Myers Depot Metal Detectors

I bought a CTX 3030 - I don't understand the beach

T

T31

New Member
Joined
May 19, 2016
Messages
3
Location
Florida
So I bought a CTX 3030 so I could start getting into the water more. Unfortunately, I have yet to figure out how to read the beach.

I have found toy cars, weights, pull tabs, and costume jewelry. I am just going in a random pattern while searching the wet sand and next weekend plan on entering into the water to see if I can find anything deeper.

I cannot figure out where in the wet sand and in the water to look. Is it just random? I'm unfamiliar with the terms of the low tide. I have a large heavy beach scoop. I need more practice with it. I'm a scrawny 5'3 woman. :lol: My arms get tired.

Down the beach I can see the wet outlines that rise and fall. Are there specific areas to look in that?

The CTX 3030 is just on a standard beach mode right now. I have not customized it until I get used to the readings. I'm afraid of leaving anything out.
 
Hey Welcome! Do NOT dispair! We have another scrawny Woman who is a member here who started out just a few years ago exactly like you! :laughing: Now, she puts us all to shame with her amazing gold/silver finds!

Theres books written about the info that you seek, probably youtube vids galore...Nothing like starting out with bloodthirsty intent and good gear and then making a daily habit of heading out to treasure hunt! Good Luck to you!
Mud
 
Mud-puppy said:
Hey Welcome! Do NOT dispair! We have another scrawny Woman who is a member here who started out just a few years ago exactly like you! :laughing: Now, she puts us all to shame with her amazing gold/silver finds!

Theres books written about the info that you seek, probably youtube vids galore...Nothing like starting out with bloodthirsty intent and good gear and then making a daily habit of heading out to treasure hunt! Good Luck to you!
Mud
Click to expand...

Haha, thank you so much. I've done a little hunting online and watched some Youtube videos, but I still haven't quite got it. I started with a Minelab Safari and then upgraded to the CTX. I'm off all next week so hoping to detect every day of it at the beach!
 
I have never hunted the beaches down in florida but I can give you some tips.

1. I would look up the tides for your area and find out when high tide and low tide are. Low tide is when you want to get out more so you can get down farther into the area that is normally covered with water and or the water level is higher.

2. If you are going to go into the area that the water would be running over your coil I would switch saltwater on in the settings of the CTX. Some people hunt with everything that isnt iron accepted others hunt is only the area that gold normall falls into open. The problem with that is that gold can literally fall almost any were. I usually look for numbers that have a ferrious number from 10-14. Pretty much every good target will fall in the 11-12 ferrious range but you never know. Listen for strong repeatable signals when you are starting out.

3. Reading the beach is one of the most important things to know. Look for low spots on the beach were water is laying and hunt those. Also looks for shells or rocks that are embedded in the sand. Where larger shells and rocks are there will usually be denser targets ie gold, silver and quarters. Another place to hunt is when you see a cut going from the dry sand to the high tide line, hunt from the cut down to the water. One other places to look for is for a ripple trough.

I hope this helps you.
 
I've never used a CTX, but from what I hear it can have a very steep learning curve. Keep at it, and I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually.

Youtube was very helpful to me when I was learning my new detector a couple years ago. I'm sure there are tons of videos on the CTX out there now.
 
reading the beach is a complex skill that takes time to learn! I understand some of it, but I'm far from an expert.

Basically it comes down to the fact that sand moves, and it can move A LOT. If the sand feels squishy, it's filling in and hunting will suck. If the sand is hard, it's drawing out and could be good. If you see rock/shell pack in the sand it could be really low and finds could be excellent. The low spots you see in the beach are going to be the best bet. If you are digging a lot of light aluminum !!!!, its probably a bad time. If you are hitting lead weights, it could be a great time.

I know there is a LOT more to it, but those basics should get you going in the right direction
 
An easy approach until you get more confident is to wait for low tide. At low tide you will encounter less amount of resistance and cover more ground than in the water. Thus giving your arms a break.You will be able to go in an area that many others are unable to go. As the day wears on and the heat starts to bother you then go in the water. The water then not only cools you but if at the correct depth it will help support your body.
 
