Minelab Explorer Forum

With all the "buzz" and hype of the newer machines in excess of $2000+ ...I just wanted to remind EVERYONE not to forget the Explorers.

For around $600 to $700 you can get a nice used SE w/ pro coil or EX2...and still make some sweet finds...depending of course on what you're in the hobby for and what it brings to you.

How much do I love my Explorers?...well I have 2 SE's...and an EX2 to go along with my E-Trac...and I guarantee you I will always have one in the vehicle when I go to hunt.

Decided to hit one of my favorite parks...and although not much is left...there IS stuff there that is masked by iron...or very deep and on edge...so patience is an absolute must.

Took my "bestus" buddy Hercules with me as always on this very windy day...and as you can see...the wind pulled his ear up nearly blew it off..



The first signal I got was not much but it did have the sweet high warble peeping through a dead null.

I don't need a fancy screen to show me this is a possible coin hiding in iron.... 'cause my ears are telling me so.

After a little digging...and from a depth of only 5" came this iron engulfed merc.



An hour or so later I got a faint, "wounded duck sound" warble that said Injun' from 2 of 4 directions...and it was very deep.

From way down came my favorite find of ANY denomination...a "coin in the clod"

I still light up like a little kid when I pop out a clod with a coin peeking out



I popped it open and sure enough...nice lookin' Injun'



It was some time before I got my last decent signal...a faint high warble...EVEN WITH THE GAIN ON 10 ...and the depth meter was pretty much buried.

From close to China came this sweet old sterling silver ring.



After hunting...Herky was hot and in need of some shade...so he was more than happy to wear my sombrero I picked up on a gradeschool fieldtrip about 40 years ago.....seriously



For those of you who think your Explorers are "old" and "outdated" technology and won't still find some goodies....THINK AGAIN

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Here's the link to my field test post containing over 60 different hunts of various coil tests...comparisons...nicer finds...etc..:
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?19,1055627,1055627#msg-1055627

Been swingin' the coil since 1972

Here's the story of my BEST FIND EVER.:
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?19,876944,876944#msg-876944

"Metal detecting is an escape for me and allows me to find some much needed peace and solace.
Being able to clear my head...even if only for that short while...is much more meaningful than any amount of finds that end up in my pouch" "Quote ME"

i mite like to try the tech but the bank roll says my se pro will still do for me plus im still learning my se pro and it still give up nice surprises from time to time i still play with new and old settings from time to time as condition,s change moisture levels in the groud being a big factor many times to wet iron comes alive to dry ground a little deader just damp coins come alive and deep finds just seem to come better so till i win the lottery i,ll be content with my se pro and lear what it says to me better

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vermont detector minelab se pro garrett at pro whites xlt

Quote
Bryce-IL
With all the "buzz" and hype of the newer machines in excess of $2000+ ...I just wanted to remind EVERYONE not to forget the Explorers.

For around $600 to $700 you can get a nice used SE w/ pro coil or EX2...and still make some sweet finds...depending of course on what you're in the hobby for and what it brings to you.

I don't need a fancy screen to show me this is a possible coin hiding in iron.... 'cause my ears are telling me so.

For those of you who think your Explorers are "old" and "outdated" technology and won't still find some goodies....THINK AGAIN

Bryce, couldn't agree more! A good aftermarket coil on some "old" Minelab can do wonders. The 12x10 has for me. Stick a Ultimate or 12x10 on your "old" Explorers and it's welcome to the 21st century. Couldn't agree more about the ears thing. That's what we all rely on first and foremost anyway, isn't it? Most people only look at the screen when something about the audio interests them, but if the audio says dig then we ignore the screen anyway.

Enjoy the heck out of your field reports. Sounds like you are liking that 13" Ultimate? Ready to say yet if it's deeper than the 12x10? I know you said up until the Ultimate the 12x10 was the only coil that made deep stuff sound so loud, but that the Ultimate does too.

Hey, by the way, clean out your mailbox already. I've been trying to reply to a PM you sent me for a week or two now and every time I try it says your mailbox is full.

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Think I'm finally home after a lot of years searching for my particular needs. Custom 1.5 lb lighter Sovereign GT (easy to do by just "building" lighter shaft) & SEF 12x10 as everyday coil. 8" Tornado (actually 7.25") as super heavy trash coil (Very deep & separates better than typical 8/9" true size coils). 13" Ultimate for large fields/beaches on certain days I want to grid faster than even the 12x10's nice improvement over stock for that. Stock 10" Tornado stays on water rig (stock shaft). ProPointer. Owned 15x12 & SunRay S-5 (5.5") at one time. Loaned a prior 13" Ultimate & SunRay S-12 (12.5").

Some Oldest Silver- 1835 Bust Dime, 1842 "O" Seated Dime, 1855 Seated Quarter, 1858 3 Cent Piece, 1891 Seated Dime, & another Seated Quarter too damaged to read date. Highest Value- 3 Cent Piece, Seated Quarter, & now 1921 F-12 Standing Liberty. Oldest Coin? Got to give large cents a good look & see. 2013 so far- 1 Seated Quarter, 1 Barber Quarter, 1 Standing Liberty, 2 Washingtons, 1 Barber Dime, 9 Mercs, 3 Rosies. 1 War Nickel. 19 silvers in total, & 1 1872 key date Indian, 2 Bufallos, 1 man's 14K gold medium sized ring & 1 gold chain, with possibility of few 8"+ deep mystery coins being Indians after cleaning.

