Nokta Simplex Ultra: A Comprehensive Review of the Budget-Friendly Metal Detector
An affordable metal detector that has quickly gained a reputation for its simplicity, affordability, and impressive performance – the Nokta Simplex Ultra.
With its user-friendly design and advanced features, the Simplex Ultra detector is making waves among both beginners and experienced detectorists. In this comprehensive review, I will delve into the key features, performance, and overall value of the Simplex Ultra Metal Detector.
Nokta Simplex Ultra Key Features:
The Nokta Simplex Ultra boasts an array of features that make it stand out in its price range:
- All-Terrain Use: Field, Park, 4 Tone, 99 Tone, Beach, All Metal Search Modes, shift the frequency in small increments. The Nokta Simplex Ultra is built to tackle a variety of terrains, from parks, tot lots, curb strips, yards, forests, farm fields, rivers, lakes, beaches, and everything in between. Its IP68 rating means it can be fully submerged underwater up to 5m (16 ft), opening up a world of possibilities for underwater detecting.
- 15kHz Operating Frequency: Suits different detecting scenarios. Great for coin, tokens, relic, silver, and gold jewelry detecting.
- Bluetooth Wireless Audio Enabled: With Bluetooth built-in wireless technology, you can use your favorite wireless headphones for a cable-free experience. Works with Wireless Nokta BT Low Latency Headphones 17000257, Nokta Waterproof Headphones 17000210, Nokta Koss Headphones With Waterproof Connector 17000214.
- Lightweight and Ergonomic: Weighing in at just 1.2kg (2.6 lbs), the Nokta Simplex Ultra is one of the lightest detectors on the market at an affordable price. Its ergonomic design ensures comfortable use during long detecting sessions. It also comes with a full carbon fiber shaft.
- Various Coil Options: It comes standard with an Elliptical Waterproof DD Search Coil 28 cm / 11″ (SX28) 17000178 or you can purchase the Waterproof DD Search Coil 24×15 cm / 9.5″x6″ (SX24) 17000178 or the Waterproof DD Search Coil 35×31.5 cm / 13.5″x12.5″ (SX35) 17000180.
- Compact for Travel: The shaft retracts down to 63cm (25”). It’s great because it can be easily transported and stored. It’s also perfect for putting in a backpack and taking hiking into ghost towns, hunting cabin foundations, and old mining and logging camps. Another notable quality is that it collapses easily with Easy to Use Clamp Cam Locks. It can fit in car trunks easily, which is ideal for those who drive smaller cars.
- Well Built: Seen in the quality coil ears on the coil, the shaft is designed to minimize all wobbles while swinging and has a nice grip on the control unit handle.
- Setup for Dusk and Night Metal Detecting: It has an LCD backlight with a backlit keypad which is and an LED Flashlight on the back of the unit. It can also turn on to vibrate when a target is detected. This is Ideal for detecting underwater in poor visibility and for the hearing impaired.
Nokta Simplex Ultra Performance
One of the most impressive aspects of the Nokta Simplex Ultra is its performance, especially considering its affordable price point. Here’s what you can expect:
- Iron Volume Control: Iron targets can be a nuisance for detectorists. The Nokta Simplex Ultra offers an adjustable Iron Volume feature, allowing you to control the volume of iron signals independently.
- Target Separation: The Nokta Simplex Ultra excels in target separation, making it easier to distinguish between closely spaced targets. This capability is particularly valuable in trashy areas where valuable finds might be hidden among junk.
- Depth: While it’s not a specialized deep-seeker, the Nokta Simplex Ultra still offers respectable depth capabilities. In optimal conditions, it can detect coins and relics at depths of up to 10 inches or more.
- Discrimination: The discrimination features are user-friendly, allowing you to adjust your settings to filter out unwanted targets while still capturing valuable ones. Its notch discrimination feature is particularly handy.
- Sensitivity Control: It has 30 levels, making it adjustable to work in mineralized soil or sand.
Nokta Simplex Ultra Big Value for Money
Perhaps the most enticing aspect of the Nokta Simplex Ultra is its exceptional value for money. For beginners looking to enter the hobby without breaking the bank and experienced detectorists seeking a reliable backup or travel detector, the Nokta Simplex Ultra offers a rare combination of affordability and performance. It retails in the United States for $299 to $349.
