EXPLORER XS Mk 1 I would like to take this opportunity to say how much I have enjoyed owning and using the above mentioned detector.
I bought it new in January 2000 and it took me a while to master it’s idiosyncrasies but with time I learned to change the settings until I had a very deep seeking programme in ‘user 1’. I found a lead Roman pot mend at 23 inches, size 1.5” x 1” x .25”. I had a friend with me who vouched for the details etc. The weather conditions were slightly damp and the ground had soaked-up considerable rain water, ideal for deep detecting with this machine, in fact for most detectors. I have always had the habit of trying various settings whilst detecting, just to note what effects they would have on response. I found eventually that the only ones that made some difference were ‘gain’ and ‘sensitivity’. If the weather conditions were dry and sunny and the ground was not too moist, by upping the gain 1 or 2 places, then decrease the sensitivity slightly, it was possible to detect small deeper relics etc. I tried this out several times over the years just to prove the results which were always as stated.
I have only had the machine serviced twice by Minelab approved repairers in all the years I have owned it, with superb service from them. I had to buy a second hand main coil as I had broken the original, but it still gave the great results for me.
I have recovered all sort of relics, coins etc, most of which I gave to the landowners or donated to a museum, but in all those 42 years of detecting I had never found a Roman silver coin that is until 3 months ago when I recovered a denarius of Marcus Aurelius deified 181 AD, I could not believe my luck.
I was fortunate to be able to help a fellow detectorist with his Explorer XS. He could not get on with it, no finds, irritating sounds etc, etc, so I arranged for him to come to one of the farms I detect on and we re-programmed the machine with the settings I had used so successfully for many years. Within 5 minutes of finishing the set-up he recovered a small silver hammered coin at about 8 inches, and it convinced him not to sell the machine I have 2 brothers and my youngest has always said he wished he had the Explorer, so, a little over a month ago I gave him mine, (unfortunately he has very little funds to purchase a good detector and that is the reason I gave him the machine) He tells me he is doing well at the moment so it went to a good ‘cause’ anyway.
I miss it quite a lot, it was almost like a faithful pet after 14 years using it. If I had the opportunity I would buy another or better still, the E-TRAC, but at the age of 78 I do not think it will happen, but I have all the lovely memories.
Minelab detectors are, in my opinion. By far the finest detecting machines ever conceived, and the ‘fluffy’ French ones will never outperform them. Thanks Minelab for the experience, it has been great. Tony – England, UK
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