Trying out new Settings On my SEs ----

[Ron B]

Hello Guys & Gals!
I left early this morning, headed back to an old two story house I begged permission to hunt just yesterday! I changed my settings on both my Explorer SEs to ALL METAL MODE---IRON MASK-OFF---SENSITIVITY 32 MAXED-with SEMI-AUTO ON---GAIN@10---FERROUS after experiencing an unpleasant bout of major Threshold blanking by both machines due to heavy mineralization. I chose to use Minelab's 8 inch coil on #1 SE. My very first find was a 1916 wheat followed by a 1915 Barber dime! I thought dam; may be on to something. More wheats followed by a 1898 V Nickel. I also found a writing merit pin and an old Navy button with an anchor on it about the size of a dime and a handful of clad. ALL METAL certainly takes some getting use to as you hear every signal. Hunting in FERROUS, all iron made low blat sounds; non-ferrous-high pitched. My threshold remained steady! There was quite a large amount of old ammo brass, 45-70 and the like and also twenty two lead bullets. During the day, I swapped detectors having my backup SE #2 (taken off the hands of Captain Jack) already equipped with Excelerator's 4 inch DD coil. It's a nice coil but I found I had to concentrate on working really small areas. Being able to work the flower beds close to the house resulted in a lot of clad but no old coins. I did find a sterling silver pepper shaker top and other misc. items but nothing worth bragging about.

One more thing I found useing both the 8 inch and 4 inch, I had to go really, really slow in order not to miss any high pitch targets.
Depth was amazing on the 8 inch DD coil. The barber dime had to have been down at least 8 inches as was the V nickel. The neat Trinidad Bar 2 1/2 token was found at about 5 inches.

**
I came back to add; about those scratches on the barber dime! I was showing the lady of the house the dime and she commenced to rubbing the dirt off of it to see the date more clearly! What can a poor Metal Detecting fellow do but watch? I offered it to her to keep but she graciously said no thank you.

Thank you for your interest and a Special "Thank you!" to the SandMan!
GRB

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Agony and Death on a Gold Rush Steamer: The Disastrous Sinking of the Side-Wheeler Yankee Blade - Grab it through Amazon!

[Thomas007]

Hey GRB

Those are great finds.

I've watched others scrape coins too... it is a helpless feeling.

Thanks for sharing

HH

Sanat

 

[Ron B]

Good morning!
Thanks for commenting and giving my thread a gander!

Regarding how some people, when given a silver coin have a tendency to rub, I think from now on I'll keep the silver in the safe pocket! However, of late the private home owners are asking if they get to share in the finds. In those cases, if allowed to hunt one has no choice but to be totally honest as doing anything else may eventually come back to haunt! Lol!

I'm staying in today; got some domestic chores to do. I've hunted for at least the last seven days and both me and my SEs need a break.

GRB

 

[Silver Fox]

There is just no way that I could ever have a detector where I would have to say that "I changed my settings on both my Explorer SEs to ALL METAL MODE---IRON MASK-OFF---SENSITIVITY 32 MAXED-with SEMI-AUTO ON---GAIN@10---FERROUS after experiencing an unpleasant bout of major Threshold blanking by both machines due to heavy mineralization. I chose to use Minelab's 8 inch coil"

I'd rather be called an old-fashioned old fart and stay ignorant and happy with a turn-on-and-go detector which is what I've always owned and my photos show that they were good enough to find thousands of coins, old and new, silver and othewise, jewelry, civil wart artifacts, etc., etc.

Why anyone would want to put themselves through the above and a program for this and a program for that is just amazing. However, still nice finds, as were mine. Would a "regular" detector have found those items?

 

[Ron B]

Helllo Silver Fox!
I feel what you are saying; I began my MD'ing journey back in the early 80's with a Garrett Master Hunter. I loved that machine. But times sadly have changed. Digital is the craze. Would a "regular" detector have found these items? I'm not sure but, in the right hands who knows?

Thank you Sir for responding,
GRB

 

[curbdiggercarl57]

Your token is a "Trinidad Bar" (duh), 2 and a half cents, (another duh), listed as only two known. Yours is the third now known. Great find! Can you scan the back of the token?
CurbdiggerCarl

 

[bootybay]

HEY GRB

I got two things to say...

awesome finds you lucky dog

and as usual, great finds by a great person ( did I win the booby prize yet)

now go dig the rest up..lol

 

[Ron B]

Hello Gang!
Thanks for the noticing! Lol!

