earthmansurfer said:
I listened to a lot of people saying "The CTX is not an E-Trac, so forget what you know". I approached it like that initially and so was careful not to develop any bad habits or carry over any habits from the E-Trac, but I just don't see the big difference between the two in overall use (except that my finds have gone up! LOL).
For those of you (seems like a lot of people) that say the CTX is not to be run like an E-Trac, or is not an E-Trac, etc. my two questions are:
1. Are you running mostly Combined? (That is my guess, but just a guess)
2. What things do you experience that makes you feel the CTX is not an (enhanced E-Trac)? After 50 hours on the CTX, again, with much success in those same areas I ran the E-Trac, I do see it as very very similar. Definitely much more similar than dissimilar. (Removing GPS, waterproofing, etc. - I'm talking how we are running it and reading it's language).
Good questions, Albert, I will be the first to admit I told people that the CXT 3030 is not just another E-TRAC. But I don't believe I've ever told anyone to forget what they know about their E-TRAC. In fact, I encourage people to take the knowledge and skills they've acquired with each of their metal detectors, and apply that knowledge to any detector they use for all their hunts. Whether we have a simple beep and dig detector or one with all the whistles and bells, the basics of sweeping the coil and isolating targets are very similar. With that said, your analysis that Multiple tone Conductive being similar between the two detectors is fairly accurate. On the same token, if I were only running TTF with the FE line locked in at 17 on my CTX 3030, that would be a fair comparison as well. Both offer Fast and Deep Recovery, as well as High Trash and Low Trash separation capabilities. But even with those similarities, there is so much more that the CTX 3030 has to offer (in the way of functionality and versatility) that it would be unfair to simply think of it as a waterproof E-TRAC with GPS. And that has been the point of my argument. We all have different styles and techniques. And we all hunt for different targets in a wide variety of sites. Had people not realized that there were more options to be implemented for target separation than simply High and Low trash, folks would not have learned how Ferrous - Coin Separation implements advanced signal processing that minimizes the blending of ferrous and coin target signals that, even when "stacked" on one another, each can be identified simultaneously. For folks that hunt in highly mineralized soil conditions, Ground - Coin Separation processes the target signal, minimizing the blending effect of mineralization to provide a more accurate target identification on the target itself. To further enhance the operational capabilities in highly mineralized soils, the implementation of a proper Ground Balance helps to stabilize TID's of targets that were previously hidden by ground noise. The implementation of Target Trace and Target Trace Pinpoint allows us to "see" multiple targets under the coil simultaneously, and allows us to better isolate and identify each one, individually. For those who enjoy listenting to a minimal number of tones, implementing Combined audio allows us to have one "bin" representing the most ferrous targets, and dividing the more conductive targets into one of four programmable "bins". It's like having the E-TRAC's TTF on steriods! By implementing the color graphics on the display, we are better able to follow the trace path of targets and determine it's signal strength through color coded graphics within the CTX 3030 display. I find that I am using a slower sweep speed than I did with the E-TRAC, due to the abundance of usable information being displayed "on the fly". Being able to "frog" back and forth between two different Patterns (by pressing the Detect pad) within any one Search Mode allows us to define two distinctly different discrimination Patterns for use in further isolating and identifying target properties. Having the ability to "frog" back and forth between two completely different Search modes (via the user programmable pad) allows us to use two totally different approaches to each target with the touch of one button. These two approaches can represent subtle changes in the way we hunt, such as audio profile differences. Or it could be two completely different Search modes with entirely different audio profiles, separation modes, Patterns, levels etc. The implementation of the "smart coil" allows the Sensitivity setting to provide a more consistent "boost" to the sites we hunt. In my opinion, that is why Auto is deeper than on the E-TRAC, and why we can boost the Manual Sensitivity on the CTX 3030 to higher levels than we could on the E-TRAC (in the same sites), without creating false signals. If I want to hunt in fewer than 50 CO tones or 35 FE tones, I can do that with either the CTX 3030 or the E-TRAC. But the CTX 3030 allows me to move both the FE line, as well as the CO line(s), allowing me to establish specific property parameters for a particular site. And the ability to assign different audio tones to each of the "bins" is unique to the CTX 3030. The implementation of a trigger mechanism allows us to to Pinpoint and and compile target trace information, until the trigger is released. It also allows us to "go back" one click in our programming or mode search sequence, as well as stop an Auto NC process if we inadvertently press the NC pad during our hunt. By utilizing the Wireless module we can now become "free" of our detector when laying it on the ground to dig. Without even going into the GPS, Mapping, Navigation tools, Waterproofing and a much better balanced detector, it is clear (to me) that the CTX 3030 offers more than just being a waterproof E-TRAC with GPS. I suppose there are those who will continue to use the same settings that they "brought with them" from their E-TRAC. And there isn't anything wrong with that other than they're not giving themselves an opportunity to possibly improve their performance in the field. Frankly, they'll never know unless they are willing to experiment with the various functionalities. And there are those who may have owned an X-TERRA that think of the CTX 3030 having a smart coil and multiple Pattern options as being a waterproof X-TERRA with more whistles and bells. But as with those comparing the E-TRAC, there is much more "flexibility" within the CTX 3030 than we've ever had in any one detector, to date. And having that flexibility is what I think makes this detector unique. If you don't have the need for GPS and mapping, you don't have to turn it on. If you don't need a waterproof detector, it works very well on land. If you don't need a wireless module, it has a built in speaker and the ability to use headphones. But if you believe you could benefit from implementing just a small percentage of the additional functionality offered by the CTX 3030, it might just be the detector you've been waiting for. If you are like me and believe there are more old coins still hiding out there due to adjacent targets, opposed to extreme depth, I believe the CTX 3030 offers you the best chance of recovering them. If you feel you need a bit more depth than you've been getting from your E-TRAC, I believe the Smart coil will allow for the Sensitivity to be increased to a point to help you locate them. If you believe the mineralization of your soil has limited the "ground ignoring" capability of your E-TRAC, implementing ground balance within the CTX 3030 can help "neutralize" the effects of that soil. And if you've been wanting a detector that provides a maximum amount of information on a color display, there is no doubt the CTX 3030 offers more usable information than any thing else available today.
