Minelab Model

[shen13]

Can anyone tell me the model of a minelab detecotor that was made about 4 or 5 years ago
that was top of the line model..I just got off the phone with my uncle and he has one but
(he wasnt) at home at the time..He wasnt sure of the model..
He said it was a 1500. detector new,
I think I can get this detector as hes like 80 yrs old...
also said he had a fisher underwater detector as well...
Anyone have any ideas as to what the minelab could be,,?

 

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[jeff of pa]

I think the Etrac was the top of the line Metal Detector 5 years ago


the Etrac runs around $1500

 

[shen13]

Jeff was the Etrac made like 5 years ago?
My uncle said he bought it from his doctor.said he paid like 1500 for it?
he got it for 500 and said it had never been used,,,
not sure if its a gold detector..I guess Im excited and jumping the gun here
but knowing him it will be a freebie....

 

[gunsil]

Excalibur and Etrac have always been about the same price. Shen, conjecture is useless, just get in touch with him at home or someone else where the machine is and get a positive ID. Minelab makes many expensive machines, and their top of the line gold detectors run up into the $5,000 range. Good luck getting it if it is of a type you will use, Minelab makes excellent gear. Just getting a great price isn't as important as getting something you can use. If his machine is a saltwater machine, it will not be as good for dry land as a land machine and visa versa. If it's a gold specific detector it will not be as good for coin hunting or water use.

 

[jeff of pa]

yes the Etrac is still being made & $1500 give or take MSRP

the 3030 only came out 3 years ago & is twice that much

& The top of the Line Gold detector the 5000 is around $5000 as gunsil said.

but I believe the Etrac is at least 10 years old
& top of the line in regular Metal detectors by Minelab

So if he got it about 5 years ago around $1500 new
it's an Etrac

there is a slight possibility it's the Excalibur Water detector or Explorer SE
but,
Very Slight

 

[Jason in Enid]

yes the Etrac is still being made & $1500 give or take MSRP

the 3030 only came out 3 years ago & is twice that much

& The top of the Line Gold detector the 5000 is around $5000 as gunsil said.

but I believe the Etrac is at least 10 years old
& top of the line in regular Metal detectors by Minelab

So if he got it about 5 years ago around $1500 new
it's an Etrac

there is a slight possibility it's the Excalibur Water detector or Explorer SE
but,
Very Slight

You are way off on your time lines! The 3030 is only about year and a half old and the E-Trac is about 5 - 6 years. I waited for each unit to be out about a year before I dropped the coin on them. The when the E-Trac was new, it "only" cost about $1200.

 

[jeff of pa]

You are way off on your time lines! The 3030 is only about year and a half old and the E-Trac is about 5 - 6 years. I waited for each unit to be out about a year before I dropped the coin on them. The when the E-Trac was new, it "only" cost about $1200.

Yes you are Correct

on the 3030. they first showed it off at atlantic city during the 2012 Go Minelabbing event Dinner.
which I believe was in April or may 2012 it was released at some point after that.

I would have thought the Etac was older though, But I can't argue what I don't know

 

[shen13]

Yes you are Correct

on the 3030. they first showed it off at atlantic city during the 2012 Go Minelabbing event Dinner.
which I believe was in April or may 2012 it was released at some point after that.

I would have thought the Etac was older though, But I can't argue what I don't know

Ok fellows thanks....I will wait and see how it goes...Starting to get the hang of the ATP for now..opps wrong section for that....LOL..

 

[gunsil]

Yes you are Correct

on the 3030. they first showed it off at atlantic city during the 2012 Go Minelabbing event Dinner.
which I believe was in April or may 2012 it was released at some point after that.

I would have thought the Etac was older though, But I can't argue what I don't know

Jason is correct, the Etrac replaced the Explorer XS as the Safari replaced the Quattro. Time flies when you're having fun, and as technology sails along it is easy to forget how new or old some of our gear is. There was little change in detector technology in the early days, but now it happens so fast it makes my head spin!!

 

[Jason in Enid]

Jason is correct, the Etrac replaced the Explorer XS as the Safari replaced the Quattro. Time flies when you're having fun, and as technology sails along it is easy to forget how new or old some of our gear is. There was little change in detector technology in the early days, but now it happens so fast it makes my head spin!!

