Started using Auto and like it!

[BigTony]

Today was my third time out with my EXP II set to Auto and I like it.
I went to spots that I had detected several times and hit coins at 5 and 6 inches that I must have passed over. Unless it is the damp cold soil that the NJ spring has right now.

I did find several coins on edge or straight up - I was enjoying this - it almost seems like a new machine to me!

Any thoughts?

 

[MNCoinhunter]

I had run Auto with my Explorer SE exclusively for the last four years. Been trying to hunt in Manual lately, it seems to be noisier but I am getting more depth.

 

[BigTony]

McDave, yeah that was my concern also when I first turned it on. The second time out I tuned up the sensitivity to 25 just in case it's not getting depth.
So far nothing deeper then six/seven inches.

I also need to switch to the larger coil - I have been using the small guy in between junk areas

 

[MNCoinhunter]

I have tried every coil under the sun. The SEF 10X12 was probably my favorite. If it could have been just a little lighter I could have gone for hours. Right now I'm down to two . . the stock 11" coil and I just picked up a SEF 8X6. Can't wait to dig in with it .. Winter is lingering as it always does this far north.

 

[BigTony]

Wow, yeah I had those winter blues and was finally able to get out - I found that the damp ground is giving really good signals and that is helping I am sure.
I have the SEF 10 x 12 and stock 11 inch (I haven't use that 11 inch in a real long time). I like the SEF but for the trashy parks I hunted recently I use the small coil and go real slow.
When I use the heavy big coils I hook up a strap and a bungee type thing to the detector, It looks funny and feels funny but it helps me plenty. I took the straps off of an old moving belt and tied them together
then sling it over my head from left to right then down to the detector. It does get in the way but saves my arm and back enough to do longer hunts.

 

[The Magician]

One thing I've learned over the years; it is very very VERY hard to beat factory presets of the Explorer range.

 

[The Magician]

I have tried every coil under the sun. The SEF 10X12 was probably my favorite. If it could have been just a little lighter I could have gone for hours. Right now I'm down to two . . the stock 11" coil and I just picked up a SEF 8X6. Can't wait to dig in with it .. Winter is lingering as it always does this far north.

I've been thinking of getting a coil for my Explorer 2, I need something that will beat the WOT in depth. If it can't be done, what coil would you reccomend? I also have the stock 10".

 

[BigTony]

McDave, I just purchaed a WOT coil, it's on the way. So any tips would be appreciated big time.

Depth and coil for the Exp 2 I haven't used the stock large coil in a very long time either 6 inch or 10 x 12 sef. My deepest is just about 10 inches.
When I get those foot signals I have a differcult time finding them except if the object is large. So that is why I finally picked up a WOT hoping to get down to some older stuff.
Have you read andy sadich's book? It helped me

 

[BigTony]

Hello Magician, you might be right about the factory pre-sets. I had to think a minute and I ran the dertector like that when it was new. I did good but went on to advanced and have only gone back wehn the machine reset itself. I must have pushed a button to hard and the dang thing rebooted to factory.
Now I am in advanced and it does very good. Maybe I'll try the pre-sets again if I don't find anything good in an hour then I'll switch to compare

 

[BigTony]

McDave, I have been trying manual and I believe you are right about getting more depth. Funny how one change in an area can really help

 

[IDXMonster]

In my short time with my EX2 I can say that Manual is the way to go for depth,it's very obvious to me in areas that don't have a huge amount of trash. When the Sens is too high it gobbles up every signal around,and sometimes that's just unproductive,not to mention it's hard on the ears. As you increase Sens in any way,Manual or Auto,you'll see an increase of iron falsing,but as long as you know how to distinguish the falsing from a good hit,you're fine. Some may disagree,and while I DO agree that sometimes targets are co-located,it's not that often. If the signal isn't CLEAN all the way through from the first axis,then at 90 degrees,I move on. An iron false will have a low "clump!" sound at the very end of the high tone,dead giveaway every time,provided there's only one thing under the coil,and in that case it would be junk,or an iron relic. The signal MUST be clean from beginning to end. I've been using numbers,watching a specific range coupled with the depth meter has been finding deep coins non- stop. An Indian yesterday,a few wheats today at 8-9" and they were obvious good signals. The Indian wasn't spot on,they hardly ever are I hear,but the CLEAN high tone with numbers below FE 07 and above CO 24 I'll dig,when the depth meter is at half or deeper. Also,the depth meter is a lot more accurate when in Manual Sens,at times in Auto it would indicate a 6" target and it was the coin I was expecting but only at 3-4". One last thing....the stock 1050 coil is really really really good. I have a 5" ExceleratorE and a Sunray X-8 but in just about EVERY circumstance that I run into I'd want the stock coil,they did that right for sure. The depth for that size coil is fabulous,and I've learned to use it in fairly high trash areas,though there are a couple places it's just too big for. I find myself going back to it time and time again,and I've only had this machine a couple months. It does find silver things quite well,whether it's tuned to do that or we as owners are just more apt to dig only specific signals it tells us about. I've been trying to stay lower than FE 10 and higher than CO 27 on the deepest targets,making sure I can get a clean hit both ways. I've found at least 4 maybe 5 jewelry pieces with it so far and at least 10 silver coins,and I attribute that to digging that range of numbers. It's a game changer for sure.

