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Minelab or Whites...I'll tell you what's the deal in my area

D

DonB

New member
I just seen all the posts about which is better the dfx or the exp...

Well, one thing I can say for sure...which detector is best.. all depends on where you're at, and that's a fact.

I live in a area of Virginia that has some of the worst mineralized soil around and I can say that the Exp.2 does not work well here at all. I bought an Exp. a year ago and I have given it every chance possible...tried every possible combination of settings and coils and the fact remains it just doesn't cut this soil for relic hunting in the areas I hunt. I have a Xterra 50 that will put the Exp. to shame in this soil. I have been relic hunting for over 30 years and have been using Whites for most of that time as they perform the best in this area...I've also been using a XLT since they first came out and I think it is the best detector made for my area.

In the past couple of years I have tried several of the newer detectors on the market and none of them have been any better or even as good as the XLT that I have been hunting with for the past several years.

So, I guess my point is...that everyone thinks their detector is the best there is out there...well, it may be for your area but not everywhere...I really Thank Whites for the XLT....:)
 
well that's kinda funny because I use the EX II in some of the worst mineralized soil of PA and it works better than any other detector I've ever used in such soil conditions. So here again you must be another guy on a Minelab forum pushing white's MD'ers.

I say bull! :rofl:
 
Seriously, Whites has some good detectors and if they work well for you that's great. Most of us use more than one brand but we discuss the Explorer here and we think that it is the best!
Steve(MS)
 
I have been using my Explorer now for 4 years and still feel I am in a beginner satge. There is so much to learn. I think instead of telling each other mine is the best lets go over settings you've tried and try to teach each other instead of just saying what or was'nt found. I could use some ideas on Gain..etc on different areas. I constantly changing settings in the field and seem to find the right combo most of the time. It is a difficult machine but I think it can be adjusted for ANY circumstance. Digger Beginner
 
I'll stay with my Explorer and follow behind you. I'm new at this but either the Explorer works excellent or I've just got beginners luck. 18k gold rings/civil war relics/ possible rev. war button etc... I live in Dinwiddie with plenty of hot rocks but you can mask them right out. What area of VA are you in?
 
Well...I'll tell you what...you bring your Exp. 2 up here to Orange VA. and we will see who finds what behind each other... a few hot rocks is absolutely nothing compared to the soil up here. You are in an area where there is nothing but good soil and that's why the Exp. works there...I do know the area you're in as I'am from Petersburg. I'm no novice to detectors as I've been relic hunting for over 30 years and it doesn't take me a year to figure out if a detector will work here or not.

I never said the Exp. was not a good detector...it just doesn't work to it's potential in my area. I have several detectors..one of them is a Xterra 50...I just thought it was ironic that the X50 would outperform the top of the line Exp. 2 here.
 
For me, I find it hard to believe than an XLT is out performing an Explorer in *truely* mineralized soil. MAYBE in milder ground because I have experienced my CZ-3D being deeper in milder ground than my Explorer and have posted such in this forum. But, as the mineralization increases the Explorer is definitely deeper. To me, a DD coil not doing as good as an elliptical or concentric coil says your ground isn't as mineralized as you think. Just because you have 30 years of detecting under you belt does not mean that you truely are getting the potential out of the Explorer that it is capable of. I regularly hunt with another Explorer user that I can out hunt any day of the week and I am not blowing my own horn! It's just that some people can pick up a machine and do good with it because it suits them. I would say that you prefer the XLT because you are very familiar with it and haven't given the Explorer the time it deserves. It is a different beast. I'd be very interested in hunting with you to compare signals. I am very familiar with varying ground conditions and can tell you for me what is the best machine (of my arsenal) in most areas. I am only about 100 miles NE of Pittsburgh, PA and am always looking for places to suck dry... :)

-Bill
 
hi guy-- this isn't about us vs. them--have you ever known anyone to hunt artillery shells with a pulse induction detector? such as the minelab 2100, 2200, extreme etc. thanks for your reply.
 
