Thought I would share this....

[gregd573]

A couple of months ago I purchased a etrac and was off to seek my fortune....lol. I have had several detectors and I am not even really sure why I bought the etrac. Anyway, I hunted some of my usual haunts and was comming up short, I thought. What broke the camels back was finding an indian head penny with my m-6 in an area of my yard that I had gone over with the etrac a few days before. This prompted me to plant my first ever coin garden. All items and coins were approximately 6 inches deep and I made sure to face the coins up so they couldn't be missed. The etrac had a hard time finding all items at 6 inches which included silver 10, 25, 1.00, indian head and wheat penny, gold and silver ring, some tokens and a few other items. I talked with Minelab and they took the machine in for repair. A week has passed and I again talked with the minelab rep and the service tech on the phone. They are sending the etrac back to me and they have adjusted the smart screen to help with US coins and such. Seems the etrac is sent out with a program to find coins in Great Britian is what I think he said and they have to delete a few boxes which will hide some US coins. The tech stated that the machine is locating silver at 10 inches now and if there is any other problems to give them a call. So I guess what I'm saying is if there is anybody that is having a similar problem with the etrac. It is what seemed to be an easy fix, just had to do without it for about 10 days.

Happy Hunting all,
gregd573

 

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[albuilder]

Just wondering if you tried any other pattern then the factory one?

 

[gregd573]

Yes sir albuilder,
I picked up Andys book and read it plus tried some of the patterns and such in the book. I just could not get it to find the coin garden worth a hoot, but its supposed to be good to go now. So I will test it out as soon as I get it back. Thank you for asking, I forgot to put that in.

HH
gregd573

 

[redsummit]

hmm wonder if thats whats going on w/ my quattro. 6 years and only 1 yes O-N-E silver dime n a whole bunch of clad pennies. yes 3 or 4 IH pennies. Yaaay. not lol

 

[muleskinner]

Keep us posted when you get it back.

 

[gregd573]

I will let you all know how it acts......after I get it back which should be soon, they were sending it out yesterday 8-31-09

gregd

 

[Iron Patch]

That's the most foolish thing I have ever heard. If you are detecting for coins in the UK you have to open your screen a heck of a lot more not to miss the small and thin stuff.

Is there not a simple Iron mask/disc. setting like on the explorer? 6" should definitely not be a problem for a top Minelab.

 

[gregd573]

Thanks Ironpatch.....shoot if I had IM'ed you first I could have saved the time it took the minelab tech's to work on it.

gregd

 

[Iron Patch]

Thanks Ironpatch.....shoot if I had IM'ed you first I could have saved the time it took the minelab tech's to work on it.

gregd

Greg you have to give them the benefit of the doubt, it's all you have right now anyway. My experience has been very bad with the Minelab service center but that was many years ago and I hope things have changed, but when I hear things like that I start to wonder.

I don't have the E-trac, but when you get it back post an update and what is going on and we'll figure it out. Minelab service bench testing doesn't always catch a problem, I know that first hand!

 

[gregd573]

Basically Ironpatch, I am not a metal detector tech and I have to go on what they say. I did know that there was something not working right. I am not a big fan of air testing if that is how they were getting their results. So I figure it will be a test in the field again against a couple of other detectors that I own. It is how I proved to myself that there was a problem. Section off an area say 10 x 10 and hunt it with the 3 detectors using golf tees to mark what I think is good targets. Then dig them up for the results. I will ket you know.

Take care, HH
gregd

 

[bfid]

Have u got it back yet?Im curious, Ive been lookn at getn an etrac

 

[Monty]

I'm not too impressed with Minelab techs and repair dept either. They kept my Safari 3 weeks and then said there was no problem. I still believe there was/is but I am working around it. I don't know if what they told you was true or not, but they never said anything like that about my Safari. I think they would still have my machine if a Minelab dealer hadn't jumped their case. It definately should have no problems finding American coins down to 9 or ten inches easily. Monty

 

[Dano Sverige]

There's definately something wrong with your machine or your test! Had my Etrac a week now,my air tests find coins until i hold it 6 inches up then nothing.Then i go hunting and am digging coins at 12 inches to 16 inches.Odd.
Etrac is a very sensitive and technical piece of kit.If you don't set your programs and patterns up correctly then all hell breaks loose,lol.But..if you get it right,it's a devastating machine!
Far as i know all Etrac's are set for US coins,as a lot of UK owners bemoan this fact.If i had to guess i'd say you had a faulty coil and they may have just changed it.Hope you have better luck when you get it back.

