CTX3030 vs AT pro w/ Storm coil

PaDirtDigger

Hero Member
Feb 2, 2015
950
1,278
Pennsylvania
Detector(s) used
White's XLT (2), Garrett Ace 250, Garrett AT Pro, Garrett AT Gold
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I always find these threads entertaining and then a little annoying at times when they lead to arguements. I surely took the video as a way to simply show someone that you can modify something to make it do more of what you want, and still not spend as much. Id love to have a CTX, i just cant afford it, otherwise i would have one too.
Let me make another version of another real life occurance, but between cars. There was a guy i worked with who had a really nice and at the time, brand new 2006 Corvette Z06, I, at the time, had a 2004 SRT-4. I also had some simply work done to it, all by myself too, no shop work, simply add-ons or swaps... And the little car beat the corvette on a highway jaunt, starting nose to nose at about 40mph, corvette pulled away first, but couldnt gain faster than mine. I had less than 20,000 spent on the car and parts etc (bought it new for like 17,000 or w.e.) also, 13.15 at the drags in a 1/4 mile. Again though, cant say a 4 banger is better than a dream car corvette, but mine could and did beat that car.
Maybe this is like comparing wives or girlfriends too... Of course mine is better than yours! LOL!! To each their own, takes a special match for everything in life... Either way, just felt like reliving the times of that ol' SRT... And i hoped that story would help others see what i believe what was trying to be shown in comparison videos like that one.

Good luck to everyone this year, spring is right around the corner now!!! :thumbsup:
 

A2coins

Gold Member
Dec 20, 2015
33,807
42,606
Ann Arbor
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
This test is like taking a vette ctx and racing a pinto but the vette has to keep the parking brake on seriously
 

PaDirtDigger

Hero Member
Feb 2, 2015
950
1,278
Pennsylvania
Detector(s) used
White's XLT (2), Garrett Ace 250, Garrett AT Pro, Garrett AT Gold
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
They make a vette CTX? No need to create mystical machines... Some people just stand up behind the machines they use and get defensive about them. They often look past the points people are trying to make, even when that person says the other machine is awesome as well... Simply saying hey, if you want something closer to the higher end units, make this modification and you can be closer to the capabilities of them. You CTX guys, should see that the AT pro guys are striving to be on the CTX pedestal, but the defense makes everyone blind to that. I think that the VERSUS word makes it appear to be a competition, when it's simply a comparison showing that you can get similar results with less money spent in total. I didn't see anyone blasting the CTX, why? Because it's an awesome machine right out of the box... To me it's a machine to look up to and I believe that's why the comparisons happen... "what can I do to be like that or better?" That's human nature, well, part of it.... I hope I cleared up my end, I'd love to have a CTX, just can't afford it! I'm into a bunch of hobbies... I'm bowing out with a clear mind. As always, good luck this year everyone!!!
 

beerguy

Bronze Member
May 6, 2004
1,138
1,174
Camano Island, WA
Detector(s) used
CTX3030,
Many more on a rotating basis.
Park Ranger and Pack Mule pouches by Freeloader!
I think that the VERSUS word makes it appear to be a competition, when it's simply a comparison showing that you can get similar results with less money spent in total.
DirtDigger, I totally agree. Not trying to hijack your thread, but I see that you are an XLT guy. I am a huge fan. Ever put a Bigfoot coil on yours? My favorite combo for a first visit to a site, finds the hotspots!
 

PaDirtDigger

Hero Member
Feb 2, 2015
950
1,278
Pennsylvania
Detector(s) used
White's XLT (2), Garrett Ace 250, Garrett AT Pro, Garrett AT Gold
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I never had a bigfoot coil actually, I've heard lots of good things about them and then all the bad too... I do pretty well with the stock coil and a custom program. And then I have AT pro to squeak out more in between iron.
 

dirtscratcher

Bronze Member
Mar 18, 2009
1,877
1,350
Columbia falls Montana
Detector(s) used
Minelab Sov GT Explorer XS Tesoro Vaq t2se x705
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
This video was brought up on the Garrett forum the other day. They need stuff like this to prop up their egoes. The video is so one sided from the beginning. If it makes them feel better what's the harm. Anyone who has spent the time knows the truth.
 

dirtscratcher

Bronze Member
Mar 18, 2009
1,877
1,350
Columbia falls Montana
Detector(s) used
Minelab Sov GT Explorer XS Tesoro Vaq t2se x705
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
For anyone not familiar with Minelabs, Auto Sensitivity when selected, uses the highest sense setting the machine can run at and remain stable! So....plus 3 would be 3 levels above that! So I don't see where this comparison was unfair to the BMW when being compared to the lowly Kia.....

