Nexus Dual 16' Inch Coil Review

The Nexus 16' dual coil is surprisingly lightweight, it's actually lighter than the 13' DD, due to the figure of 8 design it not only feels balanced to swing, it's also really easy to operate. Another huge benefit is the fact that you can balance the coil really close to the ground. You'll find that the ground noise starts just above the dirt as opposed to 3 inches or so which is usually where you have to swing the larger coils. For example, my 20' DD coil is ridiculously sensitive so I have to swing it at least 3' above the ground and the terrain has to be relatively dry to achieve optimum results. 

The dual 16' just isn't like that and I've used it in wet and sodden conditions with no problems regarding its stability. Obviously your swing technique has to be the same as it is when swinging all Nexus machines. I opt for a medium to slow swing concentrating on keeping the coil level to the ground and swinging from the height that I ground balanced from. If your swing speed is too fast or erratic then the machine isn't going to perform very well. The extreme depth capabilities of Nexus are unlocked by going slow and not scraping the coil on the ground, if you're going to do this then you might as well throw the machine in the bin. 

Beautifully Balanced

Another misconception of using larger coils is their ability to detect smaller targets, you don't have to concern yourself with this when swinging the dual 16' because it is very capable at detecting small items. I've used it with my V2 set to zero sensitivity and it still hits on really small pieces of copper, brass and wire. The performance is pretty much mimicked on the V3 as well, they might not be super banging signals but they're very obvious when you know what to listen for. 

The overall signal response on Nexus isn't like your Manticore or Deus etc, the super deep targets might just be a small lift in the threshold with a whispery quality to them. Once again, when Nexus is mastered these signal responses become more and more obvious. BUT ... with the dual 16' targets have to be really deeper, 18' inches and above because it beats to depth coin sized targets at 16' inches with huge audio and meter response. These depths might sound crazy to those use to digging pin-pointer 'deep' but these types of depths are standard for the Nexus.

How Do I Operate The Dual 16' Inch Coil?

Initially I ran it with a slightly lower threshold but once I got use to the way it communicates I now hunt with a raised threshold. At first this can feel like trying to keep a full sized open parachute on the ground in high winds but once you master it it's as close to PI detecting as you can get. As mentioned before I concentrate on level and even swings keeping my eyes fixed on the end of the bottom shaft where the coil nut is. When I get a target response I will then lower the coil closer to the ground, this allows both the meter and discrimination to kick in beautifully. Again, this is the method that I use when swinging all my Nexus machines all the way back to the Coronado. In regards to pinpointing, you simply switch to VCO tones and use the X-ing technique. 

When Do I Use This Coil?

It's clearly not suitable for iron loaded sites and where targets are dense and close together, it's also not designed for using in tight spaces. I personally swing it on areas that are reasonably clear and fields where I've dug a huge amount of the shallow targets out, so basically fields that I've opened up. It's a fantastic coil for deep coins and relics and it's brutal on the medium to larger targets in regards to the depths it can go to. Yes .. it's expensive but once mastered it's worth every penny.