Factory Reset/New Programs

[USMC Reaper]

Good Morning All,

Well I had to do a factory reset the other day, I jumped the gun and did not realize that my CTX was shutting down do to a depleted battery.

I have had the machine for about 2 years now and I'm pretty frustrated. I have detected so many areas with maybe 10 post 1900 silvers to show for it, one silver class ring, clad and a bunch of junk. I am clearly doing a lot of things wrong.

I have decided to start from square one. I hunt in pitch hold, ground balance off, and ground/coin. I have been using various discrimination patterns. The Sensitivity numbers are mostly between 12 & 22 around here. I usually hunt in manual 26 or 27.

I have a new lap top and will be downloading the exchange program today. Any help, guidance, programs would be greatly appreciated. I love when a silver target gives a screaming high pitch response. I have not taught myself how to tailor make programs in the exchange program.

I am willing to drive anywhere around the southeast to get up to speed. Thanks.

Semper Fi,
EJD

 

[mrwilburino]

Reaper, I don't know if you've seen these, but here is a link to some decent programs at the CTX Resource Center here at Fine's: http://www.findmall.com/read.php?87,1737486 You might find something you can use there. What kinds of sites have you been hunting? Silver is not easy to come by. Most public sites have been hit hard over the last 50-60 years. Even a lot of private sites have been hammered if they looked particularly promising. Finding private property where no one has hunted is always a good bet. At sites that have been hunted hard, I seem to have a little better luck with the 6" coil in the really trashy spots then I do hunting for the deeper stuff with the 11" or 17" coils. I don't see anything wrong with the settings that you mentioned. I'm not really a fan of pitch hold, although it seems to work well for some.

 

[USMC Reaper]

Thanks for that resource, I really appreciate it!!

 

[brother steve]

Reaper, Buy andy's book and read it from cover to cover. You have to fully understand your machine before can make the magic happen. It really helped me.

 

[Champ Ferguson]

Hi EJD,
I know that Andy recommends pitch hold in his Bootcamp, but it drives me crazy. I can see it at the beach or clean fields but trying it in parks, schoolyards, and old house sites was driving me bonkers and I had to change that. That would be my first recommendation.

I'll echo what mr wilburino said about finding good sites, but even hammered sites should turn up a stray silver fairly regularly. My second recommendation is to hunt a while in Auto+3. That's good to do anytime you are aren't Certain that you are hunting the Sens the way it should be hunted.

I really haven't seen much diff from the stock coil from the smaller Coiltek or the 17" in dirt. But most soils I hunt are really only developed to about 4-6" mostly before they hit the ubiquitous clay layer that stops(or severely slows) the sinking of the good stuff. On the rare site I get into deep loamy soil, I often find good targets.

Lots of the parks and schools that I hunt are so trashy, I don't worry about getting every goodie and run a fair amount of discrimination. I tend to leave the 12 line open and a good bit on either side of it + a large block in the upper right (as discussed at Bootcamp and shown in numerous internet programs for big silver; see p111 in CTX book for similar pattern). If I am having a Low Patience Day (wife says that's everyday, but........), I will leave open the low golds up to nickels and blank out everything from there thru zincs. If Indians are a possibility, I'll leave the zincs and them open and curse all the trash.

You didn't say how often/how many hours you hunt or the type of sites you frequent. I've found a Huge difference in finds from a relatively unhunted (meaning by someone who knows what he is doing + has good equipment) park/school to a pounded park/school to a site that I have personally already hunted.


eta: just tried PM'ing you but site says you aren't valid. does anyone know how many posts it takes for the PM function to work?
i'll check TN and see if I can PM you there. I cant put my hands on your business card at the moment.

 

[CT Todd]

I like your settings aside from ground coin. I prefer ferrous coin.
Get the book
Don't give up

 

[skateteacher]

Unless you're in need of the $ that selling your CTX will bring you I'd say just to try and start back from the beginning. Buy Andy's book and then make sure you read it. I can't tell you the number of people that buy detector help books that only skim through them or never read them at all. Buy Clive's book on the CTX. It has some spelling errors but is loaded with good ideas. Clive has one really smart idea and that is to to do as much bench practicing as possible. Lastly, if you're like me and you came from another line of detectors you probably need to slow your swing speed way down. Also, find a sound set that works for your hearing. I like normal because to me it sounds normal. I tried the "Coin harvest" program today and tone profile was set to smooth. I hated it as it conflicts with the way I like to hear things. The CTX is truly a great machine. I'm at about 25% right now in terms of knowledge and I have close to 100 hours on it.
Best,
Dave

 

[USMC Reaper]

[size=x-large]Thank you all very much!!!! Great advice and much appreciated!!!! One thing when in ferrous/ coin it seems that with multiple targets the target in the accepted are does not produce an audio response. What could be causing this? This also occurs sometimes when there is a single target in the accepted area. Any thoughts. Thanks again everyone.
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