Been a while since I've posted on this thread but now that Ive used the Excal for nearly 2 yrs I have to say it is my preferred machine. I like it even over my CTX. In the water it is a MUST! I use a PP toggle switch and can swap out coils with a quick disconnect. It's a simple machine. Hunt in PP. When you hear a target, switch to discrim. If it hits both ways DIG IT! If you hear faints in PP and nothing in Discrim. Dig a hole or two. Then check again. MANY times an initial tone will change. Also if you're digging a target and suddenly its "GONE" dig another time or two. It most likely will magically re-appear.
Air testing is VERY different than digging REAL targets that are 10+ inches down. Soil conditions, water action, direction of swing, speed of swing, and what you ate for breakfast can all play in how it "reads" to you. For the most part I've given up on trying to decipher tones other than obvious foil. To me aluminum and pennies and rings all sound the same. I run full volume, full sens, discrim 1 and threshold like an upset mosquito in my ear and hunt in PP and switch on a target to verify. Hope this helps.
