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Having Some Trouble Pin Pointing

Larry (IL) said:
I really don't think the CTX has a problem pinpointing, sure there might be some isolated incidents but for the most part, it seems to be technique and knowledge related, especially for someone new to the CTX. I think this is a pretty common hurdle for someone learning how a new coil or detector works.....:shrug:

I agree and thanks to all who have responded. I was not blaming the equipment when I posed my initial question just asking for help with technique!
 
Larry I respect your judgement/experience regarding pinpointing methods/techniques. I have used Minelab detectors for years (Sovereign, XS, EX II, EX SE, E-Trac) and I am very familiar with all of the methods/techniques that you mention. The CTX 3030 (at least mine) is the worse that I have experienced. It doesn't even come close to the pinpointing accuracy/ease of the E-Trac and it was suppose to be an improvement over previous models. There is definitely something strange going on here, at least with my detector/standard coil.

GKMan who has not experienced the problem using his standard coil has agreed to let me borrow/try it which should help in isolating the problem to either my equipment or my pinpointing methods/techniques with the CTX 3030. I will let you all know the results.
 
Altamaha said:
Larry I respect your judgement/experience regarding pinpointing methods/techniques. I have used Minelab detectors for years (Sovereign, XS, EX II, EX SE, E-Trac) and I am very familiar with all of the methods/techniques that you mention. The CTX 3030 (at least mine) is the worse that I have experienced. It doesn't even come close to the pinpointing accuracy/ease of the E-Trac and it was suppose to be an improvement over previous models. There is definitely something strange going on here, at least with my detector/standard coil.

A test sounds in order, do you have someone close to you who has a CTX? If so go out find a target with your machine, pinpoint and put a marker where you think it is,and then you using his machine do the same on that target. If you get a different spot that is off a fair amount dig the target and see. Now this is predicated on running the same program, perhaps stock coin. See what happens.
 
I will be interested in your findings. I have had experience with the SE and Etrac. For being an improvement over the Etrac, I don't see it. There are diffenitely so thing with this machine that are not at expectation.
 
Well, Altamaha has my stock coil. I am hoping that he gets to the root of the issue be it hardware or the person holding it. If not I can make some time to get some field time with him to compare pinpointing with two CTX's
 
Any resolutions on this pin pointing problem? I hit another coin today. It's really aggravating. When you do the 90 degree wiggle, shouldn't the target be right at the front edge of the coil when the signal drops off? It always worked that way with the E-trac. I wonder if it's a coil problem since these are "smart" coils.
 
DukeOBass said:
Any resolutions on this pin pointing problem? I hit another coin today. It's really aggravating. When you do the 90 degree wiggle, shouldn't the target be right at the front edge of the coil when the signal drops off? It always worked that way with the E-trac. I wonder if it's a coil problem since these are "smart" coils.

Well I had problems at first because I was trying to do it as I did with the E-Trac...but this isn't an E-Trac it is a different coil with different technology involved so since it changed we must change as well, I tried Gatekeeper's method and problem solved here is what he said in an earlier post.

I have noticed that the pinpoint is way off as well. The method that I use on every target is X marks the spot. Here's how. Once you have found a repeatable signal, swing your coil from North to south paying attention where the strongest signal is coming from (the sweet spot is the RED Minelab sticker on your coil). Now turn 90 degrees and swing East to West to where the signal intersects The North to South signal. The target will be in the center of the plug every time. If it does not intersect at the same spot and you notice the target is off several inches, it is a nail.

Believe me this worked for me immediately. Try it and see if it works for you.
 
Do you engage the pin point lock when doing this or watch the depth gauge to see where the target is the most shallow to determine signal strength? I tried the red sticker marks the spot thing.
 
DukeOBass said:
Do you engage the pin point lock when doing this or watch the depth gauge to see where the target is the most shallow to determine signal strength? I tried the red sticker marks the spot thing.

