etrac

ok you people have driven me crazy ( in a good way). i have been watching videos and reading up on diffrent detectors out there and so far i am seriously impressed with the etrac. not sure my skill level is high enuff to be efficient with it but i guess once i get it i will have plenty of time to practice. so far this forum has been a source of much needed info and tips, as a noob to the hobby. i seriously am impressed with the people on here so far. and i just wanted to say thank you to all who have taken the time to awnser my questions and give me tips

It would be really helpful if you could let us know what you are currently using?

The Etrac is a excellent machine especially for coins, and not to difficult to learn with a few hours of practice.

F75SE is great too, quite easy to get the hang of it is my second detector,i had the fisher 1236x2 for 3 months then upgraded to the F75se, i have found loads of old coins dating from 1793 to recent and an old gold ring,i have only been detecting 4 months the F75SE is brilliant.

well right now i am useing the pioneer 505 and ihave a bounty hunter lonestar.both detectors are extreamly low end, and not sure they are picking up targets that are deeper then 8 inches. and they both seem to get confused and bug out when two targets are next to each other

O.k., the detectors your using right now are entry level machines, as I'm sure your aware. The difference between your current machines and the Etrac is like going from a Ford Fiesta to a Shelby GT 500. Night/day. The ETRAC though, is going to take more time to learn than the Bounty Hunter machines and patience. The depth your getting on those machines is only going to be about 6" on a dime, and target separation between targets will not be that impressive either. A ETRAC however will be giving you around 50% more power in depth and target separation will be worlds better. The ETRAC also provides tons more info of what's in the ground and handles mineralization worlds better.

The only thing your current machines have over the ETRAC is weight and cost. Your machines are a lot more balanced and lighter, so that will take some getting used too. The ETRAC also costs about 6x's more than the Bounty Hunter.

Not sure how long you been detecting may want to consider maybe even going with a mid road machine like a Omega, ATPro. These machines will also be worlds better in performance but, will not break the bank.

I agree with Aaron, especially the Omega part. Look hard at that machine - I've owned both it and the E-Trac - they are close but the price difference is Huge.

this is the omega 8000 your suggesting correct? it runs like 600 bucks? if it is any suggestions on coils? i stay mostly in parks and really only do coin shooting. and i have only been doing this like a month if that( sorry time flys when all i do is work) but money really isnt an issue. i want a detector i can trust. i know it will be harder to learn then my bounty hunters but as you said a world of diffrence but i am considering as you suggested this omega. it looks to be alot more advanced then either model i have now and if it can be used as a stepping stone to understand a higher end detector i will gladly make the jump to this ( and on the plus side i dont hafta hear my wife complain about me dropping 1600 bucks on a hobby) so the suggestions on coils would be most helpfull;

I don't know if the E-trac is for a newbie although in the right hands the Explorer series might have the best guts in the industry.

On the other hand the omega might be a logical choice as sure user friendly even for someone of your experience and should have no problem learning it.

Might visit a multi line dealer and try both on for size so to speak....just download both manuals on the net and you will see my logic...

I have had both the Explorer and Etrac and IMHO the Etrac was far easier to learn.

I honestly do not recommend either machine for you as you've only been doing this for a short time. I have never had a Omega, though many on this forum have I trust their opinions. I do have a ATPro, and it is a easy machine to learn, lots of bells and whistles AND waterproof.

Everyone is different and I have only been detecting 8 years, 5 if you remove the pauses. I picked up the E-Trac very quickly. I mean it is essentially a turn and go machine. You don't even have to Ground Balance it. After using the V3i, a machine with essentially 4 or 5 expert settings is nothing. For the most part the settings don't make any drastic changes. You really only have to learn the sounds. The stock programs are enough for the first few months and beyond. The weight is a bit much (or rather the balance is off).

The Omega with the 11" DD coil is the way to go. When I said it gets close to the depth of the E-Trac I meant with this coil. In trash get the 5". If you want a bigger coil I'd go with the 13" Detech Ultimate.

I don't think the Omega is so much easier than the E-Trac to use - they are both turn and go to me (just set the disc and sensitivity, GB the Omega, Noise cancel the E-Trac), it all depends on how you can handle the E-Tracs sounds. I really like them, but many have had problems with them. I watched videos before I bought one and thought "Man, that sounds terrible." But after 15 minutes it was no problem and now I prefer them. After 10 hours I felt VERY comfy. With both machines, once you find the settings that work (for certain conditions) there is no playing with them.

