oh man you would hate me so much...... I wander while I detect(unless I know the site is worth gridding off). so if I'm with someone I have to watch them so I don't get in their way or run into them
Is the ATPro outperforming my Minelab?
- Thread starter Happa54
- Start date
oh man you would hate me so much...... I wander while I detect(unless I know the site is worth gridding off). so if I'm with someone I have to watch them so I don't get in their way or run into them
choppadude
Forum Supporter
When I bought my CTX3030 a good friend saw the finds I was making with it an also bought a CTX. He had some pretty decent finds with it considering he does not take a lot of time to learn his machines. I could tell he was a little miffed that I was still finding more than him.
Fast forward to this season and we find a spot that is giving up some deep silvers, this guys brother comes down with an AT Pro with a HUGE coil and starts pulling out Barber and Seated dimes at 12" - 16". My friend is plenty torqued that his $2500 machine is getting "beat" by a $500 machine so what does he do? He buys a AT Pro with a big coil and leaves the CTX3030 sitting at home! Does he start finding more? Nope. Why? because he is not taking the time to master the AT Pro either.
In this world of instant gratification people want results NOW!
I must admit though that my CTX3030 was having a hard time finding these deep targets in THIS spot. The 17" coil did help some but yes, I was also getting "Beat" by the AT Pro.
I then tried some other units in this spot.
The Deus with the 11" X 13" coil did the trick for me hitting multiple different silvers at depths I had only imagined 5 years ago.
The AKA Sorex Pro also gave me some great results hitting silvers at 12" deep and also handing me a couple older gold rings from this spot.
And finally the Nokta Impact followed suit with a some good deep coins in this spot.
Now I did not get all riled up that my most expensive unit was not finding what the others were because this was just one spot. I knew from experience that in other areas my CTX3030 hit very decent depth, ID'd the targets better (even the trash) and gave me very good performance.
Like many others I still get caught up in trying to find the machine that does it best. I have spent a TON of money on detectors in the last few years but also know that you really need to spend the time with each unit to truly know what its limits and benefits are. I am at the point where I use a different detector for certain areas where I know that unit will excel in but sometimes just grab a random one and head out cause you just never know what you are going to find. That is after all why we do this right
Fast forward to this season and we find a spot that is giving up some deep silvers, this guys brother comes down with an AT Pro with a HUGE coil and starts pulling out Barber and Seated dimes at 12" - 16". My friend is plenty torqued that his $2500 machine is getting "beat" by a $500 machine so what does he do? He buys a AT Pro with a big coil and leaves the CTX3030 sitting at home! Does he start finding more? Nope. Why? because he is not taking the time to master the AT Pro either.
In this world of instant gratification people want results NOW!
I must admit though that my CTX3030 was having a hard time finding these deep targets in THIS spot. The 17" coil did help some but yes, I was also getting "Beat" by the AT Pro.
I then tried some other units in this spot.
The Deus with the 11" X 13" coil did the trick for me hitting multiple different silvers at depths I had only imagined 5 years ago.
The AKA Sorex Pro also gave me some great results hitting silvers at 12" deep and also handing me a couple older gold rings from this spot.
And finally the Nokta Impact followed suit with a some good deep coins in this spot.
Now I did not get all riled up that my most expensive unit was not finding what the others were because this was just one spot. I knew from experience that in other areas my CTX3030 hit very decent depth, ID'd the targets better (even the trash) and gave me very good performance.
Like many others I still get caught up in trying to find the machine that does it best. I have spent a TON of money on detectors in the last few years but also know that you really need to spend the time with each unit to truly know what its limits and benefits are. I am at the point where I use a different detector for certain areas where I know that unit will excel in but sometimes just grab a random one and head out cause you just never know what you are going to find. That is after all why we do this right
Happa54
Forum Supporter
Mudd.... you got me laughing on this one.
I hunt and fish with a best friend and he is an ROI guy.
He sells or trades his game/catch to recoup his costs.
Me on the other hand enjoy sharing it with friends and relatives. I get pure enjoyment from it this way, just as much as he gets enjoyment doing it his way.
To each his own.
I hunt and fish with a best friend and he is an ROI guy.
He sells or trades his game/catch to recoup his costs.
Me on the other hand enjoy sharing it with friends and relatives. I get pure enjoyment from it this way, just as much as he gets enjoyment doing it his way.
To each his own.
Happa54
Forum Supporter
When I bought my CTX3030 a good friend saw the finds I was making with it an also bought a CTX. He had some pretty decent finds with it considering he does not take a lot of time to learn his machines. I could tell he was a little miffed that I was still finding more than him.
