The CTX and I are becoming fast friends... :smile:

[sgoss66]

Currently I am in Pennsylvania on Thanksgiving vacation; here are the results of two short hunts. Most of these goodies came from my favorite old country church, where finds are scarce -- at least, they USED to be! They weren't today; the CTX was sniffing out goodies like I couldn't believe! It was seriously like someone went to this church and planted this stuff, since the last time I was there (July)! I have been over many of these finds MULTIPLE times, and simply could not find them; the site is full of square nails and I have to assume many of these were simply too close to the nails for the Explorer to find them. And I have yet to even put the 6" coil on the CTX; this was all with the stock 11" coil, while I've run the Explorer with 6x8 SEF here a number of times in the past!

I LOVE this machine!

[attachment 352223 Nov.22andNov.24Finds--forFM.JPG]

 

[JackalopeZL1]

Nice bunch of finds there

 

[laplander]

Thats what friends are all about
Nice finds Steve, I believe the stock coil is the most well tuned coil for the 3030.

 

[masterjedi]

The CTX is truly in a class all by itself... Its magic

 

[coherent]

Great finds!. I'm a new CTX owner and still trying to figure it out. The positive results of others help keep the motivation high. It hasn't rained in central Arizona for over a month and a half, so my issue right not is that the ground at the parks and fields is like concrete... I need a better digger!

 

[IDXMonster]

The CTX is truly in a class all by itself... Its magic

AMEN!!

 

[sgoss66]

Great finds!. I'm a new CTX owner and still trying to figure it out. The positive results of others help keep the motivation high. It hasn't rained in central Arizona for over a month and a half, so my issue right not is that the ground at the parks and fields is like concrete... I need a better digger!

coherent,

Have you ever used another Minelab FBS detector? I have used an Explorer for years, and that really helps make the transition to the CTX easier. Either way though, it is an amazing machine!

I totally understand about the rock-hard ground; sounds like summertime in Oklahoma! A good digger definitely helps...

Steve

 

[pacer]

For what's it worth, my digger of choice is White's Digmaster:

 

[sgoss66]

Looks nice...is it as stout as a Lesche?

Steve

 

[chappy(IN)]

Sweet finds Steve

 

[coherent]

coherent,

Have you ever used another Minelab FBS detector? I have used an Explorer for years, and that really helps make the transition to the CTX easier. Either way though, it is an amazing machine!

I totally understand about the rock-hard ground; sounds like summertime in Oklahoma! A good digger definitely helps...

Steve

Yes I owned a Minelab before this, but it was one of their gold machines... completely different critter than the FBS coin/treasure detectors. I bought Andy Sabisch's book and have been through it a couple times. It really helped "de-mystify" the machine. I think at this point simply using it and practice is the key. The Whites digger looks nice, but there are times I feel like I need a jack hammer or a backhoe in this Arizona dirt!

 

[IDXMonster]

Coherent...if you are able to use a small shovel and you don’t have one,the Sampson 31” t-handle serrated shovel will CHANGE YOUR LIFE. You can dig way better,cleaner and deeper plugs right off the bat,and of course you’re using your body weight transferring through your leg and foot,NOT through your wrist and shoulder as it would be with a handheld digger.
Also,you’re right. You can read the forums and it does offer some assistance,but if you want to get in touch with the CTX and the ABSOLUTE GENIUS of the machine....go use it. There is NO NEED to be fiddling with all the adjustments all the time,this is not like docking the space shuttle. Set up with whatever you’ve decided should be your primary search mode with a secondary mode to check targets with and GO! Do NOT second guess the machine right now. If you can’t hit that coin from 2 angles,walk away! Coins sound like coins,they don’t sound like sh*t. There are situations where a signal sounds terrible and it’s a Coin...but they are VERY few and far between. For someone just getting to learn it,you can’t go digging signals that suck. Even with the stock coil in Auto+3 which is a tame setting most places,it’ll crank dimes out of the ground at 8” without even sneezing. 9” dimes are not uncommon in good dirt with little junk and little EMI. The 17” coil will expand your depth an inch or two mainly because you will be able to HEAR the signal better,it seems to clean them up nicely.
It takes time. Most of the time,by the time a CTX hops into a site,it’s been hunted very hard with other machines that you and others have used in there. Dont be discouraged if it’s not finding stuff by the bucket right away. There are two types of people. Those who own the CTX long enough to see its genius,and the others who are too impatient to actually learn it and it goes away. The ones who learn it will have it forever,the ones who don’t will be relegated to a lesser machine in just about every way.

 

[sgoss66]

IDX -- good post!

Chappy -- THANKS!

 

[pacer]

IDX, right on, excellent post. Been working with mine for a little over 2 years. Every time out it still amazes me.

 

[coherent]

IDX. Thanks for the post and info. I actually took it out for a test drive yesterday to a small park. 2nd target I dug (was actually scooped from the sand at a kiddie play area) was a ladies gold and silver ring. I'm sure any detector would have found it, but still was a nice surprise. Found out very quickly that pull tabs are in the 12-17, 12-18 range and what they sound like. I have to quit playing with the buttons tho... seemed noisy and when I checked I had inadvertently put the noise setting in manual. Switched to auto and did another auto noise cancel and it quieted down nicely. I really like it! My only wish would be 5 lbs lighter, but hey there's always a little give and take!

 

[IDXMonster]

It is well balanced but still a bit weighty. Once you start pulling deep good targets with other junk mixed in, that whole “weight” thing will become substantially less of an issue. I have the distinct advantage of having the Pro Swing harness...the kind of hunting I do can leave 15-30 minute intervals between targets sometimes and it’s just REALLY nice to have.
Finding a ring like that helps the confidence ALOT! Correct with the tabs...

 

[coherent]

Coherent...if you are able to use a small shovel and you don’t have one,the Sampson 31” t-handle serrated shovel will CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

Did a little more research and found lots more positive feedback about the Sampson shovel you recommended. Ordered one from Amazon and I'm looking forward to getting it and trying it out... gotta be better than the small hand spade type digger I'm using!

 

[IDXMonster]

Coherent...if you are able to use a small shovel and you don’t have one,the Sampson 31” t-handle serrated shovel will CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

Did a little more research and found lots more positive feedback about the Sampson shovel you recommended. Ordered one from Amazon and I'm looking forward to getting it and trying it out... gotta be better than the small hand spade type digger I'm using!

You will laugh out loud at how fast and effortlessly it digs a hole. You’ll be wanting to dig all kinds of stuff just to use it...don’t get carried away now!