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Question for ANY Etrac owner/user
- Thread starter D&P-OR
- Start date
I got my E Trac about three weeks ago,and the biggest problem i am having
is finding good places to go with it.
After getting the e trac i can tell i am going to have to backtrac and hunt my spots all over again.
After having the explorer,twice i have went to raise the sensitivity and turned the detector off LOL.
LabradorBob
is finding good places to go with it.
After getting the e trac i can tell i am going to have to backtrac and hunt my spots all over again.
After having the explorer,twice i have went to raise the sensitivity and turned the detector off LOL.
LabradorBob
BlackZ51Vett
Member
I ordered mine on April 15th. It's on backorder and I'm still waiting. I dont know if I can wait much longer before I cancel that order and find one somewhere else................
I've had my Etrac for about a year and a half now. Even with the launch of the Whites V3 and the XP Deus, there is no other machine on the market currently I would rather use.
Issues?........well, mostly is weight. I know the ETrac has been tweaked for better balance and is slightly lighter than the SE but it's still a bit heavy.
If they can do something with that.
The only other, (which we've discussed) is the user definable breakpoints for 2 and 4 tones.
That's about it really.......awesome machine.
Des Dunne always looks in on the forums. A great guy and very passionate about what he does for Minelab. I'm sure he'll be listening.
Gaz.
Issues?........well, mostly is weight. I know the ETrac has been tweaked for better balance and is slightly lighter than the SE but it's still a bit heavy.
If they can do something with that.
The only other, (which we've discussed) is the user definable breakpoints for 2 and 4 tones.
That's about it really.......awesome machine.
Des Dunne always looks in on the forums. A great guy and very passionate about what he does for Minelab. I'm sure he'll be listening.
Gaz.
RandyNorthridgeca
New member
Got mine as soon as they came out. Can't remember the date. Haven't had any problems so far. 
I got mine last October and the biggest problem I'm having with it is running it in
conductive tones and all the deep bent rusty nails will sound like a good silver coin.
I like the ferrous mode on the Explorer better because you can see on the screen if
the item is good or not. Gary
conductive tones and all the deep bent rusty nails will sound like a good silver coin.
I like the ferrous mode on the Explorer better because you can see on the screen if
the item is good or not. Gary
I started saving as soon as they came out and got it a month later. The date on my order form is 10/16/08.
Being new to minelab and detecting in general at the time, you can imagine I had a multitude of "issues" at first. Now after hours on the machine and in the field, I think junk "hits" too close to the goodies but that is the same with most detectors I think. You will have to dig the junk to get the goods! Other than that, it seems to perform exactly the way it was intended to and I'm very happy with it. Although, I am excited to see what minelab will bring to us in the future.
Gary...about the rusty nails. I assume you are running a disc pattern. If the signal is choppy and hitting at the edge of your disc pattern, try going into quick mask (all metal) if the signal "cleans up" and remains constant with a fe# at 30-35, probably iron. If the signal bounces and hits in the fe 20's or even teens, then it could be something else in the hole with iron next to it. The few nails I have dug had coins right next to and even touching coins. If the nails continue to sneak through, try lowering your gain a little or sens a notch or two....hope this helps. Don't forget to re-scan the hole after you pull up a nail that has "snuck" through.
Being new to minelab and detecting in general at the time, you can imagine I had a multitude of "issues" at first. Now after hours on the machine and in the field, I think junk "hits" too close to the goodies but that is the same with most detectors I think. You will have to dig the junk to get the goods! Other than that, it seems to perform exactly the way it was intended to and I'm very happy with it. Although, I am excited to see what minelab will bring to us in the future.
Gary...about the rusty nails. I assume you are running a disc pattern. If the signal is choppy and hitting at the edge of your disc pattern, try going into quick mask (all metal) if the signal "cleans up" and remains constant with a fe# at 30-35, probably iron. If the signal bounces and hits in the fe 20's or even teens, then it could be something else in the hole with iron next to it. The few nails I have dug had coins right next to and even touching coins. If the nails continue to sneak through, try lowering your gain a little or sens a notch or two....hope this helps. Don't forget to re-scan the hole after you pull up a nail that has "snuck" through.
