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C

Cody

New member
The forum can be used for very advanced topics and basic ones. I have never seen any reason to restrict a classroom forum to one or the other. We can follow the there of interest just as we can watch Fox, CNN or both. If we want to "just keep it simple" then we follow those threads. If we want to be technical or focus on application then we follow the appropriate threads.

Have a great Sunday,

 
Cody - I hope your not referring to my post. In a different way I was trying to say I'm very impressed by your knowledge as well as Glenn and Chris on these subjects. keep up the post, I read them all.
 
Not at all, I was actually making excuses for myself because I really enjoy the technical side of the discussion. However, I don't want to abuse the forum by simply talking about the things that interest me most if other are bored stiff. I know Glenn is hesitant at times to get into the technical for the same reasons.

The new forums seem ideal for multiple threads on topics that are very advanced and for new users. I could easily enjoy walking through the patents step by step with the technical types and share what we think is going on. I did that for years in the military and at the university so enjoy solving those electronic crossword puzzles and get a lot of satisfaction in knowing how "it" works. It seems good to me since there is only one Classroom Forum for the Explorer to have basic to advanced and participants can run with the threads they have an interest in. My background is such that I will get very deeply involved in the technical side but also enjoy just getting out and using the machine. Most of the active participants seem to enjoy helping new user which is really great.

I see your post on the other forums and think you are a very positive contributor.
 
As a new exp. user, I enjoy and learn from both the technical posts as well as the more "lay" posts. The tech. stuff motivates me to expand my understanding of the actual theory of the technology I am using--the practical side helps me find more stuff. Although I have an enginering background, and a degree in same, I am now in an unrelated field , but the dicipline and knowledge transfer, just as they do in our hobby. PLEASE KEEP BOTH ON THE FORUM. John
 
I plan to get an Explorer II in the very near future. It will be my first metal detector. I'd like to have a list of "do these things first" so that I won't be overwhelmed and can ease into it once I learn to do those first things. Thanks. :)

Jim
 
We will all help you as fortunately we don't need to know how to engineer a car to drive one. Feel free to ask away.
 
The User's Manual for the Explorer is outstanding and walks the new user right though a well thought out path to success. The longer I use the detector the more I appreciate how correct the Manual if followed really shorten the learning curve. I almost hate to see "learning curve" because the detector can be used within a half hour of putting it together. It has a Coins preset that is a great program. The more I look a the setting them more I realize they are teaching the user a lot of things with this preset program. So, be comfortable in knowing that the learning curve is blown way out of from any real curve. Also, be sure that there are folks here that will help you with any question you have. At times you may think there are too many cooks but we mean well and in all this you will become the "old pro" in no time.
 
Thanks, Cody. :) I bought this farm with a 100-year-old house about 21 months ago. I've heard that the previous owner, who lived here 15 years, also had a metal detector, but I've also heard that he was kinda frugal (if you get my drift), so I doubt he had a state of the art detector. :)

Should I buy mine with an X-1 probe, or is that something I should wait and add later? Are all of the swinging harnesses about the same (I'd want the chest style)? I was also thinking about getting the Sun Ray Pro Headphones, the Andy Sabisch book, and the Gary Brun DVD. Any comments about these or other suggestions?

Thanks again.

Jim
 
Jim,

Probe is essential. Never heard of anyone getting an X-1 that regretted it and most won't detect without it once they get used to it. I have a periscope that allows me to find the target before I dig. Very nice but more expensive than the X-1.

Andy's book is well worth the price. I haven't seen Gary's DVD, but hear it is more for beginner level which would help you. The worst thing about the explorer is weight and balance, harness helps; if you are ambidexterous and looking for a bit of exercise and don't have any shoulder issues not neccessarily needed.

Chris
 
Like Chris said, definitely the X-1... I used the Exp II for a month before I bought one; now I wouldn't want to hunt without it.

Andy's book was helpful, but I think I've gotten more from this forum than anywhere. The DVD came with mine and while it's well produced, it's pretty basic. I believe there's an "advanced" DVD available; not sure about what it covers.

Regarding the harness, I have Doc's "swingy thingy". Well made, easy to use and it works. However, I've found that I only need to use it at the beach where it's a little harder to scrub the ground with the coil. It also prevents me from accidentally dropping it in the shallow surf :)

I've got my Exp II for 5 months now and love it. Takes some time and effort to learn, but it's worth it.

