etrac users, please help me from wrapping mine around a tree!

[DeepseekerADS]

Thanks jcache, I agree 100%, I was pretty darn good with the ATP, now I'm a rookie all over again

No you aren't! You've found silver now, so you broke a barrier! You still need hours on though....

 

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[cjon455]

No you aren't! You've found silver now, so you broke a barrier! You still need hours on though....

Thanks, the frustration in the beginning of this thread was due to the fact I was trying in my yard which has a nail every 3 inches, they're everywhere!, once I got out to a spot where I was actually able to dig tones, I felt much better about the machine. Now as soon as I dig a 8 to 10 inch Coin, then I'll be pumped, that's not too much to ask is it? Lol

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Thanks, the frustration in the beginning of this thread was due to the fact I was trying in my yard which has a nail every 3 inches, they're everywhere!,

Well, don't disregard your lawn. It is training, those times you have only a few minutes to practice, you've your yard, and that's going to teach you one heck of a lot once you get the "vibes". You'll be "cool" in just a few months.

 

[cjon455]

Hey I can't complain, so far in about 7 hours the etrac got me

1866 indian, 18?? Shield nickel
1943p war nickel, 7-8 wheats,
gold gilt flat button

I know in time they're gonna get better, thanks for the kind words!

 

[Ky Ed]

I have a set of readings that you might like to help in helping get more stability on nails and deep silver. It was given to me by Ron in California. Many people have said ti has settled down their Minelab machines and made it more stable. I find that nails on my Explorer will clip and then go null. If you are interested , let me know. The next question is: are you using the advanced mode or factory preset mode with coins and Jewelery settings? Ky Ed

 

[Mach1Pilot]

cjon - it sounds like you are starting to figure it out by the results you posted. I also agree... for now get out of your yard and find an easier place to learn the sounds. When you do come back to your yard, hit it with a little coil like the Sunray X5. You will be amazed at the difference in target separation!

Also, if you are running a wide open screen I'd suggest the factory coins pattern for now until you recognize the difference between targets. As time goes on and with experience, start to open it up a bit until you have it where you are comfortable.

 

[borntohunt460]

I switched to etrac from at pro in january. For those more experienced, correct me if I'm wrong but the etracs settings and discrimination are very dependent on site that you re at. For instance, I detect a lot of old home sites. If I used andy s program around all those nails, the etrac just nulls and you'd miss a lot. When I'm at a homesite I use minelab relic discrimination with two tone ferrous. I use andy s when at a park with fewer signals than an old home. Also if you used 2 tone ferrous at a park you'd be digging foil all day. Any input on this mentality?

 

[Jason in Enid]

Nothing wrong with that thinking at all. I leave mine in the same setting all the time and just use the brain to pick out the squeekers among the ferrous. I have found the best way to deal with huge amounts of trash is just to slow WAAAAY down on your coil swing. But it's one method among many. Use what works for you.

 

[borntohunt460]

Nothing wrong with that thinking at all. I leave mine in the same setting all the time and just use the brain to pick out the squeekers among the ferrous. I have found the best way to deal with huge amounts of trash is just to slow WAAAAY down on your coil swing. But it's one method among many. Use what works for you.

So you leave the discrimination wide open? How about 2 tone ferrous? I've read somewhere that you may lose depth with 2 tone

 

[Jason in Enid]

I never use "completely wide open", there is always at least the bottom right corner blocked out but usually I block the FE line up to about 27 and use QM with a wide-open pattern to check targets.

Never liked TTF. I tried it, didn't do anything for me. I think the people who saw improvements with TTF were coming off a factory disc level, which is way too much in my opinion. Multi-tone with an increased pitch really makes the silvers sing.

 

[Ky Ed]

Learning to use your Iron mask should help in falsing on nails. Ky.Ed

 

[Pointman]

I've seen this thread, but I didn't read into it. Reminds me when I went from the AT Pro over to the CTX. I had a year on the AT and swore by it. The first 6 hunts I was pulling the AT Pro out, because I didn't know or trust the CTX. Took me well over a dozen hunts to really start getting it down and trusting it. Took me much more time to get used to using it in trashy sites and even more time to start running the settings more open. Took me well over a year to learn to squeeze everything out of the CTX in different situations.

