Can someone help me with this E Trac PLEASE!!

[fbjr]

I agree with some of the advice already given, slow down your sweep speed and try changing tones to either 2 or 4 tone. It's much easier to learn the machine and what it's trying to tell you this way. Basically, the more tones you use the more comfusing it is to learn. Also, make sure to read and re-read that book by Andy Sabisch......that too might seem comfusing because it has so much info but take notes on what you think is most important to you. Last but not least, like someone else stated here, trust the sound/signal over the numbers. If you get a consistent signal sound, dig it !!! The numbers can change depending on the depth of the object so it's not always accurate. Give these tips and some time a try before you make up your mind about the detector. The fact that the detector is capable of producing so many sounds is actually a good thing and once you understand what it's trying to tell you you will appreciate it.

 

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[barberman]

The dealer I bought it from is a new minelab distributor. I know it's gonna take some time I just got aggravated and started messing with settings. I done a reset. Does anyone recommend a good pattern to find old coins I could download and leave the settings alone till I learn it good.

Tones.... So without being a smart ass, what we have here is a $1,500 Vaquero with a screen?

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Once you learn the tones you can then use the screen and better understand what it is telling you. It is like computer manual, if you don't start at chapter 1 how are you going to understand chapter 40....

I don't know of any Minelab user that relies solely on the screen to dig or not, they use all the intel and the first valuable piece of Intel are the tones. One you learn it the Etrac will give tons of info on target and ground your hunting.

Did you try the targets on bottom side of cardboards..?

 

[Jason in Enid]

The dealer I bought it from is a new minelab distributor. I know it's gonna take some time I just got aggravated and started messing with settings. I done a reset. Does anyone recommend a good pattern to find old coins I could download and leave the settings alone till I learn it good.

If you want to adjust the pattern I would recommend something similar to Andy's pattern. Open up the top right section and lower the FE line all the way across. Don't get too crazy but about the 20 line is good. The lower you go, the more trash you will dig. But only allowing the 12 line will mean missing MOST of the deeper coins. Everything is a tradeoff.

 

[barberman]

Once you learn the tones you can then use the screen and better understand what it is telling you. It is like computer manual, if you don't start at chapter 1 how are you going to understand chapter 40....

I don't know of any Minelab user that relies solely on the screen to dig or not, they use all the intel and the first valuable piece of Intel are the tones. One you learn it the Etrac will give tons of info on target and ground your hunting.

Did you try the targets on bottom side of cardboards..?

Barbershop slow this morning, had time to do some ground testing in stock coin program with targets taped on cardboard and placed on clean ground. Changed to 2 tone and it made a big difference! Going out to a site at lunch to test 2 tone. Also did some air testing with my 2 other detectors. All detectors in stock coin/discrimination mode. I have no opinion regarding the air test, just thought I'd share it.

.........................Minelab-coin-2 tone........Ace 250-coin-5x8dd coil.........1989 Bounty-discrimation
Wheat.......................7".............................6.25.....................................7.0
Buffalo......................7.5............................6.0.......................................6.0
Silver dime.................6.75..........................6.25......................................6.5
Silver Quarter.............7.5............................6.75.....................................7.0

 

[barberman]

Hunted a site over lunch.
E-trac - good tone with 12-42 felt good, Ace said it was junk. 5 inches - little rusted piece of metal.
E-trac - Good repeatable tone with 12-36 consistent. Ace was bouncing from Iron-dollar-Iron. 4 inches - looked like a 1" square piece of license plate smashed over.

 

[Longhair]

Hunted a site over lunch.
E-trac - good tone with 12-42 felt good, Ace said it was junk. 5 inches - little rusted piece of metal.
E-trac - Good repeatable tone with 12-36 consistent. Ace was bouncing from Iron-dollar-Iron. 4 inches - looked like a 1" square piece of license plate smashed over.

You're not listening to the tones. Those pieces of iron and rust don't sound like a coin at all if you pay attention to the subtleties.

 

[barberman]

You're not listening to the tones. Those pieces of iron and rust don't sound like a coin at all if you pay attention to the subtleties.

Hunted tonight about an hour. Stock coin mode. Found bottom of a light bulb and a small bolt. I just don't get it, running 2 tone and have played with coins on cardboard. I need to give the E-trac back to my friend on Saturday, he too is equally frustrated. Wanted to like it and buy one from Bart. Friend told me today he's going to sell his E-trac to a buddy at work for $800, its less than 2 months old.

Knowing him he's taking a loss just for spite and not understanding the detector. Can't blame him as I don't get it either.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Sounds like 2 less competitors for silver.

 

[barberman]

Sounds like 2 less competitors for silver.

I agree, he's going to buy the AT-Pro. The dealer didn't want the E-trac for trade.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

He will not have any problem selling it if he is a charter member here have him post it in our classifieds..... I paid $800 for mine, looks brand new, worth every dime to me.....

 

[barberman]

One last thing regarding Minelab as a company. I called them twice last week and was on hold forever, never got to talk to a person, left a message and they called me back 2 days later! Wanted to talk to them about making patterns. You'd think with the price they charge for metal detectors they would have top notch customer service. Nope.... Called Garrett today to get a catalog, they answered on the second ring. Can't beat that!

