Myers Depot Metal Detectors

New Year, New Machine... Finally

robby4570

robby4570

Elite Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2011
Messages
4,829
Location
Ama LA
Well, it only took 10 years of patiently waiting and collecting all the beach gold and clad I could, but she's mine!

I finally was able to get that CTX3030 and received it a couple days ago. I got the 17 inch coil FREE from Minelab and bought the 6 inch coil for the really trashy areas as well. She got her first hunt in the books and I have fallen in love with her already. I hunted in the RV Park we stay at and to say the ground is full of trash would be an understatement. Add to that fact that there's probably not much left in the ground in the way of coins because I've been hitting this place with the Equinox 800 and the E-Trac since we got here in April of 2021. I did find a few coins in places I know the Equinox has been (not sure if the E-Trac has hit those spots) and not found anything. So I've got great finds expectations for the 3030 this year coming up and for many years to come!

YT Thumb CTX first hunt.jpg

And I tried to get a video of the first find, but my camera corrupted most of the video files. Here's what I could salvage:

Adventures In Metal Detecting S3E1

​


:cool3:
 
Congrts!
Wish i still had mine.
The FBS machines are some of the best of all. Extremely accurate target ID and depth.
Takes a little time to master but well worth it. The CTX is a little slower but its not a race.
HH!
Tom
 
kidlester said:
Congrts!
Wish i still had mine.
The FBS machines are some of the best of all. Extremely accurate target ID and depth.
Takes a little time to master but well worth it. The CTX is a little slower but its not a race.
HH!
Tom
Click to expand...

Hi, thanks. Yes indeed, gotta love FBS! I started on a (BBS) Sovereign Elite and then got a chance to swing a CTX3030 for a bit. That was all it took, i was hooked.
But the cost of a CTX3030 was way too prohibitive at that point in my life so I got an E-Trac instead. I've swung that E-Trac going on 9 years now, so i decided it was time to move up to its Big Brother. I think there's some good times ahead for sure!

:cool3:
 
too_pointer said:
I thought it looked kinda heavy.:shock::shock::?::cool3:
too_
Click to expand...

Its's got some heft to it no doubt, but it almost the same weight as my E-Trac and way better balanced. Also doesn't feel (all you fan boys, go ahead and flame on...) as flimsy as my Equinox 800. If you don't try to bench press it, you'll be ok... and after today's hunt, I'd say that it's damn well worth it!!

:cool3:
 
Detector said:
Very nice!

I loved the CTX but just couldn't handle the weight with my medical issues. Still the best on the market IMO.
Click to expand...

I've already had two hunts of near 3 hours each and I'm more sore in the knees from all the bending, squatting and digging deeeeep target than I am from swinging it. I have to say, I dug more 7+ inch targets today with this little baby than I ever did with my 'Nox in that same park.

And one of those is a GREAT find! Video worked better today too, so I'll put another hunt video together tonight.

:cool3:
 
Hello. I have heard great things about the 30-30. I might make a suggestion, that you probably already know, get a shovel, a hand digger will not get to the depths a 3030 will go to.
 
Congrats on the CTX and good luck! The CTX reputation speaks for itself. You're gonna find some goodies!
 
Loved my CTX3030 but finally the weight and swing harness was too much of a hassle for me. If Minelab would come out with a lighter CTX3030 replacement that has all the features of the CTX other than the weight and wasted cpu/memory resources on the GPS features it would be a sure market killer. Is the 900 that machine? doubt it. Is the Manticore that machine? have to wait and see. Now loving my XP2. It is not a CTX but still handles all my needs and light as a feather with the 9" coil.
 
maxxkatt said:
Loved my CTX3030 but finally the weight and swing harness was too much of a hassle for me. If Minelab would come out with a lighter CTX3030 replacement that has all the features of the CTX other than the weight and wasted cpu/memory resources on the GPS features it would be a sure market killer. Is the 900 that machine? doubt it. Is the Manticore that machine? have to wait and see. Now loving my XP2. It is not a CTX but still handles all my needs and light as a feather with the 9" coil.
Click to expand...
I'm 66, 67 in April with shrinking discs in my back so my time on the 3030 may be limited but for now it fits great and I have swung it for 2 hunts of 4 hours with no problems (plus a couple more of nearly 3 hours) so I'm gonna swing it as long as I can. It seems easier to swing for a longer time than my beloved E-Trac. My biggest problem is my knees from all the deep holes I've been digging to recover the goods... As to the GPS, I use it on each hunt and love the waypoints feature but also like plotting out my finds to see if any trends are developing. I have a 1935 map that shows 3 structures in what is now a park. The structures are gone but I marked them (I use MAPRIKA to find GPS coordinates of old buildings and such) with waypoints in Xchange 2 and then navigate to them. It works great, saves time in getting to a possible "hotspot" and it's nice to have it all on my detector instead of having to use 2 different phone apps that were OK but tedious.

