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E-trac vs. XP Deus II.

OhioDan

OhioDan

Member
As an E-trac user back in the day before time began, I would love to see how it stacks up against the new FMF XP Deus II. I haven't detected in a decade - literally. Here are a few old hunts of mine:


The XP Deus II is a new detector, as many know. It is a fast multi-frequency machine and you can hunt using all frequencies simultaneously, just like the E-trac. However, it's not a heavy beast. That's important to an old guy like me.

I've been waiting a long time for Minelab to come out with a new and improved lightweight E-trac or CTX 3030. The technology exists...but it looks like another detector manufacturer beat them to the punch. Therefore, I've taken notice and may come out of retirement because I'm amazed by the new Deus.

Current video reviews show it kicking the Nox 800's butt all day long in terms of build quality and performance. But I've yet to see a comparison to the E-trac. Of course, new videos are going to tout the glories of the new kid on the block. Ultimately I'll know how it stacks up when I get my hands on one. And, of course, I'll be happy to post my findings. However, in the meantime, I'd enjoy a written or video review of the XP Deus II versus the E-trac...or CTX 3030. If anyone knows of such a thing, please share.

Happy Hunting

OhioDan (formerly known long ago on this forum as GibsonDan and OhioCoinHunter)
 
I haven't used the Deus 2 but ran the Deus 1 for a bit and I can tell you it has the advantage of recovery speed over the etrac and CTX both which are my go to machines. The lacking point on the Deus machines in comparison is the tones. Would you rather listen to the flutey language of the Minelabs or the R2D2 drizzle of the Deus.
 
No doubt, I love the flutey tones much better. The new Deus does have 5 tones (and 3 tones), but they don't sound as pretty. But I can deal it if it hits as hard, has comparable or better separation and discrimination. Judging by the few users who have XP Deus II's already, it appears to be a contender. Time will tell for certain. My primary interest is lighter weight and comparable performance. Otherwise, I'd stick with the E-trac...even though Minelab is not, from what I'm hearing.
 
The FBS machines have proven many things for a LONG time, primarily in the “deep coin hunting” arena. CAN the Deus2 perform markedly better in these same ultra polluted and trashy sites? I’ll be waiting to see as well. Its going to have to be something unbelievably special to compete.
 
IDXMonster said:
The FBS machines have proven many things for a LONG time, primarily in the “deep coin hunting” arena. CAN the Deus2 perform markedly better in these same ultra polluted and trashy sites? I’ll be waiting to see as well. Its going to have to be something unbelievably special to compete.
Click to expand...
That's the whole thing behind the XP Deus
 
It depends what you are looking for.Xp machines like the original goldmax,goldmax power and the Deus were designed to winkle out very small and thin hammered gold and silver coins over here in europe.Many of our sites are littered with iron fragments from thousands of years of occupation and these tiny coins are often hiding in the heavy iron.In these scenarios xp machines like the deus give you a bit of an edge but there are also other great machines out there that will do a similar job.
I think if you are looking to find tiny objects in ferous contaminated sites a deus would generally more desirable than an etrac but as the size of objects become larger,such as larger coins,their advantages diminish somewhat.I have had experience with the goldmax power and minelabs fbs machines including the etrac which i still have and over a season of detecting ive probably done better overall with the minelabs.Yes,there may be those rare circumstances when the xp could winkle out a tiny object next to iron but in reality these conditions are really not that common for you guys so the etrac will hold its own in most circumstances.
Buying a deus to replace an etrac may leave you a bit disappointed if you think its going to set your finds rate on fire.....they are more a specialist machine and as a general purpose detector the etrac and deus are fairly well matched.
 
Hi Dan, just ran across this post nearly three months after you made it. Man I sure miss your videos! At the time I was just getting into detecting and looking forward to every new video that you did. I started out with an old Tesoro and quickly upgraded to an Xterra 705 but lusted after the Etrac from watching your videos. I went on to buy myself a new Etrac an the Sunray pointer and my silver count went way up.

In still use the Etrac but have grown tired of fighting with the display although I mainly hunt by ear. When I do need to read the display it’s just such a struggle compared to other LCD displays.

Yesterday I received my shiny new Deus II with the 9” coil and I have it all charged up and ready to go. Not sure if I’ll make it out this weekend or not but I have a nearly hunted out location very close to my house. We’ve been detecting it for over 6 years now and it’s produced some great finds. I’m hoping that the Deus II will show me if or what we’ve missed. My 85 year old mother still comes up with a coin every now and then from this location from her 705. Finds are few and far between at this point so obviously I’m going to be excited to see how the new detector works. I will update the thread once I get out with it.
 
I got out with the Deus II for about 45 minutes today. That thing is really FAST! I used this guy’s settings that he shows starting around 4:25 just to try an have it open for coins mainly.


I really think this thing is going to find stuff between the trash that I missed before. The recovery is very quick.

Just like with any other detector you can hear the size of the item in pinpoint mode and it was giving me some signals that were good coin signals but I could tell the size wasn’t right when I went to pin point mode. I did dig a few of them just to be certain.

Like anything else it’s going to take a little while to train my mind. To me the interface seems much easier than the Etrac although the button presses are just a little strange being where the makes are shown on the display and where you press the buttons. It always seems like most detectors would be better programmed by an American so it’s more in line with how we think.

I quickly scanned a few modern coins in the yard before I went to the pounded out site. These are the numbers that I got.

Quarter 95
Dime 90
Nickel 63
Penny 92 copper
Penny 86 zinc

I didn’t find any coins but I really think eventually I will find a few more there. I was just trying to bond with it and hope that maybe I would find something quickly. I have a lot to learn but that‘s what makes this hobby fun.
 
mapper65 said:
I got out with the Deus II for about 45 minutes today. That thing is really FAST! I used this guy’s settings that he shows starting around 4:25 just to try an have it open for coins mainly.


I really think this thing is going to find stuff between the trash that I missed before. The recovery is very quick.

Just like with any other detector you can hear the size of the item in pinpoint mode and it was giving me some signals that were good coin signals but I could tell the size wasn’t right when I went to pin point mode. I did dig a few of them just to be certain.

Like anything else it’s going to take a little while to train my mind. To me the interface seems much easier than the Etrac although the button presses are just a little strange being where the makes are shown on the display and where you press the buttons. It always seems like most detectors would be better programmed by an American so it’s more in line with how we think.

I quickly scanned a few modern coins in the yard before I went to the pounded out site. These are the numbers that I got.

Quarter 95
Dime 90
Nickel 63
Penny 92 copper
Penny 86 zinc

I didn’t find any coins but I really think eventually I will find a few more there. I was just trying to bond with it and hope that maybe I would find something quickly. I have a lot to learn but that‘s what makes this hobby fun.
Click to expand...
This is sort of what i say about these latest greatest ultra fast detectors........they won't miraculously make old sites spring back into to life again unfortunately.I have been detecting for over 30 years in the uk on some very ancient and trashy sites and in my experience over the years i have concluded there are not really that many targets that other detectors will not find out in the fields.I have owned many different models (including xp's)and tested them in realistic test beds,ie targets buried for a long period of time and the results are quite interesting........sometimes slower machines would pick up targets close to iron that faster machines would not......it's not all about recovery speed,its also about frequency,ground conditions at the time,the angle the coil goes over the target etc,etc.There is also this myth that there are "thousands" of targets masked by trash that detectors other than lightening fast models won't find......in my 30 years of detecting i think that such targets are rarer than people are hoping for.We see on you tube these miraculous tests where machines like the deus are shown to pick up targets close to nails,targets that are placed lower than nails etc.........problem is they are all targets on top of the soil and not in real conditions......i can replicate these tests with a 30 year old design detector i own and even some really cheap detectors will do well in some tests.......recovery speed tests and nail board tests done above the soil are a crock of shite to put it mildly.
A chap over here made a really good video where he took two detectors....one top end and one very basic model.......to a field and compared both on every target he found on that field.The basic detector found every single target that the top end model did and this is the reality of real life detecting conditions .Yes,the top end detector may over time winkle out a few more targets than the basic model but it will hardly blow the basic model out of the water.
The deus 2 is undoubtedly a fantastic machine that will give its user many good finds as i am sure you will experience,just don't be too disappointed if it doesn't light up those worked out fields again........this very rarely happens with any detetor in my own experiences.
 
5900_XL-1 said:
I'd kinda like to see a video of a so-called slow swing.
Click to expand...

A normal swing for me is 4 seconds from left to right.

A slow swing is 10 seconds from left to right.

Most people I see detecting cannot swing slow.
 
I have seen more than a few videos of people using a fast machine, Nox or Deus 1 or 2 using real fast swings maybe 1 to 1.5 seconds from side to side. I would rather think they would improve their good find rate by slowing their swing down to 3-4 seconds regardless of having a fast machine. Especially with a larger coil. The reason you slow down with stock or larger coil is to give the processor more time to analyze the often multiple targets below the coil.
 
@Nauti-- I completely agree.

Whenever I see guys comparing machines, and it is above ground, I switch to another video. Total woo woo-- showy crapola.

When I test machines, I have both in the field. It is a pia, but it is the only way to really make a comparison. Or, I'll hit a spot with one detector one day, then hit it another day with a different one. If a good target was missed, it goes back in the hole and the other detector is retrieved and swung over it. Instructive also in how it is so easy to miss a coin that even a beep and dig could find. You think you hit every square inch-- nope!

This method is why I sold my Nox. I believe it went an inch or two deeper than my etrac-- but the extra depth wasn't worth it.
 
I should mention that with the NEL 12x12 coil I was using at the time, the Nox had the edge on depth. With my SEF 8x6, I don't think that is true at all.
 
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