ctx 3030 vs etrac

[fireball10x]

I have been detecting since 1970 and every time i get a new set something else comes out thats supposed to be better.More depth better descriminating better display better target id.My question is how much better is the new ctx 3030 over my etrac?Before the etrac I had the explorer which I loved and a sovern and a whites dfx 300 for back up.I just replaced the coil on the dfx,whites was nice enough to replace it with a 10-1/2 inch no charge and it works fine now they said it will get the same depth as the larger coil,and the warranty was run out good service from whites.But now I'm wondering if i should sell the whites and the etrac to get the ctx 3030?Is it that much better?

 

[OhioCoinHunter]

If I were in your situation, I'd keep the E-trac and buy either a 12x10 sef butterfly coil or an Ultimate 13. I personally have the 12x10 on my E-trac and highly recomment it. I believe either one of these coils would give you increased depth, allow you to hunt with greater sensitivity and give you better separation. You wouldn't have a waterproof detector, gps or the other bells & whistles but you'd have a detector that rivals the CTX 3030 at a fraction of the cost. Just my humble opinion.

 

[Smack]

OCH has a good point and would save you a pile of money and you would have a great detector set up no doubt. Plus you would have more than one machine for backup. That being said...I love my CTX. I put aside the Etrac since the CTX arrived and have made my adjustments and have it set up the way I like it. The other day I got a call to hunt for a lost ring in a large play area with pea gravel. So to cover the area I have a huge coil on the etrac still, so took it for the hunt. It did fine but no ring. So I took the CTX the next time and searched again. Though no ring was there I picked up several coins that I had missed with the Etrac. I think the CTX has much faster recovery and I am able to pick between targets better. It also has several helpful functions like target trace that in away gives you some idea about the quality or mix of the metal you are going over and you can see two or more targets at once. Initially I thought the GPS was useless for they way I hunt, but have found it to be very helpful in returning to the same spot, or in one case nearly getting lost in the mountains using it simply as a GPS to find my way out.

Overall I have not missed the Etrac and when I get the 17 coil for the CTX, I probably will sell it or keep it for a backup. Prior to CTX, the Etrac was the best out there for me. Now I have to say, CTX is the go to machine.

Hope that helps.

 

[detectorfreak74]

I was told the ctx 3030 is a waterproof etrac it it just about the same detector

 

[E-TREC-Virginia]

I'm going to wait until next year around this same time before I consider getting the CTX 3030. That will give Minelab a little over a year to resolve some the of current issues that the CTX has and a little more time for the users to see if any more issues surface. If all of the bugs have been worked out, then I'm going to get one, but keep my E-Trac as a backup machine.

 

[DukeOBass]

I would like to see all of the bugs worked out of the CTX before I'll buy one. It's a huge amount of money to pay for something that has the number of simple design issues it has. I also don't see many CTX posts that contain the amount of finds you will see on the E-trac forum.

 

[Ray-Mo.]

The CTX is much more accurate IDing than even the mighty E-Trac at depth .Balance is greatly improved as well.Bells and whistles mean nothing to me but performance means everything and after many hundreds of hours and over 3 years on the E-Trac I much prefer the CTX.The tones on silver are not as nice as on the E-Trac but not a big deal.

I have found that deep targets are spot on on the ferrous scale or they are junk 99% of the time.If the ferrous numbers drop down in the 1-7 range it is usually iron/nails.On the E-Trac I dug a ton of Indians at 8"+ that would read in the 1-8 ferrous range in my soil but the CTX remains steady even at depth with the ID numbers staying very close to the same from surface to 9" range here in SW MO.

I make the ferrous point as the E-Trac would wander even though the conductive numbers were/are very reliable as they also are on the CTX.

Iffy targets are just about a non-issue with the CTX after you get in tune with it and come to realize just how amazingly accurate the ID system is.

I also love the water proof feature as it is too hot and dry to hunt except in the water for me at the present.Love to recover silver & gold and the water has been giving up both.

