Nokta Simplex ULTRA Metal Detector with Carbon Fiber Shaft

The Nokta Simplex ULTRA is a waterproof single-frequency metal detector for coins, relics and freshwater beaches, and it is the top model of Nokta's Simplex New Generation line. It runs at 15 kHz, has six search modes (Field, Park, 4 Tone, 99 Tone, Beach and All Metal) and is rated IP68, fully submersible to 5 meters (16 feet). What sets it apart is how much control it gives you for an affordable detector: adjustable recovery speed, tone break, tone frequency and tone volume, a Coin and Relic ID scale and built-in Bluetooth, on a fully carbon fiber shaft that weighs 1.2 kg (2.6 lb) with the SX28 11-inch Double-D coil fitted.

Who the Nokta Simplex ULTRA is for, and when a simpler Nokta is enough

The Nokta Simplex ULTRA is still approachable for someone fairly new to metal detecting, but it includes features that become more useful as you gain experience. In our experience it suits someone interested in coin hunting, relic hunting and searching older properties who expects to actually use the extra adjustments. We would not recommend it simply because it has more settings.

The Nokta Simplex LITE shares the important fundamentals with the Simplex ULTRA: both run at 15 kHz, both are fully waterproof to 16 feet, and both have automatic and manual ground balance, notch discrimination and a rechargeable battery. The difference is mainly the amount of control. Picture someone who starts in local parks looking for coins, and a few months later is searching old farm properties full of rusty nails and iron fragments. That is where the Simplex ULTRA's recovery speed and audio settings start to pay off, and it is the strongest reason to choose it.

If you are buying a first detector for the backyard and the occasional park visit, you may never use adjustable recovery speed or audio customization. In that case the Simplex LITE or the Nokta FINDX Pro may give you a more straightforward experience. If you already know you are interested in the hobby, the Simplex ULTRA gives you room to learn.

What the Simplex ULTRA's extra settings do in use

• Recovery speed (1 to 5): imagine an old farmhouse yard where a coin sits a few inches from a rusty nail. When the coil passes over both, the signals can interfere. A faster recovery speed helps the Nokta Simplex ULTRA respond more distinctly to closely spaced targets, but Nokta's manual notes the trade-off: higher settings give better separation and less depth, lower settings more depth and less separation. On a fairly clean field where targets are far apart, a slower setting is usually the better choice. We would not run the fastest setting everywhere. The default is 3 in Park, 4 Tone and 99 Tone.
• Tone break, tone frequency and tone volume: experienced detectorists rely heavily on sound. Tone break moves the point where one tone zone changes to the next, tone frequency sets the pitch of each zone (290 to 990 Hz), and tone volume sets each zone from 0 to 5. You might make iron less prominent while keeping good targets easy to recognize. Nokta's manual notes that lowering or muting the ferrous tone volume, instead of notching iron out, gives more depth.
• Coin and Relic ID scales: the Coin scale (the default) treats IDs 0 to 14 as ferrous; the Relic scale widens the ferrous range to 01 to 39. The same target reads a different ID on each scale.
• Target ID Depth (L, M, H): sets how deep the Simplex ULTRA tries to give a target ID. Nokta says lower levels give more accurate IDs, and at the high level IDs may become jumpy. The default is M.

We would not change every audio setting on day one. Start with the factory configuration, learn how common targets sound, then change one adjustment at a time. More customization only helps when you understand what you are changing.

Nokta Simplex ULTRA search modes

• Field: Nokta recommends it especially for relic hunting, and it suits clean sites. Ferrous targets (01 to 14) give a low tone, and non-ferrous targets (15 to 99) give a higher tone that rises in pitch as the coil gets closer.
• Park: three tones, low for ferrous (0 to 14), medium for 15 to 69 and high for 70 to 99.
• 4 Tone: low for ferrous (0 to 14), medium for 15 to 70, medium high for 71 to 80 and high for 81 to 99.
• 99 Tone: Nokta's multi-tone mode for coin hunting in various mineralization, with a different tone for each ID above 14 and one low tone for ferrous.
• Beach: for conductive ground such as salty wet sand. IDs 0 to 14 are notched out and cannot be turned back on, and ground balance runs from 0 to 99.9.
• All Metal: no discrimination and one tone, with an adjustable threshold hum from minus 50 to plus 50.

