what did I pay for

[jtermz]

I have the Etrac from what I read you should go by tones not vdi#s the debth chart is not accurate using fast/deep on causes problems gain doesn't do much for you so I am wondering what is the advantage of the etrac. I have many hours on the machine have read and tried every pointer I could get including Andy S book and watching youtube but still not getting anydeep targets I have hunted parks,tot lots ,sidewalk tearouts and wet and dry sand and chicagos beaches. if your supposed to go by audio then what good is all the bells and whistles
maybe I am just jealous of what I see you guys get.
Thanks for listening

 

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[jeff of pa]

The things you are complaining about are the same with all detectors.
However certain detectors are just a little more accurate then others.
Also depth is certainly improved on the Etrac/ Explorer series
especially for small silver. I can only guess you are either swinging too fast &/or High above the ground
or still fairly new.

to answer your question you paid for one of the best detectors in the world.
But like anything else you need to lern it.

a Maserati or semi in the hands of a 15 year old who just hopped into the drivers seat
for the first drive ever without any experience above a bicycle, is not going to perform like advertised.

Your doing the right thing though Asking Questions & learning

 

[MrMikeJackie]

I wanted to wrap my CTX around a tree when I first got it. Wrote a similar post and received a lot of positive feedback. Jeff of Pa is spot on. Go slowwwwwww. There's a reason why the Etrac is regarded as one of the best machines ever. It sees what other machines don't and relays that info to you. You just have to learn how to decipher it. One day you will be swinging along and all of sudden, bingo! It all makes sense now. GL HH Mike

 

[cudamark]

I go by sound AND VDI#'s. The depth indicator is reasonably accurate with the stock coil and coin size targets.......just like most other machines. The fast/deep settings can be turned on or off depending on conditions. Just like other settings, they're not to be used under all conditions. I find the E-trac's advantage is better depth and stability over other machines I've used.

 

[Pointman]

Among other strengths, the FBS machines have some of the most accurate VDIs that I have come across.

I know a lot of Deus users will resent this remark, but I usually prefer the Etrac (now the CTX) over the Deus, in really trashy spots because I can just listen and watch the readings. The Deus' readings bounce around and sometimes it will hit hard on iron and aluminum making it actually a little more difficult to pick through the trash than the Etrac or CTX. Recovery wise (reactivity) it is faster. With the Etrac and CTX if you get a signal that sounds good and even a reading for a second that is reading in the "good target range" (e.g. penny = 12.42) a lot of times it will be a good target with nails or something else right next to it. Many, many times I have worked slowly and went back over well hit spots and watched my VDI readings carefully and pulled old nickels and wheat cents out. That is one of the main reasons I like the FBS machines is because of the accurate readings, but only up to a certain depth as you explained.

 

[Bart@Big Boys Hobbies]

I wanted to wrap my CTX around a tree when I first got it. Wrote a similar post and received a lot of positive feedback. Jeff of Pa is spot on. Go slowwwwwww. There's a reason why the Etrac is regarded as one of the best machines ever. It sees what other machines don't and relays that info to you. You just have to learn how to decipher it. One day you will be swinging along and all of sudden, bingo! It all makes sense now. GL HH Mike

Agreed! I have found more silver with my Minelab E-Trac than all my machines together. You cant learn it overnight but one day it will just click and the light will come on. I remember saying to myself on the old explorers.... WOW, I was making this way to hard.

 

[cudamark]

Among other strengths, the FBS machines have some of the most accurate VDIs that I have come across.

I know a lot of Deus users will resent this remark, but I usually prefer the Etrac (now the CTX) over the Deus, in really trashy spots because I can just listen and watch the readings. The Deus' readings bounce around and sometimes it will hit hard on iron and aluminum making it actually a little more difficult to pick through the trash than the Etrac or CTX. Recovery wise (reactivity) it is faster. With the Etrac and CTX if you get a signal that sounds good and even a reading for a second that is reading in the "good target range" (e.g. penny = 12.42) a lot of times it will be a good target with nails or something else right next to it. Many, many times I have worked slowly and went back over well hit spots and watched my VDI readings carefully and pulled old nickels and wheat cents out. That is one of the main reasons I like the FBS machines is because of the accurate readings, but only up to a certain depth as you explained.

As much as I like my E-trac, the older White's machines I've used had a more accurate I.D. If I get a 12-44 with my Minelab, you can flip a coin as to whether it's a copper cent or clad dime. On my old White's, a copper cent was 77 or 78 and a clad dime was 79 or 80 with at least a 95% accuracy rating....at least in the typical ground conditions I've encountered.

 

[Mach1Pilot]

The shallower targets are easy.... its the deeper ones with any machine that are hard to hear. The Etrac does well on those deeper coins - like others have noted just swing it slow... Also it helps to get a smaller coil on it in the real trashy sites for better target separation. You will be amazed how many clean, crips targets appear in the trashy spots when using a small coil after you have tried a big one on the same area! Often they are simply masked by trash with the big coil.

 

[TheRingFinder]

Time, it all takes time - and patience - though it will come.

 

[tinman68]

my safari was the same took about a year or so to start to get the hang. Look for a big field with little trash and dig everything

good luck

 

[lockster99]

Wanted to wrap my CTX around the same tree until I got some help setting it up better. Whole new machine after that.

What was a real game changer for me was getting the 6" coil. Wow....it's absolutely deadly now.

And going slower too.

 

[ArmyJoe]

Jtermz,

Sent ya a PM and I gotta give a bump to Tinman68! If it wasn't for his help my Safari would have gone back to minelab in pieces with a long letter filled with explatives!!!

Patience is key and the finds will come!

 

[Smells Like Silver]

I love my ETrac... It's a Silver finding machine