Waterproof DD Search Coil 28 cm / 11″ (SX28)
Strong Coil Ears
Well Built and Light
Nokta Simplex Ultra Field Testing Observations
Advanced Detectorists Observation:
As an advanced metal detectorist who uses a Nokta Legend and Minelab Equinox and detects 2 to 5 times a week, the Nokta Simplex Ultra was a step-down. However, that is understandable because of its price point. Although, for the price point, it is an excellent metal detector and has more value than other detectors at the same price point. During my first use of the Nokta Simplex Ultra, I detected with it at a park and location that I detect often and I was impressed to have found an old restroom token as my first find that I had missed prior, and then multiple other coins thereafter. I would recommend it for anyone budget-conscious who will be more of a relic or park detectorist.
Nokta BT Low Latency Headphones 17000257 (left), Nokta Waterproof Headphones 17000210 (right)
Beginner to Intermediate Detectorists Observation
I made a friend who detects with a Bounty Hunter Tracker IV Metal Detector who has been reluctant to upgrade, even though I have offered them to try my Garrett AT Pro, Garret APEX, Nokta Legend, and Minelab Equinox 800 . With my encouragement he used the Nokta Simplex Ultra for park detecting. He was very pleased with the Simplex Ultra and loved the extra information the control unit gave to determine the targets over the Bounty Hunter. Not liking complex detectors, he found the Simplex Ultra intuitive to understand, and he quickly found a coin spill at a park, a location that we have detected often.
Nokta Simplex Ultra Depth of Finds Coins and Relics to Small Gold
The Nokta Simplex Ultra, a 15kHz machine, found items deeper than the predecessor 12kHz Nokta Simplex+. For example, the Nokta Simplex+ struggled to find small gold such as a thin woman’s band with stones. However, with the Nokta Simplex Ultra, small gold detection is much better, and thin women’s bands with stones are found more easily.
Nokta Simplex Ultra Saltwater Beach and Water Metal Detecting
If you are considering exclusively detecting saltwater and in wet sand and water, especially where there is extreme black sand, like Southern California, I would recommend saving up for the Nokta Legend. The Simplex Ultra does much better than the Simplex+ on beaches with black sand. The Simplex Ultra is good for the occasional trips to the saltwater beach in the wet sand and water that has mineralized with black sand if you have an understanding of how to control your sensitivity and ground suppressor. My recommendations: if you are getting chatter detecting a saltwater beach in wet sand, take your sensitivity down to 25 and take your ground balance and suppressor to ZERO. You can also use Park Mode on the beach to get more tones. If you are detecting freshwater, such as freshwater beaches or rivers, the Nokta Simplex Ultra should be fine in most circumstances and will perform well.
Choosing a Pinpointer to Work with Nokta Simplex Ultra
The Nokta Simplex Ultra will work well with the Nokta PulseDive Pinpointer if you understand how to do a frequency shift on the PulseDive, otherwise, the detector and pinpointer will have interference. To shift the frequency on the PulseDive, press the on-off button while holding the (F) button pressed down. Each time you press the on-off button, a beep will be heard, and/or the PulseDive will vibrate and the frequency will shift 1 step. There are 40 steps in frequency shift. The central frequency, which is the factory default, is indicated by double beeps/vibrations.
Choosing Coils
Some have wondered if you can use the Simplex+ Coils on the Simplex Ultra, no you can’t. It is a technology that is calibrated differently and has different frequencies. The coil names and part numbers that work with the Simplex Ultra are the ones that come standard with an Elliptical Waterproof DD Search Coil 24×15 cm / 9.5″x6″ (SX24) 17000178 you can also purchase the Waterproof DD Search Coil 28 cm / 11″ (SX28) 17000179, as well as the Waterproof DD Search Coil 35×31.5 cm / 13.5″x12.5″ (SX35) 17000180
Conclusion: In conclusion, the Nokta Simplex Ultra Metal Detector has earned its place as a budget-friendly yet high-performing option in the world of metal detecting. Its ease of use, versatile features, and impressive performance make it a standout choice for both newcomers and seasoned detectorists. Whether you’re exploring the beach, or hunting for treasures in the park, the Nokta Simplex Ultra will simplify your detecting journey. It is affordable, reliable, and is a fantastic addition to any detectorist’s toolkit.
Joanna Jana Laznicka, a Czech-Canadian residing in Southern California, is passionate about all things associated with metal detecting. She mainly detects on the West Coast, from Southern California to Northern British Columbia. As the founder of Focus Speed, her goal is to bring quality content to metal detectorists.
