Questions on CTX

[MARK (LI)]

I have not posted anything in years....have had several sovereigns ( some of which I waterproofed), original Explorer ( waterproofed that too) a bunch of Excaliburs a 1700 gold machine and one of those 2000s ...that one had a motorcycle battery....any way I lost a bunch of detectors in Sandy ( the flood on East Coast), and my last 3 excaliburs need a lot of pampering to keep them going.

So....it might be time for a new machine...I primarily hunt in salt water.....From what I have been reading, the newer Excaliburs have a lot of service issues, I have checked DEUS, but, although it seems like a great land machine, it is not for salt water.....can anyone offer any feedback ast o whether the CTX is really worth the $$$, or should I just look for an Excalibur again?...thanks for any responses I hope to receive....good hunting, good health to all

 

[ML]

If you will be submerging the entire unit in salt water and want to stay with a Minelab unit you might wanna stick with the Excal. If you're not going completely under water I prefer the CTX. Depends on what you do most.

 

[MARK (LI)]

I don't go diving....usually knee deep, sometimes chest deep, depending on how calm...or rough the surf is....does it really go deeper, or find smaller pieces....how much do you rely on the screen as opposed to sounds?...thank you

 

[DaytonaGold]

The CTX is a great machine but if your going to hunt in salt water there is a possibility it may leak. Even though it's advertised as an underwater detector a few here including myself have fallen victim to a leak in the battery compartment. My advice to you (if your going to purchase the CTX) is to get out of the salt water every so often and check your battery compartment.

 

[jerseyjim]

If you are primarily a salt water hunter then go with the Excal. I ask a well known author of M.D books the same question.At the time I had the Safari and mentioned that I wanted a machine I can use in water. He told me if I already had a good FBS machine then why not get a good water machine like the Xcal or the Fisher. That was his advice to me, in which I thought made sense. I wound up getting the CTX because I liked a lot of the other features in which it has besides being able to hunt in water. I love the CTX and I am not sorry with the decision I made.I only hunt knee deep when I do go into water. Good luck.
Jim

 

[jas415]

I agree with the previous posts. the CTX is a great machine, but IMHO the only real advantage it has over the Excal is the target ID. But, if you are on a beach you will dig almost all targets anyway! No more than knee deep, the target ID can save some effort but if the screen is under water, risking a leak, then it becomes more of a 'pull it up to see the screen' and make a decision to dig. So, back to the 'dig by tone'.

 

[73cj5]

Different tools for different jobs. Water I use the excal. Wet I use the ctx with the 17. I used to run a gt with the wot but was always worried about a splash or drop. Ctx gets the job done.

Never will be a solve all do all.

I just got the ctx and am impressed. Wish I would have bought it I the spring.

If you beach hunt at all, I would recommend. I do 12-20 beach hunts per year. This will probably pull 90 percent of those.

I would also like to try the atx.

 

[goodmore]

The only way I would buy a CTX for salt water hunting is if I also hunted dirt. Killing two signals with one detector type thing. Make no mistake. I own a CTX and think the detector is just great. But dunking it in salt water will never happen for me. I say Excal.

 

[trojdor]

I think of my CTX as water-RESISTANT, not water-proof. I got it so I can stay out hunting if it starts to rain a little.
After looking at all it's waterproofing/points of potential failure, and after hearing all the horror stories, I would never take it near salt-water...ever.

My 2cents,
mike

 

[electricmetal21]

If you're primarily hunting in the water, you should stay with the Excalibur machine. I own an Excalibur and a CTX 3030. I never use the CTX in the water.

The first reason I don't use the CTX in the water is that the CTX is an expensive machine with a reputation as a machine that leaks. And, I don't want my expensive machine ruined by leaking water.

The second reason has to do with the way the two machines ID targets. A CTX has two forms of target ID; the information on the display screen and the sound coming from the headphones. The Excalibur doesn't have a screen and has one form of target ID, the sound coming from the headphones.

That said, you would think, with two forms of target ID, that the CTX would be the better machine in the water. But, it isn't. When the CTX is in water more than a couple of feet deep, the deeper water covers the CTX's display screen making the screen pretty much unusable.

Without the screen data, the CTX is pretty much just another Excalibur.

If you're hunting on land, the CTX is of course, the better machine. But, in the water, the Excalibur is beats it hands down.

 

[NiagracountyNY]

Which machine will get the deeper Targets on the salt water beach?

 

[Nes (south Coast-CA)]

If you are going to just hunt the wet and low water, the CTX might just work for you. Otherwise I use my Excal.. Nes

 

[Overvoltage]

I have a CXT and only use it on terra firma. If I go in the water I use my Infinitum LS. Like everyone else has said, I'm not taking the chance.