The 4 Tone and 99 Tone modes are interesting if you enjoy learning target audio. In a park with several kinds of coins and aluminum trash, more audio variation can make changes in conductivity easier to hear without watching the screen. More tones do not guarantee more accurate identification, though: a gold ring can still sound like aluminum trash, a deep coin can still sound inconsistent, and rusty iron can still give a misleading signal. The benefit is more information, not certainty.

Ground balance, sensitivity and interference on the Simplex ULTRA

The Nokta Simplex ULTRA has automatic ground balance, done by pumping the coil up and down over the ground, and manual ground balance from 20 to 99.9 (0 to 99.9 in Beach mode). Nokta describes no ground tracking, so when you move from a mild park to more mineralized soil, balance the detector again. We would learn to ground balance properly rather than raising sensitivity whenever signals get unstable. Ground balancing helps the detector operate for the conditions; it does not remove every problem that mineralization causes.

Sensitivity has 30 levels, but we would not automatically use the highest setting. Near overhead power lines the detector may start giving random signals, and more sensitivity can make that worse. Try the frequency shift first: it moves the operating frequency in three small steps (F1, F2 and F3, with F2 the default) to reduce electrical interference. If the detector is still noisy, lower the sensitivity until it settles. A stable detector is easier to interpret than one that keeps giving false signals.

Two more settings help in difficult ground. Iron Off silences ferrous targets and is on every time you turn the detector on, but it is not available in All Metal or Beach mode. Ground Suppressor removes false ground signals in tough terrain; Nokta notes that higher values also reduce the response to high conductors such as silver and copper.

Waterproofing, weight and battery

Nokta rates the Simplex ULTRA IP68: dust tight and fully submersible to 5 meters (16 feet). That makes it practical for lakes, rivers and swimming areas, on dry sand, wet sand and in shallow water. Do not use it underwater while it is connected to a power bank, and after salt water Nokta asks you to rinse the system box, shaft and coil with tap water. Vibration alerts, which Nokta describes as ideal underwater in poor visibility and for the hearing impaired, a backlit display and keypad and an LED flashlight round out the hardware.

The fully carbon fiber shaft adjusts from 63 to 132 cm (25 to 52 inches) and retracts to 63 cm (25 inches) for transport and storage. The whole detector weighs 1.2 kg (2.6 lb) including the search coil. Carbon fiber does not make the detector more sensitive or accurate; it is a practical improvement in construction and portability that matters over several hours of swinging.

Power comes from a built-in 2300 mAh lithium polymer battery: about 12 hours per charge and about 3 hours to recharge through the USB charging and data cable, from a USB adapter or a power bank. Nokta advises against charging above 35 °C (95 °F) or below 0 °C (32 °F). Nokta also offers a waterproof 4 x AA battery pod and a 5500 mAh lithium polymer battery as options. System software updates install over USB from a PC; see our Nokta firmware updates page.

Headphones and Bluetooth on the Simplex ULTRA

The Nokta Simplex ULTRA has Bluetooth built in and works with standard Bluetooth or aptX Low Latency headphones; the screen icon shows which type is connected. It pairs only with the headset it first paired with, and changing to a different headset needs a factory reset, which also resets all settings. Bluetooth works only while the system box is above water.

