Anyone with experience with a Nokta Relic, CTX 3030 and XP Deus?

[Sarge38624]

So I am getting ready to buy a new machine and I think I have narrowed it down to the Nokta Relic, CTX 3030 and the Deus. From what I have read, the CTX is very deep, but not very good in trash. I see people say the Deus is a very fast machine and excellent in trash, but not very deep. I have read the Nokta relic is both fast and deep, but I have no personal experience with any of these three machines. Could you guys please give me your opinion of how the Relic stacks up to the depth of the CTX 3030, and the abilitly to separate in trashy area of the Deus? I really like what I am seeing with the Nokta Relic, but I think I am struggling with purchasing it because I somehow have convinced myself that for the cost of the Relic, there is no way it can compare to the CTX or Deus.


I like to relic hunt old home sites, open fields and old CW campsites primarily. Some of the places I hunt are extremely trashy, and some have very little trash but quite deep targets. Any advice you can offer will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

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[Welgund]

I own all three. All three have there own strengths and situations where I would grab one over the other. I am not sure where you heard the Deus isn't very deep it is. Probably just as deep in my soil as the CTX. What it lacks is the CTX ability to ID at depth.
In old iron trash where you are not dealing with sage brush or lots of tall ground cover the Deus is king, it allows the user to taylor it to the site you are hunting better than the other two. What the Deus can do with a larger coil it takes the other two smaller coils to achieve. The Nokta Relic in sites loaded with lots of weeds, sage brush, bushes etc the small coil of the relic puts it in league with the Deus in iron trash. The CTX can't do what the other two can in old iron trash but can hold its own on lesser machines with the small coil. Where the CTX really shines is identifying old coins at depth in places like parks and yards and such.

 

[Monte]

Sarge, I'll contribute my thoughts and experience and we'll see if it is of any help. I brought your concluding comment near the top because it is an important consideration in selecting any detector. You have to know the applications a model will be used for, the ground make-up, trash content, type of trash, and the targets you are after.

So I am getting ready to buy a new machine and I think I have narrowed it down to the Nokta Relic, CTX 3030 and the Deus.

I have owned over a half-dozen FBS models from Minelab, and I borrowed the CTX-3030 after it was introduced and hunted with two good friends who use only Minelab Explorers or E-Trac, still all of the FBS models are, in my opinion, in the Explorer 'family.' I kind of preferred the CTX-3030 balance as it wasn't as nose-heavy as all the other FBS models. As for performance, we hunted two old parks that have produced silver from several decades ago and other dated coins. We compared all of our detectors on located targets prior to recovery. The overall winner, and we all agreed, was the Explorer II using the same coils on the Explorer II, Explorer SE Pro, E-Trac and CTX-3030. We preferred it for the audio, the target responsiveness and a little better clarity of audio and visual TID lock-on. In several cases, with sparse trash in very open grassy areas, it also nudged the others out, just barely, on depth ... sometimes.

The XP Deus is a model that I have hunted beside, having several friends who have one, or have-had and moved on from it. We have compared a lot of targets in-the-field, and I never felt overall out-gunned by the Deus. And some of my hunting buddies moved on from it, preferring what I was using and the side-by-side results. If you have heard they are 'fast' that is correct, depending upon what you mean by 'fast.' As for their depth of detection, with the right settings and search technique, I have seen a Deus do rather well so forget the comments of they don't go deep.

All detectors are going to be able to do some things rather well, a lot of things good or better, and there will be a few things that a detector might fall sort on in performance, and I mean ALL detectors. It is all a mixture of the electronic circuitry engineering, the physical packaging, the weight/balance/comfort, and we can't forget the benefits of selecting a proper search coil size and type that is most functional for the hunt site at hand. Then, too, we have to remember that in-the-field performance is also going to rely on the settings the operator uses and the search coil presentation or sweep speed, overlapping and other matters of coil-control.

