I love it and hate it too!

[coolhandluke]

In reference to Andy Sabisch's book " The Minelab Explorer & E-Trac Handbook"

I am half way through the book and there is some really good information for the E-Trac beginner if you are willing to dig through it.

But....

It starts many of the topics from the perspective of the Explorer and then follows through with "and this is how the E-Trac works"

The book seems to assume that anyone reading it was a former Explorer user and naturally stepped up to the E-Trac. WRONG!

I have never owned a metal detector in my life and wanted to cut to the chase. I really don't give a flip about how it use to be done and really can't afford to fill my head with Explorer facts and info that I have to extrapolate for use on the E-Trac. I've actually had to skip several pages just not to cloud my thought process with information I don't need or want.

This is not a slam on Andy Sabisch. The book is well written and to the point and the typo's are minimal. It's just the wrong point sometimes for what I am after.

I would still recommend the book to any new E-Trac user for the following reasons:
1. There are some real informational keepers about the E-Trac that the new user can cling to right off the bat.
2. The author has a ton of real world experience and you can glean from his knowledge
3. Because I can't find any other book focusing just on the E-Trac.

My recommendation to Mr. Sabisch would be to make two copies of the book. In one copy pull out all of the E-Trac information and title it for Explorer users and in the other copy pull out all of the Explorer information and title it for E-Trac users. He could sell twice the books and the audience (me) would be twice as happy. He couldn't even keep the existing book "as is" for those transitioning from the Explorer to the E-Trac. There, now he has 3 books to sell.

Just my 2 cents

 

[NebTrac]

I was in the same boat as you. I'd never even (still haven't) touched an Explorer. I also found myself going back and forth quite a bit, re-looking something up that was told in the E-Trac section to go back and see the same thing on the Explorer. I enjoyed it all, and think by going back and forth I learned the principles of the functions even better. I really spent quite a while reading page 76 - I believe- where it concerned the E-Trac and Iron. The only thing I could think of, besides a 3 hour DVD of Andy Hunting and explaining what was going on, would've been a page reference when he said " these settings or functions will be discussed in later chapters". The reason for this is there are times I could recall a specific instance, look it up quicker.

It is a book that I feel really is worth a read...in case there are those who haven't.

NebTrac

 

[McDean]

Haha! I thought of getting a cheaper, used explorer as a backup detector after reading that book LOL.
It is a good book and mine was given to me as a gift so that's a bonus

HH

 

[Idaho PRB]

I had a little trouble jumping around in the book at first. Many references are made to settings in the Explorer section in the front of the book and you have to keep turning back to the first section to get an in depth explanation on a particular setting that is the same, basicly, on the Explorer and the E-trac. What I did, though, was to just read it through the first time without trying to memorize everything in the whole book. Just try to get the gist of it and get familiar with the new (to me) terminology and then go back a second time with a highlighter and mark parts that you can tell will be pertinate to your area of interest. I looked at it like a college book, where you are not going to absorb and retain it all at first. Realize that it is a reference book that will continue to make more sense, the more you use the E-trac. I tried to ignore anything that was unique to the Explorer (Like the differences in the two smart screens) so my mind didn't think I was trying to force feed it two new detectors at once. It would have been nice to have a book dedicated entirely to the E-Trac but now that I understand the E-Trac, I could re-read the book and train myself to use the Explorer if I want to. It is kinda nice to have all that in one book. Also, the Explorer is still being manufactured and is an awesome machine that a lot of people prefer over the E-Trac. Someone might buy the book who is on the fence about purchasing either machine. Just my .02 cents worth.

 

[kenzie1]

I am new to the E-Trac having only owned one since last Saturday and I have never owned an Explorer ll or an SE. I have found that by reading everything in Sabisch's book even the information about the E-ll or the SE has helped me to understand the workings of the E-Trac a little better. It also gives you better insight as to why the E-Trac is more advanced with better features and software. While I was reading the book I highlighted the information that was important to me to make it easier to find at a later date. This is a very well written book and anyone owning any of the mentioned detectors should own one.

 

[coolhandluke]

Here's a few keepers for any new E-Trac user

The CO line of the E-Trac is the most reliable signal. It usually will not vary much if at all and if it does it is usually due to depth.

If a silver dime air tests at 12-44 it could still be a dime at 8 inches or deeper reading at 15-44 or all the way to 27-44 depending on the trash around it.

