E-Trac vs. F75 LTD test coming...

Sorry, Brian --

I think I misunderstood your wording. I think you were saying "I would think the E-Trac should pick them up." I would agree with you. I have never found a gold piece (don't I wish!), but I do understand that they have been found by Explorer/E-Trac users in the past. I see no reason they would not be detected/ID'd, though these machines are not known of course for being hot on gold. I certainly don't expect the depth on these coins that you'd get from an F-series machine, for instance, but aside from that, I'd expect them to find/ID the coins just fine.

Sorry I misunderstood you. DUH!

Steve

People post that FBS machines are not hot on gold, but most of those posts seem to stem from air-test type results. I see plenty of folks using them at the beach, and doing REALLY well with them. While beach hunting is a different animal then hunting old home/town sites, and digging gold from the turf, I suspect it's just a matter of setting the machine up right to get it.

I dunno, but I'll soon find out

Brian



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/13/2011 06:51PM by Cal_cobra.

I recently acquired a used E-Trac and have been pitting it against the F-75. I have been pleasantly surprised by the results. I started with the E-Trac screen wide open set to Fast and Difficult and 2 tone ferrous. It is MUCH faster than I expected. I replicated a test seen on youtube by placing a dime on edge between two of the boards on my deck. The F75 hits it every time and so did the E-Trac. Next I disc'ed out the nails and tried again. The E-Trac hit on the dime even in the middle of nulling. Having been an Explorer owner in a former life I was not expecting the E-Trac to perform the way it does. I don't mean to slam the Explorer, it was just not my cup of tea.
The E-Trac is really doing the job in my trashy yard and test garden as well at the cellar hole I have been hunting lately. I've got a lot more testing to do before I make up my mind but the E-Trac is quickly working its way toward the top of my list.

Neugene --

Very interesting; please post more of your comparisons as you learn the E. I really like my Explorer, but my hunting partners have E-Tracs, and it does seem to be an improvement in a few ways, including a bit of depth, and ID ability (it gives what seems to be a more stable, more accurate ID on deeper coins...which my be part of why it seems "deeper.")

Steve

Hi there,

It looks like this link is a bit old, but thought I post anyway. I have had my Etrac for a year or so now and love the machine. I have the slimline 10" coil and 15x18" SEF coil. I hit coins down to about 15" depending on the coin. Silver sings loudly! The only glitch is I am also into gold prospecting, which the Etrac stinks at.

After reading a lot of post, like this one, I decided to get an F75 LTD from Alaskaminingco. I have only had the machine for about 3 weeks... a couple of hours on the machine and still learning, but I have to say I am impressed. The F75 LTD came with the stock 11" and the 4 (or 5)" coil for prospecting. First day out, I hit the backyard and found a dollar in clad just trying to learn the sounds and display before I head up to the gold fields. My first day on the Yuba River I found two small gold flakes. Super sensitive machine. Had it set to Bst, sensitivity 95-99, one tone and discrimination set to 12ish. The flakes came up around 13 to 16. I ended up turning down the disc... just in case the machine could pick up anything smaller. No chance with the etrac... even with the 8" dd coil. As much as I love my Etrac... I am hoping the f75 can be my all in one machine!!!

I still favor the etrac for its ability to discriminate through iron. Fast and deep off, ground-trashy, sense auto plus 3 (or I run auto +3 and then use that number on manual) with a variation of Andy S' coin program. I highly recommend downloading the emulator and practicing on the computer. This will help you learn the machine much quicker. You can download all sorts of coin, jewelry targets that will help you identify while hunting in the field. The etrac can also cancel out (learn) certain targets... for example, if you are finding alot of one type of bottle cap, you can block that cap out and it now discriminates just that target. On the reverse side, you can identify a target and look for only targets in that zone. This came in handy looking for an ear ring. I simply had the young lady take off the other one and zipped it by the coil on the learn mode. Everything else is blacked out. Then I quickly search the area.

In my limited time with the F75, I have noticed that the etrac seems to respond quicker with a full signal at my swing speed than the f75. I have had to slow down a bit with the f75 as I was getting some falsing and incomplete sounds/signals on good targets. This surprised me as my old F5 seemed quicker.

