She's pretty,like to see the Specs and see a field test.Cost ??.This is a pivatol detector.HH Ron
Find's Treasure Forums
Welcome to Find's Treasure Forums, Guests!
You are viewing this forums as a guest which limits you to read only status.
Only registered members may post stories, questions, classifieds, reply to other posts, contact other members using built in messaging and use many other features found on these forums.
Why not register and join us today? It's free! (We don't share your email addresses with anyone.) We keep email addresses of our users to protect them and others from bad people posting things they shouldn't.
Click here to register!
Need Support Help?
Cannot log in?, click here to have new password emailed to you
The CTX 3030 wow!
- Thread starter Ron from Michigan
- Start date
Chatter says,FBS, at 5.3 LBS
Critterhunter
New member
Pretty? What's with the cordless drill sized battery pack? Somebody said that big battery and the extra weight involved with it is due to GPS sucking down a lot of power on another forum. Too much money for me anyway. I'd rather buy an Xcal and a SE Pro, Etrac, or GT and still be spending about the same amount of money. Might have to buy one of those used, but with the Xcal thrown in the price should be about the same as that thing and you get two machines for the price of one. I think Minelab might have drank the Whites crazy koolaid on this one in terms of feature over kill, and I'm not the only one saying that. I was let down myself when I saw it.
Critter,I guess in a few days more questions will be answered with the new Minelab.Though will be interesting to see how well it does in the field.
I don't see where the GPS will be an issue, I have a Garmin handheld that will last 30+ hrs continuous on 2 AA batteries.
The only toy that would really inpress me is AI in a detector. For instance, you map targets, dig them and then teach the detector things like target depth, general shape, size etc. After a while it could be telling you what is under the coil before you dig.
I don't understand why this hasn't been in the offing from any MFG. Even if you had to D/L the days discoveries into the computer to do number crunching and then build a profile to put back into the detector memory, it would add a whole new dimension to detecting. Could this be what they mean by PC mapping?
The only toy that would really inpress me is AI in a detector. For instance, you map targets, dig them and then teach the detector things like target depth, general shape, size etc. After a while it could be telling you what is under the coil before you dig.
I don't understand why this hasn't been in the offing from any MFG. Even if you had to D/L the days discoveries into the computer to do number crunching and then build a profile to put back into the detector memory, it would add a whole new dimension to detecting. Could this be what they mean by PC mapping?
I'm sure the miltary doesn't want the general public geting better toys than they get.Critterhunter
New member
Here's my biggest fear...That this machine will be such a leap forward in depth and unmasking ability that it will be pointless to hunt public sites with your other Minelabs or some other detector that this machine has already covered. If that happens then kiss this hobby goodbye as it will be another rich man's sport where only a very few can afford this machine to even have a chance at finding more silver at public sites. If that happens then I could see other manufactures going under as the pool of detector buyers shrinks without any potential left for other machines at public sites. All that will be left for people using less expensive machines (even the current Minelabs) will be hunting private land or water hunting for fresh dropped rings.
As it stands right now even people with a cheap machine ($300 to $400) can and do still find silver at pounded out sites with enough effort by digging those deep iffy coin signals or even shallow bad ones that are silver that has been badly masked by iron or other junk. I like the way that stands right now, where there is enough room in this hobby for everybody (rich and poor) to still make some great finds on public land.
Let's say it's a giant leap in ability to ID at depth and also unmask coins. If that's the case and using a larger coil on another machine won't match it's depth, and using a smaller coil to unmask coins still won't do as well in that respect either compared to it...Then goodbye hobby for everybody but a small handful of people who can afford to buy that machine.
Even worse, if it has the ability to ID gold and not the junk for ring hunting then that will also kill the last remaining people standing who would still go out and ring hunt public land for gold by digging the junk.
