SE Pro sensitivity

[swingnlow]

I just bought this Explorer SE Pro used at a good price and an wondering if I got a defective detector or if this is normal.
I have tried setting my sensitivity like in the video (Des Dune if I remember right) using the threshold. While swinging the coil you lower the sensitivity till threshold sounds smooth.
At several different places this method only allows to use between 6 and11. If I try to raise the sensitivity, I get a lot of 31-31 with every swing and in between targets. I can continue raising sensitivity to around 22 to 26 till it starts to make a sort of chirping sound.
Raising above 16 seems to add depth, but is much noisier. I am running wide open (no discrimination)
Thanks

 

[captn_se]

Based on your writeup, it's a little too hard to say if your detector/coil is defective.

There's many sites I hunt where my SE will chirp and false with every swing. I don't like to sacrifice depth for noise free operation, so I just deal with the noise/falsing. I have gotten used to it, and it doesn't bother me very much, unless the noise gets to the level that I can't decipher the deeper targets. When I'm in areas like this, I slow down my swing speed to a crawl. 20 manual sens. is about as low as I'm willing to go for my hunting areas.

31-31 is Iron. Are you sure there isn't any small pieces of iron in the ground where you're detecting?
Also, if you're not swinging your coil, do you still hear the chirping noises? If so, you have EMI nearby. Noise cancelling will help this case.


HH,
CAPTN SE
Dan

 

[walker184777]

Hi running wide open will drive you nuts. You do not need to. Run it at 26 perfect setting and you get the deep ones with a good sound iron will crack up coins wont.

 

[Big Fang Coin Biter]

The advise usually given on this forum is to run factory preset for the first couple weeks until you get the hang of the machine. The Explorer series is quite different that other detectors, since it has both a conductive and ferrous readings running at the same time.

For the question of it being defective... In factory preset, set the sensitivity at 26 manual. Outside, away from power lines, try putting the coil straight up over your head. Hold it still. You should get a steady threshold. There is still the possibility that you have electrical interference going on, so if you get some chatter, try a different location. OK, so you finally get to where the threshold is steady while holding the coil over your head - now move the coil around in the air (one foot sweep). Move it real fast - back and forth (one foot sweep). The threshold should stay steady, if not, you have something loose or broken. If that checks out OK, lower the coil to the ground and start searching. It should null the threshold quite a bit if the area you are hunting has junk/trash (in factory preset).

Another thing you could try is a different coil. The Pro coil is very susceptible to electric interference.

Probably the best thing to do is find an experienced Explorer user near you that you can visit - he will be able to tell you in a minute if the machine is defective.

Hope this helps. HH - BF

 

[stasys]

I suspect that you doing something wrong. forget about open screen or detecting without discrimination for a wile! start like somebody said from factory preset.explorer is a bit complicated detector for new users. but if you want to detect without discrimination or open screen you have to switch to ferrous because in conductive you will kill your brain and ears by listening to much iron like good targets. to check coil you can make simple air test, check if coil connected tide switch on your explorer outside, raise coil and shake a bit detector with coil on some 20 or 24 sensitivity if no clear noises appear looks like everything ok. and most important find from forum any old explorer user and beg to hunt with, you will learn easy and quick. or call profi when you outside and in 20min you will get what you do wrong. and last if your pro coil damaged I can buy for my strange project. good luck Stasys

 

[swingnlow]

I forgot to add to my post I run with ferrous sound and always noise cancel first thing and sometimes during hunt.
With coil about 6 inches above ground all I hear is the quiet constant hum of the threshold. When I lower it to the ground it sounds like I am lowering to a piece of metal (31-31) and as long as I move the coil it stays on 31-31 till I pass over a Target. It will show that Target then go back to 31-31. However when I lower the sens to 11 or so all is the quiet hum except while over a Target as expected.

When I get home later I will try the shaking trick to test the coil
Thanks for your responses.

