Truth about NEL coils?

BushWhacker

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Apr 1, 2015
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I am wanting to get a larger coil for my new AT Pro but the only thing I see offered is the aftermarket NEL coils. I have seen a couple of videos from people who have them claiming extreme depth. One guy said 1 1/2 foot on a bullet with the 17x15" BIG coil. If that's the case then I would love to add one to my arsenal. I just can't find enough reviews to confirm that this is possible. My soil auto ground balances from 63 to 83 depending on the fields. With my Minelab X-terra 70 and stock coil I have pulled a few bullets from the ground at the length of my Predator which is 12". It doesn't look like I will be able to do that with the AT Pro and stock coil so I want to upgrade to a larger coil hoping I will get more depth.
So is anyone experiencing great depth with the large Nel coils?
 
All detectors are the same in this regard. The larger the coil, the deeper it will go, but it will lose sensitivity to very small targets. The smaller the coil the more sensitive it is to very small targets, but one loses a little depth. Yes, you will gain depth with the larger NEL coils, and they are quality coils. But in many areas one will not find coins or jewelry below 6-8" so if you're not finding with your stock ATP coil the chances are that you will not find anything with the larger coil on the same spots. If you are finding good targets at 10-12" with your stock coil the big NEL coils may help you out.
 
Here are two videos showing the NEL 15" Attack coil being used:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYXfiClvBbc

This guy shows he can hit the nickel at 8" with the stock coil but can't hit it at 10" with the stock coil. He shows he can hit the nickel at 10" with the NEL coil but can't hit it at 12" with the NEL coil. At the beginning of the video he says his ground is mineralized.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK9QYO9THYU

This guy shows he can hit the nickel at 9" with the stock coil but also gets a faint signal at 12" with the stock coil. He shows he can hit the nickel at 16" with the NEL coil. He says his ground is slightly mineralized and shows that his ground balance is 61 to 62.


I later found this video of the same guy in the first video on a dry sand beach:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ObUxfwejik

He shows that he can get a faint signal from a nickel at 12" with the stock coil. He shows that he can hit a nickel at 14" with the NEL coil. It doesn't say if the sand was mineralized or not.


If I could get 14" to 16" on a nickel then I would snatch one of the 15" coils up in a heartbeat. Has anyone experienced anything close to this?
 
So many variables in play here. I don't have AT Pro first hand experience with NEL coils but in my mild dirt, there is a bit of a jump on coin sized or larger objects. The larger the object and lower the frequency, the better the result. Here is airtest data comparing a few with the G2 and Omega. You'll notice the larger the coil the bigger the gain on larger coins vs small ones.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MpktH5K_Vkt1E8RWr2dHcaJjlFV0zTvqPAHNTUELvBI/edit?usp=sharing

I would guess, in air test, you will get 1" more depth per inch bigger coil than stock on a 3 ringer.

Which of the larger coils were you looking at? I'm putting my NEL order today and will check if available.
 
Right now I am just doing research on the NEL coils to see if one would be right for me. I thought about going with the BIG 17 x15" just to get a couple more inches but then that adds another pound to the coil. Not that it matters much since I will be having to use a bungee anyway. Then I thought about the Attack 15" but I am still not sure. Either way I am still not ready to buy. I like to research purchases like this before I buy.
 
I have the NEL Sharpshooter for my E-Trac and love it for it's performance, the only complaint I have about it is how much of a pain in the a$$ it is getting the fat stiff cable up the shaft of my E-Trac. I would have to say on coin sized targets it has seen targets equally as deep as the stock Pro coil.
 
I'm the same way. I'm not personally a really big coil fan, I like light and tight, but I imagine they are great for relic field hunting.
 
I received a Nel Tornado today for my AT Pro. Had no issues with the stock coil at all but I get to hunt big yards and fields here and there along with the old homestead too. Did a quick air test with a clad dime and wide open it picked it up almost a foot away.

Just spending a few minutes in the back yard, it seemed no more or less chatty than the stock coil. Should get to swing it for real in a couple weeks, until then work beckons.
 
I use big coils on my Minelabs and YES, they deliver greater depth. As far as diminished sensitivity, there are valid viewpoints, but with my settings and swing technique I frequently find earring-backs, small dental fillings, and pieces of thin chain/necklaces with my 15" WOT and 18" SEF coils.

EMR interferences can occure when I use them in big soccer fields or yards in the city. For whatever reason I can hunt the beach fine, but moving a few hundred yards inland to a grassy play area often wreaks havoc with my beach settings. So I have to do a bunch of reconfiguring or swap detectors/coils.

Anyhow, you'll hear lots of feedback but conditions and settings are really what will dictate the success or failure of the coil. Overall, the physics of a larger coil equate to greater depths. ;)
 
I lut a Garret DD coil on my Ace 250 and it transformed the machine. I cannot wait to use the Tornado on my AT Pro.
 
