CTX 3030 or Excalibur II

[wallhanger124]

I live in southern NJ and plan on hunting the beaches from Atlantic City to Cape May. I also have friends down in Maryland and Virginia, so I will be hunting those beaches as well. The question I have is for people that own or have used one or both of these detectors. For the beaches I'm planning on hunting, which detector do u think is better, deeper, more sensitive to gold?? I know the CTX 3030 costs quite a but more then the Excalibur II, but I really want the best detector I can get so I don't have regrets later on. From what I hear, the beaches around SJ have a lot of iron so a PI detector is out of the question. Any advice or feedback is much appreciated. Thanks, Kyle.

 

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[MBbeachrat]

Just wondering Wallhanger, do you plan on going into the surf above your waist much?

 

[dewcon4414]

On a beach i like simple, and the Xcal is. I dont like to tinker in the water .... set and go. Id suggest you change the batteries BEFORE you go on the CTX as well.... i under stand its not an easy task to keep sand out doing it on the beach. BETTER machine.... depends on who you ask, price thats obvious. Both WILL pay for themselves. BUT if i were just buying a beach machine and had no intent on dirt hunting..... i believe the price of a CTX isnt worth it.... YET. I say yet because if they keep raising the price of the Xcal, keep the same 1 year warranty, and dont fix some things it may well be. Since they have done away with the Sov and anything new on the market seems to be getting higher it may well be worth the money sooner than later. Not been any proof to me that its and Xcal killer thats for sure.... it just has a lot of versatility.

Dew

 

[firemac]

use my etrac in the sand and excal in the water, and welcome to the forums

 

[OBN]

MBbeachrat, and Dew have covered most of it...

me....saltwater/wetsand..excalibur

land/Lakes/wetsand......CTX


Something to consider, cost of repair once out of warrenty, CTX parts are thur the roof.

 

[wallhanger124]

Just wondering Wallhanger, do you plan on going into the surf above your waist much?

I plan on detecting in the wet sand and up to maybe waist/chest high in the surf.....if the waves arent too rough. I also detect parks and curb strips alot, but I have a feeling once I get a beach detector I wont want to leave the surf. When I do hunt parks and such, I really only dig low/mid tones cuz I love to find gold and silver jewelry. Im all for the ctx if it has about the same depth and sensitivity in the wet sand and surf.

 

[bigscoop]

I plan on detecting in the wet sand and up to maybe waist/chest high in the surf.....if the waves arent too rough. I also detect parks and curb strips alot, but I have a feeling once I get a beach detector I wont want to leave the surf. When I do hunt parks and such, I really only dig low/mid tones cuz I love to find gold and silver jewelry. Im all for the ctx if it has about the same depth and sensitivity in the wet sand and surf.

Just remember, once you enter the water everything on the CTX stays on the shaft, which translates into a lot of extra drag, especially true if there is even a modest amount of current. No matter how good a machine might be it is only going to be able to perform at a higher level if you are able to control the swing and coil motion. Once you step into the water this becomes more difficult the deeper you you go and the more current and wave action you encounter. Because "everything" must stay on the CTX shaft and the drag will be increased, as a result fatigue is also going to become a factor which is going to seriously reduce your ability to maintain a stable hunting environment for your machine. With the Excal you can re-arrange/locate the machine's hardware to counter the effects of the current & surf, something you cannot do with the CTX.

 

[cudamark]

use my etrac in the sand and excal in the water, and welcome to the forums

Same here, very happy with that combo. I'm not convinced of the CTX's value yet.

 

[Ringdigger]

I love my excal ll so much that I bought another one for a backup. It does go to the factory for repairs quite a bit but maybe it's cause I use it so much under harsh conditions ie: heavy surf and rocks, it gets a hard workout. I really like the discrimination feature especially here in Hawaii with all the black rock. Everytime I use another machine I can't wait to get back to my excal. Some other Dectorists are having great luck with the Ctx 3030, but I haven't used one so I can't comment on it.
I use my excal everywhere. Wouldn't leave home without it.

 

[wallhanger124]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I think for now I'm just going to get the more proven, less expensive of the two detectors I was looking at, the Excalibur II. I really like the fact that there are aftermarket shafts and other accessories too. I also like the fact that u can rearrange the control box to suit your needs, such as hip or back mount for providing less drag in the rough waves. I still really like the idea of the CTX 3030 because it is a proven land detector also, but for right now I think I'm going to just go with the excal. Hey, hopefully I can find some good stuff with the excal to pay for the ctx 3030.

 

[MBbeachrat]

I but I have a feeling once I get a beach detector I wont want to leave the surf. Im all for the ctx if it has about the same depth and sensitivity in the wet sand and surf.

I think the CTX has a little more depth and sensitivity in the wet sand and surf. It also has more problems. You can probably cover more area in the surf with the Excal. In the wet sand the CTX is best for sure. If you have the cash I would get the CTX. If you go in the wet sand with its 17" coil man can you cover some ground. When you hunt parks the CTX is really wonderful. Good luck I am sure you will be happy with either. The CTX has a lot of fun things also that can come in handy. What a great hobby!

 

[MBbeachrat]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I think for now I'm just going to get the more proven, less expensive of the two detectors I was looking at, the Excalibur II. I really like the fact that there are aftermarket shafts and other accessories too. I also like the fact that u can rearrange the control box to suit your needs, such as hip or back mount for providing less drag in the rough waves. I still really like the idea of the CTX 3030 because it is a proven land detector also, but for right now I think I'm going to just go with the excal. Hey, hopefully I can find some good stuff with the excal to pay for the ctx 3030.

Sorry I didn't read this be for my last reply. You will be happy with the Excalibur. Can be a lot less headaches to or less to play with however you look at it. You will be happy with either. Good luck. Sometimes a lot more goodies in the surf!!!!!

 

[Sir Gala Clad]

Wall hanger: I love treasure hunting with the Excalibur II, and will continue to use it as long as it is supported and can be repaired.

When I was having problems effectively using the Excal, I did a thorough evaluation of the CTX-3030 and found it to be a very powerful, capable, and more versatile detector. However, I remain loyal to the Excalibur as I love to hear the multi variable tone for gold in my headphones. There is nothing like it, especially when it is followed up by the glint of gold in your scoop. Fortunately, all problems encountered were a result of poor detecting techniques which have been corrected.

Be aware that remaining loyal may not be enough. Minelab stopped production of the Sovereign, and is raising the purchase cost of the Excalibur II while lowering the purchase price of the CTX-3030. If repair costs of the Excalibur II rise significantly and the cost of the Excalibur II continues to rise while the cost for the CTX-3030 continues to fall - the Excalibur will no longer be an affordable alternative.

Also, It should not come as a surprise to see sales fall on any detector, even the Sovereign, when advertising dries up!

When/if this happens, I will switch to the most powerful affordable multifrequency Fisher CZ or similar detector with an analog interface controlled by knobs and switches which I prefer over a screen that you have to scroll thru for diving, shallow water hunting, wet sand and dry sand hunting at the beach.

 

[wallhanger124]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I went out and bought an excal II with the 10" coil this past weekend before the price went up. Can't wait to take it out. The deciding factors for me were 1) the excal model has been around for many years and are proven beach detectors. 2) I like the fact that u can rearrange the controls and use different shafts. 3) I like the simplicity of the excal, less to adjust/worry about. Hopefully I have a good year with the excal and I will buy the CTX