Since there are 50 conductive numbers on the E-TRAC there is more resolution (more tones) if you use conductive/multi. If you use ferrous tones and relic hunt IMO, you are better off hunting in two tone with a relic pattern. You can also use the conductive tones with a really low disc pattern like relic if you disc out the conductive line 01 and 02 from like 26 to 50, then disc back in 41, 42, and 43. I have to credit Andy Sabisch for that, and it works well to stop the iron falsing in conductive/multi with low disc and adding 41-43 back in assures that you wont miss a silver dollar.
The E-TRAC is more stable, the auto sensitivity is leap years ahead of the semi-auto on the Explorer. It runs three channels of sensitivity and a 4th channel to monitor the ground. So, it will choose the channel that is able to run the highest sens when you put it in auto and there is also the ability to punch auto up +3 or back it down -3. I rarely find the place where I cannot tun mine in auto+3 even in bad ground it usually runs 18 or so but most of the time it runs around 21 or 22 in auto+3. Manual is, well manual and runs all three channels at whatever level you set and is usually not as good as auto+3.
I ran my ExplorerSE for a year in conductive sounds/multi-tones and tried to relic hunt. I used Iron Mask, I used patterns and I was frustrated for a year. I finally figured out to hunt in ferrous/multi with an open screen and I began to make finds. Then I got the Pro coil and it got even better, then a month or whatever later the E-TRAC came out and it truly was like an "old friend" right out of the box. I listened to the folks who said very clearly that the E-TRAC is NOT and Explorer and I didn't try to make it be one. (That is, IMO, the secret to the sucess of an Explorer user being sucessful with the ET... forget the Explorer and DO NOT try to make the ET be a better Explorer) It is different, the sounds are similar and it can be tweaked so that the tones for a silver quarter will match the Explorer tones for a silver quarter BUT it is still not an Explorer. The biggest thing they did, IMO, to improve and change the format was that they added the 12 ferrous line (where most good targets are bunched up) and they expanded the conductive line. You remember how the cursor would jump high left to lower right on the Explorer, giving you a clue to what was a good or bad target... by the way the cursor jumped? The straight conductive line changes all that. The cursor may still jump but I think it only indicates some depth, and it only jumps (well mostly) up and down, not left to right. On the E-TRAC the conductive number is VERY reliable. The FE number will, with depth or masking sometimes be lower or higher, usually not too much lower or higher than 12... usually between 10 and 17 but sometimes 8 to 27... however the CO number will remain stable. THAT... is why I always run in ferrous/2tones when I am relic hunting. Ferrous/2tones wont give an iron false but it will give you a higher tone if you pass over something non-ferrous in the iron. Then ou can stop and check it out. Or if you mostly coin hunt you can try the settings above with QM set at 28 on the ferrous and the ferrous 01-02 from 26 to 50 conductive with those numbers added back in. Sorry if that is confusing... or you can use the relic pattern and add the disc at the top, except for 41-43 and use conductive/multi.
I think you will be disappointed if you try to use ferrous sounds and multi-tones, especially if you use an open screen. Use a little iron disc and the ET will unmask targets better...
The biggest thing is to forget using ferrous/multi and an open screen... if you do that you are trying to make it be an Explorer and you will not be happy because since everything is bunched around the 12 ferrous line... you'll be frustrated because everything will sound much the same. The people who didn't like the ET and conmplained were ostly people who used the Exp in ferrous/multi with an open screen... and like I said, if that is what you want to do, the E-TRAC will likely be a waste of time and money for you.
You can search back on this forum for "jason's relic pattern", it is slightly larger than the stock relic pattern and works better I think. If you use ferrous/2 tone all you have to do is disc the little line at the right top back in and have at it. It will be a lot like using a T2 or F75 in 2+ or 2F. If you use conductive sounds... well we already covered that.
Sorry if repeated myself a bit, I tend to do that to make the point I am trying to make...
I hope you do well!
Julien
