The readers of our site are experienced people who have extensive skills in the field of Kopar hobby. We know this from your comments, questions and topics that interest you. However, I am convinced that information about the new device, which recently went on sale in our market, will be of interest to many of you. At least because, at the moment, Simplex + has confidently become the sales leader. After all, in the first month the manufacturer sold more than 10 thousand units of the new MD. And only this can already become an interesting fact for people who are trying to keep up with news and events in the field of the metal detector sales market.
Our wonderful hobby is always associated with faith or confidence in one’s luck, good fortune or well-calibrated mathematical calculations, analytical abilities or the excellent qualities of a metal detector. In general, everything that later, upon seeing your finds, friends or fellow hobbyists will succinctly define with one phrase: “Nah, well, there’s definitely a lot of luck here.” And this very “luck” is often morally much more important than the subject itself. After all, what is the joy of owning a relic if those around you do not understand its value? But these are lyrics, but in fact, we understand perfectly well that a metal detector is just a tool. And the quality of work always depends on the skill, abilities, skills and hard work of the user himself.
Undoubtedly, we could not ignore the appearance on the market of the new MD Simplex + from Nokta&Makro. Moreover, the information noise on the topic of the new device has gained momentum and does not subside, despite the fact that in our climatic conditions the winter off-season has arrived. So we decided to get this device, look at it, test it and form our own opinion. Is the device really what the manufacturer describes it to be?
It’s worth noting right away that I was able to test the abilities of the new MD for only two days, and then only in the forest. When I received the device at the post office, it was frosty outside the window – minus 15 at night. So the fields, meadows and vegetable gardens were hopelessly frozen until spring. Only the forest remained. But this is also a good, and maybe even the best, option for testing a new metal detector to understand what it is really capable of. From personal experience I know that for real awareness and understanding of this or that MD you need at least three dozen visits to different locations. For example, as was the case with testing the Fisher F75 SE Black, then for the first two months of using it I struggled but could not understand what it was and why “it” was worth so much money.
I didn’t expect a miracle from a device worth 22 thousand rubles, and that’s stupid. My main task was to evaluate its performance, convenience and applicability to our conditions. In general, the principle of my research could be formulated as follows: “Is a metal detector worth 22 thousand rubles capable of finding anything other than rusty iron?” Come on, of course, he is capable, the only question is how the process of digging will take place and how many worthy finds will be discovered? I can find aluminum wire in my garden without MD, just like that, while digging potatoes.
The first indignation is that the armrest of the device is not designed for a user wearing a warm padding polyester jacket with two sweaters underneath. Then I realized that the device was actually made for wireless headphones, since the adapter plug for regular headphones dangled when moving and irritably knocked on the rod. Yes, with wired headphones, Simplex causes some inconvenience, although you can always figure something out if you have adhesive tape or an elastic band for money. I'm walking through the forest, the armrest pops out, I'm trying to stick it in, while trying to figure out the balance of the device itself. I'm used to the Fischer bar. And then the device itself is heavier and the rod is half metal.
From the very beginning it was difficult to abstract from the experience that I had with more expensive and powerful devices. Under no circumstances should you compare Simplex +, for example, with the same 75 Fischer. Therefore, I had to remember my experience of “communication” with ICQ 350, Fisher 22, and grater 305. In terms of price segment, this is the main competitive environment for the new Simplex. Since this article will be read by newcomers to our hobby, I want to clarify that ICQ is a Garrett ACE 350, Grater is Minelab X-Terra 305, Fisher is Fisher F22. I remember how, when choosing my first metal detector, without understanding anything about the technical characteristics, I tried to figure it out by reading forums. And there is this professional jargon everywhere, that Fenya among the guys on the switch, my head ached, I had to write down the terms on a separate piece of paper and this is the only way to figure out what the pros are writing about.
And so, based on a comparison of the competitive environment in the price segment, and not like here, recently one individual YouTuber conducts comparative tests of Simplex using the abilities of Deus and Equinox as an example. I will definitely make my short but succinct remark on this topic. So, if we compare Simplex with ICQ, Fisher and Turka, then in this comparative field Simplex wins clearly in terms of appearance design and ease of use. The S-shaped bar on Aska and Fischer with a piece of foam insulation instead of a handle, it looked practical and beautiful for ten years. Well, indeed, you can show that the manufacturer understands the needs of its customers. A pistol grip purchased wholesale will cost 30 rubles for the MD manufacturer. But at the same time, ease of use will be a definite plus for the same MD user, so that in the future he can become a regular customer of a particular brand. Separately, I will say that a good and comfortable handle on the device plays a large and very important role in the effectiveness of the device’s search. If after an hour of digging the MD user’s hand begins to get tired squeezing the device, then the person willy-nilly will begin to be distracted by these most unpleasant sensations. He will begin to adjust his hand movements and, in general, all the wiring of the device to what is comfortable for him. Personally, this year on my 70th Fisher, I attached a wooden block to the handle with electrical tape, it turned out to be something like a pistol grip. It has actually become more convenient to use the device, especially when a large coil is installed. And when I realized this, an involuntary question simply arose for the manufacturers. Well, at the sales stage it is necessary and possible to minimize costs, which is why a foam hose is cheaper than a plastic handle. But, isn’t it possible to invent, create, purchase and sell comfortable pistol grips as a separate attachment kit? Are the covers for the blocks sold separately? Apparently not. So for me personally, having a pistol grip on the Simplex was a really positive and enjoyable experience.
