Bad thing is...good finds share signals with trash. Bottle caps and silver and lead bullets for example. I've dug dozens of caps and one merc dime in my short career as a detectorist. Pull tabs and foil and buttons are close. Maybe there's a nuance I haven't picked up on yet to help weed out some of the trash from the treasure. Simplex's nearly worthless VDI definitely doesn't help either.
There is no 'perfect' detector to tackle all of our search needs and handle dense trash, mixed ferrous and non-ferrous debris, work in and around metal structures or building rubble, and sill provide us with rock-solid, accurate VDI read-outs. Some are a little better than others.
I don't rely on only one or two detector models to handle al of my needs and the different site challenges I face. Often, a detector is selected to be in my outfit to specifically do what it can do based on only one search coil, while some might have two or even three coils that can be useful for my wants and needs. I have been, and still am, holding out hope for good-working smaller-size search coils.
I have a Vista 'X' that mainly makes use of the smaller 5¾" DD coil, a Vanquish 540 that uses a 5X8 DD, a Bandido II µMAX and Silver Sabre µMAX that each wear a 6" Concentric coil exclusively, and ORX and 5X9½DD to fill some other needs and will soon have an XLT back in my Outfit that will keep a 6½" Concentric mounted full-time.
Those models are complemented with a FORS Relic and 5" DD and FORS CoRe w/
'OOR' DD that handle the toughest iron contamination challenges I deal with, and another FORS CoRe I keep at-the-ready w/5X9½ DD mounted. To all these I have two Simplex + detectors. One will keep the stock 11" DD coil mounted regularly, at least for now but ready to trade that out for a small 5" DD that I am hoping they will introduce next. My 2nd Simplex + is most likely going to keep the pending 5X9½ DD mounted full time.
Why do I have two Simplex + devices? Because I like their weight and balance, their simplicity that is complemented by just enough functional adjustment features, and I have found them to able to provide ample useful numeric VDI in most places I hunt.
Due to the stock 11" DD coil, the visual read-out is going to be the best in low-trash sites so I have mainly used the Simplex + in plowed fields and in urban areas with wide-open grassy parks and the like.
I'm looking forward to the mid-size coils they are bringing out soon and I'm hoping for a smaller coil of about 5" DD size. The mid-size and smaller coils should help improve the VDI function in trashier places.
Monte