SmartFind vs. Digital
Before I purchased a Minelab Explorer SE, I was using a White’s XLT. One thing with the White’s I was very heavily committed to the SignaGraph. To me, understanding what the SignaGraph was showing me related to what kinds of success I would have in the field. I would glance at the VDI, but spend the most time waiting for certain patterns in the SignaGraph to help ID those deep and “iffy” targets.
With the Minelab, the SmartFind is very similar to the SignaGraph, but shows much more detailed information. I also noticed that XLT’s VDIs would drift and change depending on the corrosion, halo and depth of the target, but the SE seems to ID a little better, even under multiple conditions.
I’ve corresponded with people and I’ll hear, “You need to be in Digital” or “You have to be in SmartFind”. It comes down to one thing, how does your brain process this information. I know that I’m a visual person. Like I said previously, I would glance at the VDI and focus on the SignaGraph. This is true with the SE. The digital readout gives you very specific information on ferrous vs. conductive make-up of the target, and the SmartFind gives you a graphical target representation of those numbers.
When you look at the SmartFind or the DigitalDisplay, they are telling you the exact same information but in a different way. My brain has a harder time viewing the numbers and remembering values, but my brain has no problem remembering cursor position.
I also find it handy to switch between the two. If you get a “iffy” target with the cursor, and need additional information, bounce over to Digital to see how much ferrous it’s showing, etc. Any clues to help ID a target can be useful, but remember, it’s better to dig than to pass on it.
To touch upon the response of the SE, remember to trust tone first! Cursor and Digital readout might not “release” and reset with new values. If you get a good tone, stop and make sure the readout changes and is accurate. It’s easy to glance down at the readout and pass because it was locked on previous “bad” target. Trust your ears first, then ID.