It's clear that you have no knowledge of the soil conditions in my area...anyone who has relic hunted in this area can attest to the mineralization of the soil here. My reference to having 30 years experience wasn't meant to imply that I'am any expert but I'm also not a dummy when it comes to using a detector...and this same old stuff about needing to use an Exp. for years to learn it is definitely not true...it is not that hard to learn.I used the Exp for over a year trying to come up with the right combination of settings to get any depth with it and it just did not work for me. If you are satisfied with it, then good for you...it did not work for me and I feel that I gave it more than a fair trial. That's why there are so many different detectors on the market now...if the Exp. was the best for every area...then why are so many other brands doing so well????

This is my last post on this...but it's really funny that some people think because they paid top dollar for a detector and have only used it in their area of the world, that they think it is the best out there. You guys crack me up...I hope you bring your Exp. on down here in this area of VA. and suck all the relics dry from this area...as I'm sure many Exp. users has thought the same thing before...lol
 
THIS PIC IS NOT A PLACE OF MINE,,THOUGHT I'D SHARE IT....Your gain may have to come down if you have it high.....but one point I'd like to point is the wrong way to noise cancel. I hunt areas with alot of high overhead power lines and was having a hell of a time trying to figure out how to get good signals...I kept improving thru the years but was still disappointed in the Explorers performance. I thought I had a lemon detector. One last thing to try was a new set of head phones...I compared all over then I called Ralph, owner of Sun Ray and we had a long talk...more listening on my part. I explained my dilemma and he outlined in detail all settings to try and they worked! The main problem was that I was noise cancelling the way the Minelab manual said to do it and the same way Andy Sabbith said to do it. Ralph said they were absolutely wrong!!! Ralph said "YOU HAVE TO TURN YOUR SENSE ALL THE WAY UP...THEN HOLD YOUR DETECTOR PARALLEL TO THE GROUND AT WAIST HEIGHT...THEN HIT THE NOISE BUTTON!! KEEP IT HELD PARALLEL TO THE GROUND TILL IT STOPS.
NOISE CANCEL IS NOT FOR GROUND BALANCING. IT IS FOR ELECTRICAL INTERFERENCES IN THE AIR AROUND YOU. BY PLACING THE COIL ON THE GROUND YOU ARE NOT LETTING THE MACHINE DO WHAT ONLY THE Explorer CAN DO AND YOU LESSEN DEPTH AND SCREW UP THE GROUND BALANCING. Ralph TALKED TO MINELAB ABOUT IT AND THEY SAID THE BOOKS ARE WRONG AND HAVE NEVER BEEN CORRECTED. ALSO...EVERYTIME YOU CHANGE A PROGRAM IN ANY WAY YOU HAVE TO NOISE CANCEL AGAIN ON THESE MACHINES. IF YOU ARE NEAR WIRES AND MOVE CLOSER OR FARTHER BY 50 FEET YOU HAVE TO NOISE CANCEL AGAIN. ALSO GROUND MAGNETISMS CAN CHANGE IN A 100 FEET AND YOU HAVE TO NOISE CANCEL AGAIN...REMEMBER TO KEEP IT WAIST HIGH AND PARALLEL TO THE GROUND. IT WORKS!!!BELIEVE IT OR NOT ASK RALPH. I'd LIKE TO HEAR FEED BACK IF ANY OF YOU WANT TO TRY THIS. dIGGER bEGINNER
 
Not my coin, but I'd sure like to find one..worth $15,000....Don...I have a friend that uses a Whites 1982 modified Eagle and he out finds me any day! He's had it for 14 years and he's great with it. He said it took him 6 years to get to know what it was telling him and he's now got a DFX which only took him a year and he finding even more than before. He has about 300 coins dating before 1900 not to mention the tons of jewelry. We live in South East Michigan about 16 miles north east of Detroit. I believe the detector is only as good as the person using it. I see you come on line for help and just get criticism. I for one would love to have some of your knowledge on your best settings in your troubled area to try to help me to improve in mine. Nobody learns by just posting how good there detector is unless they can teach. My e-mail is johnharvey49_54@hotmail.com if you would be willing to help me. I've had my Explorer for over 4 years now. I appreciate your post!:clap: John
 
Strange, I got rid of a DFX because it would not work in my ground here in KY. -92 on the DFX. I can see a major difference using the EX11. The DFX just would not work here.

