Well went ahead and got me a Minelab CTX 3030 and I must say (5/18/2013 using 50 tone conductive to unmask in nail's VIDEO)

It is one of the nicest machines I have ever ran...Truly a piece of modern marvel...

The ground bal in bad dirt changes everything on this platfrom....no more hotrock's...

good clean audio ......Deep....accurate...balances extremely well...very intuitive....and already hit on a trick or 2 LOL!!!

Took it to a spot that was open woods and just not producing alot and ended up with two buttons and 11 drop 3 ringer bullet's....

The ground bal changes the whole detector in bad dirt....it was really noisy and not running right ...high toning alot like the explorer does on my dirt ...I then ground balanced and presto as smooth as it get's.....it sees through mineral above any VLF I have encountered and noise free to boot..

My test brick I have is invisible to it audio wise, and the 3030 sees through it a foot above the brick with no problem...the exporer end etrac ring like crazy on same brick and make target hearing difficult....very very unique machine...will get a video up on the brick when I get a chance...I am still excited right now at what I am seeing...

I see no equal technology wise !

a little pricey but its a Cadillac of a machine for sure.....

if you can turn loose of some finds to get one or sell a few machines its an awesome experience....

6 inch coil in nails on deck dime nickle on edge...

[www.youtube.com]

Nail Board test
[www.youtube.com]

50 tone conductive unmasking video
[www.youtube.com]


Keith



Edited 8 time(s). Last edit at 05/18/2013 04:56AM by Keith Southern.

Congrats on the CTX Keith. Lots to learn with this unit.... I am still reading all I can. So share any tricks you may have..lol.

It seems to null a lot less that the Etrac to me. I have returned to areas I have hunted with a lot of detectors and was surprised by the finds.

Maybe one of those Keith southern videos may be coming huh?

I have the large coil coming, so don't buy one. After I play with it some, I will let you try before you buy......

Tom in SC

I got a CTX and without getting all mushy about it there are a few detectors I like the minute I get my hands on them. The CTX 3030 is one of them. I just like the way it goes together, how it feels, and how it works. It just clicked with me. It does not hurt that I banged a few silver coin with it immediately and snagged a couple gold rings the first times I hit the water with it. Very easy machine to like and now with winter ending I can't wait to get back out with it.

I've not posted much about it as people tend to think it is all hype and so why bother. But the fact is the CTX 3030 is one of the finest works of metal detecting technology I have ever owned. Nice to see you feel the same way Keith. Enjoy!

Steve Herschbach

You can read the mushy, gushy post I made at [www.findmall.com] last fall. Good photo there of the finds.

I love my CTX. The only thing I don't like is the tone for the higher conductors. It doesn't have the silver ringing tone like the etrac. I have made some good finds in areas (small) that I pounded with etrac. I think is is more attributed to the faster recovery and the higher levels of stability especially when runnning higher sensitivity. I have seen the ferrous number go as high as 24 on deep musket balls. I've never seen a 25 or higher reading on a successful target. Can't say that about etrac. Dug a few good deep silver targets with 27 ferrous being reported. And of course he emi handling with my machine is second to none other I've used.

Something I would like to see is a coin on edge test performed by Keith and the other pros when comparing detectors. I say this because I've found numerous coins on edge with my CTX in areas I have already spanked with other supposed top dog detectors.

Keith Southern Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It is one of the nicest machines I have ever
> ran...Truly a piece of modern marvel...
>
> The ground bal in bad dirt changes everything on
> this platfrom....no more hotrock's...
>
> good clean audio ......Deep....accurate...balances
> extremely well...very intuitive....and already hit
> on a trick or 2 LOL!!!
>
> Took it to a spot that was open woods and just not
> producing alot and ended up with two buttons and
> 11 drop 3 ringer bullet's....
>
> The ground bal changes the whole detector in bad
> dirt....it was really noisy and not running right
> ...high toning alot like the explorer does on my
> dirt ...I then ground balanced and presto as
> smooth as it get's.....it sees through mineral
> above any VLF I have encountered and noise free to
> boot..
>
> My test brick I have is invisible to it audio wise
> and the 3030 sees through it a foot above the
> brick with no problem...the exporer end etrac ring
> like crazy on same brick and make target hearing
> difficult....very very unique machine...will egt a
> video up on the brick when i get a chance...I am
> still excited right now at what I am seeing...
>
> I see no equal technolgy wise !
>
> a little pricey but its a cadillac of a machine
> for sure.....
>
> if you can turn loose of some finds to get one or
> sell a few machines its an awesome
> experience....
>
> Keith


congrats keith! coin killer for sure!

