Just bought a Minelab Exployer SE---any tips or advice would be great

[digging440yrs]

Just bought a minelab exployer se, any advice or tips would be great ! Ive been using whites, garrets and even started with a 1970 compass in 1971 . Never used a minelab before so I'm cramming every bit of info I can get . Coming with a slim line 10 coil and a excelerator 6" dd coil, Ive read that the slim line coil is a throw away , any thoughts ? Thanks in advance, Tom

 

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[xr7ator]

Swing it very very slow.
Can I ask what you paid? I've got one I need to bail on..just don't like it.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Hello digging440yrs,

The Minelab SE is a very capable machine, but does have a learning curve; you need to learn the "Minelab language". The machine must be swept very slowly and low to the ground. In the beginning just while learning set it up for coins and jewelry and do not go nuts with all the settings. I would set the sensitivity on 24 - 26 auto, normal, iron mask 26 - 28, sounds: conductive, limits 8 - 10, variability 8 -10, gain 6 - 8, volume: just audible. This is just a starting point and many others may have a different starting point. The main thing is to be begin to learn the tones of the machine. Practice in your test bed with know targets both good and bad to learn the tones. Then go out, practice and just have fun. When you feel you have gain confidence in the machine use, you can begin to change a few settings, one at a time to see how the machine responds.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting,

Doc

 

[Honest Samuel]

I got an Minelab 705 and seeking a free video instruction, that you no longer need.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

The professor of engineering is right. It has a long learning curve. The best way to learn the Explorers, is to black out everything except for copper pennies and up. Go to a place prolific with clad, and dig only pennies dimes and quarters, for several hours.

The next day return and repeat the exercise. Except that this time lower your blackout to include zinc pennies.

The next day return and accept corroded zinc pennies. Repeat process.

The next day return and lower your discrimination to allow in square tabs. Repeat process.

Keep doing this process, each time lowering your discrimination pattern a little bit more. Until you are finally down to where the only thing you have opted out of, is iron. Or you can go ferrous mode, and accept iron. Just using your ears to pass it.

 

[digging440yrs]

Thanks for the advice , if you don't mind me asking--what coil do or did you use the most ? The slimline is a heavey sucker and I'm hoping to make it lighter, maybe a 6x8 sef---?

 

[fistfulladirt]

Thanks for the advice , if you don't mind me asking--what coil do or did you use the most ? The slimline is a heavey sucker and I'm hoping to make it lighter, maybe a 6x8 sef---?

The 6x8 SEF is a great little coil with good depth. I'm 6'1" and sometimes use the Minelab body harness to swing my 10x12 SEF, because it is a bit heavy of a setup.

I learned half of what I know about the Explorer in 15 minutes, swinging over a coin garden that I planted.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Thanks for the advice , if you don't mind me asking--what coil do or did you use the most ? The slimline is a heavey sucker and I'm hoping to make it lighter, maybe a 6x8 sef---?

Stock coil. Don't be "heroic" and try to play with smaller or larger coils, till you've "paid your dues" and learned with the stock coil.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Hello digging440yrs,

I use the following coils on my Minelabs (Explorer II, Explorer SE and Quattro) :

11” Pro Coil for relatively clean large areas (usually on the SE)
8” Sun Ray for smaller areas with a bit more trash (usually on the Quattro)
5” Sun Ray for trashy areas (usually on the Exp II)

I do not use the slimline stock coil in my rotation, but have in the past for fun. The coil worked, but have more confidence in the three listed above, so it just sits in a plastic tub.

Doc

 

[digging440yrs]

Thanks for your "opinion "