new to CTX with an operational question

[ginseng]

I've had the CTX for a few days and I've found a pull tab, rusty nail, a piece of metal roofing, and a shredded aluminum can thus far. Another 40 years at this and I'll be ready to go to the recyclers with the loot!!
The mosquitos have had no trouble in finding me, however..

I do have a question though....
First I've never used a MD before so there is probably a simple solution here...

I have dug a lot of empty holes in the field. I get a reading, say 24:30 - usually at 4 - 6 inches, so I dig a hole and pull out a plug. The pinpointer, when stuck in the hole does not go off, and when I try to scan it again with the CTX there is no signal. Most times the signal 'moved' over 8 - 9 inches and if I dig there it 'moves' again. I've tried doing the noise reduction calibration, but that doesn't seem to make it better. Should I also run it through the ground balance routine?? BTW I'm using the 'canned' minelab modes as well as Evan's open combined tone mode.

Thanks in advance

 

[unearth]

What a way to jump into metal detecting, a CTX! It's just a learning curve and with some time on the machine, you'll get it.
One of the ways I was taught, at first, was to dig every "repeatable" signal" I got. Notice the Fe/Co numbers and dig, if nothing is in the hole or it was a piece of trash, remember the number or discriminate that number out of your search mode. BUT BE CAREFUL, gold items come in all over the Co spectrum.
Another thing to remember is on the CTX, most, but not all, good items, coins and jewelry come in on the Fe 12 line. So, for me, a 24/30 signal wouldn't be a signal I would investigate to closely unless something about it caught my attention, audio or visual. I've read on this forum that some hunters have found coins on the Fe 1 Co 46,7,8,9 line depending on what mode your hunting in. I haven't as yet, but I've read about it.
Also, there is a TID guide for coins and jewelry in the CTX Classroom on this forum. Take a look at that and it should give you some basic information on what numbers are good.

Good Luck, but mainly have fun!

 

[hershey1]

Well since you don't have a coin or target garden to practice in with a very good machine and very little experience I suggest. (1) Lay out some coins and targets you expect to find where you are hunting and swing your coil over them paying attention to tone or sound the FE-CO numbers on the screen and the location of the cursor on the screen. Use pull-tabs, nails, beer tops ect. Do not get discouraged because every time you turn that machine on you should learn something. The CTX 3030 has not been out that long so by reading the forums and asking questions we can all learn this beast together. (2) You may have a club close by that can help you or a friend that knows someone. Don't hesitate to ask questions. Good luck and HH

 

[ginseng]

-- moved topic --

 

[Big Boys Hobbies]

Are you using auto sensitivity? To high of sensitivity can cause weird readings. Good targets are almost always more stab;e and repeatable.

 

[TIM CLARK]

One thing I would do is go to a school and hit the ball fields and play grounds and look for the clad there that will help you learn the sound and number on the coins..

 

[GKMan]

Good suggestion Tim...undoubtedly there will be clad all over and some nice easy wood chips, sand, or gravel to dig into

 

[SwampeR]

I was in the same boat 4 years ago with a new Etrac, like someone said stay with it you will learn a little bit every time out. Read the forums and don't hesitate to ask questions before and after your hunts, enjoy.

 

[Jeff in Pa]

When you say "so I dig a hole and pull out a plug" I hope that you are not cutting the plug and removing it from the ground. If you are please watch some of the Youtube videos posted by many of the guys here on the forum and see that they cut a "U" shape and fold it over. By doing this there is a much less chance of the grass dying. When the grass is removed from itself it will many times die and if your ground is a dry as mine here in PA I will guarantee it will die. I only posted this because you did say you were "New" to the hobby.

Oh and a CTX for your first detector? That was a very good choice if you stick with it to learn the machine. I would start off digging shallow clad and learn the targets ID so that you can call it before you dig. Many of the different denominations have there own target "Numbers". Stay away from any numbers that bounce around and by all means for now never dig a target with a "24" for the first number. Dig the "12's" so you can have some fun with a machine that you just spent all that money on and think about what you read on the forum here so that you can Learn and have fun at the same time!


