Hello All,
Before the CTX, I had a Garret AT MAX, but decided to get a CTX as it's a better machine all round, especially at the beach. I’ve had the CTX for a few months now. I live in Phuket and use it most evenings on the beaches around the island. I’m mostly hunting for gold rings, although other jewellery, coins etc, are also targets I look for. For the first two months all was good.
About two weeks ago though when I turned it on and began to use it, I noticed the tones I was getting for targets were different. They were, unstable, chirpy, and less audible. The target ID’s on the screen were also jumping around a lot more than normal. I checked and rechecked the settings, and they were as I had them before when the tones and target ID's were working normally. I factory reset the machine, and reprogrammed the settings I’d been using, but it didn't solve the problem. I carried on using it anyway, and adapted to the new and slightly different tones.
Then, a couple of nights ago while on a beach, I tested the CTX using two gold rings. One was a 24kt ladies wedding band, the second was an 18kt ladies band with 10 small diamonds. Actually, the second one I mention is a ring I found a few weeks earlier at a depth of around 7 inches in wet sand. When I found it, it had a tone as you’d expect from a CTX, with a steady target ID of 12.23. I did the ring tests the other night on the same beach, in roughly the same place, with the same settings.
I placed the rings one at a time in 6 inch deep holes, and covered them with sand. The rings I placed flat (Not on their sides / edges). The tones I heard for the both rings were either no tones at all, or a few chirps. and the target ID’s for both rings were all over the place from 3.50 up to 33.40 or something. Certainly something I wouldn’t dig, and started kicking myself for all possible iron targets I'd been ignoring which could have been gold.
So the settings I've been using before, and for the tests...
Mode: Beach 2.
Disc Pattern: All open apart from one thin line at the bottom of the screen.
Tone ID Profile: Same as standard beach mode.
Response: Normal.
Recovery Fast: Off.
Recovery Deep: Off
Seawater: Off in dry sand / turn on in wet sand (I've been told having it turned on will loose some depth.
Target Separation: Low Trash. (If use high trash then target ID's and tones are even more unstable).
Pinpoint Normal.
Sensitivity: Auto+3.
Target Trace: On.
Target Trace Pinpoint: On.
Ground Balance: Disabled.
Volume Gain: 27.
Threshold Level: Varies depending on where I am.
Volume Limit: Varies.
Threshold Pitch: Usually around 21.
Pinpoint Lock: Off.
I'm using the standard 11" coil it came with, and I've checked the connections are tight. I also use it with the coil cover on, but always remove to rinse with fresh water after every hunt. My phone is turned to airplane mode when I'm detecting, and there's are no new electrical interference possibilities I'm aware of.
I was thinking about getting an Equinox for the Mrs, but now because of these issues with the CTX, I'm not sure whether to get one, or another machine like the Makro Multi Cruiser.
I bought the CTX brand new of a dealer on eBay when I was in the UK three months ago. I assumed the warranty would start then, but I've just found a warranty card which I should have sent to Minelab within one month of purchasing it. I haven't contacted Minelab because of this, as I guess any warranty is now void as I missed the 30 day window?
I'm hoping this is a minor issue caused by myself missing sometime simple in the settings, which can be easily fixed by changing something in minutes.
If it matters, I can't use the Xchange app, as I only have Macs, both at home, and at my business. Everyone I know who has a computer, also uses a Mac.
Any help or advice, very appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Rgds, Matt
Before the CTX, I had a Garret AT MAX, but decided to get a CTX as it's a better machine all round, especially at the beach. I’ve had the CTX for a few months now. I live in Phuket and use it most evenings on the beaches around the island. I’m mostly hunting for gold rings, although other jewellery, coins etc, are also targets I look for. For the first two months all was good.
About two weeks ago though when I turned it on and began to use it, I noticed the tones I was getting for targets were different. They were, unstable, chirpy, and less audible. The target ID’s on the screen were also jumping around a lot more than normal. I checked and rechecked the settings, and they were as I had them before when the tones and target ID's were working normally. I factory reset the machine, and reprogrammed the settings I’d been using, but it didn't solve the problem. I carried on using it anyway, and adapted to the new and slightly different tones.
Then, a couple of nights ago while on a beach, I tested the CTX using two gold rings. One was a 24kt ladies wedding band, the second was an 18kt ladies band with 10 small diamonds. Actually, the second one I mention is a ring I found a few weeks earlier at a depth of around 7 inches in wet sand. When I found it, it had a tone as you’d expect from a CTX, with a steady target ID of 12.23. I did the ring tests the other night on the same beach, in roughly the same place, with the same settings.
I placed the rings one at a time in 6 inch deep holes, and covered them with sand. The rings I placed flat (Not on their sides / edges). The tones I heard for the both rings were either no tones at all, or a few chirps. and the target ID’s for both rings were all over the place from 3.50 up to 33.40 or something. Certainly something I wouldn’t dig, and started kicking myself for all possible iron targets I'd been ignoring which could have been gold.
So the settings I've been using before, and for the tests...
Mode: Beach 2.
Disc Pattern: All open apart from one thin line at the bottom of the screen.
Tone ID Profile: Same as standard beach mode.
Response: Normal.
Recovery Fast: Off.
Recovery Deep: Off
Seawater: Off in dry sand / turn on in wet sand (I've been told having it turned on will loose some depth.
Target Separation: Low Trash. (If use high trash then target ID's and tones are even more unstable).
Pinpoint Normal.
Sensitivity: Auto+3.
Target Trace: On.
Target Trace Pinpoint: On.
Ground Balance: Disabled.
Volume Gain: 27.
Threshold Level: Varies depending on where I am.
Volume Limit: Varies.
Threshold Pitch: Usually around 21.
Pinpoint Lock: Off.
I'm using the standard 11" coil it came with, and I've checked the connections are tight. I also use it with the coil cover on, but always remove to rinse with fresh water after every hunt. My phone is turned to airplane mode when I'm detecting, and there's are no new electrical interference possibilities I'm aware of.
I was thinking about getting an Equinox for the Mrs, but now because of these issues with the CTX, I'm not sure whether to get one, or another machine like the Makro Multi Cruiser.
I bought the CTX brand new of a dealer on eBay when I was in the UK three months ago. I assumed the warranty would start then, but I've just found a warranty card which I should have sent to Minelab within one month of purchasing it. I haven't contacted Minelab because of this, as I guess any warranty is now void as I missed the 30 day window?
I'm hoping this is a minor issue caused by myself missing sometime simple in the settings, which can be easily fixed by changing something in minutes.
If it matters, I can't use the Xchange app, as I only have Macs, both at home, and at my business. Everyone I know who has a computer, also uses a Mac.
Any help or advice, very appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Rgds, Matt
