Second Detector What & Why

[wildherre]

So the CTX is now your main detector so what is your second machine? or do you think you dont even need a second machine... I was down to one detector and looking for a second machine and have made a choice..
I always try to get people into detecting so an nice light, easy to use machine to use as a loaner would be a plus..The Whites machines that flash a nice 25cent sign on the screen would be really nice for an new user.. I also want something I will use also.. I usually have 2 detectors on site ,one with a big coil & one with a small coil so I can grab it quickly if needed..I am a coin hunter so that narrows things down a bit..I hunt old coins in trashy areas so that narrows thing down a bit more.. The CTX not being compatible with any other machines accessories left the choices wide open..The candidates were
Omega
T2SE
F75SE
ExplorerII
ExplorerSE
MXT Pro
V3
Etrac
Omega seemed like a good choice,good reviews just couldn't get past the bounty hunter type sounds it makes, lot of trouble with coils going bad, no back light..top heavy poorly designed stand,constantly tipping over while digging, no Sunray probe..
T2SE good depth fast recovery speed , light in weight but no backlight, tippy like Omega, dont save settings, emi problem in some areas..no Sunray probe
F75SE same as T2 except has backlight, saves settings and probe is available..Had one once and got embarrassed by 2 Explorer SEs ... no go here
Explorer II now were talking.. Not real good for loaning but good performance and accessories galore,most of them already on hand..
Explorer SE same as Explorer II Never did like the Se as wellas the Explorer II though
MXT Pro multi tone, light wt, good loaner good company good accessory choice but for what one cost you can get a good used V3 or Explorer
V3 Actually what I was looking at here was a Vison updated to V3i .. Very nice detectors, wireless headphones fully assignable tones which is a huge plus over anything out there...Good loaner unit..Nothing like that big bright color screen popping up a graphic of a coin to make a new user feel good, but based on past experience they are just not consistent at fining coins at depth and the D2 coil is no match for the Pro coil..
That leaves the Etrac, I recently sold my Etrac to help fund the CTX.. I rarely used it, The Explorer II was my main machine.. I did enjoy the new menus, faster processor , easy toggling between auto & manual sensitivity and quick mask ... Not a bad loaner, pretty much a turn on and go machine once its setup. Lots of accessories which I already have ,same screen orientation as CTX.. This was the deciding factor.. Lower prices right now make this a good option and the one I decided on... So my second machine will be a Etrac with my Sunray probe, 6" Excelerator and a 6x8 SEF ...When the 6" come out for the CTX things may change but I feel pretty good about this 2 machine set.. I dont see the prices going much lower on the Etracs, Explorer IIs and SEs are still going for $500-$700 for a nice one and even old XSs still bring $400 -500... wildherre

 

[Ray-Mo.]

n/t

 

[Reeseb]

That's what I have - an E-Trac as my back up. Unfortunately I bought two new E-Tracs last December so I have two backups.

 

[MHirschmann]

My second detector is an XP Deus with both the large and stock coils. Reason being, the Deus is an extremely fast machine that allows me to cover a lot of ground. I generally use the Deus to "clean" up the top 8 inches or so and then I'll go over the area with my Minelab to get the deeper stuff. Everyone has a lineup that works best for them, but for me, the Deus, the CTX 3030 and I are a winning team. -Marc

 

[Cowboy26a]

My second detector is now my Etrac with 6x8 SEF and X-1 probe.. Sold my White's Eagle2 SL when I ordered the CTX.

 

[JoeinMemphis]

Hello, my second is an SE, third is an Excalibur 2, and my loaner is an ACE 250. Anyone can use an ACE 250 and when I want to go somewhere I don't want to take an expensive machine, that is what I grab.
HH
Joe

 

[michaelnc]

I've got the AT Gold and the Etrac and the AT Gold hits the small stuff better especially in the gold and brass range (relics and micro-jewelry). The Etrac is a better coin hunter and hits harder on silver. They compliment each other very well. I think the setup I've got is comparable to having a CTX except the AT Gold is probably better on the smaller targets. I could be wrong as I haven't used the CTX. I sure would like to own one but its out of my price range until I find enough treasure to pay for it. I'm still gonna be on here watching all the finds with the CTX cause its a fine looking machine.

Shane

 

[GpSnoopy]

MXT. It was, and may still be my main modern cladding machine until I find out if I can easily ID our steelcore Canadian Clad (2000 and newer) with the CTX. For now the MXT is collecting dust while I spend the next 100 hours or more understanding the CTX. Have no trouble finding the steel clad, btw, just haven't figured out how to differentiate them from all the other iron targets in the same ID range. For all our older Canadian coins and other non-ferrous items, the CTX is a clear winner. Balance is great, depth fantastic, very stable and easy to setup, love the wireless headphones, and quality of build.

 

[E-TREC-Virginia]

I have two more machines that I want to get and then I'll be happy for a while. I am planning on picking up the CTX 3030 next year and I would also like to get a nice PI machine to use in some of the local CW sites here in Virginia. I will be attending an organized hunt in Culpepper Va next month and it sure would be nice to have a PI machine to use to combat the hot rock and clay. Something like a Whites TDI Pro, TDI, or a Garrett Infinium would be perfect. When I get the CTX 3030, my backup machine will be my E-Trac and the PI machine will be my backup for the Excal II. I would be in MD heaven with those 4 machines. Of course, my dream machine would be a Minelab GPX 5000, but that's going to have to wait.

