Minelab Explorer II
Desmond Dunne
Explorer ll is the latest top of the line metal detector from Minelab. It replaces the world famous and hugely successful Explorer XS and is the most full-featured, informative best performing metal detector available today. Read on for more.
New features
• 2nd Generation Explorer software
• Dual co-ordinate Ferrous & Conductive display
• Faster running programming
• Enhanced threshold
• Carbon fibre lower shaft
• Metal rear stand
• 1/4” headphone jack
• New Koss UR 30 Headphones
• Newly designed black search coil
• Newly designed front panel with new decal colouring
• New accessory item, 1800 mAH NiMH rechargeable battery
Appearance
Explorer ll has been to the design studio. It is now a combination of black and beige, almost camouflage in appearance. The new Explorer ll graphics on the handle look very bold and the whole machine looks ready for action. It feels great due to the seamless fit of the new black coil and new carbon fibre lower shaft. The coil cable access panel is gone – instead this area is exposed and the coil cable is fed up through the newly designed round carbon fibre shaft. This is a major change and in a way is rather nostalgic by bringing back a traditional round lower shaft design but instead built with 21st Century materials. Other good news is the coil cable is still hidden and unlikely to catch on foliage. A new front panel with Explorer ll graphics has been introduced with new darker colours, and the tactile push buttons now feel much better with just very gentle touches operating the many functions. All function buttons are the same as on the older XS model with just one slight position change to the Power ON/OFF button, so the Explorer ll should be immediately familiar to seasoned XS users. The screen’s visibility has improved by use of an easier to see through material. Finally the new arm-rest material, also coloured black, is of a stronger, more flexible material than the older, Explorer XS model. Overall, it is a seriously good-looking detector.
Operational Differences to the XS
There are a number of operational differences to be found in Explorer ll compared to that of the XS. This is due to the faster and more efficient 2nd Generation Explorer Software. These differences are catalogued as follows:
• Two coordinates in the Digital Screen
Now the user can discriminate targets in the digital screen, using two sets of numbers: Ferrous Content & Conductivity.
• Increased resolution when displaying target’s properties ( Ferrous Content & Conductivity )
In the digital display mode both the ferrous content and the conductivity are displayed in a 0 – 31 range, which can give up to 1024 resolution points – old XS displayed only 32 possible target combinations. What this means is in Fer display the higher the readout the more likely it is to be rusted iron. Similarly, if a low Fer readout is displayed then the target is likely to have few ferrous characteristics. Be advised that holed or “ringed” rusted items may produce erroneous readings. In Cond, the higher the readout the more conductive the target will be, a lower readout means a low conductive target. Typical modern coin finds might display for example Fer 7 Cond 24. A junk target might for example display Fer 28 Cond 21 and so on. It means 50% more useable information for the user and it is also possible to work in Digital Mode all the time if one wants without ever having to look at the cursor location. The 2-Number Display System coupled with the 28 Tone ID can give the user all the valuable information needed about any target.
• Increased resolution for Threshold setting
The Threshold setting range has now been increased from 0 – 20 to 0 - 40. The XS used go from 0 – 10 to 10 - 20. The default factory preset value is now set at 20. Adjust to a lower level if desired and to suit weather conditions and any wind noise if necessary. The Threshold is now finer sounding. What this means is, there is a more flexible manual control over the threshold volume level previously available on the XS. A point was reached on the XS when at a setting of 5 the detector became silent. This has been improved and now through the new Koss headphones, a low and very comfortable setting can be heard at 8, and can be set progressively lower while still being able to hear a very soft tone. The danger of operating too quietly and perhaps missing small finds has now been eliminated.
• Cursor lock
Previously on the XS the cursor would move to the Ferrous area of the screen if a discriminated junk target was passed over. Now, this will not occur some of the time. If the target is deemed to be junk, but too small to justify a cursor movement, the cursor will stay locked-on to the previous target’s screen location even though the operator can distinctly hear the tell-tale threshold dip of a ferrous target and/or a non-repeatable iffy one-way signal.
• Enhanced depth indicator
Depth indicator response is now much faster. It can help to scrub the ground with the coil to determine target depth more accurately. Small 5 cent sized coins are now indicated more distinctly.
Q. “Does Explorer ll, have to be used differently now?”
A. “No it does not. Operational use remains the very same”.
However, seasoned owners should set aside a few minutes becoming familiar with the new Fer Cond display, as this is the single biggest change to Explorer ll performance over the XS. New owners will take immediately to the improvements. Maybe one could spend a short while testing with previous finds, and record the different combinations of numbers that are observed as, when the Explorer ll is used in the field, similar targets will again be found. The Explorer ll is just so much more informative now, even down to showing a numeric difference of a single digit for what appear to be identical items. For example, two identical to the naked eye, tear shaped portions of aluminium pull tabs were dug at the beach. One displayed Fer 11 Cond 03. The other displayed Fer 11 Cond 04. Close up examination showed one of the pieces had a corner corroded away, and not only that but the corroded one gave a lower tone than the complete one. The Explorer ll is smart enough to measure this and show that difference with numeric accuracy – in this case, a single digit – but more than enough to arm you with valuable clues as to what is trash or treasure? You will soon notice that you will readily recognise your targets as the Conductive numbers assigned should not vary too much from the numbers which, used display for that item in the older Explorer XS digital screen. Now, it is the numeric display of the Ferrous characteristics that will give you the extra information enabling you to make instant more informed decisions.