 
The X1 probe is IN LINE compared to other probes. It is like having a small 1" coil that we can switch in or out so we can use it or the primary coil. What I like is it works just like the primary coil in that we have discrimination, all metal, and pinpoint. A major advantage is all other probes have noise induced form the detector and can really chatter badly. The depth of the X1 is the best I have seen. It is very easy to install. I ordered an upper shaft with the the probe switch box already attached. It took about 20 minutes to completely install the probe.

I made my own support for the Explorer which is very similar to the Swingy Things. Actually guys have been making some kind of support for years. The manufactures had them for detectors way back in the seventies. The Swingy Things from DOC is pretty much what mine looks like and it would be hard to beat his price. I would not be without some kind of support.

I have always thought we need understand the equipment we use. I guess I carry that to an extreme for a lot of reasons but the User's Manual is a must read, Andy has an excellent book, and the posts on the forums round it out. We don't have to be able to design and build an Explorer to use one any more than we need to know how our computer works to enjoy using it. If we don't do any more than read the book and follow the suggestions by Minealb, then apply that knowledge, and log some hours on the Explorer we should do find. It is actually easy to go to Quickstart and begin hunting by testing different target to see what happens if the user has used a detector before. It takes a little longer for a new users but is not at all difficult. If we can swing the coil we can use the machine.
 
Absolutely!

Mastering tones to me is being able to separate coins from iron more so than what the coin is. I am mystified by users that dig all hits but need more than one tone. If I am going to dig all targets then what difference does it matter what the tone is? What I want to do is tell ferrous from non-ferrous. I don
 
Cody - Does your three tone setup, which I am familiar with, Separate the Silver Sounding nail from real Silver? I have read so many post on the silver sounding nail and when I go out to give it a try I gert the same old thing. I dig down and its a nail. Sweep the spot again and no more sound. I read Glenns post on telling the difference but I guess I just don't get it.

AK in KY
 
AK,

All targets are two dimensional and have both a ferrous and a conductive component. But, the tone is only one dimensional. The tone will only give you either the ferrous or conductive component depending upon the mode you select.

If you are using the CONDUCTIVE mode, then nails and silver sound about the same with silver being slightly lower pitched. Even thought the tones sound the same, the cursor position will be greatly different for the nail as compared to the silver coin. Therefore, you should check the cursor position (or the digital readout) before digging a nail. But for deeper silver the cursor tends to move to the left on the screen. If there is a nail and silver co-located, then the challenge becomes even greater.

If you are using the FERROUS mode, then it is very easy to tell the difference between a nail and a silver coin so long as you do not have both in the same hole.

Hope this helps,
Glenn
 
A nail sounds like silver because eddy currents flow around the axis of the nail and down the length of the nail. There is no problem with the silver sound on nails if using ferrous sounds which is one reason I prefer them to conductive sounds. The dominant eddy current causes the nail to have read as a high conductive target. However, the ferrous sounds is based on the high ferrous content of the nail so it can be recognized.
 
Cody/Glenn - Perhaps it is time to send in my EX for a check up. I use ferrous sounds 90% of the time. I can't tell the difference (both high pitched) between a rusty nail and a coin. The cursor is always in tyhe upper right hand corner when the nail is making the high pitched sound.
The only clue to it being a nail is that it will jump from upper right to upper left. When I remove the nail from the hole, I always check again to see if there is also a coin. I have dug many nails that I would have bet anything they where silver coins.

AK
 
I would take a nail and see if you get a low tone using ferrous sounds and a high one when using conductive sounds at IM-16. If the iron mask is set to -15, -14 we don't hear a low tone for a nail. If the nail is causing the signal to jump from right to left then all we hear is a high tone. That is one reason why I use ferrous sounds with the upper left of what is IM-15 open. Not only is there a threshold but nails give a low growl sound. I select nails to be accepted then tailor the screen to my preferences with the nails area reduced to a few pixels. In ferrous I hear a low tone and see the Nails/Screw ICON.
 
AK,

Now is the time to run a simple air test.

* If you can not tell the difference between a nail and a silver coin in the FERROUS mode, then you indeed have a problem with the detector.

* In either mode the cursor should be in the upper left corner of the screen for the nail and essentially in the upper right corner for the silver coin.

Let us know what you find.

HH,
Glenn
 
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