Ok, here goes. I'm less then a year into the Explorer. Mine was set up bu the best FBS hunter I've personally met, and tutored all along till now. We run manual 24-26 sens or a bit more as long the stability stays generally good. I have slipped into auto a few times, and when I get called to check a signal 8-10", it won't hit it. It's a deep coin too. Once I go back to manual, it sees it.
In my personal experience, auto sense ain't "deep silver." Deepest anyway. Auto certainly handles trashy parks smoother,,,manual does fine in anything moderate and below. I'm also thinking that 26 sense can be raised with the smaller 8x6, in theory anyway. My take so far as to Bryce's setting is that sense is setup around the stock coil, not the 8x6.
I welcome correction if verbage from Bryce delineates and points to the 8x6. I own one of those coils. I'd like to know the best "deep coin/silver" settings as well for max depth. I just don't feel auto sense can match manual in my Texas clay. Comparing signals on deep coins at 8-9-10 inches in auto hasn't pinged as the manual sens does. Lets just be certain that these setting are really for the 8x6 SEF.