Find's Treasure Forums

Welcome to Find's Treasure Forums, Guests!

You are viewing this forums as a guest which limits you to read only status.

Only registered members may post stories, questions, classifieds, reply to other posts, contact other members using built in messaging and use many other features found on these forums.

Why not register and join us today? It's free! (We don't share your email addresses with anyone.) We keep email addresses of our users to protect them and others from bad people posting things they shouldn't.

Click here to register!



Need Support Help?

Cannot log in?, click here to have new password emailed to you

"Mastering the Minelab Explorer XS & S" by Andy Sabisch

A

Anonymous

Guest
I had asked Andy where to get his book. Being the nice guy that he is, he offered to send me a copy so long as I posted my comments on the forum. So here we are.
It's a great book if you're new to the Explorer, as there is a lot of information in it that was not written in the user's manual. The book would have been great to have when I purchased the detector; I wish my dealer had included it with the package or told me about it. However, being that I consider myself an intermediate explorer user (2 years with the xs), I cannot honestly say that I learned anything from it.
The only bad things that I can say about it is that there are quite a few spelling and grammatical typos, as well as a few conflicting statements.
So if you're new to the explorer and want to shorten the learning curve, get the book. If you've already been using it for 6 months and feel somewhat comfortable with it, it's probably not for you.
Just my honest opinion, which I promised I would post.
Jeremy
 
He probably meant good comments.
Good book for beginners. Lots more info than in the owners manual. Very useful for anyone starting out with minelabs. Has a few typos but it is still a great book. Wish I had read it earlier. They should include it with new detectors. Many minelab users will benefit from reading it.
There is always more to learn and it is only when we think we know it all that we stop learning.
 
just my two cents, but when someone asks for another persons opinion...they should expect it to be honest. If those are his opinions on the book...those are his opinions.
I own the book as well, and bought it before I purchased my Explorer XS. The book got me a great headstart and helped me out a lot with menu's etc, and a couple of tips. I would agree however that after someone having used the detector for a few months, the book is probably just reinforcing things the user should already know.
Wess
 
I'm the guy who has never found a coin deeper than 7 inches. I got the book over the winter as well as talking on the phone to Andy. He had some great ideas for me to try most of which I haven
 
As they say sweep your own porch first. I've been in a bad mood for 2 or 3 days now.
I wish I had the book about now.
 
and we all have them. I just think we should all be able to voice them. Sorry to hear you're having a bad day...we all have those too unfortunately. Get out and do some detecting...always makes me feel better
Wess
 
I think Andy's book, Jeff Foster a software engineer, and MattR a retired engineer in the UK, have made tremendous contributions to our knowledge about detectors in general and the DFX and Explorer series in particular. I know this is not the best thing to do but I have a BS, MS, and 30 hours post graduate work and over twenty years teaching electronic technology at the university plus 22 years in the field of electronics. I found Andy's bood to be very helpful. Heck, I might just be a slow learner but I talked to Jack at Minelab while I was still teaching at NSU and he sent me a copy of Andy's book. I was interested in a dealership and still will refer to the book in different areas.
I would suggest Andy's book as a must for any one using the Explorer series. What I have found is I go back and find things I did not see before or as I learn more then statements that I brushed over now make a more sense.
A very bright professor friend told me when I first started teaching that I would do just fine as long as I did not get to the point where I thought I had all the answers. I am as interested in what the guy using the detector for the very first hour thinks as those of us that have benn with it for well over 40 years.
<span style="background-color:#ffff00;">All that said, we still want an honest opinion if we ask for one. It does little good to tell a person what we think they want to hear. Andy asked for opinions and I have no doubt he wanted to know the very things this points out.</span> That is why we have first, second, third, editions of a book.
I am very pleased with the book but would like to see a section that goes into some of the areas that Andy's tells us not to be concerned about. I would suggest an advanced section that includes in depth charts, analysis, etc, for people that are interested in that. I don't know why but the manufactures don't say a lot in those areas so we have to pry it out bit by bit. As an example I would like to know what it is from an electronics point of view as to what the difference is between Manual and Semi-auto sensitivity and also Fast and Deep. I am the type that wants to know more than just do as I say or do. I want to know and understand why. Jeff Foster does some of that in his book and I find it very helpful so would like to see more of this in Andy's books where the Explorer is concerned.
HH, Cody
 
