I've hunted with the safari for the last 4 years and just bought the 3030. I've watched countless videos on the 3030 but can't find anything comparing the two detectors. My biggest motivator for upgrading was that I've been hunting an 1880s park that's "hunted out" but still find the occasional wheat at 8". Every time there is a construction project, tons of coins surface. Highly mineralized with tons of iron. Recently I've been chasing deep,faint, iffy signals that are usually just rusty nails. Although broad, what can I expect with the 3030? Will it go deeper? Will it make iron more obvious? Lots of videos showing good finds but none showing trash. Will iron ever show up as a red cross hair in the upper right? All opinions welcome. Thanks!!
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Safari vs CTX 3030
- Thread starter Prodigy
- Start date
Let's talk about Target Trace and ID numbers as a whole. What's reliable? What point do I walk away from a target based on ferrous? With the Safari, if it was a decent, repeatable tone I dug it. I'm noticing just because it's a good repeatable tone doesn't mean it'll be good and just because it's not repeatable doesn't mean it's bad. Where do I draw the line? That's where I'm confused.
Prodigy, Here's my 2 cents worth. I have the AT Pro, Safari and CTX3030. When you talk signal return, there
is no detector faster than the AT Pro. Shallow coins 5" or less, I give the trophy to AT Pro. Beyond that and
beyond 5" is where I find most all my old coins, the CTX is un-matched at distinguishing whether or not it is a
good target especially when it gets to max 9-12"s. All that being experienced with stock dd coils that come on them.
In my opinion, the Safari is the most understated detector Minelab makes. However, when it gets 9-12"s, the
Safari will do pretty well at id'ing at 9 and at 12, it's anybody's guess. The biggest differences/advantages I
have noticed in all 3 of my detectors is as follows:
#1 You will not dig as many pull tabs with the CTX
#2 You will dig more nickels with the CTX
#3 You will dig deeper, good targets with confidence with the CTX
#4 Slap a Nel Sharpshooter on that Safari, set sensitivity at 28 if your soil
will stand it, go back across the hunted out areas diagnally and pick up the good stuff.
#5 If you go to the beach, leave the AT Pro home.
*****You didn't ask for this but this is what I do. I have about 3 parks loaded with modern day coins.
I take the AT Pro and clean out the shallow targets because it is so fast. Then I go with the CTX to
get the deep stuff including jewelry. Lastly, I take the Safari with the Nel coil and go back in a different
direction and you would be amazed at how it handles high sensitivity and how quiet it is.
My advise would be to get the CTX. Get Andy's book on the CTX. Print the manual on the CTX.
Take it a section at a time and learn it. All this will help your learning curve dramatically because
to go from the Safari to the CTX is a huge jump in technology and fine tuning.
Keep that Safari.........Get a Nel Sharpshooter for it if you don't already have one.
is no detector faster than the AT Pro. Shallow coins 5" or less, I give the trophy to AT Pro. Beyond that and
beyond 5" is where I find most all my old coins, the CTX is un-matched at distinguishing whether or not it is a
good target especially when it gets to max 9-12"s. All that being experienced with stock dd coils that come on them.
In my opinion, the Safari is the most understated detector Minelab makes. However, when it gets 9-12"s, the
Safari will do pretty well at id'ing at 9 and at 12, it's anybody's guess. The biggest differences/advantages I
have noticed in all 3 of my detectors is as follows:
#1 You will not dig as many pull tabs with the CTX
#2 You will dig more nickels with the CTX
#3 You will dig deeper, good targets with confidence with the CTX
#4 Slap a Nel Sharpshooter on that Safari, set sensitivity at 28 if your soil
will stand it, go back across the hunted out areas diagnally and pick up the good stuff.
#5 If you go to the beach, leave the AT Pro home.
*****You didn't ask for this but this is what I do. I have about 3 parks loaded with modern day coins.
I take the AT Pro and clean out the shallow targets because it is so fast. Then I go with the CTX to
get the deep stuff including jewelry. Lastly, I take the Safari with the Nel coil and go back in a different
direction and you would be amazed at how it handles high sensitivity and how quiet it is.
My advise would be to get the CTX. Get Andy's book on the CTX. Print the manual on the CTX.
Take it a section at a time and learn it. All this will help your learning curve dramatically because
to go from the Safari to the CTX is a huge jump in technology and fine tuning.
Keep that Safari.........Get a Nel Sharpshooter for it if you don't already have one.
Johnnyanglo
Active member
Here's charts that at least compare the Safari to the CTX - they're about the same, depending upon soil mineralization. These are total depth sums on a bunch of different targets by detector (bigger numbers mean greater total depth overall - which is desired).
SandShaker
New member
Where's the AT Gold? My ATG will BLOW away an AT Pro at the park, For the beaches I use a highly mod'd excal 1000 or my ctx 3030. Lately its just been the beach and 3030. I HATE digging pennies.