Newbie with Explorer XS (LONG)

[Jeff (IL)]

Hey all,

I finally managed to get out today with my new to me Explorer XS. The hunting site was a local city park that used to be a picnic grove that dates back to the 1870's.

I knew the Explorer was a different animal then anything that I was used to, so here's what I had done previously to "prepare" for my first hunt.

Read the manual 3 or 4 times.

Read the "Mastering the Minelab Explorer" 3 times.

Powered on the detector in my living room and just played with the menu, just trying to understand how to navigate my way around the various menus..

I then took some US coins out in the back yard and air tested them to see how they respond to various sweep speeds and to try and memorize where they fall in the smart find screen.

Based on some information I read on another forum, I programmed by machine to the following before I left.

Sensitivity - 22 - Manual
Fast - Off
Deep - On
Gain - 7
Iron Mask - (-16)
Disc - Reject Nails and Crowncaps, accept everything else
Sounds - Cond

So by the time I headed out to hunt today, I felt I had done a pretty good job of preparing for my fist hunt. Got to the site powered up, noise canceled, and was off and hunting...

Man this thing was noisey, sounding off on something every half swing or so. Most of the targets we coming up on the left side of smart find, or the middle/bottom right side. I decided I'd try and dig some targets so I could start to memorize where they fell in smartfind, but the soil was so rocky this quickly lost it's appeal. So I decided to reject everything except coins and moved the sensitivity into Semi Auto (22). This helped quiet things down some but after about 20 minutes of sweeping I could not get a solid lock on most targets, the cursor would bounce around, and the tones would change. After about 30 minutes I packed up the explorer and went back to the my CZ70.

I'm willing to put in the time it takes to learn this machine, but decided I should validate my approach with some of the seasoned Explorer folks that visit this forum before I invest much more time since I'm only able to get out detecting once every few weeks.

My intial comments on my first it time out:

How in the heck do you memorize the cursor position, and relate that to a specific coin?

Do you find yourself toggleing between digital and smart find when trying to ID coins?

What a good disc pattern to start out with?

Would I be better with an Explorer 2 that gives me both Ferrous and Cond while in digital mode?

I realize my approach of trying to start pulling out the deepies the first time out was flawed, but what is some advise you could give a newbie like me, as far as settings, disc patterns, and tricks that will help me progress from a newbie to experienced Explorer user.

Sorry this was so long. Thanks for any information or help you could provide!

Jeff

 

[JOHNNYBOY]

make sure you do a noise cancel and then if you want to use manual sensitivity, set it,if unstable drop sens until background stabilizes. i've read from more experienced users (i'm just learning xs myself) that in semi-auto machine is not as sensitive as same numerical number in manual. do not give up on this machine. it took me a little while (i sold my sov xs to upgrade and at first was thinking i made a mistake) but as i used it things started to click,i was digging less trash (because of more target info) and with less trash digging my finds % has gone up. so hang in there, keep practicing and i think you too will become amazed at what this machine can do...good luck.....jb

 

[James N.D.]