Although I've been detecting a while, the Explorer XS was the very first Minelab I've ever owned. I've always been curious about 'em seeing the great finds and info. posted on the various forums. I got a XS and Andy's book in a trade. In my humble opinion the book should be standard issue for all Explorers sold. Reading all the great information was overwhelming at first, but it all started clicking in place when out hunting. Andy's book easily shortened my learning curve by months. I know enough to know that I don't know enough <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=":)"> Andy, I for one really appreciate the effort that went into putting your book together.....
HH'n
Mark in NC
 
Judging by the responses to my post, I get the feeling that maybe people are only paying attention to the negative comments and not the positive. I think I need to get a few things straight here:
-The book is great for a new user to the explorer, including someone who might have had it a year but rarely ever used it
-The book should be included with every new explorer purchase, as it is a great tool to help shorten the learning curve
-There is a lot of information in the book that is not written in the user manual, and if you didn't ever visit one of these forums, it would take you a long time to figure it out on your own.
However, as a 2 year user of the explorer, I cannot honestly say that I learned anything by reading the book. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one who thinks I know everything. I truely beleive that you can always learn something new; no one will ever know it all.
If I had not ever visited this forum, there's no way that I would have picked up everything that was in the book on my own. No freakin' way. But, having surfed the net a lot for information about the detector, and having asked so many questions of the great group on this forum, when I read this book, it was basically telling me everything I already knew. I didn't so much read it, I skimmed through it.
Yes, there were some typos as I said before, but that would probably not bother the average reader as much as it bothered me. I have always had a hard time reading a book with spelling or grammatical errors and I probably always will. One example: I work in IT, so I read a lot of computer books. When I find a computer-related book with typos (especially grammatical errors) in it, I usually return it and get another one by a different author. If you read user reviews of various books on Amazon, no matter what the genre, you will find people who have similar comments.
So again I say, if you're a new user to the explorer or you don't feel that you totally understand it, get the book. If however, you feel that you understand the features but just want to increase your "take home" finds, stick to the forums.
All in all, Andy did a great job with the book and if he wrote another one with more detailed information about the Explorer, I would probably buy it.
Jeremy
 
In the past two years I have learned more about my Minelab in the field, than by reading any literature on the subject. I'm getting pretty good with the machine, the settings and sounds as a recreational user. I too purchased Andy's book. I first want to say it was well worth the purchase. It was well thought out and organized, and provided a number of useful tips for me, the recreational user. I will never become and expert on any one machine because of my part time use. I rely on experts like Andy with many more hours of trail and error experience to shorten my learning curve. Buying a book from a subject matter expert and getting just "one" good pointer or tip is worth the price of the information received in my opinion. I really enjoy re-reading MD literature during the winter and bad weather to try and become better at this fun hobby and find more goodies <img src="/metal/html/grin.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=":grin"> I concur Andy's book should be standard equipment for anyone who purchases a Minelab metal detector. I believe it would shorten the learning curve. Good Luck & HH.
 
Hey Todd,
I mean no offense, but either you have no targets deeper than seven inches where you are hunting, or you have some other problem. On a regular bases I dig targets down to nine inches with the Minelab and deeper.
HH
 
It has a lot of good info in it and was instrumental in helping me make sense of my machine and to get past the "learning curve". I still keep it on my shelf for reference and my copy is full of yellow highlighter and penciled notes in the margins.
I have since learned to run in IM -12 to -14 in Conductive Mode and try my best not to look at my display so much and pay close attention to what I hear in the "cans". I still haven't developed the patience to run "wide open" in IM -16.
Andy's book is great for someone just starting out with an Explorer but it's directed more at "cherry picking" with custom programs. Unless my Explorer's different from everyone else's, I lose major depth when I try running patterns and also miss coins that are next to nails, etc. I do, however, use his beach hunting setup and pattern as he describes in his book and I like it. But as far as old ground goes, I stick to Iron Mask and conductive tones.
All this being said, I still highly recommend it to an Explorer user just staring out, because at that stage it will help immensely with getting to the point where one gets confident enough in the machine (and patient enough) to start tweaking it in order to make some REAL finds.
If I ever get around to buying another Minelab such as a Quattro or Excalibur, then I will also happily buy any books Andy may have written on them.
HH,
SgtSki
 
Top