AK in KY
 
Well, I've read your posts, and I accept your expertise on using the Explorer.

But I doubt if 99.9% of Explorer users know how it 'ground balances'????

Come on the EXP experts....please tell us how you would ground balance the EXP to counteract the high mineralisation in Don's area ??????

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Now, to address DonB.....Sir, I'll bet $1000 to a plugged nickel, that YOU can tell me how to 'ground balance' your White's detector...

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''

If the forum readers can appreciate the significance of my challenge, then I believe it will help them to realise who is making their statements based on reason and understanding.....MattR.UK.
 
Hey guys,
I go to Fredericksburg every other year and have done so for the last 40 years. I'm running out of places to hunt as things sure really change out there. Now, I own an Exp11, Cz-5 and a Dmc 11B and I would be willing to hunt with any machine you wanted me to use and behind, before, left or right of you. Just take me to your favorite place when I make it out there the next time.
 
For your information, I was JUDGING your conditions by a concentric doing better in mineralized soil than a DD coil. DD coils especially on an Explorer excel in areas such as that. If you only used the Explorer a year I can assure you that you never got the full potential out of it. There are some people that definitely don't get the full potential out of the Explorer. My buddy has hunted with an Explorer for going on 3 years and I can kick his butt in old coins every outing. For him another detector might be the way to go. I agree there are alot of detectors out there doing good. BUT, when you talk mineralization XLT out doing an Explorer (in experienced hands) isn't realistic. FYI, I paid $750 for my Explorer S (NEW!)... so I don't have anything to prove because of what I paid for my machine was not 'top dollar'... :lol: Look back through post by me and you'll soon realize I am not brand loyal. It's simple... bad mineralization+Explorer=good results. It's funny because you started the thread and are now looking on ending it... :lol: Wonder why????

-Bill
 
The Explorer does not ground balance per se. It uses time domain technology to reject the soil mineralization that pretty much elimates response from the Explorer to mineralization. Your point about the average user not knowing how the Explorer ground balances? When your ground balancing 99.9% of Explorer users are already making finds... :lol:

-Bill
 
The reason I was wanting to end this discussion is because nobody has of yet posted any information about how to set up an Exp. to hunt in the bad soil...Everyone has stated how great it is with no explanation on a how to...I wonder why that is ????

I will explain as to why the Exp. doesn't work in my area. The Exp. does not have any means to manual ground balance the detector to the soil..as it is an auto ground balance detector, when trying to hunt with it here in this highly iron mineralized soil, the only thing you can do is turn down the sens to try and eliminate the effects of the soil...all the other settings will have no effect in regards to balancing to the soil. Have you ever hunted in a area where when trying to run a manual sens setting of 20 and while sweeping the detector it's giving a constant signal as if there are targets everywhere you sweep the coil? It becomes like a constant drumming sound...that's what the effect of this soil here does to the Exp. The only way to try and compensate for it is by turning the sens down until the drumming is to a tolerable level...the problem is after turning the sens down to a level that is tolerable.. I end up at a sens setting between 7 or 8...how much depth do you think the Exp will get with the sens set at 8..??? Forget trying to run in auto sens...as it is constantly trying to compensate for the ground to maintain a stable threshold that you end up with less depth than running it at sens set at 8....If you have never hunted an area where your Exp responds like I have described...then the soil in your area is not as mineralized as I have here. I don't care if a person has 10 years experience using the Exp and can set patterns blindfolded with it...the fact remains that it will not perform in this soil to it's potential.
 
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