First Time Hunting With New Explorer II

[Mike (Virginia Beach)]

Most of you know me or have seen my posts...I've been hunting with the Quattro since the beginning of the year and have had much success with it. I recently got an Explorer II and have been reading up on it, testing it in my coin garden, and had it out for my first real hunt (an hour after work) today. Not a huge authority on the Explorer II yet, but I can honestly say that I think I'm going to like it better.

I hit a field today that I've pounded for over 5 years, on and off, and has produced many a Civil War bullet, buttons, coins...even some Colonial buttons. I've hunted this field over the years with the Garrett GTAx 750, the Whites DFX, the Fisher CZ-70, the Minelab Sovereign Elite and the Quattro. Each machine has found things the others missed, long after the field was "hunted out". I have friends who've hunted it and there are other local detectorists that have hunted it and moved on as well. But since it's right across from where I work, it's easy to take a new machine there for a first hunt. It was my obvious choice for the Explorer II. I would say that I haven't found 4 bullets there the last 4 times I've been out there. And it's not uncommon to spend an hour or two there and find nothing. Today with the Explorer II I found 2 musketballs, 2 minnieballs, and a 1930 wheatie in an hour. They were all deep. The wheatie was at 6 to 8". The bullets were at 8 to 10", except for one of the 3 ringer minnieballs which was a full foot deep EASY. I was quite amazed. This is real ground, not the woods. That minnie was embedded in the bottom of a hole that my Lesche Ground Shark cut a plug out of that was 4" wide and at least 12" deep. I was pretty impressed.

I think I will prefer the Explorer II over the Quatrro. I like the way it hunts. I like the recovery speed better. I like the expanded tone range better. The discrimination on the two machines is very different. I would liken the disc on the Quattro to my CZ-70...linear in nature, like the Sovereign as well. The Explorer II has a lot more disc capability...like my old DFX. It gives you a lot more information too. Like a ferrous and a conductive numerical representation...I found myself switching back and forth from SmartFind to Digital today, to get to know the machine.

I will say this: I was a little scared of getting the Explorer. I've seen a lot of people that really swore by them and heard of many that swore AT them. I can confidently say after only ONE HUNT that I'm not scared at all now. I can't wait to get back out there. I think I've found THE ONE.

I know you all will probably say I have it all wrong...I know I have a lot to learn. But I feel the Explorer did very well today the way i had it set, which after reading up on it a bit I decided on:

Smartfind (but switching back and forth to digital each target)
Sens on manual at 24 (pretty clean ground...tried 26 at one time, seemed a bit much)
Selected - "coins" and everything else but nails, crowncaps, and screw caps.
Iron Mask - Off
Fast - Off
Deep - On
Variability - 10
Gain - 6

Here's what I found today...running over spots I've gone over 50 times in the last 5 years, at least. And this was in just one hour of hunting after work, using the machine for the first time. Some of the signals were pretty weak but were CLEARLY diggers. After the first two bullets, I KNEW what I had...I was like "Oh, another bullet!"

Bottom line: I have a lot of spots that need to be re-hunted now, I think.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm considering buying an Exp II. Like you I've owned a DFX and use a CZ70 now. I'm looking for something to compliment my 70. I know you just got your EXP II but do you have any initial thoughts or comparisons to how it behaves compared to a CZ70.

 

[Anonymous]

Hey Mike!

Congratulations on what sounds like an exciting first hunt with the Explorer II! I KNOW how hard you've been hitting that field over the years, so if the Explorer II continues to impress, it may be that you finally found the ultimate machine. I hope your next hunt is even more successful. I can't wait to see what you dig up at the beach! AND the "Barber House!" If you find anything there, I'll really be impressed!

Enjoy!

Stacey

 

[Mike (Virginia Beach)]

Yes, I did JUST get the Explorer. But I've been using the Quattro for almost 6 months and I had a Sovereign Elite for about a year and a half (two summers of beach hunting) before that. So I'm definitely used to the Minelabs. I got my Elite as a "backup" to my CZ-70. I liked it so well that it became my primary beach machine and the CZ was my primary land machine. I liked the Elite so well for the beach that I sold it this Christmas and got the Excalibur, so I could basically have a waterproof Sovereign. I do almost exclusive beach hunting in the summer, land in the winter.

So now, like you, I'm looking for something to better my CZ-70. Not that I will ever get rid of the CZ...I won't. Lifetime warranty, OUTSTANDING machine...does everything well. But I still like my Minelabs.

Let me say that I had the DFX for 6 months and feel I mastered it well. I was a regular poster on the DFX forum and did very well with it. That said, I felt the machine had significant weaknesses. It had TOO MANY adjustments and it wasn't a great fit for me, being prone to spend more time "tweaking" and less time hunting. It also became clear that it needed a lot of adjusting for the different types of hunting I did...woods, beach, fields...silver, relics. I got rid of it when I was hunting with two CZ buddies who were digging bullets in the woods at up to a 10"-plus deep and I was getting nothing, at any settings. So I got the CZ-70 and was seriously rockin'.