I bought mine after a month of using the X-Terra 305. Like dirtdean, I'm pretty new to detecting. Youtube has been the greatest selling point (in my opinion) for Minelab. I watched Niagra's, OhioCoinHunter, Vidslayer, LaDigger, Goes4ever, etc. Their videos were instrumental in my choice of detectors. Then I discovered this forum and a few others. Not knowing much about detecting, let me relate an experience I had with the 305.
I was hunting my grandfathers' yard and not finding much. I finally got a good hit and pulled out a tootsie car at around 8 inches with the X-Terra. I put a clad dime in and tried to get a signal on it and couldn't. I know...but I was new. I thought o.k.. Here is this car down 8" and my detector won't sound off on a dime. That is when I pushed for the E-Trac, which I wanted in the first place. My wife is very understanding!
I haven't had any problems with it. It has been working well for me. What I do appreciate is the DD coil. I think it compliments the machine tremendously!!! The availability of other sizes of DD coils is a huge comfort also. I have to say after 130+ hours on the machine so far that 90% of what I've found, most any detector would've found (but been limited to the concentration and tightness of the swing with a concentric coil). My coins, for the most part, haven't been deep. The other 10%... I think only a handful of detectors would've sounded off and alerted to a good target.
I really like the versitility of the machine. Being able to change the tones, number of tones, the 35x50 discrimination is a marvel.
I run Andy Sabisch's "Old Coin Program" most of the time. Nails will false on it and give that high silver tone a lot. Quickmask usually answers that question. What I do though is dig a lot of iffies. I felt it necessary early on to dig the "iffy" signals. My opinion if I dig a lot of those sounds, I will 1 - Learn more about what the machine is telling me and 2 - I won't be disappointed, knowing that the bent nails, barbwire, and rusty fencing staples were not in fact coins....in other words I hadn't let any coins or good targets slip by me. This all depends on my attitude at the time.
There are just a lot of advantages to running this detector!
Thanks for putting up a classroom forum!!
NebTrac
I was hunting my grandfathers' yard and not finding much. I finally got a good hit and pulled out a tootsie car at around 8 inches with the X-Terra. I put a clad dime in and tried to get a signal on it and couldn't. I know...but I was new. I thought o.k.. Here is this car down 8" and my detector won't sound off on a dime. That is when I pushed for the E-Trac, which I wanted in the first place. My wife is very understanding!
I haven't had any problems with it. It has been working well for me. What I do appreciate is the DD coil. I think it compliments the machine tremendously!!! The availability of other sizes of DD coils is a huge comfort also. I have to say after 130+ hours on the machine so far that 90% of what I've found, most any detector would've found (but been limited to the concentration and tightness of the swing with a concentric coil). My coins, for the most part, haven't been deep. The other 10%... I think only a handful of detectors would've sounded off and alerted to a good target.
I really like the versitility of the machine. Being able to change the tones, number of tones, the 35x50 discrimination is a marvel.
I run Andy Sabisch's "Old Coin Program" most of the time. Nails will false on it and give that high silver tone a lot. Quickmask usually answers that question. What I do though is dig a lot of iffies. I felt it necessary early on to dig the "iffy" signals. My opinion if I dig a lot of those sounds, I will 1 - Learn more about what the machine is telling me and 2 - I won't be disappointed, knowing that the bent nails, barbwire, and rusty fencing staples were not in fact coins....in other words I hadn't let any coins or good targets slip by me. This all depends on my attitude at the time.
There are just a lot of advantages to running this detector!
Thanks for putting up a classroom forum!!
