$100 to anyone who can help

[keithinvestigations]

OK, I have spent over 10 hrs with my shiny new Explorer SE. I've read the manual a dozen times (literally no skimming), read all the posts I can find and I am still baffled by this machine. I've dug a few coins but mostly have experienced frustration to the in-th degree. Yesterday after attempting all day, I was seriously considering selling it or throwing it at the bottom of a cliff. The worst part is that I consider myself intelligent, and very competant with electronics. My father was in the electronics business for 30 years, my grandfather for over 50. I have mastered a variety of complex machines as I have previously done electronic sweeps with some very high tech equipment. Pinpointing sucks, it seems to lock on to everything but the target. I'm running the factory presets and do hear and see what should be a good target. I attempt to dig and find nothing. I check the dirt that I have dug, nothing. That went on all day until ending it in complete frustration. At this point, I need professional help.

UPDATE: Now up to 40 hrs on my SE. I can honestly say that things are 100 % better. Thanks to the good folks here and findmall.com I am becoming more comfortable day by day. Today, I found my first buffalo nickel. One thing that has helped out tremendously is to use ferrous mode. Conduct mode just has too many tones for me to take in at one time.

 

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[SHERMANVILLE ILLINOIS]

Have you tried prayer?

Hoping to buy happiness is not the answer.

Perhaps a trip into your local church would open
doors that seem to be closed. That which is not
understood may become clear. The fog may be
lifted.

have a good un........
SHERMANVILLE

 

[keithinvestigations]

Have you tried prayer?

Hoping to buy happiness is not the answer.

have a good un........
SHERMANVILLE

Actually, yes I did! Thanks, Davy.

 

[DetectorBase]

Davy

You just need to relax. It'll come. One thing that I thought of on the pinpointing.. you might be falling victim to the hot coil edge.. and you're not feeling the pinpoint.

What this means. You have a iron target.. but the very edge of the coil is picking it up slightly. At that time, you can get a 'good' tone. When you pinpoint, and I'm assuming you're doing the slow left to right finding the center point, then slow top to bottom on that same center line?? If so, you'll notice the pinpoint signal strength drawing you away. Follow it till it's at the hot spot.. most likely a few inches away from where you thought. Now swing the coils (not in pinpoint) you'll probably get 'null', since you're using factory preset (that's why I use All Metal.. I want to hear the iron).

When you have two objects close together like coin and a few inches away a nail. When you pinpoint you should hear two spikes for the pinpoint, since pinpoint is all metal. That's what I'm talking about 'feeling' the pinpoint. Also, learn to walk circles around targets, that might help in pinpoint as well.

If you want to sneek a peak to see if it's iron, set iron mask to 32 (all metal) then push the 'detect' button to get your disc pattern back. If you're getting nulling, click iron mask to see what it is, then click back to detect when you want to move on.

DB

 

[keithinvestigations]

Thanks DB. Heading to the local park to give it another whirl.

 

[keithinvestigations]

you might be falling victim to the hot coil edge.. and you're not feeling the pinpoint.

Ahh, I see said the blind man. I finally see what you are talking about after my day at the park. I never could pinpoint, the signal was all over the place. However, I got a small glimer of what this machine can do. I found six clad all modern but much better than what I have done so far. thanks DB.

 

[jeff of pa]

Bury a Quarter at 6" in your yard in a spot you know is clean.


Put a Wooden(Plastic) Golf Tee directly on top.
so you always know exact center.

& play daily.

Maybe a Refresher try every morning before Hedding out.

P.S.
if it works, use the $100.00 to top
your gas tank off.

 

[keithinvestigations]

P.S.
if it works, use the $100.00 to top
your gas tank off.

That's funny, thanks Jeff.

 

[ronald99]

I would purchase a pinpointer to help you out,It can save a lot of digging time,the SE will suprise you on the depth of targets,and a pinpointer can save you from getting frustrated,like i get sometimes.Good luck out there.Ronald99

 

[U.K. Brian]

Drop a coil size from the stock coil. Little depth loss and on busy sites it will be deeper. The weight, balance and pinpointing is transformed.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Repeat after me: Lift & sweep, lift & sweep.