One thing that can't be changed and that's the laws of physics. The detection field can't go around corners or even hit a shallower trash item and still reach deeper to see something deeper. The field in effect "bursts" or warps and bends around the first piece of metal it hits. That can't be changed. For that reason, even if the above things are true (ability to ID ultra deep or masked coins much better than other machines, and/or the ability to ID gold and leave the junk behind), then all that will be left for us not using that machine to do is dig out trash in the hopes of a ring or silver coin that was deeper below it and thus even this new machine's detection field couldn't see it.
It will be real interesting to see if using a larger coil on another Minelab can still keep up with it depth wise (if it does have more depth), and if using a smaller coil can still keep up with it in unmasking (if it does indeed also unmask way better than conventional machines).
I still hold out hope that I'm just being overly paranoid...And that if I paid attention to the laws of physics then this machine really can't have much better ability at depth or unmasking than another Minelabs. For instance, everybody knows the Etrac has a reputation for IDing real deep and unmasking coins in junk. Despite all the more advanced technology that machine has crammed into it, thus far my GT with 12x10 has been able to see all the coins my Etrac friend has had me check that were either super deep or very badly masked. And that's despite him running much lower iron rejection and no other discrimination, where as the GT has all that built in iron rejection. I believe the fact that the GT has been able to keep up and do just as well is totally due to the extra depth of the 12x10 along with it's super tight detection field in the left/right perspective. That's one of those laws of physics things. Bigger coil= More depth. Sharper detection field= Ability to light up the coin and not trash that is even laying right up against it so close that they are touching.
Man, I just hope this machine isn't so good that using a larger coil (depth) or a small one (separation) still can't hold a candle to what this machine is able to do. That might be an unrational fear due to the physics thing discussed above that can't be changed, but if it does happen then kiss a great hobby goodbye that only a handful of rich(er) people can afford by owning this new machine. If that happens it will be pointless for the rest of us to even try hunting public land, and we'll be left with private sites or hunting the water for fresh dropped rings. The silver and gold at public sites will all be gone, or what is left will only be able to be found by others using that expensive detector that others using that same machine still missed due to them being the worst of the worst in terms of very deep or so badly masked that even that machine has trouble with it.
As it stands right now even people with a cheap machine ($300 to $400) can and do still find silver at pounded out sites with enough effort by digging those deep iffy coin signals or even shallow bad ones that are silver that has been badly masked by iron or other junk. I like the way that stands right now, where there is enough room in this hobby for everybody (rich and poor) to still make some great finds on public land.
Let's say it's a giant leap in ability to ID at depth and also unmask coins. If that's the case and using a larger coil on another machine won't match it's depth, and using a smaller coil to unmask coins still won't do as well in that respect either compared to it...Then goodbye hobby for everybody but a small handful of people who can afford to buy that machine.
Even worse, if it has the ability to ID gold and not the junk for ring hunting then that will also kill the last remaining people standing who would still go out and ring hunt public land for gold by digging the junk.
One thing that can't be changed and that's the laws of physics. The detection field can't go around corners or even hit a shallower trash item and still reach deeper to see something deeper. The field in effect "bursts" or warps and bends around the first piece of metal it hits. That can't be changed. For that reason, even if the above things are true (ability to ID ultra deep or masked coins much better than other machines, and/or the ability to ID gold and leave the junk behind), then all that will be left for us not using that machine to do is dig out trash in the hopes of a ring or silver coin that was deeper below it and thus even this new machine's detection field couldn't see it.
It will be real interesting to see if using a larger coil on another Minelab can still keep up with it depth wise (if it does have more depth), and if using a smaller coil can still keep up with it in unmasking (if it does indeed also unmask way better than conventional machines).