At one time I seriously thought about buying a Coiltek 15" WOT for my Xterra 70 but in the process of researching the coil the machine went bad. I have it back from the repair shop and also have a 705 that I recently received as a gift. Now I could upgrade either one of these to the Coiltek 15" WOT or I could upgrade the AT Pro with the 15" Nel Attack.
I have been really impressed at the AT Pro and it's depth on certain items that the Xterra 70 wouldn't touch. Then again I have found 12" bullets with the Xterra 70 and have yet to do that with the AT Pro. But then again I am pounding the same area over and over and slowly going over it. I really worked it over good with the Xterra 70. The only thing that I have found with the AT Pro there is smaller deeper items the Xterra 70 wouldn't hit on. I am hoping the AT Pro will hit bullets at 12" with the stock coil especially since it runs at a higher frequency than the stock coil on the Xterra 70. I do believe there is more at deeper depths than the stock coils will allow. Either way a larger coil will give me more coverage and a bit of extra depth.
I am almost 100% sure I will be getting a 15" coil but now I need to figure out which one. Looking at the pictures on the internet the mounting brackets for the WOT look kinda thin and weak while the mounting brackets on the Attack look thick and strong. One is authorized for use and one is not. There may be a few more reviews on the Attack than there are for the WOT. And then I have to decide on which frequency to get if I go with the WOT. I am pretty sure I don't want a low frequency one since I want it to be more sensitive to gold and lead. Choices, choices and more choices!
 
The truth about NEL coils? The truth is THEY ARE GREAT! I have run more than a few NEL coils and love them all. As a matter of fact I have 4 NEL Tornados, one for each unit, 2 AT Pros, Fisher F75 LTD and Minelab E Trac. They are built very solid with none of these flimsy mounting ears but big thick robust ears that would take some real abuse. The cables are much thicker and shielded much better. Have never had a issue with pin pointing with a NEL. I think for the $ you will not find a better built, performing coil than the NEL.
 
The truth about NEL coils? The truth is THEY ARE GREAT! I have run more than a few NEL coils and love them all. As a matter of fact I have 4 NEL Tornados, one for each unit, 2 AT Pros, Fisher F75 LTD and Minelab E Trac. They are built very solid with none of these flimsy mounting ears but big thick robust ears that would take some real abuse. The cables are much thicker and shielded much better. Have never had a issue with pin pointing with a NEL. I think for the $ you will not find a better built, performing coil than the NEL.

I agree. That's why I was happy to add the line. They really do work great.

Checks in the mail! :laughing:
 
My NEL attack is too chatty to use at full, -1 or -2 sensitivity on the AT PRO. Still trying to figure it out. Works fine at -3 sensitivity but I'm not getting the depth I expect. Disappointed.

Factory reset, cleaned under coil cover, ground balanced with low sensitivity, taped cord to shaft. Still, same result.
 
Awesome coils, I agree, I have 3 NEL coils now and pretty sure they are deeper and more precise than stock coils.
 
My NEL attack is too chatty to use at full, -1 or -2 sensitivity on the AT PRO. Still trying to figure it out. Works fine at -3 sensitivity but I'm not getting the depth I expect. Disappointed.

Factory reset, cleaned under coil cover, ground balanced with low sensitivity, taped cord to shaft. Still, same result.

One side effect of larger coil is more EMI susceptibility no matter how well built
 
I have a NEL tornado that I love! It adds a little weight but it's well worth the trade off for the extra depth and sensitivity. As far as emi, I used mine this past Saturday at my fathers house. The main power lines run behind his house. I'm talking bout the big jokers. Not a peep of interference running full sensitivity. I pulled to dropped spencer bullets, an eagle coat button and an 1889 IH penny from directly under the lines. The bullets were directly under one of the towers. My deus goes ballistic when I try to go back there. The tornado picks up those faint signals clearer and its a purchase that I'm glad I made.
 
My NEL attack is too chatty to use at full, -1 or -2 sensitivity on the AT PRO. Still trying to figure it out. Works fine at -3 sensitivity but I'm not getting the depth I expect. Disappointed.

Factory reset, cleaned under coil cover, ground balanced with low sensitivity, taped cord to shaft. Still, same result.

Kind of surprised to hear that as I have had great success using the Tornado on all my AT Pros. I have hit my deepest dimes ( 10+") with the Tornado running at full to -1 sensitivity. I found it more stable than the stock coil. I will be giving the NEL a good workout on the E Trac this weekend.
 
I don't have tons of experience with coils in general, but most I've seen in person look kinda of cheap in comparison to a NEL coil. You can see the quality and workmanship in these coils. The cables are easily twice as thick as a standard cable and the connections are nice, even where it enters the coil it is protected by a thick, flexible boot.

I have a Sharpshooter by NEL and it never left my machine once I got it. I will be getting another soon for my new F70. They do handle emi and mineralized ground very well, not sure why other than the materials and workmanship may play a factor.

They also come with a free coil cover, a new heavy duty mounting bolt and nice Velcro straps ;)
 
I run only NEL coils on my Etrac (Tornado and Sharpshooter). I've done pretty extensive head-to-head testing with the stock coil (which is good in it's own right) and the NEL simply works better. :yes:
 
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