Wired headphones plug into the shared wired headphone and charger socket, which should stay capped when not in use. To use your own wired headphones on land you need Nokta's optional 6.3 mm (1/4 inch) adapter, which is not in the Simplex ULTRA box. Wired headphones cannot be used while a power bank or battery pod is connected. For underwater listening, Nokta specifies its waterproof headphones, made for land and underwater use; its wireless headphones are not waterproof. See our metal detector headphones. The Nokta Simplex ULTRA WHP package adds Nokta's Bluetooth aptX Low Latency headphones in the box; the detector is the same.

What is in the box with the Nokta Simplex ULTRA

Nokta's standard contents for the Simplex ULTRA:

• Nokta Simplex ULTRA system box with fully carbon fiber shaft
• SX28 waterproof DD search coil, 28 cm (11 inches), with coil cover
• USB charging and data cable

Headphones are not included with the Nokta Simplex ULTRA. Nokta covers the Simplex ULTRA system box, search coil, shaft and handle with a 3-year warranty.

Coils and accessories that fit the Nokta Simplex ULTRA

SX28 11-inch DD (standard): a sensible size for general detecting. In a large field it gives useful ground coverage, and it handles ordinary coin-sized targets well under favorable conditions. On an old homesite full of iron, though, it can see several objects in one sweep, which makes single targets harder to isolate.

SX24 9.5 x 6 inch DD: if you regularly search dense iron, we would consider adding it. It covers less ground, but its narrower detection footprint makes closely spaced targets easier to investigate.

SX35 13.5 x 12.5 inch DD: Nokta also lists this larger coil for the Simplex ULTRA, for covering more ground in open areas. All three are waterproof DD coils; see our metal detector coils.

Pinpointing: the Simplex ULTRA has a pinpoint mode and a 5-level depth indicator based on a 2.5 cm (1 inch) coin, which Nokta presents as a guide only. A handheld pinpointer still speeds up recovery once the hole is open.

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

Old farmsteads and relic sites: nails, broken tools, brass fragments, lead and the occasional coin make these sites difficult because good targets sit close to iron. The Simplex ULTRA gives you several ways to approach that: recovery speed, discrimination, audio settings and the smaller SX24 coil. It cannot see through iron, and no conventional detector reliably eliminates target masking in every situation, but the extra controls give an experienced operator more options.

Parks: with coins, aluminum trash and rusty iron mixed together, the tone modes and tone controls let you shape the audio to the site. Begin with fairly open discrimination. After digging several pieces of aluminum it is tempting to reject large parts of the ID range, but gold jewelry, brass and aluminum can read in similar ranges, so learn the detector's responses before you get selective.

Freshwater beaches and shallow water: after a busy summer weekend you might find coins, jewelry, fishing weights and aluminum trash. The Simplex ULTRA works on dry sand, wet sand and in shallow water within its rating, which is a real advantage if you hunt lakes and rivers often. If you plan to submerge it, use compatible waterproof accessories; waterproofing does not make every headphone or accessory suitable for underwater use. See our waterproof metal detectors.

Saltwater beaches: the Simplex ULTRA is a single-frequency detector, and its Beach mode does not make it the equal of a simultaneous multi-frequency beach detector. Wet salt sand is conductive and can interfere with target detection, and Nokta's manual warns of false signals when you move in and out of the water or between wet and dry sand. If you regularly search wet ocean sand or surf, we would also look at the Nokta Score series.

Nokta Simplex ULTRA vs Simplex LITE vs FINDX Pro

Our advice: the Nokta Simplex ULTRA is a strong fit for someone who wants an affordable detector with enough adjustment to develop more advanced skills, particularly for coin hunting, relic hunting, freshwater beaches and older properties. It does not automatically detect deeper than the Simplex LITE; it gives you more ways to adapt when conditions get difficult. If you want maximum simplicity, the Simplex LITE may suit you better, and for challenging saltwater beaches a simultaneous multi-frequency detector may be the better investment. For the rest of the range, see our Nokta metal detector guide.

Nokta Simplex ULTRA specifications

Serious Detecting is an authorized Nokta dealer, and we answer setup and settings questions on the Simplex ULTRA before and after you buy.