Sov/Exp tones

Ive been using the Xcal which is basically a Sov BBS with 3 tones. I also have used the Exp SE FBS since they came out. What if anything would you loose by making an Exp with just 4 tones.... iron, low, med, and high? I think a lot of targets are being walked over.... especially deep ones, just because we are trying to find ways NOT to dig. But.... we know really deep targets just like targets on the fringe of the coil foot print may not give the correct TID response or tone. I know its especially obvious when using Ferr tones..... so centering the target is important.

Dew

Explorer series is unique with its multiple tones and to me would be a downgrade as many experienced Explorer users feel the secret to an Explorer is the tones and many hunt by tone and rarely look at the meter unless they get a tone they are looking for. Naturally some are just better at tonal interpetation but learning your unit most know what they are after using their particuliar settings and even with a tape over the meter would have a good idea what they have in the ground deep or shallow keeping in mind masking, turned coins, worn coins, mineralization all come into play to dig or not...

I agree with Dan...the tones on the Explorer are a big part of the "dig/no dig" decision; cutting it down to four would be, to me, a major degradation. You are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT about "walking over" too many finds with a hasty "no-dig" decision; I'm not sure that I would want to employ that particular strategy though, to combat the problem.

Dan is right on -- I hunt with my Explorer by tone, and often don't even look at my screen until I get a tone I am looking for. OF COURSE you don't want to just listen for the textbook-perfect high flutey "silver" warble tone, since many good coins don't sound perfect (unless relatively shallow and not in trash). Still, there are some tones that mean "junk" and others that mean "Hmm...maybe..." -- and I think I'd lose too much of that nuance with only four tones. Just my opinion.

Steve

I was thinking out loud more as a beach machine. Ive got a pretty good handle on how to use it currently. Im just wondering how much difference the Sov and Exp would be in TID and depth. I personally think the Exp is a bit better on the beach .... but is it because of FBS vs BBS, tweaking ability, or tones? Might even be just because you dig anything that isnt a bottle cap or iron. Every thing i find i run across both machine when i get home just to get some idea as to what the other might miss. Most of these targets are pretty small. Got a size 3 14K childs ring that was less than a 1/16 of an inch think yesterday at the beach with the Xcal. It read 11 01 on the explorer but bounced around between that and 13 01. I might have walked over that with the Explorer just because it does pick up more of the tiny foil.

Dew

Heres my take Explorer is deeper especially on silver coins...Sov. is a better gold jewelry unit....

Two reasons I think I feel I would prefer a Sov. on a beach it can be hipmounted minus the meter for more comfortable long days and of course most hunters on a beach are looking for gold jewelry and the Sov. excells in this category. Of course on land for deep silver Explorer would be my choice. Lets face it on a beach where digging is easy one sets the disc. low and basically its a beep and dig situation and meters, numbers, graphs etc. are a waste of time but again on land its vice versa and the Explorer excells....

hey dew --

Please forgive my response to you. I didn't even, for some reason, look at the name of the OP (you). If I saw it was you, I would NOT have answered it that way. I know your level of experience, and should have seen that it was you. The response I gave you was almost disrespectful, given your level of experience with your machine. Please accept my apology as I truly did not, for whatever reason, look at the name on the original post, before formulating my response. I just answered it (obviously too hastily). Teaches me a lesson -- be SURE to look who is asking the question before tossing out a simple answer!

Sorry, my friend! You don't need any advice from me, that's for sure!

Steve



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/30/2011 06:13PM by steveg.

Oh lord Steve no need to apologize to me at all. I wasnt trying to be sharp with either of you. Your answers were appropriate especially to those who may not have used an Explorer. I asked and you explained very well thanks. Just wondering now what makes FBS a tad better than BBS. Dan if the Sov is like the Xcal im not sure its any better on gold..... or at least its not proven to be on anything ive put across the coil yet. But perhaps the SEF coil on the Exp brings something to the table. May be another good example of me knowing one machine and trying to compare without enough experience on both. I may have to get a Sov just to do some testing. Thanks for the replies guys.

