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Is the Explorers advanced features it's own worst enemy?

M

Mick in Dubbo

New member
G'day all.
I've been reading Mastering the Minelab Explorer this last week and while I was able to pick up a few good pointers, I was quite concerned about using the discrimination patterns that are described in it. While it is convenient to knock out undesirable targets, wouldn't doing this cripple the performance of the detector in a trashy site?
Mick Evans.
 
Hello Mick!
You know, I feel it's rather nice to have all the options on the SE. One thing's for sure, you don't have to use them if you choose not too. I prefer ALL METAL-Ferrous-IRON MASK 20. The discrimination patterns are mostly hype IMO. They sure look good on paper as Minelab wasted enough space in their manual with the garbage. They just don't work in the real world according to ---

GRB
 
Yes, what you are saying is true. Anytime you use the discrimination mode, you take the chance of missing targets. For shallow targets, like finding clad coins at the local High School, it's alright to use discrimination, but for targets that are deep and old open up your Iron Mask, because you will find that they can show up anywhere on your screen. That's why guy's who have been doing this for a long time and know this rarely use the discrimination mode.
 
Is opening up Iron Mask all the way the same as all metal and if not do I need to set up a patteran to save?
 
Any way you slice it..dice it..over discrimination and fancy patterns can cost you depth and masking of good targets...Just remember just because a unit has abilities you don't have to use them and am sure under special situations if you understand their concept are invaluable to the learned detectorist..Gosh I have seen some darn nice screen patterns but do they help or hinder..I think Andy writes a good book and in doing so covers all the facets in detail for your perusal. Its up to you when and where you use or don't use as Minelab produced a fine unit but its up to the operator to learn and use its facets when applicable for maximum effciency...In other words don't blame the unit for indeed the operator is its master..
 
For Deeper Coins thats exactly what I am saying. Thats why you should learn to run your machine with little or no discrimination, Unless you are looking for shallow coins.
 
>>> I prefer ALL METAL-Ferrous-IRON MASK 20. <<<

Just so we don't confuse anybody, you can't say "All Metal" and "Iron Mask 20" in the same sentence. Because if you are in "All Metal" you can't have "Iron Mask-20" and if you have Iron Mask-20 then you are not in All Metal.

On the SE, All Metal is Iron Mask-32 (or AM, as it says on the SE) and on the earlier Explorers All Metal is IM-16. (That's "minus" 16)

So you are saying that you hunt in IM-20, which means you are discriminating out all the metal that falls in the range between -20 and true All metal. Which is fine, but the reason that most of us who hunt in All Metal hunt in All Metal is not so that we can dig everything but so that we can hear everything and dig what we think sounds good and not be constantly losing our threshold (as you would be with your IM-20) when we go over iron and rusty nails and stuff. So we're more likely to pull a Seated Dime out from a pile of rusty nails, for instance.
 
This morning I dug a 1826 large Cent (Deep). When it first registered I got the high pitch, but it was to the left of center near the top. As I uncover it I noticed the signal moving more to the right. After I got it out it was reading top right.
 
I'm having trouble learning all these options with my Explorer II. What am I losing by turning on my machine. Select Coins and Jewelry and go to detect in either Smart of Digital?? I have both the 10" coil and a recently purchased Joey 5x10" coil. I"m not sure if I find any change/difference when I lower or raise the Sensitivity. I love this machine but as I heard from others it takes some learning. It's starting to make me feel stupid....
 
I have been detecting on or off over many years and that no matter the technology used, the only true facts about detecting that I have found are the following:

1) A user needs to learn and hopefully master the machine they are using.
2) Luck and research play a big part in detecting.
3) Location, location, location.
4) Patience is a virtue and detecting requires lots of patience.
5) Detecting is a hobby and like fishing, if you don't first succeed, try and try again.
6) As in all hobbies, it is meant to be enjoyed, not broken down into minute detail over every little facet.

You can detect with the simplest machines out there and still find great finds but without the above, even the most technologically advanced machine doesn't guarantee that you'll find squat.

That is what I find funny about those who go out and buy the fanciest latest greatest machine and then complain that they dig all trash and rarely find anything worth noting. They get frustrated and sell the machine to buy the next fanciest latest greatest machine. Repeat the above.

My take on discrim and notching and all that ilk, is that there are times when to use them and times not to use them. I detect the beach so unless I want to be digging up lead weights, hooks, barettes, bottle caps, bloody juice lids, bobby pins, tin foil, etc, etc, I get by with the default and a custom discrim patterns pretty successfully. I am sure other users enjoy that facet of "dig all" but hey with miles and miles of beach to loot, I'd rather take my chances and just aim for the known good stuff. Also, one of the main reasons why I don't use a PI machine around here.

btw, personally I don't find the Explorer that difficult to use. The advanced features are nice to have and the versatility of the varied settings just makes it, well, more versatile but in the end, even the default settings work for me tho I have over time tweaked my machine to suit my needs and detecting conditions. I can see why the machine if learnt over time, will consistently yield the good stuff in the kitty bag.

cheers...Keith
 
n/t
 
Although I'm not to sure what the "why?" is for other than WHY do people buy the best and not learn it.... I for one bought the best that I could afford with every detector I bought over the last 30+ years with hopes of finding the gold ring, the diamond cluster ring, or the oldest coin. I haven't found any thing that will pay me back for my investment, but I know I have the best machine for what I am doing and I know I love getting out there and hearing any sound at all, just to get that exciting feeling of "this is the big one. Every dollar I have spent was worth twice that for the enjoyment it has given me and the years it has added back on to my life. I may be slower that most to learn my machine, but I eventually do. With Hopes that someone out there will make it easier for me by telling me or showing me a better way to do it.
 
I think he was talking about me :clapping: In the last 6 months I have bought a DFX and a Cortes and just this past week a SE :beers: I just love new toys and plan on learning everything I can about all of them and setting them all up for using in different situations. I just love this addiction, I mean hobby :super:
 
The fact is if you use to much discrimination the only thing you are going to find in a public park is pocket change, modern clad, and not very deep at that. Mastering the Mine lab should have been a one sentence book "Learn your tones and use as little discrimination as possible with the eventual goal of using none at all" I tried the method of detecting with lots of discrimination and you are wasting your time with it honestly. It's hard at first, a smaller coil will help tremendously while learning. Good luck to you.
 
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