Hi all, I have been detecting for about a year now and would like some advice on a minelab detector. I was just wondering what kind of depth does the etrac get on average? I would also like a opinion on learning curve and ease of use. The reason I'm asking is I currently own a whites v3i and although I have found alot of clad and a few old coins it just doesnt seem to get the depth for me. I read alot of posts on the whites forum about guys hitting coins at 10+ inches(some over 12 inches?) but I cant get anywhere near that. If I do get a deep signal it doesnt want to lock on very good or pinpoint very good. Maybe its me being new to detecting but I'm hitting old homesites that I know have not been hunted ever and still not very productive. It seems like the minelab forums post alot more pictures of there finds. I guess I'm just wondering if I should consider jumping ship to minelab and starting over. I'm not looking to bash whites at all but it just seems to me a 1600.00 dollar detector should do more than what its doing. Ive read the manually and understand the settings pretty good but sometimes it just has a mind of its own. Any advice on this would be appriciated. also If there is anybody that owns both or had the oppertunity to compare the two Id love to here from you. Thank you very much all. pointer80
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opinion on detector
- Thread starter pointer80
- Start date
I do like my Etrac.redsniper2672
New member
I haven't owned a detector for about ten years but used to do alot of hunting with a Whites 5900 Di pro back in the 80's with my dad. I haven't owned any detector for about 10 years until recently. I bought an E-Trac for 2 reasons. 1. My dad recently retired and bought a Minelab Safari which I've tried a few times and liked. 2. I've read nothing but good things about the E-Trac on here and other sites. With that being said I was a little worried I would have trouble with an advanced machine after 10 years off , but happily I haven't been overwhelmed in the few times I've been out with it. The deepest coin I've dug so far is 4 inches, but I've only hunted about 15 hours so far at newer parks. Shredded aluminum gave me some trouble and I've dug some bottle tops and pull-tabs, but for every piece of trash I dig I learn more. Let me put it this way in 15 hours of hunting I've dug about as many (new)coins as trash with my E-Trac and I'm no metal detecting expert. 50/50 coin-trash ratio isn't bad for someone that's been out of detecting for 10 years. This isn't so much an indication as to my skill, but a nod to what a good machine I believe the E-Trac to be and how easy it has been for me to use. The E-Trac has been a true turn on and go machine for me as I've yet to take it out of coin mode and have made no changes to anything. The multi-tones are different at first but I like them and I knew they were part of deal on the Minelab since I've used my dads Safari. Bottom line, I hope you are able to sort out your V3 and hunt with it. I've had buyer remorse a few times my self on other purchases I've made and wasn't happy or ended up with something that just wasn't for me. It happens to us all from time to time. If in the end you aren't happy with the V3 and decide to buy a different machine I would recommend an E-Trac. It's been a good purchase for me so far. Good Luck and happy hunting.
Joe
Joe
Pointer80,
I am not near qualified as some people here to address the situation here. I know White's make good machines, so don't know for sure whats going on here. I know our moderator RayMo has had some experience with the V3 so maybe he can shed some light here.
Homesites can be tough hunting. I have many that I've hunted and have not pulled out coins. As far as depth goes, the deepest coin I've dug with the E-Trac has been around 9 inches. My 3 oldest coins were less than 3 inches and 2 of those were on homesites. Most of my coins are around 5-6 inches and I get a very good lock on these coins. I think, depending on the soil conditions, an 10 or 11 inch coin is going to be hard for any detector to pinpoint precisely and the signal may not be near as pronounced as the 6" one. A test garden should verify this. Sweep speed is critical and a garden should yield information here as well.
Let us know what happens.
NebTrac
I am not near qualified as some people here to address the situation here. I know White's make good machines, so don't know for sure whats going on here. I know our moderator RayMo has had some experience with the V3 so maybe he can shed some light here.
Homesites can be tough hunting. I have many that I've hunted and have not pulled out coins. As far as depth goes, the deepest coin I've dug with the E-Trac has been around 9 inches. My 3 oldest coins were less than 3 inches and 2 of those were on homesites. Most of my coins are around 5-6 inches and I get a very good lock on these coins. I think, depending on the soil conditions, an 10 or 11 inch coin is going to be hard for any detector to pinpoint precisely and the signal may not be near as pronounced as the 6" one. A test garden should verify this. Sweep speed is critical and a garden should yield information here as well.
Let us know what happens.
NebTrac
First, I run neither a White's V3i or A Minelab E Trac, but I have read fully the owners manuals on line and many posts by actual users.
One thing is crystal clear.
No matter which machine you are running, you are running with the big boys.
These machines are a bit more complicated than most.
If you do not have things set right or know how to 'read' your machine properly be prepared for guys with lesser machines to best you in the field.
I earnestly believe no one who only detects once in awhile on weekends will ever be too successful with either machine.
I am convinced these machines are made for serious treasure hunters who hunt several or more times a week.
Each machine comes with factory default settings that will work under many conditions.
To find the really deep and old stuff you will have to download specialized programs that address issues of your soil conditions, etc.
Too many folks think merely buying a V3i or E Trac will automatically put them in the big leagues of detecting.
Such is not true.
In stepping up you must learn how to hit a major league curve ball instead of a high school curve ball.
Good luck and happy hunting.
One thing is crystal clear.
No matter which machine you are running, you are running with the big boys.
These machines are a bit more complicated than most.
If you do not have things set right or know how to 'read' your machine properly be prepared for guys with lesser machines to best you in the field.
I earnestly believe no one who only detects once in awhile on weekends will ever be too successful with either machine.
I am convinced these machines are made for serious treasure hunters who hunt several or more times a week.
Each machine comes with factory default settings that will work under many conditions.
To find the really deep and old stuff you will have to download specialized programs that address issues of your soil conditions, etc.
Too many folks think merely buying a V3i or E Trac will automatically put them in the big leagues of detecting.
Such is not true.
In stepping up you must learn how to hit a major league curve ball instead of a high school curve ball.
Good luck and happy hunting.
I hunt old homesteads 98% of the time I hunt, and a lot of them do NOT pay off, yesterday I hunted several sites and only one site was good. Not all houses had kids to lose items, not all people had a lot of money therefore VERY little or nothing was lost.
I know ZERO about your machine, all I know is the etrac is an amazing machine. I have had mine for less than 4 months but consider myself pretty sucessful with it. The deepest coin I have dug was a barber dime at 8-9" but majority of old coins are in the 5-6" range. I think most coins are not found because of trash/iron being nearby, NOT because they are too deep.
The etrac is awesome at picking out good targets that have trash near them, partly covering them etc.....where other machines totally miss them. That is where the etrac shines.
I know I can walk behind a buddy who uses a whites dfx and hit targets he totally missed because the etrac hits on them and his dfx doesn't. He is not a newbie dfx user either, he has 3 yrs on his machine.
I know ZERO about your machine, all I know is the etrac is an amazing machine. I have had mine for less than 4 months but consider myself pretty sucessful with it. The deepest coin I have dug was a barber dime at 8-9" but majority of old coins are in the 5-6" range. I think most coins are not found because of trash/iron being nearby, NOT because they are too deep.
The etrac is awesome at picking out good targets that have trash near them, partly covering them etc.....where other machines totally miss them. That is where the etrac shines.
I know I can walk behind a buddy who uses a whites dfx and hit targets he totally missed because the etrac hits on them and his dfx doesn't. He is not a newbie dfx user either, he has 3 yrs on his machine.
Don't take this the wrong way, please. I am just throwing out experiences. Maybe something will click.
You don't have to detect multiple times a week. Although, the more you go, the better you will get.
You don't have to use any special programs. Especially if you want depth, you want a more opened-up setup.
In some cases, folks don't get the depth they think they should get because:
A. There are no real targets in the location they are hunting at that depth (so - a test garden is very valuable)
B. They don't realize that when they adjusted the settings of their machine, it impacted what they hear (gain, masking or discrimination, sensitivity, threshold, other settings - reading the manual over again and reviewing all the settings always helped me with a new machine) - I know you said you know the settings of your V3. I can tell you that I "re-learned" some of the settings on the Minelabs over the years.
C. They are actually getting target signals at the depth they desire, but do not recognize the signals as targets - they think it's just noise. I know, it's hard to believe, but I have run into this twice. Digging proved to these guys what they were hearing was actually a deep coin (both cases were IH cents) and not junk.
D. The headphones were not passing the faint, deep signals through to your ears. If you have a deep signal per the display but there's no audio and your settings/volume are OK, then borrow someone else's working headphones and re-sweep (or re-sweep WITHOUT any headphones) to see if you can hear it.
