Going from Safari to Etrac, need some newbie help please!

NEPAMD · Aug 27, 2015

Hello all,

I recently purchased an Etrac. The last two nights I've gone to local parks and it's been very frustrating! I used in on the beach over the previous weekend and was very happy but the parks are killing me. On the beach it was clean and I was pulling clad like nobody's business. As stated the last two nights I've gone to parks but I'm having a really hard time with all the trash. I've been running it in Minelab's preprogrammed coin mode and it's beeping about 3 times every swing with different noises. I can tell in clean ground when I've got a coin and I think my time with the Safari has taught me a lot of the audio signals. I tried TTF but I can't really tell any differences in pitch yet. Can you give me some suggestions to make the transition easier. I have the stock coil fyi. I know this detector is capable I'm just not there yet. It's just really aggravating hearing sooo much noise!

Thanks!

ChampFerguson/TN · Aug 28, 2015

I went from the Safari to the CTX, so I had a similar situation. So tho the ETrac and CTX are siblings, I cant really comment on your machine.

That said, the factory settings on the CTX, to be kind, need some tweaking. Take a look at some discrimination patterns for the eTrac that others have posted and increase your discrimination. I am of the mind that when you are learning a new machine, you only open up what you can handle- meaning the known good target areas. Then remove discrimination as you become confident in your machine. So open up the coins you want and nothing else. Trying to find dirt/park jewelry while learning a FBS is self torture imo. Remember how Safari nickels came in just left of pulltabs @ about 14? Its the same for your eTrac ( I think- that's how it is on the CTX) so find those 15 area pulltabs and dig a number or 2 left of that for nickels.

Beach, run wide open unless you encounter a bunch of somethings at the same # that you don't want to dig.

Short answer: get Andy Sabisch's eTrac book. The ones for the Safari and CTX should come with every machine purchase imo.

Good Luck, and stick with it. Youll be glad you did.

MrMikeJackie · Aug 28, 2015

Enjoy the song, you will understand the words soon enough. Keep swinging, keep digging. Gl HH Mike

Randyg12 · Aug 28, 2015

Patients Grashopper :laughing7:

The tones will drive you nuts at first, but stick with the multi tones and slow way down. By slow I'm talking about inching along with short swings. You need to learn the language but it's going to take some time and a lot of digging before you understand what your hearing. If you also bought the 6" coil use it. Once you learn the language your pouch will be filled with good finds. Practice, practice, and practice some more. HH

Mach1Pilot · Aug 29, 2015

It sounds to me that you would benefit from a small coil in the park you are trying to hunt. That and a nice slow swing are keys to success with the Etrac.

Roger Mn. · Sep 2, 2015

I hunt in coin mode in the trashy parks and i only listen for the loud sounds a coin gives and if i'm not sure it's a coin i hit the Quick Mask button . If the numbers are still in the coin range i dig and if they are high numbers i move on and go back to coin mode.
I can tell most aluminum buy tone and were the little square is located and if not positive hit the Quick Mask button if not a coin the aluminum gives large numbers. Coins at 14 inches are just as load as the coins on top of the ground except were the ground is full of coal slag and nails .
In bad ground were you hear the threshold blank out go slower and the coins might not be as load but you can hear it good enough to decide to dig it.

Roger Mn. · Sep 3, 2015

Now take a dime and swing the coil over it. See how load it is . Now go in all metal mode and do it again. Start detecting and only listen for that load tone. If you aren't getting that load sound don't mess with it .Your not going to miss any good gold rings they ring up load. I can only hunt in all metal mode for just a short time and i'm back to coin mode.

NEPAMD · Sep 3, 2015

Thanks for the help guys! Im getting better, I used Bill S trashy park program and went real slow! I pulled two wheaties 1910, 1923 and two silver spoons. Im going to invest in a smaller coil. I cant decide if I should get the 6" or 5x10 from coiltek. Any opinions?

RobRieman · Sep 3, 2015

NEPAMD said:
Thanks for the help guys! Im getting better, I used Bill S trashy park program and went real slow! I pulled two wheaties 1910, 1923 and two silver spoons. Im going to invest in a smaller coil. I cant decide if I should get the 6" or 5x10 from coiltek. Any opinions?

I got the 6" Coiltek from Bart. Took it for its maiden voyage last night and found a 1885 W. Bohannan cast bronze padlock that was buried in some nasty iron that would just null with the 11". So far I like it but I only have a couple hours on it so it's still virgin.