IDX, hang in there I've got a feeling there's one with your name on it. It's time for a little story. I've been detecting on and off, mostly on, since 1987. Never found a silver half of any kind. I've got a hunting partner who I've hunted with over most of that period. Back in the 90's we were pretty competitive in a friendly sort of way always trying to see who could out silver or out relic the other. I had my CZ 5, his weapon of choice the Tesoro Toltec 100. Overall I usually found more silver and better relics, BUT, he had an uncanny knack for finding silver halfs. From about '91 through '94 he found 3 Walking Liberty's I found none. For about a decade we both became enamored of arrowhead hunting and all but quit detecting. Then one day he shows up with an AT Pro and tells me how much silver he's finding etc. So I do some research find the detector I think will suit me, save some dough get a great deal on a Minelab Explorer SE Pro with full warranty for around 1000. We start going up against each other again, just like old times. Took me a few weeks to get my feet under me with the Explorer but once I dialed in Bryce Brown's settings I started getting it. Well we were pretty even there each finding a fair share of silver coins. Then one day we hunted an old home a friend of his lived in. Dated to the late 1800's. I found a neat ornate key to a keg tap. But we'd started late and it was getting dark. I see my buddy bending over a plug with his iphone out. Uh oh, I know he's found something really nice. Well great we all have those ureka moments and I'm happy for him. I walk over to take a look and it's a Walking Liberty half dollar!(#4) I felt a mixture of disbelief and agonizing futility. So I congratulate him(I hope I sounded sincere) and on the ride home I admit I'm at a loss as to why I can't find one. By the way I'm the one who generally does all the research and locate most of the sites we hunt. So I find an old high school site that the community has turned into a park/ball field. It's a fair drive from home, 40 miles. We don't know what we have until on our first hunt I find a Mercury and we both find several wheats and a couple of war nickles. Enough to whet our appetites. Another hunt or two and we're rolling. Silver is a cinch, Indians, V nickels etc. Near the end of a hunt maybe the third time out there I see my bud hunched over a hole with his phone gleaming and he's talking in it like he's making a statement to the press. I wander over to take a look. So he's got his soil cloth out with his digging knife on it and a nice shiny silver Rosy. Wow I said that's a nice looking Rosy, trying not to sound to relieved that he hasn't busted some crazy amazing find( Look, I really try not to get envious and I've gotten better about it). Then after looking at me for a moment he picks up the knife and the Rosy and snatches the cloth away revealing, that's right, a Walking Liberty half. Ok this is what I said(it slipped out) "you son-of-a *gun*". Don't worry I know he relished the moment. I sheepishly walked back to my obviously lesser detector and disconsolately swung the coil back and forth. I hadn't found crap in about an hour. So I ask my buddy if it'd be ok if I saunter over to the section he's been hunting. Sure, no problem! So I position myself about 50 ft away from him and start hunting up a line paralele to his line. Less than 5 minutes later I get a "wow" hit. High tinkle, pegged solidly in the right upper corner of the Smart Screen. "Quarter" I'm thinking, hoping. Dig the plug not so casually. Poke the pro pointer in there, it goes crazy, I grab a handful of dirt and immediately feel something of serious weight. I shake the dirt loose and I'm holding a 1935 Walking Liberty half dollar! I was literally shaking with excitement. My Bud asks, "what is it" and I yell " I'm a member of the half dollar club!" Bless his heart he was really tickled and came over to take pictures. What a day that was. So my Bud has me still 5 to one but that's so much better than 5 to none. Anyway the point of course is to keep plugging(literally and figuratively) and I'll bet you find yours IDX. It is definitely out there. Sorry about the length. Oh, and I don't have the lesser detector.
of course,there are others but just because I want one of those,it's still not here. I don't know what to say about the whole Explorer thing in general,other than I'm glad as HELL I got one. Easy to operate,accurate,deep...it has all the tools one needs to do exactly what we all do,except the auto-shovel to dig it up for you. I seriously had an older gentleman ask me if it did just that,I politely said NO. It was very hard to keep a straight face,as he was serious about it. I suppose if you sharpened the front of the coil you could dig with it. Prolly void the warranty though..."really...no for real....the whole thing just shattered.."
innochio