NebTrac
I figure it will take awhile to get the hang of it.When I lived in Virginia and used my EXll I was finding
good coins all the time.The best being an 1835 capped bust half dime and lots of other older coins.
I think the position that the cursor hits on the ET when detecting kind of throws me off a bit.I got a
new SE Pro a few weeks ago and have been getting some time in on it. Gary
good coins all the time.The best being an 1835 capped bust half dime and lots of other older coins.
I think the position that the cursor hits on the ET when detecting kind of throws me off a bit.I got a
new SE Pro a few weeks ago and have been getting some time in on it. Gary
Jesse W. McComas
New member
I bought mine in October 2008. I have found a ton of coins & Relics with it. But I lost my manual and need to know how to put this machine back in factory Pre-set position. Thanks...Jesse.
I bought mine in october of last year(2009). Don't have an issue with the weight like a lot of folk's (a lot better than the exII), but the visability of the screen i realy have an issue with(i hunt by sound but check the number's all the time, along with the depth ,and cursur postion). One other thing i miss the multi-tone's in ferrous mode.Other than that it is the best machine i've used to date. Run's a lot smoother. I'am starting to get the hang of changing the various setting's to fit my way of hunting. Thank's for starting this forum i will be checking it all the time. AL
Had mine for about 7 months now.
Main issue for me is my wrists (I switch arms regularly). Getting used to the new handle angle after so many years with the Explorers has been painful, but I believe it's starting to come around.
Other minor issues were related to converting from Explorer. I really haven't had a problem with the E-Trac itself. Just like the Explorer, this machine teaches me more each time I take it out.
HH
Main issue for me is my wrists (I switch arms regularly). Getting used to the new handle angle after so many years with the Explorers has been painful, but I believe it's starting to come around.
Other minor issues were related to converting from Explorer. I really haven't had a problem with the E-Trac itself. Just like the Explorer, this machine teaches me more each time I take it out.
HH
Got mine about 3 weeks ago - no problems - great machine - just one complaint which is minor. the screen gets "stuck" from time to time and shows only "fe-co" rather than numbers. A minute or so of wiggling it around - gets it back on track. But I know this is normal on the etrac.
I picked up my E-Trac just a few months ago. (Malaysian manufacture) Previous user of a great Explorer XS I bought back in 2000 and used it for nearly 10 years. So I am very familiar with the general capabilities of the Minelabs.
The Biggest question for me is How Much Work Do I Let The E-Trac Do For Me? I didn't use a lot of the Explorer's discrimination capabilities other than watching for key indicators on a relative wide open screen. I was running a little iron mask way over on the left side of the screen; about 1/5 of the screen.
Currently, I have the E-trac set up similarly. Quick Mask is down on ferrous 26, I believe, and conductive is set on 4 or 5. Everything else is ALL IN so to speak. I have DEEP - ON to smooth out the deepies and FAST - OFF. Have Audio set with Multi-tones, Limits is 30, Variability up on 29 and a relatively low Threshold tone that isn't annoying. I also have selected GROUND - DIFFICULT, and TRASH DENSITY - HIGH.
So far, I have been impressed by the abilities of the detector for Deep and Accurate Target ID's and exceptional ability to find coins in and amongst rusty nails and other (nulling) large items with the good target. Similar to my XS, but it has better deep target clarity and related, seems to go deeper as well.
I did some minor experimenting with a Gold Coin / Coins Only program that has very small windows opened for GOLD COINS and OLDER US Coins. I was attempting to TEST the E-Tracs ability to isolate a good target signal from all of the other discriminated items; cherry pick so to speak. My first try was in a small, very old park that I hunt when I don't have anywhere else convenient to go. There is one smaller area where I have done well for Merc dime era coins that I keep going back to. I hunted for nearly an hour without finding any good deep signals, just a little new change. This wasn't surprising since this area is rather small and I've gone over it a number of times because it has produced a dozen or so Mercury dimes, a couple silver rings, a few Wheaties and so forth. I was about ready to pack up and head home and remembered the program I had set up and thought I should give it a try.
