Thinking About Down Sizing

[RLOH]

I have been taking the Etrac to my favorite park and have been coming home "skunked". This place has been my all time favorite detecting spot, producing hundreds of silver and into the thousands of wheat pennies. I always can find at least a wheat or two, but the last three hunts were terrible. I actually thought the Etrac was broke.

Being a reasonable person and not wanting to get rid of my all time favorite detector, I decided to take it to a less productive park. This place will always produce clad and a silver coin every two or three hunts. I had it in my mind if I could not find a deep wheat or two, I would trade or sell the Etrac. I headed to the side of the park where I have found silver and wheats. First coin was the familiar deep 12-42 and from 9 inches a 20's wheat. There was a heavy dew on the grass so I used this as a starting point and gridded a 40 by 20 area. Deep coins were found every pass. I ended up with 4 green wheats, one Buffalo, and one silver roosie. I only hunted for an hour and a half before the heat kicked in. Needless to say, I will not be getting rid of the Etrac. If a person has places that still produce, I would advise you to have an Etrac.

 

[Southwind]

The E-Trac is still my go-to detector for cherry picking coins at extreme depths.

I've owned the Equinox 800 and currently the XP Deus 2. If I've cleaned a site where my E-Trac no longer produces, I have found nothing that will.

 

[RLOH]

It sure is hard to find a better detector than the Etrac that will accurately hit coins 8 plus inches. The thing that makes the Etrac "head and shoulders" above the new detectors is the ease at how it hits on these deep coins. I just wish it was not so darn heavy. I just had my Etrac repaired with a mother board and I guess I would be foolish to trade it off. I have tried just about every new detector and while I love the weight and speed, they are not quite up to the abilities of the Etrac.

 

[jim tn]

I never swung a Etrac, a good chunk of my hunting years have been behind CZ's and F 75's, and of late a Equinox 600 and 900. I probably don't have a great deal of hunting time left ahead of me, but I would love to get to know a light weight Etrac. I know once learned, like some of you guys here have, they are deadly and deep old coin hunters. I have dug some deep coins over the years, including a couple 10 inch ones with the Nox, but such depths are very rare....and I know there are some goodies hiding at those depths. Anyway, a light weight Etrac is a dream I have along with enjoying a fine cup of coffee this early morning. HH jim tn

 

[RLOH]

I never swung a Etrac, a good chunk of my hunting years have been behind CZ's and F 75's, and of late a Equinox 600 and 900. I probably don't have a great deal of hunting time left ahead of me, but I would love to get to know a light weight Etrac. I know once learned, like some of you guys here have, they are deadly and deep old coin hunters. I have dug some deep coins over the years, including a couple 10 inch ones with the Nox, but such depths are very rare....and I know there are some goodies hiding at those depths. Anyway, a light weight Etrac is a dream I have along with enjoying a fine cup of coffee this early morning. HH jim tn

Jim, I feel the same way about my time left in this hobby. My knees are wearing out and my stamina is diminishing almost weekly. Thankfully we have this forum to keep up with the times. I hate to sound like one of those "old codgers", but I guess that is what I am becoming. I truly believe Minelab and Fisher could come up with better versions of both the Etrac and CZ.

 

[C.J.M.]

I have been taking the Etrac to my favorite park and have been coming home "skunked". This place has been my all time favorite detecting spot, producing hundreds of silver and into the thousands of wheat pennies. I always can find at least a wheat or two, but the last three hunts were terrible. I actually thought the Etrac was broke.

Being a reasonable person and not wanting to get rid of my all time favorite detector, I decided to take it to a less productive park. This place will always produce clad and a silver coin every two or three hunts. I had it in my mind if I could not find a deep wheat or two, I would trade or sell the Etrac. I headed to the side of the park where I have found silver and wheats. First coin was the familiar deep 12-42 and from 9 inches a 20's wheat. There was a heavy dew on the grass so I used this as a starting point and gridded a 40 by 20 area. Deep coins were found every pass. I ended up with 4 green wheats, one Buffalo, and one silver roosie. I only hunted for an hour and a half before the heat kicked in. Needless to say, I will not be getting rid of the Etrac. If a person has places that still produce, I would advise you to have an Etrac.

Does the ETRAC have a long curve?Were you using the stock coil?Do you have different programs ?Thank you

 

[BigTony]

Does the ETRAC have a long curve?Were you using the stock coil?Do you have different programs ?Thank you

I’m in that photo swinging an Exp 2. Are you in NJ?
Tony

 

[kschae4]

Tony, I forget, was the picture above of the beach replenishment in Belmar after Irene or Sandy? I don't think that it's Long Branch.....

 

[jim tn]

I truly believe Minelab and Fisher could come up with better versions of both the Etrac and CZ.

Although I had hopes for seeing a updated CZ, I hate to say it, but I have concern that Fisher might well be riding riding off into the sunset. Even just coming out with a multi frequency (something) would at least keep them somewhat competitive. The Manticore perhaps is the new Etrac, but while I have never swung either, I get the sense that for turf hunting its not as deep as the Etrac. But, that's just my guess. HH jim tn

 

[BigTony]

Tony, I forget, was the picture above of the beach replenishment in Belmar after Irene or Sandy? I don't think that it's Long Branch.....