(h.h.!)
j.t.

Keith congrats on that new CTX!

BTW.....I told ya!

Congats Keith. I do miss mine as well and have to get out with my E-Trac to see how it feels to "downgrade". The speed of the CTX is just so nice for an FBS machine.

I agree with tnsharpshooter on the sounds of the higher conductors - I missed the E-Tracs better sounds imo. But, you would think Minelab can just update the sounds with a variability control?

What kind of depth are you getting in your bad soil Keith?

Albert

Just what I needed to hear.... I've been on the fence on the 3030 for almost a year now, reading as much as I can and following people on the forums that have purchased one. I can't wait to hear more from you on your testing and results of the 3030. Just the few that have posted their feelings on the 3030 have really helped me and my decision..... now if I could only find a bit more gold for the purchase...

Cliff

Keith I've been waiting until you broke over and got one of those CTX's.
Now get busy and do some back to old site testing.
If I remember correctly you've had a few of the higher dollar machines to compare it to.
Get busy.

cdv1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just what I needed to hear.... I've been on the
> fence on the 3030 for almost a year now, reading
> as much as I can and following people on the
> forums that have purchased one. I can't wait to
> hear more from you on your testing and results of
> the 3030. Just the few that have posted their
> feelings on the 3030 have really helped me and my
> decision..... now if I could only find a bit more
> gold for the purchase...
>
> Cliff

Cliff - It really is a great machine and I do miss my old one. But, you may not need one. It really depends on your conditions. It is more stable in mineralized soils and it is fast should you be searching in trash or around lots of iron. Think about that. The E-Trac is VERY close to the CTX imo and ims (in my soil But, the CTX is better, faster response on the screen, balanced well (though heavy) - great machine.

Albert

Coming from Keith must be a dandy and look forward to further testing and evaluations..

Having owned and used several models of the Explorer hard to believe there is something better and at my stage of the hobby doubt if I will ever purchase one but imagine a bunch of forum members are tuned in and looking forward to your further testing and honest evaluations.

Heck I am still stuck in CZ( not a bad place to be) as hard to throw away 20 years experience but Minelab sure makes super, heavy and pricey units...

Great machine, ... spoils you on build quality the instant you put your paws around one.
I really enjoy my time out with it. Especially the fact that it's an all-weather detector, no excuses anymore!

Minelab sure builds some Cadillacs for us to enjoy,... Keith is going to have a field day !!

HH
Johnb

The ability to customize break points and assign tone frequency is just great. Throw in a faster recovery speed and the CTX is a pleasure to hunt with. Findmall has some excellent videos in the CTX Resource Center for using the software. I tell people all the time what a wonderful detector the CTX is. The price is steep, but I'm a coin shooter and the CTX just continues to impress me. The only down side is the waterproof headphone volume.

Thank's for the feedback fella's...

It was a lot of money to get one but I feel as if it was not a foolish buy at this point...Hope I can keep justifying it..LOL!

I liked the read Steve on the link you provided...I know what you mean about being scared to glorify a machine to much for the backlash it can casue...yet I never see such things as boisterous hype but as an appreciation for something we the detector community are passionate about...When something works and works well and can do what it does well a certain amount of satisfaction for the prodcut should be well recieved .....

Man that sounds great on the large coil Manly!You Sir are a true friend I have never even met face to face!Yet hope to one day!

Aaron ! Yes your P.M.s were a motivator for sure.. and thank's for the info....I thought the DEUS was an engineering feat yet not to put the DEUS in the dark ages or nothing but the CTX is a true marvel of engineering....they both have their place for sure...yet the CTX is the detectorist's detector if that makes sense...

