CTX, wheres the love?

[Native Floridian]

CTX, where's the love?

No fancy pix of spectactular bling on this thread. Just an old fashioned discussion of Minelab's latest greatest offering, the CTX3030. So what's up with this machine? Or, what's up with the swirling controversy surrounding it? Is it the price? Is it dissatisfaction that Minelab is going upmarket? Is it the way it is being marketed? Or, does there only appear to be controversy? Reality being, it's all good?

Let's have the pro, the con, or just get it out of your system. You got something to say about the CTX, Minelab, let's have it here.

Just for the record - On the CTX I'm Switzerland. I'm a very happy camper with my Sov GT while my Excal gathers dust. Until I can no longer buy batteries for my GT, I'm not going anywhere!!!!

 

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[GreenMeanie]

A few of my post from another FORUM.
Could help a little here I hope.


I hit RI with black sand all over the place from Sandy yesterday and it seemed fine. Trash is everywhere you can hear the iron.
With waves going over the coil/blacksand and sea mode OFF I could only hear a little of falsing and no nulling. I didn't really see a problem with it being off.
But I did notice with Seamode ON that it would pick up the shovel lower then when it is OFF.
With Sea mode ON no falsing at all when in the water and waves.
There is so much TRASH down there now it is crazy. Weird all the pull tabs are still around from the storm LOL. I didn't pull much keepers at all hitting 3 different beaches and hunting for 8hrs.
I seen a few holes left open from someone a day or two before wish you guys would cover them to keep complainers quiet. Someone asked me if I left them and I said nope.
I was told by DEM of RI the beaches are CLOSED but everyone is all over them running hiking surfing.
Looks like the sand is making it's way back in quickly a long with tractors pushing it.
Here is a PIC of my Buddy avoiding a WAVE.

I agree it is a decent machine but I really don't care if anyone uses it or not LOL I have mine that is all that matters.

I did test waving my ring while waves went over the coil and it picked it up fine with the little bit of falsing going on. I actually think I will hunt with Sea mode set to OFF so I get the extra depth because I don't see the little bit of falsing to be a problem it still hits the targets. And it sounds off real quiet when falsing and loud on targets when the wave goes over it and doesn't constantly false either. There are times when it doesn't false at all when the waves goes over it. If I remember right my CZ-20 and excal did the same but don't quote me on that LOL.

But I was pulling tabs 7 and 8"'s easy all day in the trash down there. If I would of went over a RING I am pretty sure I would of heard it.
It gives a different type of screech on tabs but the old beaver tails fool me still. I still dig it all because I want to really know what the machine is telling me. Until I find more jewelry in the ground and hear those signals I wouldn't feel comfortable not digging low tones

I also love the SPEED of it. You can hear the double BLIP of a RING or pull tab Fast machine for sure while swinging at a reasonable speed. You can also listen to all the trash and targets instead of them blending like a SOV or Excal.

One other thing is I finally got rid of that irratting Threshold of the Excal by using the CTX. I would get headaches from it coming back louder than softer off of nulled Targets. One thing I hope they fix if there is a Excal 3 along with the speed.

Target trace is really a nice feature that can really help you with info before digging. If it stays round it is usually a good target. Yes a round can looks like a good target to any detector so no getting around that. But if Target Trace is showing vertically or scattered it is usually junk or in my case been junk all the time so far.

I also noticed when a dime is down 8" or lower the FE numbers jump to the TOP of the screen so something else to watch when digging those DEEP targets. But again most detectors have issues with DEEP targets and ID's on screens. But CO stays the same from what I seen on the deep stuff.
And this detector is sensitive to small targets too with the stock coil. I hit small earrings at about 2"'s and swim suit small buttons about 1" which is good in my book.
I hit a quarter at 9"'s yesterday loud and clear in the sand that has been the deepest for me so far. Wish I lived closer to the ocean so I could get out there and play with it more.

 

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[MBbeachrat]

GreenMeannie looks like the CTX is the heater for a beach full of iron for sure. Thanks for the review.

 

[OBN]

MB, you thinking coin beach...hehhe

I don't think it would be good for OC, I'm down here right now...(lots of clad, and a couple junkers,) but the waves are a killer and I don't think the 3030 would be wave friendly.

 

[bigscoop]

"I would get headaches from it coming back louder than softer off of nulled Targets. One thing I hope they fix if there is a Excal 3 along with the speed."

Not me, that threshold response is actually an important part of the technology that can help you recognize a possible good target.

 

[MBbeachrat]

MB, you thinking coin beach...hehhe

I don't think it would be good for OC, I'm down here right now...(lots of clad, and a couple junkers,) but the waves are a killer and I don't think the 3030 would be wave friendly.

I am down Florida now. We had a guy after Sandy with the CTX and the 17" coil. He had it set to only hit the King George half pennies. Very nice set up for Coin Beach but I must say I found more with the Excalibur that day. Another guy that day with the CTX couldn't get his to stop falseing because of the hand radios at the bridge abutment work. He is known not to be to sharp with any detector. The only place I hunt that I would use it is Coin Beach. It would take a very, very lot of King Georgei's to pay off that heater.

