The loss of threshold.....

[Steve(MS)]

is something that seems to come up quite often in regards to the Explorer. Now with some detectors one can establish a threshold and only a signal from a target will cause it to null. With the Explorer that is true as well but ground conditions can also cause it to drop out. Some have a false assumption if they loose threshold then that is a bad situation. My point is not to worry is you loose threshold from the ground or from trash or get a "null" because the Exp. will still get very good depth and still signal when you pass over a good target except in the most extreme cases(as is the case with any other detector). Hopefully this will help clear up that misconception.

 

[dewcon4414]

I hear what you are saying Steve, but as with any detector when you null you loose sensitivity from the AC to the DC coil which reduces depth. Unlike a good many detectors our recovery on the Exp isnt that quick which means you miss targets if you are swinging too fast. Yep i still get good targets to respond but its the targets im missing i worry most about. In those trashy areas i really have to work slower.

 

[Steve(MS)]

If you need quick recovery, try audio 1 or long audio on the SE. I use audio 1 full time and can swing as fast or slow as I like. Unfortunately, all modern motion detectors have issues in thick trash in that masking can cause a no-signal, the best solution is to use the 5" coil after hunting with the stock or 8" coil.
There is always a trade-off as far as performance in nails, I have used some detectors that are supposed to be the best in nails but they have their own problems in that they get fooled more by nails, get fooled by different types of bigger than nail iron and just plain mis-ID non-ferrous items. I have found that the Explorer does very well in letting me know when I encounter bigger than nail iron and with the 5" coil is very effective in all types of iron, for overall performance, it is hard for me to get away from the Exp. I haven't seen that much difference either in those detectors in nails and the Explorer.
The old 100 KHZ TR's are the best when hunting in nails but they lack depth and don't discriminate anything above nails and ground minerals can further limit their depth.

 

[Steve(MS)]

One extra note, even with a detector known to have fast recovery and supposedly very good in iron, only a few nails positioned in a disadvantaged way in the area under the coil with a desirable target present, masking can occur real easy. Then add in ground conditions, depth and/or layers of trash, makes it even worse. Motion type detectors do have a limit that if passed will cause a no-signal, that is why the old 100KHZ do so well because they are static mode(non-motion).

 

[DFX-Gregg]

I too am experiencing constant loss of threshold...yes I hunt mainly trashy areas but have concerns. I am putting a ton of time in with the se each week... Have success rate with wheaties...but the contant loss of threshold and the feeling like I have to stop and let the threshold catch up is weird. I am hunting with fast on, and ac sens ...adjusted from 22 to 24. Do you have any suggestions to maintain a more stable threshold adjustment wise... I am using the 8 " Minelab coil mainly...

 

[Steve(MS)]

Gregg, maybe you could try manual sens. and experiment with the setting to see if you could achieve a more stable threshold but if you are in trashy areas, it will drop out as soon as anything is detected including the ground minerals if they are a factor where you hunt. Actually I wouldn't do the above however, I usually set mine to about 27 manual and leave it there unless powerlines cause instability. To me threshold is not important, in fact I usually set my threshold so that it is not audible because I know it will drop out anyway because the areas I detect have a good bit of trash. The main time I have a use for audible threshold is when I am searching an open area with few targets, that way I know there is some metalic encountered. I guess the point I am trying to across is audible threshold, especially when dealing with trashy areas is not important. I think though you are mainly asking about the time it takes for a reset to occur between signals? Fast will help with that for sure, you may trying playing around with long audio also because reset time is minimized. Even with your current settings, if you are mainly dealing with non-ferrous items, such as pulltabs, even without a full reset you should be able to hear if say you there is a high conductive coin in the mix. If you are referring to iron, such as nails, it may take more time to recognize the iron signals and be able to sort out a non-ferrous item. Next time out, try long audio on a small section, just to experiment. Does this help any?

 

[Larry (IL)]

I like Steve's idea of no threshold Gregg because I get constant dropout too. If I don't hear the dropouts, I don't think about them. I also like the long audio, it makes my good hits sound "true" and the short audio's recovery isn't really that much faster, IMHO. Give both a try and see what you think.

 

[Hobby]

I just had this happen to me today, Working near a old metal plant and tryed just about every thing I could think of ,no differance .I feel I was just going over targets and missing stuff. Did not find a thing first time with the SE . I would like to know if anyone has planted any goood targets in places like this to see if the good signals are comming through? I did not think to try this at the time (raining on and off) and its a little drive back to that spot..Hobby........8" coil used

 

[Steve(MS)]

I guess you could plant some coins if you go back there to detect to see if you can get a signal on them, just don't plant them deep. If it is trashy, there is no need to plant anything very deep. At the present level of detector technology, seeing deep with trash shallow isn't very promising. You may want to try a 5" coil there if you ever decide to get one. I have the Exc. 5" coil and like it a lot.

 

[mattockman]

some places are just tooooooo ironlaid with nails.....you must go real slow with small 5" coil, but is it really worth it....sometimes I wonder....I walk away from those places.....and quit torchering myself......UGH!!!!!

 

[Hobby]

I'm going to see if I can get back there and try that .Just to check it out .I know there has to be old coins there somewhere......HH.....Hobby

 

[Steve(MS)]

Here's what I would do provided the site has historical significance or you have already found items there to verify there is potential. Go over it the best you can using low iron mask with the stock coil, digging all non-ferrous signals, then if you have time go at the same area 90 degrees from the first search. You have to take a lot of chances on iffy signals that may only repeat at one angle. I would use audio 1 and dig any signal that tells you it isn't iron or until you can figure out the tone pattern iron signals are making that is fooling you, then you can avoid not digging those.
While you are searching, keep checking your depth meter and if it stays halfway up on the meter or higher then you need to get a 5" coil and work the same area again, at least the best you can, using the same techniques above. Finally, if you have another single freq detector with at most a 5 or 6" coil that works good in nails, check the area out. I did all this, this past hunting year and came away with a lot of buttons and some bullets, and a few IH's, v-nickels and other items. My other detector I was using is an IDX-Pro fitted with a 6" coil, it did well too but I have more comfidence in the Explorer with extra coils, I was mainly using the other detector to double check smaller areas, and also hunted some smaller areas with it first.
This area was difficult because there was so much iron, iron of all kinds, shapes but I knew I really had to work it hard to make the finds, oh yes, I dug a bunch of splattered lead, shotgun hulls, modern rifle lead, buckshot and some alum, etc but digging no trash will get no stash in trashy areas.
That's my opinion if you are serious about the area, hope this helps.

 

[Magicman]

Steve, you have some great points, on the area and threshold.