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nolanation

New member
I am a CTX NEWBIE, and have a couple questions. First I was out today getting used to listening to the machine, and didn't use the display as much as I did sound. Some of the targets I dug ended up with nothing in the hole. On a couple occasions, it would SOUND like a good target, but the FE line would jump around a bit, from 12, 18, 6...etc but the CO line would stay in the 40's....and the sound, although high pitched, would be kinda flunctuating. Are these bad targets? Anything else I should look at? Some other digs that had me wondering were digs that showed 11 or 12 on the FE and in the 40's on the CO, but would pinpoint larger or have an iron crosshair at the same time as the good target crosshair, and was giving me a high pitch low tone simultaneous sound mix. And most of the time there was nothing in those holes as well, or it would be deeper than projected by the detector, and the propointer would give me a spotty/scratchy signal in the hole as well, usually indicating iron. Now I am not new to detecting, but am new to minelab, and I of course know that if the target is deeper than indicated on the detector it is a bigger target. I am just confused by the ones that can sound like that have good potential, but produce nothing. What should I look at on the screen for better information of what these targets are? I appreciate any answers and if you are confused by my explanation, let me know I will try to re-word it. Thank you.
 
Tell us a little about what settings you're using. 50CO? Combined? Auto sensitivity ? Manual sensitivity? Low trash? High trash? Ground coin? Ferrous coin? Discrimination? Open screen? Pinpoint trace? Pinpoint sizing? Noise cancel?
 
I am using Gonehunting's combined pattern, Auto +3, I believe ferrous coin, open screen, pinpoint sizing, pinpoint sizing, and did noise cancel anytime i went to a new spot
 
I have noticed that running +3 in some of my locations is a little too hot for me. I don't know if I would call it falsing signals or just high pitch chatter. I started with the combine FC as well with +3. In some of my spots that are pretty junky on the recommendation of others I moved my sensitivity to +2 and lower just to see which one ran more stable. I have gone to Auto with no bump in some of the old house places just to cut down on some of the falsing. If the location is clean I will go back to +3.

So I guess what I am trying to say is experiment with the sensitivity. Another thing to double check is make sure your connections are good and tight for the coil cable.
 
nolanation said:
I am a CTX NEWBIE, and have a couple questions. First I was out today getting used to listening to the machine, and didn't use the display as much as I did sound. Some of the targets I dug ended up with nothing in the hole. On a couple occasions, it would SOUND like a good target, but the FE line would jump around a bit, from 12, 18, 6...etc but the CO line would stay in the 40's....and the sound, although high pitched, would be kinda flunctuating. Are these bad targets? Anything else I should look at? Some other digs that had me wondering were digs that showed 11 or 12 on the FE and in the 40's on the CO, but would pinpoint larger or have an iron crosshair at the same time as the good target crosshair, and was giving me a high pitch low tone simultaneous sound mix. And most of the time there was nothing in those holes as well, or it would be deeper than projected by the detector, and the propointer would give me a spotty/scratchy signal in the hole as well, usually indicating iron. Now I am not new to detecting, but am new to minelab, and I of course know that if the target is deeper than indicated on the detector it is a bigger target. I am just confused by the ones that can sound like that have good potential, but produce nothing. What should I look at on the screen for better information of what these targets are? I appreciate any answers and if you are confused by my explanation, let me know I will try to re-word it. Thank you.
Click to expand...

I would start by digging only good repeatable signals. If its jumping or you see blue iron crosshairs I wouldn't dig it . Get used to the machine first for a few outings it's a lot different from other machines. If you can't find any clear repeatable signals go to another area. Don't try to be a expert and dig jumping signals it will only confuse you.
 
Your where i started when i first got the ctx.Most important reason to dig for me is the target stays put where i located it the fe#s are jumping because of iron by the target if the conduct #s stay within the coin range I'm digging . As far as nothing in the hole i bet if you pinpoint that target it's not going to be where you located it first i mean where that sweet sound is coming from.If your still getting falses turn down your sen's running to high well give all kinds of falses.Stick to targets that do not move from where you pinpoint you well have half the battle licked .sube
 
Yeah... What Sube said. Sounds like you're chasing falsing iron. If lowering your sensitivity doesn't work then try using some disc on line 35 & 50. If you're hunting in a complete open screen you're going to be getting tons of iron "wrap around" (when the iron makes a high tone)
 
Nolanation

Sounds like we may be talking a lot in the future.

I have just purchased a CTX. Should be here Wednesday. I to have never held a minelab detector, so I have a lot to learn.

I have been detecting for about 2.5 years. At the present time I'm using an AT Pro. Hunting mostly parks, soccer fields, a few schools.

