99% of my detecting is walking in the ocean water digging up the goods. I find it much easier on my old joints and love the water anyhow. My question is about the coil guard. I've only been doing this for about 6 months now and have found out that every now and then I have to clean out the coil guard from beach sand. I'm in Florida so we do not have any rocks only powder sand. Is it okay to just take the guard off and use the Equinox 900 without it while I'm walking in the ocean waters?
Coil Guard
- Thread starter DBG
- Start date
LovestheShiny!
Forum Supporter
While I don't water hunt, I do use a coil cover on my AT Pro as to not wear thru the material and disable or short out my detector coil. The constant rubbing against grass and soil would tend to do that over time. I would think a coil cover would be good protection in water also as sand is abrasive and could wear thru the coil material even faster than rubbing on grass. They are very inexpensive compared to the cost of a new coil, so I keep mine on at all times just for that protection.
atomicbrh
Elite Member
The coils appear thin and somewhat fragile on modern detectors with just an epoxy layer.The coil guard not only prevents wear on the bottom surface of the coil but protects the edges of the coil from bumps and knocks. We do quite a bit of beach hunting and we are not going without coil protectors. The slurry of sand and salty water with the movement of the coil through it is going to cause more wear than you think. If the engineers did not think a coil protector was necessary, it would not be included with the detector. The manufacturers' goal is to maximize their profits and if they could make a few more pennies of profit by leaving the coil guard off, they would. In my opinion it is worth the extra trouble to clean the sand out of the entire machine periodically: coil, shaft and other parts plus a protective coating of 303 or similar product on the wire and coil. Compressed air and a cheap chip brush is your friend to clean quickly and efficiently.
Rudy
Admin
Surf Master
Forum Supporter
It's personal preference , I have used coil cover's since 1976 , if you go to sell, or trade in - your machine , they will inspect the coil ware , or condition - for value , scratch / ding it up to me is a turn off , after every beach hunt I take the coil cover off & flush with fresh water , if it doesn't clean up the way I want , a little dish soap will take care of it , here is a video on coil cover's , and I AGREE with this detector store seller, except after a hunt clean the sand out , flush with fresh water , with me I have been using coil covers for 47 year's , 1976-2023, and nobody will change my mind 
, hope this helps ! , happy hunting , Earl https://www.bing.com/videos/rivervi...D82A2FCBBCF8ED9C3D7CD82A2FCBBCF8ED9&FORM=VIRE
, hope this helps ! , happy hunting , Earl https://www.bing.com/videos/rivervi...D82A2FCBBCF8ED9C3D7CD82A2FCBBCF8ED9&FORM=VIRE
Last edited:
No coil cover used here.....A rookie at 15 years ... I'm a bottom scrubber of, sand, small rocks, and shells..... I do check the bottom of the coil every few months and If I see the need I will coat the bottom with 2 part slow dry epoxy. Reason no coil cover, one less thing to cause a problem while out in the water.
Resale? I use my Xcal & AQ... machines until they stop working..
Resale? I use my Xcal & AQ... machines until they stop working..
hoser
Forum Supporter
Yep I was going to say Rhino coat. That stuff is very tough, and if you wear through it is easy to do a recoat.
Beachhunt1
Elite Member
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2020
- Messages
- 1,442
Lots of "feelings" on this thread but not much fact. I have not run a coil cover in 25 years beach hunting and have NEVER ruined 1 coil. ANY, build-up under the coil cover can have an adverse effect, I have seen issues happen in under 1 hour of use.
My conditions are sand, up to 3" stones and shells.
Attached is a pic today of my D2 coil. I have completed epoxy projects on countless of coils including the Sovereign, Excal, Equinox, and D2.
I recommend Loctite Marine Epoxy. Get yourself some disposable Flux brushes [which are the perfect size] and just brush it on and let it dry. Tough AS NAILS. Did I say, Loctite Marine Epoxy>YES! When you see the black/grey of the coil just re-touchup.
can you send a link to this stuff you use? How long have you been doing this without a cover and using this stuff?
Beachhunt1
Elite Member
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2020
- Messages
- 1,442
How many tubes of this stuff does it take to fill in my 11" coil on the EquInox 900?
Tom_in_CA
Elite Member
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2013
- Messages
- 20,771
Great post. Yes there is a problem with sand and silt getting inside the coil cover. Thus adding to weight. And by permanently removing the coil cover, you risk eventual wearing through the bottom of the plastic coil-bottom, by the eventual sand-papering. I had a coil get ruined, because I ran it for a year with no coil cover. And to my surprise one day, hair-line cracks had developed, water got in, and my coil was ruined. But your solution is a good one : Merely coat the bottom, of the factory stock coil, with some sort of slurry seal paint, or epoxy. Great idea.
Beachhunt1
Elite Member
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2020
- Messages
- 1,442
KOB
Forum Supporter
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2019
- Messages
- 5,755
The problem with a full epoxy treatment on a Nox type coil is the added weight. It was rather significant. Have tried a silicone treatment around the perimeter of a coil cover and works good , easy to remove. Other coils I've been using a $7 can of truck spray bedliner , can do many coats. I'd rather buy a new coil now after I wear it out , so no covers. The worst is peeling a sand filled floppy disk every 10 minutes to clean it out. Y'all know....crashing waves in the surf zone , silver , gold and and coins bleeding out everywhere. But ya gotta stop and clean your damn coil. Time is of the essence in these situations. I flung that cover up the beach as if I was playing for the World Disc Golf Championship !
Beachhunt1
Elite Member
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2020
- Messages
- 1,442
KOB
Forum Supporter
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2019
- Messages
- 5,755
Not on a Nox 15". It is VERY significant.
rc2125
Full Member
You can run Minelab nox's for years with no coil covers, over any sand/gravel/rocks/asphalt for hundreds and hundreds of hours.Which would include the new xterras and manticores that have same type compound filler in coils, it's tough stuff. Also, AT pros and all the newer Nokta coils will last just the same and are very resilient. Ran AT's with no covers for more than 5 or 6 years, thousands of hours over everything imaginable, zero issues. I don't use excals any more, but the shells would separate from the epoxy in those after a year, so using a cover or doing an epoxy job was in order for those. The compound the nox coils use, I'm nearly 100% certain, is MG Chemicals 832HD encapsulating and potting compound (can get on amazon). I've filled nox coil honeycombs with it, but it did add some heft, it's amazingly tough/hard stuff, but takes like 24+ hours to cure fully.
Last edited:
DJW
Junior Member
Thanks for the answer Beachunt1.
Last edited:
