Water - Pros and Cons - CTX and Excal

[Spade]

I am relatively new to water hunting. I haven't used the Excal. Are their benefits to the Excal over the CTX in shallow water? Which one is generally better in your experience? I appreciate any and all input.

 

[Spade]

By the way. I know they are both awesome detectors .I have CTX and love it. Not looking to disparage either, just interested in practical experience that I do not yet have.

 

[dewcon4414]

I dont know to many people who can honestly say they are digging deeper or smaller gold in the salt water with the CTX. Obvious there are some tone advantages, recovery, and depth that you are going to get once you learn the CTX and its adjustments. But i like simple out there and im not looking to NOT dig a target.... except iron and a shallow bottle cap. To me the Xcal really hates iron.... nothing to constantly look at ... no decission to be made you dig it if it beeps. The Xcal is sealed so you aint going to drown it by not getting something right. The Xcal is fragle..... with a sucky warranty. You cant change coils either. I personally like some of the mods thats been done to the Xcal thou and the ability to design my shaft. I dont believe there is a tremendious performance difference out there in the salt water.... just because of the required salt setting for both. BUT.... once you get out of the water id say the CTX has the upper hand without a doubt. CTX is still a little pricy IMO, but with the mods and what seems like constant repairs to the Xcal IIs, the CTX with its warranty may well pay for its self over an Xcal. Once the warranties start going out on the CTX i think then we will see the cost difference and any repeated problems.

Dew

 

[hershey1]

The CTX can really get deep with TID #s that makes it much easier to identify good targets. I use mine mostly at low tide and when the water is not white capping. That being said the Excall has paid for itself several times over even in rough water. Both are keepers in my book and I feel very blessed to have them. I do not understand some of the leaking problems that people are having. I put in the plug and use the waterproof GG and just hunt like I do with the Excall and when I get done take both machines apart and clean them. You learn all you can about your machine and take your time and the good stuff will start showing up more often. Good Luck and HH

 

[GeorgeinSC]

I can not comment on the benefits of the CTX. I have had my Excal II for almost a year and it has now paid for itself in gold and silver jewelry. I dig targets that approach being as deep as I care to dig.

Friday I was detecting at the salt water beach following a gentleman with the CTX-3030 and 17" coil down the beach. I just offset my search a little and even detected across his path. I dug targets behind him. My best find was a 9.2 gram 18K wedding band. Some of the things that I dug may have been better identified by the CTX and he left them behind. Some clad coins and junk jewelry.

So far I have not had a problem with the Excal. I clean it carefully and thoroughly after every use. My Brother In Law forced water into the battery pod by using the garden hose at full pressure to wash his. Apparently the pressure in an single spot forced the water into the battery pod.

It is my Not so Humble opinion that Minelab screws the consumer with the cheap junky headphones that they put on the Excal. Lousy fit, No sound dampening and sound quality does not come close to what one gets from quality headphones.

Also that Snake shaft that they put on the Machine puts all the weight of the machine in the wrong place on your arm. I solved that problem at additional expense with a balanced straight shaft.

 

[Spade]

Thanks George. I appreciate the response. Considering adding one but trying to decide if I really need to with my CTX.

 

[Spade]

Good to hear from someone using them both. Thanks.

 

[Spade]

So does the xcal have some iron disc already in or is the good iron disc a result of the setting you use? Thanks for the response.

Mik

 

[dewcon4414]

Its factory set. You turn you disc to 1 ... no lower setting. Ive not used another machine that eliminates it as well as the Xcal. Thats why most just hunt in disc and not AM.

Dew

 

[Spade]

Interesting. I did not know that was factory built in. So there is no true all metal mode?

 

[dewcon4414]

You misunderstood i think. In disc at its lowest setting it knocks out most iron. It does use motion AM and you can dig all the bobbie pins, fish hooks, or bottle caps you want. It gets a bit more depth in PP, mostly because you can crank the sensitivity all the way up, where in disc you can run about 7 out of 10 setting without it going nuts. Now add Joes PP switch and you have a SWEET combo. No need to turn a knob... flip the switch between disc and PP.... fast and very time saving. Slap on a pair of his Skullies with the CTX connector end cap and you can change from the CTX phones, skullies, or GGA.

Dew

 

[Waterdog]

I have hunted with the Excal 800 for years and to me there IS no better machine. With it's tone ID you can almost picture what you are scooping up before it surfaces. When Minelab built the Excal they did it right . Thats why people still use them.
I have hunted side by side with a CTX 3030 comparing signals one day. While comparing signals I called my buddy over to check out a signal. He scanned the area and told me he could not believe I had called him over on such a deep signal.

 

[dewcon4414]

Depth sometimes has a lot to do with who is using the machine to its full potential. Gary Storm (detector pro) had a LOT to do with the Xcal being the awsome machine it is.... ML just helped him bring it to life. We all complain about the yellow headphones.... but they have their usefullness if you intend to dive with the Xcal. Cheap or not they work. I call them cheap..... but go to replace them $250 that aint cheap. With the mods.... different headphones, PP switch, shaft set up, and knob guard.... the price gets up there, and you get 1 year warranty ONY without these mods. BUT.... you rarely flood an Excal if you take care of it.

Dew

 

[John(Tx)]

I've got OBN's PP mod and I run in PP with full sensitivity, then flip toggle down to check targets, does go very, very deep....HH