Minelab issues

bearbqd

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Jan 12, 2006
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Shenandoah Valley
Ok Explorer II owners help me out here. I think my EXP II is great because of its depth detection. It's sounds are a little too video game sounding, but I can live with that. What I can't live with is what I witnessed in an experiment today.

You know how when the detector is detecting high iron how the threshold hum intermittantly goes away? Well I had a suspicion that if there were desirable objects in these areas during the "hum out" that it wouldn't give me a signal. I had my friend who had just found a dime put his coin in the middle of my high iron area and it would hardly pick out the dime right in front of it. It would register it one way sometimes, but the ferrous and conduct range were both high.

My discrimination was set about factory at -6. When I put my discrimination down all the way, it would still barely register it. The thought of not finding objects in high iron areas drives me nuts. What am I to do?
 
Bear,
I have my iron mask set at -16 (theoretical all metal). I do not hunt in iron mask, but use it to clarify "iffy signals". I have no problem finding other objects amongst the iron. When you hear the nulling, slow the movement of the coil to a crawl, and see if that makes a difference. Set your gain to 7 and Recovery to Fast - off and Deep - on or off depending on conditions. Do a noise cancel anytime you change settings as well as the start of hunting. I do a noise cancel about every 20 - 30 mins. especially in high iron areas. You may want to try listening to the iron signals instead of the nulls so that you can further separate targets.

Bill
 
Not to down your Explorer II, but I think it is way too complicated. I believe that a White's detector -- an XLT, DFX, or Pro XL -- is really easy to comprehend. Its VDI system is programmed for American coins, as Minelab is mainly focusing on the U.K and Australia. Many Explorer II users who I have talked to complained that it is not user-friendly. You have to tinker with that, you have to tinker with this, and you have to tinker with those before you actually begin detecting. Complication doesn't yield better and older coins, experience and simplicity does.
 
Zoyboy, that is an interesting point of view.
WThesing is correct. Using that method I have had no problems. I have pulled several nails out of the same holes with silver. The minelab picks it out. That is why I like to hunt the same ground a whites user did... because they miss that stuff.
Ha Ha Ha only messing with you Whites :lol:
 
I certainly do not "down" other detectors, as it was a matter of choice, and one that must be lived with. In defense of the Explorer II, yes it is more complicated than most detectors, but that OPTIONAL programmability yields much more versatility in overcomming changing conditions. That is why they perfom on a top level all over the world. As to the tweaking and those that "have a hard time", they have not, and perhaps never will reach the threshold of understanding the machine, and applying its many OPTIONAL adjustments. I have had, and still enjoy learning more about my Exp II. Experience teaches you when to make changes in your setups. It is not a "beginners" machine, but it is also not one that is limited, or that you will soon outgrow. For the record, Minelab used an international profile of 4 - 500 coins to profile the coin parameters. Those that have trouble understanding the machine should put it in "quickstart" mode at the factory defaults. Even at this level, it is an outstanding performer.
 
Thanks for the input guys. It seems like sometimes when I take the iron mask all the way down (where it should beep for everything) it still gives me threshold luls now and then. I don't find the machine too complicated and have been amazed at it sensitivity to small objects with the stock coil. I have, several times, pulled short .22 casings and bullets more than a foot out of the ground and the signals weren't just wispers. They were fairly strong.
I have never used the noise cancel yet because from what I could gather from the manual, you only need to use it when you are experiencing noisy conditions which I haven't. It's automatic digital filtering ground balancing has seemed to work fine.
I have a question about the "Learn" function as well. What good is this function when the machine is supposed to pick out these objects anyway? Is it it going to give me a prompt saying "Hey you, this is one of those really good objects that you taught me?" How do you use this as a practical applicatio? Do you save it as one program just to look for that one item?
One other thing. It seems like my iron mask functions backwards. In the off position I don't hear iron beeps, but when its on , I do. What gives?
 
Jeff R said:
Ha Ha Ha only messing with you Whites :lol:

What is it with you MineLab guys always bustin on us "White's guys"??? I believe it must be in the hand book or something. :grin: A good friend of mine has an Explorer II and he is always on us about being low on the food chain. HA HA... all in fun! ;)
 
You guys in the coal region know how to play football, and you also know what a great detector is. Go Bulldogs, and go White's! (Both Minelab and White's has great detectors, so don't take it personally, as I am just having a little fun.)
 
The learn function actually works both ways in descriminating OUT a profile as well as accepting a profile. You can "learn" multiple objects at a time, thereby building a profile or program for storage. Picture an area that holds a lot of aluminum nails. Descriminate them out. There happens to be a lot of I.H. pennies. Accept them, and reduce time by hunting the profiles you are after.

A sanctioned hunt. Learn the metal tokens and descriminate all other targets out. Put fast -ON. You will probably out hunt your competition.
 
The iron mask is working correctly. Its not intended to knock out or reduce the iron signal like a discriminator function on other machines ie wind it up and hear little iron (but also lose masses of depth and a wanted target).
The mask allows you to hear non-ferrous really close to ferrous, even in the same hole.
I also would always use noise cancel. Its a great feature that works.
 
Thanks Brian, that makes more sense. Yes, I have been using the noise cancel often lately. One issue I am noticing with this unit though, and I don't know if others have the same issue, is if I put the unit down for a minute to dig or I don't have it in motion for any length of time, it acts irratic like it is over huge iron dumps. The threshold pretty much cuts out almost completely and it takes several minutes sometimes for it to stabilize. I even go back over the same area after it stabilizes and it acts fine. Is this a glitch with the software? Does it need servicing already? Anyone know?
 
Are you leaving it in pin-point?

bearbqd said:
One issue I am noticing with this unit though, and I don't know if others have the same issue, is if I put the unit down for a minute to dig or I don't have it in motion for any length of time, it acts irratic like it is over huge iron dumps.

And Schultzie and Whites folks I didn't mean to come off wrong on my last post here. I was a bit Cranky.... possible stirred on by a previous post. My apologies all.
 
When you place the detector on the ground, If the top of the coil is facing you, you could be getting stray signals from the articles that you are wearing, or you could be using your digger too close to the coil?????? I've done some things like forget to move the switch on my Sunray probe and have the probe signal off of my zipper and toolbelt items while I was swinging. :lol: I use the top of my coil to scan the chunks of dirt as I separate them to retrieve a target. I have seen the top of my coil pick up objects two feet away if they are in motion.
 
Jeff R said:
And Schultzie and Whites folks I didn't mean to come off wrong on my last post here. I was a bit Cranky.... possible stirred on by a previous post. My apologies all.

Apology not necessary! I think its funny Whites vs. ML....... Ford Vs. Chevy...... Gordon Vs. Kenseth, etc. Like I said, "all in fun". We all like the same thing... detecting and that's the real deal! :yes:
 
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