My accidental results from fast and deep combined:

[Crash620]

I tend to agree with you with regard to looking deep, however I recently had cause to re-evaluate the theory of digging only deep targets at old sites. I recently encountered two detectorists detecting a site from 1823 not far from my house. After stopping to talk to them, they informed me that the site was not productive, and that the targets were just too deep to detect. Well, I decided to give the site a quick check myself later that week. I found the site to be quite trashy, and filled with clad. I was there about 15 minutes when I got a solid nickel hit at 2". Being that I was inspecting this site for myself, I opted to dig. Out popped a 1925 Buffalo in nice condition. Further inspection of the site yeilded several small old buttons at approximately 2". Another farmhouse in my area yielded a couple of IH's, and a merc right on the surface of the abandoned driveway and a Peace dollar at 1" next to the foundation. So, I find it hard to just dig deep at a sight unless I have already spent some time fishing thru all the clad.

 

[Tinfoil]

Everything gets amplified with the deep on and when you add the clipped tones with the fast on it is counter productive. You will have to slow down your sweep if you run both on especially if you are in the iron trash because of the iron spikes and the co-located targets that are in the trash. In the iron trash fast on deep off. In the trash you can run fast on and deep on but you sure better know what your tones are saying. Even as fast as the SE is you better know your SE real good before you start doing that. Remember deep on amplifies everything and every target and including noise. Remember fast on is for the trash. No since in running fast on and deep on in the trash. You are defeating the purpose of the two options. I have run with both of them on with my Exp ll and my SE and it really does get messy in the trash or iron. In semi trash you can get away with it. I don't recommended running fast on and deep on in the iron or in the trash. I have never run fast on and deep on at the beach. I would think the same would apply. I do run Deep on at the beach as I want the small Gold targets amplified and I want the deep targets. Later Yall' back to lurking. Jerry aka Tinfoil

 

[Mike (Virginia Beach)]

Oh, I absolutely agree with that. Any new site that I hunt I will "survey" the site by doing some exploratory digging. You have to "date" the site and see where the more modern stuff lies and how deep the deepest targets are, what the soil and sink-rate are like, that kind of thing. And like you, I have found sites that had 2 inch Mercs, etc.

Every site is different, for sure. My point was that, for the most part, what I WANT is deep and what I DON'T want is shallow.

 

[Dick from NC]

Some of the civil war sites I've hunted had relic no deeper than 4 inches. These items have been in the ground for 140 years, so if it sounds like a good signal I dig it. Shallow doesn't necessarily mean new. A site with modern buildings on it doesn't necessarily mean that there isn't old stuff there. You don't know what was there before, thats why you have to do your research.

 

[Mike (Virginia Beach)]

Yes, yes...I get that. You must not have read this:

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?19,437048,437508#msg-437508

What I meant to say was that IN GENERAL, the sites I hunt have deeper targets...in the range of 6" or more. I'm not a playground clad hunter. That said, I have seen shallow targets that were 150 years old too. The majority of the MANY sites I have hunted in my area and the bucket of CW bullets I have here were mostly dug at depths of 6 to 10". Of course there are never any absolutes...every site nust be evaluated.

 

[Mike Bearden]

I may be getting OLD but I can run in the best of trash and heavy iron sites and still comprehend what the SE is telling me with both deep and fast on with the right coil.
It's a matter of running stable sens settings, -30 iron mask and hunting very sloooooooow for me.
If a sites real trashy but has potential then I take the time to dig it all and clean it up to get the good stuff, pays off most of the time too.
Granted it would not be my choice of preferred settings in that situation and certainly not for newbies, but .... I ain't no newbie and it CAN be done with allot of success!
Not meaning to sound cocky but I have more than a few hours on the Explorer and UNDERSTAND it's lingo pretty darn good by now.
I know MANY folks that's been using the Explorer for years and some never see the need to turn off either fast or deep.
Once your ears and mind get accustomed to the sounds then you're on your way to getting the very best out of the Explorer .. XS, EXII or SE ... it don't matter either way.
Peace my brother

Mike

 

[Mike Bearden]

is a good 6 or 8 years old without being any kind of disturbance within the soil then the Explorer just won't give you good accurate results for this particular kind of testing.
It's something that needs to be done while out detecting.
Yeah you'll get results but it won't be the same as a coin,bullet or button that's been lost natually ... count on it !

Mike

 

[digitrich]

First off I am using an SE in a trashy park. Didn't realize both deep and fast were on. My settings at the time were sens 25 auto (I know I'll catch crap on that one) gain at 6, variable 10, volume 10, iron mask wide open audio 1 (Long). My accomplished depth was surface only, nothing deeper read accurately, specifically, pull tabs came in at quarters,top right corner and pinpoint on my x-1 just ran a continuous tone and yes I switched on the probe and then switched it into pinpoint. Now, for you guys that posted you have been running both fast and deep on at the same time for years I am assuming that you're talking about the explorer S and XS not the SE that's only been out 2 months. Is it not possible, that the SE is no longer intended to run both fast and deep at the same time like the older machines could and that maybe Mine lab changed something in the new SE? Have any SE owners had any success running fast and deep at the same time?
Now on a beach, I am not sure that counts because from all the posts I've read about beach hunting, you can pretty well run the SE way hot and still be effective. But in a trashy park inland is what I'm asking. I'm also wondering if using fast and audio 1 (long) at the same time is incorrect cause it sounds like I am duplicating the same effect? And same thing with iron mask wide open, is fast then still necessary?? 2 days ago I thought I had this pretty well figured out and today I'm confused again, thanks guys. Again, soon as I turned off deep, my SE was normal again. Could it also be that I was in auto sensitivity and fast and deep and long all at the same time and the machine overcompensated to the point of a sensitivity of like negative 74 and a half???