Don't give up too quickly. Ask the folks on the V3 forum about settings for running deep and wide open. Then test! If possible, go out to a site that FOR SURE has deep signals with someone who is an experienced Minelab Explorer/ETrac user. When Mr Minelab gets a deep signal, then you go over it to compare. If you still don't hear it and the Minelab does, then I'm quite sure you will know what to do next...
Good luck!
You don't have to detect multiple times a week. Although, the more you go, the better you will get.
You don't have to use any special programs. Especially if you want depth, you want a more opened-up setup.
In some cases, folks don't get the depth they think they should get because:
A. There are no real targets in the location they are hunting at that depth (so - a test garden is very valuable)
B. They don't realize that when they adjusted the settings of their machine, it impacted what they hear (gain, masking or discrimination, sensitivity, threshold, other settings - reading the manual over again and reviewing all the settings always helped me with a new machine) - I know you said you know the settings of your V3. I can tell you that I "re-learned" some of the settings on the Minelabs over the years.
C. They are actually getting target signals at the depth they desire, but do not recognize the signals as targets - they think it's just noise. I know, it's hard to believe, but I have run into this twice. Digging proved to these guys what they were hearing was actually a deep coin (both cases were IH cents) and not junk.
D. The headphones were not passing the faint, deep signals through to your ears. If you have a deep signal per the display but there's no audio and your settings/volume are OK, then borrow someone else's working headphones and re-sweep (or re-sweep WITHOUT any headphones) to see if you can hear it.
Don't give up too quickly. Ask the folks on the V3 forum about settings for running deep and wide open. Then test! If possible, go out to a site that FOR SURE has deep signals with someone who is an experienced Minelab Explorer/ETrac user. When Mr Minelab gets a deep signal, then you go over it to compare. If you still don't hear it and the Minelab does, then I'm quite sure you will know what to do next...
Good luck!
This is just my 2 cents.......I have owned both the V3 and the E-Trac. If I could only have one......and someone was willing to give me a V3 for free, or I could have the E-Trac, only if I paid full price out of my pocket. I would buy the E-trac. I know, I know some will say I am being hyperbolic, and exaggerating. I am not, I am totally serious.
Pinpointer80, if you want to PM me, I will explain in depth. My experiences are my own, and may not be the same in your case. I do think I am hunting the same types of sites that you are. Dan
Pinpointer80, if you want to PM me, I will explain in depth. My experiences are my own, and may not be the same in your case. I do think I am hunting the same types of sites that you are. Dan
I have both of these machines and have used them both alot in the field.The v3i has a program called hi-pro which you should try.Its very deep and ive found alot of silver with it.I have a test garden with a siver quarter at 6 8 and 11 inches and both machines can pick them up.I hunt in alot of minerized ground so ill have to say the minlab is better at giving me more stable target id at depth.I think the biggest advantage the e-trac has over the whites is being able to run in ferrouse sound and that eliminates alot of nails.There both great machines in the right hands but ill have to say most of my deep good finds have been made with the e-trac.
Thanks all, I definately am not throwing in the towel on the v3i but I guess the test garden is a good example of what I"m talking about, I can run my coil over a target and sometimes it will hit and sometimes not. Another thing I noticed on the v3 forums is more people ask for help than anything else. It seems on the minelab forums people post more pics of finds than anything else. I am still going to hang in there with the v3 for the time being. thanks all.
dirt doctor
Well-known member
n/t
Well, I'll throw in my 2 zincs worth here & you can just take it for what it's worth (if anything) for you. 