Oh yes, the third model you brought up that you are considering, the Nokta FORS Relic. No, it isn't perfect either, but .... Back two years ago this month I made a dedicated switch in my personal detector battery to the Nokta FORS CoRe. In all the decades I have enjoyed detecting I have always been curious about some makes and models that come along and wonder if they might make a good 'fit' in my arsenal. I was very interested in the CoRe, and had checked out some other makes and models, usually being left unsatisfied for what my wants and needs were/are.

Then I got the CoRe in my hands and within hours I had made a lot of comparisons, used field-test scenarios, and hunted older nail infested sites with other debris. I used an assortment of search coils on all my detectors and the CoRe. Without hesitation I can tell you CoRe excelled in all-around performance and became my #1 general-purpose detector. The FORS CoRe is still a top favorite of mine, and travels with me in all my detecting journeys.

It was just a year ago that I had to add my current #1, primary-use detector to my arsenal, and that is the Nokta FORS Relic.

I like to relic hunt old home sites, open fields and old CW campsites primarily. Some of the places I hunt are extremely trashy, and some have very little trash but quite deep targets.

And if you wonder WHY I liked the Relic and made sure it was in my arsenal, it is because it works so well in iron trash! It out-performed all my other brand detectors and many others from competitors that compete with it at/close-to the 19 kHz operating frequency in the sites I prefer to hunt.

I started metal detecting by Coin Hunting in early '65, but caught the Relic Hunting bug in May of '69, and while I still enjoy all types of metal detecting and I Coin Hunt as much as possible, my passion is for the Relic Hunting I do at old ghost towns, stage stops, pioneer and military encampments, homesteads, railroad sidings and depot sites, and any other 'old' place that might have early era coins, trade tokens and all sorts of desired smaller artifacts.

Although some of the places I hunt have a low-to-moderate amount of trash, the bulk of them are very littered, especially with various forms of annoying ferrous junk! Because most of the sites are very trashy, I prefer to use smaller-size search coils. I go to a mid-size coil in low-to-modest trashy places, and when a site is clean, then I opt for a 7X11 DD coil.

The Relic is so useful that I purchased a 2nd and now a 3rd Relic just so I can keep each of them equipped with their own search coil. That way I just grab the unit I feel best outfitted with for the site conditions I'll hunt, and I keep the 5½" DD on my main-use Relic as I hunt trashier sites the most. Another Relic sports the 5½X10 Concentric, and the third has the 'standard' 7X11 DD mounted.

From what I have read, the CTX is very deep, but not very good in trash. I see people say the Deus is a very fast machine and excellent in trash, but not very deep. I have read the Nokta relic is both fast and deep, but I have no personal experience with any of these three machines.

I hunt trashy places. Often, very trashy sites with a lot of discarded iron. I need a detector with a smaller coil to work in and around the debris, a quick-response/fast-recovery level of performance to help get in close to the junk and unmask desired targets. The CTX-3030, even with their expensive newer 6" DD coil, just doesn't do what I need done for serious Relic Hunting.

The Deus can do a lot of what I want, but for me there are things I find lacking or annoying. For example, I want and need a smaller-size search coils, and they don't make one for the Deus. I also like to have ample performance and functional adjustments and design, so I don't find the necessity of having to charge a battery in the coil, the headphones and the control unit to fit my description of 'simple.' And personally, (and we all need to consider our personal likes and dislikes) I don't care for the audio response.

As for in-the-field performance of the Relic, I can assure you that it is 'fast' which makes it a favorite for unmasking good targets in nasty iron trash. Depth? In open areas where there is no masking and depth is achievable, both my Relic and CoRe provide me very ample depth-of-detection with their 7X11 DD coils.

Could you guys please give me your opinion of how the Relic stacks up to the depth of the CTX 3030, and the abilitly to separate in trashy area of the Deus? I really like what I am seeing with the Nokta Relic, but I think I am struggling with purchasing it because I somehow have convinced myself that for the cost of the Relic, there is no way it can compare to the CTX or Deus.