Many years ago I started out with a Sovreign Elite "Also a Minelab" and I took the advice of some to "Dig everything so you learn the tones and watch the meter". Well I soon was disgusted because there is alot more trash in the ground than coins, rings or any of the targets you are after. For now just dig the good repeatable "12's" because I don't want you to get frustrated like I did. The CTX is an amazing machine to try and start off with but can be extremely enjoyable if you do it right.

Good luck and by all means visit this forum alot to read what others say of the machine, you can shorten the learning process by months!!

 

[dadzjunk]

I am not a newbie to metal detecting, but I am new to Minelab detectors and now I have a new CTX and all of the advise in this topic is great for guys like us that are just learning the machine. Thanks so much for your patience and time with us while we learn. It is very valuable and helps to keep us in the grove and from getting so frustrated.

 

[markincypress]

I can relate to what you were saying. I have been metal detecting for a number of years now and recentley bought my first Minelab detector, the CTX3030. On the very first hunt I could not find a coin if I stepped on it. Then I remembered how when I first began metal detecting I learned my machine. Like others have stated start waving coins and trash items past the coil and note the readings displayed. Even if you do not have a test garden drop some coins on the ground and practice. Visit a tot lot and practice pin pointing the shallow targets. After awhile it will begin making sense to you. When hunting listen for good clean repeatable audio and then use the display to confirm what the machine thinks the target is.

Get with one of the dealers on the forum. My dealer recomended a book to me about using the Etrac and Explorer written by a very well known author. This book while not written for the CTX3030 did explain the Fe/Co scale as well as other topics that relate to the CTX. This book along with practice, practice and this forum have helped me get better with my machine. I'm not there yet but I am working on it..

 

[dadzjunk]

Markincypress,
that is excellent advise. I too am new to the Minelab detectors and everything that you say is right on. I think that I have learned more from the guys on this forum in the week that I have had my CTX than I ever thought I could and I still have a long way to go. In addition to my dealer, digger and others on here have a world of knowledge and they have field experience with the CTX and they are always willing to help any way that they can. We just need to keep on PLUGGING!

 

[Erik in NJ]

It sounds like you are seeing falsing and interpreting it as a target--a common error for a new user. Try this: 1) turn down your sensitivity a bit--the higher the number the more the machine is prone to falsing, 2) dig repeatable targets (from the left and right and again at 90 degrees) that are on or near the FE 12 line +/- 2 or 3. Practice your pinpointing--make sure you pinpoint in one direction and then step 90 degrees to one side and do it again. You can continue stepping 90 degrees give or take 45 degrees or less and continue this process to reall zero in on the target. Use the Garrett Pro Pointer instead of the Minelab. I also use a VibraProbe to do fine pinpointing. Practice these steps and you will do fine.

 

[sube]

Erik what's the depth on the vibraprobe i know it's a pi how far well it reach on a coin.Thankx sube

 

[Erik in NJ]

Hi - Depth on the Vibra Probe is about an inch or less....I only use it for fine pinpointing when I can't easily see the item in the pile or dirt or to check whether it's right there in the hole near the surface so I don't hit it with my Lesche--most of the time I will touch the target with it. I use the X-1 on my SE pro to do a rough pinpoint and then hit the pinpoint button on the machine and make an X with the probe to find out which part of the hole it's in. Then if need be I will finish with the VP. It's a very quick and accurate retrieval process. I don't wanna spend more time in the hole than I need to as it's all about retrieval speed without damaging your targets. With the CTX I'm obviously going to need a replacement for the X-1 and those are big shoes to fill. The new Minelab Probe doesn't cut it and I feel blind Will try the Garrett...not much else out there. I can't believe Minelab didn't come out with a wireless X-1 probe....sure hope it's in the works as once you have used on, it's miserable detecting without one.

 

[sparkster]

Boy, you guys are right on with your advice. I took my CTX out for the second time yesterday. My VDI's were all over the charts. I had no idea what I was looking at, so I reverted to looking at only repeatable signals along the 12 FE line. Started finding a few clad coins, but had no real confidence in what the machine was telling me

More importantly for me is to learn how to navigate around the control buttons, so you can change sensitive, change default programs, noise cancel, etc. I got frustrated because I could not figure all of that out on the fly. I went home and reviewed it all again so now I feel more confident. If you have never used a mine lab before all of this is very difficult to assimilate.