What about us Minelab users that know they are deeper in manual? Guys that know this wouldn't use auto in a depth test
 

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DiggerinVA

DiggerinVA

Bronze Member
Sep 16, 2013
1,669
1,661
Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
Detector(s) used
GPX5000, AT Gold, AT Pro, Whites TDI, Bandido 2 umax, Tejon, Vaquero, Deus 2, ORX and Legend
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
MY WORDS WERE: FBS SUCKS HERE IN MY GROUND.....If you want to bring your FBS machine and some money I will be glad to bet your over priced detector is worthless on anything smaller than a golf ball past the 10" mark! I think Minelab makes great machines, but they have a place and it is not relic hunting in Virginia. And to reply to the whole sensitivity issue.....the test should use settings that you actually use when hunting. And everyone I know who uses an etrac, explorer, etc. uses auto sense. I could crank the sense. up on my Explorer to make it compete a little better in tests with my AT gold, but it was a chatty PIA to hunt with at these settings. Not to mention the falsing that would make it near impossible to tell a deep target from the falsing....

Again, I think FBS has its place and is hard to beat IN ITS PLACE!!!
 

Jason in Enid

Gold Member
Oct 10, 2009
9,593
9,229
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
MY WORDS WERE: FBS SUCKS HERE IN MY GROUND.....

See, you started great here...

.... I will be glad to bet your over priced detector is worthless on anything smaller than a golf ball past the 10" mark!

And then you went and destroyed anything you might say after that. "over priced and worthless" are not words you use when discussing detector abilities. They are words you use when attacking. So when you say those, it tends to shut off the brain to everything that follows and those words become the focus.
 

chrisdigs

Sr. Member
Oct 1, 2015
250
309
Middle Tennessee
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab CTX 3030,Garrett AT Pro,Garrett At MAX
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
I personally could care less about the test. I have used the AT pro for years and loved it. I have used the CTX for about 3 months now and am still learning the machine. I'm sorry to say..
The CTX beats the crap out of my At pro on depth and target ID.I have hunted my yard hundreds of times with the At pro and T2 se and thought it was picked clean until I got the CTX over it . I have a hard time believing that the test is accurate. Just my honest opinion from using both machines, not trying to offend any At Pro users ... I still have mine it's a good machine.
 

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DiggerinVA

DiggerinVA

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Sep 16, 2013
1,669
1,661
Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
Detector(s) used
GPX5000, AT Gold, AT Pro, Whites TDI, Bandido 2 umax, Tejon, Vaquero, Deus 2, ORX and Legend
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I am not attacking anybody.....i dont need to hear about anybodies experience with these machines because i have seen it myself....and i dont put much faith in videos or others opinions....not that people are wrong or lying. They just live and use their machines in different ground than me. My son has found stuff with a Compadre behind me when i was using machines like the F75 and Explorer SE......does that mean its a better machine? No....i just missed it...where he hunts our yard everyday!

I am not a Minelab hater....i actually like them and am currently looking for a Sovereign GT.....i was just saying that they dont perform the best in harsh ground conditions.....and i do believe the CTX and Gpx machines are priced higher than they should be.
 

dirtscratcher

Bronze Member
Mar 18, 2009
1,877
1,350
Columbia falls Montana
Detector(s) used
Minelab Sov GT Explorer XS Tesoro Vaq t2se x705
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I am not attacking anybody.....i dont need to hear about anybodies experience with these machines because i have seen it myself....and i dont put much faith in videos or others opinions....not that people are wrong or lying. They just live and use their machines in different ground than me. My son has found stuff with a Compadre behind me when i was using machines like the F75 and Explorer SE......does that mean its a better machine? No....i just missed it...where he hunts our yard everyday!