Another improvement you will notice through normal use is to the Iron Mask tolerance level in Factory preset. Due to software enhancement it is now easier to get closer to non-ferrous targets while close to either discriminated junk or masked by a ferrous item.
The main change in the use of the Explorer ll is, there is now no real need to observe the cursor anymore if one wishes to operate the detector in this manner and this would be a purely personal choice. This might actually result in faster operation as one can cut out unnecessary time wasted in screen changing. But even then, this is a non-issue, as you will find screen changes are so much faster now. I operated the Explorer ll in a manner of different styles and settings and invariably towards the end of the extended testing period I relied on:
1. Target tone.
2. Ferrous/Conductive numeric readout.
3. Depth Indicator
Two number system explained
With the introduction of the Explorer ll which utilises, visual numeric representations of both Ferrous and Conductive characteristics of targets, it is now possible to see the Ferrous content of targets previously represented on the older Explorer XS by horizontal movement of the cursor. Up till now it has only been possible to see the Conductive properties of targets in numeric form. Now the degree of magnetic property content can be seen in the Ferrous display numbers assigned to each target, and conductivity in the second set of numbers displayed. So you have true visual 2 – Dimensional target analysis. So Fer rates the horizontal movement and Cond rates the Vertical alignment properties of all targets and displays this information via the 2 Number System, which is equal to the location of the cursor.
The charts below indicate some of the typical numeric responses that many everyday finds can register on your Explorer ll Digital screen. If you examine it closely you will note that similar coins, for example, the very common pre-decimal penny will give different readouts for different years. This can be duplicated across a wide range of targets. Now, with the Explorer, not only will you be able to predict the type of coin underneath the coil but you might be able to guess the date as well.
Table 1
| TARGET TYPE | FERROUS READOUT | CONDUCTIVE READOUT |
| 1d 1898 Victoria | 07 | 25 |
| 1d 1917 George V | 06 | 26 |
| 1/2 d 1894 Victoria | 07 | 23 |
| 1/2 d 1898 Victoria | 07 | 22 |
| 1p 1977 | 03 | 28 |
| 5p 1990 | 10 | 04 |
| Square tab -- new | 09 | 07 |
| Square tab – wet sand | 10 | 06 |
| Round tab – wet sand | 09 | 08 |
| Foil beverage seal | 11 | 02 |
All the target items shown in Table 1 were natural finds recovered during testing. You can see where the ferrous and conductive numbers vary, and in the case of the copper coins, the years they were minted, as it now seems likely that the copper content used varied in the mint. In the case of the square tabs you can see where the tab recovered from wet sand had begun to take on a more ferrous content as it was attacked by the salty conditions. You will see where the Ferrous content of the tab is greater by one digit than that of an exact replica, which was found on dry sand in as new condition. Its conductivity appears to be reduced as well, also by one digit. The other interesting thing about the four copper coins is they produced four different high tones rather than one or two high tones for such similar targets.
What does this tell you about the Explorer ll? It shows just how clever the machine really is – and with regular use will be far more informative than it’s predecessor, the Explorer XS.
Table 2
| 9ct Gold Rings | FERROUS READOUT | CONDUCTIVE READOUT |
| Men’s designed ring | 11 | 06 |
| Men’s plain signet ring | 11 | 03 |
| Large men’s ring | 11 | 12 |
| Woman’s ring -- thin | 11 | 02 |
Table 2 showing the rings is to appreciate that rings though they may all look the same for the most part, are not seen to be the same by an Explorer ll. While all four rings tested here are 9 carat, their sizes and shapes are the differences the Explorer ll measured along with the carat content, because the rings are of entirely different styles. As a side note, another aspect of ring recovery to consider is how lost rings present themselves to your search coil – you may get different signal tones and varying digital numbers when a ring is not lying entirely flat to the coil. They can be on edge, at an angle, crushed, broken or damaged in some way. If broken, eddy current generated can be weak and may be more difficult to distinguish from junk especially if deep in wet sand. However, I have noticed a certain amount of halo effect will build around a gold item and sometimes when recovered the piece then failed to generate a decent signal – but the items were found.
Instruction Manual
The Instruction Manual runs to 108 pages in very descriptive content. Special attention should be given to “Assembling the Detector” Page 12 through Page17 as due to the new materials for the lower shaft assembly is now that bit different. On Page 47 “Quickstart’s Digital Display” shows the Two-Number System as I have just explained above. Aside from these changes there is little difference between the manuals.
Conclusion
Explorer ll is the latest creation by Minelab in a new era of metal detector design. While the Explorer XS changed the way target information was processed, the new Explorer ll has come even further with its 2nd generation Software. This was done in response to customer requests and feedback along with Minelab’s ongoing pursuit of product excellence and leadership in the detection field. It is an excellent example of how new enhancements in software design and metal sensing technology can be merged.
Changes to the Explorer ll appearance have made an already award winning detector design style into a visually stunning piece of equipment. Other welcome additions were incorporated into Explorer ll with the addition of a new rear stand and the inclusion of a 1/4” stereo headphone jack. The purpose built headphones by Koss are another welcome addition ensuring the operator hears all the various highs and lows derived from every signal heard.
The Explorer II is available from Joan Allen Electronics Ltd, 190 Main Road, Biggin Hill, Kent TN16 3BB, UK. Telephone: +44 (0)1959 571255, Fax: +44 (0)1959 576014, E-mail: sales@joanallen.co.uk. Order online by credit or charge card at Joan Allen's main Minelab product pages by clicking here!
Visit the Joan Allen web site at http://www.joanallen.co.uk.