Why are Minelab's being made in Malaysia now?

 

[releventchair]

Non etrac use here,nothing against them. Hunting by tone i understand .i,ve been asked where something registered and had no idea. Sweet tones are sweet!.
Most of all though with a new relationship with a new "language"it takes time and learning. The machine has been proven in the field.
Would be nice to have an experienced etrac user take your friends for a test run to confirm its integrity.
Hard to leave previous detector alone but using or comparing to new one more harm than good.
Should your friends buddy get the recommended 100 hours on unit an update would be neat!
H.H.

 

[PullTabPete]

I got my E-trac about 3 months ago and am still learning. First month I was able to do a lot of dry sand hunting and was able to get the coins pretty easy as well as dig other stuff and figure out what it was telling me. When I first went to a trashy park after about 25 hours beach time it was intimidating. The signals were all over, but with some more time hunting and rereading the book things started making more sense. I used the stock coin and trash programs at first, but now did some tweaking and used the Andy Sabisch pattern too. Still fine tuning what works for me, started fiddling with the sensitivity now. As mentioned earlier go slow and don't make multiple changes at once or you will be confused.

I also got a sunray x-5 coil from Bart a few weeks ago for trashy areas, that helps minimize the overlapping targets with smaller footprint. I like it alot and I think it helps with the learning curve. Not much pinpointing required under a 5 inch coil, it loses some depth, but I adjust the auto sensitivity to +2 and it was still stable. I also dug things that I thought were trash just to conform what I thought was correct, it is part of the learning process.

I'd say run in stock coin mode with auto sensitivity for a good 10-20 hours and see how you still feel, a brand new E-trac for $800 is a good deal.

HH,

Pete

 

[metal.mulisha]

Pete do you use two tones or multi. I'm starting out w 2 tones. It's much easier for me.

 

[Jason in Enid]

2 tones can make it "easier", but you lose information. But.... this is one of the great things about the E-Trac. You can set it up to act, look, and sound about any way you want. They even went a step further with the 3030. You can set the breaking point for tone changes, instead of the preset ones on the E-Trac.

Just keep swinging that detector. The more you use it, the better you will understand it.

 

[PullTabPete]

Pete do you use two tones or multi. I'm starting out w 2 tones. It's much easier for me.

I am using the multi-tones which is the default. I figured it would be better to learn that way instead of getting used to the two tones and then have to learn again.

I tried the other day running with no discrimination at all just to see what was getting blocked out and that is a good learning method too. The E-trac is complex, but quite a machine.

HH,

Pete

 

[barberman]

Everyone is saying 100 hours or so to get a handle on the E-Trac. I mean really, that's like saying the learning curve up-grade from XP to Win7 is 100 hours! I don't think so! That being said, you'd think a $1,500 detector would come with an "8 part dvd set "Beginning to advanced E-Trac". Minelab is crazy thinking everyone can figure out their mysterious E-Trac.

I see in W&E Treasures lots of people pictured are running Minelab. So either its an advertising conspiracy or Minelab is really a good machine. Last night at home I accurately buried silver dimes at 4,6,8,10 inches. Running stock coin, "auto plus 2" I was able to get 6" good, 8" was very very choppy and sporadic, 10" nothing. I'm not seeing the depth everyone is talking about. Talked to a Guy in Wichita who just sold his new E-trac last week, he too said he couldn't get the hang of it and was tired of screwing around.

 

[soupie]

I would recommend switching the tones to ferrous...lower the threshold tone/pitch to a nice base sound over iron....now just listen for the higher tones that will be the goods......Big iron will still give a high tone...but most likely you can tell that by size of pinpoint signal...works for me....Soup

 

[Jason in Enid]

Everyone is saying 100 hours or so to get a handle on the E-Trac. I mean really, that's like saying the learning curve up-grade from XP to Win7 is 100 hours! I don't think so! That being said, you'd think a $1,500 detector would come with an "8 part dvd set "Beginning to advanced E-Trac". Minelab is crazy thinking everyone can figure out their mysterious E-Trac.

I see in W&E Treasures lots of people pictured are running Minelab. So either its an advertising conspiracy or Minelab is really a good machine. Last night at home I accurately buried silver dimes at 4,6,8,10 inches. Running stock coin, "auto plus 2" I was able to get 6" good, 8" was very very choppy and sporadic, 10" nothing. I'm not seeing the depth everyone is talking about. Talked to a Guy in Wichita who just sold his new E-trac last week, he too said he couldn't get the hang of it and was tired of screwing around.

Most people have no trouble figuring it out because they WANT to learn it. If all you want to do is complain, then give it back to your friend and go hang out in the bounty hunter forum. Oh, you couldn't find a FRESHLY buried 10" dime? Guess what, none of them can. Time in ground makes a big difference. The guy in Wichita sounds a lot like you; Give it a couple days and give up.

If you want a single dial, turn on and dig detector then go buy a Tesoro Compadre. They are very nice machines. If you want to dig deep silver, mixed in the trash that everyone else has walked over then LEARN the E-Trac.

Frankly, I think you are just here to complain so I am done with responding to your posts.