tesoro owner just became a minelab owner, what did i buy?:smile:

[vincentvangerven@gmail.com]

Howdy all, just got a minelab 2 used set, containing the following;

Included are the Explorer II Metal Detector,
(3) different MineLab detector coils: (1) 11" Model No. 38847, (1) 10-1/2" Model No. FB1050 & a 7-1/2 " Model No. XC06233,
two sets of headphones, (1) KOSS set with ear pads slightly eroding,
(1) Black Widow in good condition, one Garrett Pin Pointer, worn but functioning fine, rain hood cover for detector head, one detector nylon carrying bag,
Original Explorer II User Manual and one Mastering MineLab Explorer book

Any tips / advice on where to start reading about this unit and the coils that came with it? Plannng to use it around the Auburn, CA gold country area.

 

[IDXMonster]

Read the 2 books that came with it 5 times each....put them in the bathroom to study when you're done with that.

 

[vincentvangerven@gmail.com]

hehehe, thanks, will do.

Also seen a youtube instruction vid from minelab. Watched it till they got to the advanced settings; think i'll watch the first part a couple more times and then fiddle / experiment it when i have it in my hands...

 

[azdigger]

Might want to get the Emulator ...helps a lot

 

[BigTony]

Vincent, the best thing I did was read Andy's book and then bench test at home. That book will help with how you want to set up your machine to find coins and or jewerly.
Listen to the sounds the machine gives off when you bench test and in the field. Sound is a key for me then the display screen and lastly the numbers.
Good luck and enjoy this crazy hobby.
Tony

 

[vincentvangerven@gmail.com]

thanks again to all who replied, now playing around with the Emulator, tons of fun!! I'm sure some questions will come up once i have it in my posession

 

[IDXMonster]

Vince....to add....I'm assuming your Tesoro was monotone or did you have multi tone? And are you planning on shooting nuggets with it? One thing you'll have to get used to is the weight. They ain't light. They're not terrible,but not a Tesoro. If you're going to be out where it's hot and you'll be swinging awhile between targets you'll want to have some kind of harness,unless you're ripped like Popeye. I'm a bigger dude,6'2" and 245. They just get weighty after awhile. Minelab offers a harness called the Pro Swing 45,I cannot recommend it enough. It distributes the weight nicely,more so than other kinds of harnesses. Around 130 is the cost but you won't regret it. You'll have enough on your plate trying to learn the machine,you being miserable and achy on top of it wont let you last as long and will prolong the learning process.
While this has nothing to do with settings or real world learning of the machine,a harness will at least take that part of a perhaps unforeseen "drag" out of the equation for the very great part. Then you can pay full attention to the details,and believe me,this machine has some details that you HAVE to learn to be successful. Once the success is learned and earned,you will take a firm grasp of the rear view mirror,yank it off the windshield and NEVER look back. Though I enjoy tinkering with my modded IDX,it simply cannot be what the Explorer2 is...

 

[braveheart1954]

Deal worth about $450-$500. Hope you did not pay much more. I own a XS and Ex2. 16 years now and am still feeling like a beginner. You're in for a lot of grief and aggravation just starting with these oldies but goodies. It takes years to learn these machines if you're not a pro before getting one! lol I have too much time into them to give them up now. There are hundreds of tips I have jotted down here and there and could write a book but when you put people's tips to the test to be honest..most don't work. Ground conditions that vary slightly have a major impact of your settings. The best advice I have given to newbies is to have a permanent test garden set-up in your backyard. From Rusted Iron Straight nails to bent 90 degree new nails and everything in between to solid silver. Have two rows spaced 18" between targets. Have a row at 6" deep and a row at 12" deep. I don't have a row at 4" but it wouldn't hurt. All the same items in each row at different depths. Mike Moultry Andy Sabith and others like them have great advice for the pro's. They have great hearing abilities and can distinguish slight differences in pitches. There advice is right but not for someone who is tone depth! The est garden is a must if you are going to try their advice. I wasted years not making a test garden. Father Garden is your best teacher! Spend the 100 hours in your garden changing settings and testing over and over and go over your garden quickly before you leave in the morning for the hunt. Put a chair in your garden cusse you will be sitting a lot changing settings/coils and making notes. You'll know from experience and not from just taking someones advice and running out in the field thinking you'll be coming home rich from what you just read. Run to your test garden and not the field with new advice. I could give you many settings but every time I get to a different location I change settings like crazy. On a 6 hour hunt I spend an hour changing settings. I'm never satisfied ... thing I am missing something somewhere. I bury tennis balls 3/4's deep above my buried targets with numbers on them so I can reference target and depth. They have been buried for 10 years..never disturbed and have there own halos already. Just saying the garden will speed up your learning tremendously. Some setting will be good on silver some better on gold and not as good on silver!!! ... and different again based on dry or wet ground. lol There are so many variables. Save these settings for gold and for silver on the machine and adjust accordingly in the field for different conditions. The test garden will give you confidence that you are leaving for the hunt with the deepest settings that work for the coil you have and you should know what changes you have to make by now if you change to a bigger or smaller coil you have. No one can teach you this!!!... BUT Farther garden! The frequency settings are very important to learn about from different people..all have different opinions on setting this function along with Gain.. which I generally keep at 9 or 10.. others will say not to go above 7! I run with everything at 10 and vary Gain down if needed. I hunt mostly in Ferrous and sometimes in Constant and then some in Conductive. You have to hear these yourself to decide with takes many hours in your garden. Many say use FAST and DEEP together always...not me! Fast has its place depending again on how you want to hunt.. You'll want to get a 14 or 15" coil for sure and a small snipe type coil. Don't get obsessed about faint signals.. this machine is nothing but faint signals!!! Wait till you have many hours in trying to understand the language of this machine. Your garden will help you with faint signals at your 12" row of targets. I have 16 targets in each row... and identical targets in the next row at different depth. If you hunt the beach it a whole new game and you have to spend a 1/2 hour or so there doing a test garden in the sand with items to know your limits. Sorry about all this gibberish..I am not usually one to give advice... but you don't usually see anyone anymore buying these old brutes! They are a hell of a machine but they do not like to give up their secrets easily! I wish Minelab would have come up with a booster kit for them instead of flat out discontinuing them! Profit and greed! Check these links out ...you can play with the EX2 on your computer for winter fun! GL and HH http://www.metaldetectingforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=15445&f=99
http://explorer2.free.fr/download.html