Earthman....Sorry you miss the CTX....You might be having some detachment/separation issues and that's dangerous.,, with only one Known cure LOL!!!
The depth so far I have not seen anything earthshattering ...I am just finding the mineral handling and see though to be the first thing to stick out in my mind..
The Ground bal feature is a new welcome avenue for FBS.
Hopefully in the next week I can get into the tweeking aspect of the machine...

Dan John other's thank's for the kind word's of encouragement...

More info to follow I hope in the next couple of weeks ...will do some hunt filming and some demoing...This is alien to me right now ...its an FBS machine but is not an ETRAC or an EXPLORER...It's a bit different way more refined yet more aggressive too, in recovery time and unmasking too is seem's..and also more audibly pleasing depth ability...(i.e.) less noise to interfere with the deeper fainter target's...

Sort of like a Xterra 705 and etrac blend in some way's...Yet it's on it's own unique platfrom, you can tell it's a ground up build!

The Smooth audio option seems like a real screamer on clean ground with isolated target's at depth!

Keith



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/04/2013 09:25PM by Keith Southern.

Can't wait for your hunts with it Keith. My buddy has one, but he never goes detecting anymore, so I don't get any first hand 'in the field' info on it.

markg Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Keith I've been waiting until you broke over and
> got one of those CTX's.
> Now get busy and do some back to old site
> testing.
> If I remember correctly you've had a few of the
> higher dollar machines to compare it to.
> Get busy.


yes! keith! a lot of us are still on the fence,mainly because of the cost.
if you can report your experience with this "beast" it will be very beneficial to
many of us,regardless of outcome.hope you can give us concise reports
going forward! again thanking you in advance for your efforts.


(h.h.!)
j.t.

Smooth audio is very nice when surface coin shooting in a fairly trash free environement.
It will deliver that sweet coin sound and odd sounds on trash.

Deep isolated targets I prefer pitch hold, often treshold pitch will change indicating you ran over something.

HH
Johnb

What I notice right off the bat is I can do a manual ground grab and it locks it in without tracking....At when this happen's the hot rocks are not existent...

If I let it track like an etrc or explorer does the machine is noisy in my dirt...like an etrac Explorer...

for years I have had to listen to hot rocks ringing on the FBS machines in bad dirt.....

I wonder if Minelab gets fooled with the tracking system on hot rocks and bad dirt combined....its best around here to not let it track it so far seem's...

Whats weird in typical Minelab fashion is when you check the box for 'Enable ground bal'...thats the locked mode for ground grabbing...if you uncheck the 'Enable ground bal' box it track's like an explorer and etrac....

they have always worded things weird...like on the sovereigns iron mask on and off seemed backwards to me....

And the sens Knob was backwards on that machine too LOL!!!

Keith



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/06/2013 02:36AM by Keith Southern.

Nice info Keith, any buyer remorse yet... WAIT better ask you in July, August when your in the creek/swimming hole with it!! HH

Hey Roy Not Yet!!!

I have been sitting with it here in my lap all day playing with it ....

I am really impressed with the way Minelab has managed to how should I say complete the FBS package....the FBS machine have alwasy been quirky.....but it now seems that they have actually removed most of the quirky attitude....the target I.D. is lag free it's right there with the audio...and it does not jump around it gets a hit and it locks and it is unbelievably accurate...Also has the varible tone break with for the first time the abiltiy to use ferrrous and conduct at the same time...No more high conductors have to be ignored when running conduct thinking it's big iron...combined is a very welcome feature......

And I know its 5 lb's but it feels like a 3.5 pounder.....it swings every bit as well as a MXT actually a bit better way more robust and solid construction feel....the straight carbon fiber shaft is actually very eye catching....No shaft flex no handle flex feels precise and almost exotic in away LOL!!

Right now sorry I procrastinated for a year....

If it's as deep as a Explorer with the new attitude I can justify it....FBS works wonders in my dirt yet now it also seems to be able to wander into iron on a competitive level....

I have very complex hunting environs...I dont just have iron to deal with in habitat sites but I also have bad ground to boot...it seems minelab has took a notice to unmasking with the advent of all the newer quicker unmaskers available and made a jump with their own unique FBS technolgy..

Keith



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/06/2013 05:45AM by Keith Southern.

Just wait till you get that 6" coil, it is very nice in Iron and weird ground.