Dew

Dew --

I appreciate your understanding; still, it was my bad. NO, you were not sharp with me, at all. Like I said, when I finally saw (long after I made the post) who I was speaking to, I immediately realized my error; I always try my best to match my response style to the "intended audience" (usually the original poster). I this case, I read the question but didn't pay attention to the author of the post. Thus, I gave a "basic" answer to an "advanced" user -- a big no no, and if you weren't so understanding, you easily could have been highly offended by my post. Thanks for your understanding!

Steve

Dew,
Can't speak for the Explorer but as for the Excal and Sov, both machines have a range that pretty much do not deal with much iron at all , and most iron get's eaten away on a saltwater beach anyway ...... Depending on what you want to dig, will depend on how you have your disc or no disc set and what tones you listen for .....If you want pocket change to pay for gas or tolls or ? , listen for higher tones ......You want gold , listen for lower foil tones ..... Sand is a LOT easier to dig than dirt , so most folks tend to dig just about anything ..... You don't really need anything that is THAT elaborate on the beach ......As I said , it's an easy dig ......Jim

Jim.... you may be right simple with great depth may be all you need for beach hunting. Jim..... its not iron per sa but bobbie pins, junk jewelry, wire ties and such that are a bigger problem that IRON. I can get about the same affect with IM adjustment on the SE that i can on the Xcal. I was just thinking about how the FBS Exp could be simplified.... much like the Xcal on a straight shaft. Wonder if the Xcal battery pod could be used as a power source? I know the Exp is a 1600 mAH with a 15v charger where the Xcal is a 1000 mAH and a 14.3v charger. It may come down to what it takes for the coil to send and receive properly thru the box. Im no guru, but simple or not id like to have a light weight straight shaft SE on the beach.

Dew

I think if you could put the Exp on a carbon straight shaft made it water resistant and use the Xcal pod those additions would hurt the Sov sales. Most people you see on the beach is using a TID machine for dry sand.... this could extend it to the wet. If you figure the Sov's price and add that meter you are pretty close in price. I say it would hurt Sov sales just because like when they did the Etrac felt like they got a total NEW machine.

Dew

dew
for me the sepro / exp / etrac all have the best target id around, even when deep comes into play, but beach hunting to me now is not the same as dirt hunting.
all things sound different with the sepro when THEY ARE DEEP......not too deep, the sepro is really accurate - more so than most....(my opinion).... 4 tones would work.
i thought you knew my pro was in a box and i carry it on my back and sometimes in a waterproof bag like the guys in NY, but 99.9% in the box.
the ny guys all use there excal battery pods for power when in the bag.
my power is from 10 - AA's and they are rtv-ed to bottom of pro.........2009/2010 i used two seperate AAA's - one for back up......could get 5 to 6 hrs each pack.

if you are a screen watcher - dig or smart, the sepro will hit a lot of tiny tiny gold low....low left.....foil sound, yes u dig a lot of foil.

it works just fine
pics for your review
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I did know you had a water proof SE, but hadnt seen it ... until now. See ML how easily it could be put on a shaft using a Pod. Im no screen watcher but seems you need the box with all those push buttons to get where you are going or need to be. My thoughts was on simplification and waterproof for the beach. Looks like you found a way. Those tones do change at depth but not enough to fool me most of the time. I like the SE because it has a big more foot print or HALO to the coil and can be tweaked for most conditions. Surely they are using a AAA pod with upgraded rechargeable and properly sealed over the normal 1000 mAH? You come up with some interesting Mods Max. Thanks for the picture.

WOW! The word ""SERIOUS""" (((( for some reason )))) comes to mind!

IF ONLY they would water proof it to 10 Ft like the AT Pro.... that shows it can be done and a nice picture of what it could look like. Just add the box on the shaft and id swing that anywhere.

Dew