 

[vincentvangerven@gmail.com]

Haven't seen the actual set yet, other then some smaller sized pics... Perhaps it's a peach, perhaps it's a beater, but if all works i got a decent deal.

The plastic looked pretty weathered; guess it has spend a little old while in sunny conditions.. but it seemd to be in 1 piece, and i like that it has 2 extra coils, at least one should be right for my preference.

Thanks for all the useful input and links. Have a small test garden already, and think i'll be spending a good bit of time there in the next couple of weeks

 

[BigTony]

Braveheart, I think you are right - the folks who buys these oldies do so for a backup or the original is broken. I purchased a backup last October just in case, even though I want a CTX.
Vincent - I don't want to take away from your post - so use the machine and enjoy it. If you have questions let us know - someone will help you quickly.

 

[Dan-Pa.]

Heres a bit of advice learn to crawl before you walk. Put the unit in quick start put the sens. in mid 20's and adjust the threshold to your liking and hunt for several trips at least until you start with changing settings to get the feel of the unit. Many of our top Explorer users hunt with simple programs so don't get fancy and keep it simple.Guide books and such may be good for experienced users but can drive a newbie crazy. In other words even in quickstart you have an excellent unit. Also several hunts with one of the locals that are proficient with this unit can really shorten the learning period...

 

[braveheart1954]

$130 is a lot! Yes it works as you say but the harness itself is monstrous and uncomfortable, Doc's Swing Thing is $30 and very light that works just as well and is super comfortable. I recommend the Swingy Thingy over Minelabs harness. If you get one you will put your harness up for sale the same day! I do agree you need a support cause you do get tired quickly without one or the other for support!

 

[braveheart1954]

I agree. I bought my Ex2 as a backup for my XS. I spent to many hours on the XS to try another detector that I feel does not or cannot today do what an Explorer can. But it is a detector that has to be used a lot of hours in a year and not for someone who just uses it once a week. There are many turn on and go detectors and this is not one of them. The turn on and go mode is good for 3" deep surface finds only. You can spend tons less money for a detector to do that and why waste hours of the detectors life at that cost! I don't get out nearly as much as I used to and because of the long spans in between I forget many significant points to detecting deep objects and pass up many good items and waste time. I get home and go over my books and notes and kick myself for not remembering this and that! lol I also have 2 Excalibur 1000's, a Gold Bug 1 and last year bought a Coin Master Pro to hunt with when my 9 year old granddaughter visits with the Coin Master I bought her. I leave my Coin Master in the car just for having one close to check quickly locations I pass while drive anywhere. I was surprised when I stopped at a inner city park for the first time on my way home from work just to see what I could see. I stayed 2 hours longer than I wanted cause I started pulling merc's out one after another at 5 to 6 inches. 3 on that first trial and 3 days later I pulled out 2 more! I could not believe it. I went back with my EX2 a week later and hunted the same area for 4 hours and not a single silver!!! Go figure! That was in late Oct. this year and I will be going back with both detector in hand and test signals with both machines at the same time. The Coin Master has a stock concentric coil and I really want to get a DD for it not and get one for my granddaughter. Note a good Idea is to take some pennies with you while hunting and after you dig a deep target dig the hole deeper yet and drop a penny in and bury it and set your adjustments until you can clearly hear a dig-able tone... don't re-dig the penny ..not worth the time..lol My luck I'd come across that same penny at 12" and dig it up anyways! Peace and HH

 

[BigTony]

Dan-Pa, you are right but don't wait to go into advanced mode. Yes, try it out for a few trips but if you are experienced don't wait to long.

 

[Dan-Pa.]

Tony its a great way to start and speak from experience as a rookie...First XS put it into quickstart turned down the threshold like a buzzing bee and put Sens. into 25 manual. Went to a old grove that had been beat to death and pulled 8 wheats and a old Rosie and Walking Half. Have to admit had a hard time pinpointing but it was an old abandoned grove and covered the holes well. Over the years have gone into the advanced mode and tweaking but sure a good learning period to start with...and yes
pinpoint quite well after a learning period....

 

[IDXMonster]

I would adamantly say that the stock presets are good for WAY deeper finds than 3"! It's possible,braveheart,that you only found what you found,but unless you're detecting a parking lot made of steel,the Explorer2 with 1050 coil in factory presets will see a dime at 6-7" without blinking. That's a fact where I hunt,and I hunt average ground....not nasty red clay or black beach sand but not potting soil or freshwater sand either. The OP will have to decide what's right in his area,and learn to set up to find what he's after.
3" max in factory presets means:
The deeper coins aren't there
Defective equipment
TERRIBLE conditions
Operator error

There's no other answers.

 

[BigTony]

Dan-Pa, yeah they told me to do the same thing and I listened - then I got lost in it. So, after a short time you have to switch to advance and listen to the signals.