I definitely don't have the experience that Jason from Enid has on the Etrac, but I am able to switch to the Etrac and about 30 minutes get used to and understand its "language" cause it is very similar to the CTX. I don't use the Etrac simply because it is like the CTX, (but more rudimentary in a way), although it is a good machine and I feel in the right hands it can hold its own against almost any machine out there.

 

[cjon455]

I've seen this thread, but I didn't read into it. Reminds me when I went from the AT Pro over to the CTX. I had a year on the AT and swore by it. The first 6 hunts I was pulling the AT Pro out, because I didn't know or trust the CTX. Took me well over a dozen hunts to really start getting it down and trusting it. Took me much more time to get used to using it in trashy sites and even more time to start running the settings more open. Took me well over a year to learn to squeeze everything out of the CTX in different situations.



I definitely don't have the experience that Jason from Enid has on the Etrac, but I am able to switch to the Etrac and about 30 minutes get used to and understand its "language" cause it is very similar to the CTX. I don't use the Etrac simply because it is like the CTX, (but more rudimentary in a way), although it is a good machine and I feel in the right hands it can hold its own against almost any machine out there.

ya know its funny, this thread was made out of frustration a few weeks ago, ive logged about 6 solid hunts with the etrac and things make more sense each time out, at some spots I simply don't even read the numbers, just the tones, and ive used the iron mask to stop falsing at sites, id say I got a ways to go but im not nearly as frustrated as the original post in this thread, thanks!

 

[cooper1841]

I agree, cjon, good thing I did not still have my AT Pro to go back to! Now after about a dozen, 2-3 hour hunts, I have more confidence each time out. I notice I get more falsing when I run Andy's coin pattern, than I do with the stock coin or beach mode....................30 hours in and LOTS of learning to do! glad to be retired, but we had snow in Michigan this morning!!! need a streak of good weather!!!!

 

[Pointman]

It was that way with my XP Deus. I have been using it mostly a year and it started to grow on me and I understood it, only after forcing myself to quit using other machines.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

When I bought my E-Trac....

I came back to the hobby a few months before I joined Tnet after a lapse since the late 80's. I still had my Fisher 1260X, but figured today's technology had to be advanced such that an ACE250 had to blow my Fisher away. It didn't. But I really wanted the kind of machine that would talk to me like those whispers I loved in the 80's. The Ace really disappointed me. So, I commenced reading, joined forums - TNet was actually the last I joined (and I might add that I rarely go to the others anymore). But, I studied and read everything I could about the E-Trac. The CTX was out, but unaffordable. So, I went for the E-Trac, and later purchased the CTX after really studying that machine through what I read.

I don't hunt as often as most here, but it remains a passion.

I know I have power here with these beasts. I came from an era when it was all about the sounds I could hear. And, it all boils down to this:

The only time I look at the numbers is when I am ready to dig. That is when I make my final decision.

Become one with the machine

 

[Ogre1190]

I'm right there with you, Cjon. I've had my Safari out about 6-7 times, now, and I THINK I'm starting to get it. I'm TRYING to listen more and watch less...Like I had to do with my old White's 6DB. The only parts I'm having trouble with are falsing and pinpointing. I could dig 3" plugs with the 6DB and be dead center on a coin. Now I'm digging 8-10" ones and STILL missing! But I'm liking MineLab a little more each time I go out.

 

[firemac]

have you tried "Goes4ever" settings? Loaded his settings and only adjusted for my hearing, and it has been great for me, plus the TTF setting.

 

[cjon455]

have you tried "Goes4ever" settings? Loaded his settings and only adjusted for my hearing, and it has been great for me, plus the TTF setting.

ive been using Andy Sabisch coin mode, with manual sensitivity around 20-25 lately, its been working out well, I occasionally use TTF but as lame as I am I love the light whistle the better targets give off lol!

 

[Bart@Big Boys Hobbies]

I agree, cjon, good thing I did not still have my AT Pro to go back to! Now after about a dozen, 2-3 hour hunts, I have more confidence each time out. I notice I get more falsing when I run Andy's coin pattern, than I do with the stock coin or beach mode....................30 hours in and LOTS of learning to do! glad to be retired, but we had snow in Michigan this morning!!! need a streak of good weather!!!!

Glad your getting it! With Minelab its all about going slow and audio audio audio! It WILL pay off!