I still hold out hope that I'm just being overly paranoid...And that if I paid attention to the laws of physics then this machine really can't have much better ability at depth or unmasking than another Minelabs. For instance, everybody knows the Etrac has a reputation for IDing real deep and unmasking coins in junk. Despite all the more advanced technology that machine has crammed into it, thus far my GT with 12x10 has been able to see all the coins my Etrac friend has had me check that were either super deep or very badly masked. And that's despite him running much lower iron rejection and no other discrimination, where as the GT has all that built in iron rejection. I believe the fact that the GT has been able to keep up and do just as well is totally due to the extra depth of the 12x10 along with it's super tight detection field in the left/right perspective. That's one of those laws of physics things. Bigger coil= More depth. Sharper detection field= Ability to light up the coin and not trash that is even laying right up against it so close that they are touching.
Man, I just hope this machine isn't so good that using a larger coil (depth) or a small one (separation) still can't hold a candle to what this machine is able to do. That might be an unrational fear due to the physics thing discussed above that can't be changed, but if it does happen then kiss a great hobby goodbye that only a handful of rich(er) people can afford by owning this new machine. If that happens it will be pointless for the rest of us to even try hunting public land, and we'll be left with private sites or hunting the water for fresh dropped rings. The silver and gold at public sites will all be gone, or what is left will only be able to be found by others using that expensive detector that others using that same machine still missed due to them being the worst of the worst in terms of very deep or so badly masked that even that machine has trouble with it.
Tony in FL
Member
Critter - just my opinion but I believe you are being too paranoid! 
I do have high hopes for the CTX3030 and expect to be an early adopter (although not before I see some reviews). In terms of VLF technology I suspect it may be an incremental improvement over over the E-trac. And in other ways it seems to have incremental improvements i.e. color screen, wireless headphones, and being waterproof to shallow depth. I really like the idea of it being waterproof. I also think the GPS feature, depending upon how they implement it, could be a nice bonus. While GPS is not yet accurate enough to retrace your exact steps, it could come in handy in the following scenarios, assuming these feature are supported:
1) Perform research on-line using something like Google maps. Locate promising areas to search and download coordinates into CTX3030. Now the GTX3030's GPS can be used to find the generalized location, at which point you can carefully grid the area.
2) When trying to grid a large area use the GPS tracking feature to mark what area you have covered. Granted you will still need to carefully grid becasue the GPS is not accurate enough to allow you to follow a grid-line, but it can mark off a general area, perhaps even allow you to upload your progress in a large field or beach to a computer for future reference.
3) Allow setting way-points where you have made a find. Perhaps the data can be uploaded to mapping/database software to allow for easy maintenance of a database of finds.
However since you can already do much of this with a portable GPS it is not really a game changer either. But when you put all of the incremental improvemetns on the CTX3030, it MIGHT turn out to be quite a nice machine.
I do have high hopes for the CTX3030 and expect to be an early adopter (although not before I see some reviews). In terms of VLF technology I suspect it may be an incremental improvement over over the E-trac. And in other ways it seems to have incremental improvements i.e. color screen, wireless headphones, and being waterproof to shallow depth. I really like the idea of it being waterproof. I also think the GPS feature, depending upon how they implement it, could be a nice bonus. While GPS is not yet accurate enough to retrace your exact steps, it could come in handy in the following scenarios, assuming these feature are supported:1) Perform research on-line using something like Google maps. Locate promising areas to search and download coordinates into CTX3030. Now the GTX3030's GPS can be used to find the generalized location, at which point you can carefully grid the area.
2) When trying to grid a large area use the GPS tracking feature to mark what area you have covered. Granted you will still need to carefully grid becasue the GPS is not accurate enough to allow you to follow a grid-line, but it can mark off a general area, perhaps even allow you to upload your progress in a large field or beach to a computer for future reference.
3) Allow setting way-points where you have made a find. Perhaps the data can be uploaded to mapping/database software to allow for easy maintenance of a database of finds.
However since you can already do much of this with a portable GPS it is not really a game changer either. But when you put all of the incremental improvemetns on the CTX3030, it MIGHT turn out to be quite a nice machine.
Critterhunter
New member
I sure hope I'm being overly paranoid! If I use the logical side of my mind I do believe it will only show minor improvements in say IDing at depth or seperating a mixed signal that reads coin/iron due to masking where they are laying so close that they are touching and are both being washed in the detection field at the same time. Marginal improvements in those two areas probably due to processing the signal better, but not really reaching any further into the ground via a larger detection field or anything.
