to me looks like some good performance gain on top of less weight? Not to mention the complete removal of the need to perform any type of coil/cable modifications which is a huge plus for a lot of people.
Also Les in his initial usage reported above, as an independent user, does confirm that the Z coil will pick up specs the standard GPZ14 won't.
If it was another manufacturers dealer or someone getting freebies & making positive reports you'd likely label them sycophants Reg? :lol:
Some independent comparisons on X & Z coils would be good in another thread when/if they occur.
"quieter operation in noisy ground."
That to me looks like some good performance gain on top of less weight? Not to mention the complete removal of the need to perform any type of coil/cable modifications which is a huge plus for a lot of people.
Also Les in his initial usage reported above, as an independent user, does confirm that the Z coil will pick up specs the standard GPZ14 won't.
I think they both do a good job of providing info on X Coils. No offence to either Dave or Phrunt but one is the Australian dealer for X Coils & the other has received at least one free coil direct from X Coils as a gift no doubt for his numerous favourable reports. Phrunt also seems pretty inexperienced in any mineralised ground & only a couple of experienced independent Australian users ever seem to comment on the DP forum on actual performance & very little to none here - most discussion seems to centre around the pros/cons of modding the cable which creates angst among the pro X Coil people.Reg Wilson said:
If it was another manufacturers dealer or someone getting freebies & making positive reports you'd likely label them sycophants Reg? :lol:
Some independent comparisons on X & Z coils would be good in another thread when/if they occur.
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Dear colleagues, I cant say anything for the new NF coil, but I can tell a lot about the Russian X coil. All my friends have been using these coils for 2 years already, and all of them have shown very good results. The only negative in this coil is the cord that you need redo but it's worth it. the coil is very sensitive and quiet. all the places I went through with the standard coil, I went through with the X coil again and it was a miracle. I found so many quiet signals that brought me many new nuggets.
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There's no issue in saying whatever you like about the X Coils but why not put a report in an X Coils thread instead of cluttering up the Nugget Finder Z Search thread!
Like these ones:
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=35120
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=30834
Started one for ya: https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=591738#p591738
:Y:
There will be a lot of us who will read it & take it onboard but many here would also prefer to hear from users in Australian under our ground conditions.
There's no point in derailing this thread as some have in interest in hearing about Nugget Finder Z Search coils regardless what your opinion on X Coils is.
Jennifer
Jennifer
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I agree, I love the truth, which can be seen your name... LOL, heck, no commie coil bias there... Thanks for your note, and agree this topic should be limited to Nugget Finder Z Coils like the topic says, if I wanted to read about X coils I'd go to that topic.
.
Jen
Hi Folks,
Just a couple of comments on the weight of the Z Search coil. There is not a lot of rocket science here, the new coil is smaller than the standard coil and therefore you would expect it to be lighter. If you take out the two constants (ie the bottom shaft and coil leads) the difference in weight of the actual coil itself is over 330 grams. If you do some very simple sums, you will see that the Nugget Finder is approx. 80% of the weight of the standard coil. If you consider the surface area of both coils, you will find that the new coil has a bit under 80% of the area of the standard coil. So in other words, the weight saving is basically due to its smaller physical size. One point that hasnt been made in relation to the weight saving is the issue of fatigue. Weve all heard comments like I can swing the zed all day without any issues at all. Well, I dont know about you guys but SO what. I can do that as well. The problem that most of us face is in relation to the quality of our detecting after a period of time. I can focus really well for an hour or so but as I approach the two hour mark, mental and physical fatigue sets in my mind wanders a bit. Thats when you start missing gold. A quick break with a drink and some food and off you go again ready for more. In my limited use of this coil, I have found that my quality detecting time has been extended slightly. Anyway, that may not mean much to some but I tend to find that the majority of the gold that I dig is either early in the day or just after a break. When I get tired, I tend to cut corners and often have to push myself to get that coil into an awkward corner and focus. A good example of this occurred about a week ago. I had been detecting for about an hour and a half when I came up to an old timers dig hole. I worked over all the easy areas of the mullock and then detected the inside walls of the hole. There was one really tight corner that was going to be difficult to get the coil into. Slipped the coil down as far as I could but couldnt quite get to the bottom. In order to get right to the corner, I had to hold the detector in my right hand, grab a small sapping with my other hand and then lean into the hole. The rest of the story is predictable. Now Ive thought about that situation a lot lately. Im actually not convinced that I would have done that with the standard coil. It would have been very difficult to get the coil into that tight position due to its larger physical size and its weight. It was only a shallow hole and the interesting part of that particular piece of gold was that it could only be detected with the coil in the vertical position in that tight corner. Found another piece a few days ago on a really steep creek bank. Had to hold on to a rock bar while I detected a difficult area that dropped away below my feet. This coil is allowing an approach to some difficult spots that would normally be walked around. As you can see from my comments, Im really enjoying this coil.
Cheers
Les
Just a couple of comments on the weight of the Z Search coil. There is not a lot of rocket science here, the new coil is smaller than the standard coil and therefore you would expect it to be lighter. If you take out the two constants (ie the bottom shaft and coil leads) the difference in weight of the actual coil itself is over 330 grams. If you do some very simple sums, you will see that the Nugget Finder is approx. 80% of the weight of the standard coil. If you consider the surface area of both coils, you will find that the new coil has a bit under 80% of the area of the standard coil. So in other words, the weight saving is basically due to its smaller physical size. One point that hasnt been made in relation to the weight saving is the issue of fatigue. Weve all heard comments like I can swing the zed all day without any issues at all. Well, I dont know about you guys but SO what. I can do that as well. The problem that most of us face is in relation to the quality of our detecting after a period of time. I can focus really well for an hour or so but as I approach the two hour mark, mental and physical fatigue sets in my mind wanders a bit. Thats when you start missing gold. A quick break with a drink and some food and off you go again ready for more. In my limited use of this coil, I have found that my quality detecting time has been extended slightly. Anyway, that may not mean much to some but I tend to find that the majority of the gold that I dig is either early in the day or just after a break. When I get tired, I tend to cut corners and often have to push myself to get that coil into an awkward corner and focus. A good example of this occurred about a week ago. I had been detecting for about an hour and a half when I came up to an old timers dig hole. I worked over all the easy areas of the mullock and then detected the inside walls of the hole. There was one really tight corner that was going to be difficult to get the coil into. Slipped the coil down as far as I could but couldnt quite get to the bottom. In order to get right to the corner, I had to hold the detector in my right hand, grab a small sapping with my other hand and then lean into the hole. The rest of the story is predictable. Now Ive thought about that situation a lot lately. Im actually not convinced that I would have done that with the standard coil. It would have been very difficult to get the coil into that tight position due to its larger physical size and its weight. It was only a shallow hole and the interesting part of that particular piece of gold was that it could only be detected with the coil in the vertical position in that tight corner. Found another piece a few days ago on a really steep creek bank. Had to hold on to a rock bar while I detected a difficult area that dropped away below my feet. This coil is allowing an approach to some difficult spots that would normally be walked around. As you can see from my comments, Im really enjoying this coil.
Cheers
Les