Kschwe4, that was ECRDA hunt in Ocean City NJ, right by the music pier. I feel it was before Sandy.

 

[jkline]

At OP-- why not get a second detector? You might be surprised at what you find.

 

[MuddyMo]

.........I truly believe Minelab and Fisher could come up with better versions of both the Etrac and CZ.

There isn't any reason they couldn't. The control head isn't that heavy, they could make it with carbon fiber rods and use a lithium battery. I've thought about doing this for myself. Why they don't is anyone's guess.

 

[Picketwire]

Why they don't is anyone's guess.

The cost to develop and manufacture with American labor is the problem. That's why so many companies are moving offshore. Please don't think I am blaming American unions, it is the government that is causing the problem by making our dollar more and more worthless.

 

[Odanscoils]

There isn't any reason they couldn't. The control head isn't that heavy, they could make it with carbon fiber rods and use a lithium battery. I've thought about doing this for myself. Why they don't is anyone's guess.

They could go stacked SMD construction like Everyone else. And be at least like the Manticore.

 

[greedykind]

I used the e-trac for about three years and then purchased the ctx which i still swing.I agree the etrac is heavy and that is why i purchased the ctx.I went over areas that i previously detected with the etrac and found more coins.That being said i may pull out the old etrac and see which is deeper.I do love the ease of the etrac and i am getting ready to change the ctx screen for the secongd time.Big line down center of screen.Has anyone else used etrac/ctx ?

 

[jkline]

I never weighed them, but the ctx sure seemed heavier to me.

Reminds me that I need to get my last etrac up for sale. Like my old Ruger 77-- love the thing; hate humping it.

 

[D&P-OR]

I never weighed them, but the ctx sure seemed heavier to me.

Reminds me that I need to get my last etrac up for sale. Like my old Ruger 77-- love the thing; hate humping it.

The CTX is definitely heavier than the Etrac---but you would never know it when you swing/hunt with it (ergonomics).

 

[coinspader]

I recently traded my Explorer SE because I was thinking it was getting to heavy for extended hunts, but low and behold I just got me an E2 a couple weeks later. I love FBS detectors so I guess I will just have to take more ibuprofens when I take it out : ) It's my opinion that FBS detectors are the best option for deep high conductors. I also own a D2.

 

[Monkeys Uncle]

I never swung a Etrac, a good chunk of my hunting years have been behind CZ's and F 75's, and of late a Equinox 600 and 900. I probably don't have a great deal of hunting time left ahead of me, but I would love to get to know a light weight Etrac. I know once learned, like some of you guys here have, they are deadly and deep old coin hunters. I have dug some deep coins over the years, including a couple 10 inch ones with the Nox, but such depths are very rare....and I know there are some goodies hiding at those depths. Anyway, a light weight Etrac is a dream I have along with enjoying a fine cup of coffee this early morning. HH jim tn

Etrac's are NOT light weight. Nor are they simple, plug-n-play machines. Prepare yourself for a gazillion options.

 

[RLOH]

I have been taking the Etrac to my favorite park and have been coming home "skunked". This place has been my all time favorite detecting spot, producing hundreds of silver and into the thousands of wheat pennies. I always can find at least a wheat or two, but the last three hunts were terrible. I actually thought the Etrac was broke.

Being a reasonable person and not wanting to get rid of my all time favorite detector, I decided to take it to a less productive park. This place will always produce clad and a silver coin every two or three hunts. I had it in my mind if I could not find a deep wheat or two, I would trade or sell the Etrac. I headed to the side of the park where I have found silver and wheats. First coin was the familiar deep 12-42 and from 9 inches a 20's wheat. There was a heavy dew on the grass so I used this as a starting point and gridded a 40 by 20 area. Deep coins were found every pass. I ended up with 4 green wheats, one Buffalo, and one silver roosie. I only hunted for an hour and a half before the heat kicked in. Needless to say, I will not be getting rid of the Etrac. If a person has places that still produce, I would advise you to have an Etrac.

For the last couple of months, I have been using the Legend and a Teknetics Patriot. Last week, I charged the Etrac's battery and headed my favorite park. I hunted two days at this park for about 5-6 hours total. I decided to open the disc pattern and try to pick out the high tones. Right off the bat, I was not use to the multitude of signals, but I pressed on. On the first hunt, I found 7 deep wheat pennies. Deep meaning 8-10 inches. Yesterday I was back in the same general area and had similar success with wheat pennies. I found 8 yesterday in two hours. No silver, but if I had put the coil over one, it would have been mine.

With an open screen, I know why these coins had been missed. There was either trash or rusty iron in the hole or very close by. Yes this detector is heavy, but it is deep and accurate. If you can stand creeping the coil, this detector can be used in trash. The moral of the story is "I just can't part with this detector"