E-Trac

[WV62]

Okay I am not able to download any information like settings and patterns to the metal detector. Anybody have any links to G4E's written settings and Andy Sabisch pattern's. I am able to manually load patterns and settings in the detector.

All my thoughts for this detector started from my experience with running Fisher machines so that could be why I am have some trouble getting a handle on this E-Trac. My thoughts were that I needed to setup some good coin disc patterns that would get rid of some of the trash. That was why I started working on patterns, the default coin pattern was working pretty good for most coins but was having trouble detecting a silver half $.

So now I am backing up and trying to keep it simple and still get some good finds out of this machine. I don't want to keep buying these machines so I will slow my swing down.

Thanks,

Ron in WV

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I think you are making the mistake of thinking that some magical program will "solve all sorts of problems". Versus if you've gone with factory presets, and found junk, that ......... the issue might be solved with "secret programs".

On the contrary: The issue is with the user ability to discern sounds. Which is nothing that computer and button-pressing will solve. See my post below. You either need to A) hook up with someone proficient (a deeeep turf-silver hound) who can flag and compare signals, or B) dig 1000 targets to go through the school of hard knocks.

I wish there were a simpler way.

 

[sprchng]

Tom is right in that you learn to filter the trash with your hearing after a while.
I use the F75se on occasion and the sounds are just not that descriptive compared to the FBS , neither is the Deus , which is why it makes it a bit of a challenge to develop confidence in what you 're hearing. If you use a high disc screen/pattern like the high trash factory pattern you will not learn what the trashy sounds are like to compare them to the good,,,it really does become that informative after a while in a trashy park. Relic hunting is a different story where you might just be pulling the ferrous from the non-ferrous. Just use the factory coin pattern and open the entire upper right quadrant for big silver and dig all the signals for a while , solid or scratchy and suddenly it will start making sense.

 

[Monte]

with ANY quality make and model detector, are going to be the ones who gain the most useful education and, if they can endure to the end of the schooling required, will be the most successful in the long run.

In my 53rd year of education ....

Monte

 

[IDXMonster]

with ANY quality make and model detector, are going to be the ones who gain the most useful education and, if they can endure to the end of the schooling required, will be the most successful in the long run.

In my 53rd year of education ....

Monte

Come to think of it Monte...I personally feel because I started with the IDXPro that I actually gained a valuable edge when going to the Explorer2, in the way that I knew about the "quality" of a signal. Having only one tone to listen to wasn't challenging to me,because I knew nothing else. You're right,Toms right,whoever else said it is right....either a tutor or a lot of swinging! Who knew school could be so much fun? Anyone who stays in for 53 years must like SOMETHING about it...

 

[WV62]

Well the only thing left is a master reset, and I am on my own.

Thanks,

Ron in WV

 

[IDXMonster]

Well I have had my new E-Track for about a month now and I spent most of that time studying on how it works. I did a lot throw down testing in my yard on silver and other old coins I have. As I learned I made several disc patterns and some didn't work real good. My last five patterns all work on all my test coins.

I took the E-Trac on 2 actual hunts, in 2 of our best silver producing spots, the first one I found a few new dropped coins, pretty much on top of the ground. The second hunt was yesterday and I went to a wooded area for the shade. This area has produced our best overall silver finds, but yesterday the E-Trac only gave me 4 or 5 dig-gable signals and none were coins.

So far the E-Trac is not doing any better than the machines we have been running in these areas which are the F75, F70, F5, Tejon, and the Vaquero. My brother SL52 and his F5 still finds most of the silver every year.

Just a little update,

Ron in WV

Ron,you said the F5 finds the most silver every year. Out of curiosity how many coins is that in one season out there?

 

[MarkCZ]

Well the only thing left is a master reset, and I am on my own.

Thanks,

Ron in WV

Well, its just a slower more frustrating way to learn a detector when we don't have a buddy who has one that you can meet up with in the field, I know when I first got the Coin$rike I could find any help and I just called the company! Does anybody know if MineLabs has any tech phone support?

Mark

 

[WV62]

Well I have had my new E-Track for about a month now and I spent most of that time studying on how it works. I did a lot throw down testing in my yard on silver and other old coins I have. As I learned I made several disc patterns and some didn't work real good. My last five patterns all work on all my test coins.