 

[gregd573]

Well........I did get the etrac back from the tech's. They sent it back with a whole new pattern and program mode and basically told me it tested good for them and I shouldn't have a problem. I have tried it in my coin garden and out in the field. I still do not have a ironclad conclusion as I still feel that it does not perform as well as it should. It does pick up the 6 inch burried coin a little better but still does not scream 6 inches, so I can only think anything beyond that is a loss. I think I will put in my plea to the 417 detectors to see if I just got it so messed up it can't think. Although the pattern/mode that minelab sent it back with is still weak in my books. I have not got to do a lot of hunting with the rain and work but I do plan to make it work.......or just burn it on the minelab steps....lol. Sure glad I have a White's detector that works.
Happy Hunting all,
gregd

 

[Cuerno]

Don’t know if you know this but the multi frequency Minelabs that I have tested (I was a Minelab dealer for 8 years) never did good on freshly buried coins, so a coin garden that is less than five years old will make any multi frequency Minelab detector seem weak. Also these same detectors don’t air test well, they need the matrix of undisturbed soil to perform at the depth that they are known for. The E-Trac and the Explorer don’t do well in disturbed soil, plowed fields, and construction sites they will work but there are other brands that do a better job, but when it comes to trashy undisturbed soil nothing beat the separation and depth of a Explorer or E-Trac. I hunt with three other persons that have E-trac and we are always digging coins at eight inches and more, and we all had Explorers before and got the same depth. The factory setting that the E-Trac has when you first turn it on is not that good, the coin program is good but the other setting have to be change. The last three months a hunter has join our group and he has a M-6, we have been comparing signals and he has made the decision to get a E-Trac when the Christmas special comes out next month that gives you a extra small coil free. If you want I can send you my setting to try in your soil, just send me a E-mail.

 

[TexasDigger1]

glad to hear Minelab will have that Christmas special next month. I emailed Las Vegas last week about the Christmas special, said they didn't know anything yet, guess they lied to me. A free coil sounds good. HH John

 

[Adrian SS]

Weell dagnabit, arfta a readin some O the Post you yunguns are a postin bout these new fangled de tec tors makes me a glad I kept my ole shovereign XS, Whar thet machine ul find a brass monkeys nut at a 15 inches in soolid arn stone yassiree Bob. Shes a 14 yarrs old now and a gittin better every yarr hmm numm nummm hick burrp!!
Cheeerrs
Adrian

 

[Dano Sverige]

"..The E-Trac and the Explorer don’t do well in disturbed soil, plowed fields, and construction sites they will work but there are other brands that do a better job"

Hmm,there are hundreds of roman,saxon,celtic and English coins pulled out of ploughed fields all over the UK by Etracs and explorer's every week! lol
Check MLOTV.com and watch the videos if you don't believe me.

 

[gibsondan]

Get out and hunt with that E-trac and you'll see what it can do. Mine doesn't do great on freshly buried coins either. But in the field I'm digging a lot of deep coins. Hunt with it and then let us know how deep it goes.

Here's a recent hunt where I pulled a 1915 wheaty from 8 inches:

 

[Cuerno]

Well Dano, if after you detect a coin size target (not a surface target) with the Explorer or E-Trac and you then lift the coil about 4 inches and swing again you will no longer hear (unless it aluminum trash) the target. Any freshly buried coins, disturbed soil is the same as a air test and the Explorers don't air test well. Plowed fields and construction sites that move coins around create ruts and air gaps of four inches or more is the same as air test with the Explorer. You just about have to rub the soil with coil to get the depth that the Explorers are known for. Maybe the soil you have on the other side of the ocean is different or maybe your coins have more iron or maybe you soil gives the coins over there a larger halo to detect them in the deep ruts. Long live the Queen...