Noticed something strange CTX v. E-Trac

[SunrayBrabo]

This is my eight season of detecting with a Minelab detector, I started with the Explorer II then tried an SE but went back to Explorer II.
Then the E-Trac came out and I bought me one. I compared it against the Explorer II but the E-Trac turned out to be the better one.
Used on all these detector the excellent Sunray X-12 coil, made my own discrimination pattern on the E-Trac which I used all the time on any kind of land.

Some months ago I have bought a CTX and started to tune it up last weekend.
I created the same discrimination pattern on the CTX as the pattern I always used on my E-Trac because that pattern is familiar and well know to me.
Last weekend I took them both out to compare them and to see which one would deliver the best.
While doing this I noticed something strange, I had to dig rusted nail pieces about the size of 2 cm in length and 1 cm in diameter with the CTX, the FeCo numbers of these pieces were all 01-50.
That area was not discriminated out by my discrimination pattern so you can say it is normal that you get a signal from those pieces.
Then I swept my E-Trac with the same discrimination pattern over those pieces but there were no signals, the E-Trac discriminated them out.
I am now wondering which one is doing it best, the CTX or the Trac.
I also noticed that the area were those iron pieces hit are discriminated out in some standard programmed patterns on the CTX. ( FeCo area 01 till 05-50 ).
On the silver program that area is not discriminated out so I am a bit unwilling to discriminated that area out in the pattern I use, I do not like to leave some silver behind ;-)
Has anybody experienced the same and can explain to me what is going on here.

Thank you, kind regard SunrayBrabo.

 

[pghmole]

I have never dug anything good with my Ctx that hit higher that a 47,every time i dig higher numbers it was the same result,iron! The Ctx is very accurate with vdi numbers I have around 200 + silvers with my Ctx from its debut last year,and I took over 4 months off in that time HH

 

["Dr.Tones"]

Your TID number on the CTX will differ depending on what "target separation" mode you're in. For example "ferrous coin" TID's will be different than "high trash" TID's. The less you think of this machine as a glorified E-Trac the better off you'll be. This machine is NOT an E-Trac.

 

[SunrayBrabo]

Thank you for your reply,
Excellent score on the silver you made
May I assume that you are also searching in the high trash target separation mode and that it would not be a problem to discriminate out the area where the larger nails are hitting.

Kind Regards SunrayBrabo.

 

[silverchef]

I agree the CTX isnt the same as the Etrac. i think the sooner you get away from using the same set up as the etrac the better. The combined mode is really the way to go. I will admit I dig alot of nails still but my silver count shot through the roof hunting a lot of the same spots. The separation and target ID is far superior on the CTX. Like pghmole said anything over 47 is rusty nail BUT I did dig 2 Barber quarters stuck together at Conductive 48-49. I was sure it would be trash, but glad I dug. I dug a lot of targets at 1- 50 for awhile, but eventually just disced it out. And in some spots if I open 1-50 the machine goes nuts.

 

[Rick(ND)]

This is where I feel many have a problem is trying to run them the same as the Minelab they had before. I seen this with the Explorer XS as most like the Sovereign better as they didn't understand them, then came the EX II and some tried to use them like the XS and didn't feel they were much better than the XS. This followed with the SE and the SE Pro as they were a little different and some tried to use them like the one they had before. The E-Trac was completely different and many tried to use them like a Explorer and seen they didn't seem to work as good as what they had before, so each one is a little different and has to be learned over again. I had a CTX 3030 last year and didn't get a lot of time on it, but seen it was different then the E-Trac I had been using before and did a bit more digging of trash too. I also did dig a few coins in a well worked area that has been hunted hard in with some trash too and towards last I wasn't digging the trash I had before as I could tell the difference as I was learning something new each time out with it.
I never messed with the GPS as I wanted to get to know the CTX first before trying anything else. I sold mine last fall and getting a new one again in a week or so as it is a very impressive detector once you get to know it and realize it is different then the E-Trac or Explorers.

Rick