learning curve

[Anonymous]

I am thinking about buying an explorer 2 for the beach, what is the learning curve on this machine? Is it really as difficult as people say it is? Right now I am using a garrett gti-1500 and I am not real happy with its performance in certain areas. I hunted next to a guy on the beach and he had the EX_2 and I was using the gti with the 10x14 power dd and he is getting the signals left and right and I get nothing. This power dd on garrett is supposedly so great in mineralized ground but it seems to me to be junk! bottle caps and all rust are coming in as high silver targets plus I dont think it goes nearly as deep as garret claims. Just looking for some info before I buy one. Thanks! Happy Hunting!!

 

[Anonymous]

I don't think the learning curve on the Ex2 is as great as several other machines I have used. It takes no time at all to start using it effectively as the factory presets are the best in the industry. This machine performs great right from the start with no changes at all. Use it for an hour and gradually bump up the sensitivity for your area and change nothing else. Do this for 25 hours and then start using the other features that intrigue you. You will take an entire season of weekends and still be improving but the machine will beat your past experiences right out of the box. The Garret may be a fine machine but it's not designed to compete in this class.

 

[Anonymous]

Years back-in the 1980's-I had two different Garretts that I used at the saltwater beach. They were awful-just awful. Perhaps the newer Gareetts are better but your experience would suggest this has no changed.
The Explorer is hands down the best saltwater beach detector I have ever used although I have to say the CZ's are fine saltwater beach machines as the Minelab Sovereign. (Pulse induction units are another avenue)
I think the so called learning curve argument vis-a-vis an Explorer is a specious argument. Just start by useing the presetsand go from there.
To use ANY detector well takes time and practice.

 

[Anonymous]

Rich,
I have been detecting for over 40 years with considerable time hunting the salt water beaches. I have been using the Explorer II for about 18 months. My previous detectors where Whites, Garretts and Fishers. I can say that the Explorer II does have a learning curve, but learning to use it is well worth the effort. I belleve the greatest challenge is learning what the ID tones mean. This takes experience, but it is my personal opinion that learning on the salt water beaches is actually easier than on land because the targets are so easy to retrieve. You can quickly learn by experience what the tones mean.
The Explorer II is as smooth as silk on the salt water beaches. Many detectors take special effort to "ground balance", and keep balanced, on salt water and black sand beaches. With the Explorer II there is nothing to balance as the detector just ignores these conditions.
My suggestion is to use an "open screen" (no discrimination) which means that the detector will notify the user of any target under the coil. For salt water beaches, I highly suggest that you use the Ferrous mode as more than likely rusty nails and other iron items with constitute the greatest amount of junk, especially in the west sand. With this setting you will just ignore the low pitched "growly" sounds (iron targets) and dig everything else. In no time you will be digging dimes at 10 to 12 inches (if they are there!!). The Explorer II is also good on silver and gold rings.
Good luck in your decision and HH,
Glenn

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the good information!! I am going to buy one. I am sure it will pay off in the long run! Happy Hunting to all!

 

[Anonymous]

Glenn, I guess that we both date back about the same
era of metal detecting i.e. DTex, Garrett,BFO's, and the homemade
Heathkit unit which could darn near penetrate one
whole inch, etc. My early Garrett VLF beat a White's
unit so badly, that I swore I'd never own one. Years later, Whites got so good I bought 3 of their best.
MXT, XL PRO, and XLT...They were good, too...I said the same about Minelab after having bought their early xcal. couldn't stand the 'bwooooooing' target response that it made, just like Teknetics "Eagle and
"Condor" Then, I found out about the EX 2...I've got to try that one out!!! So I got the PRO package, then
the WOT and PLATY...I haven't tried the WOT yet, but, the stock 10 inch seems to work very good for
me at the Jersey shore, with the basic set-ups.
I have a tendency to have a feel for a machine after
trying it for a while, and the way that I feel about the EX 2 is that it has great potential and the rest is up to me. One problem tho, I use Ferrous sound
but I get mostly two sounds over rusty nails at the shore, i.e. low and ? Only used it 3 times, so time will tell......How is it over black sand??? My Garrett
Mark 2 (PI) gets through it, but you have to dig
everything, just like the old days, eh <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=""> HH Matt

 

[Anonymous]

Matt
Yes, I remember all of those old detectors including the Heathkit that I built. I actually built about four of my own BFO and VLF detectros that really worked well for me (considering the technology available at the time).
REGARDING RUSTY NAILS
There is an annoying problem with nails hitting in the upper right corner of the screen when the nail is under the outside edge of the coil. In the Ferrous mode the ID tone will catch you attention, but as you examine the target more carefully (especially in the Pinpoint mode) that problem is easy to overcome.
REGARDING BLACK SAND
There are probably beaches that have more black sand than in the Southern California beaches that I have hunted. I think mineralization of the black sand may have two effects (but I claim no expertese in this area):
#1 The black sand may cause the screen cursor to be displaced somewhat and cause you to misidentify the target. This is not really a problem for me because I dig everything that is not a very low pitched "growl"
#2 The depth of detection may be effected. Since I consistently find dimes in the 12" range on the beach, I am not concerned about this.
HH,
Glenn