 

[jimpugh]

I still have most of the detectors in my signature and a few more. My original sovereign...I was using before 98% of you knew what minelab was.... 3 excals including the original horse shoe coil 8 inch Excal or better

known as the Gary Storm design.....Like Joe Friday "just keep to the facts Mam" dragnet....well dem r de facts

but to be honest its hard to get the Dirty 30 out of my hand ...fact it aint gonna happen .....so I quess I need 2 3030's that would be the right backup ....my etrac is good and deadly in my hands but it aint NO

CTX3030.....the CTX is an Alien Machine trying to talk to cavemen......except all of them aint Cavemen......In a Nut shell I would rather take a azz whoppin than hunt with anything Else.......

Happy Trails
jimpugh

 

[John LA]

Yeah it will tip over. Heavy no, 3030 yes. Don't need an expensive Pinpointer; that's always a plus.

 

[Southwind]

My second machine is the Garrett AT Pro. A good part of my hunting is tot lots and the AT Pro is great for that job as well as relic hunting.

 

[wildherre]

-- moved topic --

 

[Davidpark68]

My Etrac is the back up to my CTX, but if I was clad & jewelery hunting I would have kept my MXT. Great on small items & low conducters. the visual ID on the MXT is very good, I could tell a copper penny from a dime. a good alternative to the MXT is the ATPro (& probably the 350, but I haven't used the 350 so I can't speak for it) as it is also high frequency, Great on small items,low conducters, lightweight & as a bonus it's waterproof. it just don't get as deep as the MXT & it's visual ID is jumpy.
Swinginsouthjersey

 

[Critterhunter]

For deep old coins my primary machine is the GT and 12x10. I plan to add an AT Pro as a backup for several reasons. First, though I do wade belly button deep with the GT by chest mounting it for days I'm water hunting, for deeper water or for days with high waves I want the AT Pro for that. Second, for land hunting days when it's raining, or when I want to fast clad hunt or am just in the mood to swing faster I'll drag out the AT Pro. I'm confident in the ability of the Sovereign with 12x10 to find coins masked badly by trash, but there are just some days here and there where I'm in the mood to swing faster and I can't do that with a Minelab. Also, for woods scouting you can go for long periods of time so it would help to swing and scout faster. After I find and work a spot with the AT Pro I'll come back and clean it up with the GT. Primarily the great price of the AT Pro for a water machine, along with it's light weight and full function LCD screen for land hunting, make it a great dual purpose water/land machine. That's why I want to put one in my line up.

I've been watching the T2SE and in particular the F75LTD for a while but have concerns about my soil for them. A local hunting friend I hadn't seen in a while has an F75LTD and has offered to let me borrow it, so I plan to see what it does in my soil and may add one to my line up if I like what I see.

The M6 or MXT are also good friendly machines for land hunting. I hear they are real good for gold rings and know of a local guy who does really well land hunting for rings only with an MXT. I know they are pretty much both the same machine (without the prospect or relic modes on the M6), but doesn't the M6 have more tones if I remember right? If so, I'd probably opt for that if I were clad/ring hunting only.

 

[don digs gold]

what is this world coming too - an E-Trac as a backup...unreal......hahaha

 

[woodchiphustler]

My detector choice is based on two factors. Targets sought and ground minerals encountered. I'm a colonial and civil war relic hunter and love the Deus. When I travel to the iron belt region I use my TDI prototype. I also use the TDI on wet salt beaches.

 

[wildherre]

Have given up on Etrac. .Great detector but not after using the CTX ... Never get it out of the bag... Next up, The Omega...Picked one up off of Craigslist for a good price, have added a 5x10 & 11" coil with 5" on its way....Fun to use....Falls over a lot. Have seen more bottle caps in the last week than Ive seen in last 5 years...... EMI not much of a problem in the few places Ive had it...Liking the 5x10 coil best so far.... Wish it had a light..... I like the tones better than the G2 , more coin friendly....Pretty happy with it... Using uniprobe headphones now so probes are not a concern...wildherre

 

[GoVidGo]

I have an ETRAC and an AT Pro....

I have the AT Pro because the ETRAC is not waterproof, and you don't have that issue with the CTX...

my advice?

get a F75 or T2...

why?

#1. They are a lot lighter and if your CTX is like my ETrac(?) it's a heavy machine.
#2. They have a lightning recovery and it's fun swinging fast instead of slow 'n low like a lot of Minelabs
#3. You can run them the F75 and T2 HOT! It's like a go cart without the governor. That's why people say they are TOO chatty. It's that they are super sensitive and chatter on the smallest metal in the ground. If you are a seasoned vet, you will enjoy the challeng of running it hot.

I had a T2 and it is a fun machine. the F75 is similar. That's what I't pair with the CTX. Nothing against the other models either

Like Batman and Robin

 

[argyle]

what is this world coming too - an E-Trac as a backup...unreal......hahaha

That's so funny, I was thinking that right up till I read your post. I prefer the Etrac to the 3030 anyway. An XTerra with both the small round coil and the big 15" would be the ideal back up and loaner, especially to a friend that does not detect that often. Not bad for the main unit to boot.