I have an Explorer 2 and here's some simple advice;
1 Start with factory settings then change things like volume, threshold, contrast to your licking.
2 Next step is change the frequency channel if you have atmospheric interference, change to something that's quiet, preferably a higher frequency.
3 If too much junk, turn the sens down, even in manual-sens. You can also lift the coil just to scan the surface when changing sens back/forth is inconvenient.
4 Get a pinpointer before you get any other equipment. In any case, get used to digging shallow signals first (for a few minutes), just to get used to everything.
I find that factory settings and the stock coil are very hard to beat, I experiment with coils and settings all the time.