BBS-detectors : My kind of Lego :p

My current collection of beach detectors by Minelab and coils

Since I started collecting them since Late Spring 2020 and I don’t really live near the coast, the only setups I have used more than once are :

– The Sovereign 1991 with the 8″ original coil:
Light to handle and finds small stuff. Not sure about depth. Some people say the original coils are the best but I can’t really compare. The unit hangs in a random shoulder bag and gets in the way and I’m afraid the part where the coil connects to the unit is going to get hurt by the bending.

– the Excalibur with the Detech 12×10 which works pretty well and isn’t too heavy. Pinpoints quite easily. The Excalibur is attached to an old camera-harness; It’s a bit of a fuss to get it on and off, but the weight and the fact that the unit is hanging behind my back is not bothering at all. I also learned to turn the knobs without seeing them.

– Sovereign Elite with Detech 12″and NEL 14″ coil
The NEL Thunder 14″ coil seems a tad bit heavier on the arm (might be the weight, or just the fact that you have to swing further to keep it away from your feet). Plus, the pinpointing is harder. I still have to test where the actual detecting begins because I think it’s not the entire length of the coil that reacts. Once you know where the beginning is, you can pinpoint by swinging the coil away and back to the target.

The Sovereign with the 8″ original coil: finds small stuff.

The old ‘The Sovereign’ doesn’t work well with the NEL and Detech coils, beeping on all weird hot rocks:

Minelab 10″ coils

I’m not even intending to try the current Minelab Tornado 1000 coil because of it’s weight. Maybe i’ll sell it separately or with one of the detectors at some point.

I replaced the old BBS 10 cable to the coil and sold it a while ago:


Which cable for Minelab and Wire diagrams



What cable to buy for Minelab Excalibur or Sovereign coil (and possible all other metaldetector coils) ?
Most coils only have 4 wires so I have these two:

4 wire 20AWG 4×0.5mm² Aliexpress

The other one I ordered from a Dutch store because I had to wait for (much)more than a month on Aliexpress. This second cable is 20awg 5×0.5mm². The wires are thinner so this label of 0.5mm²doesn’t make much sense.
Make sure you have the flexible version !!! These have several very thin small copper wires inside, and don’t buy a solid-copper-wire type because then you will have a long stiff cable. You should be able to tell the type from the photo.

Wire diagrams for Minelab Excalibur and Sovereign metaldetector and coils (from Old Beechnut and other sources):

Wire schemes for Minelab Excalibur and several coils