ctx depth question

[Roland58]

Very true. We do have areas of high iron (red clay), but, these finds were made in good soil and away from EMI, as you said. As a side note, this machine is a lot better at handling EMI than my F75, however, it is much more sensitive to iron interference.....like being close to a metal playground equipment pole. (this is with the stock coil, the little 6" will get a little closer, but, not much!)

I know the CTX will hit a quarter more than 8".........I've seen it and done it. I have hit 12" quarters and 9" dimes/pennies. These may well be the exceptions rather than the rules, but, I know it can be done.

I believe it depends on soil conditions too. You must have some really good soil. I tend to max at 8" on a penny or dime. Quarters max at about 9"-9 1/2" here. EMI may play a part in my differences too. Maybe you are in a EMI free environment or there is very little of it around.

 

[foreign object]

Wondering if you have resolved your depth issues?

If not just for the heck of it try this and see what happens.
Patern--wide open/no disc.
Separation mode.-- ferrous coin
Tone I'd to --2 tone ferrous
Tone break at --24
Sen. -- manual. 26

The tone break can vary but 24 opens it up.

Now you should get a high tone. If not take note. If it low tones it is mask out by something ferrous above the target.

My CTX will bang a 8" dime with those setting using a 6" coil so the quarter should be no problem short of very bad soil, bad emi or coil/detector problems.

 

[hiluxyota]

I didn't use your settings ,but I did crank up manual sens to 22 ,and toggled to non disc screen in coins mode and it was hitting the quarter hard ,but the curser was jumping around pretty bad. And the depth only displayed 7 inches ..so I think the machine is doing its job. It's more of my lack of experience with it...at least now I learned if I get a deep chirp ,I can toggle to open disc to get a harder hit. Does the curser and numbers jump on your machine when you toggle to the open screen to check a Target???

 

[hiluxyota]

I'm definely getting the 6 inch after a little hunt time. I have the 5x8 on my at pro and I never put the larger one back on after using it. Makes a huge difference on that machine.....

 

[Larry (IL)]

Was this an air test done inside?

 

[hiluxyota]

No. It was on a clad 8" deep quarter I burried last summer. It mite have been jumping around due to emit also ,since its close to the house. An air test inside with a quarter on the floor is around 6" ,but I know inside air tests aren't real accurate..when I lay the machine in stock coins mode on the table ,and hold a 12 inch ruler to the coil it hardly reads a quarter at 8 to 8 a half " which I assume isn't accurate also. Have to wait for warmer weather so I can really see what it does on depth ..

 

[foreign object]

I didn't use your settings ,but I did crank up manual sens to 22 ,and toggled to non disc screen in coins mode and it was hitting the quarter hard ,but the curser was jumping around pretty bad. And the depth only displayed 7 inches ..so I think the machine is doing its job. It's more of my lack of experience with it...at least now I learned if I get a deep chirp ,I can toggle to open disc to get a harder hit. Does the curser and numbers jump on your machine when you toggle to the open screen to check a Target???

You know i would think you could hit the quarter with the disc. patern if you can hit it with a open patern unless you have somthing in the hole or real close that is disc.out and covering it up.

And yes i get a good bit of bounce in the numbers but a lot of it is in the coil swing. Another thing that causes a lot of bounce in the numbers is trash close to the target. Which leads be to beleive that your heavy disc. patern is the reason you cannot hit the coin without changing to a open patern You know where your quarter is so just wiggle it over the target with coil touching the ground and it should lock in on the target.

You know i am new to the ctx also so take everything i say knowing that but i will add.
At this point i am after the cleanest target tone i can get and that has been at this time using TTF and 2 conductive tones.I am working on some disc paterns with those two tone profiles but not sure where it will lead.

 

[Doctorcoinz]

The depth of the CTX 3030 is the same as the explorers. Depth of detection is limited totally by complex mathematics with regard to the coil electromagnetic field. Depth of detection on the next generation detectors even in 20 years time will still be the same as we get today.
Depth limits have been reached 20 years ago , all you get with top of the range detectors these days is more bells and whistles , better discrimination. 8 - 10 inches is all any one will ever get on a single coin of average size , really big coins add 2 inches.

 

[AngelicStorm]

The depth of the CTX 3030 is the same as the explorers. Depth of detection is limited totally by complex mathematics with regard to the coil electromagnetic field. Depth of detection on the next generation detectors even in 20 years time will still be the same as we get today.
Depth limits have been reached 20 years ago , all you get with top of the range detectors these days is more bells and whistles , better discrimination. 8 - 10 inches is all any one will ever get on a single coin of average size , really big coins add 2 inches.