But let's return to the coping process itself. It took at least half an hour until I got used to the device. Set the optimal rod length. On the first knee I found divisions of a ruler with numbers, a trifle, but nice. Then it took me a long time to get used to the separation of sound into metals. I walked through the forest in the “Field” search mode, search location, finds of the 18th-19th century, iron appears on average one signal per 20 steps. So I didn’t see any point in going in all-metals mode. The first colored signal turned out to be a medium-sized piece of cast iron. This is normal, such targets and professional devices can see as a color segment. In general, in two trips, I dug up five medium-sized iron objects. Moreover, in three cases the device made it clear that this signal was, with a high degree of probability, iron. I’m just used to the fact that it’s better to dig up controversial signals than to later hear satisfied howls from the comrade that he picked up an interesting and very rare badge, exactly in the place where I had already passed.
Now about the important advantage of Simplex over ICQ. The device clearly and confidently lets you know that forged nails are iron. ICQ does not make such a clear division until the 350th episode. I personally remember that feeling of hopelessness when I dug up the tenth nail along the road in the meadow, on those two days when I gave my priority to the comrade, and out of curiosity I tested ICQ. At that time, all users took this drawback for granted. Like, if you don’t want to dig forged nails, buy a good device for good money. Time passed, but no one was going to remove this very drawback from their devices in the budget segment. It seems that Nokta&Makro managed to do this. If you are a novice instrument search enthusiast, you will undoubtedly quickly understand the truism. What matters when digging is not how much you dig, but how many signals you miss in full confidence that it is garbage.
Meanwhile, my first trip to the cops with Simplex was becoming boring and incomprehensible. I walked through a proven clearing for more than an hour, and there, apart from two iron signals, I didn’t have to dig anything else. It became sad, and really unpleasant thoughts and considerations about the effectiveness of budget MDs began to creep into my head. Okay, I know it happens. And there were more than once when, going out into a field where he had successfully dug every day for a week, suddenly, one day, the dig turned out to be almost ineffective. What should be done? We need to go somewhere else. That's what I did. I walked along a thin isthmus between two dry swamps to another clearing and almost immediately caught a confident color signal. Button weight. Of course, not a coin and in general in search trophies it occupies one of the lowest levels of value, along with horse meat. But still a find. And also forest conservation. I saw on one of the forums how a certain user was selling 500 buttons of weights in bulk, so the lot went for almost 5 thousand. What if this is possible? Then why can’t I accumulate such a lot?
Literally next to the weight there is another signal, well, then things started to take off. A good cross fell out, it’s a shame it didn’t have an eye, but we’ll solder that on later. And so, it arose, that same Koparsky passion. Immediately the inner critic stopped whining and whining, the heart began to beat, the blood began to flow, the eyes looked around, where else to turn. But there was little time left, I had to go home, I was planning an order for work for the evening. So, trying to choose the most interesting path from the point of view of possible finds, I weaved like a hare towards a car parked on a forest road. For myself, I confidently understood and accepted that I definitely like the device. And even though its detection depth is not as great as that of top professional models, this is not a problem. After all, my beloved Fisher F-70 with a standard coil also does not have very good detection depth indicators. However, when I installed Nel Tornado on it, the device began to pick up and show finds at a depth that was actually twice as deep as before. I think that search coil manufacturers will very soon respond to the surge in demand for Simplex and release a full line of search coils for this MD. And if this happens in the spring, at the opening of the season, then I will definitely buy such a reel at Simplex.
And then we’ll see what will be more catchy: the Fisher F-70, which I have loved for three years and tested in the most incredible conditions, or the brand new one, so fashionable in design and technologically advanced Simplex +.
In conclusion of my review I would like to add. In the established tradition of the search metal detector market, it has long been established that a user, having become accustomed to one manufacturer, finds it very difficult to switch to devices of other brands. In general, in Europe and the USA it is considered a great success for marketers and advertisers if they manage to lure users of other brands into purchasing a new device. The metal detector market is very conservative. And, as a rule, manufacturers “educate” and “grow” their clients from the very beginning of a person’s hobby, and then maintain this same interest for many decades. So, personally, I believe that MD Simplex+ will bring under the banner of the Nokta&Makro brand a lot of grateful and loyal clients from among the novice lovers of instrument search. Since even I, a confident Fischer fan, started to have thoughts on my second trip to the forest to dig with Simplecosm. “What if this little guy can do that, then what can the more expensive models of this brand do?”