Nokta Simplex LITE Metal Detector Starter Pack with Digger and Finds Pouch

The Nokta Simplex LITE with a Nokta Premium Digger, a finds pouch, a pinpointer leg holster and a Nokta cap suits someone buying a first serious metal detector for parks, yards, freshwater beaches and general coin and jewelry hunting. In our experience it gives beginners the features they actually need: full waterproofing to 5 meters (16 feet), a rechargeable battery, automatic and manual ground balance and four search modes, without asking them to become experts in detector settings first.

What is in the box with this Nokta Simplex LITE bundle

Nokta's standard contents for the Simplex LITE

• Nokta Simplex LITE system box with aluminum and plastic shaft
• SX24 waterproof DD search coil, 24 x 15 cm (9.5 x 6 inches), with coil cover
• USB charging and data cable
• 6.3 mm (1/4 inch) headphone adapter for wired headphones

This Nokta Simplex LITE bundle also includes

• Nokta Premium Digger with belt holster (part 17000061)
• Nokta Finds Pouch (part 17000359)
• Nokta Pinpointer Leg Holster (part 17000363)
• Nokta cap, embroidered black with red piping (part 17000391)
• Screen protectors for the Simplex LITE display

Why these add-ons are in this Nokta Simplex LITE bundle

Nokta Premium Digger: the digger rides in its belt holster, at hand for every target, so you can recover what the detector finds as soon as you have pinpointed it.

Nokta Finds Pouch: the pouch holds finds and dug trash while you hunt, so nothing goes back in the hole.

Nokta Pinpointer Leg Holster: the Simplex LITE has a built-in pinpoint function, but a handheld pinpointer helps locate a small object in an open hole. The holster gives a handheld pinpointer a place to ride; see our pinpointers.

Nokta cap: a Nokta cap, embroidered black with red piping, is also included.

About the Nokta Simplex LITE

What we appreciate about the Simplex LITE is that Nokta has not stripped away the features that matter most just to make the detector more affordable: you still get full waterproofing, a rechargeable battery, automatic and manual ground balance, target identification and useful search modes. We recommend it not because it is the least expensive Simplex, but because it provides the important fundamentals without asking a beginner to learn adjustments they do not need yet. In our experience it suits parks, residential yards, freshwater beaches and general coin and jewelry hunting. Someone who expects to spend a lot of time on iron-heavy historical sites may appreciate the extra controls of the Nokta Simplex ULTRA.

The Simplex LITE is the entry model of Nokta's Simplex New Generation line, a VLF detector running a single 15 kHz frequency. Frequency shift moves that frequency in three small steps (F1, F2 and F3) to reduce interference from another detector or electrical equipment; it does not make the LITE a multi-frequency detector. Automatic ground balance works by pumping the coil toward the ground, and manual ground balance runs from 0 to 99.9. When you move onto more mineralized soil and the detector starts responding to the ground, balance again. We would encourage beginners to learn the automatic procedure, a skill that carries over to more advanced detectors; it helps the detector manage the ground's response rather than adding depth.

Nokta Simplex LITE search modes and key settings

• Park: three tones, low for ferrous targets (01 to 14), medium for 15 to 41 and high for 42 to 99. For a new owner we would start here in an ordinary park or yard.
• Field: Nokta recommends it especially for relic hunting on clean sites; non-ferrous targets give a higher tone that rises in pitch as the coil gets closer.
• Beach: for wet salty sand. Target IDs 0 to 14 are notched out by default and cannot be changed.
• All Metal: no discrimination, so you hear a broader range of metal responses.
• Settings: 30 sensitivity levels, notch discrimination in 50 boxes of two IDs each, Iron Off in every mode except All Metal and Beach, and a Ground Suppressor for tough terrain.

Learn how common targets respond in Park mode before you experiment with every mode. Target IDs are estimates, not guarantees: someone searching their backyard for the first time sees a promising number and digs up a piece of aluminum, and that is normal. Focus on repeatable signals, consistent coil movement and checking targets from different directions, and treat the 5-level depth indicator as a guide.

The SX24 coil on the Nokta Simplex LITE

The standard Simplex LITE comes with Nokta's SX24, a 24 x 15 cm (9.5 x 6 inch) waterproof Double-D coil. Around playground equipment, picnic tables, trees and landscaping the smaller coil is easier to maneuver, and its smaller detection footprint helps when targets sit close together. The trade-off is less ground covered with each sweep, so someone searching large, open fields may prefer an 11 inch coil. Nokta also sells a Simplex LITE configuration with the SX28 coil, so make sure you know which version you are buying; Nokta lists the SX24, SX28 and SX35 coils for the Simplex LITE, see our Simplex LITE coils.

Beach and water hunting with the Nokta Simplex LITE

Nokta rates the Simplex LITE detector IP68, fully submersible to 5 meters (16 feet), a real benefit along a lake after a busy holiday weekend, where you might find coins, fishing weights, aluminum trash and lost jewelry. The detector's rating does not automatically apply to every headphone or charging accessory: for underwater audio, Nokta lists its Nokta Waterproof Headphones for the Simplex LITE, and Nokta says not to use the detector underwater while it is connected to a power bank. Rinse it with tap water after salt water. Beach mode helps manage wet saltwater sand, but at a single 15 kHz the LITE is not equivalent to a simultaneous multi-frequency detector: for freshwater beaches we think it is a sensible option, and for regular searching in wet ocean sand or surf we would consider the Nokta Score.

Where the Nokta Simplex LITE works well, and where it does not

The Simplex LITE can certainly find relics, and for occasional relic hunting it may be perfectly adequate. Around an old farmhouse with nails scattered through the ground, the Simplex ULTRA's adjustable recovery speed and audio settings give you more ways to work closely spaced targets; the LITE simply gives you fewer ways to adjust its responses. Not everyone needs those controls, and we would rather see someone buy a detector they enjoy using than spend more for features they never learn.

Nokta Simplex LITE battery, weight and build

The built-in 2300 mAh lithium polymer battery runs about 12 hours and recharges in about 3 hours over USB. We would still charge it before each trip, and in our experience it is better not to store it for long periods completely flat. Vibration helps on a windy beach where the speaker is hard to hear, and for someone with hearing difficulties; the display backlight, keypad backlight and LED flashlight make an early-morning hunt easier. The aluminum and plastic shaft adjusts from 63 to 132 cm (25 to 52 inches), and Nokta lists the detector at 1.2 kg (2.6 lb) including the search coil.

One mistake to avoid with the Nokta Simplex LITE

The mistake we would warn beginners about is swinging the coil too high. A coil held several inches above the grass adds distance between the coil and buried targets and weakens the response. Keep the coil reasonably close to the ground with a smooth, controlled sweep, without striking rocks or dragging it. In our experience consistent coil control does more than constantly changing sensitivity.

Nokta Simplex LITE specifications

Nokta covers the Simplex LITE system box, search coil, shaft and handle with a 3-year warranty. Serious Detecting is an authorized Nokta dealer.

For our full Nokta Simplex LITE guide, settings advice and comparisons, see the Nokta Simplex LITE collection.