Recieved my CTX 3030 Today

[StephenA]

Ok! Assembled the CTX got the CD out and ;popped it in my MacBook Pro......NOT COMPATABLE!!!!!!!! Called Minelab. Service said they had been complaining about this issue to no avail! My intent was to go through the factory manual and then hit Andy's book that came in yesterday. Being new to Minelab I do not want to confuse the issue but now I need a flow chart of how start using the CTX ASAP but not getting in over my head to become burned out on it. How should I progress and be able to go to a non trashy area for my initial outing? The quality of the detector is amazing and the controls somewhat daunting. some one give me a five step process to being able to just go out and play tomorrow or the next day. Love this forum.
Thank you!

 

[Bryan V]

Start reading Andy's book. It helped me a lot more than the manual.
I didn't use the software for quite some time after I bought mine.
You can pretty much turn on the CTX and go hunting if you want with the existing programs.
Good luck
Bryan

 

[KinTN]

+1 what Bryan said.
Forget the manual. Read Andy's book. Thumb thru to your main area of interest if you want, but everything you need except experience is in there.

Congratulations and Welcome to the club!

 

[StephenA]

I read the first ten pages last night and then went back over them. Learning the basis of the design was interesting but I am certainly no electrical engineer. Separating the FBS from other detectors did give me a bit of insight and I really believe that got me off on the right foot. I only read this far as not to overload my feeble mind. I am going to take it out in a field this morning and just listen to signals and maybe dig a few without getting to the point of frustration before going back to the book. I will post a little along as I progress and also along the way will be taking advantage of all the great information offered here and in Andy's book. Time to turn on and go! Thanks guys!

 

[Bryan V]

Your going to have to read a little more of the book. Probably the first 50 pages or so.
You stopped right before it starts getting in to the controls.
Throw some coins, nails, rings, pull tabs or other junk on your floor and just start sweeping them.
Bryan

 

[glenn3-88]

Stephen,

In concurrance with what Bryan said, I downloaded the manual off the website before the detector came.
Right now, you need to know what each button does. You don't necessarily need to use them to configure
anything but you need to know how to turn it on and off, set your sensitivity, and find your programs and later,
edit them to suit your needs. Just use your standard programs a few days because right now, you have no
idea of what you want to change.

Right now if I were you, I would get me a few gold rings, some coins, a few pull tabs of different kinds, and
whatever typical trash you usually have found with your other detector that is a thorn in your behind and play
with them in your house until you think you can go outside and see what's in your back yard. You will find
something there that you have missed before. Watch bottle caps and that little bit of scatter around the edge
of the solid red target.

The greatest mis-conception about the 3030 is it is some kind of complicated hair pulling out machine.
There have been people on here in the past that have made it that way and ultimately sold their machines.
It is simple. Complicated is putting the carriage in front of the horse.

 

[StephenA]

Soothing words about the CTX! I was really intimidated before I ordered it but I figured what the heck, I will get it and sell it if I do not like it. I can see now based on all the comments and some of the intro posts that this is machine I have been waiting on. I fully understand that no machine is better than the guy using it and to be better takes time. I am pretty proficient with my old Fisher CZ but I know the depth advantage and target separation is necessary in oder to get to the things all the others have missed for so many years. Tomorrow afternoon I am going take it out for the first time. Thanks again to everyone on the forum.