Explorer II Delivered

[Born2Dtect]

WOT ,s are made by "COILTEK". Great coils.

Ed Donovan

 

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[Deerhunter24]

Jim, with the Explorer I, ran either fast or deep...depending upon where we were searching at. Then a few weeks ago, he was talking to the guy who runs/owns Sun Ray probes. That guy uses a Minelab Explorer II and told him he runs both at the same time. Since then, both Jim and Rick runs them both at the same time.

Yesterday, Rick and I went to an old school in our area. The coins there are pretty deep too. I worked the edges and the first two coins I dug were both Silver coins at about 3 inches each. A mercury and a rosie. Rick was stunned. He went into this other part of the field and his detector started acting all weird. Not sure if it was Gain/Sensitivity...but he had to back it down to 6. He wasn't finding anything. He went back before we left cause he had a theory about running it high and just trying to see if he could hear through the static or whatever. He turned the Gain or Sensitivity (not sure, but I'll check with him what feature it was), to 27. He started getting a few weak signals through the interference. He dug about 15 holes. 10 of them were coins ranging from 9-12" deep. He pulled out 5 Mercury Dimes, 2 of which were in the same hole! The others were wheats, but mostly from the teens and twenties.

Man, they must have added dirt over there or something. Then again, he said he wasn't digging into subsoil or anything.

Deerhunter24

I'll check to see what that feature was that he turned up. Maybe you other explorer uses can get a headache listening to the beeps but be able to pull out some more good coins in your areas.

 

[neu]

Was the sensitivity he adjusted to 27, as the gain is only 1-10 (which was probably the 6 mentioned). Also, he should try to change the 'Noise' setting. (from the manual): "Sometimes during detecting you may notice some interference in the form of erratic noises and movements of the target crosshair (even without movement of the detector). The NOISE option enables you to select an operating channel which does not clash with other detectors or electrical sources in the area"

 

[tedwilkinson]

Alan,

What part of Tennessee are you in? I also just purchased an Explorer II. (Have had Whites DFX for 5 years. Will be using both.) Would love a hunting partner to learn this machine with. My email: [email protected]. Live in Nashville area.

 

[Visionquest]

Just another comment based on what I do. I wouldn't get too set on any one sensitivity setting, it really is different from site to site. When I get to any site, including ones I have hunted in the past, first thing I do is adjust my settings in the menus based on if it is trashy or not, then noise cancel and finally I set the sensitivity as high manually as possible till it is just barely stable. If it nulls and takes a long time to recover while hunting, I turn it down until the recovery happens almost immediately. Even in the same site sometimes I have had to adjust the sensitivity more than once. Main goal IMO is to keep it as high as possible and remain stable.

 

[ScottNewMexico]

I am glad to hear that everyone loves their Explorer 2's. I am totally inexperienced with this machine and I have been out 3 times and recovered nothing at all. I assure you all - it's my fault. I simply don't know how to use it and I am completely confused with it. Even considered selling it along with the Platypus coil I ordered.

I think that I just need to have training from someone experienced for the first few recoveries. I can not make heads or tails of the constant tones. I have set it up as suggested by many people on this forum, but still nothing. I will post the pictures of the absolutely amazing deserted 1800's mining towns I spent this weekend camping in. I know there were artifacts, but I simply had to abandon my search to learn. Then I will go back and actually recover artifacts if I don't give this crap up first. As with most Exp 2 owners, my learning curve is beyond steep. Steep to the point of ZERO recoveries in several hours of detecting! I can't pinpoint with this Platypus coil, and I can't afford a pinpointer.

Question: I use the pinpoint button and I hear a constant tone until it goes quiet over what I think is a target. Opposite on detect mode, I have virtually silent until I get a target. Threshold is adjust to near inaudible, ferrous on audio, and noise cancellation on EVERY new area. What is going on? My machine is used, but in EXCELLENT condition and the coil is BRAND NEW. What is going on? I have read the book twice, and watched the Minelab training DVD three times too.

