First detector purchase

bbuilder68

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Jul 14, 2022
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Im down to the Nokta Simplex+ and the Garrett Ace 400. I have a couple of questions though. What is the actual battery life on the Nokta ? and how long does it take to recharge ? Second question is how long do the batteries in the Ace last on average ? I will be using rechargeables. I know what the instruction manuals say, but I like to hear it from actual owners. Thank you
 
The Simplex charges up pretty quickly and the charge lasts a looong time.

I would choose it over the Garrett as it is waterproof.

i think the more likely competitor to the Simplex is the similarly priced MInelab Vanquish 440 which would give you multi frequency.
 
As John Madill said the battery in the simplex last a very long time and recharging goes pretty quick

I have no knowledge on the Ace 400 but I do the AT PRO which is a better detector then the 400 the simplex runs circles around the ATP the only thing comparable between the ATP and Simplex is the water proof, have never used a Vanquish so I will hold my comments on it, I do still have the simplex and the AT PRO the simplex is a fun little detector to use and at the price point it sets makes it the best bang for you buck, if you do decide to go with the simplex see if any of the dealers have a 9.5 x 5 inch coil and get one if they do, that is a deadly little coil.

and by the way welcome to friendly metal detecting forums LOL
 
As John Madill said the battery in the simplex last a very long time and recharging goes pretty quick

I have no knowledge on the Ace 400 but I do the AT PRO which is a better detector then the 400 the simplex runs circles around the ATP the only thing comparable between the ATP and Simplex is the water proof, have never used a Vanquish so I will hold my comments on it, I do still have the simplex and the AT PRO the simplex is a fun little detector to use and at the price point it sets makes it the best bang for you buck, if you do decide to go with the simplex see if any of the dealers have a 9.5 x 5 inch coil and get one if they do, that is a deadly little coil.

and by the way welcome to friendly metal detecting forums LOL

Newb question here. Why the smaller coil ? And thank you for the feedback
 
Newb question here. Why the smaller coil ? And thank you for the feedback

In the ground I detect I see very little difference in depth between the 9.5 x 5 inch coil and the 11 inch coil

the big differences I see is the 9.5 x 5 inch coil is less prone to EMI then the 11 inch coil, the 9.5 x 5 to put it simpler runs much more stable then the 11 inch

the 9.5 x 5 inch coil is easier to hunt with around obstacles like you will encounter in tot lot sand boxes and in my case bigger rocks that I encounter while detecting.

for me the 9.5 x 5 is also easier when pin pointing a target that you have detected and it also makes the simplex feel quite a bit lighter

hope this all helps
 
Further to what Oldkoot said, the 9.5x5 separates and unmasks targets much better.
 
Im down to the Nokta Simplex+ and the Garrett Ace 400. I have a couple of questions though. What is the actual battery life on the Nokta ? and how long does it take to recharge ? Second question is how long do the batteries in the Ace last on average ? I will be using rechargeables. I know what the instruction manuals say, but I like to hear it from actual owners. Thankyou

First, what area of the USA are you detecting in?

Ace 400……I would go with the Ace Apex personally with its selectable single frequency and simultaneous multi frequency operation which makes it a good dry/wet sand saltwater beach detector and it has internal rechargeable Lithium Ion battery. The Apex is a nice detector depending on where you live and if the soil is moderate to mild mineralization.

The Nokta Makro Simplex is a great detector too but it will also do better in milder soil. It has a saltwater beach mode and is fully waterproof. The Apex would do better on salt sand however.

The Minelab Vanquish 440 or 540 are great little detectors also and can handle saltwater beaches too since they are simultaneous multi frequency detectors. Unlike the Apex and Simplex, they do not have a manual ground balance or internal rechargeable batteries. Those two factors are unfortunate. They will work well in more places than the Apex and Simplex, but if the ground is really mineralized, they will not ground balance. Also they are battery hogs…..6 to 8 hours on rechargeables if you are lucky. Personally, I would pick the Vanquish 440 or 540 (540 has wireless audio like Simplex and Apex) simply because they have better overall depth and superior target ID accuracy down to the depth of detection. But the ground balance issue and battery hog issue matter too.

I have actually owned every detector talked about here so I am not just making stuff up from reading manuals or from spending time online.
 
Thanks so much for the information. I will be mainly hunting southeast missouri area for now. Were heading to the gulf coast this fall and treasure coast this winter.
 
12 hours

I have used my Simplex for 10+ hours over 3 or four days and still had battery life. Charges quick. I have the smaller coil for the Simplex and I use it all the time in areas with lots of signal. You get better separation between those signals. You will find areas with lots of trash or nails and you can pick out the good stuff. I don't lose any depth from the stock coil. The stock coil is great too you may have to slow your swing in the trashy areas.
 
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