BootyBay!
You are a great Gal!

Carl!
To my tired old eyes both sides of the Trinidad Bar Token appear the same!
Here you go; I tossed in another token for your viewing enjoyment. I found it last year near the same area ---

GRB

 

[bootybay]

neat tokens...I have to get the guts up to go door knocking... gulp..

 

[mastereagle22]

WOW! I can only hope to find cool stuff like that!

Glad you got out and found some great stuff.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Your Trinidad Bar 2& 1/2 cent is a real looker.

I also have had onlookers wipe coins when shown them. Now before handing a coin over, I remind them not to rub it, and they always look hurt.

The next time someone rubs my coins, ahem, they had better be wearing shin guards!

I feel the same way. Shin guards AND a face mask!

 

[sonny60]

that's a good days finds

 

[Silver Fox]

Helllo Silver Fox!
I feel what you are saying; I began my MD'ing journey back in the early 80's with a Garrett Master Hunter. I loved that machine. But times sadly have changed. Digital is the craze. Would a "regular" detector have found these items? I'm not sure but, in the right hands who knows?

Thank you Sir for responding,
GRB

Hello GoldenRoyBoy: My how times change! Since I wrote my comments just a little while ago I may have had a change of heart but I'm not 100% sure. I went to the Classified For Sale section and there is an X-Terra 70 for sale. I got curious 'cause I'd like to own a "real" metal detector, something of quality and the Minelabs definitely fill that bill. But I was also curious about an SE that just sold on eBay for $600+ and I almost got in on the bidding and probably would have won the bid but reading a couple of reviews just prior to my bidding I decided not to get the SE because the first words of one review was "it's heavy" and "it's difficult to learn" and the other reviews sort-of said similar things. And as I said in my comments to your post the last thing I need is complexity.

However, back to the X-Terra 70. I went to Minelab and found links to videos on YouTube. I went to YouTube and watched the almost half-hour presentation and I started entertaining the thought that instead of waiting for the Fisher F5 to be reviewed, I might as well make the jump to the X-Terra 70 and take my chances with its complexity which seems simpler than an SE's.

However, again, I went to Find's Minelab Forum and read some of the glowing, though complicated, comments except one which was about the 99 tones. That one went way over my head! I didn't understand a single thing that the guy said!

Perhaps I ought to wait until the F5 makes its appearance and it's reviewed as it has 4 knobs for some of the functions and I like knobs! They're simple to set and stay set. In my old age and limited hunting areas it might turn out to be a super machine. The X-Terra 70 was definitely impressive but...

 

[Ron B]

Hello again Silver Fox!
Ebay, better watch it over there if you do decide to jump! Lol!

I've been hearing a lot of good things about the Xterra-70. It's hot right now. Personally, I just don't like the way it looks! The machine definitely appears top heavy and there are not near the number of after market options available as with the SE. With the extreme depth capability of of Minelab machines, the SunRay probe is a nicey to own. To my knowledge, it's not available for the Ex-Terra series yet.

The SE is not a pick up and go machine; that's for sure. At least, not until a person learns a few basics regarding its various settings. I bought my first SE in March, 2007. Man, at first I wanted to scream! Since then, I've owned 3 more. I think the secret for conquering the SE is having both the "time" to use it and the willingness to learn its secrets. I would bet I have logged over 1000 hours on various SEs and I'm just now beginning to realize its capabilities. With so many after market options out there, a person can equipped the SE for almost any type of metal detecting venture. With my new settings, I'm beginning to wonder if I really need ten various size coils however! The 8 inch, with my new settings is simply amazing although it does take some "time" to cover ground. If I were in the market for a new MD'ing machine, I would buy another SE; no doubt. There is so much information out there for the taking or the asking, a person unfamiliar with the SE could be up and running in no time flat. If I couldn't buy an SE, I'd take a close look at Minelab's Sovereign GT. Although, in all honesty its technology has been out there for a while and I suspect Minelab will be introducing something new in the near future to replace it.

Regardless, if you want to be certain you are getting everything out of the ground you can, you'll need to consider the new technology. Why waste time even if you have time to waste?

Good luck in your decision,
GRB

 

[Bridge End Farm]

nice finds you have with the SE

Thanks for sharing your setting too

 

[Johnny Ringo Silver]

You did great for a days hunt on new settings. I'm brand new to the SE and will take your tips as gained knowledge on what to do with mine. It would have been worse if she was rubbing a well defined coin and also nice of you to offer it up. 8)