Hey guys just looking for some input.... I just traded my V3i for a CTX 3030. Machine has not made it to me yet but I'm surely excited. Its coming with Andys book, but I was just going to see if anyone that owned one already had any tips they have discovered with use? Thanks guys in advance for your time! P.S. i have owned a etrac in the past didn't know if there would be any similarities?
It's extremely similar to the etrac in tones but much faster. Not nearly the bells and whistles of your V3i , actually only a few more than the etrac. Same patterns will perform similarly but the 35 CO tones settings and the adjustable target bins make it another whole machine , especially in iron with the small 6 or 5 x 10 coil. I had a very hard time weaning myself from the etrac but have found the CTX is definitely the more powerful and useful machine.
Cool trade, I wish you the best of luck with it.
I use an old Explorer II and this past week it started to give up display problems. I might be looking to upgrade soon.
Tony, Dusty a big thanks to you both! I'm looking forward to learning the new machine. I know it's not going to be easy but I will in time. I don't have an option lol. One more question if I may, do you think the CTX will null as bad as the Etrac?
If it's anything like the Etrac - and from all I've seen and heard it's even better - you're going to be pulling stuff up in places you thought you previously hammered with ease
If I had that type of cash to spend I'd surely get one, but I'm going to have to go with an Etrac instead.
But if I ever want to try the CTX out for a few days, I'm sure you'll ship it to me as a loaner
Hey Joe buddy you just let me know. Let me get a little time with her first. After that I wouldn't think twice about lettin ya have a swing!
It will definitely null just like an etrac but you have a number of different tones variations to deal with it. What I prefer to do is set up an identical pattern at what is called the users button where you can switch between 50 conductive tones , like an etrac , and 35 CO (combined) tones where you can adjust both the break points and the corresponding tones for different types of targets. I set iron to sound off at a low pitch and raise the tones (5) through the various target bins which are all adjustable. This way if you encounter iron nulling you can easily detect through the area and hear both the iron and the higher conductors , making the determination to dig off of the VDI and the quality of the tone.
It sounds complicated but isn't and the cool thing is that like the etrac's smart screen , the CTX also has a second screen available for each pattern , so you end up having four screens from two programs at your finger tips with the push of one button. You also TTF setting available if you want to detect that way.
The CTX does not have as many pattern slots available as the etrac but you really don't need them because of the target bins and tone selections available.
That sounds absolutely amazing! How in the world do all those people say that it's just an Etrac with a color screen ?
(12-06-2016 08:54 AM)Firedigger109 Wrote: [ -> ]That sounds absolutely amazing! How in the world do all those people say that it's just an Etrac with a color screen ?
Funny you should say that as the screen iis the biggest gripe I would have with the CTX.
Washes out badly in sunshine and even with my DIY shade I find myself having to reorient my swinging to see the screen on occasion.
The other drawback is the WM10 module for the headphones and the non compatibility of some headphones with the external speaker cut-off if you don't have the WM10 or it's battery goes dead. It pays to find some headphones that work both ways just in case.
Thanks so much for the tip on the headphones Dusty! I knew I would get unbiased honest replys on this forum. THANKS TREASURE CLASSIFIEDS!!