First off, I noticed that you were running Iron Mask at a -16 which is All-Metal or AM for short. That's fine but if you intend to use the Explorer XS with this Setting, you must use Ferrous Tones instead of Conduct Tones. This small mistake is why you were getting so many Targets and you couldn't distinguish what was good or bad. In Ferrous, the Iron will be a Low Tone and read on the Left Side of the Smart Find Screen while everything Conductive (Non-Ferrous) will give a High Tone and will be on the Right Side of the Smart Find Screen. I really haven't used Ferrous that much but it does work for the really patient user's. One other thing that you did wrong. When Setting your Explorer in Iron Mask at -16, you went into Discrimination and Rejected Crown Caps and Nails, you were no longer in Iron Mask -16. You were now using a Pattern. Patterns work but cannot be used along with Iron Mask. You could make a Mimic Pattern that looks like Iron Mask but Iron Mask and a Pattern cannot run at the same time. When you turn Iron Mask Off, then you will be in the Set Pattern that is either Saved by you and Check Marked or the Pattern that was Made and Saved as a Starter Pattern by the Company and only the Accepted Targets will be detected. When Iron Mask is On, you will get Signals from all Non-Ferrous Targets in the ground while Iron will give a Null (that is if you are not using -16). Another Tip here is just because there are Settings posted on sites, it doesn't always mean that these particular Settings will work in your area due to Ground Mineralization, Trash Content, etc. You say the ground was Rocky so I would guess there is a lot of Minerals in your area. It may take time to find the exact Settings that work for your Ground Conditions but it will be worth the time and effort it takes you to do so. Another Tip is to have Positive Thinking when out looking for them lost Coins or what ever it may be you are looking for. If you go out thinking that you are going to have a good time no matter what you find, this will help increase your chances in being successful. It took me a Month and a Half to really start getting the hang of things with my Explorer XS and this was without any kind of help. What helped me get started to being very successful was starting out using Digital, not Smart Find. Digital will give you specific numbers for different Coins which I found was easier to remember for me at the beginning. Even though Smart Find will give you more Info on the Target, like the difference between a Penny and a Dime (they both read 28 on Digital). Penny will be just about the same area as the Dime but will be Left of it about 2-3 spaces on the screen while the Dime will be near Upper Right and almost on the Right Side Edge like a Quarter is. But this isn't true all the time either. I have had Dimes and Pennies read like the other before and when I think it's a Dime, it's a Penny. No machine is perfect so remember that out in the field. I also see that you had Deep On and Fast Off. If the area you are hunting is Trashy and has Iron also, use Fast On, Deep Off. This will help the Explorer respond quicker when in Trashy Environments. You should only use Deep On, Fast Off when the area is relatively clean from Iron for the most part and have a Medium Content for Trash. Also, if you slow down the Sweep Speed, your Targets will give better Signals and you will get better Depth also. Next time your out, I would like for you to try this Set-Up and really put some effort into the time you are detecting. Don't give up shortly after you start hunting or you will never get anywhere with the Explorer's Learning Curve. I will give you my Settings but I would start by using Quick Start Mode for now and work your way to Advanced Mode. But if you want to try Digital Mode, here is what I use. Iron Mask -10, Sensitivity at 22 Semi-Auto, Fast On, Deep Off, Conduct Tones (you can use Conduct Tones in Iron Mask as long as you do not go to -15 or -16. Once you go beyond -10, you will get more Iffy Signals from Nails and also will get good Signals from Bottle Caps. You will get some Steel Bottle Caps that will read like a Nickel but if you go to Smart Find, they should read on the Right Side Bottom Corner), Audio Normal, Volume at what ever you need but I like Max 10, Gain I have set at 10 so I can get as much of a Signal from a Deeper Target so I don't pass one up, but if you like hearing the difference between a 6" Target and a Shallow Target, you may want to stay at 7, Variability at 10, Limits 10, Threshold Tone set to what ever you like for a Background Hum. I set my Threshold Hum so it is barely Audible. This helps when you are in Iron. Iron will give a Null and the Threshold Tone will disappear and won't come back until you are over Clean Ground that has no Iron in it, which will tell you just how much Iron is in the ground. If there is a lot of Iron, Manual Sensitivity may work better for better Depth but you will get more Iffy Signals from the Nails. If you go Slow Enough with Semi-Auto, you will get Good Depth and the Explorer will be more quiet and not False as much. Always Noise Cancel also. This will help in getting the least Interference as possible and getting the most Sensitivity and Depth also. If the Detector is Erratic, you may have to drop the Sensitivity a bit until there is no Chatter. You will have to try both Semi-Auto and Manual to see which of the 2 works better. And always after a few hunts, Clean Out the Coil Cover from Dirt. This will help keep the Explorer from making False Signals and get the Maximum Depth and Sensitivity it can. I hope this will help you out in your area and if you need any other Tips or Advice, PM me or just ask more Questions here on the Forum and someone will gladly try and help you out. Good Luck and HH Jeff and welcome to the Explorer Forum.

 

[Jeff (IL)]

Johnyboy,

I also have a Sovereign Elite which I thought would help me in learning the Explorer, but it's quite different! I don't indend to give up, I just hear to many good things, and see too many good finds from these machines.