 

[Mike (Virginia Beach)]

Yeah, I know that. And I've said many times that I am constantly testing with different sensitivity and other settings while I'm in the field, before digging...on bullets, buttons, silver, etc. At a variety of sites. But the coin garden is of use also because even if it's not perfect, it's consistent. And it's over 6 years old and been testing it with 7 different machines now. But I agree that there's no true substitute for the field and actual targets that are decades old.

 

[Mike Bearden]

Fast & Deep ON with Audio 1 long wouldn't work well in the areas you described, at least I couldn't imagine it doing anything but confusing the user at best. Fast & Deep CAN be used together on the SE but I wouldn't set it up to run that way in the scenario you've described, it would be counter productive.
I would hit that site with fast ON and deep OFF, almost wide open iron mask (-30), ferrous sounds, gain at 6, variable 10, volume 10 and the sens set and locked down in the mid teens to start out with. And ... preferably with a small coil. at least an 8" or smaller.
If the site produced well but thinned out, I'd go up on coil size and hit it again for the deeper stuff and maybe bump the sens up as needed.

Mike

 

[Arturo de Zorro]

about using both fast and deep on, reread the user's manual and nothing negative there. Don't understand how adding filters to a setting could make a machine give a silver signal to a pulltab, their not even close in tone or smart screen location. I believe there is something wrong with your unit, are other SE owners trying both recovery setting on to see if it acts the same as digitrich unit.

 

[Mike (Virginia Beach)]

I think that is excellent advice. I have hunted a few of those sites lately and ran it just that way except with Fast Off and Deep On. Next time I'll try it all ways.

 

[Beachcomber]

Yes you are right and if you reread my Post you will see that I did say having Deep on in Trashy areas was not a good idea. But "Fast" turned on is a good idea in trashy areas as it give a faster response and helps with target separation. JMHO

HH

Beachcomber

 

[Tinfoil]

I bet they don't run at no Wimpy -30. I can just hear it now or should I say can't hear it now for all the nulling . : . You better hurry up and get that good spot cleaned out before I get over there. When I get over there I am going to show you how much you missed with my SE. . I can just see it now. I will walk behind you, so you can get used to me saying UH, you missed this one. Damn, you missed this one too. . Just remember Age and Treachery Always Overcomes Youth and Vigor. : :. Anyway down to the serious stuff. My Golden MM bit the bullet today :crying: checking out the 7" wide scan coil. Got to box it up and send it to Tesoro. The threshold went intermittent and the depth went to nothing. I think I will have them fix it and tune it to the 7" wide scan coil. Last couple of days I been getting used to that Pitch Hold. Mike I really dug some real deep stuff. I found that if I kept the tone to a low tone the deep targets really came out better then letting it stay at last tone or a high tone. I was down on my salt water lake beach yesterday and today using the Pitch Hold. I used the 10" yesterday and the 4.5"X7" Eacellerator today. All I could say was Damn it can't be down that far. Used 32 auto on both coils just to see how they would do. Both ran great. Then ran the Excellerator at 30 and the 10" at 28 and was able to maintain a good tone Threshold without it jumping around. Just used my Shovel to get my low tone back. I mean I dug some really small stuff too. I was digging 10-2,3,4,5,6, 11-1,2,3.4,5, 12-1,2,3,4,5,13,14,15,16,17,18-1,2,3,4,5, till I got tired of digging the small stuff. Oh I was hunting DEEP ON, FAST OFF : : So I know for a fact that the SE is more sensitive then the Exp ll. My Vibra-probe couldn't even find the stuff but it would ID and pinpoint with the SE. Dug a few coins and pull tabs just to break the monotony. Oh BTW check the ends of your alkaline battery pack. If the little metal end pieces move back and forth super glue them to the plastic and scrape off the glue it it gets on the forward side. You can pop that top off the battery case no problem, just go easy with it. The metal ends are loose and caused my SE to crap out a few times by not making contact or the spring was shifting some. Told Sandy at M/L about it after I got a new one from them and it was in the same shape. My Nimh worked great and no problem with the ends as they were tight. So I super glued it and I have not had any more problem since then. Oh BTW this place you were telling me about are we going to hunt Wel-licks or co-hoins or does it have both??????? Or you just going to keep a old guy in suspense. : BE cool and Ronnie said HI. Later My Friend, Jerry aka Tinfoil

 

[Tinfoil]

I meant my post for info to the Newbies. Not for the Experienced guys. . You got to forgive us old guys, we don't say things right sometimes. Later Bud be cool and go clean out that Honey Hole. It is nice to find one once in a while. Jerry aka
Tinfoil

 

[StephenA]

Mike,
That make total sense. You always come up with a way to maximize the hunting site. I learn from everything you print...Hope to hunt with you soon.