Dropping the ferrous tone break in combined finds coins other machines have a real problem with.
My CZ-3D is an awesome steel core coin machine,... left to right high tone, right to left low tone.
The CTX will provide a high tone on the coins when you drop the ferrous tone break a few notches.

HH
Johnb

Hi Guys From Down Under in Australia,

I use the e-track and the Whites V3. So do you guys that use the ctx3030 working parks in amongst ali pull tabs think it has better seperation than the e-track.

Regards o2findit.

Hey John I would love to try the 6 inch....trying to order one right now ....

02findit I dont have enough time on the 3030 to make a statement on if its better than an etrac....but from my few days of having it it is faster than an etrac and separates better....as with having one of the most accurate I.D. systems (thanks to FBS )to date I think we can equate that into some sort of positive light...

I am sure someone with more time than me on the unit will chime in...

but I have a feeling the 3030 is the premier machine for trash...

theres no more lag time display wise...and thats where the target trace has come into it's own...

In the begining a decade ago with the inception of FBS technology till the present inception of today I dont think this was envisioned at the time....as processors and computing power becomes smaller and smaller new avenues can be explored and the FBS transmission method can be further enhanced...

that's FBS2....A new layer of demension can be added to the platfrom...

in another decade I can see maybe a 3D real time prodcut coming to light...tecnolgy is moving ahead right now at a tremendous rate and it's finnaly showing up in the detector product's..

The 3030 is like no other detector in existance right now in terms of technology .Yes the DEUS is also amazing for what it does in iron above other's but at the same time ....

I hope to see what the 3030 brings to the unmasking table against the DEUS....two completely diffent avenues of approach....

Keith

Keith

I am in Louisiana and would let you try my 6" coil before you buy one. I purchased it new and have only used it twice. It may save you some cash if you do not like it. I am not a big fan of it. I hunbt behind the factory coil and have not dug anything yet with the 6". You are welcome to take it for a spin though, just cover shipping back.

Tommy C.
(southernexplorer)
Deus - Etrac - GPX 5000

Very Generous offer Tommy..

I sure would like to run the 6"...

I will P.M. you now..

Keith

Keith., The 3030 is a great machine but has some drawbacks. I love and hate mine depending on what I find lol. It is killer for coin hunting, especially with the 6" coil. It still falses on iron when running hot in manual mode. I use it primrilly in iron infested cellar holes. It has an ability to softly lock on to targets better than the E trac (if that makes any sense to you). I just find more targets with mine than other vlf machines like my DFX which is still a great machine. But at the end of hunting, Minelabs still fill my pouch with more keepers. Not scientific results but that is what I have seen in my New England trap rock/ basalt dirt. The biggest drawback is the ability to not see a bunch of silver coins stacked on top of each other, Sometimes I think there is too much processing going on in modern machines. But overall, it's a keeper for many reasons

The coil was shipped today priority mail. You should have it in a few days.

Let us know how it does for you.

Tommy C.
(southernexplorer)
Deus - Etrac - GPX 5000

Keith, can you tell me how it stands up against the Deus?? Depth-wise?? Working in iron-wise?? Please...don't hold back. No hurt feelings here. I want to here the truth about it. (I'm not insinuating that you would spin a falsehood) I'm merely needing good solid info. Would you see it as a machine that could go behind the Deus and pick out goodies? Especially since I never completely learned the Deus?? Thanks

He's probally almost blind by now?Lol

The first thing I noticed about the CTX is you can not run it hot in manual mode. It will start falsing on the iron really bad. But you really don't need to run a high manual setting. This is not an E trac. As far as comparing it to the Deus: I think the Deus in trash is a little better. You know that nice clear signal that really stands out between the iron in Deus fast? The CTX just is not as crisp. I also think the Deus wins in freshly disturbed dirt or plowed fields. The one thing about the FBS machines that the CTX holds true on. But for normal coin hunting I think the CTX is in a league that very few if any detectors have ever played in. Relic hunting might be another story. But I'm not a relic hunter. I can also say that since Minelab had the update I have never used a more stable detector in salt water. But as I mentioned in the previous post the waterproof headphones were a major disappointment to me.