Bottom line is unless you have the time and inclination to hunt often the upgrade might not be a good move.However if you can afford the CTX and you are a die-hard detectorist it should be a move you will not regret in my opinion.
Ray the E-Trac forum moderator

 

[DukeOBass]

Thanks for the insight Ray!

 

[hershey1]

Ditto what Ray said. If the CTX gives an iffy signal it is junk. The CTX goes deep Larry another moderator was digging CW bullets at 15 inchs the deepest target I have dug was a seated dime at 13 inchs. I still have my E-Trac with all the coils and intend to keep it. I do water hunt and the CTX performs very well there also. No the CTX 3030 is not a waterproof E-Trac. The faster processor and the machines ability to pull good targets from trashy areas is second to none. Is it the machine for everyone? Probably not but if you get a chance to try one do. The best machine is the one you know how to use and I am still learning the CTX but it is a fun learning experience. HH

 

[Goes4ever]

One thing I dislike after using the ctx is you absolutely HAVE to use the arm strap, doesnt seem like a big deal to you, well to me I simply cannot stand usingthe arm strap, eveytime you want to sit it down to dig you pull your arm out, I hate that. In 2.5 yrs I have never used the arm strap once with my etrac, why? Because it drives me nuts...but with the ctx you have NO choice, the backend is where the weight is and if you attempt to swing it without using the arm strap it is impossible to balance.

I used my buddies for an hour and a half and I liked the machine very much, but just not blown away so much that convinces me I need one instead of my etrac. I would like to try it again when I start hunting fields this fall, would like to see it in an enviroment that has 12 to 15 iron hits per swing. In this type of site i use my small coil and TTF with my etrac. If the ctx is way better in fields I might consider one......but I am not convinced yet. I think my etrac is pretty amazing and I think I do fairly well with it. Do I think spending 2400 bucks will get me better finds? I am just not sure.....would take a LOT of silver to pay it off.

 

[C&RHunter]

My E-Trac has only been used once since receiving the CTX on the third of June. Everyone must swing the machine differently. For myself, I don't like to use the arm strap either. However, the only time I have used it with the CTX, is when in the water, never when land hunting. I adjust the coil shaft either in or out, depending on the coil size, to maintain balance. For the most part the machine is balanced on the ring finger and little finger, with my thumb and other two fingers very lightly gripping the upper part of the grip to maintain the stability, and to keep the arm relaxed. As far as cost goes, it is a lot more than the E-Trac, but I have never worried about paying off, whatever brand or model my new machine was, with finds....Most hobbies are expensive, some a lot more than others. For me getting outside and using the machine is relaxing, and that "pays" for the machine in itself. Don't get me wrong, finding something of value is always nice, but often times, I have finds that are just cool, and do not have much if any actual value, that are satisfying for me. That's what is so good about this hobby. We approach it in different ways and with different goals, all for our own personal satisfaction. The CTX has some new features that I really like, but the E-Trac isn't going to be sold either. You just can't have too many machines in the arsenal.......HH

 

[DukeOBass]

Yikes! Another BIG downside. I have never used the arm strap either. That would be simply annoying. I don't understand why they had to design the CTX with a big honkin' battery on the end like that. They could have stuck with a slim line design like the E-trac adding an external, sealed battery pack like the Excal so it could be submersed and stayed away from the failure prone O ring seal. O rings always fail. I don't care what equipment they're on.

I think it's time for a redesigned CTX 3030 the CTX II or CTX 3030 pro. There are plenty of great ideas out there to cure all the short falls this seemingly "way over-priced" machine has.

