My thoughts on the Nokta|Makro Simplex+ after 50 hours.

Rattlehead

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I finally accumulated around 50 hours on this detector so I figured I'd put up another one of my long winded reviews for anyone who may be on the fence about getting one of these. Now I can't speak on beach hunting, gold hunting or long term durability but I can offer my opinion on how it performs on the type of detecting I do which is looking for coins and relics in the dirt.

Just like my other reviews, I'll break this down into specifics and give my thoughts on each.

Ergonomics: The Simplex weighs in at 2.8lbs, so its fairly lightweight and comparable to other popular machines like the Equinox. The detector also balances very similar to the Nox IMHO, which is a little nose heavy but still very easy on the arm.

The buttons are easy to reach with your thumb, and are laid out in a way that's easy to navigate. I would prefer the pinpoint button be in the center of the housing instead of over on the left side, or better yet a trigger style pinpoint button on the reverse side of the display. However, its quite usable as is. On this machine you have to keep the pinpoint button pressed while using it. I prefer press and release = pinpoint mode, then press and release again to go back to detecting mode. That's a personal preference thing so some of you may like it as is. I guess my only real complaint with the buttons is that they're a bit on the stiff side. Takes a fairly firm press to activate them. I was thinking maybe they'd soften up a little after some use but I've put over 50 hours on the detector now and they're still just as stiff as they were on the day I got it.

The grip is wrapped in what I believe is hard rubber and offers a very nice feel in the hands. The angle of the grip is tilted a little further forward than other machines I've used, which felt a little awkward to me at first but I've gotten used to it.

The arm cuff is comfortable enough even though it doesn't include any padding.

The Simplex uses a straight shaft, which I prefer... and I was pleased to see that Nokta mounted the shaft in or near the center of the coil. This is the best location IMHO because it makes it much easier to do a ground press and level your coil, which I think we all probably do fairly often. The coil itself is an 11" Double D which looks very similar to what you'd find on a Minelab detector.

One other thing that I really like about the Simplex is how far you're able to collapse it. Matter of fact, fully collapsed its one of the most compact detectors I've used. Could probably fit it in a backpack if you wanted.

If you extend the shaft out really far, you will notice a little bit of flex, but thats to be expected.

Display: The Target ID numbers are large and easy to read, which is much appreciated by me with my failing vision.

The backlight works well and has multiple settings including an automatic mode which lights up the display when a signal is detected or when you press a button. I like to leave mine on the lowest level all the time. Doesn't seem to have much effect on battery life and helps me see the display in low light without having to remember to turn it on. I do the same thing with my other detectors.

Another nice touch by Nokta is that the buttons are actually back-lit, so you can see what you're doing in low light. There's a nifty flashlight built-in to the back side of the display as well.

Depth Meter: The Simplex uses arrows as depth indicators. Each one represents about 2". I prefer an actual numbered meter but after using the Nox for such a long time now I'm starting to get used to it. Accuracy is hit or miss.

Battery: The Simplex uses a built in 2300mAh rechargeable battery. Seems like most new detectors are going this route rather than having removable batteries, probably for weight concerns. Anyway, I have no complaints about battery life. I'm able to hunt all day without needing a re-charge and thats all that really matters to me.

Menu: The Simplex menu is set up in a way that's very easy to understand, but not so easy to use IMHO. The reason I say that is because its timed in a way that if you don't make your selection quickly, it goes back to the default screen and you have to cycle back through the settings again to make your adjustment. In my opinion, it would be much better if it were set up in a way that when you click the settings button, it stays in settings mode until you click it again. I'm old and slow, so I don't like time limits on making adjustments. This is my biggest complaint with the Simplex by far. Could probably be fixed in a software update. Nokta, are you reading this?

{Edited 4-17-20} Nokta fixed the menu timeout issue in software update V2.76. Nice job Nokta!

Target ID: One thing I've noticed is that this machine is considerably deeper in Field mode vs Park mode. This applies to the Target ID as well. On deeper targets you might not get an ID in Park mode, but switching over to Field mode usually brings up the ID. As long as the target is within reach of the detecting mode you're using, the ID is fairly stable. Like some other machines, steel bottle caps can be a bit tricky in both ID and tone. Overall the Target ID capabilities are on par with most other machines I've used (except for FBS, they're in a league of their own).

{Edited 4-17-20} Nokta addressed the ID depth issue in software update V2.76. ID depth has been improved.

Search Modes: Like I mentioned above, Field mode is considerably deeper than Park mode from what I've seen.

IMHO Park mode works best in areas that have a lot of modern trash. It offers faster recovery speed and the tones are set up in segments or bins. Its 3 tones that are preset and non-adjustable. I would much prefer the ability to adjust these bins for US coins, but gotta leave some features for the higher end machines.

Field mode is the deeper of the two, and gives a more modulated tone response which varies by depth.

This detector also offers two other modes: All Metal which does exactly what the name implies, and Beach mode which I have absolutely no experience with.

{Edited 4-17-20} Nokta added an aditional Park mode (Park 1) in software update V2.76 which is deeper with a slightly slower recovery speed. Tone breaks have also been tweaked in this new Park 1 mode. Low tone for ferrous targets with 0-15 IDs, a medium tone for gold and non-ferrous metals with IDs 16-69 and a high tone for non-ferrous metals with IDs 70-99.

