STILL LEARNING

[OOB]

All my detecting has been done on beaches. Last night I went up to my Dad's place that has been there for well over 100 years. That Explorer II drove me crazy. Beeping and buzzing. I finally thought I had a good hit about 4 to 6 inches down. I used my new sod corer and found a piece of broken ceramic material that had a gold type glaze on it. And I found that piece about 1 inch under the grass surface, a long ways from 4 to 6 inches as indicated. I hope this long learning curve shortens up pretty soon. It's getting upsetting. I thought my White was complicated. WOW, that was simple. Although I shouldn't complain, last saturday at the beach I was out for a few hours in the morning and 1 hour in the evening and picked up about $6 in change. I'm on vacation next week till Labor Day. I'm going to try and hit a few of the beaches and really try to educate myself on the digital readings and the quick start graphs and hopefully that should make a difference. Wish me luck, I'm needing it.

 

[Ocean7]

well i hope you're running Iron mask at -10 and sensitivity cranked down to 16-18 where there's lots of black sand. i was driven nuts the first time i walked on to the beach with the EX II. I had to call my Minelab dealer and ask what the hecks up with this. After he told me what settings to adjust, I started to find all kinds of coins etc.

also, make sure your GAIN is not too high. Use advanced mode and set DEEP and FAST "ON". Don't try to run this machine at top settings until you learn it or you'll just be taking it for a stroll.

and remember if an area is full of trash, with a 10.5" coil you're going to a lot of signals. Move away and find a less trashier spot on the beach if possible. get some confidence in the machine and how it responds to different metals. Good luck!

 

[James N.D.]

All you need to do is go into PinPoint Mode on your Explorer and if the Signal is very strong and loud, then it is most likely closer to the coil than the depth meter is saying. You can also lift the coil off the ground and swing it back and forth. By doing this you can see how high you can pick up the target signal. If you lose the target signal around 4"-6", then it is a deeper targer but if you can still get a signal say 10"-12"+, then it is a larger object and quite possibly close to the surface like a can. Hope this helps a bit and what ever you do, don't give up on the detector since it is the best one on the market right now. If you don't believe me, just look at the posts and that will tell you a whole lot. Good Luck at the beaches and HH.

 

[Erik]

Good advice here from Ocean7. However I'm not sure about deep AND fast ON at the same time...according to the Explorer Advanced video this makes the machine act strangely. I remember years ago folks talking about deep and fast, but I don't use it.

Iron Mask is an advanced mode to start in. For a beginner I'd open up a 1/2" rectangle in the upper-right side of the screen. This will let you find most coins, except nickels and a few older ones that are probably not on that beach. You can always go back over the same area again once you're used to the machine in IM mode.

Can you tell me about the sod plugger that you're using....where you got it and how much? I use a TargetBuddy and quite like it. Where r u located?

 

[Erik]

Yes, smaller items will appear deeper which is annoying, but as James stated there are other ways to determine the depth. If you have an X-1 (if you are not using one, you need this add-on) you can sweep it over the target and if it picks it up then the target is pretty shallow (and probably small).

 

[minelab marcus]

Hey OOB! (Is that double - O Buck?)
I recieved my explorer2 in April this year and am still learning, although it is getting much better.
Be patient and it will pay off.
It sounds like your sensitivity was too high at your Dad's place. Someone posted on here a while ago to turn the sens down to 18 and that will take out alot of misc. noise but let the good targets through.
Don't try and do too much with it off the bat. I hunt at 18 sens. most of the time and got my second gold ring this year. I know that isn't anything to write home about, but I only get out about 2 hours a week, sometimes less.
If you don't have a X1 probe, get one. It is WELL worth the $. It will save you scads of time.
I mainly hunt in smart mode and note where the cross-hairs fall on the graph. Practice and time will teach you alot. Don't give up! Be patient and the rewards will come.
HH
MM

 

[Docsoo]

This only my third season with the EX II and I'm still where I feel is like only being in grade school. I started the first year using factory settings and didn't find much. Ditto for the second year and started to find stuff. I still use the factory settings and basically adjust only sensitivity, gain and run on deep in the advanced options. But now I'm finding lots of silver coins in our old hunted out community park. I started finding good stuff when I ignored the smart find screen and the digital screen. I hunt using primarily the tones I hear as a basis for digging a target and will reference digital when something sounds like it may be iron and show a 31 on the right side. I also find that pinpointing will absolutely differentiate between good targets and junk. If I can't get a good pinpoint I don't dig. It may be weak but if it compact and a high pitched tone or squeak I'll dig it. I've gridded this park for three seasons now and am finding stuff I never dug in the past when using only the smartfind and digital screens as a guide. I'll work on the advanced settings some time. This park had people in it dating back to 1875, the year the house that now houses the library was built and I've got to believe there are still many deep coins and jewelry still in the ground. So this is my testing and experimental ground. My White's XLT was junk compared to the EX II.

