Quick Start Turn on the detector Press NOISE CANCEL After 30 seconds electrical interference will be reduced Go Detecting!
Congratulations on Purchasing Your 1 Metal detecting is a fascinating and rewarding activity enjoyed by people all over the world. By getting to know your Explorer SE you can become one of the many who find valuable coins, relics, gold and jewelry on a regular basis. The Explorer SE will locate valuable metal objects in a variety of ground conditions, including extreme salt conditions and sea water, wet beach sand and highly mineralized ground conditions.
2 Contents Quick Start How Metal Detectors Work The Unique Technology of the Explorer SE Assembly Battery Packs Adjusting the Detector for Comfortable Detecting Back Page 4 5 6 10 12 Introducing the Control Panel Introducing the Smartfind Detect Screen Help Function Turning the Detector On Detecting Basics A Simple Detecting Exercise Detector Sounds Sensitivity Depth Threshold 14 16 17 18 19 20 20 22 23 24 Full Screen Display Smartfind Display Digital Display 26 28 30 Discrimination Pattern Changing D
How Metal Detectors Work Metal detectors create an electromagnetic (EM) field, which penetrates the ground. Because metal is conductive it causes a change in this field. The detector senses this change and sends a signal back to the control box, alerting the operator. Metal detectors can determine the size, shape and composition of metallic objects beneath the coil. Typically, the larger the object, the easier it is to detect.
6 Assembly 7 Attaching the Coil to the Lower Shaft: 1 Plug the two rubber washers into the holes on either side of the lower shaft. 5 Insert the bolt through the lower shaft and the bracket on top of the coil. 2 Feed the coil cable up through the inside of the lower shaft. 6 Fasten with the nut provided, being careful not to damage the thread of the nut by over-tightening. This will need to be loosened later to adjust the coil to a comfortable detecting angle. 3 Place the coil on a flat surface.
8 Assembly Connecting the Shaft Assembly to the Handle Assembly: 1 Fully unlock the control box camlock. 2 Align and push the coil cable connector into the socket underneath the control box, firmly tightening the retaining ring to secure. 3 Push the handle assembly onto the upper shaft, as far as it will go. 4 Fully lock the control box camlock by pushing the lever flat onto the control box. (Adjusting the Detector for Comfortable Detecting, pg.
10 Battery Packs 11 Recharging NiMH Battery Pack with the Mains Charger: The Explorer SE has two types of battery packs: Removing the Battery Pack from the Battery Compartment: 1 Remove battery pack. 1 Slide the lid of the battery pack in the direction of the arrow to open. 2 Insert the mains charger cable into the socket at the tapered end of the battery pack. 2 Place 8 x ‘AA’ cell alkaline batteries into the battery pack ensuring that the + and – are aligned as indicated on the label.
12 Adjusting the Detector for Comfortable Detecting 13 For comfortable, long term detecting, it is important that you take the time to adjust the detector correctly. Holding the Detector: Adjusting the Position of the Armrest: Thread your arm through the armrest and strap. Grasp the handle of the detector and rest your forearm in the armrest. The correct position of the armrest should allow you to comfortably grip the handle.
14 Introducing the Control Panel 15 LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) BATTERY LIFE Indicates the battery charge available (pg. 72). SHIFT BUTTONS Pressing and releasing a shift button next to an icon on the display will select this option. SHIFT BUTTONS Pressing and releasing a shift button next to an icon on the display will select this option. BACKLIGHT The backlight provides greater screen clarity in dim conditions.
16 Introducing the Smartfind™ Detect Screen Help Function When you first turn on the Explorer SE, the Smartfind display will appear and you are able to begin detecting. Sensitivity Bar (pg. 22) Depth Indicator (pg. 23) Pressing and holding down the shift buttons next to a menu item or pressing and holding any other button for approximately one second will display a Help screen describing this particular function and various other menu options available. Smartfind Discrimination Pattern (pg.
Detecting Basics 18 Turning the Detector On The POWER button turns the detector on and off. To turn the detector on with Factory Preset settings: The Explorer SE has factory preset settings that have been chosen to suit first-time detectorists. The detector will respond to some targets (low-ferrous metal objects such as silver coins and jewelry) and ignore others (high-ferrous objects such as nails). Press and hold POWER for 2 seconds.
20 A Simple Detecting Exercise Before attempting to recover real targets, it is important to understand how to interpret the audio and visual signals of the detector. Gather a collection of different metal objects, e.g. various coins, gold and silver jewelry, a nail, pull-tab, brass button and aluminium foil. Take the detector outdoors, away from known electro-magnetic fields or metal objects. If you are getting signals from a clear patch of ground, there could be buried metal objects.