How come I saw some youtube videos of people detecting in Europe getting 1-2 feet down? This was a few years ago I saw this. I am not to sure it was real, but what you say does seem true for my 3030 in my area.

 

[Roland58]

Hey Doc,
Your statement about current day detectors having reached a finite depth capability that will not be exceeded by detectors of 20 years in the future is quite a prediction. I have to respectfully disagree and predict that detectors in 20 years will have capabilities that can only be imagined at this time. I'm sure yours is a superior knowledge of detector operation than mine, by a large margin, however, I have to look at the advancements made in all forms of electronics in the past 20 years and it is mind boggling......metal detectors fall in this category. I agree with the "bells and whistles" comment, but, I can't help but think that future machines will have much better depth and target discrimination than today's.
I probably won't be around to find out, but, if I am, I would like to go on a hunt with you and your current machine and me with my new one!! In this case, I have to hope you are mistaken. If, in 20 years, you are correct, I will stand corrected.

 

[GateKeeper]

The depth of the CTX 3030 is the same as the explorers. Depth of detection is limited totally by complex mathematics with regard to the coil electromagnetic field. Depth of detection on the next generation detectors even in 20 years time will still be the same as we get today.
Depth limits have been reached 20 years ago , all you get with top of the range detectors these days is more bells and whistles , better discrimination. 8 - 10 inches is all any one will ever get on a single coin of average size , really big coins add 2 inches.

I whole heartedly disagree. You are trying to compare an analog machine (Explorer) to a digital machine (CTX 3030). Whilst the Explorer is a very good machine, it fails in comparison and the CTX will go much deeper than you think. With the smart coil technology transferring the information to the processor, and canceling out any unwanted EMI, the CTX then delivers more power into the ground which means deeper coin/relic recovery. I myself have recovered many coins such as Indian pennies to the depth of 12". But then again it also depends on the matrix of one's soil how deep their machine will go. Even in higher levels of mineralized soil, a digital machine with smart coil technologies will far succeed than those with analog technology. So as far as your statement of depth limits reaching their full potential 20 years ago, I myself have to totally disagree with that. And with the impending technologies advancing, I still see superior machines being made in the future.

 

[wildherre]

not always deep

 

[Johnnyanglo]

Soil variables:
1. Is the coin still flat or has it shifted?
2. Has the coin sunk?
3. Is there iron flakes / iron contamination in the soil?
4. Was it placed deeper or covered deeper than thought?
5. Are you near electronics/power supply (EMI)

Detector maximization:
1. Don't use discrimination
2. Use Auto +3 or Manual Sens
3. Increase the coil size
4. Don't enable Ground Balance (do not auto GB)
5. Make sure to Auto Noise Cancel
6. Make sure coil swing is horizontal, close to ground, and slow

If the soil is free of iron, still horizontal, hasn't sunk, depth is correct, no EMI, and detector is set to maximize depth, then 8" is the maximum for your soil condition on a quarter. If you move to a different soil matrix (which can be a few yards away) the maximum effective depth will change. At the beach you may get 12" on a quarter, at the park 9", at a ghost town 8", in mineralized soil 6", in nail strewn ground 4". The CTX will get better depth in highly mineralized ground than most other detectors. In low-med mineralized soil there are some detectors that are deeper, some much deeper, however, they will not give accurate target ID at depth, and the CTX will (all things being equal). There is no perfect detector - it's give and take.

Johnnyanglo

 

[hiluxyota]

It definely hit harder when I manually changed the sens. But it was a bit unstable..could be emi ..I'm sure when I get more familiar with the machine and all the different settings ,I will be able to set it up ..can't wait till the ground thaws ...

 

[Roland58]

Very interesting and stimulating topic, indeed. I have to like johnnyanglo's take on the subject, "there is no perfect detector-it's give and take." I'm sure time will tell......say, about 20 years?

 

[AngelicStorm]

Very interesting and stimulating topic, indeed. I have to like johnnyanglo's take on the subject, "there is no perfect detector-it's give and take." I'm sure time will tell......say, about 20 years?

Mark this in your little book. I'm taking note of it. Good analysis Johnny. I can just about verify your statement on soil conditions and depth based on my rather short experience so far with the CTX 3030.