Wet black sand, Excal or E-trac?

[N.E. clamdigga]

If you had to pick only one, which would it be and why? Thanx for the input!

 

[Finderskeeper]

Because you said "WET", then the only choice is the Excalibur. The BBS systgem of the Excalibur seems to work better in highly mineralized, iron infested soil than the E-Trac. I've not had any experience with black sand but from what I hear, the Excalibur seems to work. If it is the black sand found in Hawaii, then from what I have read, a PI machine might be in order.

I tried using the E-trac on the beach but found out that I was always pushing the limit and almost lost my E-trac to the waves several times. After using the Excalibur II with a WOT coil, I sold my E-trac and found that the Excalibur fit my type of hunting better. The Excalibur II is an excellent land machine also.

 

[Infiniumexplorer Excalibur]

Excal.

 

[tomcatpl]

my xcal 2 nols on black sand but when it goes over a target it sounds of no problem

 

[synthnut]

The frequencies that run in the Excal are fine for black sand , and you don't run the risk as others have said , loosing your E Trac .....The E Trac is a much better land machine, and the Excal a water machine ...... There is plenty of discrimination and other features on the Excal that make it a nice water machine ... The newer Excal has been plagued with issues , but it DOES have the 10" Tornado coil on it that is much better than the coil on the earlier model , but both will work ..... Buy before early Feb if you are thinking the new Excal becuase there will be a price increase at that time .....Jim

 

[bcoop]

machines work great on the beach. The only draw back to the E-Trac is lack of being waterproof. (as already discussed) I use them both on the beach and really like both of them. I can't really say which machine is deeper because I have dug some deep targets with them both. Honestly if the E-Trac was waterproof I would not have a need for the Excalibur. I don't dive or wade deep in the ocean but I do hunt in the edge of he water at ankle deep or so and don't want to ruin my E-Trac.

If your going to beach hunt only, choose the Excalibur......If your going to land hunt and beach hunt, I would get the E-Trac. Just watch what your doing and don't get it wet, clean well after every use on the beach.


I only get to beach hunt once a year while on vacation, no black sand so I can't give you any experiences with that. I do know if your going to hunt concentrations of black sand you will need a Pulse Induction machine to punch through that with any depth. Plus you better get ready to dig a lot of junk.

BCOOP

 

[EZrider]

The low tide black/grey "muck" as i call it where i hunt. The ET handles it fine.

 

[ratpack]

I use the Exca. 2 on NJ beaches and there Are areas of black sand and the machine goes through it without any problems at all. You might get a slight reaction if you have the sensitivity to high but nothing that would cause you to loose a target. I have had mine for 3 years and I would still go with the Excal. Between the salty mist on the beach, rain and waves it's a no brainer for me. Good luck with what ever you choose

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I believe they will both do about the same in black mineralized sand. Just like any discriminator, they will start to falter, stutter, loose depth, etc..... I have seen beach-salt-jet-black sand, so bad at times here on some CA beaches, like where gully-washes out-flow to the beach, after storm/rain event, that it looks gun-powder black. On stretches like that ANY discriminator is going to falter, if not totally fail (yup, even a coin on top of the ground won't be picked up). I've used both the Explorer (which is like the Etrac) and excaliber, and found no particular advantage to either one, when it comes to hacking mineralized wet salt sand. They'll do "ok" if you turn your sens down, and move real slow, holding your coil a bit off the ground. But you'll loose depth with either one, when the minerals start to become gun-powder grey/black.

The advantage of the excal, is that it's water proof, of course. And another advantage is the much superior all-metal mode. You can switch over to that (although it's still equally affected by minerals), to give more audio advantages, while trying to work nasty minerals. Contrast to the Explorers, which have a wimpy sounding all-metal mode. JMHO..