Its been a while

[Arron(upstateNY)]

Hey all, its a balmy 8 deg F. today and the cabin fever is setting in. I have been lurking a little lately getting pumped up for spring. Work schedule looks good, I might get in a few more days this year. I am a 3 year rookie with the EX II and I think I have learned the stock machine enough to try some different coil options. I just ordered a WOT and a platypus and am looking forward to sharing my experiences with these coils as soon as the snow melts. Any starter tips or warnings that go with these coils would be appreciated. Stay warm and good hunting. Arron

 

[James N.D.]

I hope you have a Swingy Thingy for that WOT Coil you have just ordered. If you are the type of hunter that spends the entire day out detecting, you are definitely going to need one. I have tried using a WOT Coil before, but it is just too bulky and I couldn't see much of a difference in the depth of it. Of course I haven't but used one for only a couple of hours, so I could be wrong about it. The Platypus Coil is one I have yet to try myself, but Corey Staloch (a friend I detect with when possible) has one and at first he couldn't see much of any difference between the stock coil and the Platypus coil but for the weight. The Platypus Coil is quite a bit lighter than the stock coil and is a big pain reducer on your arm. Maybe if Corey see's this post or is visiting the forum quite often, that he can give you some more info on it. Rick(ND) has one too, so I'm sure he will respond when he reads my replies. Good luck with your new coils and keep in touch on the forum so I can see what the feedback is on them.

 

[genecarer]

Hello,

It's 36 degree's here in PA and I have been waiting all day
for my new Exp 11 to arrive.
I will use the XLT as a backup. I can't wait for it to arrive
so I can practice in the yard. Been up before dawn waiting
like a kid.
So, you like the Exp?

 

[James N.D.]

Heh, Do you like finding mass amounts of old coins? I wouldn't trade this thing for the world. I hope you are ready for what you are about to get yourself into!! I use to fish alot but when I got my Explorer XS, that went out the window. Of course it took me about a month and a half to finally see what my detector was telling me and first, but now the most common thing that I hear from Rick(ND) is that I've raped the ground enough and it is time for me to bring my detector in for a tune-up. What he is talking about is that he wants to take my coil cover off and put a penny inside it and then glue the cover on. I can't help that I am blessed when I go out and retrieve the finds that I get (HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!). Sorry, just had to get that out of my system. But yes, I love this detector and I hope you have great times like I have had and hopefully will keep having (just got to keep my detector away from Rick(ND)) and good luck with your new Explorer-II.

 

[Arron(upstateNY)]

Oh yea, I love this machine. I have had great success with it. I usually hunt farm fields, cellar holes and a few yards with houses dating from the late 1700's to mid 1800's. I have had no problems with the stock coil other than I don't find many coins deeper than 6". I think this may be because of the high mineral content in the soil here, or I just haven't learned how to really adjust to changing soil conditions. I was hoping the WOT would get me a few more inches in depth. Many of the older houses I hunt have 4 to 6" of fill, and I don't think I am getting the older better coins. Your going to really like it, but it has a big learning curve, be patient and read the posts on this forum. These guys have really helped me. Good luck and pray for sunshine!!!!

 

[Arron(upstateNY)]

Hello James, Yea I thought about the swingy thingy when I ordered the coils. Yes I am the type of hunter who starts at day light and stops when my back-light wears out my batteries after dark. I think I will have a few more weeks before the frost starts to break up around here. So I will have time to test the weight of the machine to see if I can handle a whole day with it. Thanks and I will be posting results and comparisons.

 

[Rick(ND)]

No, I wouldnt do that would I??
Just great to see all my hunting partners do so well with the Explorers and in areas many say are worked out.
You sure you dont need a tune up James.

 

[Rick(ND)]

I too tried the WOT coil and it was just too big for our park and ballfields hunting, sounds like it will be great for beach hunting though. I do like the X12 of Sun Rays as it is lighter and to me does just as well and easier to swing. I also have the Platypus which replaced my main coil as it is also lighter and notice it will get into area a bit better and seen where it will see deeper coins better at times too as it will separate a bit better. I run everything the same on this coil as I did the stock coil.

 

[Boony]

Hi Arron,

I use both the Coiltek Platypus and the 15 inch WOT and love them both, they each have their applications and both work very well.
I use the 15' mainly for beach work and it does go deeper than the standard coil, however while it pinpoints very well it probably is not quite as precise as the platypus or the stock coil but it's still very good just the same, I find that I can swing it (without a swingy thing) for about 3-4 hours without a break but then I need a little rest before getting back into it (Lunch Break). I have an X1 probe ordered that should be here tomorrow or the next day so that should take care of any pinpointing discrepancies. The Platypus I use in the parks and the around old country sites here in the land of OZ, and it seems to be just a little deeper than the stock coil but easier to swing and easier to get into tight spots and pinpoints very well.
All up I would say that you have made a wise investment and I think you will see the benefit of the Coiltek Coils.

All the best and happy hunting.....still eighty degrees here so I guess your looking forward to the spring thaw.

Boony

 

[James N.D.]

n/t

 

[genecarer]

Well, mine came about 20 minutes before dark, so I assembled it and watched the video, 4 xs, read the manual and this morning, I spend
4 hours trying the settings, setting up different coins, etc.
My arms feel like they are going to fall off, not balanced like the
XLT.
My home is from 1838 and the rear yard is landscaped with over 8 inches
of shore stone before you even get to the soil so I will have my hands full. The XLT did not fair well in this part of the yard and I hope the Explorer 11 will penetrated through the stones?
Anyway, I need to rest the arms for tomorrow.
My whole yard, rear and sides have tons of old nails, musket balls
and iron of all sorts. I hope there are coins down there.

