E-Trac Pointers

[davemd]

Hoping you E-trac experts might be able to help me out. I bought the V3 about a month or so ago, but always wondered if I made the right choice on it over the E-Trac. Well, I am going to be getting a chance to find out which detector works best for me in my environment. My brother in law bought an E-Trac a while back and is just not interested in learning it and mastering it so he ahs decided to sell it. I was able to talk him in to letting me try it out for a month or so before he puts it up for sale.

So, that's the deal. Hoping to get some help that will get me up and running a little quicker with the E-Trac so I can give it a good test in my small window of opportunity. I have already downloaded the manual and read it, and I also picked up Andy Sabisch's book and started reading it last night.

Any tips or helps that might help me get going and avoid the newbie pitfalls with the E-Trac? Oh, my main area of interest is coin shooting and I live in an area with moderate to bad soil mineralization (Maryland), and some nasty EMI problems at lots of sites.

Thanks in advance!!
Dave

 

[tmanfromtexas]

My simple advice is this. keep it on coin mode, I use 4 tones, deep on, ground difficult, dig all high tones at all depths and mid tones that are at about 5 inches or more. Use it, Use it, Use it. TMAN...

 

[Nick A]

My simple advice is this. keep it on coin mode, I use 4 tones, deep on, ground difficult, dig all high tones at all depths and mid tones that are at about 5 inches or more. Use it, Use it, Use it. TMAN...

In one sentence, that's about it, except I prefer maxing out the tones, but I think that's more a personal preference thing.

 

[Ray-Mo.]

You should have a lot less EMI or RFI interference with the E-Trac and crown caps will not be an issue either,Ray.

 

[davemd]

You should have a lot less EMI or RFI interference with the E-Trac and crown caps will not be an issue either,Ray.

I had heard that caps come in a lot like IH pennies on the E-Trac, at least I think it was the E-trac. Is there some easy way to tell tehm apart?

Thanks for all the tips so far. I was impressed with how much simpler running the E-Trac is compared to the V3 when reding the manual. Haven't actually got it in my hands and in the field yet though.

Dave

 

[Ray-Mo.]

I was referring to the rusty pop bottle crown caps that read quarter on the V3 and do not make a peep on the E-Trac in coin mode,Ray.

 

[jer4004]

I was referring to the rusty pop bottle crown caps that read quarter on the V3 and do not make a peep on the E-Trac in coin mode,Ray.

Actually they don't make a peep on the V3 either if the user knows what he is doing. Me personally I dig them depending on were I am hunting because they can hide deeper silver no matter what you hunt with.

 

[Sonny(IN)]

I was referring to the rusty pop bottle crown caps that read quarter on the V3 and do not make a peep on the E-Trac in coin mode,Ray.

Actually they don't make a peep on the V3 either if the user knows what he is doing. Me personally I dig them depending on were I am hunting because they can hide deeper silver no matter what you hunt with.

IS THERE A SECRET TO AVOIDING THE RUSTY CAPS. I HAVE READ MORE THAN ONCE THAT THEY SEEM TO BE A PROBLEM.. ANY ADVICE WOULD BE APPRECIATED..THANKS IN ADVANCE

 

[Ray-Mo.]

Sure they don't make a peep if you notch out quarters as that is what 99% of them peep and ID at. It can be tweeked with the bottle cap reject cranked up to break up their response but at the same time many of your good target responses loose some quality as well and the deep coin signals suffer the most.
You might max out the disc. and bottle cap reject and not get a peep if you are hunting for shallow clad.
The caps I was reffering to are the deeper rusted ones at the same depth as the older coins at any given sight.They sound and ID as a quarter and if I was to dig them as you stated I would be worn out from the hundreds or even thousands to be found at many older sights.However I have used the E-Trac in the exact same places with great success finding many silver and Indians in the same holes containig caps but never get a signal from the caps alone much less a good signal with coin IDs from one.

 

[jer4004]

Sure they don't make a peep if you notch out quarters as that is what 99% of them peep and ID at. It can be tweeked with the bottle cap reject cranked up to break up their response but at the same time many of your good target responses loose some quality as well and the deep coin signals suffer the most.
You might max out the disc. and bottle cap reject and not get a peep if you are hunting for shallow clad.
The caps I was reffering to are the deeper rusted ones at the same depth as the older coins at any given sight.They sound and ID as a quarter and if I was to dig them as you stated I would be worn out from the hundreds or even thousands to be found at many older sights.However I have used the E-Trac in the exact same places with great success finding many silver and Indians in the same holes containig caps but never get a signal from the caps alone much less a good signal with coin IDs from one.