I have extensive time with the AT Pro, ( great detector), Whites MXT (another great detector) but I wanted something that has greater depth and provides more
information before you dig. I find tons of clad and my share of silver rings along with a few gold rings. I rarely find any silver coins, if so they are usually very shallow

I live in the So. California desert area. Looking to expand my horizons and find older coins.

Please keep me posted on your learning curve with the CTX.

There is an excellent source of information on this web site and also Look at a detectorist that goes by the name of gonehunting for history. This guy is a pro with
minelabs and especially the CTX.

Good luck with the 3030.
 
Thanks for the responses. Dr tones, I am familiar with the term "wrap around"....but not sure I understand it completely. I know there is a way to prevent it with discrimination, but how? Also, do you do this?
 
Sparkster, certainly will. I live on the other side ha, in NC. But I imagine we will both be out quite a bit since we are both in milder climates. We will have to stay in touch. Let me know when you receive it! I also came from a whites (V3i). And although a great detector, minelabs technology is second to none, and was seeking greater depth as well, plus waterproof being near the coast doesn't hurt!
 
Nolanation:

How was your V3I on silver coins? I personally feel Whites builds a bullet proof product. I loved my MXT, matter of fact I
still have it. The depth was just not there with it and I own one of every coil ever made for it. I had a lot of fun digging clad, but that gets old
quick.

I'm so looking forward to getting my CTX. I hunt most every day. Even though the weather here has been extreamly cold.
It was just 20 degrees this morning when I headed out to detect. We get real testy when it gets below 70 are here.

Isn't your ground full of red clay back there? Sounds to me like you are in prime country for Civil War relics. Now that would be fun
to me.

I have been reading everything I can get my hands on concerning the CTX. Not a lot of printed material on the Unit. When I get mine gonehuntingfor history
is going to help me with the learning curve. He has a progam for descrimination and combined audio that he says is very nice. I will share it with you if you
cannot get it off of his website. His web is very cool.
 
I was advised by gonehunting for history to take a bunch of coins, bottle caps gold and silver and throw it out
on the ground and check the fe/co responses. Now he didn't say just throw gold and silver around, but you get the picture.
I'm a complete dummy on programming these machines, so this is going to be a real test for me. I'm the guy that likes to turn
it on and go, so I really have to slow down and smell the flowers for a while.
 
The v3i worked well, but any silver I found was not that deep, and as you know any signal past 7" gets to be choppy and jumpy. oldest coin I hit with the v3i was an 1887 IH at around 8" and it was jumpy but just decided to dig because of the depth. I hit a wheat with the CTX at 7" and it was rock solid. I was impressed. My scenario with the CTX was I bought it and immediately had to drive to my parents in VA for the weekend, but did use it there. I too spent a good amount of time reading as much as I could find and watching videos, but if you are anything like me, you will forget just about everything as soon as the machine is in your hands and the coil is on the ground. Needless to say, I was digging some nails my first time out, as I tried to figure the thing out. I was so anxious to use it that I made my share of incorrect digs because of it. I have loaded Gonehuntings program, and that is what I use now. I would definitely take your time with it. That is what I am doing now, the adreniline rush has somewhat settled, and now I am actually trying to learn it and read it, and have gotten better, as I start to learn what does what. I am happy so far, and really notice the ability to pick trash from treasure.
 
This is one of the patterns I use when I want to hear most everything. I say most everything because it does disc out what it perceives to be iron. Doing this or incorporating this patten into another hunting pattern i.e. a coin disc pattern will help eliminate that wrap around effect. Try to think of ferrous targets and non ferrous targets as circular as opposed to linear. For example think of a clock. If 12 was 100% iron and 6 was 50% iron and 12:01 was completely non ferrous. 12:00 and 12:01 are so close together that you'll get some bleed through and mixing of signals. Hope that's not too confusing. I'm not very good at explaining things sometimes. I think I first learned about it from reading something digger wrote. Digger! Jump in here and explain this without making me look stupid:crazy:
 
Nolanation

Is it difficult to change the discrimination patterns? In all that I have read, and it is a bunch,
I have not seen a clear explanation on how to create a discrimination pattern. I don!t think I,m
That lame, but maybe I am.
 
Nope. I have not done it yet, but I did play with it on xchange, you click to the left whether you want to accept or reject, and drag a pattern on the discrimination box, its that simple.
 
The CTX is sensitivity is set right is a very stable machine. If # are bouncing or targets aren't repeating it usually a bad target.

There is no real way to learn this without going out and digging the targets for yourself. I would dig it all till you ge a really good feel for it. ONLY way to learn.
 
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