ctx vs atx vs dual field

Steve

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Hopefully some of the experts will chime in. Here is the scenario. Wet salt water sand. Not a lot of iron but a ton of beer bottle caps and soda can pull tabs.
Would you choose the ctx, atx, or dual field and why?
 
I would personally pick the CTX for disc... ATX is a PI machine, so it will go deep, but doesn't have a whole lot of disc. No opinion on the Dual field.
 
The DF and ATX are PI machines. Of course you probably know they do not discriminate out magnetic targets which are to us junk.

The problem I have with the PI machines is the amount of magnetic targets. Most everyone is now using discriminating machines in the water leaving the bobby pins, screws, nails and a host of other magnetic junk. Most beaches I hunt have lots of bobby pins. Since the PI is not as favored here then they grow in number constantly because they are not being dug. I get about 10 iron targets to every non magnetic target on my beaches. If you like to dig a LOT then a PI is fine. It does waste time for sure but you get big arms in the process. :laughing:

To add, the CTX is not the best water machine out there. It is deep at times but very prone to issues with repairs. It is an excellent wet sand machine but in the water requires vigilance in cleaning the gasket area and not hitting the display with your scoop or the car door. They also loose the ability to hold the shaft out without slipping due to wear on the cam lock. The Excal is much more dependable in the water but may lack a bit of depth to the CTX. The CTX really is poor pinpointing in the water. It looses the pinpoint tone on most digs in chest deep water. It just does not work 100% as it should, especially for $2500. Guess there is no perfect world but for me, I would not buy another PI machine.
 
Steve, I know your O.P. said "not a lot of iron". And the type junk you're admitting to there, is the obligatory tabs, for example. If that premise were 100% true, then .... theoretically, the 2 choice you give would be a draw. Because, of course, NO ONE in their quest for gold rings plans to knock out tabs. So then you'd have dug those tabs either way, no matter which machine you had. So that you'd probably steer to the pulse, which affords better in minerals, and can get teensy fine chains, earing studs, etc.. Right ?

But the devil is in the details: you say "not a lot of iron". That's an ambiguous statement. What is "not a lot" ? If it's TRULY "not a lot" (as on some very clean touristy beaches, that don't allow beach-bonfires, and have zero industrial type past usage), then perhaps. But if beach storms start eroding down to where targets are fast and furious, you may be ... uh .... a bit miffed at the amount of iron you have to start digging. Sure it may be only 1 in 3, or 1 in 4 targets (if that's what you meant by "not a lot"). But when you think of it, by the end of the day, you've sacrificed ~1/4 of your target time digging iron, when you could have been digging conductive targets.

So I agree with mid-night and I'm-lookin: I'd go with the CTX. I'm sure there are *some* beaches *somewhere* (very clean tourist beaches) where this may not be the optimum choice. But all in all, I'd prefer a machine where I don't go 1 ft. deep on a bobby-pin. Or spend all-day 2nd guessing sounds/tones trying to pass iron.

The depth difference nowadays is negligable, on coin/ring sized targets. The depth of each is about the same. And unless you have some jet-black wet-minerals there, I'd go with the CTX.
 
Save Some Money

Get the Whites Surf PI DF, picks up the smallest of gold, 12 with 6 in the middle, up CT this year I held a ATX, it was heavy & bulky, the CTX3030 your probably going to dig the bottle caps and pull tabs, at least some, low Iron, the DF is a deep machine, the PI in wet will be deeper than the CTX3030 in the wet, for 1/3 of the money , waterproofing is better, than that crappy Ctx3030 seal, my opinion the Surf PI DF is the best bang for your buck, at a 3rd of the cost , you will love it as I do, Earl
 
CTX 3030 $2500...Deep, dig less, 10ft depth rating, lots of bells & whistles, lots of machines back at Minelab being serviced due to water intrusion.

Dual Field $800...Deep, dig it all, deeper under the water than your ever gonna go. Excellent track record NOT breaking down.

ATX...VERY expensive Dual Field IMPO with no real advantage over a DF being a PI.

All comes down to what your willing to spend. With any of these machines your going to want a GREAT scoop;)
 
CTX 3030 $2500...Deep, dig less, 10ft depth rating, lots of bells & whistles, lots of machines back at Minelab being serviced due to water intrusion.

Dual Field $800...Deep, dig it all, deeper under the water than your ever gonna go. Excellent track record NOT breaking down.

ATX...VERY expensive Dual Field IMPO with no real advantage over a DF being a PI.

All comes down to what your willing to spend. With any of these machines your going to want a GREAT scoop;)

Like the way you layed that out Aqua!
 
In a lot of the youtube videos the ATX beats the GPX5000 on tiny gold. Seems like the best machine for chains at the moment.

With that said, I would go ATX or CTX. I personally would go with the ATX.
 
In a lot of the youtube videos the ATX beats the GPX5000 on tiny gold. Seems like the best machine for chains at the moment.

