Etrac on the beach...

[DiggerinVA]

I have limited experience with Minelab machines....but found a great deal on an Etrac. I am looking for a multi frequency or pi machine to use at the beach a few times a year. So how well does the Etrac work in the wet sand near the waters edge....compared to some beach machines like the Excalibur, etc.... Thanks.

 

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[Irishgoldhound]

ETrac will handle just as well as the Excal. FBS and BBS are demons in salt water and mineralized ground with hardly to no depth loss. Etrac you have your screen VDI but I wouldn't go much deeper than your ankles with it, running the risk of flooding your controls. The Etrac and FBS series are great on the beach but for excessive continuous use, I would buy the Excal. I've heard over time the salt damp air can penetrate the housing and ruin your detector if you aren't using a fully water proof unit.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Just be sure and protect the controls from the salt spray in the air when at the beach..

 

[TheSleeper]

Digger, naturally that's the excals natural habitat, but for shallow work ankle deep to mid calf if your very careful, the etrac will work great. Especially since you can change coils so easily. I use my Se pro a lot on the beaches, all I do is take a QT size zip lock baggie and make a housing cover out of it to protect the electronics.
A lot of times if I am just working the sand I don't even bother covering the housing, I know I should though.

With the coil changes being so easy and a vast assortment of coils available you can tailor your unit to perform its best, a lot easier than an excal.

If your only doing this a couple times a year I really do not recommend a PI unit, they hit hard and deep but on every lil scrap of metal, in other words, you'll dig a lot of bobby pins. With the etrac you can tune the high ferrous objects out and be able to spend your limited time on the more valuable targets.