I took the E-Trac on 2 actual hunts, in 2 of our best silver producing spots, the first one I found a few new dropped coins, pretty much on top of the ground. The second hunt was yesterday and I went to a wooded area for the shade. This area has produced our best overall silver finds, but yesterday the E-Trac only gave me 4 or 5 dig-gable signals and none were coins.

So far the E-Trac is not doing any better than the machines we have been running in these areas which are the F75, F70, F5, Tejon, and the Vaquero. My brother SL52 and his F5 still finds most of the silver every year.

Just a little update,

Ron in WV

Ron,you said the F5 finds the most silver every year. Out of curiosity how many coins is that in one season out there?

I never keep track of brother SL52's silver finds until starting this year, but a good guess on his would be about 20 silvers and I find any were from 3 to 10 a season. This year I only have one silver dime and brother SL52 and his F5 has 3 but one of those was a Barber half $. Looks like we are just about out of silver here in WV.

Ron in WV

 

[IDXMonster]

n/t

 

[MI-AuAg]

Hey Ron,

Sorry to see that you're struggling a bit with your new etrac! Don't be discouraged!

When I first got my CTX, with experience on Whites, and First Texas (BH, Fisher, Teknetics) machines, no minelabs, I felt the same for a short time.

The talk was about this program, or that program, and books, and classes. I'm old fashioned in that regard, I like on the job training. No information overload, learn at your speed. Detecting is just basic observation and correlation of cause and effect, with your particular machine, whatever it may be.

Tom in CA's "tooty-fluty" analogy is spot on! Awop-bop-a loo-mop alop bom bom! Those fluty sounds drove me nuts at first, nothing like any of my other machines.

Like you, I didn't have anyone with the same machine whom I knew, to assist me. It wasn't a problem, I just did things one step at a time, until it clicked with me. If you have a specific issue, a shout out on the forums will usually get the desired result.

The very first thing I did beyond learning the basic controls, was to learn those "tooty-fluty" tones. The CTX has 50 in full tone audio. I took a bunch of silver coins of different denominations, gold rings/jewelry of assorted thickness/gold content, along with clad coins, and assorted ferrous/non-ferrous trash including tabs. I spread them on a plastic sheet in my backyard, and proceeded to learn to recognize the tones of desirable targets among the 50 tooty-fluties. I know you have the patience to do that. I read your coil air test, processes post, on the Fisher forum. That must have taken a bit of patience and time!

I would run in auto settings for a good while, until you feel you have mastered things in the auto realm. There's no hurry! With the etrac/CTX machines, there's a lot of adjustability/customization BUT YOU NEED NOT JUMP INTO IT! They work well on auto settings too. Information overload will only get in the way of steady progress. You've been doing this long enough to know we continually learn things, to Monte's point. Patience is a necessity in this hobby.

The KISS (keep it simple stupid) approach is best with complex machines. First learn those GOOD "tooty-fluty" tones. Tones are the key to any good detecting. Those subtle differences can be so important. Learn the FE-CO ID system. I found quickly on my CTX that I could accurately ID the major tab types with the ferrous-conductive ID system. Learn those two important things in auto modes, then, as you choose, you can get into customized settings. I've had my CTX four yrs, and have yet to download someone else's hunting program. I make a few adjustments here and there, and am very successful to my satisfaction. I look at some of the custom programs out there, and sometimes use some of their settings, if I think they'll be useful in my locations. Sometimes they are sometimes they aren't. I feel that any adjustments are best when based on my particular circumstances.

One step at a time Ron, will get you to where you want to be with your etrac. Good Luck!

 

[WV62]

Just a little update, I had about an hour to kill while the wife was shopping so I just happened to have the e-trac in the car.

I was hunting at a church built in the 50's and has been hunted pretty hard. I am thinking I got 4 pennies and a clad dime all were no more than 5" and nothing old. I got this little bracelet and was just to about give up on it and the PP finally picket up on it. I hooked it with the digger and popped it loose from the bottom of the hole. So made note how deep the bottom of the hole was with the digger and when I got home and put a tape on it and it was right at 9 1/2".

Now the bracelet is pretty much a junker, maybe copper or copper plated. It is about a 1/8" wide 1/16" thick, the dia is about 2.5".

Ron in WV