 

[Goes4ever]

My E-Trac has only been used once since receiving the CTX on the third of June. Everyone must swing the machine differently. For myself, I don't like to use the arm strap either. However, the only time I have used it with the CTX, is when in the water, never when land hunting. I adjust the coil shaft either in or out, depending on the coil size, to maintain balance. For the most part the machine is balanced on the ring finger and little finger, with my thumb and other two fingers very lightly gripping the upper part of the grip to maintain the stability, and to keep the arm relaxed. As far as cost goes, it is a lot more than the E-Trac, but I have never worried about paying off, whatever brand or model my new machine was, with finds....Most hobbies are expensive, some a lot more than others. For me getting outside and using the machine is relaxing, and that "pays" for the machine in itself. Don't get me wrong, finding something of value is always nice, but often times, I have finds that are just cool, and do not have much if any actual value, that are satisfying for me. That's what is so good about this hobby. We approach it in different ways and with different goals, all for our own personal satisfaction. The CTX has some new features that I really like, but the E-Trac isn't going to be sold either. You just can't have too many machines in the arsenal.......HH

I simply don't know how you can use the CTX without the armstarp...I tried adjusting shaft length and it simply did not work for me, I used it ten minutes w/o the arm starp and it put so much pressure on my forearm it was unbearable. I can hunt with my etrac for 8 hrs straight, no breaks, and NEVER use the arm starp with zero fatigue

 

[C&RHunter]

I adjust it down to where it is 1/2" above the bottom of the arm cuff. Same as I did with the E-Trac and XS. It may not work for all, but seems to work for me. Like you, taking your arm in and out, is rather bothersome. Especially if you're in an area with a lot of targets, that need investigated...........HH

 

[Prep1957]

I hunted without the strap I think it is great machine but I too took it to areas that I had hunted was not impressed with my finds or depth will wait till next year or wait for version 2 maybe just did not give it enough time but lets face it it is big.Gasket problem has me looking at buying excal again.

 

[niterider_58]

I have been using the CTX since it came out, and I totally agree I never use the arm strap even on the CTX I don't use it don't notice any balance difference to me. Is it better than the E track.... Not so far for the money difference, will it find you silver that the E track can hit..... Well crap it will at times that was hard for me to say but it is true, 6 inch coin that we been over 100 times and was not detected, the CTX. Hit it all the way around my E track hit it one way will I buy one maybe once the bugs get worked out but not yet and if I do I'm still keeping the E track. There's good and bad on both machines, just not enough good yet on the CTX to make me buy one.

 

[Jressman]

I never use the arm cuff. At first it was awkward but now it's comfortable that way. I extend the shaft almost all the way and it balances out a lot better.

I still have my Etrac and plan on taking it out this weekend, but I will say the CTX is a superior machine hands down for a number of reasons. In iron it will blow away an Etrac. I was never that impressed with the Etrac in iron to begin with. In Conductive mode it falsed a lot, and in TTF the going was uber slow, and I felt I was losing depth because I had to run a lower auto sensitivity because of the open screen, and everyone knows deeper targets dont ID as well and many times on the Etrac cross over into the Iron low grunt range if the FE numbers are elivated because of depth. I can honestly say I have never dug a target deeper than 7 inches in TTF.

The fast reacovery speed of the CTX coupled with the Combined Mode and Ferrous/Coin setting you can weed through iron just as fast as clean ground. Its so nice to be able to set your ferrous breakpoint on the CTX as opposed to the Etracs set breakpoint of 17FE I think it is. I also really like the different audio bins, you know right away when you hit a high conductor like silver or copper thats hiding in a bed of nails. Another thing thats very impressive is the machine will ID correctly at extreme depths and the FE numbers dont wander around nearlly as much as on the Etrac. It also has no problem finding deep targets in Iron where I felt the Etrac had a tough time clearly seeing good targets in TTF that were deeper than 5 inches.

I just took my CTX to a park I have given up on after me and my buddy hunted 2 times both with Etracs and came up with some clad and a wheat cent. The iron here is insane. There is no threshold to be had here using my Etrac. In TTF it still struggled, though less. Within the first hour with my CTX in combined mode I scored a deep Barber Dime, and another deep signal was a silver religious pendant. I know for a fact my Etrac had been over that same spot.

