Explorer in the closet!

[Anonymous]

Hi to everyone in Detecting Land,
I wonder how many Minelab Explorer XS units are taking up space in different people's closets? I have had mine for around two months now and man ole' man did I ever waste my money! No inspiration machine for me. It was getting me depressed, seeing it sit along side of my XLT, taking up space in the living room. So now that it is Christmas time and the tree is up, no room for the Explorer except in the closet! How many of you can relate to this?
My White's XLT has been gotten hold' of the last couple of times out detecting. The XLT detects pretty good down to about the 5 1/2" level. After that not too good. Of course, that is why I was going to invest the money to buy the Explorer XS. I believe that I would have profited more by playing the Lottery or pulling the lever on one of those one-armed banditos'.
I have no respect for the Explorer as of right now. How can I gain confidence in this dang' blasted machine? It makes such pretty sounds in my headphones enough to set in the pain demon and then out come the Advil. So, what would you all recommend I do besides pulling the chair up to the table and start eatin' the XS. That is just what I will do before I turn around and sell it at a loss! So what gives? Me or the XS? Any and all help would be greatly appreciated, Grizz'

 

[Anonymous]

Dude, know just how you feel, but I wasn't going
let no SOB piece of plastic beat me, No Way! First thing I did is get the 8" coil. What a difference. I can pinpoint now and find stuff. Have a ways to go, but I will beat it, or see if I can put 15 9mm rounds thought the hole in the coil!!!

 

[Anonymous]

If your a newbie and you go to radio shack and buy a metal detector, you go out and only find nails and bottle caps then chances are you will put it in the closet and forget you ever bought it. I'm positive this happens all the time, just look on ebay, look at your local dealers used detector wall, and look in the classifieds, that's just the tip of the iceberg.
My point is that patients is the most important virtue one could have in this hobby, It actually makes or breaks you in this hobby.
So, you are in luck <IMG SRC="/forums/images/smile.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=""> you get the luxury of reading a forum that every day shows all the excellent results Explorer users, both newbie and with experience are having. The proof is in the pudding and the writings on the wall and it shows that the Explorer is the best thing to hit the world of metal detecting in a long time and it's field performance is second to none.
I guess you know that you can only find it if your coil goes over it. My advice would be to think about an area/site that has produced old/deep coins for you or others in the past, then go there and begin to sweep from the edge of the site towards the center working a kind of spider web pattern. Run Auto-sensitivity set between 20 and 25(a little higher if you want).>>>Now here again is where different schools of thought conflict, as a newbie I would stay in Digital mode for at least the first several times out, that way you can simplify what you need to watch for in the screen(eventually you'll hunt by sound mostly but still look at the screen from time to time). Plus it's easier to reference to others.
Here's what you look for(for the time being):
A half a depth meter or deeper ONLY.
A Digital reading of 28 and 30(NOT a 31). repeatable.
If you want to add nickels and wheaties:
Same depth meter readings as above.
Dig Digital readings of 6 for nickels.
Dig jumpy/bouncy Digital reading of 22 thru 27.
The key is you must be in a known area/site for old coins. I can think of all kinds of great looking sites that turn out to be not so good. Don't try to find new hunting areas from scratch when trying to learn the Explorer, you risk hunting a spot that has zero coins to find,
I have written this response both to you and to others that may have different experience levels, you may already know about some of the points I raised. Hopefully this helps a bit, and I really believe that in the short or long run you will be more than glad that you hung in there, especially when you realize just how great the Explorer is.
GL/HH

 

[Anonymous]

Minelab coil? and if so how does it work? Any info about this would be appreciated.
Thanks...D.

 

[Anonymous]

I rather recently sold my xlt for the explorer. I feel exactly the same way about the weird sounds it makes and am trying to get used to it. It definitely does better than the xlt as far as ignoring minerals and iron etc. and has great depth. I don't like the 8" coil like others do...not as much depth. I still like the standard coil. As far as the xlt not going beyond 5 1/2 inches....mine used to go down a foot or more and pick up a tiny piece of foil or metal bead etc. If you set your ac to 70 and dc to 50 then set the preamp to at least 7 or higher it's better than the explorer with an 8" coil...I know because my partner still has the xlt and we hunt together. Anyway, if you can get used to the weird sounds it's an overall better machine than the xlt I think for depth and i.d. -Dave

 

[Anonymous]

If you scroll down to a message from Richard From Canada , entitled "HELP FOR BEGINNERS" , dated Saturday, 4 November 2000, at 12:48 a.m. , you will find some GREAT advice and a GOOD screen for getting more comfortable with your Explorer.
It really is worth a look.

