Pokie73 (Dennis) talked me into metal detecting again after a 15-20 year absence. He had a E-Trac and found over 120 silver coins this year. So, I bought my E-Trac late in May this year. I had no problem pinpointing with it until the last two months. Most of the time after I pinpoint with it, I keep searching and checking hole and find the coin 3 to 6 inches away. I first noticed it with quarters being very hard to pinpoint and find. Recently I dug three holes side by side and never found the coin. Another time the penny was laying outside the hole and still the E Trac pinpointed the hole. I have understood that the coil also detects at the top of coil and bottom of the coil, along with pinpointing in the center of the coil. I wonder if I am having user error or if I need to have it checked out for repair. It is no longer fun to detect when I have trouble finding the coin. I do use a garrett pinpointer but still no signal in the hole.
(I remember my first detector was a Mark I with no discrimation in the late 1970s. I found lots of mercury dimes in parks )
BigJohn