In the early days the tech changed really fast and changed dramatically. But then it stagnated. Now we have improvements in battery power/life/weight and the speed of the digital processing changing that has enabled the manufacturers to do lots of new things with the old tech.

 

[Keppy]

Can anyone tell me the model of a minelab detecotor that was made about 4 or 5 years ago
that was top of the line model..I just got off the phone with my uncle and he has one but
(he wasnt) at home at the time..He wasnt sure of the model..
He said it was a 1500.

..,. Well to me if he said it was a 1500 the only detector that i know as a 1500.. Is a ..Garrett GTI 1500...

 

[shen13]

Well found out yesterday its a Minelab Explorer XS model..So it had to be older than 5 or 6 years old..
As gunsil said the etrac replaced the explorer xs...He is planning on bringing it over and doing some detecting
would like to try it out and see how it goes,,I been doing some research on this model.not sure how much
difference in it and the etrac (probally alot) Saw somewhere on the net someone was using a etrac coil on this model

 

[gunsil]

A lot of folks still use and love the Explorer SX, it is a great machine. You should get it and learn it, it is deeper than your other listed machines. The main difference from the Etrac I think is the Etrac has a faster processor, so the XS needs to be swung slower. A lot of folks do use the newer coil, it is supposedly better (increased stability) and is a little larger. The Andy Sabish book on the XS or the Etrac will help you understand the machine. All coils made for the more modern Safari, SE Pro, and the Etrac work on the XS.

 

[gunsil]

In the early days the tech changed really fast and changed dramatically. But then it stagnated. Now we have improvements in battery power/life/weight and the speed of the digital processing changing that has enabled the manufacturers to do lots of new things with the old tech.

By early Jason I meant the 1960s into the early 70s when there were two basic choices, BFO or TR machines, neither with any real discrimination, pretty much strictly beep and dig, since the simple analog meters didn't really give much info. In the mid seventies the discriminators came out, but the BFOs although advertised as discriminators still didn't really discriminate well. The VLF/TR machines were an important change, but one needed to switch back and forth to discriminate. The BFOs were basically done in the mid to late 70s, and when the true VLFs took over the technology jumped signifigantly with many experiments in frequencies and discrimination patterns. I guess it seemed to me as a BFO user that it wasn't until the late 70s that the great strides in depth and discrimination took place in the form of the true VLF machines.

 

[shen13]

Gunsil..thats alot of info.I appreciate you posting back..Hes only used it a handfull of times..Like I said it was new in the box when he purchased it..So you think with the newer coils minelab offers it would do just as good as the Etrac?
I will download the manual from there site and do some reading...
Would the company still work on this machine if needed be?
and what do you think a fair price would be on this detector...

 

[gunsil]

It will never have as fast a response as an Etrac but I believe it will hunt just as deep, and give about the same target info. You'd have to ask Minelab if they still do work on them, but also Kellyco is now an official Minelab repair facility and I'm pretty sure they will be able to if the need arises. I really haven't heard of any repairs being necessary on the XS machines. I don't know what a fair price would be, watch ebay, they do show up there at times, or perhaps start a new thread asking about the XS and others may chime in. I did see one go for around five benjamins on ebay, but your uncle's may be worth a bit more since it is fairly unused. I know there are a bunch of XS users on this and other forums, like I said a new thread asking for specific XS info may get you more info. It will work fine with the original coil, it was one of the hottest machines when new. I'd just use it as is and then upgrade the coil as you see necessary. I know for sure an 8" coil is better in trashy areas, I use an 8" Sunray coil often on my Safari. If it has a regular AA battery pack still in it I'd take it out immediately so the batteries don't leak and ruin it.

 

[Mach1Pilot]

The Explorer XS is a good machine - considered legendary by many and still used regularly by some diehards. The newer Explorers and the Etrac received faster and faster processors, but that doesn't necessarly make them deeper as others have said...the processor does make them a bit faster in trash, though. My advice would be to get Andy Sabisch's book and read a bit about how it works and responds, and swing it slow.

There was a fairly high rate of failure of the old original coil, but any coil for the Etrac, Safari, or any of the Explorers will work just fine. As for service, the XS is probably getting close to the end of the repair cycle at Minelab but some other service centers are still working on them.

Your uncle is sharing with you a very nice detector!