 

[GreenMeanie]

I am talking the loudness of the threshold it is random.
You have to use an EXCAL to understand what I am talking about.

"I would get headaches from it coming back louder than softer off of nulled Targets. One thing I hope they fix if there is a Excal 3 along with the speed."

Not me, that threshold response is actually an important part of the technology that can help you recognize a possible good target.

 

[bigscoop]

I am talking the loudness of the threshold it is random.
You have to use an EXCAL to understand what I am talking about.

I do use one, a lot, and I've never noticed an increase and decrease in volume, just pitch. Maybe you had a machine issue?

PS: I do have to turn my down a bit after my hearing adjust to the headphones, but after that the threshold volume always remains pretty steady.

 

[OBN]

"I would get headaches from it coming back louder than softer off of nulled Targets. One thing I hope they fix if there is a Excal 3 along with the speed."

I guess you are talking about it going from the null {silient} to the pitch change growl, many complain that hunt in discriminate, specially the newer users thinking something is wrong with there machines. On my xcal's it is as easy as flipping the remote switch back to the PP mode. Plus with this mode you will know when there are multible targets next to each other and you can single out each, not missing ones that would possibley be covered by the null of a stock excal.

 

[bigscoop]

I guess you are talking about it going from the null {silient} to the pitch change growl, many complain that hunt in discriminate, specially the newer users thinking something is wrong with there machines. On my xcal's it is as easy as flipping the remote switch back to the PP mode. Plus with this mode you will know when there are multible targets next to each other and you can single out each, not missing ones that would possibley be covered by the null of a stock excal.[/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]

I don't have a remote trigger, but I sure use that factory PP toggle "a lot" these days far all the reasons you mentioned. I'll also use it sometimes when I get consistent threshold changes while in discrim with no apparent target. A lot of times I'll start getting really faint or very intermittent responses. It's usually extremely small targets but every once in a while it will be a deep target that's just barely presenting a signature.

 

[bill from lachine]

Folks,

Pretty interesting thread......I'm sure the CTX 3030 with all it's bells and whistles will appeal to a certain segment of the detecting community....

Depends on your detecting style, budget, etc....I've had a few high end machines and personally prefer a beep and dig sort of machine.....my boring Tesoro DeLeon.....does the job for me....I concentrate on picked over trashy urban green spaces and figure I do ok.....

Proper site coverage and detecting techniques with find you the goodies with just about any brand name unit....a few
of my meager finds as proof....lol.

Regards + HH

Bill

 

[gravediggermax-vabeachva]

scoop

when i enter the beach with my excals..........either one, after i set the threshold to a nice low volume....off i go....it nulls on iron, but threshold volumes raises and stays at that level until i swing over something else.....it will drop to lower volume when i swing over a nickel - tab or certain rings....gold...titanium...tungsten....s/s...etc - - it goes back up with quarter or penny.

99% of the time, i just swing my scoop over it and it lowers and i keep swinging down the beach.

 

[bigscoop]

scoop

when i enter the beach with my excals..........either one, after i set the threshold to a nice low volume....off i go....it nulls on iron, but threshold volumes raises and stays at that level until i swing over something else.....it will drop to lower volume when i swing over a nickel - tab or certain rings....gold...titanium...tungsten....s/s...etc - - it goes back up with quarter or penny.

99% of the time, i just swing my scoop over it and it lowers and i keep swinging down the beach.

Right. But you mean threshold pitch, not volume. The pitch of the tone gets higher and lower, not the actual volume. If you mean volume then I must have gotten a couple of really good machines because neither one have that volume issue.

 

[bigscoop]

Here's an interesting question on this Excal volume issue.....where do you guys set your machine volume? I have really good hearing and run mine at about 3/4. Any lower then this and I may not hear some of those really faint threshold breaks/shifts, or really faint tics while in PP. Any higher then this and the tones seem get a bit distorted when in discrim. This is with the stock headphones.

 

[gravediggermax-vabeachva]

volume

Here's an interesting question on this Excal volume issue.....where do you guys set your machine volume? I have really good hearing and run mine at about 3/4. Any lower then this and I may not hear some of those really faint threshold breaks/shifts, or really faint tics while in PP. Any higher then this and the tones seem get a bit distorted when in discrim. This is with the stock headphones.

.
.
scoop
i am like you....hearing is ok and i run mine about 3/4 also, but i feel most do not. i think most will say wide open.........all my best hunting buddies run theirs wide open and claim they can hear tiny faint wispers like that.

i tried it and maybe there is some truth to it, but my ears DO NOT LIKE IT....

i can not say about PP - never hunted using it

 

[bigscoop]

I look at the threshold and volume as being two completely different settings that provide two different types and scales of target responses. I also think this is the most confusing aspect when learning the machine and learning how to get the most out of the machine. But I do agree that some of those threshold tones can be nerve wrecking after a while if you don't do something to reset them.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Right. But you mean threshold pitch, not volume. The pitch of the tone gets higher and lower, not the actual volume. If you mean volume then I must have gotten a couple of really good machines because neither one have that volume issue.

I think it depends on your ability to hear certain tones. The high-pitch tone can be harder for some to hear, so when the machine changes to that, it would seem to become quieter.