Depth on the E - Trac.
- Thread starter Eagle 1
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Jason in Enid
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18 inches?! What the heck are you smoking? I've NEVER heard of any detector hitting 18 inches on a coin size target. If I can pull a coin from 10-12 inches THAT is an accomplishment. Most detectors bottom out by 8 inches.
Check out the last two posts on this thread: http://www.americandetectorist.com/forum/index.php?topic=305.0
The E-trac in my experience hits nicely on silver targets, even small targets, at 18 cm or 7-8 inches. Things get a little trickier with a smaller silver coin at past ten inches (e.g. silver dime) but I have had solid hits on wheat pennies and bigger silver at depths greater than ten inches with the E-trac.
The E-trac in my experience hits nicely on silver targets, even small targets, at 18 cm or 7-8 inches. Things get a little trickier with a smaller silver coin at past ten inches (e.g. silver dime) but I have had solid hits on wheat pennies and bigger silver at depths greater than ten inches with the E-trac.
Check out the last two posts on this thread: http://www.americandetectorist.com/forum/index.php?topic=305.0
The E-trac in my experience hits nicely on silver targets, even small targets, at 18 cm or 7-8 inches. Things get a little trickier with a smaller silver coin at past ten inches (e.g. silver dime) but I have had solid hits on wheat pennies and bigger silver at depths greater than ten inches with the E-trac.
HI: EPI hunter
That was my post on EMI's . That 18 cm had to do with the V3 not the E-trac. On this post I just would like to know what the deepest the E - trac will go. I was told it go's very deep. And I saw how deep someone at our hunt went with the E-trac. He had to be 20 down. He called us over to see what we were getting on our MD's. I had no hit on my V3 at all. There one more with a minelab that could pick it up no problem. It turn out to be iron but he stopped digging. I just could not believe how deep he was. So my though is I want one of them and sell my V3. So you think that it is about the same depth as a V3 Epi hunter ?
Eagle 1
coinnut
New member
Depth is directly affected by many factors. I have found a large cent which was worn down by water to about half the thickness of a normal large cent. It was found on an old road which had a lot of gravel size rocks mixed with the dirt. The dirt was wet after 6. I got the large cent at 12 with the discriminator set to reject nails and most iron. Can I get this everywhere? Probably not. Can I get a soda can at 20 Sure. I can do an air test to prove that one. Iron also seems to go deeper than usual. Have found some at 14. But what matters most is not the depth on cans or nails, but how deep can it go for coin size objects. How well does it separate junk from treasure? These are the important questions. Answer for me is.... It goes as deeper than any other machine I have had before. I have been a White's guy since 1974 and my last machine was a DFX. I got 10 1/2 inches on a large cent with that DFX, but beat it by 2 with the E Trac. But you have to learn it first. I took a beating hunting with the guys until I figured out some settings to get some real depth from it. It is a complete opposite from a Whites. That will take some getting used to. Try and learn the V3 before you are dissapointed with it. That Minelab guy may have known his machine well. Hope this answers some of your questions
OkieDigger
New member
I can detect a 1979 Thunderbird coupe easily at 3 ft. A coin? Well, my best so far is a silver dime at 8. That's around 24 on the Sensitivity. It was coming in pretty good. I could believe 12 on a silver dime at 30 in Manual in loamy soil without too much mineralization. Where I live it's not going to happen. However, 18 on a silver dime is not going to happen unless they have buried it in a 5 gallon bucket of sand. Anyone with a detector that says they can get it is trying to sell you something or is lying to save face.
coinnut
New member
Yea, I agree, 18 on a silver dime in my area would probably not be possible with any machine, even in all metal mode. But I find some guys dig there holes sloppy and you can see a lot of dirt falling back into the hole. I think some of these stories of coins at 2 feet deep are a result of the object falling back into the hole or being on the side and then being scooped out. Quite a few people have found dimes at 9 which I think is quite a good feat, if you can consistantly get that depth. 9-10 inches on a dime seems reasonable. Special circumstances, maybe 10-12 Over that:huh: Probably not, at least not for me.
