Will Minelab put out a detector like the CTX 3030 to replace the E-trac?

[Tony N (Michigan)]

I'm just curious if anyone thinks Minelab will put out a land detector that uses the technology of the CTX 3030 that would be for
land detecting like the E-trac?

 

[IDXMonster]

Yes! It's called the CTX3030!

 

[pasttom]

How is the CTX NOT the replacement for the E-Trac? What is it lacking that you are looking for? I used an SE Pro for years and traded it off (kinda sorry I did). I have a CTX I picked up about 6 months ago and then bought a neat Explorer 2 as an affordable back up FSB machine. I can't see a need for the machine you are asking about. Tony, what am I missing? Price?

 

[Tony N (Michigan)]

How is the CTX NOT the replacement for the E-Trac? What is it lacking that you are looking for? I used an SE Pro for years and traded it off (kinda sorry I did). I have a CTX I picked up about 6 months ago and then bought a neat Explorer 2 as an affordable back up FSB machine. I can't see a need for the machine you are asking about. Tony, what am I missing? Price?

I don't need to lug around a 100 pound water detector.
Why can't Minelab make a super light land detector that uses the CTX software and doesn't put me in the poor house to buy it? Besides, I'm not a professional metal detectorist. I don't make any money at this.
It's always been just a hobby. Why should I spend $2,500.00 to HOPEFULLY find one silver dime every so weeks?

Yes, the price is outrageous. Personally, they think they are the only kid on the block. I wish Fisher or Whites would come out with a detector that surpasses Minelab and gives better competition.

 

[Tony N (Michigan)]

Yes! It's called the CTX3030!

The E-trac is not a water detector. The two are not in the same ball park.

 

[Nuke em]

I would like to see an ET 2 but that is unlikely to happen . It should but its unlikely .
I had the CTX but didn't like it , too heavy , too cumbersome and the menu is a pain . No manual in the box . Hate bungees and shouldn't need to use one , hate using arm straps to stop the machine falling backwards away from your arm. Dont like 2 piece stems , spares are very expensive and the machine too .
Did not see any improvement on the ET except for waterproofing and that at first was dubious due to leaky seals and things .

I think Minelab need to invest in a whole new range , but all we see is new Gold machine after another . So that send one message to most people and that is why on digs and rallies in the UK there is a 90% saturation of XP's .
Minelab have gone the way of the Dodo on the relic front , i hope they dont on the beach front .

 

[Tony N (Michigan)]

I got a feeling Minelab should replace some engineers for some young geniuses like Tesla. Either that, they already have metal detectors that are way more advanced than what we have now but subsist on feeding the peasants crumbs to keep them happy.

I would like to see an ET 2 but that is unlikely to happen . It should but its unlikely .
I had the CTX but didn't like it , too heavy , too cumbersome and the menu is a pain . No manual in the box . Hate bungees and shouldn't need to use one , hate using arm straps to stop the machine falling backwards away from your arm. Dont like 2 piece stems , spares are very expensive and the machine too .
Did not see any improvement on the ET except for waterproofing and that at first was dubious due to leaky seals and things .

I think Minelab need to invest in a whole new range , but all we see is new Gold machine after another . So that send one message to most people and that is why on digs and rallies in the UK there is a 90% saturation of XP's .
Minelab have gone the way of the Dodo on the relic front , i hope they dont on the beach front .

Minelab needs to get rid of their engineers and hire some Tesla like young blood.
Who wants to lug around some behemoth detector? Oh, they say, "I spent close to $3,000.00 on a detector and I found some wheat back pennies or a silver dime!" LOL.
It is possible they already have detectors that are way beyond what we have already but they are content to feed the peasants a few crumbs every 10 years to keep them happy.
Maybe if we revolt and buy super light Deus' or the multi-frequency AKA Sigmun, they will have a change of heart?

 

[lytle78]

Funny about metal detectors.

They try to figure out what you want to dig up - out of the maze or returned signals from the wildly variable mix of ground and target signals which the detector has to analyze and report to you.

Some Folks I know are short an arm, leg or eye - or maybe life - because the smartest engineers working the problem couldn't make a machine which could find the tiny firing pin, the only non metallic part in the mine which blew them up.

Give the engineers and designers a break - it's a tough problem!

 

[Tony N (Michigan)]

Funny about metal detectors.

They try to figure out what you want to dig up - out of the maze or returned signals from the wildly variable mix of ground and target signals which the detector has to analyze and report to you.

Some Folks I know are short an arm, leg or eye - or maybe life - because the smartest engineers working the problem couldn't make a machine which could find the tiny firing pin, the only non metallic part in the mine which blew them up.

Give the engineers and designers a break - it's a tough problem!

I think they need to give us a break. Paying almost $3,000.00 for a sub-par detector is a bunch of baloney.