My Musky isn't in the same galaxy as your SE, but if I'm on a hot target it helps to lift the coil to get the sweet center of the DD coil over just the target so I don't get three hits. Then tip the coil 90º to mark the perpendicular sweep. I never bother switching to pinpoint mode. Just concentrate on a spot where the "beep" occurs and work the coil to find the best resolution. I used to poke a wood golf tee in to use as a visual reference but now I just keep my eyes on whatever is on the surface. Usually within a 3" diameter hole in six seconds of sweeping, frequently half that; and by lifting while sweeping I also have a guesstimate on the depth.

 

[keithinvestigations]

Thanks Charlie.

 

[rjw4law]

Ya'll are scarin me. I am also considering making the jump from whites to the explorer se....keep me posted on you adventures and if you master the art of pinpointing....then and only then I'll make the leap.

 

[cosmic]

I do it a bit differently and it works for me.. Once I get a signal I keep sweeping forward until I loose it, and then back just until I get a good solid signal.. (Not the first broken fringe signal) Then the target will be at the center strip of the coil at the heel, mark it.. Then I'll repeat at a 90 and mark.. I raise the coil up hit the pinpoint and then lower the center of the coil on the target area.. Move foward and backward for strongest signal,then side to side.. On the standard coil the target is usually under the red and black minelab insignia on the coil label right inbetween the ears of the coil..
The 8" minelab the targets under the fbs on the coil label.. One other thing if the target is shallow I sometimes use the edge of the heel of the coil.. Try it... Have fun..
Ray

 

[gallileo60]

Have you tried prayer?

Hoping to buy happiness is not the answer.

Perhaps a trip into your local church would open
doors that seem to be closed. That which is not
understood may become clear. The fog may be
lifted.

have a good un........
SHERMANVILLE

Well that was sure alot of help..............

 

[gallileo60]

Bury a Quarter at 6" in your yard in a spot you know is clean.


Put a Wooden(Plastic) Golf Tee directly on top.
so you always know exact center.

& play daily.

Maybe a Refresher try every morning before Hedding ou
P.S.
if it works, use the $100.00 to top
your gas tank off.

Now, thats a GOOD IDEA..........

 

[keithinvestigations]

Spent a few hours in my local park today. There was a local festival called, "Day in the Park" (how original can you get?) yesterday with several thousand people. I now have close to 20 or so hours with my SE. I have gotten much better with pinpoint and can find coins at a depth of approx. 5". Today I found .63 cents (my first two quarters, whoo hoo). I'm ready to start finding silver and deep coins but that magic still eludes me. Everytime I try to dig on a faint signal that I am hoping is silver, it turns out to be deep trash. Still plugging away but I'm ready to get better!!!

 

[rjw4law]

do you do mostly coin hunting...how about relic hunting?

 

[keithinvestigations]

do you do mostly coin hunting...how about relic hunting?

Mostly coin hunting. I'm running the preset program with only coins set, most of the time.

 

[Hill City Rebel]

Repeat after me: Lift & sweep, lift & sweep.

My Musky isn't in the same galaxy as your SE, but if I'm on a hot target it helps to lift the coil to get the sweet center of the DD coil over just the target so I don't get three hits. Then tip the coil 90º to mark the perpendicular sweep. I never bother switching to pinpoint mode. Just concentrate on a spot where the "beep" occurs and work the coil to find the best resolution. I used to poke a wood golf tee in to use as a visual reference but now I just keep my eyes on whatever is on the surface. Usually within a 3" diameter hole in six seconds of sweeping, frequently half that; and by lifting while sweeping I also have a guesstimate on the depth.

You're exactly right, Charlie. Lift and sweep. That's a lot better than trying to use a pinpointer. Regards, HCR