I'm loosing my enthusiasm for the CTX

[Trashfinder]

It sure sounds like you have a bad coil. When you get a new coil, do one thing for me. When you hunt, slow down and really go slow, I just cannot stress this enough with fbs and multi iQ machines. Also if you are digging a lot of trash try switching to a high trash/conductive mode, also make sure you do not have the Fe line too low on your disc pattern. Just remember in high trash the Co/fe will be different than say Ferrous coin/combined type setup. I have one mode on my user button so i can hunt in one and switch to the other to check targets. I also noise cancel on a clean spot of ground, Target trace can really help too if you have it turned on. I dug a merc and a buffalo a few days ago in a high trash area with my 6 inch coil , both were over 7 inches deep. Nox is my favorite machine but I won't sell my CTX or Etrac because they come in real handy in certain situations that are trash specific. I agree with IDX the CTX is a great machine and since you already have it, i think a new coil will really help with your satisfaction with the machine.

 

[PokerShark]

Let me know if that screen setup and running in Auto+3 helps your situation Shark. If you think the coil is still not acting correctly, PM me your address and I’ll send mine out.

Will do.

I am currently rebuilding the motor on a 87 Yamaha quad which is taking up all of my spare time. I would not be rebuilding such an old machine if people here in the Peoples Republic of California were anywhere close to sane when it comes to the value of the old POS quads they are selling. A total basket case that would sell for $500 (or less) in the Midwest will land close to $2500 here in So Cal. These people are completely off their rocker when it comes to off-road vehicles, so I am repairing my old one. It comes in handy when I want to do a detecting expedition out here in the woods or the desert. Sure beats walking miles off the nearest access road in any case!! And pushing one with a worn out engine is even less fun!

 

[PokerShark]

It sure sounds like you have a bad coil. When you get a new coil, do one thing for me. When you hunt, slow down and really go slow, I just cannot stress this enough with fbs and multi iQ machines. Also if you are digging a lot of trash try switching to a high trash/conductive mode, also make sure you do not have the Fe line too low on your disc pattern. Just remember in high trash the Co/fe will be different than say Ferrous coin/combined type setup. I have one mode on my user button so i can hunt in one and switch to the other to check targets. I also noise cancel on a clean spot of ground, Target trace can really help too if you have it turned on. I dug a merc and a buffalo a few days ago in a high trash area with my 6 inch coil , both were over 7 inches deep. Nox is my favorite machine but I won't sell my CTX or Etrac because they come in real handy in certain situations that are trash specific. I agree with IDX the CTX is a great machine and since you already have it, i think a new coil will really help with your satisfaction with the machine.

Thanks for the great input. One thing that is buggin me, my CTX is probably a generation one (if there is a such thing) machine. I got it not long after they came out and I have heard about Minelab mods to improve their performance and to avoid leaks in the early models. Except for firmware updates, my CTX is box stock with no mods of any kind. Should I be thinking about that? And what do they charge?

Thanks,
Jon

 

[Trashfinder]

Thanks for the great input. One thing that is buggin me, my CTX is probably a generation one (if there is a such thing) machine. I got it not long after they came out and I have heard about Minelab mods to improve their performance and to avoid leaks in the early models. Except for firmware updates, my CTX is box stock with no mods of any kind. Should I be thinking about that? And what do they charge?

Thanks,
Jon

As far as i can remember there was a language update (chinese) i think. And a seal update. So i really think you are still good as far as updates go unless you plan to water hunt then you might want the updated seal system.

 

[IDXMonster]

Will do.

I am currently rebuilding the motor on a 87 Yamaha quad which is taking up all of my spare time. I would not be rebuilding such an old machine if people here in the Peoples Republic of California were anywhere close to sane when it comes to the value of the old POS quads they are selling. A total basket case that would sell for $500 (or less) in the Midwest will land close to $2500 here in So Cal. These people are completely off their rocker when it comes to off-road vehicles, so I am repairing my old one. It comes in handy when I want to do a detecting expedition out here in the woods or the desert. Sure beats walking miles off the nearest access road in any case!! And pushing one with a worn out engine is even less fun!

Well, if my old sizzled melon recalls correctly...Yamaha only made a few quads back then. I can’t imagine going metal detecting on a Banshee, so it must be one of the others....maybe a Moto4? A Blaster?

 

[PokerShark]

Well, if my old sizzled melon recalls correctly...Yamaha only made a few quads back then. I can’t imagine going metal detecting on a Banshee, so it must be one of the others....maybe a Moto4? A Blaster?

It is an 87 Moto 4 350. It isn't very attractive, nor was it when a family member gave it to me last year. He said it was possessed! LOL I had just sold my 2008 Suzuki King Quad 750 to buy a used motorcycle for my warm weather commute to work, and this family member knew I was a better wrench than him and wanted to keep me going out to the desert with them on their ATVs.

From a King quad with a top end of 72 MPH, to a 2011 Kawasaki Concours 1400 (aka Fat Ninja) was a big change LOL! This touring version of a Ninja ZX-14 is good for 180+ MPH and can do a hold on for dear life 1/4 mile I am told is close to 10 seconds flat! It's nice to know it is that quick, but I am too sane to find out. I have not survived 40 years of riding road bikes without a single scratch by being silly like that.

I got it running after it was given to me, but it has never run well or started easily. I have it running now with the new top end, but the carb needs some love. The new carbs for it are all Chinese knockoffs so I may adapt it with a universal mount and use a Blaster carb. They are readily available and don't need the float which I can't seem to get the level right on. It's starving or overflowing with the stock Mikuni I rebuilt last summer.

 

[greedykind]

All i can say is hahaha.i have owned a half dozen detectors and have 3 in my possesion right now.all are minelabs.a quatro an etrac and a ctx.maybe the machine is too much for you.i have a friend that is interested in mine so when you want to sell pm me.

 

[bklein]

There is no such thing as a tune-up. Your coil could be weak or more sensitive to EMI than another - I had both my 11” and 17” coils replaced by ML after I sent them in. You need a test garden to tweak your settings for your area. Could be just no targets!

 

[PokerShark]

The top end replacement made a HUGE difference and the carb transplant was the icing on the cake. My near now new 87 Moto 4, 350 engine now purrs like a kitten.

To swap the carb I needed an intake manifold adapter to go from a bolt on carb with a gasket, to a clamp on carb, but it works. I had to get a little creative to adapt it to the airbox on the quad, but now it works like the original carb. The carb I chose actually has a bowl and float, but this 90's carb seems to be an improved version from the stock 80's carb.

Just to top it off I did not restoration on the plastic to remove the oxidation, then painted the racks (it's a utility quad) rims and handlebars, replaced all the lights with LEDs, a new rear light lens, added two new hand grips, and finished with a new switch cluster on the handlebars for good measure to make it all look "pretty good" according to everyone that has seen it, not to mention fully functional. And of course I replaced all the cables and brake pads to top it all off.

Less than $500 and she is completely solid now!

 

[PokerShark]

All i can say is hahaha.i have owned a half dozen detectors and have 3 in my possesion right now.all are minelabs.a quatro an etrac and a ctx.maybe the machine is too much for you.i have a friend that is interested in mine so when you want to sell pm me.

Yeah, I forgot more about tech than most the geeks I manage day to day know - as a life long high tech geek. So no, I don't think it's "too much" for me. And the Grand Canyon will be filled with water before you get that PM from me.

 

[PokerShark]

I'll consider taking my CTX out soon. I still need to sort out the coil issue. I'm convinced that is what it is.

Life has been too busy as of late, but now that my free time is not being dedicated to the quad rebuild I have more time for detecting.

 

[PokerShark]

I'll consider taking my CTX out soon. I still need to sort out the coil issue. I'm convinced that is what it is.

Life has been too busy as of late, but now that my free time is not being dedicated to the quad rebuild I have more time for detecting.

I took it out for a short time to have a little fun with my Grandkids visiting from Washington State. It was well behaved and after 20 minutes we had a 1970 Lincoln to show for our effort while walking a path next to a nearby golf course. We got some inconsistent trashy returns and it was trash we dug up. The only solid hit that made me think, yep, this is something real was the penny. Now that it is cooling down here in the desert and not hot as 7 hells I am ready to spend more time with the detector. One good day indicates to me, my issue with the machine is intermittent which also point to a shaky coil. I'm willing to buy a suitable replacement to test, did anyone come out with aftermarket coils? When I got it, as I recall the stock Double D was all there was.

My prior detectors were a Garrett 2500, Whites XLT, then a V3i (which I loved) and then the CTX. So I am quite comfortable with visual as well as audio based user feedback. And IMHO, I agree with the majority that audio is the best guide. I am saying this to help new readers understand that this is definitely not my first detector and I have been at it on and off for the better part of a decade this time around.

 

[IDXMonster]

I took it out for a short time to have a little fun with my Grandkids visiting from Washington State. It was well behaved and after 20 minutes we had a 1970 Lincoln to show for our effort while walking a path next to a nearby golf course. We got some inconsistent trashy returns and it was trash we dug up. The only solid hit that made me think, yep, this is something real was the penny. Now that it is cooling down here in the desert and not hot as 7 hells I am ready to spend more time with the detector. One good day indicates to me, my issue with the machine is intermittent which also point to a shaky coil. I'm willing to buy a suitable replacement to test, did anyone come out with aftermarket coils? When I got it, as I recall the stock Double D was all there was.

My prior detectors were a Garrett 2500, Whites XLT, then a V3i (which I loved) and then the CTX. So I am quite comfortable with visual as well as audio based user feedback. And IMHO, I agree with the majority that audio is the best guide. I am saying this to help new readers understand that this is definitely not my first detector and I have been at it on and off for the better part of a decade this time around.

One thing I can add is this. If you want the best stability, reliability and accuracy from the signal, using Auto+3 will really help to confidently sort out the issue. When you’re dealing with targets that may only be 3“ deep and you’re using manual sensitivity, you might be getting confusing returns because the EDGES of the coil will pick up the target as well. In the “Auto” settings, it doesn’t do that to such a degree. So, go after a STABLE machine and then put yourself on a site which has those 6-8” coins to see if the performance is uniform. And again, a test garden can tell you things also.

 

[pulltabfelix]

I have had my Equinox 800 for 3 years. Early on if I even bumped lightly on some small sapling not more that 1/8" in dia, it would give off a chirp. Sent into minelab while under warranty the stock coil and the complete 800 and they said everything was within specs and nothing wrong with it. It still chips sometimes when bumping even the lightest object. Maybe that is an undocumented feature to tell you to stay out of the brush warning signal?

It is annoying that this is just another sound/signal that is added to a lot of things the Nox picks up and reports. One of the reasons I am selling it and buying a CTX3030. Main reason is it does not separate and ID target as well as I would like. Since I hunt in an urban junky area (metro Atlanta) I feel the CTX will help out in this regards.

 

[pulltabfelix]

I had similar frustrations with my Nox 800. I now have a new CTX3030 and am going through the learning and testing phase.
One of the strong points on the CTX are the xy FE-CO display to identify the target with a few other tools like target trace.

Yes I am looking for a detector that is over 90% accurate in Identifying targets That detector does not exist.
The Etrac and CTX give you a lot of help in identifying targets but they will never be like swinging over an air test with the silver coins on the ground. And you will still have issues with some junk sounding exactly like a target because of different ground conditions.

The CTX is pretty good at showing up two or more targets. Dig the shallow one and re-sweep the hole. You might find that if you removed some pull tabs or iron nails that if there was a coin in the hole also, the removal of the junk can clean up the coin signal some.

The CTX with its many analysis tools will go a long way on helping you to decide to dig or not to dig.

To me it is like a detective story and the CTX will give you some clues if you learn to use those target analysis features built into the CTX. But as a detective you have to analyze those clues and make a decision.

One one end of the detector spectrum is the Ace 250 which my son uses. I use the Nox 800 and now the CTX. Many times makes more finds because he hears a beep and digs, while I am trying to decide to dig or not dig. Of course he is younger and has more energy than I do on a hunt. Me I choose to use the machine to help me decide rather than dig everything. You rarely miss good targets by digging every signal, but that is not my method of hunting.

I would say if you cannot get your CTX to work for you then go back to a detector you were happy hunting with. That is what I did. After 3 years with the Nox 800 I was not happy with my performance with the nox. I know the nox is a great machine, but with my high freq hearing loss I could not take the fullest advantage of the nox and hunt effectively in 50 tones. It is to early to see if my CTX and I will have a happy marriage.

 

[frogmanungar]

Pokershark, I think I have a worse problem.......... I still want to know what you decided on doing but today out on a local hunt My CTX screen went blank, still hear the sounds but no screen. It wont even reset! Now iam faced with sending it in after using it 5 years, paying the piper $$$$ or starting over with a new one maybe a different brand. I really would appreciate some sound advice from anyone that this has happened to. As of right now I have an expensive ornament ! I could buy a brand new one and be out another $2500 or get this one fixed, or change brands...........
thanks for any feed back