CTX3030 vs Excal/GT Info Please.....

[73cj5]

Not looking to start a machine war here. I have the opportunity to upgrade to a CTX3030 due to a win at the Minelab AC hunt. trade in / cash on my end.


I currently use a Sov GT/Excalibur for the Jersey/DE beaches.



1. Has anyone switched from the Sov/Excal to the CTX? If so, negatives and positives please.



I run a S12 on the excal and a WOT on the Sov GT.

I use a pro swing with the Sov GT so the weight issue should be fine.

I do not dive, waist/chest deep hunting with the excal only.



2. Will the CTX replace both of those machines?


If I don't do it with a trade in I will not likely be able to do it at all. $2500 cant be hidden that easily

Thanks for the input!!

 

[hershey1]

You should do a search for BCNJ (Buried Crap New Jersey) . He has used the Excall and still does at times but has posted a bunch of finds with his 3030. I use both and would not think about getting rid of either machine. BUT if I could only have one machine it would be the CTX 3030. Theres just not anything out there to compare it too for all the machine can do. HH Do not pay $ 2500.00. Call these sponsers any of them will beat that.

 

[nagov]

Here are my thoughts since I have a CTX, two Excals and had a GT. I primarily hunt the water (Gulf) and wet sand, when I would go to hunt knowing I would be hunting the wet sand and not the water, the GT came out to play, I loved how the machine worked BUT there were to many times that I wanted to go into the water so I bought an Excal. I switched over to the Excal and used it for both wet and water hunting unless the surf was to bad, then the GT came out again. When I bought the CTX, I used it for a few weeks (during the peak season) and had trouble learning the machine, I found out I had a coil problem so it got sent in for a checkup, while it was gone, I went on a tear with the Excal on gold. When the CTX came back and was working properly, I hit on some gold and it kept on coming, the GT sat and eventually got sold, I bought yet another Excal (blue) and have gone off the CTX for a few weeks just to try the Excals....I did get gold but not what I have been getting with the CTX. Now the Excals are just a backup machines, which will eventually get sold when I decide to get a second CTX to use as a backup.

BUT

Like any machine, IF you don't take the time to learn what all the machine is telling you, you will not get the most out of the CTX and the Excal./ GT would be a better combination. There is just to much information given to the operator (on the CTX) as to what the target is under the coil. Target Trace is an amazing tool and the ability of the machine to show more than one target is another. The CTX is not infallible and can be fooled as can any machine (and hunter) but with the additional information available, you can make a better decision whether to dig or not.

AND

You will have to take care of the CTX and be a little more diligent of maintenance. I have close to or over 400 hours with the unit submerged in the Gulf, I had one minor leakage problem because I took a shortcut once in my usual routine..... hasn't happened again and I feel confident it won't provided I take the time to take care of the machine. I have used it in rough water recently, and had no leakage but I can't say this is a machine I would used daily in the surf, but then again, I'm not someone that could regularly hunt rough water daily either.

My GT had to go, it hadn't been out in a year, the Excals have only been used as backups with the exception of when I got the blue, I wanted to see it get gold, it did and it now sits.....if this continues, next year, the Excals will go and I'll have a backup CTX unless someone comes out with a better water machine,

Cliff

 

[goodmore]

Either will do for beach hunting. I also dirt hunt so the choice of the CTX was easy for me. The Excals are great machines. I love the Sovereign for wet sand hunting myself. Is it worth the upgrade? If you dirt hunt then I would say yes. Will it replace your other detectors on the beach? Only if you want it to. If you hunt AC the CTX will do much better in the iron. Other than that I really don't think the CTX offers much more on th beach. The target ID and all those things that make the CTX special are out of play in the sand and water. If it beeps dig it.

 

[73cj5]

Thank you very much for the replies. I do dirt hunt so that is another plus for the CTX.

I do water hunt, but the wet sand is my primary area.

When I am at the beach I am running Tesoro in the dry, GT in the wet, Excal in the water.

My excal is modified with OBN's pinpoint mod and a S12 coil. For what I have into it I will probably keep it as a back up/water machine.

I can use the CTX on the Wet/Dry and dirt.

I would offload the GT and my coil collection.

I originally was looking at a Deus for the dirt, but it would not be a player in the water/wet.