Do not use pinpoint button at all in this method, the sweeps across using the label as the sweet spot is how you are pinpointing. If you want to use the button do it after you do this but I rarely used it for this purpose. Just like E-Trac "wiggle back" you do not use pinpoint in that. Signal strength to me is just by the tone. As for depth I look at the tid when sweeping. In old sites and fields I rarely even pay much attention to depth. At old houses I have dug Large Cents at two inches and memorials at six inches. What you dig, at least for me as to depth is determined by the site more than anything.
 
So the signal fall off at the end of the coil means nothing.
 
DukeOBass said:
So the signal fall off at the end of the coil means nothing.

I think that is the crux, on the E-Trac it did but it seems not to be the case on the CTX at least that is my experience. I would try the method that Gatekeeper suggested to see if it works for you other than that I can't add anything else.
 
The X method WILL work. I have shown this method to several others and it works like a charm. Different machine, different tricks.
 
Thank you. I'll have to pay closer attention. I think some of my coins were on edge and maybe the CTX has issues in those cases.
 
Unless the coin is on edge . You can use the pinpoint standard mode with great results as well if you de-tune the target to a tiny condensed signal . The wiggle X method works best to isolate signals if more than one target in close proximity to each other . The pinpoint button mode often helps to tell if a good and bad target are close together as it will sound off on the iron or large nail to one side and over power the smaller coin chirp.
 
I've been using the CTX 3030 since.... well.....longer than anyone else. I've hit a few rusty, bent nails off to the side of the hole. But of the hundreds and hundreds of coins I've dug, I don't remember hitting a single one. I may have just jinxed myself. Or maybe I've just been lucky. But I find that the better I understand the audio and visual signals of this machine, the luckier I get.
Practicing with a known target could help a lot. Lay a dime on the ground and cover it with a towel. Try the various pinpointing techniques until you find one that works for you. JMHO HH Randy
 
Ray-Mo. said:
Unless the coin is on edge . You can use the pinpoint standard mode with great results as well if you de-tune the target to a tiny condensed signal . The wiggle X method works best to isolate signals if more than one target in close proximity to each other . The pinpoint button mode often helps to tell if a good and bad target are close together as it will sound off on the iron or large nail to one side and over power the smaller coin chirp.
 
I went out today to do some pinpointing experiments with my CTX 3030. I used my 3" x 8" hole hog plugger to make clean uniform holes and placed coins at 3 and 5 inches (pennies & dimes) and 7 inches (quarters) deep. The coins were placed in the center of the holes flat, vertically on edge and at 45 degrees. My results are as follows:

Combined mode, recovery deep, ferrous coins, auto + 3

Using the pinpoint procedure described in the user manual:

- Flat coins at all depths pinpointed very accurately/consistently (under the coil sweet spot/Minelab logo) in the center of the 3" diameter plugs.

- 45 degree coins at 3 & 5 inches consistently pinpointed off center of the plugs by 2 to 3 inches and the 7" 45 degree coins were hard to detect and when they were they pinpointed as much as 3" off center of the plugs.

- All vertical (coins on edge) were difficult/erratic to detect and when they were, they consistently pinpointed as much as 3 to 4 inches off center of the plugs.

My conclusion is that the CTX 3030 is very accurate at pinpointing coins that are laying flat; but has trouble (as is typical with many detectors) accurately pinpointing coins that are slanted or vertical on edge. While the CTX 3030 is very good at separating ferrous targets from good targets, it still suffers from the traditional problem of seeing coins on edge and at angles.

Just my take on things so far, I will be doing further experimentation in the future, thanks.
 
That what I was beginning to suspect, another quirk the E-trac didn't have on this overly priced machine. Don't get me wrong. I love the speed and firmware option just not the frame this thing is in or the quality and price.
 
Sorry but not a quirk at all . And my E-Trac and Explorers as well as my hunting partners reacted to tilted coins just like Altamaha's test results on hundreds of highly tilted and on edge coins . Most every machine I have used has acted somewhat similar and there have been more than a few over the last 40 years :) It is a matter of the electro magnetic signal bouncing of the flat plane of the round coins kinda like a light beem reflected of fa tilted mirror .
 
Thanks Ray. I just don't know why I'm hitting so many more coins than I ever did with the SE or E-trac.
 
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