Safari v. eTrac

[JasonB]

Morning,

I'm considering upgrading from my Tesoro Silve uMax to a Minelab. I won't be connecting to my computer to customize any setting or downloading data so I'm considering the Safari instead of the etrac. Is the Safari comparable to the etrac for the coin, jewelry and relic modes? I see it has the same power, multi freq, and coil.

Also, where's the best dealer to get the detector without all the accessories? I have all the gear, just need the detector.

Thanks in advance,
Jason

 

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[Georges Minelab Safari]

Its the same as the Etrac without all the bells and whistles. Call Mike at Woodland detectors.

 

[Shambler]

According to Andy Sabisch, they were developed separately and have very little in common. They seem to have the same bells and whistles actually, just one is better

 

[stasys]

Safari is the same Explorer, but without allot good things. boards inside the same just no screen light connection and different more simple menu and program.Now have Safari and I know what I say. I think Minelab made Quatro and later Safari to make it more simple explorer, but in my opinion its disaster. My suggestion if you dont want to spend allot gold buy any explorer -used or new, if you have $ buy Etrac. Etrac is faster with discrimination compare to Explorer, but again Etrac is based on old Explorer and behaves very similar to Explorer.

 

[U.K. Brian]

I would pay the extra money for an Explorer if its land and beach detecting you want to do. A cheaper option for the wet sand is the Sovereign GT. The audio is better than that of the Safari and the G.T.'s iron mask works better than the high trash setting of the more expensive machine.

 

[Shambler]

Stasys, it's not uncommon to print on the same board. It doesn't mean they are wired the same or use the same software. I've only swung a Safari for about an hour, but the sound, response, and depth didn't seem similar to my Explorer at all.

 

[Bart@Big Boys Hobbies]

I REALLY would try to save up and get the Minelab Explorer SE Pro Metal Detector | Big Boys Hobbies even if you had to go used. The SE Pro has much more information on it and processor is much faster.

Holler if you have any questions. Love to help you! Bart

 

[stasys]

Yes sound, program and allot is different between Safari and Explorer, more precise Safari miss allot from Explorer, but basis the same- old explorer, depth the same in manual.
I just dont understand Safari like separate product except minelab sales people new what they wanted from Quatro and Safari, but today used explorers can be from 350$ safari? from 550$? where is the logic?

 

[Shambler]

Yes sound, program and allot is different between Safari and Explorer, more precise Safari miss allot from Explorer, but basis the same- old explorer, depth the same in manual.
I just dont understand Safari like separate product except minelab sales people new what they wanted from Quatro and Safari, but today used explorers can be from 350$ safari? from 550$? where is the logic?

Agreed. Why spend the money on that line. I think they'd be better off staying with XTERRA and Explorer.

 

[Bryannagirl]

Now I am depressed. Just bought an almost new Safari and was looking forward to swing it after reading these posts I feel like maybe I made a huge mistake and bought a worthless detector.

Sad in Nebraska

 

[Shambler]

It beeps when you go over metal, so it will find stuff. The question was a comparison between two unrelated detectors priced $550 apart (for a reason).

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Now I am depressed. Just bought an almost new Safari and was looking forward to swing it after reading these posts I feel like maybe I made a huge mistake and bought a worthless detector.

Sad in Nebraska

Dont get sad, I own a Safari myself and found it to be a very good detector, I also own a Sov GT and Excals and have own several other detectors (Whites, Troy, Tesoro and a Fisher).....I think if you take the time to learn the Safari you will find it is a very good detector......

 

[Keppy]

Now I am depressed. Just bought an almost new Safari and was looking forward to swing it after reading these posts I feel like maybe I made a huge mistake and bought a worthless detector.

Sad in Nebraska

Every one thinks that there model of detector is the best....... So don't pay to much attention to what is said here..........I know a lot that run the Safari and just love them..... And think they are better than a Explorer or E-trac............. Myself i run a Sovereign and i think it is better than a Explorer or E-trac............I would not even think of buying a Explorer or E trac..........And i have been useing Minelabs since 1992..... So i am not new to minelab.......And that Safari will find the same things that a Explorer or E Trac or even a Sovereign will find..... So cheer up ..... If you listen to what every one here says about there detectors here....... You will be changeing detectors like you change your sox.......... You will always be depressed.. So let it all go in one ear and out the other..........

 

[Viddy]

Both have a lot similar from Minelab, but I think that some things on the ETrac that the Safari does not have, make it so much different. I have the ETrac and was out a few times in Pittsburgh with a guy, John, (from other forums) who uses a Safari and got to compare them.

Some of the differences are significant such as the ETracs signal analysis of information compared to the Safari. The Etrac does more of the work for you. Example, is a wider range of target ID segments. Etrac =1750 and the Safari=51. The Etrac has a faster recovery than the Safari, an adjustable gain for those deeper coins, a hold pitch for those slight tones, and more which I can make a nice list to help find more targets and help determine dig-or-no-dig. The stock turn-and-go programs are fantastic. #1 Turn on. #2 noise cancel #3 set Coins Mode program off drop-down menu #4 start swinging. The stock Coins program is great and I still use it a lot, but you can tweak the programs and save a few to best suit you, your hunting style, your ability, you hunting locations, and most important...WHAT you are hunting for. The Etrac is like the sports car that you can set it in automatic transmission and cruise along the strip or put it in manual and go all out through the hills and turns at maximum speed. Those are just a few of the significant differences between the ETrac and Safari.