Even though the FE number might change with depth, ground mineralization, or trash, the CO number for the object usually remains very stable. It might drop to a CO of 43 but the CO difference is never as wide a swing as the FE number could be due to other influences.

The rule of thumb I took away from this when plotting possible targets is "Down and Left"

Meaning the FE number could go down the grid and the CO "might" drift a square to the left - worse case.


Another hard line is FE 27. Anything below FE 27 is most likely iron and you can reject FE 28 on down if looking for coins.

The third takeaway is the FE 12 line. This is where many of the coins you are looking for could hit. 12-44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 and nickels lower down the 12 line around 12-12, 12-13. Look it up.

Again good targets could drift up to the FE 10 line or as low as the FE 27 line if the CO is of a known coin value. You also have silver dollars at the 1-40 plus and 2-40 plus. Many silver coins could hit from 1-39 plus all the way down to 12-39 plus. Basically the upper right quadrant.

It's when you are trying to "cherry pick" unusual signals that the above rules apply. If you get a hard know coin signal dig it. Period. If you are trying to finesse it and find the passed over treasures, then keep a close eye on the CO number even if the FE does not hit what you expect. It could be trash nearby.

In other words, if you hit a solid 12-44 it is probably a dime or penny. But..... if you get some variation of the CO 44 line you still have to take note. It might be a keeper further up or down the FE scale but not below FE 27.

Just trying to share with the noobs out there like me that have to take whatever rules they can get to cut the learning curve and increase the take.

 

[dgc]

Here's a few keepers for any new E-Trac user

Excellent summary Paul.... err I mean Luke.

This post was definitely not a "failure to communicate". You summed it up nicely for the Etrac.

 

[Gonehunting]

Thanks for the info...

 

[sugar]

breathtaking information cant process it all in my brain but huge respect to you man for being able to write it down all i can do is take small bits and work on them out in the field so learning a bit more each time thanks for your patience with us trying to grasp and understand it happy hunting from the uk

 

[grouser]

I gotta get one of these,,,,

 

[coolhandluke]

I did some air test when I got home. Below are the results. These are from old junk coins with no numismatic value. I am going to plant them, or some variation of them, in my coin garden once I get that going. I'll probably air test them one more time before they go in the ground to double check my work.

I did notice that the speed of your sweep can make a difference in the numbers. A slow even sweep produces a very repeatable signal. A fast sweep past the coil can some times change the values. When the coin is flat or on edge also makes a difference. Good thing is that most of the US coins you may want to dig are in generally very close in the CO values. 12-44 for example could produce a Seated Quarter, Mercury Dime, Copper Penny, maybe others too.

These numbers are in the air with no ground effect, trash, depth, etc. If you get a chance double check as your mileage may vary.

Air Test at 4"

1880 Silver Dollar Flat 1-43, 1-44 Edge 1-42, 1-44

1935 Silver Dollar Flat 1-43 Edge 1-44

1946 Walking Liberty Half Flat 3-47, 4-47, 5-47, 6-47 Edge 1-47, 1-48

1964 Kennedy Half Flat 3-46, 4-46 Edge 1-47, 1-48

1899 Barber Half Flat 8-47, 9-47, 10-47, 11-46 Edge 10-48, 10-49 1-48, 1-49, 3-48

1920 Standing Quarter Flat 11-47, 12-46 Edge 5-49, 6-49, 7-48, 8-48, 9-48, 10-47, 12-45

1947 Washington Quarter Flat 10-47, 11-47 Edge 5-48, 3-49, 2-49, 6-49

1854 Seated Quarter Flat 12-44 Edge 12-44

1942 Mercury Dime Flat 12-44, 12-45, 13-46 Edge 13-46, 13-47

1964 Roosevelt Dime Flat 12-42, 12-45, 12-46 Edge 11-47, 11-48, 12-47,13-46, 13-47

1943 War Nickel Flat 11-12, 12-12, 12-14 Edge 10-13, 12-11, 12-13, 12-14

2000 Nickel Flat 12-13 Edge 12-14, 13-12

2001 Clad Penny Flat 12-36, 12-37, 12-38 Edge 10-36, 11-36, 11-37, 12-37

1944 Copper Penny Flat 12-44 Edge 13-45, 13-46

1888 Indian Head Penny Flat 12-33, 12-34, Edge 12-34, 12-35

1822 Large Cent Flat 11-45, 12-46 Edge 7-48, 7-49, 8-48, 9-48