I am not a Minelab hater....i actually like them and am currently looking for a Sovereign GT.....i was just saying that they dont perform the best in harsh ground conditions.....and i do believe the CTX and Gpx machines are priced higher than they should be.

I going out on a limb and guessing, you aren't going to like the sovereign either. If fbs in your words suck,what makes you think bbs is going to be different.
 

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DiggerinVA

DiggerinVA

Bronze Member
Sep 16, 2013
1,669
1,661
Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
Detector(s) used
GPX5000, AT Gold, AT Pro, Whites TDI, Bandido 2 umax, Tejon, Vaquero, Deus 2, ORX and Legend
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I going out on a limb and guessing, you aren't going to like the sovereign either. If fbs in your words suck,what makes you think bbs is going to be different.

I will be using the Sovereign primarily for beach hunting....and I really liked my Explorer and done well with it until I hit the areas of bad ground with super deep relics, then some of my other machines performed a little better. I actually think I will love the Sovereign for the use I have in mind...
 

George (MN)

Hero Member
May 16, 2005
829
98
I had a Safari w/stock coil that air tested in house 11.5" on a dime with sensitivity 17 out of 20. My AT Pro with stock coil got 10" on a dime but don't doubt a larger coil would do better. The Safari with 16.5 " coil got 13" on a dime with sens 17 of 20. So, the differences might not be extreme, but enough to make a difference in some situations.
 

jimmyzr1

Full Member
Jun 12, 2010
204
86
Sacramento, Ca
Detector(s) used
Minelab Etrac, Ctx-3030, Excalibur sword, XP Deus, 3 Garrett propointers, White's Tdi SL, VX3, 6000 Di Pro SL, Mx sport, Tesoro Tiger shark and more
My CTX is as stable as hell in Auto +3. So stable that it made me go to manual mode.

I have used a lot of different machines over the last 20 years, and if I do not hear some 'chatter' then I assume that I am not running at full capacity.

I love the way people like to compare different machines as if there is 'one answer' to everyones detector needs.

I sold 4 detectors to pay for half of my CTX, so for all of you detectorists that feel that here is a right or wrong answer, go figure that one out.

I detect for fun, and my CTX is a blast.

I cannot use an ATP because the sound is not to my liking.

I bought a CTX because I like it, and no other reason.

Dug a nickel at 10" in a field of iron last Sunday, and that still has me grinning.

Here in Northern California, if I use manual, it is so erratic that it makes me crazy. I feel like I am missing targets. I have to use auto+3. If anyone on here uses their Ctx-3030 in NorCal, please give me settings I can run my Ctx-3030 at and still be fairly stable. If not, I may end up buying a Nel coil for my ATPro. I also don't get many good targets deeper than 5-6".
Thanks, Jim
 

duggr

Sr. Member
May 4, 2006
303
154
Fort Madison Iowa
Detector(s) used
Minelab CTX 3030
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I wonder why My Hunting partner who uses an AT Pro wants to get a CTX like I use?
Heres a video of me with a 7-8" Merc and my buddy running his atpro with the 8x11 coil
could only get a high pop. Notice the CTX locks on and Id's the target and I'm in Auto +3 sensitivity.
<b>
 

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DiggerinVA

DiggerinVA

Bronze Member
Sep 16, 2013
1,669
1,661
Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
Detector(s) used
GPX5000, AT Gold, AT Pro, Whites TDI, Bandido 2 umax, Tejon, Vaquero, Deus 2, ORX and Legend
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
If I lived in Illinois i would have a CTX also....(and probably less guns).
 

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DiggerinVA

DiggerinVA

Bronze Member
Sep 16, 2013
1,669
1,661
Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
Detector(s) used
GPX5000, AT Gold, AT Pro, Whites TDI, Bandido 2 umax, Tejon, Vaquero, Deus 2, ORX and Legend
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I recently saw a video of the new MX sport out performing the Deus on recovery speed.....and once i saw a video of man who could turn green and lift a truck! Videos are like opinions; look hard enough and you can find anything you want....
 

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