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View Full Version : New etrac user here (comments)



squirrel1
06-27-2011, 09:02 PM
I'm new here on the forum and thought i'd post my comments on my new etrac. After a full week of use, all I can say is, I'm delighted. I got into detecting back in Feb this year after watching a gent use his whites Xlt. I purchased a v3i in Feb and then the etrac a week ago. I'm retired USAF with a work history in aircraft radar and radio navigation systems. I really like the etrac. Even with my limited detecting experience I can say the etrac is by far the better machine. Etrac's strengths over the v3i are as follows:

etrac rod can be adjusted to a precise length, not so with v3i. I find this handy when detecting around slopes and need small adjustments to keep my posture correct.

etrac target ID superior to V3i especially on 5-6 inch and deeper targets

etrac is superior when hunting in trash, it actually outdoes the v3i in trash with a one inch bigger coil

etrac is a lot quieter to hunt with, my v3i seems to always have a bit of noise and definitely more falsing even after trying all the tricks of the trade--and yes my d2 coil is good plus I have a sef 10x12 for it

etrac buttons are very nicely laid out and located meaning everything is a 1 hand operation except for loading disc patterns..V3i is hard to tune with just one hand using freq offset

Using etrac you will dig far less trash as opposed to V3i, which tranlates into more actual time on the stick detecting for the good stuff

V3i does have some advantages over etrac:

better viewing screen with color and different background colors,
slightly lighter and balanced a bit better than etrac

I have dug 3x times silver in a week with the etrac than i did using the V3i for 4 months.
Overall, I believe an etrac is the clear winner in the field

MassDirtFisher
06-27-2011, 09:44 PM
I welcome you to the forum. I know nothing about either detector, Just wanted to say hello. Best of luck to you with your machine. Happy Hunting!!

coinnut
06-27-2011, 09:57 PM
Hi and welcome aboard from western MA. :clapping: I have the E trac and although I don't have a V3i, I have been using White's detectors since around 1974. The E trac is a very easy machine to use and that is one reason it is so sucessful in the field. The V3 is a much more complicated machine. I believe it has great potential, but it will take some time for the true benifits of it to be learned. It has many features that I feel will allow it to equal the E trac and maybe even surpass it in some areas. But for me, I prefer to the simplicity of the E trac and have found many great coins and colonial relics with the stock 11 coil. Equipped with the 5 coil, it is killer in trash. I really think the choice of any machine over another, is due to the user's comfort with that machine. I am a firm believer in using whatever machine works best for you. But I also feel that Minelab is on to something with the way it processes the signals. I guess I'm a simple kind of guy and prefer not to scroll through many menus to get my desired results. But that is just me. But I do wish I had some more control over some of the E Trac's settings. That would really let me fine tune it :drool: Welcome aboard and enjoy ET.

jkress
07-01-2011, 12:21 AM
Welcome to American Detectorist squirrel1. :clapping: Glad to see you here with us.
Thank you for your years of service for our country.

It is very interesting to hear your comparisons of the two machines. There are folks here that excel greatly
with each of these units. I am partial to the Minelab machines as well.

I'm looking forward to your finds. thumbsup01