Safari - The quiet achiever

Full Band Spectrum or FBS, is Minelab’s patented 28 Frequency Technology, used in high-end coin detectors such as the Explorer series, and now the E-TRAC. For detector operators who are familiar with older analogue detectors such as the Musketeer Advantage, the number of fine tuning options available on the Explorer SE Pro and E-TRAC and the ability to create customised search patterns could seem a little daunting at first, so making the move up to FBS may seem like a big jump. This is where the Safari comes in, and provides a stepping stone between older single frequency units, and the high end Explorer SE Pro and E-TRAC. The Safari operates on FBS, but uses the more familiar linear (left to right) discrimination style, and a very simple menu structure, that is more like a children’s toy computer, and much easier to use than even the most basic mobile phone! Its features are really necessities of any good modern coin detector: Noise Cancel, Sensitivity, Threshold, Multi-Notch Discrimination, Target ID and a great Pin-Point. Other great features are: 4 Pre-set Search Modes, Multi-Tone Audio, and a Trash Density High/Low selection.

The Safari is as “switch on and go” as they come, yet its performance will leave most of its competitors to shame! Why? Well the main reason is that FBS technology does all the hard work for you – it automatically cancels the ground (including wet salt beaches), it very accurately calculates the properties of a target so you dig less junk, and due to its multi-frequency operation it is sensitive to a wide range of different targets. So in simple terms, the Safari does all the boring complicated stuff, leaving you the operator free to perfect your technique, search pattern, and keep your ears open for that next faint mellow response from a deeply buried gold ring, or that quiet whistle of a deep silver or gold coin. The Safari is a rare example where technology is really working for you, and not against you!

Here are some tips to get the most out of this great detector:

1. Use headphones! The inbuilt speaker is quite loud, but it faces away from you, so can never match the ability of quality headphones to alert you to a faint response. The Koss UR-30 headphones work great with the Safari.
2. Noise Cancel - even if the detector appears to be stable. Just make it part of your routine to perform a Noise Cancel whenever you change location.
3. Sweep slow. Yes I know this has been repeated many times, but if you want maximum depth, and if you want to find 9ct gold rings and small relics, a slow steady sweep can make all the difference.
4. Be sensible with discrimination. The more discrimination you use, the more good targets you are potentially leaving behind. Don’t get into a pattern of using lots of discrimination because it worked for you in a particular area. Start with minimal discrimination, and assess a new location BEFORE deciding on how to best set your discrimination pattern.

Safari owners have been quietly going about their business for some time now, and making some great finds with what really is one of the easiest detectors to use, so I apologise for letting this one out of the bag :-) So... are you ready to join in on the action?? 

Nenad Lonic