Though I'm not new to detecting, (started in 1976), I am new to Minelab's. I just acquired a new Explorer SE. (First Minelab ever)
I have read some of the comments here about difficulties encountered by some other owners. Having had no other previous Explorer model with which to compare the SE, I pretty much dived right in. I had, however, downloaded the manual weeks before I ordered the machine and read it over at least a dozen times.
If it is any consolation, I can report that this is perhaps the most sophisticated and deepest seeking detector I've ever owned.
Its getting cold up here in Minnesota, but thankfully, the weather presented a few days in the low 50's after receiving the machine. My hunting buddy (who also bought a new SE) and I went to a well worked out local park in town just to try them out. I didn't expect to find much as we have a very active detecting club here which boasts some really expert user's, and its been around since 1980.
I set my machine up by accepting coin, jewelry, pulltab, bottlecap, screwcap, foil, and only rejected nail and FE coins. I left factory settings as they were for threshold and sensitivity ( until I have more experience with the machine). The resulting pattern was one similar to coins only, but with a more defined "zig-zag" border between the iron/conductive line of demarcation.
It wasn't so much how much I found at this site (there were few good targets), but I was very impressed by the signal quality of what I did find. Second good target signal was a small sterling silver pinkie friendship ring at a measured 6". What impressed me was how loud and clear the signal was. There was no way I could have ever missed it.
The machine was super stable in soil that was a matrix of fill and patches of original dirt from long ago. Lots of deep trash, some large, which nulled out nicely.
Of course, I know I have a long way to go to master this machine, but my first impression was that now I have a detector that won't miss many good deep targets.
I'll be doing some experimenting (when spring comes again to Minn.) at some other much older sites around here, and waiting will be difficult. But for now, my confidence in this machine after just one outing is pretty high!
Knipper
I have read some of the comments here about difficulties encountered by some other owners. Having had no other previous Explorer model with which to compare the SE, I pretty much dived right in. I had, however, downloaded the manual weeks before I ordered the machine and read it over at least a dozen times.
If it is any consolation, I can report that this is perhaps the most sophisticated and deepest seeking detector I've ever owned.
Its getting cold up here in Minnesota, but thankfully, the weather presented a few days in the low 50's after receiving the machine. My hunting buddy (who also bought a new SE) and I went to a well worked out local park in town just to try them out. I didn't expect to find much as we have a very active detecting club here which boasts some really expert user's, and its been around since 1980.
I set my machine up by accepting coin, jewelry, pulltab, bottlecap, screwcap, foil, and only rejected nail and FE coins. I left factory settings as they were for threshold and sensitivity ( until I have more experience with the machine). The resulting pattern was one similar to coins only, but with a more defined "zig-zag" border between the iron/conductive line of demarcation.
It wasn't so much how much I found at this site (there were few good targets), but I was very impressed by the signal quality of what I did find. Second good target signal was a small sterling silver pinkie friendship ring at a measured 6". What impressed me was how loud and clear the signal was. There was no way I could have ever missed it.
The machine was super stable in soil that was a matrix of fill and patches of original dirt from long ago. Lots of deep trash, some large, which nulled out nicely.
Of course, I know I have a long way to go to master this machine, but my first impression was that now I have a detector that won't miss many good deep targets.
I'll be doing some experimenting (when spring comes again to Minn.) at some other much older sites around here, and waiting will be difficult. But for now, my confidence in this machine after just one outing is pretty high!
Knipper