Then, the worst thing happened. I made several swings and suddenly found myself over a good target reading 12/42 - 12/44 and showing up about 1/2 way down the depth meter. The sound was a little broken up, but left no doubt that it was a good signal. I was thinking I had found a wheatie and up popped a very nice Merc dime at 6" deep. Now I am surprised and thinking 'Cherry Pick' away. I hunted for another half hour and turned up a folded pull-tab tongue impersonating a nickel and that was it.
I tried the Cherry Picking pattern again yesterday at a little area at an old school that has Lots and Lots of trash and deeply covered garbage and galvanized steel sprinkler lines. After finding a few keepers using my wide open Quick Mask program, I headed to the worst area and loaded up the cherry picking pattern. I turned up a newer nickel about 3" deep and finally located a dime signal showing 5" or so on the depth meter. Pinpoint was a little rough and I suspected an angled or on edge coin. Sure enough, it was a bent clad dime only 3" standing straight up and down. It was a nice find only because of adjacent nulls and that I've gone over this area umpteen times with a number of detectors the last 25 years. Shortly afterward, I removed the cherry picking pattern and went back to the Quick Mask. A dozen or so feet further away, I picked up another good signal in tight with some nulled iron of some sort. the ferrous was all over the place, but I kept getting a consistent 44-46 conductivity reading and of course had a nice sound to go with. I was hoping silver dime or perhaps quarter and was disappointed to only come up with a 37-S wheatie 7" deep. It was by itself despite my hopes of finding another coin that might explain the high CO reading. At least it was in very nice shape.
So, as of now, I have about 50 hours of time behind the E-Trac. I have found a several coins in the 9-11" range which impresses me. I typically hunt in manual sensitivity and haven't yet had it over 25, usually in the low 20's depending on where the machine is showing it would be in AUTO sens. I have found silver dimes, but no quarters or halves yet. (All Merc's except for a lone 1902 Barber.) I have lots of Wheaties and a lone IH, a few trade tokens (which I love finding) plenty of newer nickels, but no old nickels yet. I try to pay attention to the lower readings because I like old nickels.
I've mostly hunted public areas this spring to get in practice with the E-trac. I usually hunt the yards of old homes. However, I've actually been finding deeper targets at the parks that give me a little hope that I can hunt them and come away with a few old coins which makes it feel a like it isn't a waste of time.
Has anybody has really good success with the cherry picking programs letting the E-Trac do the work of sifting thru the signal, or is most everybody checking each signal themselves?
Rich (Utah)
The Biggest question for me is How Much Work Do I Let The E-Trac Do For Me? I didn't use a lot of the Explorer's discrimination capabilities other than watching for key indicators on a relative wide open screen. I was running a little iron mask way over on the left side of the screen; about 1/5 of the screen.
Currently, I have the E-trac set up similarly. Quick Mask is down on ferrous 26, I believe, and conductive is set on 4 or 5. Everything else is ALL IN so to speak. I have DEEP - ON to smooth out the deepies and FAST - OFF. Have Audio set with Multi-tones, Limits is 30, Variability up on 29 and a relatively low Threshold tone that isn't annoying. I also have selected GROUND - DIFFICULT, and TRASH DENSITY - HIGH.
So far, I have been impressed by the abilities of the detector for Deep and Accurate Target ID's and exceptional ability to find coins in and amongst rusty nails and other (nulling) large items with the good target. Similar to my XS, but it has better deep target clarity and related, seems to go deeper as well.
I did some minor experimenting with a Gold Coin / Coins Only program that has very small windows opened for GOLD COINS and OLDER US Coins. I was attempting to TEST the E-Tracs ability to isolate a good target signal from all of the other discriminated items; cherry pick so to speak. My first try was in a small, very old park that I hunt when I don't have anywhere else convenient to go. There is one smaller area where I have done well for Merc dime era coins that I keep going back to. I hunted for nearly an hour without finding any good deep signals, just a little new change. This wasn't surprising since this area is rather small and I've gone over it a number of times because it has produced a dozen or so Mercury dimes, a couple silver rings, a few Wheaties and so forth. I was about ready to pack up and head home and remembered the program I had set up and thought I should give it a try.