What matters in life is the journey and not the desitination. How you handle that journey determines if you were a success, not so much what you achieved if and when you finally get there, especially if you made it by stepping on people along the way...

In loving memory of my long haired (wooly) husky Sky. She taught me just how beautiful and pure a soul can be, human or not...



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/31/2012 05:02PM by Critterhunter.

Sweeeeet finds Bryce. To tell you the truth I haven't been following the new machine. Figure I'm not going to get one so why worry?
Maybe by the time the next "thing" comes along I'll be ready.
Bruce

Great hunting Bryce , it's nice to see you performing your magic with your SE .

Nice to see our ancient equipment still producing. If I had to takes odds on Bryce with an AM radio and a rusty spoon vs a $2k+ unit, I think I know where my money would be. nice finds

I'm keeping mine Bryce...... In fact I am using it tomorrow...

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Supporter Of Findmall Sponsors
Proud to be a findmall Moderator !

you tell them bryce ....lol

I will never part with my Explorer ....

Headed to Wisconsin tomorrow to detect an 1847 city park, a seeded hunt on saturday, and then I get to detect a county fairground dating to 1851 on sunday ! I am going to dig my first seated coin this weekend ... I am sure of it !

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2013 digs :
Mercury Dime - 3
Silver Roosevelt Dime - 1
Wheats - 31
Buffalo Nickel - 1
Liberty Head Nickel - 1
Rings - 1 silver coin ring

Northern Minnesota
Minelab Explorer SE Pro
Garrett AT Pro
White's Coinmaster 5H/DM G.E.B.

Bryce old technology or new doesn't seem to bother you when you go out detecting, I've seen this hundreds of times from you old rusty pocketknives and a Mercury dimes stuck to it or a giant bolt in the same clump of dirt with a barber dime. Our old technology explores any E-track will still cut the mustard and our necks won't be broke from looking at the screen all day, if we get multiple targets under our coil at the same time we are smart enough to figure out what's good and what's not by the sound we hear, not looking at the screen all day long. Not bashing the new CTX 3030 it looks to be a great machine but so are explores and E-tracks and they will be around making good finds for a long long time I'll sleep good tonight knowing I saved at least $1500 and I can still go out tomorrow and still find the goods you don't have to spend $2500 to fine silver or Indians you just proved it to all of us, keep up the good finds you make all of us want to go out and hunt for silver and Indians this weekend.. Bryce congratulations on all your finds and most important all the help you've ever provided on here it means a lot to us, we've all learned a lot from you, it takes a good motivator and moderator to keep us all going and you did a fantastic job's. This is only one friend out of the thousands saying thank you I truly mean it.
THE YETI

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MINELAB EXPLORER XS EX-2 AND E-TRAC 15x12 10X12 6X8 AND PRO COIL..

Bryce...awesome job! No doubt that while the CTX will be a nice machine, so are the Explorers! They find us plenty of goodies...and to me, it's not worth "re-learning" -- in terms of a new machine, since I'm learning more every day about how to use my SE Pro. Plus, given the cost involved...I think I'll be swinging an Explorer for a LONG time!

Great finds, Bryce! Thanks for all you do!

Steve

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Minelab Explorer SE Pro, Fisher Gold Bug Pro (DP)
Garrett ProPointer
Lesche 38D "King of Spades"

Norman, OK

If I knew for sure, that the Ultimate 13 would impove my Etrac stock coil, I'd buy one.

I bought my first Mine Lab Explorer I in 1999, and have never looked back since. This new detector, the CTX looks to be a force to be reckon with in the future if and when we will see what it can really do, will it live up to the hype with all the bells and whistles this baby has. But, I agree with Bryce and the many others that have been loyal to the fore fathers of the Explorers. The SE Pro being one of the best all around detectors for what ever your desire in the hobby. I also have the The Explorer I and II, and the SE, and looking to add the E-Trec to my collection. This has been one of the best years for coin shooting for me, with added surprises in the form of silver rings and some very nice tokens, and car parts... In little over a year, with a few slight variations to the many programs that have been posted here, especially Bryce's and Sabish's silver program, I netted close to 300 silver coins this year, that's from the winter before this one, and into this spring, and can testify that many of the coins I dug were not only in the 8 to 10 inchs range, but in or near iron. As I was always told, if it's not broke, don't go trying to fix it...LOL. hh all...

Philo_NY

You prove over and over what the explorers are capable of when you know their language.
Like yeti said....we dont need to stare at the screen and get sore necks!!
Keep up the good work.

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Explorer SE, EX2, E-Trac, ctx3030 and whatever else works

"If you have to copy and imitate to get attention...then you'll never be anything but fake"

Nice hunt buddy. I hope the fellows who shelled out over $2000 for the new minelab feel it was worth it and that it finds coins they missed before. I really wish them well and that they dont regret the upgrade if they do condider it an upgrade and not a step back. It sure does have some nice features and I hope that translates into more finds for them.