 

[Erik]

Docsoo,

Re pinpoint sounds....the deepest coins will yield a broken or stuttering pinpoint so please don't ignore these as you'll definitely be missing out on some good stuff. By the way, where are you located?

 

[Ocean7]

repost since you must be relatively new to this forum. The fast/deep "ON" debate has become an old subject and some of the best
hunters with a EX II use fast/deep "ON".

I hunt with fast and deep "ON" all the time. Experience has shown me that whenever I turn off 'deep - I miss stuff. How do I know because I go back over same area and discover signals that just were not there when deep was set to 'OFF'.
When I turn off fast - I find that shallow coins next to junk can easily be missed. If you think all good coins are at 12" - you are mistaken.
This works for me and perhaps something else works for you. I go with what I know works for me. So chalk another one up for the fast/deep "ON" crew.
Theory is great - reality is often much different. I don't care what the video says - they are flat out wrong IMO and I have the results to prove that.

 

[Erik]

Well thanks for the info, but I've had my Explorer XS since 2001 and have been here off and on since then and consider myself to be as good as the next guy with it. I'm aware of the old debate. What does Minelab say about it? Too bad no one really seems to understand exactly what these functions do - when I say exactly, I mean quantifyable not a limitted field test by some "experts" who may be biased into seeing what they had already assumed to be true. Other "experts" say don't use this combo. I'll try it and see what happens, but I would like to see a definitive statement from the Minelab engineers which would mean that there wouldn't need to be a "debate."

 

[Ocean7]

maybe they should look closer at a undocumented/unexpected function when you set both "ON" - mainly faster return and deeper finds. I've found two half reales at 10" and Large Cents at 12" with these settings, and a two reale on edge at 8" deep. Seems odd that two so-called conflicting settings would even be allowed by Minelab unless there is something to gain. C.C. and Mike Moutray both hunted with these settings "ON". Certainly is a mystery if all three of us had good results.

 

[Erik]

So what you're saying is that you don't think you would have found those coins with just deep on or neither on. You have a point regarding the fact that these settings are not mutually exclusive, but I'd still like to know exactly what they do. I know Mike too and the others you mention, not sure if Golddigger uses this setting and he's just as good. They also have great sites to hunt....I'd be curious if they could find anything more in a 10 x 10 area in park that I have cleaned out...with just deep on or not on. This is of course assuming that we're both using an XS and the stock coil. One word of warning....the Explorer software has a lot of ideosyncracies....I am a professional developer for Wall Street and am trained as an engineer. I could write an interface for Minelab that would run circles around what they have no. I approached them a few years back about revamping the software (with my ideas it would put them another 5 years ahead of the competition), but they didn't seem interested other than me providing ideas for free - sorry I paid well for my XS and my 23 years or experience are worth a lot of money. So don't necessarily assume that a sequence of settings are OK just because the user interface allows you to put the device in that mode.

Minelab if your listening and want to advance your interface and such waaay ahead of where it is, PM me. Otherwise I guess we're stuck with a great piece of hardware and a fairly substandard piece of software to drive it. Like Democracy, it's better than the other alternatives ;-)

I mean no offense Ocean7 by my post, just want to get to quantifiable facts. Would be more than happy to get together with you for a hunt. I am in northern NJ.

Best Regards, Erik

 

[Ocean7]

well I'm saying that as long as I keep making good finds shallow or deep - I'm keeping fast/deep "ON". Perhaps once deep is "ON" - fast "ON" makes no impact on deep coins. But does it make a difference if you are swinging too fast when passing over a deep coin??? That's the big question.

My guess is they would find more in a 10 x 10 area in park that you have cleaned out... due to different hunting styles. I'm assuming this had some deep, old coins located in it and you had good reason to clean it out.