Think what you want the V3 users that are having bottle cap problems are not utilizing the analyze screen or just inexperienced, bottle caps even the deep rusty ones always peek the 22.5KHz or the 7.5KHz frequency not the 2.5KHz which peeks on silver or copper. I cant believe all the opinions about the V3 It hasn't been out long enough for anyone to master but everyones an expert. I am no expert either but I do know when there is a bottle cap under the coil of my V3 then I can decide to dig or not.

 

[davew0710]

I had heard that caps come in a lot like IH pennies on the E-Trac, at least I think it was the E-trac. Is there some easy way to tell them apart?

Listen.
If you dig enough caps, you can learn the difference of the tones. I'm working a very trashy park that has some Indian heads in it. After digging a a lot caps, you certainly learn the difference.

 

[jbow]

My Buddy has a V-3 and using the analize screen he can tell a bottlecap from a quarter and a bent pulltab from a nickel... of course, generally I can tell what's under the coil of the ET too.

That analize screen is really impressive and I think after a year's experience with it.. it will be a great machine and a perfect compliment to the ET and the Tejon.

 

[jbow]

if you are relic hunting switch to 2 tone ferrous. In fact I sometimes coin hunt in 2 tone ferrous. It is a solid simple beep and with the fixed conductive curve you can tell what's under the coil from the conductive number, if the ferrous number is under 25, give or take. If the ferrous number is over 30 it's almost always iron. The conductive number tends to lock on and stay steady shallow or deep. It works for me, especially in "hunted out" areas.

J

 

[Arturo de Zorro]

number as Indian Head pennies but don't find that many Indians here. What I do to tell a screw cap is lift the coil about six inches and if it still gives a signal it's a screw cap (you can use this trick on other large high tone signals), a coin will not signal when the coil is lifted that high. Happy trails 2 U..

 

[gregliss]

Hoping you E-trac experts might be able to help me out. I bought the V3 about a month or so ago, but always wondered if I made the right choice on it over the E-Trac. Well, I am going to be getting a chance to find out which detector works best for me in my environment. My brother in law bought an E-Trac a while back and is just not interested in learning it and mastering it so he ahs decided to sell it. I was able to talk him in to letting me try it out for a month or so before he puts it up for sale.

So, that's the deal. Hoping to get some help that will get me up and running a little quicker with the E-Trac so I can give it a good test in my small window of opportunity. I have already downloaded the manual and read it, and I also picked up Andy Sabisch's book and started reading it last night.

Any tips or helps that might help me get going and avoid the newbie pitfalls with the E-Trac? Oh, my main area of interest is coin shooting and I live in an area with moderate to bad soil mineralization (Maryland), and some nasty EMI problems at lots of sites.

Thanks in advance!!
Dave

Coin Pattern is good, but if your after deepies I'd recommend Andy's Coin pattern (someone post a link please). Reason being, it is very common to see large shifts in the FE numbers at extreme depths.....both up and down, you really need to be within 6-9" (depending on soil etc) for the Tgt ID to really 'lock on'.......however tones will be spot on (little or no shift in CO numbers) . Alternatively, you could open up the coin pattern down to about FE 24 which should cover the deep ones. You can push the the FE level lower but you will start digging nails.....so play with this depending on your site. I've heard some guys run down at FE 20-22

Also I think it best if you think of the e-trac as a 'tones machine' rather than relying heavily on ID numbers. Take a "tones 1st, numbers 2nd" approch.

Do one of the above and you shouldn't miss the coins at maximum depth.

It's a great machine I hope you enjoy your time with it.

 

[davemd]

Thansk everyone. Looks liek some great pointers in there. I will most likely be picking the E-Trac up on my way home. Looking forward t getting it out in my test garden and see how it responds to my known targets at avaious depths.

Dave

 

[gibsondan]

Coin Pattern is good, but if your after deepies I'd recommend Andy's Coin pattern (someone post a link please).

Here's the link to the thread where you can download Andy's Coin Pattern:
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?63,891768

 

[gregliss]

Coin Pattern is good, but if your after deepies I'd recommend Andy's Coin pattern (someone post a link please).

Here's the link to the thread where you can download Andy's Coin Pattern:
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?63,891768

Thanks for digging up the link.

 

[RONC(OR)]

Here is how I run my E-trac I run the coin program with the top right bar edited out I run in auto +3 I will often check targets with manual sens one push of the side arrow also I run my quick mask in all metal no black this is great for nails that sound like coins if I get a ferrous 35 you can bet its a nail but I will still go by audio if it sounds good I dig setting the quick mask in all metal is also a big plus with the X-1 probe better depth and I can find those pesky nails . I run in pitch hold this is great for getting deep coins as the pitch changes to a hi tone I slow down . I run with deep on fast off sizing pinpoint I run my gain at 21 hope this helps good luck HH RonC