Diggndabeeps: said:
I just ordered the V10 coil for my Vanquish 540. Thought it might be a nice balance of depth and separation between the V8 and V12. However, I don't see any comments or reviews on this particular size. Has anyone had experience with the V10?
Not a lot of field-time yet with the 7X10 DD, but have used the 5X8 DD and 9X12 DD with my former V-540's quite a bit. I just recently acquired a V-540 with all three Minelab coils and have done some comparisons using the V-7X10 DD.
I prefer a smaller-size coil for the bulk of my detecting and have since '68 and the V-540's Pro Pack included the 5X8 DD that worked fine for my needs. Then the 9X12 DD was put to use in wide-open older parks or searching some plowed fields in search for former habitation. It worked quite well but was a slightly heavier coil. Not as bad for me as some folks because I always keep the rod shorter so the coils used are maybe 12" to 18" in front of my lead toe. Those who extend the coil way out in front of them
(a bad practice) will end up with a much heavier-feeling outfit.
Honestly, I haven't been too fond of coils larger than maybe 5X9½ for modestly littered sites, but in the last year or so have changed my thinking,
at least a little, on coils that are slightly larger. I still do not use a 'standard' 7X11 on a Makro Racer or Nokta FORS Relic, nor a similar-size 11" BiAxial that is slightly wider than 7" on the F-75+ or F-19. Why not? Because I prefer a smaller-size or mid-size coil, and also due to the added weight of those particular coils.
Then in the last few years I acquired a Garrett Apex with a 'standard' coil that is 6X11. A similar front-to-rear length as those standard 11" coils, just slightly narrower. A close measurement of my F-19 'standard' coil is 5X9¾ and my Racer 2 wears their 5X9½. I keep the 5X8 on my V-540 but just checked the mid-size and it measures close to 7X10. So their three coils are 5, 7 or 9 inches wide and 8, 10 and 12 inches in front-to-rear length.
For ME,
and remember we are all a wee bit different in our thinking, I have come to like using some mid-size coils for site conditions that are not too trashy, but I still favor coils in that 5X8 size when I do opt for something bigger than a smaller coil. My other detectors keep a 3½X6, an
'OOR', a 5", or a 6" coil mounted pretty much full time, and when conditions favor a mid-size it is the 5X8 on the V-540 or a 5X8 MGC on the F-75
If it is a more open area with less trash to mask targets and allow a better depth, I go to the 5X9½, and now can opt for a semi mid-size 7X10 on the V-540. The coil is a little lighter than some of the similar-size competitor coils, and it mounts and feels comfortable on the Vanquish unit. I think it might work well for me on my V-540 to hunt some of the popular lake and reservoir beaches in my area. A nice blend of coverage as well as depth in the open sandy areas. Maybe not separate as well in the more littered 'blanket' zones as the 5X8, but ought to serve a lot of folks quite well. I'll watch for your reports on that coil for the places you like to hunt.
Monte