 

[Anonymous]

No, not yet Dave, but all indications seem to show that it is a winner, that it gives the Explorer good balance and is cutting through the trashier and more iron ridden sites as many predicted it would.
If I wasn't finding as much as I have been using the 10.5"er then I wouldn't see any reason not to pick up an 8"er, however I would probably want pick up the 5"er first.
GL/HH

 

[Anonymous]

Mine is in the trunk of the car and I can't wait to head for Florida on the 27th! We have had snow on the ground for three weeks with no end in sight! Yikes!
Stick with it my friend and listen to the advice of the folks on this forum, have patience and the coins will come!
Happy Holidays!
Jim Vokes

 

[Anonymous]

near you willing to help you out or can recommend a club in your area, I know where your coming from I was a Nugget hunter and a cache hunter both of which involve much cleaner hunting conditions. I have had a hard time hunting in parks due to so much trash / tones were driving me crazy. Stick with it and keep reading the forums and posting questions. Miles

 

[Anonymous]

heya mitch,
i think i would get the 8 inch first.. the 8 inch will still get good ground covering. decent depth and seperation, and great pinpoints.. the 5 inch i only use in the heaviest of iron sites, usaully after i already hit it with the 8 inch.
i think this is the first advice you gave that i disagree with.keep up the great work helping all of us.
HH, joe
p.s.- from a previous post: if you do make it out to the atlantic for a winter hunt, let me know. the jersey shore isn't out of my travel range..i'd like to give beach hunting a try.

 

[Anonymous]

Joe, to me the 8" coil is not just an accessory or even just a temporary choice of what coil one should use in any given site condition, such as the 5" around trees and tight areas, and 15" at the beach and open fields. The 8" is in a different class all together and many hunters will end up making it their main coil as they will prefer it over the 10.5" coil(but you won't see a trend towards making the 5" coil a main coil). It was the same with the Sovereign. I prefer the 10.5" coil over the 8" (and I'm not alone in having this preference) as I did with the Sovereign and even more now after seeing how much better the Explorer cuts thru junk and iron than the Sov did -the 10.5"er fits both my site conditions and hunting strategy.
This hobby has many tradeoffs, by using different hunting techniques and accessories a hunter may have good success however before stating that their setup is best they should consider just how much more or less they are missing or finding if they were hunting a different site using a different strategy. In doing this objectively they may be forced to change your opinion to a less conclusive or less general statement by maybe saying this set up works great and leads to successful hunting in a particular hunting situation instead of it is the best way to hunt overall.
I believe the 5" coil is more of an accessory where the 8" coil is more of a preference. In this case if your preference is the 8" coil then you will use it always and have your 5" coil as an accessory using it when conditions call for it. This is why I would choose the 5" coil as a first choice and may actually not even pick up an 8" coil until my productive sites stop being productive and I am forced into hunting the more trashier areas where an 8" would be a useful standard.
<IMG SRC="/forums/images/smile.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=""> Anyway, I'll let you know if I go down to the NJ beach but I really doubt I will, I may be going to hunt the CT shore for a few days sometime this winter if I can get away.(Cabin Fever <IMG SRC="/forums/images/frown.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=""> ), Keeping watch for that Nor Easter.
TTYL....GL/HH

 

[Anonymous]

Miles,
I live in South-west Virginia about 20 miles from the Tennessee line. I really appreciate everyone's input regarding my posting and I am going to hang in there but don't know how much longer I can stand it. I am a member of the Jonesborough Metal Detecting Club in Jonesborough, Tennessee. If any club member or any other sole that is in my vicinity, I would greatly appreciate some first hand advise. Thanks again to everyone on the Explorer Classroom Forum for your contribution and help, Grizz'

 

[Anonymous]

when i got my explorer which i knew i paid alot of money for and it drove me crazy for a few weeks but i felt i was stuck with this thing.i was out every day, read every book, read every post on these forums i wasnt going to let this machine beat me. the harder the battle the sweeter the victory and this is one sweet machine. cant wait to get the WOT on it and get it down to the beach. now you know thats gonna be fun.
stan pa. sjmdc

 

[Anonymous]

I'm getting an Explorer in Feburary.
I should have enough time after I receive it to begin to understand some of it's tones and operation characteristics.
I can't dwell about the price it cost. I would rather reflect about how and what it can do, after the snow melts.
One thing I have learned about using detectors is,
that it takes practice with any of them to be proficiant.
I am reminded of an old phrase I once heard,
"A knowledgable detector operator will find more valuable targets with a low priced detector, than an unknowing person will, with top of the line detector".
Do your home work!
Val

 

[Anonymous]

Grizz, read your email on Explorer classroom. How much do you want for your explorer before you shoot it??? According to that classroom there are some problems with factory calibrations, crosshair lockup, audible stability and workmanship in several areas including the chassis as this is their first year manufacturing the explorer. I would be taking a chance on getting a properly working unit and would have to spend additional funds if its not working properly as I'm sure its warranty doesn't transfer. If the offer is decent and I accept how do we make the exchange happen?? Does UPS, FedEx or RPS ship packages C.O.D to their primary holding locations in each city addressed to a recipient at which time that person could inspect the item, pay them on the spot and then they return the funds to yourself?? Check on this as its the safest way for both the seller and buyer to get what they want