Starting to get the hang of the Safari, but...

artemis moon

Hero Member
Jun 1, 2007
873
149
Near Bangor, Maine
Detector(s) used
Minelab Safari
ProPointer
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I'd like to weigh in here, because I've been following this post, and trying to work at the same time :unhappysmiley:, so I haven't finished reading all of the replies yet.

I am a relatively new Safari user- I've had it for about a year, but haven't had a lot of opportunity to use it. I used the Ace 250 for years before that, and I really knew the inns and outs of it- it was a much simpler machine...The Safari, however, is a whole new can of worms!! I know that if I can ever really master it, it's a great machine. It really seems to go very deep. Someone recommended reading Andy Sabisch's book on the Safari, which I have done several times now. It really hasn't helped, because I think that it goes on the assumption that the reader is technically savvy. That's not me! I have come to understand that I am not one of those people who can glean a whole lot of information simply by reading a book. I need to see it done, and then do it myself....over and over. The only problem is, I don't know anyone that has a Safari. As a result, I only hunt in the factory preset mode, because I'm still confused over all of the sounds this machine makes and the numbers that correspond to these sounds. I don't understand why things like crushed beer cans ring up as silver. I've found a few coins, but to date, have mostly dug nails with the new machine. I've been so frustrated that I've been tempted to give up and go back to the Ace, but I've forced myself to persevere. My new course of action is to try to find areas where there is not a whole lot of trash, like a school play ground where I can dig clad to get a feel for the machine. I realize that one of the things that I am probably doing wrong is that once I have found a target, I tend to swing the coil over it several times before I put it in pinpoint mode. The Safari doesn't seem to like this, and I've found that after three or four swings, the target nulls. I wonder if this is the machine's way of telling me that it's had enough of swinging over the same target, or does this mean that the target is trash? Also, has anyone else noticed that the machine sometimes sounds a tone at the end of each swing? From reading this post, I think I'm going to try not even looking at the display screen, and just try to really listen to the sounds and only dig the high tones. One of these days, I'm going to have to go to the library and watch some instructional U-Tube videos on the Safari. I live in the sticks and cannot get high-speed internet at home, and I sure as hell can't be watching videos at my desk at work. :laughing7:

Thank you to all who gave their advice on this post!!
 

Last edited:

gunsil

Silver Member
Dec 27, 2012
3,863
6,204
lower hudson valley, N.Y.
Detector(s) used
safari, ATPro, infinium, old Garrett BFO, Excal, Nox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I've been MDing for forty years and got my Safari last summer and it drives me nuts unless I'm hunting fields or woods. It makes so much noise and seems to false like crazy in higher trash areas. Many many un-repeatable signals, often in the silver coin range. Most folks say it can take a hundred hours to learn the machine and I am not near there yet. I have found that dropping sensitivity seems to help. I find deep coins and other targets in clean areas with no problems with the sensitivity high. Auto sensitivity seems too high for trashy areas. I have switched to a Sunray 8" coil for more trashy areas and it still isn't easy trying to understand all the noise. I also recently got an AT Pro as back-up so learning that at the same time doesn't make things any easier. For all of you Minelab people you might want to sign up on the Minelab Owners' forum, an official Minelab site with a lot of good info on our machines.
 

dholland02

Bronze Member
Jan 15, 2012
1,034
399
Detector(s) used
Garrett Ace250
Minelab Safari
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I went from the ace250 to the safari, I ddnt think its that hard to pick up. I'm deff still learning this machine everyday I go out. I didn't find one silver coin with my ace but as soon as I got the safari, went back to the places I was b4 and have found a ton of silver. I will admit its frustrating in trashy areas but u gotta go slow, I also read to pick up a smaller coil for it for thw trashy areas. I can't say enough good things about this machine. Just be patient
 

mmjjbb

Greenie
Jun 1, 2013
15
1
Rhode Island
Detector(s) used
White's Goldmaster, Prizm IV, Spectrum, Minelab Safari
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Great INFO!!

Thanks ALL
 

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