CTX 3030 Discovery

[Beach Papa]

I broke down a few weeks ago and got a CTX 3030. it is my 1st Minelab detector. Still Learning the detector, but I have made huge strides in understanding and so far I like it alot. I like the discrimination features and the ability to not signal on trash targets. Eliminating the "Pesky Penny", as Gary Drayton put it, is pretty easy. However, although all targets have a clear Fe-Co signature signal close to the coil, the further away the target is, the less stable or accurate the Fe-Co numbers are. So about my 5th hunt with the detector I decide to reject the pesky penny. I little while into the hunt I am not getting any pennies and I am pleased because I know they would have been there, but then I get this iffy signal that comes and goes bouncing around and sometimes it is a 12-33 on the FeCo scale and could be a large 10k class ring. The detector is saying 12", which is as deep as the detector will say a target is, but I know the target is just on the fringe of detection and likely deeper. I dig for 10 minutes trying to get this target that seems to just keep disappearing. My hole is about 3' in diameter and probably 18" deep and I can't find the target in the hole or out of the hole. Turned out to be a penny that I was finally able to locate in pin point mode (which ignores the rejection zones). What happened was the penny was deep with an unstable signal that would sometimes come in with numbers that were not rejected and give a signal and sometimes hit on the rejected penny numbers and not sound off. Moral of the story is, if you are rejecting pennies and get an iffy signal, make sure you are also looking at the screen to see if you are also getting the rejection icon in the penny zone before you spend 10 minutes trying to dig up a deep rejected penny...... Any suggestions from any of you other CTX users are most welcome. Happy Hunting, Papa

 

[lookindown]

I broke down a few weeks ago and got a CTX 3030. it is my 1st Minelab detector. Still Learning the detector, but I have made huge strides in understanding and so far I like it alot. I like the discrimination features and the ability to not signal on trash targets. Eliminating the "Pesky Penny", as Gary Drayton put it, is pretty easy. However, although all targets have a clear Fe-Co signature signal close to the coil, the further away the target is, the less stable or accurate the Fe-Co numbers are. So about my 5th hunt with the detector I decide to reject the pesky penny. I little while into the hunt I am not getting any pennies and I am pleased because I know they would have been there, but then I get this iffy signal that comes and goes bouncing around and sometimes it is a 12-33 on the FeCo scale and could be a large 10k class ring. The detector is saying 12", which is as deep as the detector will say a target is, but I know the target is just on the fringe of detection and likely deeper. I dig for 10 minutes trying to get this target that seems to just keep disappearing. My hole is about 3' in diameter and probably 18" deep and I can't find the target in the hole or out of the hole. Turned out to be a penny that I was finally able to locate in pin point mode (which ignores the rejection zones). What happened was the penny was deep with an unstable signal that would sometimes come in with numbers that were not rejected and give a signal and sometimes hit on the rejected penny numbers and not sound off. Moral of the story is, if you are rejecting pennies and get an iffy signal, make sure you are also looking at the screen to see if you are also getting the rejection icon in the penny zone before you spend 10 minutes trying to dig up a deep rejected penny...... Any suggestions from any of you other CTX users are most welcome. Happy Hunting, Papa

How do you know its a penny and not a gold ring? Ive got an 8.6 gram 10k that reads 76 on my AT pro, which is the same number that a zincoln reads.

 

[seeker41]

"I like the discrimination features and the ability to not signal on trash targets. Eliminating the "Pesky Penny", as Gary Drayton put it, is pretty easy. However, although all targets have a clear Fe-Co signature signal close to the coil, the further away the target is, the less stable or accurate the Fe-Co numbers are"

how many detectors have the reported ability to "only find good targets" just about every detector made in the last 15-20 years!!!!! start cherry picking and you will start missing good finds!!!! the more you pass up, the more you will miss!
chuck

 

[bigscoop]

Most everything needs to be taken as "generalized" information. Once you enter the field there are a lot of effecting factors that come into play. The only targets I don't dig are the ones that I'm not 100% about and there are very few of those. Strangely, "the more gold I find the less certain I've become."

 

[Beach Papa]

I appreciate the thoughts. I know there is always a risk of discriminating anything because of the risk of discriminating the wrong thing. I am sure some CTX users use an open screen without any discrimination. As technology improves, hopefully, they are getting better at separating the trash from the treasure when it comes to discriminating..... I would be happy to have other CTX users chime in. Blessings to all and happy hunting. Papa

 

[mikeothmer]

I have an Etrac and I believe the Fe Co numbers run about the same. I found the Fe numbers to be very unstable and clouded my judgement. The Co numbers seem to be much more stable but don't always come up the same for identical objects. All in all I never use a machine with numbers at the beach because they only give me reasons not to dig. I will be the last to say that I have Mastered the Etrac but with precious metals mingled in with numbers of aluminum copper ,and what have you, why not dig everything but iron ?

 

[seeker41]

"I found the Fe numbers to be very unstable and clouded my judgement"

i feel the same way regarding all forms of vid. at best i use vid as a very rough guess as to what the target may be.
i would like to play with a ctx3030 just to see what its like to hunt with one.
chuck.