ctx3030

[Idigack]

happy hunting everybody ...ok ....does the ctx 3030 go deeper than the ex cal...that's it thanks...

 

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[ron lord]

yes, but not as deep as an ATX

 

[RVRoamer73]

the CTX will put muscles on your muscles,,,,,goes Deeeeeeeeeeeeeep !!!!!!

 

[adamBomb]

does the ctx 3030 go deeper than the ex cal...that's it thanks...

It depends. A modded Excal with upgraded headphones, larger coil, and PP mod is going to be just as deep as the CTX with 17'' coil. But a stock excal vs a stock ctx would go to the ctx. The advantage of the CTX is that you don't need to mod it to get there...but it costs a heck of a lot more. So either way you are going to get really deep. Deeper than you will want to dig.

 

[G.I.B.]

I can set the program so mine goes deeper than I care to dig.

 

[OBN]

Very Nice machine and I think one of the best all around. But mine is collecting dust.. the type of hunting that I do, the Excalibur is deeper. Friend of mine used a CTX along with his hunting partner at the time, they cleaned out a area and invited me up.. needless to say mike now has a Excalibur and his CTX is collecting dust.. weird is his hunting partner parked his CTX and got a Excalibur just this year, but he just can't seem to get the hang of it.. So he is very frustrated...

I do know several years ago when the CTX first came out I did a depth test with a friend at the ocean, neither of us could find a target that the other could not hear. But here in the Bay it's another story.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

One note, as I have both machines.

I do dirt digging and water scooping, I don't use the CTX in the water = too paranoid!

About a month ago I went out in my yard dirt digging using the Excal, and hit some great sounding signals but didn't dig them. Went back with my CTX later over the exact location and the signals didn't sound as good as they did with the Excal - but I dug them anyway just to be sure - and they were all trash as I had expected. I wouldn't have dug them just using the CTX. Where they were solid hits on the Excal, they were way askew on the CTX = just going by the sounds.

The CTX uses 28 frequencies, where the Excal uses 17 frequencies.

 

[RVRoamer73]

Hey, I am a newbie to the CTX for SURE......But had watched a utube video on one GREAT aspect to the CTX. That one thing is the excal2 of which I have used for 10 years or so ,

will null over iron and half the sweep is completely blank, if not all of it. Will,,,what I was getting at, won't the CTX pick that gold out that lays just next to or top of an excal2 null?

I may be wrong, probably am, but I just heard this summers

Thanks,

Dennnis

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I've said it repeatedly, I'm a sound guy. I dig by the sound of the target. My opinion is that the CTX gives a clearer analysis of the sounds than the Excal. And it should by the fact there's 11 more frequencies reading the target than the Excal.

 

[adamBomb]

I've said it repeatedly, I'm a sound guy. I dig by the sound of the target. My opinion is that the CTX gives a clearer analysis of the sounds than the Excal. And it should by the fact there's 11 more frequencies reading the target than the Excal.

Do you use 50 tones? Right now I am using combined so that I can search in all metal and hear the iron as 75.

 

[The Beep Goes On]

I have the Excal 2 and the E-Trac. I've never felt that I've truly understood the Excal. Not enough time in the water most likely. This thread provides an idea, though - I've never really used it on land...could be a good way to get used to it in more controlled settings, not beset by waves.

I've thought about the CTX and would go for it, but I feel the E-Trac is probably right up there, especially with the goodies attached, as mentioned. But, not for the water.

Was actually thinking of selling the Excal and going for the CTX...

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Do you use 50 tones? Right now I am using combined so that I can search in all metal and hear the iron as 75.

I confess that I've never explored the menus. I'm on the stock menu it boots up to. I don't worry about those things as I'm sold on sounds. If there's 50 tones, then of course I need to go take a look at that. Only just the last hunt with it have I even begun to pay attention to the FE/CO numbers - and they're pretty right on. I'd have dug anyway.

I am digging a lot of trash - but not all, like the paragraph above on the Excal versus CTX. In that case I held off digging because the target seemed too large to me.

Of course I'm wrong on this approach - but really, am I? As far as I'm concerned, the sound of the target tells me to dig or not. I'm not missing anything, as I'm still pushing the limits on the sounds I accept.

Once I'm satisfied in this effort, then I'll go exploring the menu and other options. Right now I'm sitting at somewhere around 30 hours with the machine.

To me, if I'd have begun initially by exploring the menus versus understanding what the machine was telling me, I'd still be floundering.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I used an E-Trac prior to the CTX. So, I did have a head start on the CTX prior to purchase. They're extremely similar in sounds, both use 28 frequencies. The CTX just adds "kinda" waterproofing - I just can't trust that. Too risky for me.

You'd be better off keeping both the Excal and the E-Trac. Just what the heck would all those extra menus do for you when the machines are so similar? The only reason I could think of would be because you're not on the coast and your water hunting adventures are far fewer than coastal geography allows!

The Excal and the CTX will remain in my arsenal. The only other machine I'm even considering would be a Deus. As for a Whites V3i in nails? My 33 year old Fisher 1260X walks right through nails and nabs the good stuff.

I'd left my E-Trac in the humid basement, hadn't pulled it out in months - already had the CTX on a deal I couldn't walk away from. I didn't need all these darned options and menus! But, the humidity of the basement penetrated through the carry bag and into the E-Trac's electronics. Sent it to the Minelab repair center - big buck repair at nearly $700. When it returned I sold it on here and purchased the Excal II (from here).

 

[G.I.B.]

What's nice about the CTX is I can kill off everything else, except silver coins. And I select a special tone only for those.

It's really useful coinshooting in an area where I'm sick of digging clad. I only want silver coins. I can put on the 17" coil and cover a lot of ground.