Pawnbroker Bob has that 1021 cz3d for sale... three coils come with. If I didn't have one already, I'd jump on that deal.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/15/2012 11:11PM by ozzie.

so i was looking into a minelab machine comparable to what was recomended and just wondering if the minelab X-Terra falls into the area with the omega and the atpro? wanted to stick with a good brand and since first texas refuses to respond to any email i send them for the past 4 weeks i doubt i will be giving them any more of my hard earned money. ( tekneticks being made by first texas is what i am referring to)

oh and it was the xterra 505 by the way

First Texas is slow on the draw with email...heard that several times before. I recommend you call them. That is how I deal with them. 1-800-413-4131 They are on Central Standard Time. 9-3:00pm usually works best. And I get quick results. However, of the 3 machines you outlined, I would recommend the Omega. I've used the X-terra 705....its good...but I still prefer the Omega. Which I own. The AT Pro is a good clone of the Omega.....but not quite as good.
If you try to keep in mind that one of these three is going to be your machine.....you want the best for the money....and not getting email answered isn't the best reason for picking a machine. Yes, it would piss me off too, and I am not making excuses for First Texas. Your goal is to get the best performance for the money. Hope I am not offending you with this post.

Either the ATPro or Omega.

If you decide on the Omega, buy one from NASA Tom, NOT anyone else. He will validate it and you can have the assurance that it will work properly.

no offense at all. lol. i like what i read and seen about the omega. it just worries me that if they cant awnser questions about a machine i already paid good money for will they try to railroad me if for some reason if the machine isnt working correctly. but three of you have said omega so i will give it a shot. so can nasa-tom offer the same a kellyco or is it just the detector?

If I were you I would just go ahead and get the E-trac. If you buy a middle of the road detector you will eventually want the better detector. It will be cheaper in the long run. Besides there are some great deals on barley used ones with remaining warranty on them so you can't lose.

I will through one more detector in the pile the Safari. It is a turn on and go machine it has a very simple easy to understand interface. It gives you the power of the Etrac without all the bells and while some may differ from my opinion the lack of options has you focus on the sounds which is the only way to truly be successful with any of the minelab FBS machines. The cost is 2/3 of Etrac list but I think you can do even better if you ask around.

I have become convinced that the safari has more in common with the Etrac the Explores. In fact I believe the Etrac evolved out of the Quattro. The fully auto sensitivity is something the Quattro,Etrac and safari have in common. This is very nice feature especially when just starting.

The Safari doesn't have ferrous number readout along with the conductive numbers. With out the ferrous numbers you will dig a lot of old rusty nails that you can avoid with the E-trac. To me this feature alone is worth the extra money.

I know we are not talking about Tuna but sorry Charlie the Safari well is just not an Explorer but its still as heavy and Harold hit the nail on the head....

Bryan - you have very little to lose picking up a mint used E-Trac. Even if you sell it down the road - you'll lose maybe $200.
So for just $200 - you get the best out there.

I own quite a few machines now, and have owned many in the past ....... My favorite land machine is the E Trac ...... However , the menu on an E Trac , and all the options it has , and the many choices it gives you , has in the past intimidated MANY detectorists ...... It can be a switch on and go type machine ONCE YOU UNDERSTAND the settings and what they all do ....You can save presets of your settings that are ideal for your area ......Again , this all takes time and patiemce .....If you are easily overwhelmed with technology or longer type menues on a detector , perhaps you should stick with something more simple ......I also use an AT Pro which is light in weight , easy to use , and Garrett stands beghine thier products ...... There are even plenty of them new/used for sale ....You won't have to worry if you get caught in a rain storm as they are waterproof and you can go into rivers with them ........ They are nice machines for the money , and you can literally get your feet wet with this machine and it will be a GIANT step better than what you are use to using ......Good Luck in your decision ....Jim

ok so what makes the minelab etrac so difficult to learn? i worked on a million dollar vertical launch missle system in the navy and that thing was hard to grasp lol. i know there are alot of diffrentmenus and your able to "write your own program" but what is the most challenging thing about it? i have read in several places it takes aprox 200 hours to really learn your machine, so why should the etrac be any different? and please dont take it as me being cocky or thinking i am a super smart or anything. i just cant see a metal detector being so advanced from the atpro to the etrac that it could be so mind boggeling. maybe its just my novice thinking i dont know

Its not the mechanics of the machine thats time-consuming to learn......its the interpretation of what the machine is saying under a multitude of changing conditions. And no manual in the world can provide that experience. I was a navy corpsman/EMT....and worked on the human body.....which is far more complex than any machine ever invented. Now do computers. Ask me is which easier to diagnose and get it right. Yep.....a computer/machine.
It will take many hours to MASTER any detector worth its salt. And some take longer than others.