 

[IDXMonster]

Tony,this might be going slightly off track as far as what you want out of detecting,as opposed to what you are willing to pay to do it. A gallon of milk at my local store costs 3.29. I don't want to pay that. I have choices. I can begrudgingly pull out my wallet,or...not buy it. Cereal tastes like shit with water. So I buy it.
Capitalism, unfortunately, doesn't give a single rats ass about what people WANT to pay. Also, capitalists don't have ANY reason to sell something for a penny less than what a satisfactory number of customers are WILLING to pay.
COULD Minelab put together a feather light machine(something I'm not sure they have EVER done)? Maybe. To say that their engineering team is inadequate(or ANY detector companies engineering team is inadequate for that matter) is seemingly driven by your frustration about primarily the price,followed by perhaps the weight.
I can tell you for sure...for the CTX with stock coil,UR-30 phones and WM10(standard pack?) I paid NOWHERE NEAR 3,000$. Yes,brand new. I won't give specifics because it varies a bit amongst dealers and I won't float any pricing info as it may have changed up or down since I bought mine last year.
Lastly....if you have hammered the living snot out of your areas for the last 40 years, don't expect the CTX to be some sort of magician at getting those places flowing again. In certain types of ground IF you had been using only single freq machines before...maybe. But you haven't. Your real dilemma is finding places that actually have coins in them anymore. That's EVERYONES dilemma. Without getting onto private property you're just going to have to get really lucky. CTX or CTX-Lite....the coins have to be there to begin with.

Good luck my friend!

Kevin

 

[Nuke em]

I got a feeling Minelab should replace some engineers for some young geniuses like Tesla. Either that, they already have metal detectors that are way more advanced than what we have now but subsist on feeding the peasants crumbs to keep them happy.

I would like to see an ET 2 but that is unlikely to happen . It should but its unlikely .
I had the CTX but didn't like it , too heavy , too cumbersome and the menu is a pain . No manual in the box . Hate bungees and shouldn't need to use one , hate using arm straps to stop the machine falling backwards away from your arm. Dont like 2 piece stems , spares are very expensive and the machine too .
Did not see any improvement on the ET except for waterproofing and that at first was dubious due to leaky seals and things .

I think Minelab need to invest in a whole new range , but all we see is new Gold machine after another . So that send one message to most people and that is why on digs and rallies in the UK there is a 90% saturation of XP's .
Minelab have gone the way of the Dodo on the relic front , i hope they dont on the beach front .

Minelab needs to get rid of their engineers and hire some Tesla like young blood.
Who wants to lug around some behemoth detector? Oh, they say, "I spent close to $3,000.00 on a detector and I found some wheat back pennies or a silver dime!" LOL.
It is possible they already have detectors that are way beyond what we have already but they are content to feed the peasants a few crumbs every 10 years to keep them happy.
Maybe if we revolt and buy super light Deus' or the multi-frequency AKA Sigmun, they will have a change of heart?

Minelab already got rid of many people that knew what they were doing . Getting taken over by Codan and having shareholders has done a lot of harm . They need people that know detecting , young or old . The best companies that do the most business in the relic side have this . Minelab used too .

 

[Tony N (Michigan)]

Minelab already got rid of many people that knew what they were doing . Getting taken over by Codan and having shareholders has done a lot of harm . They need people that know detecting , young or old . The best companies that do the most business in the relic side have this . Minelab used too .

I didn't know they got taken over and got rid of many people. Let's hope they do the right thing.

 

[lytle78]

Their mechanical design on recent machines has been strange. The CTX woes are well known, leaking, display issues, etc. the GPC has the speaker on the wromg side for right-handed users, short headphone cord, annoying arm cuff which collapses and vunerable "knuckle" at coil connection - the Go Find was a total disaster and the head of Minelab North America who championed the idea was fired.

Imhave wondered for a while if their mechanical design is outsoirced to another company - one which knows nothing about detectors.

 

[Tony N (Michigan)]

Their mechanical design on recent machines has been strange. The CTX woes are well known, leaking, display issues, etc. the GPC has the speaker on the wromg side for right-handed users, short headphone cord, annoying arm cuff which collapses and vunerable "knuckle" at coil connection - the Go Find was a total disaster and the head of Minelab North America who championed the idea was fired.

Imhave wondered for a while if their mechanical design is outsoirced to another company - one which knows nothing about detectors.

They probably told the head of Minelab of North America to "GO FIND" a new job after the "Go Find" detector was a loss.

 

[Southwind]

Honestly, who is paying $2,500 for a CTX 3030? You can get them much cheaper than that. Darn near half that. I owned several CTX 3030's and never paid more than $1,800 for any of them.

I thought the CTX 3030 felt much lighter than the E-Trac.

Without a doubt the target ID is more accurate and at a great depth.

I'd call it an improved E-Trac II

 

[Nuke em]

Minelab already got rid of many people that knew what they were doing . Getting taken over by Codan and having shareholders has done a lot of harm . They need people that know detecting , young or old . The best companies that do the most business in the relic side have this . Minelab used too .

I didn't know they got taken over and got rid of many people. Let's hope they do the right thing.