Cost is not really a main topic because you have to consider where they are made (Minelab in Malaysia, XP in France and Nokta in Turkey) and the engineering that has gone into them. Then factor in the available coils the manufacturers make, the quality of workmanship, and how involved the manufacturers are with consumers regarding their products. That ensures the manufacturer is well aware of consumer wants and needs, and they monitor the pulse of the detecting industry for interests consumers have to provide the needed engineering.

Some readers will say I am biased because I have evaluated Nokta and Makro detectors. Well, that is partially correct, because I am biased due to the fact that I have been very satisfied with the build quality, excellent balance, and impressive field performance. It is because I was and am impressed that they remain in my Primary-Use detector battery, and I have pulled the cash out of pocket (or the bank) to buy additional models.

I have done prototype detector handling since 1974 for Compass Electronics, and I have also been involved in prototype evaluations or new model releases for White's, Minelab, and a few other manufacturers through the years. I have sometimes liked what they were making, but it wasn't a good 'fit' in my arsenal for the types of sites I hunt. Then there were those models that did find favor with me and they became regular-use units.

In short, I am and have been a very Avid Detectorist for fifty-two years, and concentrate most of my search efforts Relic Hunting sites that date from the late 1840's to about the Depression Era, and in most cases nails and other iron abounds. Therefore, I am very selective on the detectors I choose to use, the search coils I need to get the job done, and I enjoy a blend of 'simplicity' and 'functionality' in any detector I keep in my arsenal.

Leader of the pack for me are my three Nokta Relics, my Nokta CoRe, a Makro Racer 2, and a Tesoro Bandido II microMAX. They are complemented with some 'special application' units, none of which is a Minelab or XP model.

The CTX-3030 has it's place, but that is mainly working urban Coin Hunting sites like large grassy parks. My CoRe and Relic serve me well there. The Deus is more of a 'can-do' detector for hunting trashier sites such as Relic Hunting and I don't have a problem with anyone who feels it offers what they want ... and can afford.

For me, I prefer the very attractive and competitive price of the Relic, the nice balance and 'simple' operation with my saved programs, the easy adjustments, should I feel any necessary at a site, and above all, the results I get from journeys afield.

Just one more reply, if it is of any help.

Monte

 

[Calabash Digger]

I have had the ctx,nokta fors core, and I now have the racer 2 and I use the deus . You will read alot of different opinions on machines . Deus depth issue is a myth(or they didnt know how to set the machine up) someone started in my soil the deus has an advantage over the ctx a little on depth. btw if you hunt fields ctx doesnt like freshly turned soil depth goes out the window. The nokta fors core seperates very well and the makro does too. I have a video of the racer 2 verse the deus in the head to head section, will give you a idea of how the relic performs too as there basically the same inside imo, also have some videos of the fors core too. With that being said the deus has better depth and coil size for coil size seperates a smidge better imo. The deus audio (full tones is far superior to nokta or makro audio imo way more nuance on targets you see that in my video when I test it over coins) The makro and nokta detectors are solid performers and close on the seperation issue some will say better but I didnt find that to be the case when the iron was elevated above the target. If you want the more superior deeper detector go with the deus ,if you want simple with good performance go with the nokta imo. Some say the deus is complicated its really not if you do your homework and learn the settings mine is basically a turn on and go detector. I read and watched videos and when mine arrived I took it out the box charged it and programmed it and went hunting ,for what your doing you will only need about 3 or 4 programs with a tweak here or there very simple deal for relic hunting. btw I have a clean racer 2 with 3 coils for sale warranty lefted on the machine. Do you think I would sell a machine that would outperform my go to machine ? If it would outperform my go to machine I would have a new go to machine and the deus would be for sale really.