A few, and there are a lot I could list, are other differences some people might not see as 'significant' but make a difference... displaying the sensitivity in Auto mode, backlit display, and the ETracs set up was tweaked, very mildly from the Explorers, Quatros, and Safaris to be more comfortable using over long periods of time. The weight might be close on them all, but the angles of the grip, screen, etc. were re-worked when the Etrac was designed. The safari has no ferrous sounds. These are great around old cellar holes. Not only does the ETrac separate trash better in general, but running on Ferrous really picks through the iron. Its not good in parks because aluminum sounds too good in Ferrous mode. If you hunt old sites and get used to the Ferrous mode, you wont want to live without it. As for the USB jack? It's good for uploading hunting programs to and from your computer, and rumor has it that it was also designed to offer software updates for the ETrac from Minelab in the future (?). We'll see how true that is. It would make sense though from a $business$ standpoint, you know?

Depth Depth Depth. From what I have read from some engineers and heard from some long time hunters, the depth of a machine has nothing to do with it's processor. The processor runs it's programs like a computer running it's OS and programs. The depth of a machine is based on the coil size and shape and how much power is sent to it. No processor is needed to do this. Perhaps this is why a machine like the Tesoro Vaquero will go as deep as a E-Trac. Also, some frequencies go "deeper" or collapse later than others so this may make a difference how a machine "sees". hence depth.

Under the right conditions the Safari will perform just as well as the E-Trac. Question is, how often do you expect to hunt under these 'right' conditions? In most conditions the E-Trac will out perform the Safari.

Bells and whistles, Bells and whistles, Bells and whistles..

I was told my Volkswagen was a Porsche without the bells & whistles. Go figure...

Viddy

 

[Bryannagirl]

I came from a white's DFX - it was a great detector and had the potential for great depth and sensitivity to small targets. Did I ever us the DFX to its fullest potential no - not even close. Options in this case meant many opurrtumities to make it perform great, but even more opportunities to make it work poorly.

But this was not the worst aspect of lots of options. The worst part was always trying to adjust change tweak the detector to get the great performance. But when tweaking and adjusting I was not swinging. So it is my opinion that options (bells and whistles) can result in less time swing and more time tweaking.

I did not want to give up performance but I also wanted a machine that would just let me hunt and give me great performance with out tweaking or adjusting. I think the safari meets that bill - maybe later after I learn more about how minelabs FBS technology works with my hunting style I may want to think about an Etrac but for now I want to spend more time swinging and less tweaking for max performance. I am hoping this will improve my finds. - keeping my fingers crossed.

P.S. I do not believe the Etrac suffers from the weak standard programs like the DFX. With it you had to make adjustments to anything resembling good performance and depth.


Bryanna

 

[Bryannagirl]

I do very much agree that depth is not a function of processor speed (but I do belive signal processing can effect depth)
As far as I know ( and if I am wrong please let me know) all metal detectors transmit and receive very low frequency VLF waves. To do this the have analog(not digital) circuits that are tuned to the frequencies in use. None of this requires any processor power at all. The amount of power, the freq, and gain of the receiver section would most likely have the greats impact on how far a transmitted signal can go into the ground and return to the detector with enough information and signal strength to be "detected".

Were I think processor power and speed can come in is with the analysis of the return signal. Just like with radar sending rf out and the receiving the return is only a small part of making RADAR useful. It is the processing of the data that tells you range direction and what is it. I think minelab FBS gets some of its depth from minelabs ability to process that information and in return provide us the detectorists with information we can use to decide to dig or not to dig

Hope that made sense in short just saying that with out the processing of the signal the Minelab would not be able to guide us to those deep targets.

Bryanna

 

[stasys]

Now I am depressed. Just bought an almost new Safari and was looking forward to swing it after reading these posts I feel like maybe I made a huge mistake and bought a worthless detector.

Sad in Nebraska

life sometimes is sad, but your example is not sad because you learned something, remember I and other experienced explorer people can be 99% successful with safary like with Explorers and for start for you its perfect and 100% the same deep. Learn and next stop make in Etrac station.

 

[Bryannagirl]

Hi not sad anymore just wanting to learn. I think there is enough in common and in performance to make the Safari a great stepping stone to my next FBS machine be it a Explorer II, Explorer SE, Etrac, or the next gen Etrac. All I can say is out of the box it finds smaller targets at deeper depths and with way less fiddling then my DFX.

Bryanna

 

[biggboy101]

Dont get sad, I own a Safari myself and found it to be a very good detector, I also own a Sov GT and Excals and have own several other detectors (Whites, Troy, Tesoro and a Fisher).....I think if you take the time to learn the Safari you will find it is a very good detector......

Im new to this forum but I noticed this thread about the safari....I wanted to add that I also have a Safari and I love it I have used explorers before I had an xs for years the Safari doesnt have all the same bells and whistles BUT it will find just as much silver and other coins as the etrac and ive talked to minelab directly before I purchased mine and directly from Minelab they said that the etrac and the safari have the same depth but one of the major differences is that the etrac is a little faster processor so....what this means is that u go just a little bit slower....for 500+ more on the etrac i can do that with my safari and end up with the same finds in the end ...the etrac has better target id but myself if my safari rings up in the possible coin range im diggin anyway im not gonna pass up a dime just because i dont think its silver im diggin cause ive found stuff that turned out to be great finds before that I might of passed up ....if its an old yard....dig it...just my take on it

 

[Normsel]

It's all about choice and happy with your choice. No matter what you own you will always think someone else is finding more or has a better detector...

Personally for me i don't care about anything over 8" so depth isn't that important. Most stock programs in detectors are pretty darn good with small amounts of tweaking. I was using what was supposed to be the best expert program for coins you could develop for the V3i and to be truthful the difference was so small in comparison to the small tweaks I made on the stock coin program it wasn't really worth the the 1/2 hour I spent entering the expert program.