spenglure said:
How fast of recovery/response does this machine have compared to something like a Teknetics T2?
Dan, since this tread started out regarding the Nokta / Makro Simplex+ then I'll presume you're asking about the performance of that $299 detector to the Teknetics T2 series.
First, let me clarify that my own Simplex+ hasn't arrived yet so I can't give you a hands-on reply, and when nit gets here I'll only compare the Simplex+ w/stock 11" DD to the T2+ w/standard 11" BiAxial, even though
'theory' suggests it might have an edge due to the coil's narrower configuration.
But, you stated
"recovery/response" and brings me to a topic I am often asked about and one that is best answered with a side-by-side demonstration between different detectors and coils.
Second, I'll also clarify that I am no stranger to the T2 series, either. I got my hands on my first Tek. T2 in 2006 when they were introduced, and have owned and used the T2, T2 SE Ltd., T2 'Classic' and the last rendition, the T2+. I am very familiar with their very quick target response, as I am with the Tek. Omega 8000. I note you have the Omega 8500 which is close to similar, but I favored the 8000 have owned and used several V4 as well as V5 and V6 versions.
Where most of the motion-based Discrimination detectors introduced in '78 originally required a very brisk sweep speed using the so-called 4-filter circuitry design, it was improved through the years to what might be a modest or moderate sweep speed with the likes of an XLT that came out in '94. We did, however, get our first slow-motion Disc. model with the Fisher 1260X in '82 which allowed us to use a slower and methodical sweep speed and get a faster or quicker response than the former design. That's because they used a "double-derivative" or 2-Filter circuitry design. There were/are trade-offs, but the ease of operation was appreciated and really caught on.
The problem, however, is that the Fisher circuitry design wasn't very good at Discriminating or rejection of nails and other common iron debris. We were rewarded with jack Gifford's design of the Inca, introduced in July of '83, and that gave us silent-search, the slow-motion with quick-response/fast recovery with much improved iron rejection.
Note that I referred to that performance as
"Quick-Response/Fast-Recovery." This is a simple description of what we
hear, such as sweeping across a penny and the ability to recover and respond to a nearby dime. Often we see the word
'separation' used to describe this behavior and,
in some cases, this might be applied correctly.
I can take my T2+ w/5" DD coil and sweep it across my Test Strip of 7, nickel-size brass Trade Tokens that are 2" apart, center-to-center. Of all the many detectors I have put to the test using their smaller-size search coils, the T2's set a very impressive Quick-Response/Fast-Recovery standard for any detector to try and match, most don't and many are terrible when it comes to trying to recover.
That is a good example of the Response and Recovery we like to have when hunting a tot-lot or other high-count Coin Hunting site. All of the makes and models in my Regular-Use Detector Outfit can hold-their-own in a high-traffic, dense coin producing site using the Nokta CoRe w/small
'OOR' DD, Relic w/5" DD, Tesoro Bandido II µMAX and Silver Sabre µMAX w/6" Concentric coils, Makro Racer 2 w/5" DD or 7" Concentric coils, and my XP ORX w/5X9½ DD and a modified White's IDX Pro w/6½" Concentric.
However, the bulk of my detecting since mid-'83 shifted from urban Coin & Jewelry Hunting to Relic Hunting places that tend to have an abundance of iron nails and other closely-associated ferrous objects. I did use my T2's w/5" DD coil for a lot of those old and iron littered sites, especially when iron nails were the main offender, but did struggle when there were too many that were too closely associated. Now to understand WHY and how we look at 'Separation' and 'Fast Recovery.'
Using the 7 brass trade-tokens inline and centered in 12", the T2 will display very impressive Response-Recovery-Response times. Note that I added the extra 'response' in that because that is what we are really needing to consider in order to hunt trashier sites and unmask desired targets in a ferrous-challenged environment. Why is that? Because we are dealing with rejected or Discriminated targets as well as the keepers we are looking for.
ALL detectors will encounter both accepted and rejected targets during a search, and they are going to Respond to each of them. In the case of the 7 Trade Tokens, they Respond with a positive audio you can hear and then it appears they can Recover from that positive response and then Respond positively on the next favorable target.
But when we are searching and encounter any Discriminated or rejected targets, such as a nail or other rejected ferrous target, we usually DON'T hear it because it is Discriminated. But that was the detector's Response to a bad target and THEN the unit's circuitry has to Recover from that rejected target before it can Respond to the next encountered target, be it a rejected or accepted type object. And THERE is the biggest problem with some circuitry designs.
I can lay five coins on the ground in an 8"X11" area. Some detectors on the market still struggle to respond to all of them if another coin is too close for them to recover, but usually if maybe 3" or more apart in that space, all of my detectors will hit on each individual coin. I used to use the Omega 8000 and T2 for a lot of my urban Coin & Jewelry Hunting because they, also, can isolate the individual coins in their motion Disc. mode reasonably well.
But I also compare every make and model and coils using my Nail Board Performance Test this past 25+ years, and that has 4 iron nails of different sizes and in the orientation as I encountered them in a ghost town, on top of the ground with an Indian Head Cent centered amongst them. A very good test to demonstrate a detector's ability to Respond-Recover-and Respond when swept across the Nail Board in four direction from both left and right. A possible 8 hits on a small one Cent coin in the centered position.
The Omega 8000 is a very Quick-Response detector as is the T2. So is my Fisher F44. Using a 4" Concentric or 5" DD or 7" Concentric on the Omega 8000 or F44, you'd be lucky to get more than just 1 or 2 dig-worthy responses out of 8 possible. WHY? Because although they have a Quick Response, they struggle to Recover from the iron nails they encountered fast enough to Respond to the coin, especially with other iron nails nearby and encountered as the coil is in the sweep motion. The T2 w/5" DD beats them, but still falls a little short of performance compared with my Relic Hunting group of Nokta, Makro, White's, Tesoro and XP models and coils mentioned above.
I've seen where the Simplex appears to be fast and displays a Quick Response, but until I actually test it, I'm not certain how well it will Recover in a very iron littered site. Going against it is the big, round 11" DD coil and I am certain a smaller-size coil, such as a 5" DD, would improve the field performance for Response-Recovery-Response performance. We just need the smaller-size coil to be fair.
Monte
