Excalibur ll vs CTX 3030

[william1]

Which is the beach hunter thanks

 

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[adamBomb]

The excalibur is designed specifically for salt water and salt beaches. The CTX does that too plus is designed to hunt land/fresh water. They are two very different machines though. What exactly are you looking to do with the detector? What is your price range?

 

[TheRingFinder]

William - When I go hunting on a beach, I use my E-Trac for the sand and then switch to the Excal when I enter the water. I believe the CTX 3030 was designed so you don't need 2 different detectors at the beach. The Excal is great for all water hunting, the CTX 3030 can't go into the deeper water.

Excal made specifically for salt water, hmmmmm; never heard that before?

 

[william1]

The ctx 3030 is water proof up to 10 feet just
looking for beach hunting

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

The ctx 3030 is water proof up to 10 feet just
looking for beach hunting

What is your budget?

 

[TheRingFinder]

The ctx 3030 is water proof up to 10 feet just
looking for beach hunting

That's what I said William - I believe they made the CTX 3030 so you could hunt the beach and the water - Just not the DEEPER water. IE: scuba hunting.............

I'm assuming you will venture into the shallows.....correct?

 

[ColonelDan]

The simple view from my personal foxhole: It all depends on what you feel is important in a detector and your budget as Treasure Hunter said.

I own both detectors and will provide just a few points from my time of using both:

~ The Excal is more waterproof than the CTX regardless of depth

~ The CTX employs FBS technology while the Excal is BBS technology...i.e. more frequencies for the CTX

~ The CTX has better target ID than the Excal

~ The Excal is much simpler to use than the CTX even though the CTX isn't difficult to learn

~ The CTX has far more and varied capabilities than the Excal; e.g. GPS, programable/custom programs, computer interface

~ The Excal is tone only while the CTX is both tone and visual

~ The CTX has a longer warranty period than the Excal

~ The Excal "requires" more modification to optimize its use than does the CTX. e.g. straight shaft and pin point mod for the Excal

~ The CTX has rapid coil change capability where the Excal coil is hard wired

~ The CTX has headphone change capability where the Excal headphones are hard wired

~ The CTX is more capable on land than the Excal

~ The CTX has a "semi wireless" capability while the Excal does not.

I'm sure there are more points that can be added to this list by other experienced users of both detectors; these are just the main ones that come to my simple cavalry mind.

 

[ARC]

1000 dollar difference correct ?

 

[ColonelDan]

1000 dollar difference correct ?

Good point!

The Excal retails for $1,500 where the CTX retails for $2,500

So again, it all depends on how important are the differences to you and the impact on your budget.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

In my opinion yes it is worth the difference, for one, never dig another zinc penny again, the ability to see multiple targets at the same time and to know which is good and which is iron rocks (Target Trace)...

I will always own an excal and I love the 3030 so until Minelab comes out with a new water machine that is superior I will always have both.......

 

[ColonelDan]

In my opinion yes it is worth the difference, for one, never dig another zinc penny again, the ability to see multiple targets at the same time and to know which is good and which is iron rocks (Target Trace)...

I will always own an excal and I love the 3030 so until Minelab comes out with a new water machine that is superior I will always have both.......

Agree with Treasure Hunter 100%. Personally, I prefer the CTX on dry and wet sand and the Excal in the surf. But as I always say, that's just the view from my foxhole.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Waist deep and less I like the 3030 any deeper I like the excal as easier to sweep in deep water, less resistance......

 

[adamBomb]

Any difference in depth for those that own both?

 

[ColonelDan]

Any difference in depth for those that own both?

After more than several years at this hobby, I don't look at depth as a be all-end all metric when judging the value of any detector. Depth is dependent on many variables independent of a machine's internal software design or configuration--coil size, soil composition, target orientation within the soil just to name a few.

As for the CTX vs Excal, I've hit dimes at 22" on central Florida beaches with the Excal in pin point mode with sensitivity at 7-8 and sporting a 12x15 SEF coil. Similar performance can be achieved with a 17 inch coil on the CTX running in open screen and using the proper manual sensitivity setting. My personally preferred metric centers on recovery speed, separation and discrimination capability...the depth will come. In those preferred areas, the CTX gets the nod.

Again, just the view from my old foxhole...

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Stock coil vs stock coil the 3030 is deeper, but change to a 15" on the excal and I get results like Dan in all metal 20" plus, BUT your still digging zinc pennies with the excal that you don't dig with the 3030 and you can skip other trash as well. 3030 has both tones and TIDs, excal doesn't, together they are a deadly duo....

Surf conditions decide what I'm using to hunt on beach.. If surf is mild I use the Excal as I hunt in deeper water many times, if surf is bad or it us winter, I'm using the 3030.

Just FYI, Minelab Repair center has not seen any units come in with flooding on units using the new o-rings which still fit the old 3030s.

 

[ColonelDan]

After reading Treasure Hunter's latest post immediately above, I realized that I neglected to respond to your depth question regarding stock coil vs stock coil so I'm glad TH did. Having said that, I agree with TH...the CTX is deeper...as well as more sensitive, a better discriminator with faster recovery.

So is the $1,000 more for the CTX worth it to you? Only you can make that call. Good luck...

 

[RVRoamer74]

Guess I will soon find out for myself.. Ordered a 3030 from Kellyco yesterday to be sent to me Monday at OBX..I hope the learning curve isn't too bad on this one.
Lots of nice features to be had with the CTX 3030,, but of course it will take time to fully get Max understanding and using the unit. I ordered my from Kellyco with
my Military discount,,got nearly $400 off list. Good folks down there at Kellyco.. ( Marty ) really helpful...

Will be posting as to how it's going with my CTX vs my Cal2's...I have used the cal2 for 10 years or more,, but most was Land hunting,,which some would think not the
right machine for this,,but I did very well with it.. Just my 2 cents...

See Ya down the road,,,HH

 

[adamBomb]

After reading Treasure Hunter's latest post immediately above, I realized that I neglected to respond to your depth question regarding stock coil vs stock coil so I'm glad TH did. Having said that, I agree with TH...the CTX is deeper...as well as more sensitive, a better discriminator with faster recovery.

So is the $1,000 more for the CTX worth it to you? Only you can make that call. Good luck...

It might be my next machine if I find enough this year with my CZ21/Excal to pay for it...but who knows next year we might finally see an upgraded Excal/CZ or even a PI that can discriminate! I paid for my excal with findings from my CZ so I know it can be done!