FAQ and Tips

NEL coils are different from stock coils, so they take some getting used to. This usually takes no more than three full days of detecting.

With large coils (Tornado, Storm, Attack, Big), we recommend sweeping more slowly than with the stock coil. They cover a larger area, so more targets come under the coil, and your detector needs time to identify them correctly. NEL coils are also more sensitive.

• Cable. Always fasten the coil cable to the shaft with the Velcro strap supplied with the coil. Leave a small loose loop near the cable entry so the cable does not kink or stretch when the angle of the coil to the shaft changes. The cable is copper, so if it is not held firmly in place, the detector may react when it moves.
• Footwear. Your footwear may contain metal inserts. While you detect, they can accidentally come within range of the coil and cause false signals, so before you start, check your footwear with the detector for metal inserts.
• Shovel and phone. A metal shovel can also come within range of the coil and lead to a false signal. A mobile phone, especially while it is searching for a signal, can affect the electromagnetic field of the coil and cause false signals. Keep them as far from the coil as possible.

Here, maximum sensitivity gets in the way of finding targets. At such sites, we recommend specialised NEL coils: Sharpshooter, Snake or Sharp.

If the coil has not been used for a long time, it is a good idea to clean the coil connector and the detector socket with alcohol to remove oxidation and dirt. Do the same if you notice signs of a poor contact: the signal drops out, you get erratic signals, or the detector does not “see” the coil.

If you have been using the coil for more than a year, check the plug pins and, if needed, press them with a needle so they fit more tightly against the contacts in the detector socket. Wipe the contacts in the coil connector and the detector socket with alcohol.

Always use the plastic cover that comes with your NEL coil: it protects the coil from scratches and knocks.

1. Before ground balancing, turn the sensitivity down to about 50%.
2. Ground balance the detector.
3. Then turn the sensitivity back up as high as conditions allow.

If you ground balance with the sensitivity too high, you may get overload or heavy ground noise, and the detector will not balance.

Make sure the coil plug is fully seated and the connector nut is tightened securely. A loose connection can cause erratic signals.

The NEL coil cable is thick and well insulated, so it is a little harder to pull through the lower shaft.

1. Gently pull the cable through the lower shaft using a piece of string.
2. Do not stretch the coiled section of the cable below the connector: this damage is not covered by the warranty.
3. Join the lower shaft to the middle shaft.
4. Connect the coil to the detector.
5. Join the middle shaft to the upper shaft behind the control box.

Because of the cable thickness, the detector will not fold down small enough to fit in the bag supplied with it.

Use automatic ground balance. On X-Terra 50, 54, 505, 30, 34 and 305 you can also use manual ground balance. If the detector will not balance, reduce the sensitivity by 50%.

• Set it to 0 by default.
• For the longest reach on a large copper coin in air, set it to +1. This may cause false signals from the ground.
• To minimise the response to hot rocks or heavily mineralised ground, set it to −1 or −2. Change the value until the detector stops reacting to such ground.

Start at the starting value and raise it by one every 0.5–1 hour of detecting until you are used to the coil.

1. Connect the coil and switch the detector on.
2. Press “menu / select” once to go to “frequency”.
3. Press and hold “accept / reject”.

The display shows one of these codes:

• dLlow frequency3 kHz
• dSstandard frequency7.5 kHz
• dHhigh frequency18.75 kHz

Switch the detector off and on again within 2 seconds: the coil moves to the next frequency. If more than 2 seconds pass between off and on, the frequency stays the same, as the coil remembers the last frequency selected.