Modes: Semi-Automatic, Manual Range: 1 to 32 Factory Preset: Semi-Automatic, 22 Depth 22 Sensitivity 23 Maximum setting (32) Current Sensitivity level (e.g. 22) Minimum setting (1). In Semi-Automatic Sensitivity mode, the detector continuously monitors the environmental conditions and will adjust the Sensitivity as close as possible to your specified level of Sensitivity. In Manual Sensitivity mode the adjustment allows you to control the Sensitivity directly.
Range: Factory Preset: 0 to 40 16 24 Threshold 25 Maximum setting (40) Current setting (e.g. 13) Adjusting Threshold: Minimum setting (0) Threshold is the constant background ‘hum’ produced by the detector. This control sets the Threshold Volume. By setting the Threshold Volume to the correct level for your hearing, Threshold can highlight the variations in signal response which often indicate detection of a target. The volume of the Threshold is a personal preference.
26 Full Screen Display 27 The Smartfind or Digital display may be enlarged during detecting. The Full Screen Display enlarges the Discrimination Pattern details and removes the display border and other screen elements. To switch between Normal and Full Screen: Press the shift button next to the full screen icon at the right of the control panel. The detection results information will be cleared as you switch between Normal to Full Screen, until a new detection is made.
Factory Preset Pattern: Coins 28 Smartfind™ Display Size/Conductivity high 29 low Crosshair representing a target signal high Ferrous Content low Smartfind is Minelab’s unique two dimensional scale of discrimination. The vertical dimension (or axis) rates the object on size/conductivity. The Explorer SE rates detected objects according to their conductivity (like most traditional detectors). What makes two dimensional discrimination unique is that the object’s ferrous content is also rated.
Size/Conductivity 0 Ferrous Content 31 Size/Conductivity 31 30 Digital Display 31 The Explorer SE has an alternative Digital display that shows both the ferrous content (FER) and the conductivity (COND) of a target with numbers from 0 to 31. The FER and COND numbers are the coordinates of the Target Crosshair displayed in Smartfind. A FER value of 0 represents low-ferrous content and a value of 31 represents high ferrous content.
32 Discrimination Pattern Changing Discrimination Patterns 33 The Explorer SE has four different ways of changing the Discrimination Pattern to find only the types of targets you want: Rejected Targets Discrimination is the detector’s ability to eliminate signals from undesired targets and accept signals from desired targets. Each coordinate of the Smartfind window can be turned white or black to accept or reject certain targets, respectively.
Range: Factory Preset: All Metal, 0 to 31 22 34 Iron Mask - Setting the Level of Ferrous Rejection To accept more high-ferrous objects (e.g. war relics): Reduce the level of ferrous rejection by pressing the bottom left shift button next to the slider control. You will notice that the number increases because the Iron Mask level refers to the horizontal ferrous scale ranging from 31 to 0. You may need to experiment a little with the settings.
36 All Metal - Accepting All Targets All Metal is the term used to describe a clear Discrimination Pattern, a Pattern that accepts all target signals, hence accepting all metals. An All Metal Pattern can be created in two ways: 1 To create an All Metal Pattern in the Iron Mask Adjustment screen: Press the shift button to reduce Iron Mask and clear the Discrimination Pattern. ’AM’ will appear in the box.
38 Menu Structure 39 All detector settings (except Sensitivity and Threshold) are located in the menu. The menu can be accessed at any time during detecting. 1 Press MENU. 2 Press the shift button next to the menu option to select it. (pg. 62) (pg. 44) (pg. 58) (pg. 60) (pg. 50) (pg. 64) (pg. 40) (pg. 56) (pg. 54) (pg. 43, 48, 53) (pg. 70) (pg.
Range: MAIN MENU > SELECT 8 Preset Patterns, 6 Custom Saved Patterns Factory Preset Pattern: Coins 40 SELECT - Preset Discrimination Patterns Discrimination Pattern Thumbnail Shows the Pattern that is the result of your accepted or rejected Discrimination Patterns from the Select List. 41 Select List Lists Discrimination Patterns for common targets. CLEAR is provided to clear the Discrimination Pattern. Accept Icon A tick indicates that the Discrimination Pattern for this target is accepted.
