Recently I’d been hearing a lot of hype over the new Nokta Simplex. I was intrigued, but still not sold on it. Experience has taught me to view new technology or products with an optimistic, but cautious attitude. When the XPDeus was introduced, I pined for it for what seemed like an eternity. I finally broke down and purchased one, and I used it for a while, but honestly, it’s now just a back up machine in case my E-Trac breaks. I find the tones and chatter it produces to be über annoying and difficult for my ears to tolerate. The menu is also confusing, and it’s a learning curve I lost interest in pursuing. Sad, I know. I gave it a good shot, it’s a great machine, and I found some great stuff with it, but it’s just not a great machine for me.
So being a little gun shy from my Deus experience, I was a bit more skeptical toward the Simplex than I normally would be towards a new machine. Then my hunting partner Joe got one, and I saw how “simple” it was to operate, and became all the more curious. I had a chance to see and hear it in action. It was a little chatty, but not annoyingly so, and even on his first day out with it, Joe seemed to be doing very well. His first target being a musketball in an area of a park we had been hunting the heck out of for a few weeks prior with the E-Trac and AT Pro.
My interest in the Simplex was peaked, and with price point also being affordable, at a little over $300, it seemed like a great deal, so I decided to get one.
I’m probably one of the most technically challenged detectorists out there, and although I don’t think it’s a good idea to admit it, um, whatever, it is what it is. People frequently ask me questions about my settings, sensitivity, etc…, and just as frequently get met by my blank “deer in the headlights” gaze. If you want to talk technical, there are plenty of men in this hobby for that—I just know what sounds good, and I dig it—I don’t want complicated, I just want to hunt.
So, the Simplex gets bonus points for being user friendly and easy to operate. Once I had it in the field, my usual new detector panic set in. It only lasted at most a few moments though, as my instructor (Joe), gave me a brief overview. That was it? A couple of minutes, and I was off on my own—woo hoo!
My very first target was a neat skeleton key, with a tag attached that had “Boat House” engraved on it. There’s nothing better than the first target on a new machine also being a great target. I didn’t have any expectations, so that made it even better. I thought it was an easy and fun machine to use. I really got into hunting with it picking up on some of its nuances right away, and here’s what I learned about it in first two days I used it:
The good stuff:
*It prefers a fast swing.
*It has great target separation.
*It’s lightweight, and decently balanced.
*The tones it produces are not annoying. Yay!
*It pinpoints great, and in the center of the coil. You can also use the Minelab wiggle to pinpoint, and its pretty spot on.
*It’s awesome in trashy areas. With quick, short swings, it will pick those good targets out of the trash, just repeat in small areas a few times if necessary, and in between the chatter they will jump out at you.
The target stuff:
*Pennies ring up great (70’s).
*Quarters and tokens ring high (90’s).
*Large cents ring up around 90-93, slightly higher pitch but softer tone than quarters.
*Button tones vary.
*Bottle caps do not ring low.
*Like the E-Trac, it picks up some nails as silver tones.
*Hunting in park mode with sensitivity on high worked best.
The not so good stuff:
*If you haven’t uploaded the update, you can’t pair the headphones.
*Pin-pointer’s interfere with it terribly, but I was told you can adjust that—haven’t got around to that yet though.
*I did not find any oxen shoes while using it, but I’m sure that was just a fluke.
All in all, I was impressed. Its lightweight, waterproof, easy to operate and lived up to the hype. It’s got the high end performance of the pricier machines, at a surprisingly affordable cost. I’m going to be using it exclusively for a while to get more accustomed to it, but I reached for the Simplex last weekend, instead of the E-Trac, and without hesitation—so it’s pretty obvious to me that it’s already my new go to machine.
Here’s a few videos of my first finds with it:
And here’s a target chart sent to me by Rich W. Thanks Rich!
Happy Hunting!
“I just know what sounds good, and I dig it—I don’t want complicated, I just want to hunt….”
And that’s the way it should be!
Right?! I don’t need a zillion settings, I just need user friendly.
Very well described. I purchased the Simplex on the hype. I did do some research but the machine is way to new to get a honest opinion without it being in your hand. I had yes had an AT pro. I say had because once I used the Simplex the Pro went bye bye. It’s a good relic finder but in my opinion that’s about it. The Simplex is a very good machine. Easy to use. Crazy sensitivity and it goes amazingly deep. Park mode works great only issue with that if no VDI appears switching to field mode will help the VDI appear. The machine goes super deep in field mode but the tones are amazing in park mode.
I was so impressed with the Simplex I just purchased it’s big brother the Anfibio. We shall see how it’s goes. My overall opinion is if you don’t have a Simplex and don’t want to spend a butt load of cash. I recommend a BUY
Well said Joe. Park mode worked well for me. I’m going to try it in field mode tomorrow and see how that goes. Great machine for the money. I’m sure you’ll be just as happy with the anfibio. The other manufacturers have some serious competition now—Happy Hunting!
Interesting. Thanks. Any chance the screen is lit so you can see the numbers when it starts to get dark out?
Hey Laura-yup, it lights up, and even has a flashlight feature for hunting in the dark (not kidding).
When I first went full-scale into this hobby about 12 years ago, if you didn’t have a $1,000+ machine, you weren’t going to keep up on a hunt. You’d get smoked by guys using Etracs, Explorers, F75s, etc. Like it or not, the pricier units made cherry-picking much easier.
Cut to today, and one is able to get a top-of-the-line unit: Nox, Simplex, Vanquish, AT’s, etc., for $600 or $700…at most! The manufacturers are getting savvy, and realize that the hobby has blossomed tremendously, but very few newbies want/need to spend big bucks, so they’re democratizing the entire pricing structure…which in turn is great for everyone, newcomer or veteran.
Unfortunately, it’s only a few players who are putting out quality, innovative tech: Minelab, Nokta/Makro & maybe Garrett. Everyone else has their heads up their butts, and I don’t see how they’re going to recover.
Never, EVER thought I’d see the day when hunters wouldn’t use their Etracs, CTX’s, F75’s, and all the other big boys anymore. But I know plenty of guys who only hunt with the Nox now, which is really amazing. That machine alone pretty much decimated the entire detector market. I tried it and didn’t care for it. I prefer the “old” Etrac lol. But it just goes to show how FAST this hobby is evolving!
Hi Joe-
You brought up some really good points, and I have to say that I’m in agreement with you. I do still love my E-Trac(s), and don’t think I’d ever part with them. 10 years with one machine trumps a few weeks with the Simplex as far as experience goes, but to be able to ease into a new machine, and do quite well with it, as I did with the Simplex says a lot. I think they’ve got the market on this one, and that’s definitely something the other manufacturer’s I’m sure are paying attention to. If they aren’t then they’re going to get left behind. Thanks for the insightful comments, and Happy Hunting!