I personally have dug a bronze disc the size of a half dollar from about 14 inches, good tone, so I have no doubt the E-Trac is capable of hitting on half dollars at that depth, taking into account other factors of course. A dime? I very highly doubt it. The deepest dime I have dug with the E-Trac was close to the 12 inch mark, but it wasn't what would be considered to be your classic signal. I had to work at making out the target.
Like coinut indicated, very often a coin will slip back into the hole from a shallower depth, so when it is found at the bottom of the hole it is mistakenly believed to have been at that depth. I gauge the approximate depth of a target with the probe, while it is in the hole with compact soil still over it. Other than that, it would be a guess at best as to the actual depth of the target.
Like coinut indicated, very often a coin will slip back into the hole from a shallower depth, so when it is found at the bottom of the hole it is mistakenly believed to have been at that depth. I gauge the approximate depth of a target with the probe, while it is in the hole with compact soil still over it. Other than that, it would be a guess at best as to the actual depth of the target.
Well here's a good one. I spent 2 hr. testing the V3. I took a a Kennedy silver put it in a hole 16 down. I try ed every setting comb. I could do. I did not pick it up. Then I try ed 15 nope 14, 13 Nope nope & nope. At 12 I got a hit but it was just a wispier with no readings on my V3. And that was only at 22.5 on mix mode or all metal some thing. RX Gain was 11 Disc was 75. I try ed TX no change except I had to drop it to RX Gain 4 Disc was 75. At 11 it was a good hit not ify. I believe this this I will do with the V3. I cant get it to go any deeper except for a soda can 2'.
Eagle 1
Eagle 1
coinnut
New member
Well don't just go by that test. If it was done near the house it will affect the results. The other thing that will affect the results, is a freshly buried object. You can't simulate the true old buried target in any garden test. Take those settings that were the best for your half dollar test and try them in an area that you think has older, deeper coins. What ever you find there will give you a truer sense of how deep it is really going, in actual field conditions. I know my E Trac does not test well in the air. But it makes up for it in the ground
Besides, 11 on a silver Half is a great start. Believe me, when a new machine as complex as the V3 comes out, it may take years of people tinkering with it to see it's true potential. I've never dug a Half at 11, so I would take that in a heart beatJason in Enid
New member
What were those settings that made the difference in depth?
coinnut
New member
Actually, I should have clarified that a bit. The biggest change I made that affected depth, was to go much slower than I was used to going with the DFX. This allowed the machine to catch up with my swing. In other words I was swinging too fast for the machine to process the signal. You should see how slow I swing when I'm in an iron patch. lol Like a snail
I have to run ferrous sounds (because of all the iron) and I prefer 2 tones. Mostly run auto sens +3. I find it works very well as long as I swing slow. I only crank the sensitivity when targets are far and few between and only if it allows it without falsing. Fast on, Deep (on or off - I try both), Trash Density - high, Difficult Ground. These work for my area and for my type of hunting sites.
coinnut
New member
Still not bad at 11. I would take that from any new machine that I just learned. You did good by getting that much. When I first got my E Trac I couldn't breat the 6 mark lol
. I am going to sell my V3OkieDigger
New member
Nothing wrong with that. I sold my DFX for various reasons, but mostly because I was doing better with my MXT. I think you'll be happy with the E-Trac. You'll spend less time screwing around with settings and more time finding silver.
Hay I'm ready, though we will have to watch out for those 2 ft. deep holes you were digging with that E-Trac
:tongue:.Eagle 1
NiagaraCountyNY
New member
My Deepest (good)find ,something that wasnt huge was a pocket watch at 14 inches (with my 18x15 S.E.F coil ).The deepest Ive dug a coin so far is 11 inches(a dime).I believe i should get another inch or 2 on a larger coin depending on ground conditions.Sure Ive hit big iron super deep..But I usually dont count Iron as a Target.When Iron breaks down it fills the ground around it with a halo.Coins/silver/copper dont get that size of a halo because they break down so much slower.I would be shocked to see any detector with a 11 inch coil get more than 14 or 15 inches.That said I love my E-Trac