Happy hunting!
Kevin

 

[BigTony]

Goo post for sure....I grew tired of the large stock coil. Here there is plenty of trash - P opted for the smaller coil and move slow.
When I got away from the stock coil I also got away from the manual setting....too much noise in this area.
You are giving good advice below 7 and above 24....I think you are correct...funny how the machine gives good info...you just have to listen and dig.

I have passed up targets that the machine says are 12 inches....in the past I have dug and dug but get tired or lose my enthusiasm and cover the hole....
This fall I will dig those and see if something turns up

 

[IDXMonster]

I do want to make it CRYSTAL CLEAR that the "clump!" I'm hearing at the end of my high tones,although in MY experiences all targets so far have been junk or irony type junk,there are some who say the "clump!" Is caused by a coin sitting on edge or a weird orientation in the ground. The way I check these is to run the factory coin program and have IM set at -16. I switch to IM and I get the telltale iron sound,but that good tone does come through as well,when the center of the coil is toward the edge of the iron object. This is a classic iron false,on the Explorer or anything else. Now....if the "clump!" is also caused by a coin on edge,then I think a lot of us,including myself,have a lot of steps to retrace because I run across a zillion signals like that....none have been coins. I'm not doubting they can be,I'm just saying no coins have showed up for me yet,and I've dug plenty of these type signals. Most have been square nails. Just FWIW...

Kevin

 

[BigTony]

Kevin, a clump sound at the end of a high tone?

I have heard a THUMP sound but I never heard a sound at the end of high tone. The THUMP sound is all by itself. I check a few but never got a target yet but I didn't check that many

 

[IDXMonster]

Tony-I forgot to mention I'm running in Ferrous all the time,sorry. Clump,thump,wump....ya know what I mean I went and dug a few of these targets tonite and sure enough...junk iron. One was a piece of barbed wire and the others iron nails. It seems for this anomaly to happen it has to be a long thin item,such as nails or wire! Also,note if there is a good signal from two 90 degree axes. If not,I'm moving on,as I usually do. Maybe down the road when I get more skilled with the machine I'll try checking out some really bad signals. For right now,I know it will properly ID a U.S. Coin at crazy depths. One thing I dug tonight was a copper Memorial,my entire trowel was in the hole and it was just on the side of the hole at the bottom,so 10" for absolutely sure,maybe more like 11". Signal was deviating 04-28 and 00-28. No matter what I'd dig those numbers,it just sucked seeing that,and roots to boot! I think us newer users should stick to a stable machine and slow,low sweeping. The recovery rate demands slow if you're looking for DEEP and low is self explanatory. Even at the factory presets it'll come up with stuff others can't.

Kevin

 

[BigTony]

Kevin, I have switched to Ferrous myself recently and my coins finds have increased.

Too bad that penny was just a memorial. I guess that spot was filled in for some reason, maybe they had erosion at one time.
Checking that thump sound at ninety degrees is good idea.

Someone else posted that the EXP II has a tendency to pin point where coins or the tip of nails are at the edge of the hole after you dig.
I try hard to get it centered but many of my finds are at the side of the hole.

Good luck

 

[IDXMonster]

Tony-Please read my post on the Dankowski detecting forum I put up yesterday. I stand absolutely corrected...and it was an eye opener,I just don't want to repost the whole thing here.

Kevin

 

[BigTony]

IDX, I read your post - congratulations! I am glad you scored big time. Remember there is always copy and paste option.

I have never received a coin signal then a THUMP. If I get a coin signal and it has depth I probably check it out and then dig.

The THUMP signal I get is all alone nothing else. I don't remember the numbers but next time I will dig and see what it is.

 

[Dan-Pa.]

Whatever works but stay one way, don't go back and forth...I like the post about factory presets being hard to beat...Experimentation in hobby certainly has helped more than one....

 

[BigTony]

Hey Kevin, this past week I read a post about a water detector losing it's threshold and going higher.
One person replied and said to lower the sensitivity then recheck the target.

Well I did that with the "Clump or thump" sound - I lowered the sensitivity and rechecked - I was able to get a good signal and it was a memorial about 5 inches down.
Must have been bad soil but this might be good for future crazy sounds