I would not venture into the water until you have an understanding of what your equipment is telling you. There is plenty of wet sand to learn the ropes and have good finds while you gain understanding.


Sent from my detector via iPhone
 
You have a detector that can be very complex (because it's top of the line and has so many features) and an enviroment that is just as complex (sand constantly shifting with tides going in and out at different times), have patience first and foremost! Learn all you can about the detector and it's different modes/settings and how they work. It might be actually best to find a less shifty environment first to gain trust in your detecting with the CTX. Then after a "stable" environment, you can move to a shifting environment like a heavy beach and begin to "learn" it after knowing the detector. Trying to detect with 2 major variables could get very frustrating, but don't give up! You have gear that will get the goods out, just narrow the variables 1 by 1 till you sync with what and where you are hunting. Good luck!
 
You already have some great replies. I recently started seriously hunting a beach. From what I have learned so far is that beaches vary, learn your favorite first. What does it look like at different times of the year, at dfferent tide levels, etc.

As mentioned there are a lot of great videos on youtube. I found that this guy https://goo.gl/Vz49jX shares a lot of info about the beach that is generally applicable as he is showing you the video. A look back through his videos is useful.


This guy https://metaldetectingforum.com/member.php?u=59 oftens shares a number of articles he has written on the subject so send him a PM.

This is a gem of an archive: https://goo.gl/V5whjD

Study the Tide Chart for your area http://magicseaweed.com/

Study, study, study ...

Then show your finds here and ask questions. The people here are awesome.

In the end, your beach is different, filter everything you read and see and then PRACTICE. :D
 
Bunch of good replies so far. I would add:

As for the wet sand "random" you're describing, it sounds like you're simply on sterile sand. Ie.: sand that's come back "in" in the recent months of calm seas. So even foil can be deep, and vast stretches of nothing-ness (unless someone just lost their matchbox car, etc...). About the only place I'd mess with this type "random" (ie.: recent only) type wet sand, might be in some place that's SO heavily used (like Hawaii in a zone of elbow to elbow people wading).

You need to "read" the beach, when it comes to the wet. As soon as mother nature is eroding, then she can group targets into concise zones. Trouble is, it can be infrequent (and demanding you show up on *just* the right days). But once you've ever been in a zone where you get 200 targets/coins in an area no bigger than your living room, you'll never go back to dry sand hunting again :)

Check this out. It's focused on west coast , and no doubt variables exist for whatever coast-line you're on. But there will be some good takeaways here that can apply to your beaches:

http://www.mdhtalk.org/tips/toms-beach-tips/tom-beach-tips.htm
 
T31 said:
SI cannot figure out where in the wet sand and in the water to look. Is it just random?
Click to expand...
Welcome!

People lose jewelry, coins, watches, wallets, phones and other weird stuff when getting out of their car, while jogging on the beach, when swimming, & while playing sports like volleyball. It happens day & night and at high & low tides. There is no one spot that all targets fall or roll to, so yes, targets are found at random.

However, certain conditions may increase the probability that targets can be found in certain locations. If you buy and read beach hunting books this will give you a better idea. (In all fairness, if we copy+paste the books contents it may cheat the author) Second, visit the same beach over and over and maybe consider photographing the beach. Over time you can flip through the photos and see changes in the movement of sand, dunes, and the locations that people congregate. Then you will have a better probability of knowning target rich locations.

Best of luck!
 
First I recommend reading the book "Gold beneath the waves". It's a fairly short but pretty informative and intriguing read.

Once your at the beach... Scout it out!! Even when beaches are "sanded in" I do very well on fresh drops(look for the busiest section of beaches). My last Myrtle beach trip of 6days of hunting netted me 34g of gold and several silver rings along with a beautiful pair of ray bans. This was all accomplished by scouting the beaches north and south of where I was staying.

