Newbies to the Explorer

[Mike Bearden]

See a LOT of folks NEW to the Explorer posting here lately and this is for YOU. Take it with a grain of salt if you like but I've been using the Explorer since the ORIGINAL S Series thru the SE and still learn a thing or two even with over 6400 user hours on the clock.
My favorite items for the Explorer ... a small coil and the X-1 probe
NOT trying to say I'm a PRO, hijack a thread or anything of the sort but I would like to add my thoughts on using a small coil.
IMO a small coil will really help a new user learn the Explorers language much faster, and here's why.
Overall ground sampling .... plain and simple ! The amount of ground being sampled while using the stock 10" coil ( or larger ) is WAY different than say a Minelab 7 3/4" or SunRays full 8" coil.
How much difference will of course depend on the hunt site, target infestation and the ground matrix being sampled by the coil of your choice.
If to many targets are in the ground, especially iron or coal clinkers, your of ODDS of success INSTANTLY just became much better with a smaller coil.
When the small coils quit producing over a good site, then go up in coil size .... works well for me
Be smart about your coil size choices and you will see good results in your finds pouch SOONER !
Yeah ... I use big coils when I'm in large open relic fields or on the beach but all in all they don't get nearly as many hunt hours as my small coils do.
Just food for thought ....
Good Hunting
Mike

 

[DFX-Gregg]

Great advice Mike thanks,,,when I got my SE in January the very next move I made was a 8"ML coil, than a 1800 recharageable battery pack, now if I could just trade a few of my rechargeable Whites battery packs and get me a lower rod for the stock coil... I enjoy trading to try to get what I did...makes it more fun...and cuts down on the excess...

 

[jeff & Maria]

For years I have used my 5" coil quite a bit. I just recently bought one of the new 6" and love it! Small coil is a must have for any Explorer user.

 

[bazooka]

I just bought a ML 8" from Christopher on the classifieds. I'm excited to try it out....hopefully it will be here by Wednesday which is my first day off next week.

I feel like the stock coil is very good at separation, even in the trashiest of spots...you think the 8" will be much better for me and be able to see coins that the 1050 isn't capable of in average to light trashy areas? I think I mostly got it to cut down on the weight which was wearing me out after only a few hours.

 

[BlackX]

Thanks for the thoughts, Mike. That premise makes a lot of sense.

I'm one of those people who likes to play around with everything so I've been switching a lot but mainly sticking w/ the stock coil. But your post has inspired me to go over that one spot for a while -- at least a couple of times in a row -- with the X-5.

 

[Pete in MI]

n/t

 

[Mike Bearden]

Although the stock 1050 is what I'd call pretty darn good at separation .... you'll be amazed at how much BETTER YET the 8" will do, especially where several close located targets are grouped together like in a coin spill. Everybody loves a coin spill
The large coil would have no choice but to AVERAGE them grouped together where as the small coil will actually slice between them ... especially with a wide open IM screen where there is NO waiting on the threshold to return. That's how I hunt 99% of the time, wide open IM, ferrous tones, fast ON in the trashy areas, deep ON in wide open fields scenarios.
I have hunted coin spills where the coins are within 1/2" apart and have the 8" coil slice between them like a razor and the audio respond as it should for say ... penny, quarter, dime, etc. and be dead on. Oh yeah ... don't forget the Minelab wiggle, works well even in the trash.
There's a few of us on here that can pretty much CALL It before we dig the coin, including silver, wheat, nickel, and be right MOST of time down to 8-10" deep.
Learning the Explorers language is just as important as the site itself and a smaller coil makes it much easier. It's an amazing detector for sure.

Mike

 

[Skillet]

I got my 8" coil at the same time I got my (used) XS.

I feel like it's helped to speed up the learning process immensly. Still learning so I still haven't taken it off!

Even with the 8" coil, it's still deeper than any of the other 10 machines I own.

Skillet

 

[Don in SJ]

My son uses a Fisher CZ70, which I have high regard for even if it does misidentify iron for copper coin more often than an Explorer. But my son and I always try to compare readings prior to digging a possible coin or button target. I can say without a doubt the the ML 8 inch, and I will call it an 8 inch forever since that is what it was sold as the ML8 has always picked up everything the Fisher CZ70 did with the stock coil installed.

Unfortunately a reading like I had yesterday that was on the depth fringe of the ML8 I was by myself so no comparison, but fear not about losing too much of anything other than coverage per swing using the smaller coil. The vast majority of finds will be easily within reach, and you can always come back later with the stock coil to see if anything was a tad deeper.

