A
Anonymous
Guest
Hello to everyone,
My name is Mike and I just ordered an Explorer XS. Also, I just stumbled across this forum after ordering the Explorer and thought it would be good to get some advanced input from those of you who have had your Explorer for some time.
I am new to this hobby, though I have had a detector for about a year and a half. But, did not get serious with it until a little over a month ago. So, my knowledge is very limited. My current detector (until my Explorer arrrives) is a Garrett GTI 2500, which I took to Myrtle Beach, SC last week. I was very disappointed with its performance in wet sand when hunting in the all metal mode. In discriminate mode it was not to bad. But, I would get blips of sound at the end of a swing in one direction. I tried using the so called Salt elimination feature but to no avail. Tried the fast track ground balancing to see if I could knock the threshold down but still nothing. Tried manual ground balancing with the auto track turned off but still the threshold screamed (while in all metal mode).
I have said all the above to come to this point. I talked to and or observed four people, using Minelab detectors. Three were using the Soverign and one was using the Excalibur. On observation, concerning two of the four users, I noted that they were doing quite well in the wet sand and or very shallow surf. I talked with them both (though I did not question them specifically about their finds but I think they were mainly getting recently dropped coins) and I became rather sold on the Minelab detector line (multiple frequency detectors that is) because of their ability to work highly mineralized areas or wet salted sand beaches. Afterall, here I had been only able to really use my Garrett in the dry sand and only came up with $2.55 for a four day stay, averaging 2 to 3 hours hunting per day. But, of course, the big crowds have not yet begun to hit the beach.
Anyway, I decided then and there that I was going to get a Minelab multiple frequency unit. I had seen enough to convince me that it would be good for salt water areas. However, my hunting at the beach will probably only be twice a year.
My primary hunting will be in the upper northeast corner of Tennessee, near both the VA and NC borders. The ground/soil around here is extremely rocky (I live on the side of a mountain). I don't know much about the mineralization aspects of the soil around here but I would just be guessing that there would be some iron content.
So, with all that said let me state something and ask a question. My primary hunting interests are jewelry first and coins second. Therefore, do any of you have any suggestions concerning the initial set up on the Explorer (especially for jewelry) and secondarily for coins? And, any tips on how to cope with extremely rocky soil conditions?
Seldom can I use a brass probe in attempting to find a coin that is much over an inch deep, since I run into rock/rocks that are sometimes very large.
Also, how does the Explorer pinpoint? Does it use just one frequency in the all metal mode? If it doesn't, then I would think pinpointing would be extremely difficult with the broad band of frequencies that it (the Explorer) emits.
Any help, tips, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Mike
My name is Mike and I just ordered an Explorer XS. Also, I just stumbled across this forum after ordering the Explorer and thought it would be good to get some advanced input from those of you who have had your Explorer for some time.
I am new to this hobby, though I have had a detector for about a year and a half. But, did not get serious with it until a little over a month ago. So, my knowledge is very limited. My current detector (until my Explorer arrrives) is a Garrett GTI 2500, which I took to Myrtle Beach, SC last week. I was very disappointed with its performance in wet sand when hunting in the all metal mode. In discriminate mode it was not to bad. But, I would get blips of sound at the end of a swing in one direction. I tried using the so called Salt elimination feature but to no avail. Tried the fast track ground balancing to see if I could knock the threshold down but still nothing. Tried manual ground balancing with the auto track turned off but still the threshold screamed (while in all metal mode).
I have said all the above to come to this point. I talked to and or observed four people, using Minelab detectors. Three were using the Soverign and one was using the Excalibur. On observation, concerning two of the four users, I noted that they were doing quite well in the wet sand and or very shallow surf. I talked with them both (though I did not question them specifically about their finds but I think they were mainly getting recently dropped coins) and I became rather sold on the Minelab detector line (multiple frequency detectors that is) because of their ability to work highly mineralized areas or wet salted sand beaches. Afterall, here I had been only able to really use my Garrett in the dry sand and only came up with $2.55 for a four day stay, averaging 2 to 3 hours hunting per day. But, of course, the big crowds have not yet begun to hit the beach.
Anyway, I decided then and there that I was going to get a Minelab multiple frequency unit. I had seen enough to convince me that it would be good for salt water areas. However, my hunting at the beach will probably only be twice a year.
My primary hunting will be in the upper northeast corner of Tennessee, near both the VA and NC borders. The ground/soil around here is extremely rocky (I live on the side of a mountain). I don't know much about the mineralization aspects of the soil around here but I would just be guessing that there would be some iron content.
So, with all that said let me state something and ask a question. My primary hunting interests are jewelry first and coins second. Therefore, do any of you have any suggestions concerning the initial set up on the Explorer (especially for jewelry) and secondarily for coins? And, any tips on how to cope with extremely rocky soil conditions?
Seldom can I use a brass probe in attempting to find a coin that is much over an inch deep, since I run into rock/rocks that are sometimes very large.
Also, how does the Explorer pinpoint? Does it use just one frequency in the all metal mode? If it doesn't, then I would think pinpointing would be extremely difficult with the broad band of frequencies that it (the Explorer) emits.
Any help, tips, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Mike