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Questions for the XS

A

Anonymous

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These questions have probably been asked and answered numerous times so please bear with me!
Can you use the advanced options along with quickstart at the same time(deep,fast,etc.)?
What is the difference between IRONMASK and Disc. In other words, are they 2 separate discr. features or the same. I hate to admit that I can't figure out why you use Ironmask and then discr. or vice-versa(missing big picture!). Your answers will generate a few more questions I'm sure but please hang-in there with me. Thanks, Mike
 
I'd like to hear the answer on that one. I went out yesterday for the first time with my XS. I detected in Discriminate but had set the ironmask to -14. I'm not sure if setting it to -14 made any difference if I was detecting in discriminate. The screen did change in discriminate after I changed the setting so I'm thinking that it made a difference, but I'm not sure.
 
Thats exactly whats got me snowed!! I have about 20hrs on the machine so some of the features are still a little unclear. I followed Jim Volkes suggestion about simple XS setup(ironmask-10)and have found a few clad coins. I'm not giving up by any means because I think this is a Great detector!! Mike
 
Here are a few pictures that might help. The first picture is with iron mask on, note the box above the iron mask button. When iron mask is on, it will be blue where it says on. I use iron mask -10 because I dig many silver dimes that will lock on where I have indicated on the screen. When they hit here, they sound good and repeat. If they hit to the very left and sound bad, they are usually a nail. A lot of old barbers and seated dimes hit here, be careful what you disc out!<center><img src="http://www.findmall.com/photo/544/imon1.jpg"></center>This is the factory coin screen. As you can see by the box above the button, Iron mask is off. You can not use both at the same time. If you have this screen on you are <b>not</b> using the iron mask feature. Personal preference, but I said above why I don't use it. Notice where I have the cross hairs on the above picture is in the disc'ed out portion. <center><img src="http://www.findmall.com/photo/544/imoff1.jpg"></center>
This is the Iron mask screen where you set your iron mask. If you hit the Iron mask button 3 times you will cycle through all three screens. And remember, most top of the line detectors will notch out certain items. The big feature of the Explorer, IMO, is not the ability to make custom screens, it is its iron mask feature.
 
I noticed on your picture a setting of 1 for sens. Did that just happen to be there for the picture? What setting do you use? Thanks, Mike
 
I just turned the sens down in the house so I wouldn't have the cursor jumping around. <IMG SRC="/forums/images/biggrin.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=":D">
I run manual anywhere from 8-32 depending on the ground and Auto 32 on days I am too lazy to mess with manual. <IMG SRC="/forums/images/wink.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=";)">
 
The Iron mask and the disc smart screen are 2 different patterns, when one is on the other is off, so what you set the iron mask at will not make a difference in the disc mode. Now the reason for iron mask is what Ric was saying as many silver coins deep or not so deep if next to iron will not read if you are on a disc pattern if that area is blacked out. In iron mask you will hear the target and the high pitched of a coin if there is a coin there and if there was iron beside it in disc you will not. Go by the tones first and if repeatable only use the cross hairs for reference. If it sound like a good coin dig.
Now I have a disc pattern set up like iron mask at a -14 and then went to edit and blacked out the bottom right as this is where rusty bottle caps will read and then I went to the learn and rejected my worst junk items. The top where my good coins read is completly open so I wont miss them if there is a iron nail beside it.
Many time on my other patterns I use I will get a iffy one and then just hit the iron mask button 2 times and check the signal at -14 in iron mask to see if there is any iron beside it. This has helped me tell if it is good or bad.
Rick
 
yup, they are 2 seperate modes and you can not edit iron mask.. the only thing you can do is to edit a screen that mimics iron mask and save it, then edit it to disc out certain other items that may be driving you nuts in hoigh trash areas.. I have a few screens built that I use occasionally instead of plain iron mask.. but 99 percent of the time iron mask in the -12 to -14 range..
 
Along with some other Explorer users. I've been having a little more success lately by putting all the other bells and whistles out of my mind and concentrating on what I hear rather than what I see......the only problem is that now I can't help the feeling that I've been gypped. If 65% of the Explorer's features are worthless then why are they there and why did I pay for them?......Why not take a Sovereign, add the 28-frequency FBS, and just control IM, sounds, and recovery modes with knobs, and do away with the screen altogether since it's what you hear that counts rather than what you see? Just call it the Sovereign II or the Explorer Lite.
 
once you start digging coins in iron and at depths that no other detector can touch! That will be furthest thing from your mind. But, I can show you some very useful screens that use the bells and whistles if you like. That will find the silver a tight pattern will miss. I just hardly use them much, but they will work. Plus you get to use a few bells and whistles. I will show you when you come down if you want.
 
I already know that I WILL miss coins using tight patterns....you and a few others explained that to me and I put it to the test and you guys are right. The way I understand it is that I need to learn to HEAR what the machine is saying and not to rely so much on SEEING the info on the screen. I don't feel the way I do because I'm not finding coins. Even though I'm not finding near as much as yourself and others, I've found triple what I did all of last year. Before, it was a big deal for me to even get a Wheatie, now they are an annoyance. Even though I'm only on silver #5 for the year it's still 5 more than I found last year...It just seems that to REALLY find the good stuff then I need to disregard most of the bells and whistles....Maybe I need to look at it a different way....I paid for a machine that finds DEEP coins and the bells and whistles are just freebies......I dunno...... By the way, unless something catastrophic happens between now and Friday, I'll be on the road to down your way that morning........How's the weather looking for this weekend? no sense coming down if it's gonna be rainy.
 
I will show you some things with different screens. The point is, you will hear iffy coins with the custom screens I will show you. And you get to use a few bells and whistles. We can save them so you will get to use that as well.
weather.com says isolated showers for Sat. That doesn't mean much. That will change between now and then and I wouldn't worry about it that much. It will not rain all day in June around here! Maybe some, but not all day. I hunt in the rain! <IMG SRC="/forums/images/biggrin.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=":D">
 
Is the camouflage Sunray rain cover enough protection for the box......and are the connectors on my X-1 switch enough to keep the rain out?. I still don't know if Bill's coming or not yet. I'll ask him again. I hope so, two can travel cheaper than one.
 
I told you they don't have a clue what is going on! I don't even use my sunray cover in the rain! I should but I don't. Sometimes my probe switch will get wet because I haven't put on my new rubber boot yet. I should do that right now.
I hope Bill comes also! That would be nice to meet him also.
 
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