Different features appeal to different hunting styles.

The beauty of the CTX is that it offers such of wide variety of options to taylor your hunt to specific needs.

I'm almost ready to sell off some of my other machines but separation anxiety is preventing me from doing that...

 

[The Beep Goes On]

I do a lot of park hunting, or used to...just kind of picking it up again. I'm comfortable with the V3i, most likely since my first machine was a Whites. The V3i is fast, E-Trac is slower, relatively. I use them for different purposes. Power lines or salt or iron, go Minelab. Speed in medium to clean ground, Whites. That's just what I've found suits me best - I'm sure it's somewhat different for everyone.

I think I'll hang onto the Excal and get some time...and research the CTX. As for menus, V3i - what is it, 600+ settings?

 

[OBN]

Hey, I am a newbie to the CTX for SURE......But had watched a utube video on one GREAT aspect to the CTX. That one thing is the excal2 of which I have used for 10 years or so ,

will null over iron and half the sweep is completely blank, if not all of it. Will,,,what I was getting at, won't the CTX pick that gold out that lays just next to or top of an excal2 null?

I may be wrong, probably am, but I just heard this summers

Thanks,

Dennnis

Here is something I do in high iron areas, or even trashy areas. And this requires the Toggle/switch on the handle to go between Pinpoint and discriminate. Your hunting in PP, you get two targets next to each other, and they can be right next to each other but have to have a small gap. The Excalibur will give you a double beep, you hone in on the left signal (wiggle/wiggle over it) then toggle to discriminate quick then back. It will give you a tone on this target... Since the machine is focused on this one target it will discriminate it, then you single out the other then toggle over quick then back. By the quick toggling the machine does not have the time see the other target. Also the Pinpoint/almetal mode offers so much, like the shape, design, solid, size and the depth. One thing I do know, if there is iron on top/above,....the target, this will not work...it will null out, unless it is one big piece of gold or silver.

 

[RVRoamer73]

Here is something I do in high iron areas, or even trashy areas. And this requires the Toggle/switch on the handle to go between Pinpoint and discriminate. Your hunting in PP, you get two targets next to each other, and they can be right next to each other but have to have a small gap. The Excalibur will give you a double beep, you hone in on the left signal (wiggle/wiggle over it) then toggle to discriminate quick then back. It will give you a tone on this target... Since the machine is focused on this one target it will discriminate it, then you single out the other then toggle over quick then back. By the quick toggling the machine does not have the time see the other target. Also the Pinpoint/almetal mode offers so much, like the shape, design, solid, size and the depth. One thing I do know, if there is iron on top/above,....the target, this will not work...it will null out, unless it is one big piece of gold or silver.

Man,,,,a GREAT explanation for sure......you guys are something with these machines,,,,I'll work at learning all along,,,,,but I think it may be a bit late for me

and I will just read about the wonderful things guys like you can make these machines do....SIMPLY GREAT !!!!!

I will add, not a complete newbie here for sure,,,,can hunt fairly well,,,,,but the DEEP understanding,, I MEAN deep,,,,,out of my league


GB

HH

Dennis

 

[adamBomb]

Man,,,,a GREAT explanation for sure......you guys are something with these machines,,,,I'll work at learning all along,,,,,but I think it may be a bit late for me

and I will just read about the wonderful things guys like you can make these machines do....SIMPLY GREAT !!!!!

It's never too late Just keep working and getting better and better. I feel like I learn something new almost every time I am out...whether its about the detector I am using or my beaches...but I try to reflect on each thing I am doing. Also remember that OBN is probably the best Excal user (and metal detectorist in general) out there or at least in a very select group of people that are. I imagine that he could come in after all of us went through an area where we found nothing and come away with like 10 rings We are lucky that guys like that are more than willing to keep sharing what they've learned.

 

[RVRoamer73]

It's never too late Just keep working and getting better and better. I feel like I learn something new almost every time I am out...whether its about the detector I am using or my beaches...but I try to reflect on each thing I am doing. Also remember that OBN is probably the best Excal user (and metal detectorist in general) out there or at least in a very select group of people that are. I imagine that he could come in after all of us went through an area where we found nothing and come away with like 10 rings We are lucky that guys like that are more than willing to keep sharing what they've learned.

Yes,,,,I think you are spot on.......I will learn, and listen, and read, etc.....as long as I can.....and if I have to go,,,let me go face down in a freshly dug gold bearing hole from a nitro moment

 

[jeepGold]

I have both machines. The CTX is mostly ran with the 17". The Excal is a 15 WOT and a remote PP. Different conditions dictate when I am taking one or the other out. Personally, I find the Excal pinpoints WAY better. By that I mean zeroing in on exactly where to dig. My CTX w/the 17 I often find myself halo'ing and having to dig several inches away from what I thought was the spot.
Deep factor? Well... as mentioned, both go deeper than I'd care to dig. The Excal, you can determine how deep it is by the sound. The ctx sounds the same whether its 1" or 15" down. No whispers needed. It's full scream full time. There's something that I simply enjoy about the excal and the simplicity of PP. It double squawks in PP you go the discrim. It still double tones, you dig it.. Simple.... Just dig it. My excal doesn't seem to give off that low growl on gold. It's the same sound as a quarter.. Weird..
The ctx can mess w/your mind. You hear a tone. You look at the ID. Maybe its 11.41... Hmm? Prob a dime. You dig a scoop. Now its a 12.44.. Ok,, that's a quarter. You dig it, find it and its a penny. WTH? You can dig a 12.01. Thats 99% of the time a thin piece of aluminum paper.



Until its . Then you have to re-evaluate everything you thought....