i agree. i just worry that i will pass over a machine well worth the extra money cuz of difficulty to learn. i may be new to the hobby but i want to learn a good machine that can give me results while coin shooting. so far my pioneer 505 isnt impressing me at all. detecting a nail at 11 inches is great but start discriminateing that out and i wonder what coins i am passing over. i am an obssessive person so learing the new machine shouldnt (i may eat these words) be to much of a hassel. all i do is coinshooting and i see several videos and reviews about the etrac being the best at coinshooting. the pioneer 505 has coin shooting down to 4 inches lol not impressive in my book

All the machines mentioned are good units. Its really up to you. The E-Trac is awesome in most conditions...costs the most. Omega...AT Pro are great units in their price range. Any of these will provide far superior performance to the 505. All we can do is recommend. Is there possibly a multi-line detector dealer(s) around your neck of the woods that maybe you could get some hands on experience with these units. I am sure you will master any unit that you purchase.

i only know of one dealer (besides walmart lol) and they went under about a year ago. with the internet the small shops around here have taken a real hard hit. i would love to try out the atpro, omega, and the etrac. i appreciate the advice too. please done take it that i dont. i really do like the omega but i seen one feature on the etrac that was AWESOME. that small little reject signal button was killer. i like the idea of having the the ability to reject out signals based on what is showing in the area. just wondering if pop cans still show up as coins with the etrac, and if they do by rejecting that signal are you also rejecting coins. i have seen that the numeric display on clad quarters ( in the high 60s i think it was) does pop cans show as the same? not many videos show people digging trash lol

Brian --

You (and anyone) are capable of learning the E-Trac, if you are committed to doing so. Learning the multitude of tones and what they mean (as TerraDigger said) is the difficult part; you can run the factory coin program, and run it in automatic sensitivity, which makes it basically a "turn on and go" unit, and you'll do just fine with those settings. You won't nab the deepest coins with your machine set up that way, but you'll dig them way deeper than the 4" you commented about with the Pioneer 505. Then, later, as you learn the unit, you can change your settings so as to acquire the additional depth. Again -- learning how to have confidence in knowing what the machine is telling you, is what will take the hours and hours of time.

I wouldn't get too excited about the "reject" option, though...some trash targets WILL read like a coin, and rejecting that target would reject the similarly-IDing coins. PLUS -- ESPECIALLY if you have some soil mineralization, the ability of the machine to numerically ID a target diminishes with depth, so a dime that reads one way "in the air," will read differently in the ground -- both with depth, AND/OR with any trash target nearby. As you gain experience, you will learn to stop looking for a "perfect" ID, and instead use tones, your knowledge of the traits and tendencies of the machine you are using, your knowledge of what's in the ground at the site you are hunting (types of trash AND types of good targets), as well as the depth that "good" targets usually reside in the spot you are hunting, etc. etc. etc., to make your "dig vs. no-dig" decisions. If you rely on PERFECT ID, you will most often miss the deeper, older coins. Back to the reject button -- trying to reject a target has several caveats -- including the fact that some good targets will ID numerically just like that trash target you are wanting to reject (especially if you are talking crushed aluminum cans and some other types of trash), AND, that trash target you are trying to reject will ID differently in the ground, at depth, meaning that rejecting it based on its "air test" ID number, will not eliminate the ones that ID differently in the ground; you will still dig some of those targets who are not IDing exactly as they did in the air test. That's just a shortcoming of ALL machines...they do not ID perfectly as ground mineralization increases, as trash target concentration increases, and as target depth increases. It simply "is what it is."

Anyway, bottom line, you seem to want an E-Trac, and so I say, buy one. Get a good, used one, and as barryny said, if you don't like it, you can sell it for virtually no loss. But, if you commit to learning it, there's no reason you can't, period. All the other machines suggested are good machines, too -- but don't let any fear that you won't be able to "learn" the E-Trac keep you from buying one. It's a doggone good machine, probably the best there is for the application you want to use it for (park coin hunting).

Steve

I've got two. I've boxed one up that the family purchased late last summer. I'm going to sell with a like new Joey Coil if you are interested.

Randy

That's just it,It's only as hard as you make it. I still use the stock coin program 80% of the time with just a couple tweaks which are more or less personal preferances. I have had mine 1 month since they first came out and am not a tech. type person. I would suggest Andy Sabisch book on E-trac, Explorer as it helps speed things up. I have found close to 500 silver coins since I have owned it. That might not be the 2,3,or 400 a year some in my area claim to get. But for the pounded spots I hunt that is pretty damn good. I would go for it you won't regret it.