Minelab Explorer SE vs Minelab E-trac

Silverfishin

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Just curious why buy a Explorer SE when the E-trac is just a little more cash? Whats the difference between the two? :?:

Thanks in advance.:grin:
 
The se has semi auto sensitivity. If you set the sensitivity at 26 in semi auto, the cpu tries to keep the sensitivity as close as possible to your setting, but not higher. You can't tell where the sensitivity is at any given time. The etrac has fully auto sensitivity and it will let you know the setting it is using at all times. You can set the sensitivity up to 3 points higher or lower than the cpu's choice. Both can be set manually to your choice of setting. The etrac will give you a recommended setting even in manual, the se doesnt. The etrac has a trash density setting that the se doesn't. It is supposed to provide better seperation of targets. The etrac is easier to program than the se and the id numbers for good targets are easier to remember. The quickmask function is more flexible allowing you to set the conductive as well as the ferrous level, the se has ironmask allowing only the fe to be set. They are very similar, being more alike than different from each other. I prefer the etrac because of the convenience and the ability to see the sensitivity at all times. Both have an excellent auto GB circuit. The display is better on the etrac. If i was buying new I would buy an etrac. The dealers give heavy discounts on the etrac, just email and ask for a price. I recommend Chuck at Indian Nations detectors. If buying used, the se can be had much cheaper. The pro version of the se differs only by the coil type. The older se can be had at a big discount. The main differences between the detectors is that the etrac is more convenient to operate and you gain a small amount of sensitivity and depth with the etrac.
 
The SE's FE-CO numbers for good targets (general term for non-iron gold, silver and coin items) follow an S-curve from bottom-mid-right screen to top-right screen. The low and high end of this curve is flattened meaning that targets that fall in these areas are compressed (which is why you get a lot of 00-29's for most targets in the high range). Adjacent targets on the S-curve have different FE and different CO numbers since the line is generally diagonal. Targets that "bounce" also, generally, bounce in a diagonal direction (because the scale is not linear). This can be confusing, but having different FE and different CO numbers for adjacent targets may provide more information than otherwise.

The E-Trac is set up so that all good targets are, for the most part, on the 12-FE line. This only gives you the CO number to work off of when deciding to dig. The good thing is that, although the FE number might change depending on depth, etc., the CO number stays pretty much the same. The bounce is vertical instead of diagonal.

So, while the SE may provide more infomation (FE and CO difference in targets adjacent to each other on the S-curve) it is harder to wrap your head around information based on a curve and targets that bounce diagonally. The E-Trac, in effect only giving you the CO numbers with a possible variation in the FE numbers, seems to make it easier to understand. The consistent CO number is a great advantage in certain situations, for instance deep targets. The E-Trac's expanded FE and CO scale (35 - 50 compared to 32 - 32) also provides better resolution.

Hope that helps.

Give Mike at Woodland Detectors a try as well. He has the best prices I have found and is a great guy to deal with. Tell him Mercman sent you!
 
Thanks Mercman and Hamlet! Thats even more than I was looking for, much apprieciated..:D
 
Its whose behind the detector that makes a difference as well. The Et is easier to learn out of the box. But ... ive not seen a difference in depth. The Et maybe a little more organized and less bounce on the TID. There are things i like... both screen, machines sensitivity setting which can help.. but im not a fan of the stright line. Most of us useing the SE use the smartscreen and rarely use the digital screen. But even that screen is just used to verify what you hear especially in trash. The SE does not have auto sensitivity... but what some of us have found is it WILL set the sensitivity above what you set it at if you are around 20... it might set it at 24. Both are great machines and will find silver as good or better than any machine out there. Going thru the learning curve is the big big difference to me.

Dew
 
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