Need help from Explorer II hunters

[Nana40]

If you had a friend coming over to hunt with ya, and you loaned them your Explorer II to use, how would you set it up and what would be the tips you gave them on using it?

Here's the why.....

A couple of years ago I was talking to an old friend from my childhood neighborhood about detecting. She seemed so interested in it that her husband went out and bought her an Explorer II. She didn't have a clue on how to use it, and neither did I. :P We hunted around for a couple of hours and that's been about it for the use on the new machine. This week I paid her a visit and her interest was renewed when I let her use my MXT and she found her first wheat. She didn't use the Explorer as I don't think the batteries had been charged since last I saw her. So...I need your help on how to help her. Anyone have the time to give SIMPLE, DRAW ME A PICTURE, SPELL IT OUT, BASIC instructions on this machine? Or is that possible? :P
Thanks a bunch!
Nana ~

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Minelab PRO-FIND 35 Waterproof Pinpointer Metal Detector for Experts with Tone ID & Adjustable Sensitivity - Grab it through Amazon!

[Monty]

Should be an on line manual at the homesite of the manufacturer. You can read it or download it. Monty

 

[Michigan Badger]

Nana, I'd say just use the factory preset mode and listen for those higher tones.

Test with some coins and buttons to learn the sounds and go for it.

The Explorer is real deep even in the basic setting and it's usually very stable too.

Lots of people make the mistake of setting the Explorer sensitivity too high and thus get tons of false signals.

The Explorer almost runs itself. The thing is to learn the more difficult signal sounds like super deep small buttons.

Best,

Badger

 

[warsawdaddy]

Trade her your MXT for it!
You need Mastereagle to jump in here.He swears by his EX11.

 

[Nana40]

Should be an on line manual at the homesite of the manufacturer. You can read it or download it. Monty

I'm sure she's got the manual around there somewhere, but I was hoping for someone to give a BRIEF discription on SIMPLE 'how to's' for us simple minded gals.

" DRAW ME A PICTURE "
Nana ~

​

... Nicky​

Nicky!! That helps a bunch! And that's about what we looked like when we were trying to figure it out two years ago.

Nana, I'd say just use the factory preset mode and listen for those higher tones.

Test with some coins and buttons to learn the sounds and go for it.

The Explorer is real deep even in the basic setting and it's usually very stable too.

Lots of people make the mistake of setting the Explorer sensitivity too high and thus get tons of false signals.

The Explorer almost runs itself. The thing is to learn the more difficult signal sounds like super deep small buttons.

Best,

Badger

Thank you, Badger! It will be a huge accomplishment if we can just turn it on, I'm sure. The coin garden is a great idea! I should have remembered that from back when.

Trade her your MXT for it!
You need Mastereagle to jump in here.He swears by his EX11.

Heck no!! Although I know the EX may be more machine, I KNOW how to use my MXT! And yes, would love to hear from ME!

Thanks so much ya'll for the info!! Nana

 

[Michigan Badger]

Also remember that the coil of the Explorer is one of those early horny DDs and pinpoints like it came out of the Twighlight Zone.

You get a signal and pull the coil back toward yourself (while swinging back and forth) until the signal dissapears. Then you move back toward the target until the signal reappears....STOP.

At the top of the coil will be your target (as shown in the excellent Badger drawing).

Before I learned this I used to dig a 10 inch deep hole for freshly dropped pulltabs. Once learned I dug few items deeper than about 6 inches deep.

Hope this helps.

Badger

 

[Tom_in_CA]

To start with, the Explorer in hardly a machine to put into someone's hands with no instruction, and never having used any other metal detector before. The instruction manual alone will not even get some things across. There is no way to describe things like "sounds" "tones" swing speed, "repetability" etc... in print. So whoever writes an instruction manual will have limitations, especially on a machine like the Explorer which is SO interpretive in the sounds. About the only way to learn the Explorer, IMHO, is to go out with someone who's proficient with it (not just a sand-box hunter, but someone who routinely comes in with oldies and deepies), and have them flag targets. Watch the way they swing, what they're looking at, listening to, etc..... Swing over their flagged targets, cross-crossing with different speeds and wiggles of the coil. Have them explain why or why they wouldn't persue different signals.

But if you have no one to walk you through a live demo, then try this: Start, as Michigan Badger says, in default factory mode. Edit out (black out) the entire screen, except for the upper right hand 1/4 of the screen. This will knock out everything from tabs downward, and all iron. Yes it's a little fool-hearty for deep iffy signals, and yes, you'll pass low conductors, but it's good to STRART this way, and angle for easy 4-star targets for awhile. After you've gotten the hang of that, then lower the disc. down, bit by bit, and only then start using your ears to judge highs vs lows. Because if you start the FIRST day with ALL the tones, it's all an indistinguishable mess to someone not used to the orchestra.

A few other notes: 1) If you're not sure if you're in default or not (because maybe the last person to use it, messed with the various controls), then press and hold the start button for about 15 seconds. That will erase whatever is in the memory, and return you to your defaults. 2) To edit out various portions of the disc. screen, as I recommended for the start of learning, the manual will tell you how to move the cursor around the screen to edit in our out (black in or out) the various portions of the screen. If you don't have the manual, it's available on-line at the Minelab site, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Monty]

Nana, I don't know diddly about an EXP II so I gave you the pat answer. I am pretty sure it's one of those machines tht you have to work at to learn it properly, so I don't think there is a quick fix. Whoever said the best thing to do is just to go with the factory preset was probably the best advice. If you can rekindle your friends interest then maybe he or she will take the time to learn it properly? And I mean it. M nty

 

[Nana40]

Thanks for that info on the coil, Badger! I'm sure that'll help her to know she has one of those special kinds of coil.

Thank you Tom! Great information!

Thanks, Jim!

I'll forward this link to her and hopefully she will be able to gain a lot from it.

Thanks for taking the time, ya'll!

Nana ~

 

[GrayCloud]

Badger is right, use the factory preset in coins or jewels. The only thing I would add is, Set sensitivity at 24 to 28, depending on your ground conditions. Oops, also set the threshold to a level that is comfortable, the lower the better.