Steve "Stonewall Brigade" Va
Member
I am curious as to how the explorers do at the beaches on the East Coast. Any experiences using them will be appreciated.
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Explorers at the Beach
- Thread starter Steve "Stonewall Brigade" Va
- Start date
dewcon4414
Well-known member
What would you like to know? Ive hunted a good many of the beachs... both east and west coast with my SE. They transition very well from wet to dry sand. You can crank them up pretty hot, but there comes a point of no real depth saw. The more the sensitivity the more sensitive it seems to be to smaller targets close to the surface. On Florida beachs you should be able to get some of those deep targets .... 12 inches at least so bring something to dig with. Keep the coil on the sand and you can move pretty fast and still pickup most items. They are multi freq which is ideal for beaches other detectors that are single freq dont do as well.... some may work in the wet sand but for the most part you will kick their butt. The SOV does an excellent job as well if you are used to no TID and going by sound. Between the TID, tones, and depth meter you should have a pretty good idea what you are digging once you learn the machine. There is NO one machine that works perfectly in every situation, but the explorers are as close as you get. Get yourself a larger coil if it just comes with the standard they seperate better and cover more ground. Its NOT a water machine so becareful if you get in the water at all.
Dew
Dew
Steve "Stonewall Brigade" Va
Member
Thank you for your response. I know a lot of detectors don't do well at the beach in wet sand as they false a lot. I currently have a Fisher CZ7a Pro which has a salt mode and it does quite well I think.
I am very interested in getting an Explorer and hated to put that much money in it and it not perform well at the beach as if I bought it I would probably sell the fisher.
What models of the explorer if any does the control head come off for waist or chest mounting?
I am surprised that the larger coil separated targets well and have read a lot of people use them in trashy sites. I have a small 5" coil for my fisher for trashy sites and just expected the explorers to be the same with a small coil.
I am very interested in getting an Explorer and hated to put that much money in it and it not perform well at the beach as if I bought it I would probably sell the fisher.
What models of the explorer if any does the control head come off for waist or chest mounting?
I am surprised that the larger coil separated targets well and have read a lot of people use them in trashy sites. I have a small 5" coil for my fisher for trashy sites and just expected the explorers to be the same with a small coil.
It depends on how mineralized the beach is, that you're on. All beaches vary by season, erosion, etc...... This is true for both east and west coast. I've seen where beaches can even vary depending on whether you're at the cut's edge, verses further out towards the water. Or can vary by just a few dozen yards north or south, depending on if you're in a scallop, gully wash, or other such sluice type formations.
Generally, the blacker/darker the sand, the more mineralized it is. I have seen some blackened mineralized sand that is so bad that no Explorer (or any discriminator for that matter) will work. In those extreme conditions, you need a pulse to cut it. But that is very rare, and I've only seen that in certain gully-wash creek outlets, on just a few select beaches here. In most other cases, if the minerals increase to where you start getting non-repeatable chatter, you just turn the sens. down till it quiets down. Or in worse cases, go to auto-sens. Your depth may drop to as little as 3" on a coin, in these nasty conditions though.
I had a particular beach where I had to raise my coil up, and drop the sens. so low, that I was probably only getting 3" on a coin. But that drawback was far outweighed by the plusses in that case. I'd have gone crazy without a discriminator d/t nails left all over after storm erosion on this stretch with commercial/industrial history. And depth was not an issue anyhow, as mother nature's erosion had arranged everything w/in the top few inches anyhow.
I have heard of a guy, on a particular east coast beach after serious storm erosion, who was trying to use an XLT. No matter what settings he used, he could scarsley pick up a coin on top of the sand. But pulse guys around him were effortlessly getting targets. So depending on your particular beach, and the type hunting you do, is your answer. Might pay to have both around
Generally, the blacker/darker the sand, the more mineralized it is. I have seen some blackened mineralized sand that is so bad that no Explorer (or any discriminator for that matter) will work. In those extreme conditions, you need a pulse to cut it. But that is very rare, and I've only seen that in certain gully-wash creek outlets, on just a few select beaches here. In most other cases, if the minerals increase to where you start getting non-repeatable chatter, you just turn the sens. down till it quiets down. Or in worse cases, go to auto-sens. Your depth may drop to as little as 3" on a coin, in these nasty conditions though.
I had a particular beach where I had to raise my coil up, and drop the sens. so low, that I was probably only getting 3" on a coin. But that drawback was far outweighed by the plusses in that case. I'd have gone crazy without a discriminator d/t nails left all over after storm erosion on this stretch with commercial/industrial history. And depth was not an issue anyhow, as mother nature's erosion had arranged everything w/in the top few inches anyhow.
I have heard of a guy, on a particular east coast beach after serious storm erosion, who was trying to use an XLT. No matter what settings he used, he could scarsley pick up a coin on top of the sand. But pulse guys around him were effortlessly getting targets. So depending on your particular beach, and the type hunting you do, is your answer. Might pay to have both around
dewcon4414
Well-known member
I dont think anyone will deny that smaller coils are best for trashy areas. What you will find is the explorers have to be moved very slowly in trash which is a benefit... too many people have a swing like a golf swing in trash. These DD coils also dont have to seperate as much soil and trash as the concentrics did. I dont think you will be disappointed... but i wouldnt put that Fishers out to pasture those are very good machines. The SOV can be hip mounted... but as far as i know there is not a kit available for the Explorers. Ive seen some poeple do it...but not ML.
Dew
Dew