----I would agree with what one fellow said that either of these detectors--Etrac or V3--(or ANY of the Explorers for that matter) get the best results for the operator only with MANY hours in the field behind them, useing them and learning them.---Learning the idiosyncrasies of the detector, experimenting with different settings (to achieve settings that work best for your hunt environment) & just plain listening to what the detector is telling you.----To me, neither of these machines are for the "faint of heart"---you need to be "blood & guts" dedicated to them to get the best results out of them.---I think that, right there, is why some (many) people become disillusioned with these machines (or other detectors also).------Haveing said all this, I'll just relate what our (my wife and I) experience has been.----First off, we have never used/operated the V3--but we surely have the DFX and ALL the Explorers/Etrac.----My wife used the DFX for several years and she knew that machine like the back of her hand (I didn't but she did).--She knew the settings and she knew her coils for it (in different hunt environments), she just knew how to run it & very well.----But until she started useing the Explorers, she was not & could not get/recover the deep/difficult coins that I was getting all along (me running the Explorer) and it wasn't because of lack of experience.----When she finally "converted" over to the Explorer--"look out Nellie"--her old coin count took off like a rocket.--I can hardly keep up with her now! ----Now maybe/probably the V3 is different & the DFX is a good detector and it can be set up to work the trash well (with the right coil)----but it just WAS NOT getting the depth needed in the areas we hunt.----I'll probably get "killed" by any Whites people reading this but this is the bottom line why I use Minelabs.---They are "depth monsters" and they excel at getting you those deep silver/copper coins.----I have never seen/thought that they (Minelabs) excel in the mid-range conductor area--Whites is probably better in that area.----However, that is not the area I'm after--I'm after the silver/copper range--and at that, the Explorer/Etrac "kills" (excels).---------Del
----I would agree with what one fellow said that either of these detectors--Etrac or V3--(or ANY of the Explorers for that matter) get the best results for the operator only with MANY hours in the field behind them, useing them and learning them.---Learning the idiosyncrasies of the detector, experimenting with different settings (to achieve settings that work best for your hunt environment) & just plain listening to what the detector is telling you.----To me, neither of these machines are for the "faint of heart"---you need to be "blood & guts" dedicated to them to get the best results out of them.---I think that, right there, is why some (many) people become disillusioned with these machines (or other detectors also).------Haveing said all this, I'll just relate what our (my wife and I) experience has been.----First off, we have never used/operated the V3--but we surely have the DFX and ALL the Explorers/Etrac.----My wife used the DFX for several years and she knew that machine like the back of her hand (I didn't but she did).--She knew the settings and she knew her coils for it (in different hunt environments), she just knew how to run it & very well.----But until she started useing the Explorers, she was not & could not get/recover the deep/difficult coins that I was getting all along (me running the Explorer) and it wasn't because of lack of experience.----When she finally "converted" over to the Explorer--"look out Nellie"--her old coin count took off like a rocket.--I can hardly keep up with her now! ----Now maybe/probably the V3 is different & the DFX is a good detector and it can be set up to work the trash well (with the right coil)----but it just WAS NOT getting the depth needed in the areas we hunt.----I'll probably get "killed" by any Whites people reading this but this is the bottom line why I use Minelabs.---They are "depth monsters" and they excel at getting you those deep silver/copper coins.----I have never seen/thought that they (Minelabs) excel in the mid-range conductor area--Whites is probably better in that area.----However, that is not the area I'm after--I'm after the silver/copper range--and at that, the Explorer/Etrac "kills" (excels).---------DelI got skunked on two trips with my DFX against my friends explorer. Bought the ET and that was the end of that! Chased that skunk out of town. I don't have anything like the coin count of some hunters but still am doing much better than I was! I feel like if there is silver or an old coin in the ground I will hear it. At 300 hours on my ET I am still learning each time I go out. Terry in San Diego
should be finding good stuff with you V3 if it is there to be found where you are hunting.I found quite a few nice coins and relics with mine and felt it was a very good machine.Location most often has more to do with quality finds than the brand of machine you are using provided you have learned said machine well.
And the question of those 10"-12"+ dimes we read about that some guys hit on a regular basis are just that,Questionable.It does happen on occasion when all conditions are just right but is the exception rather than the rule unless they are hunting white sand beaches or similar.
Old home sites are a tough place to hunt for a number of reasons the main one often being the massive amounts of trash for ever coin lost.I think regardless of what machine you are using your best chance for success at old home sites is to learn the best combination of settings and coils to pick good targets out of trash at depths of 3"-6" and forget about digging a 10" dime, or penny for that matter.
And the question of those 10"-12"+ dimes we read about that some guys hit on a regular basis are just that,Questionable.It does happen on occasion when all conditions are just right but is the exception rather than the rule unless they are hunting white sand beaches or similar.
Old home sites are a tough place to hunt for a number of reasons the main one often being the massive amounts of trash for ever coin lost.I think regardless of what machine you are using your best chance for success at old home sites is to learn the best combination of settings and coils to pick good targets out of trash at depths of 3"-6" and forget about digging a 10" dime, or penny for that matter.
Larry (IL)
Well-known member
If he just purchased the V, he should expect to be out-hunted for quite some time. When he has the time, experience and knowledge you have with your E-Trac, the tide may change.