Depth & Speed: Both very respectable IMHO. Like I mentioned before, Park mode is faster and Field mode is deeper.

This detector likes a slightly faster swing speed when checking a target.

Frequency: The Simplex runs at 12kHz, which is very close to the popular Garrett ProPointer (11.5kHz). They don't play nice together. The Simplex does offer the option to shift the frequency slightly but even then you'll still get some noticeable interference. Just something to keep in mind.

Build Quality: So far, the Simplex appears to be a quality machine. The materials don't feel cheap and it seems to be put together very well. Time will tell how everything holds up, but so far so good.

Final Thoughts: For the price point of $254 without WHP and a little over $300 with WHP, the Simplex offers a LOT of bang for the buck. You get a waterproof (to 10ft) detector that's extremely easy to use, with good depth, fast recovery, adjustable iron volume, good build quality, and a nice list of features including some that aren't even found on higher end detectors such as the flashlight on the reverse side of the display and vibration mode. You definitely get a lot of detector for the money and I do recommend it.

So there you have it. My thoughts on the Simplex after 50 hours of use. I have no ties with Nokta|Makro and whether or not you buy this detector doesn't effect me what-so-ever. Everything mentioned above is just my opinion. YMMV.

My Simplex+ YouTube Vids:





 

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Your review mirrors my experience with the Simplex+. You said exactly what I would have if I could type more than 4 words a minute. Thanks for putting in the time and effort on both the detector and your review.
 
Excellent review! I have used the Simplex in the past. What I like about it is that you can carry it in a backpack. My Nox 600 I have to take the coil off to save the room.
I would even say if someone was just getting started in MD, the Simplex is a excellent first MD for the price.

Sent from my Armor_3 using Tapatalk
 
Nice review!

Thanks for taking the time to share your results.

Your review mirrors my experience with the Simplex+. You said exactly what I would have if I could type more than 4 words a minute. Thanks for putting in the time and effort on both the detector and your review.

Excellent review! I have used the Simplex in the past. What I like about it is that you can carry it in a backpack. My Nox 600 I have to take the coil off to save the room.
I would even say if someone was just getting started in MD, the Simplex is a excellent first MD for the price.

Sent from my Armor_3 using Tapatalk

Thanks guys. :cheers:
 
I'll join the 'Thank You' club for the good review.

The ONLY thing I want to see from Nokta / Makro are small coils for the Simplex +.

My thoughts on 'updates' is that I am not a big fan of them and feel a detector ought to be evaluated enough ahead of time to take care of glitches before production ... however ... I would like to see two changes in the adjustment functions:

1.. Allow the Baech mode to adjust to Accept or Reject ALL of the notch segments.
2.. Allow the Beach mode to adjust for Iron Audio Volume.

My settings and favorite search mode might differ from you a little, but the same idea. I use Park mode in very littered places, but really want/need a smaller coil to take advantages of that mode.

I like th4 depth potential and performance of BOTH the Field mode and Beach mode, but favor the Beach mode's Non-VCO function. Just a bit cleaner audio on some of the deeper targets I find in wide-open places that lack masking trash. When I get into a bit more Iron I shift to Field mode and take advanatage of the Low-Tone Volume when it gets to be annoying.

I also like to hunt w/'0' Disc. segments because I like to know when I am hunting in or close to Iron debris. I keep all three Disc. modes set to Accept ALL of the Disc. segments.

The Simplex+ is an impressive detector and makes up one of the five Nokta / Makro models I rely on in my Detector Outfit. Now, if we could just get some smaller-size coils.:impatient:

Monte
 
Thank you Monte.

For most of the places I hunt, I prefer the 3 tones of Park mode but I wish the recovery speed was adjustable in order to slow it down a bit and match the depth of Field mode. I get that the idea behind the detector is keeping it simple, but that adjustment along with the ability to shift the tone bins would be very useful IMHO.
 
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I've thought about getting a Simplex, to have a decent waterproof detector without spending $500+! Great read/review, thank you!
 
One of the most detailed reviews of the Simplex I've seen. I have one and really enjoy it. Thanks for taking the time to post it.
 
Thank you Rattlehead, great review. Am thinking of getting this detector for my wife to use so we can metal detect together more often. Right now I find the target with my AT Pro, and cut the plug, then she uses the Garrett Carrot and her Lesche to find the target.
 
Nicely done Rattlehead.
You should be writing for treasure magazines.
And detector manufacturers should be letting you test for them.

I don’t say this about anyone either. Takes special person with special skills.
 
Nicely done Rattlehead.
You should be writing for treasure magazines.
And detector manufacturers should be letting you test for them.

I don’t say this about anyone either. Takes special person with special skills.

Thank you TN. That means a lot coming from you.

I actually will be testing an upcoming unit for one of the manufactures which is kind of exciting. Looking forward to it.
 
Thank you TN. That means a lot coming from you.

I actually will be testing an upcoming unit for one of the manufactures which is kind of exciting. Looking forward to it.

Very good. Can’t wait to hear what you have to say about new unit.
Cheers.
 
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