With that said, I would go ATX or CTX. I personally would go with the ATX.

Tiny gold on dry dirt...... GB out the salt and see where that gets you.....

Given the OP's criteria, CTX all the way....if you know the machine, 98% of the bottle caps will be passed over (target trace baby!), don't pass on the pull tabs since it could be a diamond solitaire with those numbers....given the same amount of time on the beach you may dig deeper but I'll dig more good targets......than either PI.... unless all of the supposed targets on this beach are over 18" deep....at that point, you are going to dig nothing or everything dependent on your choice of machine.



Cliff
 
You know anybody else hunting the dead sea? Any ATX advantage on small gold may be gone after you block the salt out. After seeing someone struggling with a GPX 5000 on a beach here, I think I'd rule out the ATX
 
I have been hunting with the CTX for over a year and after I used it for awhile I almost never use anything else. I'm sure the others are great machines. I don't own them. But wet sand dry sand or five foot of salt water IMO it is the ticket. By the way. I've had NO problems after at least 1,000 hours. PP works great in or out of water and you should always wash off your machine and clean gaskets after every hunt, no matter what machine you own. Take care of it, and it will take care of you!
 
Right now I'm swinging a DF... There are others at my beach. Mostly swinging CTXs. I was considering an ATX because of the iron check and discrimination..t. Is there any point or advantage going from a DF to an ATX? Using the DF I will dig around 200 targets a day.
 
....... Is there any point or advantage going from a DF to an ATX?.....

I would not put too much stock into the supposed ability of that machine to tell you iron. That feature only works for the top 4" or so. Beyond that, and everything sounds the same.
 
I would not put too much stock into the supposed ability of that machine to tell you iron. That feature only works for the top 4" or so. Beyond that, and everything sounds the same.
That's what I heard too. But if you pop out 2 scoop full beside each other, 1 ft wide hole, and then pop in the atx iron check. You would get the PI depth with essentially the 'vlf' iron check.
 
I have a ctx and two surf pi's - one old one newer. No dual field but would love to try one. I'm a newbie with all really but started with the old pi, then newer one, then ctx. The thing comes down to hairpins. If you have a bunch and am sick of digging them - get the ctx. That is my story. If you don't have many then get the DF. The DF is so much lighter than the ctx it will save you from medical bills on elbow work. I am really worried about mine. Switching from the ctx to PI is really night and day. One thing though is that rusted nails sometimes don't get rejected by the CTX iron mask.
 
That's what I heard too. But if you pop out 2 scoop full beside each other, 1 ft wide hole, and then pop in the atx iron check. You would get the PI depth with essentially the 'vlf' iron check.

Steve, I anticipated that you (and others reading) would say something like this. Eg.: a) "dig out a scoop or two, then scan again." Or b) well shucks, at least the top 4" eliminates 1/3 or so your potential iron"

Sure, it's an improvement over utterly zero ability to tell iron. But the fact still remains: if you want to get the super deep stuff with the ATX , you'd be going after the whispers. And as such, as those deeper depths, you'll have no disc.. And having to stop and dig half way to each one, is precious md'ing time lost, in my book. If all you cared about knowing iron vs non-iron, is the top 4 or 5", then heck, why even have a deepseeking machine TO BEGIN WITH ? Doh! So knowing that deeper targets is the goal of most of us, then kiss iron-ability goodbye.

There was a certain excavation done years ago, beneath the Santa Cruz beach boardwalk, where the spoils-sand, from 10 to 15 ft. down, was dumped out on to the beach. Several of us showed up to work these tailings. Old coins (silver, etc...) was being found. One guy drove 50 miles to be there, and had brought his beach pulse. Afterall, he reasoned: "This is the beach, and this machine goes deep, and I won't miss tinsel fine chains, and will effortlessly see through any minerals, etc....". But after 20 minutes, the guy drove 50 miles back home, to get his standard machine. Because while he was busy digging nails till the cows came home, the rest of us were getting one coin after another. See ?

Yes I realize "that's just one example". And yes I realize that other spots won't necessarily be iron-ridden. But just saying, since the depth of each is about the same these days (pulse vs VLF / MF), then .... at least having the ability to knock out iron allows you into such spots. Ie.: nothing lost.

The rare exception, in my opinion, is if the sand is truly so nasty with minerals, that you have no choice. I have not seen too many beaches like that in my area. Once in awhile, the sand at a gully-wash outflow will turn gun-powder black. Or up by the cut you'd have to lower your sens. But those are isolated zones, that you can merely move out of. I suppose if the entire beach were jet black, then you'd need a pulse. But if not, I'd much prefer to pass hair-pins, nails, etc.....
 
Hmmmmm...:hmmm: I seem to remember that Boardwalk dig! ;):D

It was due to last year's hunt on that beach that washed out so well and all I had was my Surf PI ( and MXT) that I got the Sov GT!:yes: I was digging bobby pins and nails as other were hitting the gold and silver!:(:no:
 
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