which one is better. if you could choose only one

[Fletch78]

Minelab Elite or Gt verses Explorer XS. No Other models !
Why do you make your suggestion?
Please, as many user replies as I can get !

 

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[Fletch88]

Forget the GPS or thinking you have to download joe blows program or it's no good! Totally unnecessary to have a computer to use the CTX straight out of the box. The main reason I sold mine was I like to water hunt quite a bit and the design of its battery oring is terrible and sand kills the carbon fiber shaft by getting in nooks and crannys it should not be able to. I prefer a dedicated water unit and land machine.

 

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[cudamark]

I thought you were talking to yourself there for a minute.......too many Fletch's in this post! I'd go with the Explorer for the uses you want to put it to. At the beach, it would be a coin flip, but dirt digging goes to the XS without a doubt. It just gives you more info in a better format and tone than the Sov. Don't worry about the learning curve. I went from an older White's to an E-trac and it wasn't near as bad as other would have you believe. You just need to read the manuals and get lots of hunting in. Dig everything at first to learn faster what your machine is telling you.

 

[Fletch88]

Yes I may need a name change!

 

[Fletch78]

Lol Fletch88, Fletcher graduated 88 ?
I graduated 78. Lol

 

[Fletch78]

It's all good. Planting test garden tomorrow. Hope to hunt an 150 to home stead next weekend if its not to freaking hot. Thanx for the advice guys, researched out. Time to hunt !!

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Unless you intend on going underwater (or wading deep in, etc...), you won't need the CTX. I use the standard explorer on the beach all the time. Sure I gotta plastic wrap it when I intend to hunt in beach storms (d/t rain), but ....... no biggee. There is sometimes a mis-conception afoot that a waterproof/underwater machine is needed for beach hunting. Not so, unless you plan to submerge it past the box.

The downsides of the CTX (IMHO) are:

a) you can't use an inline sunray probe on it. That's not a problem for beach hunting (where no one uses pinpointers anyhow). But is a BIG downer when hunting landsites. I hate monotone dis-attached free-standing probes

b) They're more expensive

c) They really not adding any more depth (unless you start messing around with that 17" coil, which is very fishing, very annoying pinpointing, etc....)

d) More difficult to learn all the menus and such (although maybe I'm just stubborn for having used the explorer for SO many years).

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Thanx guys. Am I wrong in thinking that owning and using both sovereign and explorer would be confusing at best ?

No. You can learn each ones nuances/sounds if you care to. But I don't know why you'd need both. They both go equally as deep (with commensurate coil sizes), and both handles soils (minerals) equally as well. About the only advantage I can think of to the Sov, is that the WOT can get you super deep in some environments (where targets spread out). But personally, I could never adjust to this degree of "warbliness". And would be murder for pinpointing on land. But just saying I've seen some guys suffer through that adjustment period, and do-indeed add a few inches to what the 10.5" coil is capable of on the beach.

But all-in-all, the explorer suffices just fine .

 

[MrMikeJackie]

I own a Sovereign and a CTX, my go to beach machine is the Sovereign hands down. On land I prefer the CTX.

 

[Gary in Santa Cruz]

Same here. Sov on the beach -- Have my SOV on a Plugger's homemade shaft along with a no longer made Sunray S12 Intruder coil. Spent a few years away from the forums, and upon my return I was shocked and dismayed to find out that Minelab discontinued the SOV. WTF.

I own a Sovereign and a CTX, my go to beach machine is the Sovereign hands down. On land I prefer the CTX.

 

[Fletch78]

I may have to add a Sovereign. They just seem legendary. XS def stays tho

 

[Tom_in_CA]

anyone else here find it ironic that Gary in Santa Cruz, & MrMikeJackie prefer the A) Sov. for the beach, and B) the ctx for land ? The reason this is ironic, is that the CTX is water-proof, and the Sov. isn't. Let's face it: The CTX was sort of meant to be a water-proof explorer afterall. Thus why does someone need "waterproof" on land, unless they intend to be out hunting in the pouring rain ?

 

[MrMikeJackie]

anyone else here find it ironic that Gary in Santa Cruz, & MrMikeJackie prefer the A) Sov. for the beach, and B) the ctx for land ? The reason this is ironic, is that the CTX is water-proof, and the Sov. isn't. Let's face it: The CTX was sort of meant to be a water-proof explorer afterall. Thus why does someone need "waterproof" on land, unless they intend to be out hunting in the pouring rain ?

Only because I feel BBS hits harder on gold. Otherwise I prefer the CTX. If I'm going in the drink or very close to it I'll swing the CTX. Not to say I haven't found my share of gold with the CTX. What I like the most about the CTX is I can use it for any situation given the opportunity. To each their own

 

[Kevin in IN]

I prefer the GT. Don't need the screen to decide weather to dig. The tones match the Excal so I hear the same sounds on land or in the water. The tornado coils get great depth in the field or the beach. Kevin

 

[cudamark]

anyone else here find it ironic that Gary in Santa Cruz, & MrMikeJackie prefer the A) Sov. for the beach, and B) the ctx for land ? The reason this is ironic, is that the CTX is water-proof, and the Sov. isn't. Let's face it: The CTX was sort of meant to be a water-proof explorer afterall. Thus why does someone need "waterproof" on land, unless they intend to be out hunting in the pouring rain ?

The CTX is more of a waterproof E-trac (same target I.D. numbering system) than Explorer, but, they're all pretty close in function. The Excalibur is like a waterproof Sovereign (same BBS operating system). I prefer the Excal in the water and the E-trac on land, but, the E-trac works well in shallow water too. The Sov and Excal work fine for locating targets on land also, but, they don't give me enough info (depth and target I.D.) for my taste.

 

[Fletch78]

Thanx so much for all the advice.

 

[Fletch78]

I have been using the Elites now and all I can say is this is my kind of machine ! The Explorer is not simple enough for me! I now have 3 Elites, just incase since Minelab wont work on them, an American Gold Striker. Still want to trade the Explorer for a GT.
Thanx for all the input.

 

[Fletch78]

This ended up on wrong thread sorry guys