10 Years ago Minelab was the rave but now its XP everywhere , except the beach .
They got rid of many of the older wiser people in the company that knew their stuff and as far as i am concerned when they got shot of Des Dunne they might as well have put a 44 Magnum to their heads .
The CTX is no matter what people would like to think a failure here in Europe , in the UK their sales must be 1 or less for every 10 Deus in recent years .
Yes they sell and many more than the ET now but thats because people that want a waterproof ET have no choice but i wont go down that road again .
In fact i am going to buy an Excalibur 11 for the wet sand and water detecting , its not that i like it much and i dont like the weight !! but it is the only choice really other than the PI machines or a few others like the Sand Shark or a Whites whatever ?
Getting shot of the Sovereign and the Explorer SE without a proper replacement has cost them dear too .
I know several that have said that and they always say Minelab are too heavy .

As for the CTX being lighter than the ET , its not and with a RNB battery in the ET its even lighter , just less well balanced . The CTX is heavy and the only way they made it feel lighter is making it too far backward balanced which means you have to wear the Arm Strap , yuk.

Anyway we must live in hope that someone with savvy will take the rains of Minelab and put it at the top of the game again .

All we hear of is new Gold machine here and new Gold machine there .

And i wonder why they made the GPZ 7000 like the CTX ? was it because they had far fewer sales of the CTX than they thought and didn't want to lose all that investment in the mouldings machines and assembly line making them ?

I have heard that a new machine is coming but i think it will be a Terra replacement and unfortunately my detecting is changing again so i wont be needing one probably so i am back to the ET replacement if there is one ?

And the CTX is not the ET replacement , someone told me that a while ago who knows .

 

[Tony N (Michigan)]

Tony,this might be going slightly off track as far as what you want out of detecting,as opposed to what you are willing to pay to do it. A gallon of milk at my local store costs 3.29. I don't want to pay that. I have choices. I can begrudgingly pull out my wallet,or...not buy it. Cereal tastes like shit with water. So I buy it.
Capitalism, unfortunately, doesn't give a single rats ass about what people WANT to pay. Also, capitalists don't have ANY reason to sell something for a penny less than what a satisfactory number of customers are WILLING to pay.
COULD Minelab put together a feather light machine(something I'm not sure they have EVER done)? Maybe. To say that their engineering team is inadequate(or ANY detector companies engineering team is inadequate for that matter) is seemingly driven by your frustration about primarily the price,followed by perhaps the weight.
I can tell you for sure...for the CTX with stock coil,UR-30 phones and WM10(standard pack?) I paid NOWHERE NEAR 3,000$. Yes,brand new. I won't give specifics because it varies a bit amongst dealers and I won't float any pricing info as it may have changed up or down since I bought mine last year.
Lastly....if you have hammered the living snot out of your areas for the last 40 years, don't expect the CTX to be some sort of magician at getting those places flowing again. In certain types of ground IF you had been using only single freq machines before...maybe. But you haven't. Your real dilemma is finding places that actually have coins in them anymore. That's EVERYONES dilemma. Without getting onto private property you're just going to have to get really lucky. CTX or CTX-Lite....the coins have to be there to begin with.

Good luck my friend!

Kevin

Excellent thoughts, Kevin.
So why pay thousands of dollars for a machine if people don't want you on their property? Maybe it's just best to buy a $250.00 Garrett?

 

[synthnut]

I have to agree with Kevin also ...You can't detect coins and other finds that are not there !!...... A lot of my dig's have been gone over and over so many times that you have to listen for whispers now ......Those "in your face " tones are tones of yesterday .....The only time you are gonna hear those are on beaches that get replenished every day ...... You might find some clad down there but as far as the old Silver coins , unless you get onto some old area's , you're outa luck ....I'm trying to remember the link to a site that had overlays of area's and what was there years ago ...Maybe you guys know what I"m talking about ..... The site would bring you back in time for the area that you where looking at .....It would show were old homes or buildings where back in the day .....If it's not completely filled over with new dirt , you might stand a chance at some place like that .....

 

[Tony N (Michigan)]

I have to agree with Kevin also ...You can't detect coins and other finds that are not there !!...... A lot of my dig's have been gone over and over so many times that you have to listen for whispers now ......Those "in your face " tones are tones of yesterday .....The only time you are gonna hear those are on beaches that get replenished every day ...... You might find some clad down there but as far as the old Silver coins , unless you get onto some old area's , you're outa luck ....I'm trying to remember the link to a site that had overlays of area's and what was there years ago ...Maybe you guys know what I"m talking about ..... The site would bring you back in time for the area that you where looking at .....It would show were old homes or buildings where back in the day .....If it's not completely filled over with new dirt , you might stand a chance at some place like that .....

That would be neat to see.

 

[Tony N (Michigan)]

Honestly, who is paying $2,500 for a CTX 3030? You can get them much cheaper than that. Darn near half that. I owned several CTX 3030's and never paid more than $1,800 for any of them.

I thought the CTX 3030 felt much lighter than the E-Trac.

Without a doubt the target ID is more accurate and at a great depth.

I'd call it an improved E-Trac II

You can buy a CTX 3030 right now on Ebay for $3,047.00. But there are cheaper ones too.