I prefer to hunt from the mid tide(middle between the high tide line and low tide line) to waist deep at low tide. I'll start about 1-1.5hrs before the tide is at its lowest point. I dig everything, and love to hear that soild/repeatable 12-02 to 12-30 signal esp when I'm in the water because most of the time foil is to light to settle anywhere except the high tide line.

Reading the beach is def the key to increasing your success and even more crucial when you don't live near a beach and do it on vacations at different beaches. The book I mentioned above will give you a greater understanding of Troughs, cuts etc.

Good luck and Happy Hunting!
 
the beauty of the CTX is that you can make it as simple or complicated as you want. I've never hunted at YOUR area but in general (and I'm no where near my CTX right now but Im trying to remember my settings) you want beach mode, If you're in the water, you want salt water on, dry sand you want it off. You want recovery in deep. Fast off. You can choice either ferrous coin (has the benefit of NOT just picking the strongest target when multiple targets are at one location), or low trash. you want sensitivity as high as possible and by doing so put it in Auto +3. See where it's at. Go to manual and put it at that number. Then raise it more until it gets chatty. then bring it down a few. Personally, I like combined tones and I run my tones opposite of most. I like my valuable targets to hit higher in the hz range and the whatever's in the low tones. I now use pinpoint trace and ground balance is OFF. Pin point is in pitch hold if I recall. Threshold is something like 24 if I recall. Volume full blast. I use a 1/4" microphone adapter for an amp or guitar and then put ear buds in. MUCH louder than headphones. I run a shoulder harness and bungee set up and water boots for comfort.


As for "Where to hunt?" That's a bit harder to tell or teach. The gold is usually 15 ft from where it's lost so imagine your a swimmer or beach goer and go from there. If it's storm time or heavy erosion then usually it's time to hunt not find....
 
Yes, Virginia, it is Random

Most of the time, east coast florida beaches are sanded in and constantly sand renourished, and competition is brutal, so yes, it's usually pretty much random, with luck or intuition playing the biggest part. But, I can help you about the heavy scoop. Try a honeycomb stainless steel scoop from this ukrainian guy on ebay, about $100 shipped. Because of the honeycomb design it's light and drains fast even thought it has smaller holes. Nice scoop.
 
Did anyone mention gaskets? Look up frogmaster. He is on tnet and has a thread in the minelab section there on how to waterproof your machine.

Don't expose it to rainwater until you do this. Take a look at you machine. You usb connector. Minelab don't say anything about it really. First it's very easy to strip those threads. Second. Make sure the hex nut is snug but do not over tighten it. Leaving it lose will ensure a failure no matter how you have the cap tightened. I hunt in the heavy surf so I use a gasket there as well.

They are available direct from the manufacturing company CHEAP. Otherwise you will pay 15$ for two on eBay.

Every use clean it. Every time you change battery there's a nice groove for sand to get in. Atleast brush it out. I usually removed the gasket and clean it and fully get out the sand in that gasket.

Dont let anyone troll you and say you'll void your warranty. It's funny. I owned mine since April 2015 or March and have not had to utilize the warranty at all. Had I left the pos little gasket in I'm sure I would have had to send her in for water damage by now.

Good luck. I use relic all metal mode and go by tone on beach. Us nickels sound like gold rings. -Joe
 
Go to the beach every day or several times a week. Learn the tides and what affects them. Learn where people walk, run, layout. Learn what the beach has been like throughout the years - were there restaurants that are no longer there? Boardwalks, piers, etc? So learn the history of the place. Once you learn an area your finds will improve a lot and that will determine if you should be at a certain area, and when, and if you should be walking in a pattern, or going in the water, etc. Going to a new beach just messes this all up so when I travel I really study the area first but nothing beats living there and knowing exactly what is happening on the sand and in the water. I can tell you walk in a W or go at low tide but if its sanded in or in a bad spot none of that advice is going to help you.
 
If you are anywhere Bradenton PM me and I will help you out. I don't know the CTX but I can read the beach pretty well and give you pointers. Join our Women Diggers group on Facebook!
 
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