Goldpick
Chris Johnson
After having used this larger coil now over several hunts, I am quite impressed with both the weight, depth and sensitivity to very small targets in junk ridden ground.
This coil was originally purchased in view of covering large open areas, the extra 2" length on the coil doesn't sound like much, but it has really proven to be helpful in pulling targets from previously detected ground, moreso due to coverage gaps than overall depth capability.
As for the depth capability, the large coil does trump the 11" on air testing by several inches, though in the ground it is more likely to be an extra 1 - 2" at most. Not a huge increase, but handy all the same.
Pinpointing is also a breeze, really no difference over the 11" coil in that respect.
As for possible disadvantages, I have seen some comments on other forums criticising the extra weight of the 13" coil, whereas I still find it extremely light to swing when compared to other detector models with similarly sized coils. If anything it brings the balance of the Deus a bit further forward, hence the use of the arm strap is recommended for extended hunts. The coil, including the skid plate weighs 662grams, which is a tad lighter than the NEL 13x14" Storm, considered to be lightweight for its size.
Another noted disadvantage of the larger coil is regarding EMI interference, as one would expect from a larger detection area. It's not a huge difference over the 11" coil, but present all the same if close to EMI emitters. To counter this, a change in settings (frequency/reactivity/audio response) or a minimal reduction in sensitivity is enough to make it settle down in most cases. The two lower frequencies are the worst performing in such cases, with 17kHz offering the quietest operation, or 12kHz if stable enough.
Due to the sheer size of the coil, you would not expect it to compete with smallers coils on unmasking, or working junky locations, though at times it does feel like a much smaller coil than it has any right to be - I put that mainly down to the sheer recovery speed of the Deus. My latest post in the member's finds section was an eye opener on using the 13" coil over a very junky relic site. Not a coil I would typically use for cleaning out such sites, but it did pull some damned small and thin non-ferrous targets from the ground, some being nothing more than soft repeatable tone peaks in between the discriminated iron.
Aside from coverage and slight increase in depth, other advantages include the ability to run two seperate Deus detectors with the addition of a second top shaft assembly (bottom shaft is included with coil), and although I do not do much beach detecting these days, I can see it providing the extra coverage and edge on depth that one might require for such areas. It is also nice to know you have a backup coil should your general purpose coil require servicing or battery replacement, or as a second coil on standby should the other run low on power during the course of the day.
Is it worth the money? I think so, particularly if you are into covering/gridding large open areas for sporadic finds, or for saving time/increased coverage when investigating new sites for evidence of previous habitation.
This coil was originally purchased in view of covering large open areas, the extra 2" length on the coil doesn't sound like much, but it has really proven to be helpful in pulling targets from previously detected ground, moreso due to coverage gaps than overall depth capability.
As for the depth capability, the large coil does trump the 11" on air testing by several inches, though in the ground it is more likely to be an extra 1 - 2" at most. Not a huge increase, but handy all the same.
Pinpointing is also a breeze, really no difference over the 11" coil in that respect.
As for possible disadvantages, I have seen some comments on other forums criticising the extra weight of the 13" coil, whereas I still find it extremely light to swing when compared to other detector models with similarly sized coils. If anything it brings the balance of the Deus a bit further forward, hence the use of the arm strap is recommended for extended hunts. The coil, including the skid plate weighs 662grams, which is a tad lighter than the NEL 13x14" Storm, considered to be lightweight for its size.
Another noted disadvantage of the larger coil is regarding EMI interference, as one would expect from a larger detection area. It's not a huge difference over the 11" coil, but present all the same if close to EMI emitters. To counter this, a change in settings (frequency/reactivity/audio response) or a minimal reduction in sensitivity is enough to make it settle down in most cases. The two lower frequencies are the worst performing in such cases, with 17kHz offering the quietest operation, or 12kHz if stable enough.
Due to the sheer size of the coil, you would not expect it to compete with smallers coils on unmasking, or working junky locations, though at times it does feel like a much smaller coil than it has any right to be - I put that mainly down to the sheer recovery speed of the Deus. My latest post in the member's finds section was an eye opener on using the 13" coil over a very junky relic site. Not a coil I would typically use for cleaning out such sites, but it did pull some damned small and thin non-ferrous targets from the ground, some being nothing more than soft repeatable tone peaks in between the discriminated iron.
Aside from coverage and slight increase in depth, other advantages include the ability to run two seperate Deus detectors with the addition of a second top shaft assembly (bottom shaft is included with coil), and although I do not do much beach detecting these days, I can see it providing the extra coverage and edge on depth that one might require for such areas. It is also nice to know you have a backup coil should your general purpose coil require servicing or battery replacement, or as a second coil on standby should the other run low on power during the course of the day.
Is it worth the money? I think so, particularly if you are into covering/gridding large open areas for sporadic finds, or for saving time/increased coverage when investigating new sites for evidence of previous habitation.
