LawrencetheMDer
Hero Member
- Feb 22, 2014
- 984
- 2,395
- 🏆 Honorable Mentions:
- 2
- Detector(s) used
-
Minelab Manticore, Minelab CTX3030 w 11" and 17" DD coils,
Minelab Excalibur II w 10" coil, Equinox 800 (4) w 11" and 15" coils,
Troy Shadow x2 w 7" coil, Pointers; Garrett Carrot, Pro Find 35,
- Primary Interest:
- Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
I have been following discussions about the CTX3030 on TreasureNet and FindMall for 2 years, reading everything available. Recently, I read, twice, Andy Sabisch's book on the CTX 3030. The biggest obstacle, besides price, in purchasing the 3030 was the fact that I own an Excal, that I really like, and the jump to a 3030 from the Excal seems incremental. After considering alternative options (basically, PI machines) ), I finally broke-down and purchased one from BigBoy Hobbies. The biggest factors in my decision to purchase a CTX3030 were the ability to swap coils, to program sounds and the ability to fine-tune discrimination.
For an introduction, I used the standard 11" butterfly coil and standard Beach program for my maiden voyage to the beach. I found the 3030 well balanced and easy to swing all day (5 hrs). Coverage was better with the 11" butterfly coil than with my Excal 10" coil, but depth seemed compatible. I did not like all the sounds (CO50) with the standard Beach program, so the first thing I did when I got home was use the Exchange2 program to modify the sounds of the standard Beach program to one more manageable (FE4). I also swapped out the 11" coil with the 17" coil.
My next trip to the beach, I used the 3030 w the 17" coil for 8 hours of continuous hunting (with 1 bathroom break and no lunch). After 3 hrs I switched arms from fatigue. After about 6 hrs of hunting, I had to keep switching arms every 1/2 hr or so due to arm fatigue. Boy was I done after 8 hrs. But, in general, I found the 3030 with the 17" coil very manageable without a harness (that I bought just in case). [FYI - I'm conditioned by long hrs of swinging the Excal in the surf for 4-6 hrs/day.]
I absolutely love the coverage with the 17" coil. Although I have never used a butterfly coil previously, I found pinpointing with the 3030 fairly easy using the wiggle technique and zeroing in on the 1" behind the coil notch at the top. I had recovery issues with a few targets and if I didn't recover the target after the second scoop I'd move 90 deg and further zero in on the target. Of course, the trials were on dry sand and pinpointing may become an issue in the surf where you might not be able to see the coil.
My average coin find/hr with the 3030 17" coil was more than my average with the Excal 10" coil (9 vs 7/hr). but basically consistent with the beach Also found one silver earring and 2 junk earrings. Garbage seemed to shift to more aluminum and foil, highlighting my discrimination mode. Tabs were more or less identifiable before I dig them up (FE12CO18). The biggest surprise was the number of paper and foil bottle tops and small pieces of aluminum foil that rang in at FE12CO2, where I was hoping to find a platinum or small gold ring...NOT. Some bottle caps, some newer some very rusted, rang in at various points along the FE11-13 lines - something I didn't expect but confirms my difficulties in screening out bottle caps with the sounds of the Excal; sometimes they ring in too good to ignore.
There has been a lot of talk about the gaskets for the CTX3030 and the need for thicker gaskets for the battery pod on older models. The gasket packs also have a gasket for the USB port on the back of the screen display. When I received my new CTX3030, there was no gasket pack, per se, and the battery pack gasket was already inserted in the back of the control unit where the battery goes. The new 3030 does not have a gasket for the USB port. Replacement gaskets for the battery pack and USB port should be ordered with the 3030 if you plan to be near water.
Overall, I absolutely love the CTX3030 and can't wait to take it out again for a long walk down the beach.
For an introduction, I used the standard 11" butterfly coil and standard Beach program for my maiden voyage to the beach. I found the 3030 well balanced and easy to swing all day (5 hrs). Coverage was better with the 11" butterfly coil than with my Excal 10" coil, but depth seemed compatible. I did not like all the sounds (CO50) with the standard Beach program, so the first thing I did when I got home was use the Exchange2 program to modify the sounds of the standard Beach program to one more manageable (FE4). I also swapped out the 11" coil with the 17" coil.
My next trip to the beach, I used the 3030 w the 17" coil for 8 hours of continuous hunting (with 1 bathroom break and no lunch). After 3 hrs I switched arms from fatigue. After about 6 hrs of hunting, I had to keep switching arms every 1/2 hr or so due to arm fatigue. Boy was I done after 8 hrs. But, in general, I found the 3030 with the 17" coil very manageable without a harness (that I bought just in case). [FYI - I'm conditioned by long hrs of swinging the Excal in the surf for 4-6 hrs/day.]
I absolutely love the coverage with the 17" coil. Although I have never used a butterfly coil previously, I found pinpointing with the 3030 fairly easy using the wiggle technique and zeroing in on the 1" behind the coil notch at the top. I had recovery issues with a few targets and if I didn't recover the target after the second scoop I'd move 90 deg and further zero in on the target. Of course, the trials were on dry sand and pinpointing may become an issue in the surf where you might not be able to see the coil.
My average coin find/hr with the 3030 17" coil was more than my average with the Excal 10" coil (9 vs 7/hr). but basically consistent with the beach Also found one silver earring and 2 junk earrings. Garbage seemed to shift to more aluminum and foil, highlighting my discrimination mode. Tabs were more or less identifiable before I dig them up (FE12CO18). The biggest surprise was the number of paper and foil bottle tops and small pieces of aluminum foil that rang in at FE12CO2, where I was hoping to find a platinum or small gold ring...NOT. Some bottle caps, some newer some very rusted, rang in at various points along the FE11-13 lines - something I didn't expect but confirms my difficulties in screening out bottle caps with the sounds of the Excal; sometimes they ring in too good to ignore.
There has been a lot of talk about the gaskets for the CTX3030 and the need for thicker gaskets for the battery pod on older models. The gasket packs also have a gasket for the USB port on the back of the screen display. When I received my new CTX3030, there was no gasket pack, per se, and the battery pack gasket was already inserted in the back of the control unit where the battery goes. The new 3030 does not have a gasket for the USB port. Replacement gaskets for the battery pack and USB port should be ordered with the 3030 if you plan to be near water.
Overall, I absolutely love the CTX3030 and can't wait to take it out again for a long walk down the beach.
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