Twin Mercs Day 2 with E-Trac!

[JohnInPA]

So I took the dive and bought a new E-Trac on Saturday... thanks to a quarterly bonus from work.

Took it out in the back yard on Sunday and swung it around a bit... I was sooooo disappointed and couldn't believe I had spent that kind of money on this crazy thing. Seriously, from watching all of the finds videos on you tube, it was like the coins were being sucked out of the ground and sticking to the coil.

So I went about REALLY watching the E-Trac videos and REALLY reading some of the posts that people have posted and set about to REALLY give it a good go this evening. Success. Thanks to all who have posted their experience with this machine. So very helpful in getting up the hump.

So I started out, found some iron whats-its what were giving me some falsing... remembered a vid I saw last night that basically said "This is falsing".

Carefully ignored the falsing and bam... clad nickle... bam 2 lincolns... bam 1 zincloln... then the sweet music... hit around 12-45 at 4 inches . I knew exactly what it was from the videos... called my wife over... popped the plug... and yippee 1920 merc!

Checked the area again... another 12-45 about 4 inches away... popped it up... 1929 merc!

So very glad i found this site!!!!

 

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[JohnInPA]

I dont think i called anybody a liar Teverly, i just said i'm getting tired of hearing all the bs stories!! It seems every coin found by a minelab was either on edge at amazing depths or buried under so much iron no other brand would ever find it!! Besides why the hell would i want an Etrac?? Just because everybody else has one and it seems like every post has something posted by a so called "Dealer" thats trying to push an Etrac down everybodys throats?? I have hunted beside atleast 3 different minelabs including an Etrac and wasnt impressed or was i out hunted by any of them and all i use was an XLT. I believe its alot more than just a machine, you obviously didnt get that part?? I think its alot more than the machine you use, its some skill, some luck and lots of practice. If you use a minelab and find great stuff with it, why dont anybody take credit for thier skill and hard work and not put all the praise on thier choice of machine. I have found tons of old coins and it wasnt all because i use a Whites, it was because "I" put the time in the research and did the work at the library to find these places where old coins are!! I'm not knocking anybody's choice in machines, i just dont think its all the machine!! Once again, its just my 2 cents and i guess if i made anybody mad, get over it!!

Maceman,

You seem like a bitter man. Go back and read your posts and think about how what you have posted is perceived.

I am very new to the hobby, having just started this season. I dont attribute the small success seen here with years of experience in the field because I simply dont have that level of experience. In fact, if you look at my member profile, I bought the E-Trac having only used a Bounty Hunter Lone Star previously. Not BS.

I'm glad that you like your Whites and think so highly of your abilities. It is diappointing to come back to this thread and see such vitriol posted by someone who clearly has no interest in the finds that I posted.

Happy Hunting

John

 

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[JohnInPA]

So basically what you all are saying is that you learned nothing using the other machines and basically just turned on the minelab and like magic you were finding coins?? WOW thats simply amazing!!! Maybe i should buy one!! I think i can and have competed with other minelabs including an ETRAC and have found just as much if not more than the minelabs? What does that say? I'm just lucky? Minelabs were having a bad day?? There wasnt any coins 15 inches deep under 6 inches of iron under 3 inches of foil on edge? Just wondering, i have a friend that bought an Etrac after using a DFX and says theres not much difference except the Whites pinpoints better!! I think there are alot of people who will or dont want to take credit for their ability because "someone said" this Etrac is magic!! To each thier own but the BS stories of coins 15 inches deep under a piece of iron on edge are getting REAL old!! Once again, just MY 2 cents worth!!! Go Whites!!!