MAIN MENU > SELECT 42 SELECT - Selecting Preset Discrimination Patterns SELECT - Saving Discrimination Patterns A number of Discrimination Patterns can be accepted and rejected at one time, creating a custom Pattern that can be saved for future use. Once a new Discrimination Pattern has been created, it can be saved in one of six places in the SAVE DISCRIM screen. To save the new Discrimination Pattern into the SAVE DISCRIM menu: Press the shift button next to the location where you want it to be saved.
MAIN MENU > DISCRIM > LEARN 44 Learn - Creating a Discrimination Pattern with a Specific Target Accept All / Reject All Allows you to switch between clearing or filling the whole Pattern in preparation for rejecting or accepting learnt targets. Accept Target Icon Modifies Discrimination Pattern to accept a specific item when icon is flashing. Volume Icon This shortcut icon takes you to the VOLUME section of the AUDIO menu where you can adjust various Volume characteristics.
MAIN MENU > DISCRIM > LEARN 46 Learn - Accepting a Target Learn - Rejecting a Target To create a Discrimination Pattern that accepts a target: To create a Discrimination Pattern that rejects a target: Fill in the Smartfind window: Press the shift button next to the Reject All/ Accept All icon. This fills in the Smartfind window, rejecting all targets and prepares the window for learning the new target. Clear the Smartfind window: Press the shift button next to the Reject All/Accept All icon.
MAIN MENU > DISCRIM > LEARN 48 LEARN - Saving Discrimination Patterns 49 To save the Discrimination Pattern: 1 Press the shift button next to the Save icon to go directly to the SAVE DISCRIM menu. 2 Press the shift button next to the location you want to save it to (e.g. S2). The learnt Discrimination Pattern can now be retrieved from the list of Discrimination Patterns in the SELECT screen.
MAIN MENU > DISCRIM > EDIT 50 EDIT - Editing Discrimination Patterns Target Frame Size This allows you to select the size of the framed area you wish to accept or reject from the displayed Discrimination Pattern. There is a choice of three sizes. Accept or Reject Framed Area Instructs Explorer SE to accept the framed area on selection of the tick icon. Selection of the cross icon will reject the framed area. This edits the current Pattern.
MAIN MENU > DISCRIM > EDIT 52 EDIT - Editing Discrimination Patterns Select the Discrimination Pattern that you would like to edit (Select, pg. 40, Learn pg. 44). To change the size of the target frame: Press the top left shift button to switch between three target frame sizes. To move the target frame: Press the shift buttons next to the navigation arrows. Position the resized frame over the screen section you wish to edit. To reject the framed area: Press the center left shift button once.
MAIN MENU > OPTIONS > RECOVERY FAST, DEEP Range: Factory Presets: FAST= OFF, DEEP = OFF 54 RECOVERY Enhancing Explorer SE Performance RECOVERY allows you to select the way the discrimination process works. RECOVERY settings affect both the detector’s audio and display response to target characteristics. FAST By selecting this setting, the detector will react faster to the signals received, but the discrimination and target ID may be slightly less accurate.
MAIN MENU > OPTIONS > NOISE Range: Factory Presets: 1 to 11 5 56 NOISE CANCEL - Reducing Electrical Interference The detector may become noisy due to electrical interference from powerlines, electrical equipment or other detectors operating close by. The detector interprets this interference as inconsistent, short beeps, and erratic movement of the Target Crosshair on the Smartfind display, or erratic changing of FER COND numbers in the Digital display.
MAIN MENU > AUDIO > VOLUME Range: Factory Preset: Range: Factory Preset: 0 to 10 10 1 to 10 8 58 VOLUME 59 Volume is the level of sound emitted by the detector when a target is detected. A high Volume will give a great difference between a small and large target, but may be dangerous to your hearing if a large target is found. The Explorer SE is factory preset at maximum Volume. This is usually appropriate with either the detector’s built-in speaker or headphones.
MAIN MENU > AUDIO > TONE Range: Factory Preset: Range: Factory Preset: 1 to 10 5 1 to 10 8 Range: Factory Preset: 1 to 10 10 60 TONE Adjusting Audio Pitch Tone is the pitch of sound emitted by the detector. Adjusting Tone can help identify one target from another. 61 THRESHOLD TONE TH. TONE allows you to adjust the tone of the Threshold ‘hum’ to best suit your own hearing.
NORMAL, LONG, SMOOTH, PITCH HOLD Factory Preset: NORMAL 62 RESPONSE Selecting the Way Targets Sound NORMAL Emits a short response to targets (almost a ‘beep’). NORMAL is recommended for general detecting conditions. It allows the greatest differentiation between the ground and a target, but has the potential to miss small targets in areas littered with objects producing a target response. The RESPONSE option allows you to select the way target signals sound upon detection.