The CZ and the Explorer II are as different as night and day. You had a DFX, so you know what it is to hunt with a threshold. The CZ doesn't have one, the Ex2 does. I like a threshold and missed that when I got my CZ. But the CZ was better than the DFX, so I adjusted. Sometimes I like to silent hunt. But I got into a threshold again when I got the Elite. Then there are the sounds. With the CZ you have 4. With the DFX you have 192. With the Explorer you have something in between. Or maybe there are 192, I didn't count them. But having had a DFX, you're used to that too.

In hunting, the CZ locks on hard and hits solid. The Minelabs are a whole different deal, with a symphony of sounds. Again, the DFX was like "Play that funky music, white boy" everytime I got a target. The Ex2 is kind of like that too. But like the Elite, when you learn that music, it makes sense. The Ex2 sound is more appealing to me than the DFX and more advanced than the Sovereign and the Quattro...I like it. And you not only have the variable tones, but also the ferrous and conductive "VDI" numbers, as they were called on the DFX. And icons for those who neeed them. So a whole lot more info than the CZ.

So in answer to your question, if you were strictly a CZ hunter and asked me I would say you would probably not like the Explorer II. But if you are like me, and it sounds like you are, you very well might. I was getting very "diggable" sigals today off of targets that my CZ missed. I've been over some of these exact spots with it before more than a few times and missed the bullets. Today the Explorer was on them like stink on doo-doo. I was impressed. There's a WHOLE lot of area out there (like two football fields) for me to re-hunt now. And it's not like there's stuff all over the place...but there is stuff there that I know I missed now, and that is very exciting. I think I may have a hard time going back to the CZ now. On the other hand, with a lifetime warranty and the undeniable utility of the CZ-70...the ability to do ANY type of hunting well...I'll keep that one until I die. I just may not use it unless my Minelabs break.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your reply. I'll probably give the EXP II a try. I have a 3D I'll sell because it is so close to my 70, I love the analog adjustability though. I have used an EXP in Fl soil, the CZ had an edge on it in depth but I think as the mineralization goes up the tables may turn.
In the area you describe as being 2 football fields in size it would be tough to say if your CZ's coil swept over the exact same area your EXP II found the items you listed. What would be really interesting is to have your CZ along also on your next hunt and compare some targets. With your experience with these machines I would really like to hear some results in that scenario.
Thanks again for your reply, really exciting stuff. Joey

 

[mattockman]

You did it the right way by doing the test garden and setting it up for a hunt first. I don't have the exp.II but have the XS, and I have been hunting a park that is absolutely been tromped by everybody else. I have found so many coins and bullets. Isn't it a good feeling to know just because a place has been hit hard that atleast you still have a good chance of finding something.

 

[mattockman]

n/t

 

[Mike (Virginia Beach)]

Keep in mind that I've been hunting this area for over 5 years though. And it's not just a big field, it surrounds some tennis courts and is bordered by woods. So there area areas around these landmarks that are fairly narrow. For example, I come around some hedges and turn a corner between the woods and the tennis court and there's a dip in the ground...I'm hunting in the dip...stuff like that. Also, I have said many times that the CZ is tough to beat for depth. But I have recently also had my Quattro at the beach, cranked up to about 18 on the 20 scale of sensitivity and recovered some coins that were so deep that my two buddies who had CZ's could get no signal off of them with their machines, wide open with max sensitivity. They were dumbfounded, as was I. I have a coin garden in my backyard that has silver coins and bullets buried to as far as 12"...they are marked on my fence. My CZ used to be able to get them all but over the last few years they have sunk some. Neither machine can get them all now but the Explorer II is getting more of them. At least since I know where they are. The CZ will either hit or not hit, as you know. The Explorer can get a diggable signal without necessarily getting a "lock". So my initial impression is that the Explorer II is going deeper for me than the CZ-70. I have the 10.5" coil on my CZ. Anyway, I will get plenty of opportunity to do some head-to-head CZ testing as time goes on. If the Explorer II does replace my CZ as my primary land hunting machine, it will have accomplised a significant feat.

 

[Mike (Virginia Beach)]

Yes, it sure is a good feeling.

Hey, where is that lighthouse?

 

[Paul (IL)]

this is a test

 

[copperhead]

n/t

 

[mattockman]

n/t

 

[mattockman]

n/t

 

[Anonymous]

i new you would the exp better than the quattro if you ever tryed it thats why i sold mine . i to was scared of the exp but not now

 

[Mike (Virginia Beach)]

Yes, the Quattro made a believer out of me as far as the validity of FBS. And the Explorer II is a better "fit" for ME because I want to have the ability to adjust it as much as the Explorer allows. I didn't think I did, but I do. I'm really liking this machine. I was playing with it a bit ago and testing a few things...this is what I'm using so far for my land hunting settings and it's hunting nicely and going deep for me. Any inputs welcome...

Smartfind mode - But I use the "Detect" button the switch back and forth to digital mode, to see where the numbers are...I find it helpful to see the Ferrous and Conductive numbers.