 

[NJCTXUSER]

I replace the internal battery seal yearly. I also wrap a large rubber band over the seal for extra protection. Thought I would add my two cents on that. I did have an excal blue model and felt it to be a funner machine with better underwater aerodynamics but when I go hunting I think I get better results with the ctx

Here are my thoughts since I have a CTX, two Excals and had a GT. I primarily hunt the water (Gulf) and wet sand, when I would go to hunt knowing I would be hunting the wet sand and not the water, the GT came out to play, I loved how the machine worked BUT there were to many times that I wanted to go into the water so I bought an Excal. I switched over to the Excal and used it for both wet and water hunting unless the surf was to bad, then the GT came out again. When I bought the CTX, I used it for a few weeks (during the peak season) and had trouble learning the machine, I found out I had a coil problem so it got sent in for a checkup, while it was gone, I went on a tear with the Excal on gold. When the CTX came back and was working properly, I hit on some gold and it kept on coming, the GT sat and eventually got sold, I bought yet another Excal (blue) and have gone off the CTX for a few weeks just to try the Excals....I did get gold but not what I have been getting with the CTX. Now the Excals are just a backup machines, which will eventually get sold when I decide to get a second CTX to use as a backup.

BUT

Like any machine, IF you don't take the time to learn what all the machine is telling you, you will not get the most out of the CTX and the Excal./ GT would be a better combination. There is just to much information given to the operator (on the CTX) as to what the target is under the coil. Target Trace is an amazing tool and the ability of the machine to show more than one target is another. The CTX is not infallible and can be fooled as can any machine (and hunter) but with the additional information available, you can make a better decision whether to dig or not.

AND

You will have to take care of the CTX and be a little more diligent of maintenance. I have close to or over 400 hours with the unit submerged in the Gulf, I had one minor leakage problem because I took a shortcut once in my usual routine..... hasn't happened again and I feel confident it won't provided I take the time to take care of the machine. I have used it in rough water recently, and had no leakage but I can't say this is a machine I would used daily in the surf, but then again, I'm not someone that could regularly hunt rough water daily either.

My GT had to go, it hadn't been out in a year, the Excals have only been used as backups with the exception of when I got the blue, I wanted to see it get gold, it did and it now sits.....if this continues, next year, the Excals will go and I'll have a backup CTX unless someone comes out with a better water machine,

Cliff

 

[Tony in FL]

You will have to take care of the CTX and be a little more diligent of maintenance. I have close to or over 400 hours with the unit submerged in the Gulf, I had one minor leakage problem because I took a shortcut once in my usual routine..... hasn't happened again and I feel confident it won't provided I take the time to take care of the machine. I have used it in rough water recently, and had no leakage but I can't say this is a machine I would used daily in the surf, but then again, I'm not someone that could regularly hunt rough water daily either.

Cliff - I am in the process of learning the CTX (coming over from an Excalibur II 800 and 1000) and hunting on the gulf side of FL. Can I ask what is your regular maintenance that has kept your CTX happy in the salt water environment?

Tony

 

[owen kitto]

i have just sold my GT for an CTX hope i don't regret this for salt water the GT was very good

 

[Fletch88]

i have just sold my GT for an CTX hope i don't regret this for salt water the GT was very good

I did the same and regretted it from day one. On wetsand I still like the Sovereign with the 13 Ultimate best! I don't like wearing a harness and the 17" coil is just too much without it. The GT with the ultimate is just about neutral balanced as is my Excal 1000 with rear mount carbon fiber rod and PP mod.

 

[ScottL64]

I have an Excal II which i have been using on archaeological digs above and below water. Im thinking of getting a CTX3030 for this years dig which is a land site. There is no rubbish so every target is some old relic. Will there be any advantage with the CTX over the Excal in such a site or are they both comparable as far as sensitivity goes? Reading this forum the CTX seems good at telling good stuff fromjunk but would it be much use in a site with no junk where we will dig every target? Thanks

 

[Overvoltage]

ScottL64, you said "There is no rubbish so every target is some old relic. Will there be any advantage with the CTX over the Excal in such a site or are they both comparable as far as sensitivity goes?" I believe the CTX would be acceptable in your situation however its strong suit IS its discriminating ability, to find the good targets among the junk. You can make it a beep and dig machine, run it with an open screen and one tone for all targets. That way you wont be tempted to skip the junk but that defeats the purpose of the CTX3030's abilities. It will go deep and will detect all targets. With that said, if you are digging all targets I do not think the CTX3030 has an advantage/benefit over the Excal II. In an archaeological dig where every target will be dug wouldn't it be better to have a pulse induction machine like the Garrett Infinium LS, or ATX, or the Minelab GPX series? One area I can think of that the CTX would have an advantage is the GPS. However, the accuracy of the GPS in my opinion is not precise enough for archaeological work. Of course this is just my opinion.

 

[ScottL64]

Thanks for the info overvoltage. I will do some research on those other machines you mention. I was considering it fior the gps also for mapping the site but it probably isnt accurate enough but is any gps? cheers

 

[73cj5]

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