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ctx 3030 or etrac help!

M

mike90199

New member
hey guys mike here .really need your help .im totally new to metal detecting and have a hard choice to make etrac or ctx 3030 I was going toward a ctx 3030 but heard so many complaints about screens failing ,the machine leaking ,seals breaking and all other sorts of stuff .I also like the look of the etrac but it seems like a very complicated machine to operate and seems very noisy to like it goes off on a lot of targets .anyway really need some input .again I am totally new to metal detecting I have a xterra 705 but want something with more power and capabilities and able to give me a better picture of what is underground so im not digging up trash all day .anyway any help would be greatly appreciated .
 
Whoa...you are poking the bear here but I will answer honestly. The Etrac is a great machine but has its weaknesses as does the CTX. There have been MANY discussions on this site to your exact question. You mentioned the Etrac seems complicated. It does seem complicated but it is not. If you use one long enough, one day it will click in your head as to how simple it really is. Detectorists complicate it. It is truly a turn on and go machine. And it still amazes me as to how it can sniff out targets in junk. I have been on club hunts with guys who swing the CTX and some of them say its not worth the extra grand. I don't know anyone who has an Etrac that does not like it. I could swing a CTX if I wanted but I stay with the Etrac because I never leave a site and feel like I missed anything. You can go to pounded parks and still find goodies. I do it all the time. You can do it with the CTX too but in my (and others) opinion, unless your water hunting, its not worth the extra money. The CTX is supposed to be better than the Etrac, but from what I know the advantages are not huge. If you got $2500 plus burning a hole in your pocket, by all means....
 
I love the etrac.
Prices on 3030s are way down from $2500 now. Look around , send some e-mails and makes some calls and you can pick up new ones for $1800 to $1900 just like you can find new etracs for $1200. When the coil offer was on you could get 3030s with an extra coil for that price. 3030 simply does everything the etrac does plus more.
I would(will) buy the 3030 when the right deal comes along--just be sure to buy one with some warranty if that's an issue--etracs break also.
 
3030 and E-Trac are great machine! You want waterproof, GPS and don't mind pay 1000 dollars more then 3030 is for you but E-Trac is real good! I have E-Trac for two years now and no problem. Good luck for which machine you want! My good friend have both 3030 and E-Trac. He like both! He told me that sometime he find more coins on 3030 and other time E-Trac is better than 3030 for coins. I guess is depends on ground.
 
do you guys usually find like a lot of modern coins with the etrac .cause I was thinking of combing the beaches .also does a enviro cover help for rain and stuff .
 
As long as you are not planning to wade out into the ocean , the E-Trac with rain cover will work for you ! One of the big differences is the great number of available coils for the E-Trac vrs the 3030 and at much less money than the only three coils of the 3030. Something to think on!
 
mike90199 said:
do you guys usually find like a lot of modern coins with the etrac .cause I was thinking of combing the beaches .also does a enviro cover help for rain and stuff .
Click to expand...
Finding modern coins is inevitable...they are everywhere. But if you want to cherry-pick, you can but you will dig clad quarters and dimes because they ring up like silver. Somewhere around here is the Etrac TID numbers and they are pretty much dead on except for deeper coins or coins around junk which will skew numbers. If I am cherry-picking and I get a good number like 12-47....I check the depth, shallow is usually a clad quarter, deeper could be silver. Every site is different so when in doubt I dig. I found a 1959 Rosie last night at about 3 inches. I found some memorials at the same place at 6+...I hate leaving a site and thinking I missed something.
The enviro cover...haven't found one that doesn't induce so much glare that you can't see your screen.
 
how does the etrac do in trashy sites cause I hunt in a lot of parks and people are saying in forums that the etrac falses a lot in grounds with canslaw ?.
 
Man if your brand new to detecting do you mean never detected before? If so the etrac I feel would be kinda complicated and even more so the ctx for a guy that never detected. My honest opinion would be start with a minelab safari awesome awesome machine has the power of the etrac just not near the bells and whistles. Great machine I found lots and lots of silver and other old coins a great depth. I would hate to see you fork out that kinda money to see you get frustrated and have a 1500 dollar hat rack in your closet. You will not be disappointed in the safari I promise. Run it for while then move up if you feel you want more settings.
 