Is the CTX 3030 for everyone? Maybe not. But if you are going to own one detector that offers more versatility than anything else available, the CTX 3030 could be that detector. I guess my point all along has been to not prematurely limit it's functionality by thinking of it as a waterproof E-TRAC with GPS. If you are able to own more than one detector, then I still believe you will benefit from the functionality of the CTX 3030...... target ID, separation, display information, tone assignment, multiple Patterns, previous mode, etc. And maybe it is the GPS, Mapping or waterproof capabilities. Me? Having been in this hobby for a long time, I have accumulated quite a few detectors. Some of them are still being manufactured and others have been discontinued. But I keep the ones I have kept for the duties they perform, at the sites I hunt. If I am hunting an open field with relatively few targets, I still think it is tough to beat the response I get from my Advantage. It is quick, deep and at 5 kHz, it is extremely sensitive to silver and copper coins. For private yards, I pull out my 6.59kHz XLPro with either the BlackMax 5.3 or the ProScan 8-inch coil. The subtle deflection of the needle on the 6000 series analog meter is still among the best "TID tools" I've used. For plowed ground I prefer my X-705 with the 3 kHz concentric coil. When I get into the trash, I'll put on the 6-inch DD at 18.75 kHz. If I am "exploring" a field for the first time, in an attempt to find where the buildings were 100 years ago, I'll start out with the 15" WOT. Regardless of the coil I chose, the 705's ability to offset the ground balance while maintaining the tracking mode allows me to recover targets that I would miss with any other detector I've used. But if I am going to be hunting for coins in parks and yards, or for those really deep coins in extremely old sites, or for hunting along the beach, I'm using the CTX 3030. In parks with an abundance of "modern trash" I prefer the Multiple tone CO audio profile, Fast ON, Deep OFF and Auto +2 Sens. Although I do wish they had incorporated the Variability option with the CTX 3030, I've found that setting the least CO at a very low tone and the highest CO to up around 1200Hz, I can decipher most of the "mid-range" CO tones. If I am hunting in a park or yard with little modern trash, and a concentration of ferrous trash, I prefer the Combined Audio profile with the FE line dropped down to between 19 and 21, depending on the site. I typically chose Normal Response. But in places with minimal trash, I prefer to use Long Response to carry over on that deep silver. I'm continually building and editing my "Search modes". So to say that I have one that I prefer over any others would not be an accurate statement. But I will say that when I want to dig nickels, I set that bin with a higher tone than mid-range CO targets. And I always remember that Flying Eagle and older IH cents, along with very small silver coins (3-cent and half-dimes) are typically be found in the C0 20's range. Most IH cents are found in the mid 30's CO range. And I also believe that IF you are not sweeping too fast or overdriving the Sensitivity, the overwhelming majority of US coins will be located between 9 - 14 FE. Bigger silver is typically in the 40's CO, but recognize that TID numbers are dependent on the Separation Mode you have implemented, as well as depth, angle buried in the ground, adjacent targets, soil conditions, etc. Suffice it to say that most of my discrimination Patterns incorporate the coin values I have used in my chart. The "rest" depends on how much "other stuff" I want to listen to and what tones I assign to each "bin". For years, I've tried to encourage folks to not simply copy someone else's programs, thinking it is the best option they have. As you have demonstrated with your posts and videos, understanding what settings are best for your sites, and combining them with the Patterns and audio parameters that meet your requirements, is a much better approach.
With all that "out of the way", I still say the ergonomic balance of the CTX 3030 is enough to make me chose it over the E-TRAC. And when you combine those ergonomics with the additional functionality that I mentioned above, even if I only used it for land hunting, I don't see it taking a back seat for the places I use it, for a long LONG time. JMHO HH Randy
Thanks again for the questions Albert. And thanks for taking the time that you do, for videos and very thorough analysis of your ideas. I enjoy your posts.
HH 
