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Why I ordered a CZ21 this week but love my Excal II

R

Reeseb

Member
So, I ordered a CZ21 and it should be here by Wednesday. Below is my thinking. Let me know your thoughts and don't pull any punches.

I mostly search the shallow fresh water beaches in my area. I do well with my Excal and have found lots of gold, but there are many spots where the machine is constantly nulling on iron and I've convinced myself that I am missing targets because of this (adjacent targets masked by iron and the resulting recovery delay). In these iron-infested spots an all metal machine with tone ID (CZ21) should help me work around the iron to find adjacent good targets much like combined mode with the CTX3030 or two tone ferrous with the E-Trac. I don't think the CZ21 will elimate any iron masking and I don't believe any detector can (although I use a CTX3030 and an E-Trac and some say these machines can), but I do think my hunts will be a little more productive if I can tell where iron is and I think recovery delay with be much shorter running in all metal mode with the CZ21, enabling me to find a few more good targets next to bad. BTW: I ordered the 8-inch coil for better target separation.

Fire away!
 
Makes sense to me.

I need once again to get an underwater VLF detector and as always the debate is between the CZ21 and Excalibur. I have owned both before. Still not sure what I will do and keep putting a decision off until spring hoping something new will come out. Since I got my CTX 3030 though I am leaning to the CZ21 since the Excalibur would be a tad redundant.

Steve Herschbach
 
Ive only used my cz-21 once in the fresh water. My uncle uses a excal but there was really no difference in finds we was both digging bottle caps at 15 inches we didnt find much besides caps and we both found some sun glasses. As far as target separation goes I have the 10 inch and I was at the beach this past Saturday and I hit an iron sounding target that jumped to mid tone dug it and there was 2 nails along with a nickle inside of a bottle cap. I have had some troubles with separation in targets with iron as it likes to pick up the iron but if you slow sweep it from every direction your chances of finding the goods in the iron or alot better IMO.

Edit * Seems like the excal would do better hitting items in iron since it nulls through it I would assume it picks up the goods through the iron but I do not know??
 
My CZ-20 definitely will tell you when its iron, but as to mixed signals, I believe that is something you need to develop an ear for. Good luck.
 
I would have looked at the Garrett AT Gold for freshwater. It is extremely hot on small gold but the Iron audio is really cool. I have had 3 CZ20's and always went back to the Excal. I just dug to many steelcaps. I have had a CTX3030 for a few months now. Got to say I love it! I have found good targets smack in the middle of iron. One things is you have control of the audio. Secound you have a nice LCD screen to follow. Put target trace into all this and you have the perfect machine for iron infested areas. No longer I use the stock coil and the 13x17 and the 13x17 coil still has very good target seperation. Just my thoughts.

Joe Kononchik
 
I am extremely happy with my CTX. I think I will just stick with it and forget the CZ as the CTX is treating me right. Might have to get a waterproof PI though.

I have run the AT Gold in freshwater. Great little unit!

Steve Herschbach
 
Reeseb said:
So, I ordered a CZ21 and it should be here by Wednesday. Below is my thinking. Let me know your thoughts and don't pull any punches.

I mostly search the shallow fresh water beaches in my area. I do well with my Excal and have found lots of gold, but there are many spots where the machine is constantly nulling on iron and I've convinced myself that I am missing targets because of this (adjacent targets masked by iron and the resulting recovery delay). In these iron-infested spots an all metal machine with tone ID (CZ21) should help me work around the iron to find adjacent good targets much like combined mode with the CTX3030 or two tone ferrous with the E-Trac. I don't think the CZ21 will elimate any iron masking and I don't believe any detector can (although I use a CTX3030 and an E-Trac and some say these machines can), but I do think my hunts will be a little more productive if I can tell where iron is and I think recovery delay with be much shorter running in all metal mode with the CZ21, enabling me to find a few more good targets next to bad. BTW: I ordered the 8-inch coil for better target separation.

Fire away!
Click to expand...

I think the widescan coil on your excal will do better at isolating targets than the CZs concentric design. As far as the CZ IDing in all metal, it doesnt does it? It does in 0 disc but it its all metal mode it doesnt. the excal has an excellent all metal pinpoint mode, no ID, but faster recovery than the disc mode on the excal and helps you size up/define targets well.
I agree with Steve, the AT gold or pro is excellent little detector for wading.
Ive had a CZ 20 and the 1280 as well,
I would look into more time on that CTX, seems like those who know it well do really well with it.
 
I'm a excal lover also...And it is the most versatile when heading out for a water hunt, but there are some places the CZ20 does the job better for me. The little 8 will pick thur just about any junk area when I'm Cherry Picking and there is a time limit. I think you did the right thing, and the only other better choice might have been the 3030 but several dollars more. Good Luck
 
A DD coil like the one on the Excal and the CTX3030 is a better design for separation but the iron null of the Excal and no way to prevent it is why I order the CZ21. With the CZ21 on 0 Disc ,you get to hear the iron and still have with tone ID.
 
I love my CZ's and have learned when you get a lot of different signals especially on some drop-offs and under docks you will have tons and tons of targets and you just have to keep digging till you get them all out. I use the 10" coils and in a few lakes I used to be able to sit in one place and pick out coin after coin, nail after nail and rings and nuts and bolts and everything else inbetween. I could get 40 + targets and not move an inch. LOL my favorite hunting!! On a CZ if you get multiple tones, it could be one target but it also could be lots of targets close together. Learn the machine and I think you will completly enjoy it.
 
I always wanted to try a CZ but never got around to it. Based on others reports I think you made a good choice. My long time go to machine is an older Excal 1000. I think the trick with the Excal in trash is a slow swing and lots of wiggling and rechecking targets if you hear any kind of good signal. I generally run my disc at 1. This summer I added an AT Gold and with the 8" coil that machine will sniff out gold in trash and the iron audio works well. Iron can be disced out up to around 44 on the ID and then you have the iron audio. I leave the disc on mine around 39-40 and have found thin gold rings in the 41-43 range. Of course the ATG is no good in salt water and is a fresh water machine. This fall I picked up a CTX but haven't had a chance to really put through the paces in the water. I also have a PI for the salt.

Basically if you are a serious water you need a few machines for different conditions and to have a back up. Generally speaking I like DD coils separation better in trash. Buoyancy is also a consideration. The control housing on the Excal is not buoyant vs say the ATG which is slightly buoyant in the control housing. I think I saw the CTX housing bobbing around in one of the minelab vids so it may also be slightly buoyant. Of course the Excal is deep dive rated where the ATG and CTX aren't but your new CZ is :clapping:

Just my two cents HH
 
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