mike90199 said:
how does the etrac do in trashy sites cause I hunt in a lot of parks and people are saying in forums that the etrac falses a lot in grounds with canslaw ?.
Click to expand...
I have rarely had my machine false...especially from can slaw. Every machine falses, I had one last night but one out of maybe 50 digs is acceptable. The secret is a small coil in trash. I use a 8x6 SEF or a NEL Sharpshooter in the dumps but I have had awesome results with the stock coil. The secret, and every Etrac owner will say the same thing, is GO SLOW!! Painfully slow in trash and let the processor reset and you WILL sniff out the goodies. I use Goes4evers settings in Relic mode and two tone ferrous and I knock it out of the park all the time.
I don't know why others would try to disuade you from buying a proven, great machine, but my guess would be is that I think everyone who swings KNOWS the Etrac is the best but won't admit it. I had a SAFARI and I thought it was awesome. I didn't want the Etrac because I was going to show everyone that the Safari was just as good as the Etrac. Then I bought an Etrac. The Safari is gone. The hype was true and detecting got fun again as I still manage
great finds in beat to death parks. The whole secret is to learn the machine and work inside its capabilities. No machine is a magic wand but the Etrac continues to amaze me. I have as much fun listening to her song and what she is trying to tell me as I do digging loot. There are other great machines out there but personally, I think few are as capable as the E. That is my 2 cents so take it for what its worth, but you will rarely find anyone who uses an Etrac, that will complain about it...unless you like to find small gold:thumbdown:
 
Great post Surfinsafari. I've been using my Etrac for a couple years and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I keep it simple, TTF and no.discrimination. No parks around here, but lots of loyalist cellar holes. Etrac is killer in iron using TTF and open screen. Haven't been able to get the hang of Multi Conductive. I've been pounding the same site for two years, and every time I go back, I find something. Might just be a small buckle or lead, but it's something.
 
~ACE~ said:
Great post Surfinsafari. I've been using my Etrac for a couple years and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I keep it simple, TTF and no.discrimination. No parks around here, but lots of loyalist cellar holes. Etrac is killer in iron using TTF and open screen. Haven't been able to get the hang of Multi Conductive. I've been pounding the same site for two years, and every time I go back, I find something. Might just be a small buckle or lead, but it's something.
Click to expand...
ACE...do you use a small coil or stock? I sold my stock coil and I regret that. I like my SEL 8x6 but it seems like whenever I would put the Pro coil back on, I would leave it on because it has great separation. Just yesterday I found a school near me that has never been hit. I managed a Rosie but the false signal I reported in my post above I believe was a coin just on the fringe of detection. If I had my Pro coil I would use it for a tad more depth. The ground is clean but it is hard pack clay so I will be earning my prizes. Can't wait to go back tonight.
Based on the age of some memorials and that Rosie, I know this will be a score. I love finding those overlooked honeyholes. HH
 
hey guys thankyou for all your help this has really put my mind at ease .I think I will get the etrac and try bear the pain of learning it :).I have been watching a lot of youtube tutorials on it and from what I understand the numbers 2 sets .first set should be low for good target and second set would be high or something like that .I must sound stupid right about now lol but trying to learn the ids .when you guys say slow like not slow so I will be there all day in park or lol .I was looking at the safari but I already have a xterra 705 and they look very similar in the way they operate but ive only been detecting for 3 weeks but just want to upgrade now so I can start using a better machine and learn more .

yeh well im looking at park hunting for modern coins so im guessing I would have to turn the sensitivity down to 10-15 for that so I wouldn't pick up deep junk and stuff .but what about the noise of the machine I heard some people say its chirps like a machine gun lol .sorry for stupid questions I just wanna make sure everything is ok before I pay 1800 .im from Australia so yeh .anyway thx guys for the help :).
 
The chirping or falsing you are talking about can be controlled by turning down the sens ( manually ) this you will learn in time ! Good Luck !
 
Mike. If all you want is modern coins, you can put the machine in coins mode and it will only make a sound when you get the coil over a coin or something that rings like a coin. If it was me, I would just keep the sensitivity in Auto+3 and just check your depth guage when you get a ping. Modern coins can get pretty deep so you will limit yourself by turning down the sensitivity. There are some great Youtube vids to help you but you may not understand them without actually having the Etrac in your hand. I bought Andys book and I felt like it was written in Latin until I got some time on the machine and then it all started to come together. You are going to be purchasing a very capable and sophisticated machine but don't over think it. Pop the battery in, put her in coins mode and go have fun. Fun is what this hobby is all about.
 
In all honesty, if you are brand new to metal detecting and have an X-Terra 705, get out there and learn that 705. You will be surprised.

If you really want to get into the FBS arena ( Safari, Explorers, E-Trac, CTX), I would say look for a good used E-Trac. There are bargains out there on the classifieds. Unless you really need the unit to be water proof, then it's the CTX.

Seriously though, you have a very good unit in that 705 and you should put some time in using it. Not trying to sway you away from the E-Trac/CTX decision, but more trying to make sure you don't get caught up in the detector bug buying phase early on in your metal detecting career....it's addictive !!! I KNOW ! HA !
 
I picked up a ctx with full warranty with 6" coil (demo unit) for $1700. I have used both machines and they are relatively easy to learn. Goes4evers TTF and Gonehuntins Open program have made both units really shine. If you need waterproof or think at some point you will want to hunt freshwater lakes, go with the ctx. If they made a waterproof etrac, I would own it. You can't really go wrong as both machines are the best available IMO.
 
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