 

[Arron(upstateNY)]

Gene, The fill problem is why I ordered the WOT coil. I also have a lot of fill to work through. I have found another problem with houses that have been lived in for 150 years or more they have tons of trash. My father in-laws house was built in 1797 it has never been unoccupied, and after 2 years of digging all the trash out in the 2 to 6 inch range I am now starting to "see" deeper, (less nulling/interference/mixed signals). Many times I have dug coins that had a nail in the hole with them, you will learn to hear the coin sounds mixed in with the iron, I have had my best luck running in Ferrous. The extra weight takes some getting used to but I think its worth the work out. I consistently out hunt my partner who uses a DFX and I think it is a great machine (for a back-up). I won't be able to test my WOT for a while. Its supposed to snow again. Let me know how you make out with the fill, I am curious to hear the difference in the two machines. After 3 years I still feel like a rookie with this machine but I love it! Good luck and HH

 

[genecarer]

Arron, I will let you know the results
in the yard with my new baby (exp 11). I tell my wife that I
need a backhoe for the yard, she just looks at me funny.
I ordered the 5" excel coil but it's on back order. What is the
WOT coil?? I think I will order the harness ?
We are getting sleet/rain, snow so it looks like my testing will
be delayed until the weekend, I hope.

 

[Arron(upstateNY)]

Check out Doc's banner at the top of the forum page. I have read a lot about the WOT in this forum and the classroom forum for a couple of years now 90 percent of the reports I read are good to excellent, the only complaints I see are the weight of it. More depth is my main reason for trying it. I also ordered a platypus its 8.5 x 11.5 double d thats supposed to be lighter than the stock coil and performs as well or better. I spent the last 3 summers learning the machine with the stock coil. I wanted to make sure I had a good understanding of it before experimenting. Take your time and learn the machine you will be very happy with the results.

 

[genecarer]

Thanks,I will check it out, does anyone have any experience with the 5" excel coil?
I wonder if it's anything like the blue max that I purchased a while back for my XLT. It's a small coil that I use near an old fence
on my property but I had to up the preamp gain to get results.

 

[James N.D.]

I borrowed from a friend of mine a 5" Sun-Ray coil for the Explorer to try out. I was up in a town in Minnesota at a Fairgrounds and was detecting with my stock coil. I was there with Dave(from Park Rapids,MN) and Rick(ND) to do some detecting due to all the great finds I was finding there. Anyways, I was finding silver and wheats and decided to take off my stock coil and try the 5" coil due to the trash content in the ground just to see if it would find anything that I missed. I was talking to Dave at the time and he was calling me Mr. Lucky because of the finds I already had found this trip. I was walking with him and talking while I was taking off my stock coil and when I got it off I stopped to put the other coil on to try it out. So I just put it on and swept the coil to the right and got a scratchy signal that was showing good on the display. I yelled over to Dave and told him I might have something good already and he yells back "BUT YOU ONLY DID HALF A SWEEP". I started laughing and said "I KNOW!". I cut a plug and pulled it out of the ground and right in the bottom of the hole was a Silver Quarter. Dave couldn't believe it and either could I. I wrked this area with the stock coil and missed it. I also found a couple wheats with it. Now this was the Sun-Ray 5" I used and I thought I would just share the story with because the 5" coils do work. I know Rick(ND) has and uses a 5" excelerator coil and I will let him tell you about how he does with it. HH

 

[genecarer]

Great, I have used the blue max from White's on my XLT and since
it's small, I had to increase the preamp gain in order to get
deeper but it goes crazy with the hot rocks, coal and iron in
my ground.
I was just in my rear yard, the one with landscape tons of stone
and just learning the exp 11, I got several good hits and I marked
the spots. I won't dig until I become more trained with it.

 

[James N.D.]

I wouldn't be able to wait. If you have ground that is diggable, DIIIG,DIIIIG. You could have some finds that you could be posting right this very minute. Hope there good. HH

 

[Rick(ND)]

At the same fairgrounds i used my 5 inch coil over a well worked area that was trashy and found a barber dime, a merc and 6 older wheaties plus some new coins the others had missed.
My first time out with my 5 inch Excellerator I got by mistake (was to be for the Sovereign, not the Explorer) at a well worked area at our local school and even my first target was a nice sounding signal at 5-6 inches deep, thought it may be a alum can,but was a 1935 Walking lib half dollar that I can not believe was still there. The reason I feel is that the area was trashy and all the other detector missed it. The 5 inch coil is one I recommend a lot for those real trashy area as it will get the coins as we have seen over and over again.

Rick

 

[genecarer]

My rear yard has over 6-8 inches of landscape stone and the soil is well preserved for digging now even in the 20 degree temp but I am
still learning the exp 11 and every time I dug with my XLT, It was
hot rock, old 1800 nails and yes even a ring/diamonds and small musket balls besides belt buckels and odds and ends of metal.
The land around my 1838 home has much to reveal and once I master
the exp11, I will dig, dig and dig some more.
I must be careful in the landscape part as to not disturb my wife's
gardens, flower/veggie beds so that's why I must learn everything there is to know about this great detector.
I am like a kid looking at the explorer in the corner and reading all there is to know about it.
I will dig very soon, I am doing test inside today due to heavy winds outside.
The stone yard takes much time to pinpoint, remove the stones, cut into the fabric cover and so on, it is a project.