Fast forward to this season and we find a spot that is giving up some deep silvers, this guys brother comes down with an AT Pro with a HUGE coil and starts pulling out Barber and Seated dimes at 12" - 16". My friend is plenty torqued that his $2500 machine is getting "beat" by a $500 machine so what does he do? He buys a AT Pro with a big coil and leaves the CTX3030 sitting at home! Does he start finding more? Nope. Why? because he is not taking the time to master the AT Pro either.
In this world of instant gratification people want results NOW!
I must admit though that my CTX3030 was having a hard time finding these deep targets in THIS spot. The 17" coil did help some but yes, I was also getting "Beat" by the AT Pro.
I then tried some other units in this spot.
The Deus with the 11" X 13" coil did the trick for me hitting multiple different silvers at depths I had only imagined 5 years ago.
The AKA Sorex Pro also gave me some great results hitting silvers at 12" deep and also handing me a couple older gold rings from this spot.
And finally the Nokta Impact followed suit with a some good deep coins in this spot.
Now I did not get all riled up that my most expensive unit was not finding what the others were because this was just one spot. I knew from experience that in other areas my CTX3030 hit very decent depth, ID'd the targets better (even the trash) and gave me very good performance.
Like many others I still get caught up in trying to find the machine that does it best. I have spent a TON of money on detectors in the last few years but also know that you really need to spend the time with each unit to truly know what its limits and benefits are. I am at the point where I use a different detector for certain areas where I know that unit will excel in but sometimes just grab a random one and head out cause you just never know what you are going to find. That is after all why we do this right
I think I've read enough into the feedback on this one to keep my mind focused on my Safari. There is just too much experience in the forums telling me that I have a deep seeker anyway. And you all are correct in saying that the machine is only as good as it's operator. That puts this one to rest for me. Thanks everyone and happy hunting!!!
metaladdict
Elite Member
Oh Here we go! Get Him Boys!
My last silver I found in a really trashy area ,I was going slow and heard
a high chirp .Got a 1911 Canadian half.
ohiochris
Elite Member
What you are seeing is the limitations of the minelab. In order to take advantage of its abilities , you have to go slow , which gobbles up huge amounts of valuable detecting time by the end of the hunt and you don't cover as much ground. While your detector is probably a superior deep hunter , you are almost always gonna fall behind compared to someone using a detector like the ATP in sheer numbers of finds.
But comparatively , the ATP is no slouch when it comes to depth either , plenty of deep silvers have been found with them..... just not as suited to it as the minelab. As has already been mentioned , silver finds are great but where clad is plentiful a guy with an ATP is gonna really clean up and can usually find enough to buy more silver than you can find. It all depends on what your preference is. Personally , ...I will take finding hundreds of dollars worth of clad per year over a handful of common silvers , but that's just me. And I still wind up finding some silvers as well.
But comparatively , the ATP is no slouch when it comes to depth either , plenty of deep silvers have been found with them..... just not as suited to it as the minelab. As has already been mentioned , silver finds are great but where clad is plentiful a guy with an ATP is gonna really clean up and can usually find enough to buy more silver than you can find. It all depends on what your preference is. Personally , ...I will take finding hundreds of dollars worth of clad per year over a handful of common silvers , but that's just me. And I still wind up finding some silvers as well.
CaliPullTab
Senior Member
Get an ATP and keep up with the guy, after you both clean out the clad... you can go back with your minelab and get all the deeper targets when your buddy thinks its all hunted out. Im thinking of this strategy in my parks here.... go in with the ATP and come back with the V3i
Happa54
Forum Supporter
This is the best idea I've heard so far. I just might take you up on it. Haha!!
choppadude
Forum Supporter
MikeInMcKinney
Junior Member
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2013
- Messages
- 98
On deep coins, (and deep for the explorers is 8"+ , because let's face it, coins up to 7.5" with the explorer is like taking candy from a baby) and coins near trash or iron, the FBS technology will crush any Garrett or Whites any day. Your minelab is the better machine for the deep old stuff.
woodbutcher
Forum Supporter
I hafto disagree with this post.Minelabs in my experience are the worst in iron,and I'm only speaking of the safari,explorer and Etrac because I've never owned a 3030.
I have run Minelabs and fishers and Garrett machines exclusively.I can honestly say less than 10 percent of all my silver coins,over 500 ,,have come from FBs technology.
Now,i cannot say for sure why,because I hunt all older homes.Maybe because I can cover 10 times more ground with the fishers and Garrett machines vs Minelab? Whatever the reason,I personally find more with a at pro or F75 than I ever have with a Minelab.
And I like Minelab machines alot.I wish it were the other way around.But as so many say,the proofs in the pudding.And I find a single frequency outperformed a multi frequency in finds for me.But as for dealing with iron,single frequency machines walk away from fbs technology.
