Menu
What's new
Find's Treasure Forums

Welcome to Find's Treasure Forums, Guests!

You are viewing this forums as a guest which limits you to read only status.

Only registered members may post stories, questions, classifieds, reply to other posts, contact other members using built in messaging and use many other features found on these forums.

Why not register and join us today? It's free! (We don't share your email addresses with anyone.) We keep email addresses of our users to protect them and others from bad people posting things they shouldn't.

Click here to register!

Need Support Help?

Cannot log in?, click here to have new password emailed to you

Changed email? Forgot to update your account with new email address? Need assistance with something else?, click here to go to Find's Support Form and fill out the form.

From Etrac to CTX

K

kiwi-jim

New member
Hi all,just curious I am looking to upgrade to a CTX from an Etrac,how many of you guys have done the same,and how have you
managed with the transition? would you recommend it? have your finds improved?....sorry for all the questions just that it is a big step and a lot of $ involved...thanks
 
I upgraded from an E-trac, but I kept the E-trac as a backup. I can't say that my finds have increased, mainly because I used the E-trac longer than I've had the CTX, but I feel fairly confident that when I leave an area after going over it with the CTX I've gotten over 90% of the targets from it. It certainly balances better and feels lighter than the E-trac. I had a little trouble pinpointing with it when I first got it, but I've got that down now. Coming from an E-trac, you won't have any trouble with the "language". There's some additional learning you'll have to do with the Exchange2 software and getting programs setup and onto the CTX, but if you're decent with computers, that's not a problem either. I'm glad I kept my E-trac because the CTX broke about a month after I had it and I had to send it in for repairs. It seems to be working fine since I've gotten it back though.

It is a lot of $$, but if you can afford it, I think the CTX is definitely an upgrade over the E-trac. Eventually I probably will sell my E-trac, but I'll keep it for at least another year. I've used the CTX so much that I tried to use my E-trac the other day and had forgotten which button did what. Plus it seemed so HEAVY. Good luck with your new CTX.....I know you'll buy one. I don't think you'll regret it.
 
I just did the upgrade myself only I kept my e-trac as a second machine, after using the ctx for a while and then going back to the e-trac I prefer the ctx it is more solid locking on to targets and more accurate on deeper targets I also like the digital read out for depth, it is also easier to work with the programs on the computer then move them to the machine than the e-trac , I bought both machines from Bart at Big Boys Hobbies, give him a call he will hook you up with a deal you can't refuse. as far as increasing my finds goes I haven't learned the machine well enough yet to say either way. You won't regret it ! I wish I had done it earlier!

hope this helps

sarge
 
I made the switch to the CTX. I don't agree about the balance being better. If it had an arm cuff like the Etrac, I think that would help. My wrist has been very sore since switching to the CTX and the hand grip is not as ergonomically friendly (to me) as the Etracs was. It tires me faster so I just ordered the MineLab harness to take the pressure off my wrist and elbow. I never had that problem with the Etrac. I could hunt longer with it. I can't say that I've found more coins with the CTX because I hunt very tight and close with the E-trac and pretty well cleaned out targets at sites I hunted in the past. I did find some I had missed but it could just be that my coil didn't pass over them. The CTX hits hard on deeper copper but not so much on deeper silver.

The CTX does have a faster recovery speed. I like the ferrous / coin separation and think that it has helped me to pull targets from trashier areas. If I had not had a great trade and had to pay full price, it would not have been worth it. All-in-all, I will stick with the CTX because I do believe it's performance is better.
 
I just upgraded to a CTX a couple of weeks ago. I like it better. I didn't have a difficult time adjusting to it either. I feel it is balanced better and I can swing it longer. The hardest thing that I am having with it is identifying iron targets. On my etrac, I would quick mask and it would jump into the 30's and I knew that it was iron. The CTX doesn't do that as well. I have been hunting in Ferrous coin and using target trace, but sometimes the screen is hard to see and follow the target trace. So, I have dug more nails than I did with the etrac. I had dug a total of 24 silvers this year with my etrac, but since getting my ctx, I have dug an additional 13 silvers to include a half and a couple of barbers. Might be just coincidence, but I feel confident with it. I also love the wireless.
 