Then, the worst thing happened. I made several swings and suddenly found myself over a good target reading 12/42 - 12/44 and showing up about 1/2 way down the depth meter. The sound was a little broken up, but left no doubt that it was a good signal. I was thinking I had found a wheatie and up popped a very nice Merc dime at 6" deep. Now I am surprised and thinking 'Cherry Pick' away. I hunted for another half hour and turned up a folded pull-tab tongue impersonating a nickel and that was it.
I tried the Cherry Picking pattern again yesterday at a little area at an old school that has Lots and Lots of trash and deeply covered garbage and galvanized steel sprinkler lines. After finding a few keepers using my wide open Quick Mask program, I headed to the worst area and loaded up the cherry picking pattern. I turned up a newer nickel about 3" deep and finally located a dime signal showing 5" or so on the depth meter. Pinpoint was a little rough and I suspected an angled or on edge coin. Sure enough, it was a bent clad dime only 3" standing straight up and down. It was a nice find only because of adjacent nulls and that I've gone over this area umpteen times with a number of detectors the last 25 years. Shortly afterward, I removed the cherry picking pattern and went back to the Quick Mask. A dozen or so feet further away, I picked up another good signal in tight with some nulled iron of some sort. the ferrous was all over the place, but I kept getting a consistent 44-46 conductivity reading and of course had a nice sound to go with. I was hoping silver dime or perhaps quarter and was disappointed to only come up with a 37-S wheatie 7" deep. It was by itself despite my hopes of finding another coin that might explain the high CO reading. At least it was in very nice shape.
So, as of now, I have about 50 hours of time behind the E-Trac. I have found a several coins in the 9-11" range which impresses me. I typically hunt in manual sensitivity and haven't yet had it over 25, usually in the low 20's depending on where the machine is showing it would be in AUTO sens. I have found silver dimes, but no quarters or halves yet. (All Merc's except for a lone 1902 Barber.) I have lots of Wheaties and a lone IH, a few trade tokens (which I love finding) plenty of newer nickels, but no old nickels yet. I try to pay attention to the lower readings because I like old nickels.
I've mostly hunted public areas this spring to get in practice with the E-trac. I usually hunt the yards of old homes. However, I've actually been finding deeper targets at the parks that give me a little hope that I can hunt them and come away with a few old coins which makes it feel a like it isn't a waste of time.
Has anybody has really good success with the cherry picking programs letting the E-Trac do the work of sifting thru the signal, or is most everybody checking each signal themselves?
Rich (Utah)
I have had mine about 1 1/2 weeks...and minus digging every clean or iffy signal to learn the machine 
i love it.I have learned one thing about it i need to go over every place i thought was cleaned out with my mxt .In the short time ive had it i have pulled up 2 injuns(1st ones ever),my oldest coin to date and also a 1st 1899 barber half,4 silver dimes,1 silver washington,and 25-30 wheats.Minus the sore wrists from digging so much i couldn't be happier with it.I'll try and have the wife help me post some pics of the stuff.Also thx to the fellas that got this classroom up and going.
i love it.I have learned one thing about it i need to go over every place i thought was cleaned out with my mxt .In the short time ive had it i have pulled up 2 injuns(1st ones ever),my oldest coin to date and also a 1st 1899 barber half,4 silver dimes,1 silver washington,and 25-30 wheats.Minus the sore wrists from digging so much i couldn't be happier with it.I'll try and have the wife help me post some pics of the stuff.Also thx to the fellas that got this classroom up and going.Jesse W. McComas
New member
Thanks for the information GAZ...Jesse.