Get Sabisch's book, 'Mastering the ML ExpXS & S'. Program in the Custom Gold, discrimination pattern (p.95). Get a package of Ink Jet Transparency Film, the stuff they use for overhead viewing slides. Cut two pieces a little bigger than the Explorer screen and attach them, double thickness, over the screen with a small tab of tape, top and bottom. The double thickness will prevent any 'bleed-through' from the pen to the screen.
With a fine point permanent marker, put a dot PRECISELY in each corner. This will help if you remove it so you can re-attach it in exactly the same place by lining up the dots in the corners.....Now, your overlay is in place, with dots in the corners and the 'Custom Gold Pattern on the screen(FULL SCREEN).
At the bottom of this 'pattern' is a strip of white, about a medium cursor high, that travels right, toward the main body of the 'accepted' pattern. Follow the top line of the bottom strip, toward the right, until you are 1/4" past the first step that travels upward. Now...freehand, start drawing and follow the steps, upward, with your marker, staying 1/4" away from the left side of the pattern until you reach the top. Draw in the topline and follow the pattern edge downward and around the 'toe' of the pattern till you meet the right side, and up the height of the 'toe, where you started.... You will now have a perfect overlay that matches my Explorer's pattern of fifteen S. Oregon nuggets that were programmed with the medium cursor.
Be aware that the 'toe' on the left is where the smallest nuggets that the Explorer can see(10-15 grains) will take the crosshair. It is also where, small-wadded-burnt, FOIL will take the crosshair. If you disc. out the foil you will never hear a nugget smaller than 150-or-so grains. Any foil, pull-tabs or screwcaps discriminated out will lose gold nuggets, but...if you are detecting a mining area that was active prior to the creation of tin/aluminum foil that problem won't raise its head.
Get yourself a good pinpointer. I have the SunRay attached to my machine and it isn't getting it done after I break the ground. I have White's new Bullseye II 120mm and it's...ok. My go-to pinpointer is an old Compass Automax. It will find nuggets, in loose dirt, that are so small you could put them in your eye and not hurt....nearly.
Actually, If you want to find nuggets, Minelab's 3 frequency gold machine and White's GMT will get it done far better than the Explorer and they don't cost three+grand. Where did Minelab come up with that number???
Bud
P.S. Be aware that gold from different areas have different amounts of copper/silver/platinum alloyed with them. You will find some that have quartz inclusions, some dense and flat, some porous and rough. These different purities will wierd out the height (conductivity) that is shown on the screen and... a lighter-dense-flat nugget will read higher than a heavier-porous-rough-rounded nugget.