Either way, both these machines are excellent choices. The f75 is less expensive, weighs less and the battery lasts forever. The etrac hits deep, easy to learn, a turn on and go machine with very little reading, feels better built, but costs much more and does not have much of a chance of finding gold unless its huge (above 2.3g).

If anyone is still interested, I would be happy to report my findings as I go!

Glad to have you here dagreat, and yes, we would like to hear your reports and opinions.

In time........... you will find the F75 to be far superior in iron/nail infested sites....... especially with the 5" DD coil you have. It is a 'eye-opener'.

Take the Etrac into a heavy nail/iron site and you will get nothing but nulls.

Take the the 75SE w 5" coil, you have a fighting (significant) chance.

This weekend I'll take the DEUS to such a site, looking forward to going over a few spots in HEAVY iron before excavation.

NASA-Tom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In time........... you will find the F75 to be far
> superior in iron/nail infested sites.......
> especially with the 5" DD coil you have. It is a
> 'eye-opener'.


hi tom!
what is the correct "setting" for the f-75 with 5" dd coil
in a nail infested,iron,trash laden site?..thanks!

(h.h.!)
j.t.

If coin hunting or relic hunting:
Sens 99
Disc 1
4-tone

If exclusively relic hunting......... looking to find EVERY piece of non-ferrous (and maximum unmasking abilities/intent).... then:
Sens 99
Disc 6
monotone


In either case........... learn the F75's audible communications language.......... and you will have exceptional success.

I've had the Etrac and 75SE for over a year now and have considerable time on both and appreciate the qualities/advantages of both machines however,,, Ive come to really appreciate the F75SE and it's raw power/simplicity, ability in iron.
I'm seeing less need for the Etrac.

As this country (USA) grows older.......... and detectorists become more astute ( "aware" ) ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, there comes a time of 'realization' that the bulk of the 'good finds' are in/amongst thick carpets of iron. ((( Where the heaviest populous/activity took place ))). Look what Europe (esp France) is doing with their detectors..... and what the metal detector Chief Design Engineers are placing top priority 'focus' on specific TYPE(S) of most-common-scenario hunting ........ that being "in the iron". It has come to the realization as a "must".

NASA-Tom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If coin hunting or relic hunting:
> Sens 99
> Disc 1
> 4-tone
>
> If exclusively relic hunting......... looking to
> find EVERY piece of non-ferrous (and maximum
> unmasking abilities/intent).... then:
> Sens 99
> Disc 6
> monotone



>
>
> In either case........... learn the F75's audible
> communications language.......... and you will
> have exceptional success.


thanks tom! will try to maximize "'punch" with those
"coin" settings in a future hunt. she's "smokin'" hot at those settings,
the coins should virtually "leap" outta the ground with any luck!

(h.h.!)
j.t.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/2012 04:37AM by jmaryt.

NASA-Tom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As this country (USA) grows older.......... and
> detectorists become more astute ( "aware" )
> ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, there comes a time of 'realization'
> that the bulk of the 'good finds' are in/amongst
> thick carpets of iron. ((( Where the heaviest
> populous/activity took place ))). Look what
> Europe (esp France) is doing with their
> detectors..... and what the metal detector Chief
> Design Engineers are placing top priority 'focus'
> on specific TYPE(S) of most-common-scenario
> hunting ........ that being "in the iron". It has
> come to the realization as a "must".


i agree 100% percent with this,but it also forces one to
beg the question,where does the proliferation of "aluminum"
trash enter into the equation? surely this "hinderence" must take
precedence? fighting through a 'formidable" layer of "aluminum"
"crap" is a major feat unto itself!

(h.h.!)
j.t.

Yes...... aluminum trash is a (strong) number-2 inhibitor to detectorists.

Tom is 100% correct. We need to steart thinking about masked targets the way we think about depth.

Aluminum has been around for 100 years.
Iron has been around for 1000's of years.

Those that have learned the E-Trac well have proven it to be very efective in nail carpets as well with the 5' Sunray coil.In open TTF no nulls at all but if you want to unmask the goods out of heavy nails you must run in two tone conductive with just the nails disced out.Not a whole line of disc but just use the small curser and eliminate the nails at your sites.The E-Trac will then hit a US one dollar gold coin along with half dimes and larger us coins very close to and between said nails.
I learned a long time ago that speed is nice but stability is even better.