Thanks for the support!

 

[BAMofNH]

Hi Jeff, I am new to the hobbie and I bought an Explorer SE for my first. I thought I made a mistake at first, then I got a few tips and mostly put my time in with it and now all I want to do is use it. I love it. Now I just read the post from James ND and he seems to know his stuff. He has stated a lot of great info for ya. The one thing I don't think I will ever do anymore is use conductive sound, Ferrous sounds to me make the most sense. Almost all coins, gold, and silver are on the right side of the screen, non-ferrous side. Selecting Ferrous sounds will give all ferrous materials a low sound, low like bla, bad, and non-ferrous like coins, gold, and silver a nice instrumental tones like a flute. Thats how I started to separate the good from the ugly and started really enjoying the machine. Also if it is really rocky where you are hunting, you can lower your sensitivity way down, even as low as 15 or 16. Think about it, anything lost in that much hard earth isn't going to sink to deep. Shut off deep and run fast in that type of soil. That will also knock down your noise from all the rock. (hot rocks, I think) I am a rookie, but I Love my SE in ferrous sound mode because bad & ugly targets sound bad "bla" and good targets sound good "flutie". Put your time in and have fun...

 

[Jeff (IL)]

James,

It wasn't until you read your post that the whole iron mask, vs disc pattern finally made sense. I think I'll stick with the digital screen for a while, as it seems easier to determine what's a coin vs trash that way and maybe works towards smartfind later.

I'll do a factory reset of the machine and then work out of quickstart for a while. Should I then start hunting with Iron Mask on, or the factory disc pattern?

I was thinking of taking some of my old and new coins and finding out what number they come up in digital, and then digging any repeatable signals that are within + - 1 of those readings.

You have given me some excellent information to get me started, and it's greatly appreciated.

Jeff

 

[Jeff (IL)]

Bam,

I guess I'll have to decide soon on whether I want to go ferrous or cond sounds, as I hear it's difficult to change back and forth.

One thing I forgot to add is that the soil I was hunting what I would consider average in minerialization, but appeared that at some point many of the sections were partially filled in with gravel a few inches under the grass, which made for the painful digging. Which reminds me I need a new digger.

Thanks much for the encouragment!

 

[James N.D.]