I agree nothing trumps experience and thought my White's was an inferior machine for many yrs. and almost quit detecting after doing it on and off for yrs. I was wrong, I just had to take time to learn the machine and did and started finding deeper, better targets. I then upgraded to a used Explorer SE,( no e-trac of course). I was worried about the learning curve and having to much machine for my needs. First thing I noticed was that it didn't pinpoint as well as my Whites, second thing I noticed was I was wrong to think it would take a long time to get used to. On the first day, I dug two silver dimes in my yard that had been pounded with my White's and a couple other machines. They weren't 12 inches deep on edge, they were 5 or 6" deep in trash. I then dug a 3" deep Barber quarter in a neighbors yard who had given permission to 5 other people over the yrs before I pounded it with a Whites and had 2 indians to show. I went on to dig 4 more silvers and 8 or 10 indians with the SE. I then re-hunted all the yards I had already detected on permissions and found about 80 silver coins last fall alone with no new spots,included a five " old " silver day in a pounded park. While I have found a silver quarter at a foot, and a couple dimes at 9 or 10" inches most finds were 4-8" deep and just plain missed with other machines. I don't know much about this hobby but have a blast and am very pleased with my machine and now feel confident that everytime I turn it on I have a good chance of hearing that sweet sound ringing through my headphones. I stay on spots longer, and can't wait to learn more about the machine and settings. I havent been doing this 30 yrs. but I dont think all these people can be wrong, other brands are producing high end units but didn't hear all the hype I was hearing about the minelabs. Now I understand, I haven't even thought about upgrading to an etrac, but know it would be money well spent if I did. Congrats to everyone finding whatever they are looking for.

Very well said! It's not what you swing so much as the fun you have doing it. Much more fun when you are finding coll stuff at the bottom of you hole!

 

[maceman66]

John, my posts were not directed totally at you, 2 mercs are a great find, i'm not knocking you for being a newbie, it just seems that when somebody posts something they never take credit for what they do and put all the credit on the machine. It seems every post has someone bragging about what the Etrac can do and you have a "dealer" commenting on everybodys posts and bragging up the etrac. I'm not knocking the etrac, if thats what works for you, so be it!!! I have dug tons of coins and have been very successful with my finds, but i also wont put all the credit on the machine i use, i have done alot of research and door knocking to get permission for the areas where old coins are found. Have a little faith in yourself and learn your machine and the finds will be endless, but it dont take an Etrac to be a good detectorist!!! Just my 2 cents!!

 

[Wldbil]

Whatever machine... Nice finds!!!

 

[JohnInPA]

Thanks for the clarification, Mace.

I was very excited to find silver in my backyard. I had hunted my yard fairly thoroughly with my old detector and did not find these coins. The were about 5 inches deep and in fairly close proximity to iron. I believe that my old machine was unable to give me a reliable signal with nails in such close proximity to the good stuff. I do give much credit to the E-Trac from that standpoint. I am certain that other machines could also helped me find those coins as well. The point of my post was to thank those who had posted such good information about the use of the E-Trac to help lessen the learning curve, allowing me an early success after a large investment.

There is still a lot to learn, but I am enjoying this hobby even more now that I have a better tool. Based on the evaluations that I have seen online, I have not been disappointed in the performance of this machine. I know that i am not using it to it's full capabilities yet, and ai am sure that someone who has gobs of hours on another machine would likely find more stuff than me. I dont view this hobby in a competitive manner, though. Competition = stress = the opposite of what I need. I am a software engineer so I spend 70 hour weeks behind a keyboard. I do this to get outside with the trees and the sun to find some cool stuff. It is fun for me. I want to find more cool stuff, but for me, the birds and the trees and the sunshine are the real treasures.

John, my posts were not directed totally at you, 2 mercs are a great find, i'm not knocking you for being a newbie, it just seems that when somebody posts something they never take credit for what they do and put all the credit on the machine. It seems every post has someone bragging about what the Etrac can do and you have a "dealer" commenting on everybodys posts and bragging up the etrac. I'm not knocking the etrac, if thats what works for you, so be it!!! I have dug tons of coins and have been very successful with my finds, but i also wont put all the credit on the machine i use, i have done alot of research and door knocking to get permission for the areas where old coins are found. Have a little faith in yourself and learn your machine and the finds will be endless, but it dont take an Etrac to be a good detectorist!!! Just my 2 cents!!