Audio - Conductive (I like the sound of it better)

Sens on manual, at 24...drop to 22 maybe if you need to if it's too unstable or nulling too much. I haven't hunted a spot yet where I could go higher but I suspect I may be able to on the beach.

Target Selection - I run with "Coins" selected and everything else except nails and crowncaps. That makes a nice pattern and then I decide whether to dig or not based on the sound and the numbers.

Iron Mask - Off (I like the way it acts better that way)

Fast - Off (I don't hunt trashy areas much, so this is better and use a slower sweep...gets the deep ones better)

Deep - On (Yup, I want deep!)

Variability - 10 (Gives you the full range of tone variance...I like that)

Gain - 6 (I want my deep targets to SOUND deep. But I DO want to hear them...so I raised this SLIGHTLY)

I make sure I put it back in "Quickstart" mode after setting the advanced settings, that way I can use the "Detect" button to switch between Smartfind and Digital modes quickly. I like to look at the Ferrous and Conductive numbers to make sure that my high-right "coin" signal isn't a rusty nail or some other bogus stuff.

I'm going to try it at the beach Sunday and will probably make myself a beach program when I see how it acts. I'll be using the 12.5" coil on it, so will have to see how the sensitivity needs to be adjusted.

HH!
:yo :usaflag :minelab :usaflag :yo

 

[Mike (Virginia Beach)]

Yes, the Quattro made a believer out of me as far as the validity of FBS. And the Explorer II is a better "fit" for ME because I want to have the ability to adjust it as much as the Explorer allows. I didn't think I did, but I do. I'm really liking this machine. I was playing with it a bit ago and testing a few things...this is what I'm using so far for my land hunting settings and it's hunting nicely and going deep for me.

Smartfind mode - But I use the "Detect" button the switch back and forth to digital mode, to see where the numbers are...I find it helpful to see the Ferrous and Conductive numbers.

Audio - Conductive (I like the sound of it better)

Sens on manual, at 24...drop to 22 maybe if you need to if it's too unstable or nulling too much. I haven't hunted a spot yet where I could go higher but I suspect I may be able to on the beach.

Target Selection - I run with "Coins" selected and everything else except nails and crowncaps. That makes a nice pattern and then I decide whether to dig or not based on the sound and the numbers.

Iron Mask - Off (I like the way it acts better that way)

Fast - Off (I don't hunt trashy areas much, so this is better and use a slower sweep...gets the deep ones better)

Deep - On (Yup, I want deep!)

Variability - 10 (Gives you the full range of tone variance...I like that)

Gain - 6 (I want my deep targets to SOUND deep. But I DO want to hear them...so I raised this SLIGHTLY)

I make sure I put it back in "Quickstart" mode after setting the advanced settings, that way I can use the "Detect" button to switch between Smartfind and Digital modes quickly. I like to look at the Ferrous and Conductive numbers to make sure that my high-right "coin" signal isn't a rusty nail or some other bogus stuff.

I'm going to try it at the beach Sunday and will probably make myself a beach program when I see how it acts. I'll be using the 12.5" coil on it, so will have to see how the sensitivity needs to be adjusted.

HH!
:yo :usaflag :minelab :usaflag :yo

 

[Anonymous]

Mike, one last thing... How would you describe the mineralization in your area and what are your initial thoughts on the EXP II in iron trash compared to a CZ. The iron situation is probably my main reason for getting an EXP II.
Interesting on how the EXP gives diggable signals where the CZ falls off in your test area. My C$ does the same in my test area similar to the description you gave. With a high sens setting my C$ ID's "slightly"deeper than my CZ.

 

[mattockman]

If you hunt the beach with it, if you don't dig everything you will miss jewlery. Just an FYI...Also at a beach last weekend I got a nickle that read in the far left side (like iron) and low as a nickle would be but a bit higher...I dug it cause I have never seen anything hit that range before. It was covered in a rusty looking color so I guess it payed to dig all...Just 5 cents but it could have been better..sand is easy to dig, so dig-em all! I don't dig possitive Iron...31 and high left of screen///no way no how!

 

[Mike (Virginia Beach)]

I would describe it as moderate. I've seen heavy, on a recent trip out to Danville...red dirt, horrible. It's not that bad here. But we don't get any good looking coppers at all. Indians and Large Cents are always pretty beat.

I think I'm going to visit an old house site today that is iron-rich. I'll let you know. But it does appear so far to be better, as would be expected, than the CZ in that respect. As was the Quattro. As was my Sovereign Elite.

 

[Mike (Virginia Beach)]

I appreciate the tip. I'm pretty much a dig-all guy on the beach. I've been doing well down there with the Quattro and have does fabulously the last two summers with the Sovereign Elite. Right now we have a minimal amount of targets down there. It's been heavily scoured and the tourists aren't due back for another week or two, to beging the fresh seeding. :lol But the Quattro has bee showing me that it can get the really deep stuff that many machines miss and I expect the same from the Explorer II.