CTX 3030 vs Equinox 800

[SurfPro]

Hello,

My wife and I each have the 3030. We are well accomplished, strictly beach hunters. We both like the idea of a lighter machine, but have heard negative things about the target ID for the 800 as compared to the 3030. We'll keep our 3030's, just wondering if it would be a big step down from what we're used to.

Thanks,
SP

 

[CCadrin]

You will get different opinions to your post. Here is mine. If you are hunting the beach, you should dig everything that is not iron (on the CTX basically most of the 34 or 35 row on an open screen. On the Nox any negative number is usually iron). I mainly look for gold. On the Nox the gold range on the VDI is from 1 to 23 with most of my gold around 8 to 18. On the CTX the ferrous number can be from 01 to 29 and the conductive number from 01 to around 25. The deeper you go or in black sand the normal 12-xx numbers can be distorted.

As for coins the NOX hits dimes from 26 to 30 (silver will make it bounce), quarters are from 29 to 31. There is some good news on these VDI numbers. There is very little garbage above 23.

Overall on shallow stuff less then 7" on the CTX the VDI is pretty accurate. The Nox is very stable up until the same range in my ground and my beaches.

My beach hunt exclusively for 6 months a year and the other 6 months it is parks and beaches. The CTX tires me out in 3+ hour hunts. The Nox I can go 5+ hours with no issies especially the next day.

In the water waist deep and in the rough surf (the Nox falses at the sensitivity I use) I prefer the CTX. In small waves and calm surf I prefer the NOX.

 

[SurfPro]

Useful information, thanks.

 

[OldBeechnut]

I will never have one unless I start hunting out of the water, wetsand and dry but from what I'm seeing it a great lite weight machine. I would suggest getting one for the lady and see how she likes it. Also, I see many doing well with the 600 as the 800.

 

[SurfPro]

As I recall you're an Excel user, correct? Haven't visited the forum in quite awhile.

 

[OldBeechnut]

I remember your avatar from several years ago, I think many are still around they just don't post much anymore.

And Yes, Excalibur only...........I could never use a stock xcalibur. I worked on them for a few years and would test the machines I repaired, using a stock machine was torture.

My machine's have the PP/Disc toggle, CF shaft, and Headphones I make myself. What I have works best for me in the locations I hunt

If I hunted the wet or dry sand I would have a Nox for sure. I've yet to see a negative post on the Nox.

 

[dewcon4414]

IF ... you disc or want to pull bigger gold without digging a lot of small target the CTX is excellent..... as is the Xcal in PP mode. I believe they are a bit better on coins as well. But both are slow recovery machines..... the Nox is FAST, almost to fast if you run factory settings it can chop signals. However, the Nox IMO has opened up an opportunity to find some smaller gold missed by both of those machines if you have patience. The CTX like most FBS machines doesnt really like air gap ... that can mean fluffy sand. The Nox seens to do better there. Ive NEVER been a fan of single digits... thou once you learn the machine does give you enough information to pretty well call most targets. You dig more trash....... just the nature of hitting more non-ferr targets. Most of the time the CTX can be set and never changed..... you might find yourself having to do more button pushing. The CTX is heavy but well balanced....... the Nox is nose heavy, but light. You never open the battery box...... and i believe repairs are going to be very minimal. Great price (1/3 of the price of a CTX)...... and warranty. In he water the CTX is much more refined...... quieter and a lot of things become equal as to the targets... BUT the Nox will still find little gold. The NOx in the water if run to its potential is chatty but there are ways to quit it some. You just hear a lot of miners especially if you are a N to S hunter crossing the mineral concentrations. The CTX noise cancel works...... the Nox leaves you wondering, it can give you several channels just standing in the same spot. The Nox will find a chain...... but its not going to do it hunting like recent drop season trying to cover a lot of beach. It also changed the way i hunt..... those areas in the water like the front and back of pushed up sand where a lot of floater targets fall can hold small gold missed by other machines. Honestly their claim of obsoleting other VLFs is some what true..... in that its a inexpensive powerful multi use machine that more and more are upgrading to for beach hunting. It doesnt seem to need as much repairs as the Xcal.. which can get pricy too if you modify them. Let me add..... the new is out..... people are buying them two at a time. With all the machines sold..... how many you see NOW in the classifieds? Me and a hunting buddy are meeting up to do some gold testing in a couple of weeks between the two machines. Like you ..... ive not been able to let go of my Xcals, CTX or Nox. Every time i use one of them i say...... dang i like this machine, but find myself using the Nox the most.

 

[NY Beach]

I will never have one unless I start hunting out of the water, wetsand and dry but from what I'm seeing it a great lite weight machine. I would suggest getting one for the lady and see how she likes it. Also, I see many doing well with the 600 as the 800.

What an excellent suggestion! And for the beach - the 600 does everything you need. I'm seeing them used at good prices...

 

[pasttom]

As usual Joe knows. Get one for the lady, but try it yourself. The few things the 600 lacks are not a big handicap beach hunting in my opinion.

 

[Mark kus]

I’ve never owned a CTX but I do a lot of beach hunting in the winter and I just dug two gold rings
With my nox.
I needed a lightweight machine because of my tennis elbow and it finds gold well my first winter with it
I hunt no discrimination 5 tones and highest sensitivity I can it works great for me .

 

[zigzag4]

I don't have a Nox but I've noticed that I have to keep my 920 scoop farther away from my CTX than any of my other machines or it will sound off. I have to drag it behind me or carry it on my shoulder. My other detectors include excals, a dual field and an aquasound. Does this mean the CTX detects deeper targets than the others?

 

[Mark kus]

I don't have a Nox but I've noticed that I have to keep my 920 scoop farther away from my CTX than any of my other machines or it will sound off. I have to drag it behind me or carry it on my shoulder. My other detectors include excals, a dual field and an aquasound. Does this mean the CTX detects deeper targets than the others?

Same with the nox you have to keep it behind you I use a shovel on the beach to many rocks and I can hit grassy areas near the beach without having to go back to car to get shovel