If that's the case (slightly better ID ability on deep coins or ones in trash due to processing) then just by using a larger coil than the 11" Pro Coil the other Minelabs should be able to keep up, and if you use a 12x10 you'll get that extra depth (many say it's deeper than the Pro Coil by a bit) and it has slightly better seperation left/right wise with it's ultra sharp detection field and so be able to erase any better processing abilities of that machine in terms of being able to find a coin in iron or other trash or IDing at depth. Maybe (hoping) a coil like the 12x10 can erase the edge the new machine has (if it does have an edge) in those respects of depth or unmasking abilities that that machine might have thanks to it's better processing of the signal.
Man, that above paragraph was one long sentence but I don't feel like editing it. Sorry...
More than likely if what I'm reading is correct about the new machine IDing coins at depth a bit better where as other Minelabs see a ultra deep coin on the fringes as iron...That that better abilitiy probably doesn't have anything to do with the coil but rather it's the way the signal is broken apart and analyzed by the machine...And that could also be the answer to how it unmasks a bit better if indeed it does have better ability.
I know the Pro Coil gets excellent depth and separation compared to a conventional DD of that size, but I'm just hoping that a good aftermarket coil such as the 12x10 or 13" Ultimate can eliminate those advantages of the new machine when used on another Minelab. I doubt the Ultimate is as good as the 12x10 in terms of left/right separation because these SEF coil's unique shape really compresses the width of the detection line. That or at least just based on the 13 incher's shear bigger sized compared to the 12x10, but from what Bryce says the Ultimate is unmasking remarkably well for such a large coil so it appears to have some unique abilities in that respect that a typical DD coil doesn't...Just like the 12x10 does. Maybe not as well as the 12x10, but at least better than a typical DD.
OK, going to stop writing for now. Seem to be repeating myself (more so than I normaly do) and my sentences are starting to all run together. Need a cigarette...
If that's the case (slightly better ID ability on deep coins or ones in trash due to processing) then just by using a larger coil than the 11" Pro Coil the other Minelabs should be able to keep up, and if you use a 12x10 you'll get that extra depth (many say it's deeper than the Pro Coil by a bit) and it has slightly better seperation left/right wise with it's ultra sharp detection field and so be able to erase any better processing abilities of that machine in terms of being able to find a coin in iron or other trash or IDing at depth. Maybe (hoping) a coil like the 12x10 can erase the edge the new machine has (if it does have an edge) in those respects of depth or unmasking abilities that that machine might have thanks to it's better processing of the signal.
Man, that above paragraph was one long sentence but I don't feel like editing it. Sorry...
More than likely if what I'm reading is correct about the new machine IDing coins at depth a bit better where as other Minelabs see a ultra deep coin on the fringes as iron...That that better abilitiy probably doesn't have anything to do with the coil but rather it's the way the signal is broken apart and analyzed by the machine...And that could also be the answer to how it unmasks a bit better if indeed it does have better ability.
I know the Pro Coil gets excellent depth and separation compared to a conventional DD of that size, but I'm just hoping that a good aftermarket coil such as the 12x10 or 13" Ultimate can eliminate those advantages of the new machine when used on another Minelab. I doubt the Ultimate is as good as the 12x10 in terms of left/right separation because these SEF coil's unique shape really compresses the width of the detection line. That or at least just based on the 13 incher's shear bigger sized compared to the 12x10, but from what Bryce says the Ultimate is unmasking remarkably well for such a large coil so it appears to have some unique abilities in that respect that a typical DD coil doesn't...Just like the 12x10 does. Maybe not as well as the 12x10, but at least better than a typical DD.
OK, going to stop writing for now. Seem to be repeating myself (more so than I normaly do) and my sentences are starting to all run together. Need a cigarette...