 

[Sarge38624]

Thank you all VERY much for all of the information!! I really really appreciate it. After much consideration, and Monte's post, I have decided to go ahead and purchase the Nokta Relic. I tried to order it online today from Kellyco, but it is backordered. I guess I will either find another dealer or wait for Kellyco to get a shipment. Thanks again for all of the information you guys provided.

 

[tabman]

I wonder who else carries the Nokta Relic besides Kellyco?

tabman

 

[Welgund]

If you are a relic hunter that hunts in carpet of nails and old discarded iron, (rail spikes, stove parts, flat tin) than you made a good choice with the relic. For what you get for the price it can not be beat imo. The Fors core and Relic are way different machines, the Relic I'd much hotter and in swift mode much faster recovery speed. If I had to explain swift mode it's line running an F75 in FA process but with an open audio instead of a snapshot per say. This allows it to pull non ferrous out of iron better because it allows the non ferrous to bleed through. It handles EMI way better than the core or makro racer 2 also. In deep mode I found the relic slightly deeper also. The ability to set the tone breaks on 2 tone and 3 tone only make it better and it's spread on vdi for coin targets make it a formidable coin hunter in parks and such with the 5.5 x 10 concentric Fors gold+ coil.

 

[tabman]

Welgund hit the nail square on the head about Fors CoRe. If the Relic is any better, it will be one Hell of a detector for trashy sites. Yeah, I want one!

tabman

 

[Calabash Digger]

When I sell my racer 2 might have to give the relic a whirl. Same audio as core and racer 2? Any depth loss in swift mode?

 

[Welgund]

I think you loose a little depth in swift mode, I don't use it much. The 3 tone mode in heavy trash is way fast so use it 90% of the time. I think keith has a video in 3 tone in heavy modern trash I 3 tone.

 

[Sarge38624]

I just got off the phone with Kellyco. I ordered a Nokta Relic, but they are currently backordered. I was told the Relics are currently in customs, and mine would be shipped as soon as they arrive. They are still offering the free holiday package which includes a rain cover, pinpointer and a couple of other goodies I can't recall as well. I also went ahead and ordered the large coil and an extra lower shaft as well. I like to open fields, and I really like the ground coverage and slight amount of extra depth the larger coils seem to offer. Thanks for all of the information you guys shared in helping me make my decision.

 

[Nokta Detectors]

I just got off the phone with Kellyco. I ordered a Nokta Relic, but they are currently backordered. I was told the Relics are currently in customs, and mine would be shipped as soon as they arrive. They are still offering the free holiday package which includes a rain cover, pinpointer and a couple of other goodies I can't recall as well. I also went ahead and ordered the large coil and an extra lower shaft as well. I like to open fields, and I really like the ground coverage and slight amount of extra depth the larger coils seem to offer. Thanks for all of the information you guys shared in helping me make my decision.

Hello. My name is Dilek - just happened to read your post. Thank you for ordering our product first of all.
The Relic comes with 2 coils and 1 extra lower shaft already. Since you ordered the large coil, I assume you want to have the lower shaft for all your coils (total 3). But in case you did not know that the Relic comes with 2 lower shafts and you wanted only 2 lower shafts, I did not want you to waste your money so I responded to your post.

 

[Sarge38624]

Hello. My name is Dilek - just happened to read your post. Thank you for ordering our product first of all.
The Relic comes with 2 coils and 1 extra lower shaft already. Since you ordered the large coil, I assume you want to have the lower shaft for all your coils (total 3). But in case you did not know that the Relic comes with 2 lower shafts and you wanted only 2 lower shafts, I did not want you to waste your money so I responded to your post.

Hi, Dilek. Thank you for the information. I ordered the extra shaft so I can put each of the three coils on its own lower shaft and simply change out the shaft to change coils. Again, I appreciate your information and I am excited about trying out the Nokta Relic!!

 

[tnsharpshooter]

For folks interested,,,,you can consult Nokta website,,,and find out who in USA sells their detectors.
If site is correct,,,more than 1 dealer selling Nokta in USA.

Cheers.