YIKES !

[fsa46]

I have been thinking about purchasing an E-Trac and have PMed a couple members with questions on the subject....all were encouraging. :daydream:

So, I decided to download the E-Trac manual and do a little reading on this little jewel before making the move. YIKES, there is sure a lot to digest. I better get a 10 pack of Rolaids before I continue. LOL :shocked04:

I am not pressed for time, so I will go over this manual and see if I can comprehend what's between the covers before making the giant leap into outer space. :thinkingabout:

 

[RobW]

There's a manual? rofl

Nothing beats just learning as you go. Starting with the pre loaded programs and going from there. Then ask your questions for clarification. thumbsup01

 

[coinnut]

There's a manual? rofl

Nothing beats just learning as you go. Starting with the pre loaded programs and going from there. Then ask your questions for clarification. thumbsup01

Don't let any manual scare you. Everytime you get a new type of machine (different brand) every control and option is foreign to you. As Rob said, the straight out of the box coin program works great. When you get it and you want to explore more options, choose the easiest ones (like switching from automatic sensitivity, to manual sensitivity or from one discrimination pattern to the all metal screen). This way it is easier to get the most from it. Some options I have never used and never plan to use (like the combine feature or the auto latch mode). If you try and learn it all, it becomes a chore, since you can't practice any of it without a machine. There are a ton of people here that can answer any ET questions you have. Some may even share their discrimination patterns too :dontknow:

 

[russellt]

i was seriously considering jumping ship from my v3i to the etrack. but this little nasty thing called child support ruined those plans entirely :barf:

 

[Tony Two-Cent]

As Rob said, the straight out of the box coin program works great.

I am a fairly new E-Trac user myself. I got mine in March of this year and started hunting with it in April after a 12-year hiatus from the hobby. At first I found that the manual and the book by Andy Sabisch were just overwhelming, I tried reading them but so much of the language was foreign to me that I had trouble comprehending. Andy Sabisch's book seems to be written for people who were familiar with Minelab machines and who had previously used Explorers, so I felt a little lost.

So, I just did as the other guys suggested above, I took my E-Trac out in the field and hunted with it straight out of the box in the factory coins mode. On my very first hunt with it I found a 1911 wheat cent and a 1946 Rosie in a heavily hunted park. On my second hunt with it I found an Indian Head, a Mercury Dime and a silver Washington Quarter. From my experiences, the E-Trac performs exceptionally well straight out of the box with the default settings.

After I used the machine for a couple of months and got used to it, THEN I went back and read the manual and Andy Sabisch's book. They both made a lot more sense after I had become accustomed to the machine and its nuances. Now I am experimenting with tweeking the settings on my E-Trac and using the knowledge presented in the manual and in Andy's book.

I will add that I absolutely love my E-Trac and I am continually blown away by its ability to find good coins in the same hole with trash. I am definitely finding coins that others have missed at heavily hunted sites! See my signature below to see the keepers I have found in only four months with my E-Trac.

 

[bob_e99]

I have been thinking about purchasing an E-Trac and have PMed a couple members with questions on the subject....all were encouraging. :daydream:

So, I decided to download the E-Trac manual and do a little reading on this little jewel before making the move. YIKES, there is sure a lot to digest. I better get a 10 pack of Rolaids before I continue. LOL :shocked04:

I am not pressed for time, so I will go over this manual and see if I can comprehend what's between the covers before making the giant leap into outer space. :thinkingabout:

Very interesting! I'm doing exactly the same thing but with the added advantage that my son will be coming here on vacation shortly and has offered to let me try out his E-trac. He may have also added a statement to the effect that unless I have Angel's innate skill, I may not find a big difference between the E-trac and the Sovereign GT.

Good luck with your decision.