Has anyone out there got a chance to try out the Minelab CTX 3030 at the beach yet?

search and recovery

Hero Member
May 6, 2011
941
167
Halifax, N.C.
Detector(s) used
Minelab Excal II, Whites Surfmaster Dual Field, Fisher CZ 6a,Teknetics G2,Deeptech Vista Gold, Tosoro Sand Shark, Minelab Sovereign GT, Sunspot sand scoop
I have been waiting on honest comparisons on how good this machine is on dry sand and in the surf when compared to the Excals, Dual Fields, CZ 20 or 21's, Sand Sharks, and any other water machines in shallow water. I am tired of hearing all the dealer hype and want to know from the true treasure hunters how this machine handles the saltwater environment. Does it have anymore depth in the water than an Excal or on the dry sand is it any more than a glorified E-trac. Lots of bells and whistles but is there any true performance enhancements to make it worth the high price tag? I am always looking for any advantage on the beaches I hunt, so any information on this machines performance would be appreciated. After all, thats what forums like this is for, to separate the facts from the hype, and some of the best treasure hunters around frequent this site and I have great respect for your insights.
 

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Chug And Red

Gold Member
Feb 18, 2010
7,396
2,678
Vancouver WA
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
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Detector(s) used
Chug)Whites Classic 5 ID, (Red Whites Coin master Pro)

Chug and Reds New Additions

Give It Up>> Garrett's AT Pro
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Sent you a PM with a Link Chug
 

hamiddetecting

Gold Member
Feb 22, 2012
6,398
2,510
North Pole
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Sovereign GT and Excalibur II, Whites, Garrett, Fisher, Alert, MD,Cscope,Tesoro, Compas, XP, Long Rs
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:hello:
Its my idea the killer of the beach is Excalibur II of minelab. :laughing7:
when you have much budget you buy Sovereign GT with all search coils.:occasion14:
I wish you happy hunting.8-)
 

Buried Crap NJ

Hero Member
Dec 5, 2009
654
232
New Jersey
Detector(s) used
CTX 3030, Minelab Excalibur II, Minelab GT,Compass XP-Pro,Fischer 1210X
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
you must have been under a rock. i have been posting beach info since June 5th I have 76 hrs hunting time. Max has five video's posted here. Look them up.
BCNJ
 

OP
OP
search and recovery

search and recovery

Hero Member
May 6, 2011
941
167
Halifax, N.C.
Detector(s) used
Minelab Excal II, Whites Surfmaster Dual Field, Fisher CZ 6a,Teknetics G2,Deeptech Vista Gold, Tosoro Sand Shark, Minelab Sovereign GT, Sunspot sand scoop
Yes I have been under a rock, BCNJ. Been working a twelve hour swing shift and working almost every day. Only had a couple a days off and went detecting those. Just trying to catch up on what is going on in the newest wave of the metal detecting world. Just getting back on treasurenet to see what has developed. I will check out all the info i can find.
 

OP
OP
search and recovery

search and recovery

Hero Member
May 6, 2011
941
167
Halifax, N.C.
Detector(s) used
Minelab Excal II, Whites Surfmaster Dual Field, Fisher CZ 6a,Teknetics G2,Deeptech Vista Gold, Tosoro Sand Shark, Minelab Sovereign GT, Sunspot sand scoop
Thanks for the nice pm Chug and Red. Very helpful. BCNJ I will be going back through your posts as well.
 

Les West Central Fl

Bronze Member
Jun 14, 2009
2,334
1,305
Bradenton, Fl
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
Aquasound, Excal 2, Excal (NY), Infinium
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Ken, my hunting buddy, has been using his for about 2 weeks. Found a gold ring and several S/S, Titanium and Tungsten Carbide rings. He is in the learning process at present but doing well.
 

OP
OP
search and recovery

search and recovery

Hero Member
May 6, 2011
941
167
Halifax, N.C.
Detector(s) used
Minelab Excal II, Whites Surfmaster Dual Field, Fisher CZ 6a,Teknetics G2,Deeptech Vista Gold, Tosoro Sand Shark, Minelab Sovereign GT, Sunspot sand scoop
LOL...Maybe they should have had the guy walking ON water and the fine jewelry just floating up to his hands. That was funny Smoogle. Seriously after looking at all of Gravedigger Max's videos on the CTX 3030 I am not ready to trade in my other three water machines just yet. I really like his candid style of giving each machine he uses real world tests and cuts through the marketing hype to show you what a machine can and can not realistically do. He shows some issues with the falsing in the ocean waves that would be a major concern to me since I hunt some of the same beaches that he does. Is this an issue for anyone else who owns one of these machines or is it just that one machine? His hunting partner has had problems with his machine going crazy on him as well. The possible salt water corrosion problems could be very serious in the long run, and the machines just cutting out on numerous occassions would be another major issue. That is why i am asking for owners of this machine to give their honest opinions of how well this machine stacks up against the other saltwater machines. I am not knocking the CTX. I am just trying to get an idea if I realistically want to spend that kind of money on this machine. I expect some minor bugs in a new design. Software problems can be corrected as they are discovered but at who's expense. I do not like giving up my valuable time ( to me anyway ) to send a new machine back to the factory for repairs. I think i am going to have to sit back a little and see what the over all reviews say in the long run. I personally am not a big fan of too many bells and whistles on a saltwater machine, too much glare on the screen out of water, can not see the screen under water, but in relic hunting and parks it is not so much of a problem. The CTX may turn out to be the best machine out there, and if it is you can bet i will buy one. Just watching and trying to spend my money wisely.
 

Bareftnfl

Tenderfoot
Oct 1, 2004
5
0
West Central Florida
Detector(s) used
Minelab Excalibur II
Whites XLT, MXT, Surf Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
You have a good eye and sense of humor. Best laugh I've had today. Thanks for the post.
 

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