Hi Duke - just read your reply here and this may have nothing to do with your wrist/elbow issue. The first month I had my CTX, my wrist and elbow were sore and I was getting a little numbness in my thumb. I shortened the rod a couple of inches which leaves the coil a little closer to my feet than my explorer did. This changed the angle of my wrist and lo and behold, all my fatigue issues quickly disappeared. I was shocked. I can swing all day long with no issue now. It seemed a little odd at first,because I normally like to have the coil way in front of me. I'm not saying this is your fatigue issue, but it may be worth a try.

Let me know your results if you decide to try this.
 
Your advice is right on Tony.

Having the coil too far out in front of you defeats the purpose of the balance of the CTX and you are forced to support the CTX with a tight grip, your arm and shoulder. With the coil right in front of your toes, the weight is divided between the arm cup and your lower three fingers, your index finger and thumb are used to guide the CTX right and left. The CTX should swing freely like a pendulum and if you are experiencing fatigue, you are doing something wrong........ IMHO
 
Thanks! I'll definitely try it.
 
Op I know how you feel, you know the Etrac is a great machine but you wonder if the CTX is worth the extra $. I was in the same boat. Flash back to may of 2012. I had owned the Etrac for about 2 years and was loving it, had made some great finds with it. My hunting buddy mtwolf2270 was using an SE. He saw the ads for the CTX and decided he wanted one. I was thinking it seemed to be a waterproofed Etrac with some bells and whistles like GPS and stuff. I thought now going from the SE definitely worth it, but was it worth the $ to go from an Etrac, I didn't think so, at first. So mtwolf gets his, showed it to me, color screen=nice, GPS=cool, waterproof=also cool. But I own an Excalibur so the waterproof not a huge deal, the color screen and GPS nice bells and whistles that I could do without. It was mor balanced and felt quite a bit lighter, oh well I will keep Etrac. Then he started hunting a park we had pounded, and finding old wheats that we had both passed right over, finding some that my Etrac could not even hear. Then I saw on the forum that ppl that had gone from Etrac were revisiting their old spots and finding a lot they had missed. So I got one, so glad I did, I have since gotten my first Franklin half, first Barber Quarter, first 2 V nickels, doubled previous lifetime Indian heads, found more barber dimes than ever before. I would not consider going back to an Etrac, as great as they are, the CTX is better. It's easier to swing for hours at a time, has faster recovery time and better iron separation and gives you more information about targets in the ground. Bottom line, get it, you will not regret it. It took me about 2 hunts to realize I had for sure made the right choice, I would highly recommend Bart at Big Boy Hobbies, he has been good to me and gave me an awesome deal on mine. Get the wireless headphone setup, it is a pleasure to not be tethered to your detector. The only thing I miss about my Etrac is the inline pinpointer, but it is worth not having into have the CTX. Good luck and let us know how you like it!!
 
Thanks for all the replys,(if only my lovely wife was so positive hehe),but you have certainly convinced me,dont get me wrong I
love my etrac and have found some great finds,but as I hunt mostly beaches the CTX sounds ideal.....once again thanks....kj
 
We were in the same boat. I loved my E-trac. I had done extremely well with it. I'm getting used to CTX now and starting to like it. The sore wrist and numb hand due to the balance issue is what's getting me. I just order one of the harnesses to see if that helps me. I also received a suggestion to try shortening the lower rod and getting coil in closer to my feet. I'll try that as well.
 
I to have a etrac and thoufgt it would be nice to upgrade to a ctx, what is holding me back is all the reports/post of people having to send them back for repair. It would be intresting to know what % of ctx,s had to be sent back.
 
My CTX went back with a water issue, which was a failure on my part to keep the seal properly cleaned. However my E-Trac went back for an issue of shutting itself down and then later for a failed button/pressure pad. So I had more "real" issues with my E-Trac than the CTX, however I would recommend either detector. Very good machines and when repair was needed, I had zero issues with Minelab's repair or my down time. ......Happy Hunting with whatever detector you use
 
If you do switch, it will take you some time to get used to the new sounds and slightly different numbers. I was very discouraged when I initially gave up my E-trac for the CTX, but it's coming along.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top