 

[drkp88]

I agree with walker. Setting of 26 USUALLY is ideal but you have to get used to dealing with the noise. I mostly hunt in IM (not quite wide open), ferrous, with sens at 26 manual.
Bruce in Ct

 

[swingnlow]

I took my SE Pro out and set sens up to 26 manual, did a noise cancel and stuck the coil up in the air above my head and shook it about 1 foot back and forth fast. I did hear a slight chirp, also while moving along the ground if I bumped something slightly it would chirp. I then lowered the sens as in the video with threshold as my guide (to keep a steady hum I had to lower sens down to 9) at this setting bumping did not create any noise.
So I still don

 

[stasys]

Try another coil! looks like can be defective,but slight signals from bumps is not mean coil bad! its depends how its sensitive to bums. take coil rod off and connect only coil to control panel, go outside and switch detector on-shake coil in the hand, bump it, if no repetitive signal looks ok, another test is gently move coil cable till the coil. if not any clear repetitive signals appear looks like cable ok, but if you bump coil on sensitivity 22 manual and coil makes clear signal its look bad. film you working detector with all suspected problem and post hear, its will be clear if something not good more easy. check if you use sound normal!! I started to use audio 1 and its different world you hear long signals not short and in the field if its littered with metal you can hear constant never ending signal! film- post in you tube and give us direction. good luck Stasys

 

[Dan-Pa.]

From using the XS-11-SE in my neck of the woods the SE was much more sensitive with the new style coil and more susceptible to outside interference. Even heard of guys using a 11 coil on it but actually I feel the problem is you not the unit as its just new to you...Perhaps a local Minelab dealer or clubmember could mentor you.and reading the other posts also supply good info.

 

[swingnlow]

To drkp88- you said you need to get use to the noise Is this the constant ground noise I was refering to that shows up as 31-31?

I took the coil cover off and cleaned that up and put back together. Then I took cable loose from the electronics and reconnected then did a factory reset. Now the shaking noise seems to be all gone.

I still have the 31-31 issue.

 

[TURNMASTER]

Dig up some of the targets to see what 31-31 is. You may just have that much junk in the ground. Don't be afraid to run the sensitivity in the 15 to 25 range. I am no expert and still new to the Explorer but I feel it has been neccessary to run around 22 most of the places I have used this machine. How long have you been swinging an MD?

Jeff

 

[swingnlow]

The 31-31 is everywhere there is not a target, like there is no ground balance.
I have been detecting for about 3 years. My other detector is a Garrett gtax550. This SE pro is quite a different animal.
Thanks for all the help. I can see this machine is going to take awhile to get use to, but I can see a HUGE difference on depth and seperation. I dug one the other day 10th inch deep that had 3 nails above it at 4,6 and 8 inches. That was truly impressive.

 

[walker184777]

Running wide open no discrimination is your problem. I hunt in iron mask screen with it set to 26 that is ideal for hunting and hunt in 26 -28 sensitively. Try that on a few coins in the yard you will learn quick. HH

 

[stasys]

Hello swinglow try another any coil, somehow i think is problem in coil. check what sort of Audio 1, 2 & 3 are now Long, Smooth & Pitch Hold respectively.Normal - when the target signal drops the audio blanks, giving a crisp end to the target response. Normal allows the greatest differentiation between the ground and a target, but has the potential to miss small targets in areas littered with objects producing a target response.

Long - long audio lasts until the end of detection, and there is no blanking at the end of the target response. Long allows less differentiation between the ground and a target, but has the capability of more depth in non-trashy sites.

Smooth - as opposed to the sudden change in audio response in Normal and Long, Smooth offers a more gradual change/rise in audio response from ground to target detection.

Pitch Hold - is identical to the normal response during detection however, after blanking, the threshold tone will change to the same pitch of the target signal. The pitch of the threshold is then held until a new detection is made.
now I hunt in Audio 2 Long and if I am on nail fields I can hear constant sound until I drop sensitivity till 9 manual. and still founding stuff. in this metal fealds lifting sensitivity will do more harm then you gain-detector will not see target near iron. but if you use simple factory preset and still have constant noise something wrong> maybe your freashold to loud? or some iron bolt or washer on you coil? take coil from rods and switch detector with free coil and look. good luck Stasys