Programs wanted

[workerb]

I have an Explorer XS Actually 2 one for my wife also. 8 and 10" coils
I am in Quartzsite, Arizona and want to detect gold flakes, nuggets, small boulders.
Is there a such a thing as a program list that shows how to set up the Explorer XS for whatever you might be hunting for? If so How do I.. OR where do I go to download the program settings?
Today I am specifically looking to use my XS as a gold prospecting machine. Don't want to hear "Go buy a gold machine" If the XS won't hunt gold very well just say so and I won't waste my time. I really would appreciate any help or suggestions. I do have Andy Sabisch book.

Here is where I went on ebay that got me asking these questions. http://cgi.ebay.com/MINELAB-EXPLORER-XS-11-SE-METAL-DETECTOR-PROGRAM-CARDS_W0QQitemZ370416917537QQcategoryZ102485QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp5197.m7QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D2%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D6455241916117988441

Thanks in advance,
John AKA WorkerB

 

[dewcon4414]

Ive been to Quartsite several times. The Explorers are NOT affective gold machines. Go to the detecting shop there past where you dump, get water, and propane past the big show. He has SAMPLE pads of gold.... you just cant get it to pick it up. It would take a rather large piece of gold to give you a signal. Even gold machines dont go to deep. Its pretty hot ground around there it really affects GB. Ive hunted a lot of those old mines around there. The detector guy there even sells club memberships to their mine for detecting. The whites' shop there isnt very informed. One year Jimmy Sierra was there showing how to use and MXT and GMT. Make sure you get a GPS if you get running around. I alway set mine before leaving the truck then just shut it off.... turn it back on when you are ready to come home. The XS is an excellent silver and coin machine... but sorry to say they suck on raw gold. The club there also has a detecting sit there and may have a competition hunt during your stay.

Dew

 

[workerb]

Dew,
Thanks for responding. I know the detecting shop near the Pit Stop.
I was afraid I was going to hear bad news concerning the Explorer XS.
I guess I will just have to wait till I get to the coast to use it.
I'm still going to hang by this thread and see if someone comes up with some
kind of cheat sheet or program list.
Thanks again,
John.... AKA WorkerB

 

[dewcon4414]

The guy and his wife that work at the shop are pretty sharp. You might try the river just across and on the CA side. There used to be a boat crossing there. Im not saying there isnt interesting things that cant be found at those old mines. Some of those were OLD spanish digs. There is a road east of town.... i think its called gold road. There are some interesting places there. IF someone tells you they have a program.... get yourself one of those test squares and test it before you spend tons of times out there TAKING YOUR DETECTOR FOR A WALK. ITS a big place you might get lucky and find a BIG nugget. I hunted there with several friends who mine for a living they would pick up a little while there but not with a detector. One guy i know has one of those pull behind HUGE meteor detectors. I hunted out there with my MXT... now it would scream on that gold tab and hit a nugget at about 3 inches. I used it as my friends dug for sample dirt to see if there were any small nuggets in their buckets. Even if you dont find gold there is a lot of relics out there on interest. Let me know if you get a program, ive got a test strip and would like to see how it works on the SE. Good hunting my man.

Dew

 

[dewcon4414]

I did a little more testing using my gold strip today. Its the same strip i used with the MXT and it would key on it at 2 or 3 inches. Even in pinpoint it wouldnt pick it up using the X1 probe or the SEF coil. With the probe i could use sensitivity 32 and gain 10..... nada. This isnt a very large piece of gold, but i couldnt get a peep.

Dew

 

[ohio fred]

n/t

 

[Steve(MS)]

It might (Explorer) detect big nuggets but the small gold flakes and such, probably not.
Really it isn't the right detector for small gold.
Now if you were in a location with gold the size of buckshot or larger, it would likely hit
that if it wasn't too deep.
Most people gold detecting look to a high frq detector like the MXT, Xterra 705 w/ high frq coil
or there are other high frq detectors that would work.
But to get to those tiny flakes, one has to go for a dedicated gold detector which most of the
time hasn't got a decent discrimination mode, like the Gold Bug 2 or a Whites gold detector.
There are a lot detecting types the Explorer is good for but not tiny gold.
HH

 

[workerb]

Good Morning HH,
Sorry for not responding sooner. I have been BUSY finding GOLD. Been working on the Quartzsite Metal Detecting Club claim.
Switched from metal detector to drywasher to a pan. So far best results have been with a pan.
I'm Surprised that nobody has sent ANY settings that would be best suited for detecting GOLD of ANY size.
What I need this morning is to get down in my hole and detect the walls. Just one inch deep would be fine.
Just don't know where to start from factory default. There is NO trash, very little black sand and what black sand there is, is very coarse.

 

[Steve(MS)]

Reasons for no one offering a program for gold prospecting.
Not many people get a chance to prospect for gold especially in the East.
Most would opt for a different detector.
Having said that if I were to go about this I would set the Explorer up as follows.
I would go to advanced mode.
Select audio 1.
Select manual sensitivity and run it up high, say 25 or so.
You haven't mentioned whether there is man made trash in the ground where you are.
I wouldn't run a disc program, if iron discrimination is needed, use iron mask.
Iron mask setting -15 or no more than -13.
Dig any signal that gives a tone.
Since gold nuggets come in all sizes you will need dig any signal.
I assume you are new with the Explorer so you may need to find nuggets
of different sizes and scan them to give you an idea of what they might sound like.
Remember though, the Explorer will not signal on gold dust or the tiny stuff.
Gold will likely need to be at least buckshot size for you to have a chance
to get a signal with the Explorer.
Hope this helps.