 

[Mike Bearden]

But you be ready for a SPANKIN when ya get here Old Man
I'm trying to locate the land owners for 2 more spots that should hold some relics, no luck yet though.
I can take ya to a silver honey hole too if you think you can stand it could be real uneventful walking behind me but it might be the best thing for your old ticker.
Sorry to hear about your Golden but it wouldn't do ya much good where I hunt anyway. You would be better served with that 4.5 x 7" EXcellerator on your SE up here in my iron ore dirt for precision and reasonable depth. I run one too when I need to get in close on those loaded up iron spots.
And by the way, I usually hit most of my sites with iron mask WIDE OPEN with a lowered threshold tone and PICTH HOLD on for the deepies too. It works pretty well for the most part but don't use it all the time!
Let me know at least a week in advance if possible, my Wife is having some serious health issues and it's hard to have any real schedule being at the doctors mercy of when he wants to schedule something!
I have to go out and dig whenever the free time allows it for the most part.
Regards Bud ... tell Ronnie I said HEY back at him

Mike

 

[bgscofield6]

I have been using an Explorer XS for about a year now and have used FAST and DEEP on since day one.

I don't understand how all of you guys are saying that it is counterproductive using it in this manner. Most old coins around here are in the 4-8" range with some being extremely deep (1883 canadian dime at 10") or Indian Head cents at 2" in some cases.

I also swing pretty quickly. Not as fast as a White's user, but still much faster than the average explorer user probably does and my finds certainly can't be argued against.....

86 indian heads
85 silver
453 wheats

All since January 1 of this year.

 

[James N.D.]

That is pretty good Bgscofield6! You can run Fast and Deep On together on the XS, I have done it also. But it seems to have a bad effect on the SE it sounds. I know that using the XS with both Fast and Deep On will get you Old Coins, but you would be suprised if you slowed down your sweep speed and chose only one or the other and hunted in an area that you have previously hunted before with both Fast and Deep On. I bet that you would find a few more Coins and it would open your eyes up a little and then you would see what the XS can really do. I was just like you running Fast and Deep On all the time when I first started out, but as time went on I learned that Running Deep On Only in area's with less Trash and Iron will get you some very deep Coins and it will improve the signal enough to tell you that there is in fact something there and if your Running Fast On Only in Trashy area's, you will find Coins next to Iron or Trash since the response time will be quicker. And of course when doing all this, you must have a Slow Sweep Speed or you are in fact passing up Coins or Relics. Trust Me! The next time you get out, give one or the other a try in an area you have worked and you know for a fact have yielded old finds and see if you can't find a few that you previously have missed before with your setup. And try running around 22 Sensitivity also. You don't need High Sensitivity to get Maximum Depth out of your detector. This is just an opinion and I am only trying to help you find more finds and would love to see you go out and find a few Coins that you have missed. I am only trying to get you to experiment with the Explorer XS a little more because the possibilities are endless with this Great Detector. Good Luck and HH.

 

[bgscofield6]

[quote James N.D.]That is pretty good Bgscofield6! You can run Fast and Deep On together on the XS, I have done it also. But it seems to have a bad effect on the SE it sounds. I know that using the XS with both Fast and Deep On will get you Old Coins, but you would be suprised if you slowed down your sweep speed and chose only one or the other and hunted in an area that you have previously hunted before with both Fast and Deep On. I bet that you would find a few more Coins and it would open your eyes up a little and then you would see what the XS can really do. I was just like you running Fast and Deep On all the time when I first started out, but as time went on I learned that Running Deep On Only in area's with less Trash and Iron will get you some very deep Coins and it will improve the signal enough to tell you that there is in fact something there and if your Running Fast On Only in Trashy area's, you will find Coins next to Iron or Trash since the response time will be quicker. And of course when doing all this, you must have a Slow Sweep Speed or you are in fact passing up Coins or Relics. Trust Me! The next time you get out, give one or the other a try in an area you have worked and you know for a fact have yielded old finds and see if you can't find a few that you previously have missed before with your setup. And try running around 22 Sensitivity also. You don't need High Sensitivity to get Maximum Depth out of your detector. This is just an opinion and I am only trying to help you find more finds and would love to see you go out and find a few Coins that you have missed. I am only trying to get you to experiment with the Explorer XS a little more because the possibilities are endless with this Great Detector. Good Luck and HH.[/quote]

I actually have tomorrow off work surprisingly and the temp will be in the 50s. I am going to a spot that gave up my deepest coin as well as 10 silver and between 5-10 indian heads from. I will try just deep on and slow my sweep speed down. Not too much trash in this spot so we shall see what comes up. I usually run my sens at 19-20, getting it up to 22 and running stable is RARE around here.