I myself have always used Iron Mask. I first started using only 0 for the setting and did very well with it. I then started to gradually work down the scale from 0 to -4, and then to -6, then -8 and now I have it set to -10. I have noticed after -10, that there will be more Nails dug along with more Crown Caps. I have always used Conduct Tones but have tried the Ferrous Tones a bit but not much. One reason I don't like the Ferrous Tones is because everything that isn't Iron will give a High Tone which will drive a person nuts if they are not use to every Non-Ferrous Target giving a High Tone. In Conduct, each Conductive Target will have a different Tone. A Nickel will give a Low Tone, an Indian Head will give a Medium Tone, and Silver Coins will give High Tones. This way I can listen for the Tones I want and don't have to always see what the display shows for a Digital Number or where the Smart Find Cursor is located. Don't get me wrong! Ferrous has advantages over Conduct but mainly only when you are at a site that has a High Content of Iron. Then -16 Iron Mask is the choice with Ferrous Tones which will give the user a better chance of finding Lost Coins, Relics, or Jewelery in with the Iron. It can be done with Conduct also, but it takes a Very Slow Sweep Speed and the Trained Ear to know if there is something in the Iron. Some Good Targets will be Masked by Iron in Conduct but then again, there is always going to be something Masked no matter if you use Ferrous Tones or Conduct Tones. There is always going to be a Layer of Iron or Trash over an item that the Explorer will not be able to see, especially in an area that has Iron Targets on top of others. The Explorer does a fantastic job in Iron but there is always going to be Targets that are just too Masked for even the Explorer to see. The Explorer's to me are the Best Detector on the Market and my finds speak for themselves. On your question about what you should use first, Iron Mask or Pattern. I would prefer to use Iron Mask at least set to -6 for starters so you will hear every Non-Ferrous Target and then know exactly how much Iron is in the ground at the same time when the Threshold Hum Nulls. Using a Pattern, if set up too tightly, can and will cause the user to pass up Good Targets due to Choppy or Iffy Signals or just the Digital Numbers bouncing around too much. The Factory Pattern will work great if you choose to use it. I just like hearing as much Conductive Targets that I can along with the different Tones while in Conduct and knowing the amount of Iron also when using Iron Mask. For Coin Readings, the Indian Head Penny will read from 23-26. Most of the time they will read 25 in my area and recently have been finding a few reading 26. The Fatty Indian Head will read 13 on Digital if it is laying Flat and has no Trash by it. Nickels read 4 (on edge or Super Deep) sometimes but usually will read a 5 or 6. These are tough to learn since the Pull Tab Tail will read like Nickels and also some Crown Caps. Older Wheat Pennies will read 26 while the newer Wheat's will read a 27 or 28. Dimes, Quarters, and Halves will read 28 most of the time. Sometimes, Dimes will read as low as 26 because they will be Worn Thin and usually Bust, Seated, or Barber. I have seen Dimes and Quarters read as high as 30 and 31. Usually, 31 is going to be a Rusty Bolt, Nut, or Nail but sometimes Iron will be present or some other item to make them read this high. The lowest I have ever found a Quarter to read was 24. The only explanation on that one would have to be that it was a Very Worn Standing Liberty Quarter and could possibly been on edge in the ground. I have found Halves that read 27 but only a few. Most will read 28. Silver Dollars will read between 24 or 25. I have found 2 Morgan Dollars, both from Baseball Diamonds so these are pretty rare finds. 2-Cent Pieces are tough also. I have only found 1 and it read 27. Tokens will vary also. Most will read from 25 to 28 so you should get them no problem. Half Dimes will read 25 like an Indian Head would. One other VERY IMPORTANT TIP is to go by SOUND FIRST and ID SECOND. I have found Coins that read 30 or 31 without a Coin Icon so if you get a Target that has some good Depth but without an Icon, it would be wise to dig the Target just to make sure that the Target wasn't an Old Coin that you would have passed up. Hope this helps you out more and Good Luck and HH on your next outing. If you haven't seen some of my post's from this year, best check them out. It will help you get the Positive Thinking going and hopefully help you pull some Silver while your at it.

 

[BAMofNH]

Hi James, and again lots of good info, I first started out in conductive, but being a newbie I didn't pay close enough attention to the slightly different tones. Went to ferrous from someones tip and started being able to hear a big difference. I've done real well with this but I am now curios of Conductive again. Knowing the Explorer SE better now I think I might give Conductive another try. Thanks for all your knowledge sharing. HH

 

[Jeff (IL)]

Great info James. Being a coin hunter, it looks like if I stick to digging 05-06 targets, and 23-28 targets I'll be in good shape to start...

Think I'll stick with cond tones for now, as that's what my brain is used too. I plan on checking some of my own finds today to see where they fall and create myself a "cheat sheet" to start.

In what instances would it ID a target at 30 or 31 but not associate an icon with it? I assume this has to do with the machine not being able to "lock" onto the signal because of the depth...

I'm hoping to get out at least once more before the snow flies here and report back my success.

Thanks again.

Jeff

 

[tab-nabit]

James ND has it very well covered - just a few replies below - and if you look at his previous post's, he has put some time into knowing his machine. He has posted some very nice pic's to.
As for me - when I got my first EX - 2, it sure was a different animal. It didn't take long and I was using the Digital screen and sens on manual, fast on and deep off etc. Learned fast that I had to really slow down my sweep speed, and listen carefully with quality headsets.
I seen somewhere that someone had posted a link to the Explorer digital chart readings.
I spend a little time reading past post's, throw in a little patience and the explorer sniffed deep silver. HH

 

[Elton]

I know I wasn't part of this post..but thanks everyone for the great information.............I too ran my iron mask the wrong way..Didn't realize it was backwards on the scale........o being more 16 being less.............wow what a difference in sounds.