Range: CONST, CONDUCT, FERROUS Factory Preset: CONDUCT CONDUCT This is the Factory Preset selection. CONDUCT emits the tone according to the target’s conductivity (the vertical axis of the Smartfind screen). 5BSHFU $POEVDUJWJU Z 5BSHFU 'FSSPVT $POUFOU Targets 1, 2 and 3 will produce identical tone response.
66 Pinpointing - Locating the Target The exact location of a target can be located by using PINPOINT. In normal operation, the Explorer SE is a motion detector, meaning it must be moving over a target to detect it. Enabling Pinpoint instructs the detector to temporarily disengage Discrimination Patterns and become a non-motion detector, therefore targets normally discriminated against will emit a signal when underneath the coil. In Pinpoint, the detector gives a continuous audio response.
68 Recovering the Target Where Will I Find Treasure? A trowel, knife or small spade are good tools for recovering targets. A question most new detectorists ask is where do I find treasure? There are actually lots of areas in which you can search, and it is best if you research where people have been in the past, and what type of objects they may have had with them, and hopefully lost.
MAIN MENU > USER > USER SETTINGS 70 USER SETTINGS - Saving Your Preferred Settings Changes to detector settings (e.g. Volume, Tone and Sensitivity), are automatically saved. The detector remembers these settings when it shuts down. However, you may find that different locations require a separate combination of settings for maximum effectiveness. USER SETTINGS provides you with two sets of memorized settings, USER A and USER B. These sets can be used as an alternative to the factory presets.
72 Battery Performance 73 To extend battery life: Use headphones. The speaker draws significantly more current than headphones from the battery. Turn off the backlight. The backlight adds about 8% to the current consumption of the detector. The battery life indicator appears on all of the Explorer SE detect screens. Turn the detector off when not in use. The average life-span for both good quality alkaline and NiMH rechargeable batteries under constant use is compared on the graph below.
74 Accessories Parts and Accessories available for the Explorer SE: 10” Slimline FBS Coil 8” FBS Coil With Lower Shaft 10” Coil Skidplate 8” Coil Skidplate Sealed 1600mA/H NiMH Battery Pack Sealed 1800mA/H NiMH Battery Pack ‘AA’ Housing Battery Pack Mains Charger 12V Car Charger Koss UR-30 Headphones RPG Headphones Carbon Fibre Lower Shaft Tall Man Lower Shaft Technical Specifications Length Unextended 43 Inches (1100mm) Length Extended 55 Inches (1358mm) Shipping Weight 3 lb 7 oz (1700g) Excluding Ba
76 Detector Care and Safety The Explorer SE is a high-quality electronic instrument, finely engineered and packaged in a durable housing. Taking proper care of the detector is mostly common-sense. Do not leave the battery pack in the Explorer SE handle when the detector is not in use for extended periods of time. Damage caused by leaking batteries could be severe and would void the warranty through user negligence.
78 Glossary of Terms Alloy A substance which is composed of two or more metals (an alloy may also include non-metals). Camlock Lever which releases or locks detector’s assembly components. The Explorer SE’s upper and lower shafts are held together by the shaft camlock. This shaft assembly is fixed to the control box by the control box camlock. Coil The coil is the circular plate swept across the ground surface during detecting. It transmits electromagnetic signals into the ground and receives the response.
80 Glossary of Terms (Continued) Pinpoint Function allowing an object to be precisely located. Pinpoint overrides the automatic motion detection and discrimination settings of the Explorer SE. Recovery allows the user to modify the way the discrimination process works and affects the audio and display responses to target characteristics. Response The signal or audible indication of a target. Also a menu option affecting the audio response of the detector.
82 Warranty 83 Service Repair Form Today’s Date There is a two-year parts and labour warranty for the electronic control box of the Explorer SE. The coil has a one year parts and labour warranty. Refer to the supplier or Minelab for service, either in or out of warranty. The Minelab warranty does not cover damage caused by accident, misuse, neglect, alteration, modifications, or unauthorized service. For specific details of the Minelab warranty, please refer to the detector’s ‘Product Warranty Card’.
Minelab Electronics Pty Ltd PO Box 537, Torrensville Plaza Adelaide, South Australia, 5031 Australia Tel: 61-8-8238 0888 Fax: 61-8-8238 0890 Email: minelab@minelab.com.au Minelab International Ltd © Minelab Electronics Pty Ltd This document contains proprietary information which is protected by copyright.