Running the machine in coin mode, default patterns, and sensitivity at auto + 1 is the way to go. I went to a school to detect, but before I started detecting, I threw some coins out on the ground to see where the tones in 50 CO were registering. After all of that, I found 3 clad dimes and 6 memorials in a 20 yard square area.

I feel after 2 hunts the learning curve for non-minelab users is difficult, but not insurmountable. I will ask questions of the experts when I figure out what I'm not doing properly.

Read, practice, read, practice, read,practice.

 

[Wildgerman]

I am not a newbe at metal detecting but have been out of the hobby for over 20 yrs. Decided to get back into it and after useing top notch machines when I was doing it before I decided to start again with a top notch detector by getting a CTX 3030 . The detector is a little bit intiminating at first and in my opinion the Manual is written more for people that have been using minelab detectors before. I decided to order the book The CTX 3030 Beach and water Hunter's Guide by Gary T Drayton and the way he explains the operations made everything come together on how to setup and run the detector. Of coarse I still haven't been able to go outside to try it because I live up here in North Dakota and this morning the temp was -- 15 below 0 zero and --35 below 0 windchill. I do a lot of testing with the detector by using a paper box or thick couch cushions to lay coins and other goodies the learn the detector.

 

[jas415]

Not a lot of input different from the previous posters, but, you say you were getting 24-30 readings? Were you in an open pattern, no discrimination? I am on my third Minelab and the easiest way for me to learn them was to stick to the stock patterns, and leave the buttons alone til I went thourgh my tests a few times. I took wooden or plastic paint stir sticks, marked them off in 1 inch increments, hot glued coins and jewelry to them and then took them over to a volleyball court and stuck them in the sand at different depths. Then ran the machine over them and listened to the sounds and watched the numbers. Ran over them at 90 degree offsets for any changes. By glueing a coin on the side of a stick that meant the coin was on 'edge' in the hole, so it sometimes gave off weird tones and numbers, Then I would take the same stuff and slide it in the ground so the coin/jewelry was flat to get the tones. Took several hours of this ti l I learned what I was supposed to dig.

Also, on digging 'only' the '12' line. Well, just for grins I would suggest you expand that to 11 to 13, repeatable in 90 degree sweeps, and displaying a good target with correct tones. I think you will find that in some instances where there are 2 or more coins really close together the numbers will not be all that reliable, but the tone and target will.

 

[Rick(ND)]

I printed out the owners manual and read it several times and still reread it again and again to learn more and more about this detector. It is surprising what a person misses the first time though the manual and like my Sovereign I have also you learn more each and every time out with it. It isn't as easy to use in the Field as it is doing air test and test indoors like most detectors, but it isn't hard either if you have a little patience and time to get out to use it. The first couple of times out with mine I went for easy pickings at a few new area where I picked up some clad just to get a idea of how the tone were and what to expect on ID in actual hunting conditions.
I been detecting since 1973 and used many different detectors and used all the different Minelab and find these are a very good detector, but a bit different then other detectors as they give you more info and let you the operator decide to dig or not, some have the patience to learn them while others give up, but those that spend the time to learn them do well. I have a good Friend and hunting Buddie that seems to average over 300 silver coins a year with his Explorer XS only because he knows it well and spent the time to get to know it. Myself I do well with the Minelab Sovereigns only because I got to know it well, so since I got the CTX 3030 the Sovereign has been collecting dust as I want to learn this CTX well as I feel from what I have used it in some well worked areas it has done really well for me, but do have so much more to learn from experience in the Field.

We have a club up here in ND that meets 35 miles southwest of Fargo, so if you are in the area you are welcome to come and meet some of our members, Just give me a E-Mail at Lschroe929@aol.com as being a new person to the forums here you cant send me a message. and I can give you more info. Most of our members use a Minelab and swear by them.

Rick