Don

 

[bill(de)]

Good info Mike,

As an actual 1 day newbie to the Explorer world as i just picked up a nice XS and must say this is detector #25 and appears it's going to take the longest of them all to understand. Your points on the smaller coil are my experiences as well with various detectors. I'll give you $500 if you could sell me about 3200 hrs of your experience with this beast Should be fun and thanks to you and others for helping out us newbies. Can't wait to start banging my head against the wall learning this one. Thanks Mike. HH Bill

 

[Don in SJ]

Bill, since you are in similar soil conditions I think, PM me if you want my setups, I never had a problem with the XS being complicated or a learning curve, in the first hour I had mine back in 2000, I got a deeply burind Half Cent my Garrett GTA1000 missed on several ocassions.

Don

 

[bill(de)]

Hi Don,

I guess figuring out how to access and interact with the various facets for some reason is giving me fits.Once i figure that out i'm thinking i'll be ok. Just having a brainfart perhaps. I thought the Eagle Spectrum,XLT and DFX went easy compared to the Explorer. The little bit i've used it in the backyard is proving different than the Sov GT. Getting frustrated just makes for more persistance and sure it will come together soon.Thanks for the offer Don and once i figure out the facets i'll be asking about settings. HH Bill

 

[Weasel_Loader]

I've got a few questions. I should be getting my SE in a few days. It's my first time using Minelab. I got the X-1 probe and 5.5" Sunray coil with it. I've read just about everything I can find on the Explorers and the SE version to include the manual. Using the All Metal mode with ferrous engaged makes a lot of sense so that you get rid of nulling and missing targets. What I'd like to know, should I start using All Metal or should I start with the basic discriminating program? I've read about making sure you don't switch back and forth between ferrous and conduct. Stick to one and get used to it. I'm just wondering as a first time user, if I should start out with All Metal or not. Thanks for any advice.

 

[minelab locust]

[quote Weasel_Loader]I've got a few questions. I should be getting my SE in a few days. It's my first time using Minelab. I got the X-1 probe and 5.5" Sunray coil with it. I've read just about everything I can find on the Explorers and the SE version to include the manual. Using the All Metal mode with ferrous engaged makes a lot of sense so that you get rid of nulling and missing targets. What I'd like to know, should I start using All Metal or should I start with the basic discriminating program? I've read about making sure you don't switch back and forth between ferrous and conduct. Stick to one and get used to it. I'm just wondering as a first time user, if I should start out with All Metal or not. Thanks for any advice.[/quote] my advise would be run factory presets for a bit to get used to it..because all metal will be more sounds than your brain can handle right away...ya need to walk before you can run sort of thing

 

[Mike Bearden]

Let me just start out by saying that the Explorer can be a tough nut to crack overall and NOTHING will make up for many, many hours spent in the field with it.
Having said that, if I had it to do all over again I would simply practice with coins spread out under a sheet or something in the yard and get "very familiar" to the sounds and how they display.
I actually hunted with the screen covered up for several months and made myself learn it's common language, ie. quarters, dimes, nickels, pennies, for the most part and then started experimenting with different settings while actually hunting.
I'm SURE that for me it became a backwards move and hindered the actual overall learning process through TINKERITIS and not staying with one main set-up of settings like wide open iron mask.
No other detector that I know of will ID in all metal and still allow multiple tones, LEARNING the tones or language is the KEY to success.
Every time you make changes .... the learning process pretty much starts all over again ... to a certain degree anyway and it can take YEARS for most to really understand what or how a few simple check marks or X-outs, or .... even the slightest change in variability, gain, or whatever can and will affect how the Explorer hunts.
That's really what makes the Explorer such a wonderful machine, it's well thought out and by far the best electronics package I've even seen stuffed into a detector housing.
I'd suggest to anyone starting out to go ahead and TRY hunting in wide open iron mask and dig everything until you KNOW BETTER or simply can't deal with anymore.
I hunt like that all the time and my brain just seems to tune out the crapola and instantly stops me in my tracks when the sweet sound of silver comes through the headphones.
Do I still dig any junk along the way after using the Explorer so long ... OH Yeah ... just not very much and ever so often I get rewarded for it with a nice ring or something.
I say ... all metal and give it hell, fastest way to really learn what hits where and makes the machine quicker too.

Good Hunting
Mike

 

[Ex-Sox]

Great post Mike!! Very informative. I am experimenting with all metal and have switched back to the 8" coil and am doing pretty good with the combo. I can relate to a certain tone stopping you in your tracks amidst the constant rumble of iron. What a great sound that is!!