New on the Exp II and I have some questions: (long )

[Anonymous]

I've got a couple of hunts in with the exp II and have been making some progress defining what a "good" target sounds / looks like. Most of my practice has been on the beach where I can run flat out and dig a lot of targets quickly just to see what they are. That's been extemely helpful since the readings / sounds on normal junk targets like beaver tails, square tabs, crown caps and aluminum scraps are pretty constant. I've been practicing "guessing" what it is before I did it up. So far so good. While pickin's are slim on my sanded in beach, I've found some clad; some of it pretty deep.
I've also done some hunting in my backyard where, with my other machine and this one, I've found about 25 or so wheats and a 40's nickel, but no silver (which seems odd to me). I've been running the sens around 26-28 where the machine is most stable. I'm not running any disc as the wheats have been 6-8" down and I want to get all the depth I can.
Ferrous
Both smart and digital
response normal
recovery fast
variability 10
limits 10
gain 7
There must be plenty of nails from all of the home improvements over the years because there's a ton of iron hits all over.
OK, after the long winded intro, I'll get to my questions <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt="">
I've had some deep hits that read low ferrous / high conductivity one way sounds like a "flutey" high tone) but as I turn 90 degrees they are not repeatable (. In pinpoint, they appear to be between iron.
So, do all "good" hits have to be repeatable in different directions?
Can iron give the low tone one way but the high "flutey" sound the other? (or as you move away from the iron target)
Anything in particular I should be listening for or looking for on the display to let me know it's worth digging?
Suggestions on different settings that won't compromise the depth too much?
Appreciate your input,
Joe

 

[Anonymous]

I would turn FAST off, and DEEP on.
I use Iron mask at -14.
You need to dig those signals when they are deep, especially if the ferrous (digital) is lower than the conductive. That's how you learn.

 

[Anonymous]

Good question so hear goes. It is common to be told that a one way hits such as a high tone and then low one is not a coin. That is not correct as I dug many coins that only give a one way hit. There are a number of factors that will cause a coin to only hit in one direction. The bottom line is one way hits do not simply indicate iron.
Iron will read low and also give high tones. It depends on the size, shape, and ferrous content. A good example is iron in the shape of a nail. Iron in this shape will give a high tone in one direction and then a low tone in another direction of the sweep. Eddy currents induced into the nail flow around the axis and all the way down the length of the nail. The direction of sweep and flow of induced current is reported with both high and low tones.
I don't bother with a solid low tone but dig all high tones no matter if they are a one way sweep or not. What I go by is a high tone that is sticks in both direction or in any direction. It is the high tones that want to come and go, very iffy, that are most often iron or that seem to craw away in the soil. Hear is another method that I use in this area. Iron will give a reading outside the rim of the coil while silver reads in a narrow pattern under the coil. Once the target is centered it can easily be determined if the target is wide or narrow. Silver coins have a narrow sound and pattern.
Isolate a target to the center then sweep to make sure the readings are not influenced by other targets close to the one of interest. Listen for a solid good hit and go for it if it is one way or both as you sweep the coil. Really look at those iffy hits as they can be some very interesting relics and other finds.
HH, Cody

 

[Anonymous]

The one particular target I didn't get a chance to dig was a very "tight" target. Right to left I got a solid "flutey" high tone, both ways. It was only when I changed the angle 90 degrees that it changed to a low ferrous tone.
So you know, I started MD'ing last July with a CZ-20. While it functions well in the water / wet sand, I've learned what people meant by it "loving iron" <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=""> With the Exp II, I like the fact that the ferrous tones are well defined. It doesn't appear to ring high as your coil gets to the perimeter of the target like the CZ and I don't see the iron masking I was getting. (one of the reasons why I'm finding more coins in my backyard after hunting it to death with the CZ)
I know I'm going to have a lot of fun with the Exp once I get it down more. I'm patient though and I know that it's not the machine, but the person doing the swinging. I've read lots of posts from people who get frustrated by the tones... I can sympathize <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=""> However, they just don't realize that, like anything one wants to be good at, it takes a lot of practice. I'm just glad this isn't my first machine though <img src="/metal/html/lol.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=":lol">
Thanks for your help

 

[Anonymous]

[No message]

 

[Anonymous]

Joe,
There's alot of different preferences when it comes to fast and deep. I usually keep mine both on. I would experiment if I were you. If there's little trash deep=on and fast=off may be the way to go.
As far as one-way hits... the Explorer is very good in iron. With a little bit of practice and knowing your sounds you will do well. If your using conduct sounds I would suggest putting your variability at 8. That will make iron that peeks thru sound like iron a bit higher than silver. Get to know your sound ID without looking at the LCD. The sound ID is very accurate. Alot of the time in trash the LCD won't update until the threshold returns or the LCD ID will be 'pulled' slightly to the left but the sound ID will be right. Knowing your sounds with the Explorer is probably the most important thing about the Explorer IMHO. Coins will have alot cleaner sound to the than an iron hit. Once in a while you can hit iron that is extremely shallow with the outside rim of the coil... these kinds of hits are usually pretty good sounding and extremely 'direction dependant' <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=""> ... although I have had coin hits that were that you could barely rotate on.
-Bill

 

[Anonymous]

Tom has really nailed it, so to speak, about knowing the sounds and tones. The only way I know for that to happen is to dig a lot of targets and the sounds and tones start to make sense.
That to me should be a major objective of using patterns. To get to the place where is is like the back of our hands to go by all metal with tones. However, I don't think most new users are going to be very happy with that to start with so patterns and other settings need to be looked to as an alternative. I don't use DEEP or FAST due to the way they skew the reading but that is a personal preference which is why it is on the detector as a option.
Anyhow, great advice Tom and I really enjoy your post here and on the other forums.
HH, Cody

 

[Anonymous]

read you message and theres one thing wrong a good friend of mine named Andy Sabisch and i have talked about all this hunting in im 16 or whatever and it has nothing to do with depth if it did it would be called a depth control not discimination the only thing the minelab has for depth is your sensitivity and your gain so you can hear those deep targets if you want to dig iron all day long go ahead. good luck