 

[SomeGuy]

Make sure the coil is away from the target when you switch to pinpoint, or it will sound backwards as you describe. Also, if you spend to much time pinpointing, it will "ground balance" and zero out the target.

 

[neu]

Hey ScottNewMexico,

I've been having some pretty frustrating moments with my exp 2 as well. Couple nights ago, I decided to 'learn' the sounds, and while doing so, adjust the settings to fit me better. I changed the TH tone to 1, ferrous, fast and deep, th. volume 8, Audio 1, gain 6. This was at about 2 AM, just went outside, put some coins/jewelry, relics, etc on my sidewalk and went over each of them about 20 times. Getting used to the sounds and making adjustments while doing so. This was after a very frustrated hunt, very similar to the one you described. I was hunting a late 18th century house site, and had 0 finds. after adjusting and learning, I went back the next day and had a much better time. I found about 10 relics, random pieces of farm equipment.. hatchet head, a couple buttons too far gone to ID. Was running Iron Mask -10. Figured I would dig everything so next time I went I could stick to coin mode. Had one item, not sure what it was, some type of buckle. Found it at 18" under 3 large rocks. Now if that doesn't prove the power of this machine I dunno what does Hope this helps, and hope you have better luck next time you head out.

 

[ScottNewMexico]

Thanks Alan,

I agree totally. I have to just get with it and learn those tones. I will go ahead and make a training strip with various silver and clad coins to train my ear. Man is this thing a complex machine! The quality? That is why I broke my bank account to get it!

Hey ScottNewMexico,

I've been having some pretty frustrating moments with my exp 2 as well. Couple nights ago, I decided to 'learn' the sounds, and while doing so, adjust the settings to fit me better. I changed the TH tone to 1, ferrous, fast and deep, th. volume 8, Audio 1, gain 6. This was at about 2 AM, just went outside, put some coins/jewelry, relics, etc on my sidewalk and went over each of them about 20 times. Getting used to the sounds and making adjustments while doing so. This was after a very frustrated hunt, very similar to the one you described. I was hunting a late 18th century house site, and had 0 finds. after adjusting and learning, I went back the next day and had a much better time. I found about 10 relics, random pieces of farm equipment.. hatchet head, a couple buttons too far gone to ID. Was running Iron Mask -10. Figured I would dig everything so next time I went I could stick to coin mode. Had one item, not sure what it was, some type of buckle. Found it at 18" under 3 large rocks. Now if that doesn't prove the power of this machine I dunno what does Hope this helps, and hope you have better luck next time you head out.

 

[Visionquest]

DeerHunter, I wouldn't base how I set my machine up by thinking just because a guy can invent a great coil and probe, he would know. Being a good inventor/business owner is entirely a different thing than being a good hunter.
I use his products too, but I will stick with what I have learned from people with obvious success and backed up by my own experience and research. If you think about the answers both Charles and Nielo have given, it should make sense that a chopped off signal will be more difficult for both you and the machine to interpret.

Allan, I think you are definately making the right switch to the SD series if you are chasing gold. I was really surprised at how small the dinks where that the 2100 would pick up.

 

[Gabbit]

I am glad to hear that everyone loves their Explorer 2's. I am totally inexperienced with this machine and I have been out 3 times and recovered nothing at all. I assure you all - it's my fault. I simply don't know how to use it and I am completely confused with it. Even considered selling it along with the Platypus coil I ordered.

Scott,

What you are trying to do is bring a gun to a knife fight. When you first start out with a machine I would reccomend getting to know it before you start bringing it to areas that are more difficult to hunt. Dig a test garden or hunt a bunch of tot lots and or parks to get to know how the machine reacts to metal. Once you do that adjusting to more difficult hunting environments will be much easier to do.

 

[ScottNewMexico]

Yeah, that is what I have been doing. Tot lot? Never heard that one before and the parks here are all BRAND NEW, ha ha. There are some old ones, but the ground is concrete. All the old city locations are asphaulted over or restricted. Have not given up hope though.