Agree you cannot assume that a sequence of settings are OK just because the user interface allows you to put the device in that mode.

no offense was taken. Perhaps we can get together for a hunt sometime in the fall. Not into long drives at this point - surrounded with sites 5 - 30 minutes from home. I'm in Chester County, PA. So I guess you're a good 3-4 hrs from here. I think Frenchtown is about 1 hr and 40 minutes from me - (as a reference point from wherever you are located). Flemington about 2 hrs.

yeah have a couple years on ya with systems development and know that interface could be improved but once you set it - few things really have to change unless you are a compulsive tweaker. *L* I do this hobby to relax and get away from bits and bytes - so my settings rarely change unless warranted.

HH!

 

[Erik]

Hi, Thanks. Yes, you do make nice finds - go with what works. I'll try deep/fast on and see how it feels. I'm near Paramus and would enjoy learning a few things from you during a hunt. Just let me know when it's convenient.

BTW, yes there seems to be deep old coins in this park and a LOT of junk and clad on top. I've never really tried to clear all items out before, but in doing this I have found some cool stuff, so I'll continue. My goal is to use my WOT or another big coil to get another 2" deeper for the real goodies. We'll see what happens.

Best, Erik

 

[Dug]

I've come to regard luck as >95% perspiration in taking the time and effort to learn, look hard, listen, ask questions, look again, dig, look again, dig, listen to advice, practice, get help, get better tools if needed or helpful, look again and dig.

This seems to be what you are doing, so it will come. The learning never stops. I'm a newbie and am learning a lot by listening to the veterans (it's fun to hear them debate fast and deep, on and off), by experimenting, and just having fun doing it.

Last evening I was in an old park which has been hunted pretty exhaustively and had a good signal not very deep. After pinpointing and getting ready to dig I put a thick iron washer over the target, and checked again with the detector, which then detected only the iron(null), the good signal was gone. It confirmed that one has to dig the superficial junk to get to the deeper junk, or good stuff. (the target was a 1965 dime, which I think has some silver).

So, keep up the good work. Have fun.

Doug

 

[Rick(ND)]

Doug,

What you could have done on this target was put the washer not right on the very center of the target and tried it, then switch to iron mask at a -16 and you may have seen you could get both the low tone of iron (that is if you are running ferrous tones) and the high tone of the dime. This is something I have seen if you run in iron mask at a -16, but in a pattern or iron mask at a -8 to a -12 you may not hear as the null will cover up a good signal.
The 1965 dime have no silver in it and the only coin was the 1965-1969 Kennedy half's that had 40% silver in them.

Still trying to make it on Sunday to hunt with you and James so we can swap some tips and stories.Going to have to do a quick tune up on James Explorer so he dont kick our butts ( will have to put a penny or dime in his loop cover)

Rick

 

[Dug]

Thanks, Rick, for the tip and correction. I intend to do some more of that kind of research with iron mask settings.

Interesting, too, about the Kennedy halves, as I very recently found a 1968, and it was pretty shiny. The 1965 dime last evening was not the least bit shiny, it was dull black.

Sure hope you can make it.

Thanks again.

 

[James N.D.]

I see what you are plotting Rick and it isn't going to work!:thebird: Just kidding old buddy! I hope to see you in Barnesville this Sunday and look forward to kickin' your butt with finds! I hope we can find some keepers there either at the Fairgrounds or the Park so I will be keeping an eye out for you.

 

[Don in SJ]

I am just shy of 6 years of use with my original Explorer and my settings are for hunting in the woods and fields, but mostly late 18th and very early 19th century long forgotten homesteads. With that said, I usually do not encounter a lot of modern junk, I even consider Mason Jar lids modern, but anyway, I have always hunted with DEEP ON unless I was in a severely junky area, then a lot of my settings are changed.

I believe GAIN is as important for hearing the deep iffy targets and not just DEEP on, But either way I hunt DEEP ON< GAIN 9 or 10.

FAST - I hate using fast, too many false targets, especially with my GAIN set so high. I did use FAST ON once in a very heavily laden small bits of iron homestead, but I had to lower a bunch of my settings in order to find three nice Large Cents at this site.

Normally, for my hunting, every time I do try hunting with FAST on I get frustrated over the false high tone signals.

My recommended settings for my area of the state are:

Iron Mask -14-16
No Threshold
Ferrous Tones
FAST - OFF
DEEP - On
GAIN - 8-10
Sens - Manual as high as I can go, usually 30+

Don in South Jersey