Its waterproof. I have been caught in sudden downpours and its nice not to have to run for shelter while covering up your detector with anything you can. I enjoy hunting in rain.

I will say in my experience the Etrac under ideal ground conditions will sound off better on deeper targets when running it super hot. Last time I took my Etrac to a spot like this I got a 1797 Large Cent in an area I had gridded thouroughly with my CTX3030. The Etrac made a louder "Thunking" sound and it caught my attention. That coin had to be a real world 12 inches deep.....

In a wide open field thats not bad on Iron I'll grab my Etrac over the CTX., unfortunatly those sights are few and far between so the CTX is the new work horse.

 

[squirrel1]

I have both ctx and etrac. In iron ctx wins hands down. You can cover more ground in the same amount of time with CTX vs etrac. Comparing both in auto sensitivity CTX wins. CTX is quieter, less iron falses. And these falses you get with etrac can cause you to miss a target. The CTX is better at picking out coins on edge. Don'rt know why but it is bases on my finindings. The target ID is more steady vs etrac. The recovery is faster on CTX and helps when it starts getting trashy. The etrac is still a very good machine.

 

[Big Boys Hobbies]

Fireball, feel free to call me and bend my ear. Ask me every question you ot! I have swung the E-Trac for years and love it. The CTX though, once unleashed is eye opening. 405-206-9010 Bart.

 

[fireball10x]

Well thanks guys for all your input and comparisons of the 2 detectors.I have been detecting for 40+ years and there seems to be a newer and better detector every year or so,the first detector i had was a garret bfo and did i dig alot of holes with that!nails pulltabs foil bottlecaps and coins but mainly junk,then my friend bought a whites 1db and it had a discriminator i was amazed he was digging coins but it was a tr or high frequency discriminator so he didn't get alot of depth and then i checked out whites detectors and found they were making a 6000di vlf with low frequency discriminator and it worked great on deeper coins in high mineralized soil,well my friend was finding new coins and i was finding old ones.Well then after a while i was reading a treasure magazine and seen the technetics coin computer with target id and i had to have one,so within a week i had it and it was great i could tell the difference between a clad and silver coin by id and the numbers and it was lighter and had an lcd display and did i find alot of coins with that and some were very deep ! I remember finding a dime that was around 9 inches with it,and back then there were old coins every where i looked not to many people had detectors back then.Well and then came notch filters so you could find nickles and some rings without digging nails and tabs,since then i had whites,Garrett,fisher,compass and i didn't notice alot more depth maybe a little on some and then minelab detectors came out so i bought a sovereign and then a explorer 2 and that did get more depth it was different getting used to the sounds but i got used to it and then bought a wot coil and found even deeper coins.One thing i noticed over the years of doing this is when you go back to a spot you hit pretty hard a year or so ago you find more coins and i think the reason for it is the ground freezing and thawing and rain moves the coins that were on edge and now your detector can detect them,just my 2 cents.So sometimes a guy gets a new detector and goes back to a spot he detected and finds more coins and thinks it's the new detector and he probably would have found them with his old one.The one thing i did notice about the etrac was finding coins in the same hole with nails or other metal when other sets wouldn't detect them.The operator knowing how to get the most out of his detector means alot,I seen alot of guys use the preset programs and that's alright for getting used to using it.I had people pick up a set that i adjusted and they said how can you use that and i told them i had it set for maximum depth so i could hear the deep coins and put up with a little extra noise but at the end of the day i had the deep old coins.I may hold off on the ctx 3030 for a bit and see what happens,it may end up like the explorer they had the xs,ex2,and now se,who knows next year it may be the ctx 3030 se,or pro improved model. Advancements in electronics are moving so fast as soon as you buy something it's outdated LOL! Thanks again I'm always looking for better performance but some of the bells and whistles on the ctx i don't think are needed like the gps?I will probably end up with one but i may wait till spring and see if they improve anything. Take care good luck detecting