FMDF Maprika.jpg

​
The image above is the 1935 map in the left panel and a current(ish) satellite image on the right in the MAPRIKA Map Designer program on my computer. Notice the red crosshair in the left panel? There's a red cross in the right panel that is your mouse pointer, they move together as you move your mouse over either image. There are 3 black squares with pins stuck in them in the left panel, these are buildings. On the right there's just the pins. I took the GPS coordinates from this and went to Xchange 2...
​
FMDF Hunts.jpg
Now in Xchange 2, I set waypoints based on the GPS coordinates from MAPRIKA. Since they are all labeled in the CTX3030 they don't show up with labels in Xchange 2 unless you hover your mouse on them. But the bottom right most two and the very top center one are the pins for the buildings. All the other (white) waypoints are finds made on previous hunts before I got the CTX3030, I was using an app called Tect O Trak to log my finds. All of the red Findpoints are from two previous hunts using the CTX3030.
​
So you can see how handy the GPS is for me. But I wouldn't trade my CTX for anything. Sorry for rambling on...

:cool3:
​
 
Wolf-Dog said:
Congrats on the new machine! It always fun learning a new detector, and bringing it out to the field! :mder:
Click to expand...
Thanks! Yeah I'm loving this 3030 I swung a friend's back up 3030 some in the past and been on my own E-Trac since '14 so it's not entirely new to me. But there is some stuff about the 3030 I have to learn (or maybe train myself on).... like I keep reaching for the E-Trac pinpoint button instead of the CTX3030 pinpoint "Trigger" :laughing: :laughing:
 
Enjoy your new 3030! The ability to uncover items with your CTX that you didn't with your Equinox must be exciting; I'm sure it could really broaden your detecting experiences!

And it must be kind of special that your first find with the CTX is one that brings back memories from your time in the airforce. On that note, thank you for your service!
 
Congrats, know you will have fun wth the new stuff, you may have a learning curve with it, but bet you will be surprised with what you dig up !!! :kingdances: :kingdances: :chaplin::chaplin:
too_
 
robby4570 said:
I'm 66, 67 in April with shrinking discs in my back so my time on the 3030 may be limited but for now it fits great and I have swung it for 2 hunts of 4 hours with no problems (plus a couple more of nearly 3 hours) so I'm gonna swing it as long as I can. It seems easier to swing for a longer time than my beloved E-Trac. My biggest problem is my knees from all the deep holes I've been digging to recover the goods... As to the GPS, I use it on each hunt and love the waypoints feature but also like plotting out my finds to see if any trends are developing. I have a 1935 map that shows 3 structures in what is now a park. The structures are gone but I marked them (I use MAPRIKA to find GPS coordinates of old buildings and such) with waypoints in Xchange 2 and then navigate to them. It works great, saves time in getting to a possible "hotspot" and it's nice to have it all on my detector instead of having to use 2 different phone apps that were OK but tedious.

The image above is the 1935 map in the left panel and a current(ish) satellite image on the right in the MAPRIKA Map Designer program on my computer. Notice the red crosshair in the left panel? There's a red cross in the right panel that is your mouse pointer, they move together as you move your mouse over either image. There are 3 black squares with pins stuck in them in the left panel, these are buildings. On the right there's just the pins. I took the GPS coordinates from this and went to Xchange 2...
​
Now in Xchange 2, I set waypoints based on the GPS coordinates from MAPRIKA. Since they are all labeled in the CTX3030 they don't show up with labels in Xchange 2 unless you hover your mouse on them. But the bottom right most two and the very top center one are the pins for the buildings. All the other (white) waypoints are finds made on previous hunts before I got the CTX3030, I was using an app called Tect O Trak to log my finds. All of the red Findpoints are from two previous hunts using the CTX3030.
​
So you can see how handy the GPS is for me. But I wouldn't trade my CTX for anything. Sorry for rambling on...

:cool3:
​
Click to expand...
I forgot about xchange2. Wish the XP2 had that. such a easy way to set up programs. The removable remote control does make it a little more comfortable setting up programs. Took me a while to get use to using the Menu and Options. But once you get them in your head, they are very logical. I tried the Minelab Pro-45 harness and hated it. Got Doc's swingy thingy harness and it was much better. but still disliked connecting and disconnecting the bungie attachment when kneeling down to dig and then having to reattach it each time.


Using the XP MI-6 wireless pinpointer is nice to hear it through the earphones. It disconnects the detector from the headphones when you press on the MI-6 wireless pinpointer and switches back to the detector when you switch off the MI-6 pinpointer.

But the Garrett carrot is quite a bit deeper than then the MI-6 so I carry both of them stuffed into my jeans pocket. I hunt in metro Atlanta where it is very trashy so I like the XP2 9" coil. But the CTX will always be my favorite detector if anyone ask me that question.
 
robby4570 said:
Thanks! Yeah I'm loving this 3030 I swung a friend's back up 3030 some in the past and been on my own E-Trac since '14 so it's not entirely new to me. But there is some stuff about the 3030 I have to learn (or maybe train myself on).... like I keep reaching for the E-Trac pinpoint button instead of the CTX3030 pinpoint "Trigger" :laughing: :laughing:
Click to expand...
It is tough sometimes going from one sophisticated detector to another. I had the CTX TID's and settings and features firmly in my head. Then going to the XP2 it is learning all over again but until I learn it better I tend to get TID's mixed up in my head.
 
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