Thanks for your response. Yes I want to learn the E-trac and need to learn something before the detector goes bye bye on Saturday. If all goes well I'll then buy one from Bart! Obviously you are smarter than me with regards to E-trac and I wish you were here to help me. Thanks.
Can someone help me with this E Trac PLEASE!!
- Thread starter metal.mulisha
- Start date
Longhair
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- May 26, 2012
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I blame the whole instant gratification mindset that's so prevalent these days.
The E-trac and CTX aren't at the top of the heap because they're expensive.
They're expensive because they're at the top of the heap.....and they've earned it.
Jason in Enid
Gold Member
- Oct 10, 2009
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I'm not smarter, I just stuck with it until it all made sense. I will break the bad news for you though. It would take a pure miracle for you to understand the E-trac before you give it back. That isn't a comment against you, it's a comment on the complex language of the detector.
This is why I say ALL new users should put it into a stock mode, and leave it alone for the first 100 hours of use. The multi-tone give a HUGE amount of information on the metal in the ground. Shallow clad is easy, but any detector can find those. It's learning to hear the good among the bad in those trashy parks. It's learning exactly how the detector responds to soil types, coin depth, coin type, coin angle, and coins mixed with trash. Putting the E-trac into a 2-tone conductive mode is dumbing down the machine. It's like saying I don't want to know anything other than there is some type of metal below the coil.
You talked about the trash you dug. you will dig trash with EVERY detector, but if you pay close attention to both the sounds and the numbers for everything you dig, you will start to notice correlations. I still dig nails and crushed cans. Some are easy to ignore, some give just enough "good" sound to them that it's worth the dig to check it out. Every single person I have known who upgraded to an E-Trac has seen thier silver counts soar. One local friend has been hunting for years and never found a single silver coin. He got an E-trac this spring. He out-scored me in silver by double this month.
If you do buy one and you stick it out to learn the basics, I will gladly give you all the tips and tricks I have learned. But if you don't have the solid grasp on the basics, it won't help. It will also help A LOT to be hunting relatively clean areas at first. Highly trashy spots are the worst case scenario.
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mifon
Newbie
Hey Barberman,
I bought an Etrac from Bart a little over a month ago. Now, I should explain that I have been away from detecting for almost 10 years. I bought the Etrac BECAUSE OF its complexity. I wanted a machine that I could grow with and continue to be challenged by. But, I also wanted a machine that would be worth the effort of learning to master and that would reward me for my efforts. I had to learn (and am still learning) the etrac from scratch. But, unlike you I suspect, my expectations were not that great for immediate and gratifying finds. As directed by Bart, I started taking baby steps with the Etrac. I'm learning to listen for that sweet song it sings when I swing it over deep silver. The more I hear it, the more I recognize it!!! I believe that just because you can drive a car on the interstate, you shouldn't expect to be able to race a Ferrari at jerk neck speeds. When you hear the wind rushing by the car, you know you're going fast. But, you don't know HOW FAST you are going until you look at the speedometer........ That's kind of like what the Etrac is doing........ Learn to listen to the tones and recognize those that signal potential. Then, confirm what you hear with the info shown on your display. Don't just look at the numbers, but look at the cursor and observe what it's doing (is it stable or is it jumping around??). Further confirm that the signal you hear is worth digging by confirming it in Quick Mask. Now, having all this info at your finger tips and in your ears, you will be able to make a good decision as to what the target is and whether or not it is worthy of your time and effort to dig it. Will you dig some trash??............Sure you will!!! But you won't miss the best targets by doing so!! No metal detector is magic when it comes to locating good stuff.
Finally, one other word of encouragement to you......... Although the price of the Etrac is steep, that price ALONE will not buy you success in metal detecting! So, why not enjoy the trip of learning and exploring what the Etrac can do for you. Try looking at it as an adventure and revel in your success along the way....
Regards and good luck,
Mike in TN
I bought an Etrac from Bart a little over a month ago. Now, I should explain that I have been away from detecting for almost 10 years. I bought the Etrac BECAUSE OF its complexity. I wanted a machine that I could grow with and continue to be challenged by. But, I also wanted a machine that would be worth the effort of learning to master and that would reward me for my efforts. I had to learn (and am still learning) the etrac from scratch. But, unlike you I suspect, my expectations were not that great for immediate and gratifying finds. As directed by Bart, I started taking baby steps with the Etrac. I'm learning to listen for that sweet song it sings when I swing it over deep silver. The more I hear it, the more I recognize it!!! I believe that just because you can drive a car on the interstate, you shouldn't expect to be able to race a Ferrari at jerk neck speeds. When you hear the wind rushing by the car, you know you're going fast. But, you don't know HOW FAST you are going until you look at the speedometer........ That's kind of like what the Etrac is doing........ Learn to listen to the tones and recognize those that signal potential. Then, confirm what you hear with the info shown on your display. Don't just look at the numbers, but look at the cursor and observe what it's doing (is it stable or is it jumping around??). Further confirm that the signal you hear is worth digging by confirming it in Quick Mask. Now, having all this info at your finger tips and in your ears, you will be able to make a good decision as to what the target is and whether or not it is worthy of your time and effort to dig it. Will you dig some trash??............Sure you will!!! But you won't miss the best targets by doing so!! No metal detector is magic when it comes to locating good stuff.
Finally, one other word of encouragement to you......... Although the price of the Etrac is steep, that price ALONE will not buy you success in metal detecting! So, why not enjoy the trip of learning and exploring what the Etrac can do for you. Try looking at it as an adventure and revel in your success along the way....
Regards and good luck,
Mike in TN
L
lost hunter
Guest
It's only a few months old Unless you been out every day you had it. Your not giving the E Trac a chance to show what it really can do. It takes time in the field and not on a forum to learn any detector It's not a-push-n-go detector.
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metal.mulisha
Jr. Member
- Aug 11, 2012
- 57
- 19
- Thread starter
- #46
Aight fellas stopped by old home place today dug 8 wheat penny's dating from 1919 to 64. Etrac bringing home the bacon. Read more of book. My question is the whole time I've been around detecting at old places I've dug tons of old pennies and 10 silver quarters a 1890 Morgan silver dollar and the oldest dime is like a 64. I have yet to find a merch dime old dimes or old nickels or older quarters. Are they not there or am I passing iffys I don't dig. If there's a 1919 penny there with others shouldn't there be other money the same years. Cause all I find is old pennies. I want some Morgan dimes and v nickels.
L
lost hunter
Guest
Sounds like your finding some nice stuff. Iffys could be coin on edge won't know until you dig it
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Jason in Enid
Gold Member
- Oct 10, 2009
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I would say that if you are digging 8 wheats from a place, there is a VERY high chance there is silver there also. For now, don't worry about too much about it. When you swing over silver you will get that high-pitch tone and your CO numbers will be around 45 - 47.
If you can hunt this place as much as you want, try hunting it in "layers". I do this some times. Start off only digging CO-42 and higher (or whatever level you want). Next hunt, rework the same ground and digg everything 32 and higher, then 20's, then 12. This does multiple things. You don't burden yourself with trying to dig everything at once. As you dig those lower numbers, you are clearing out more targets and you are likely to keep finding those coins that you missed earlier.
Regardless of how you hunt, I'd keep hitting that place.
Edit- one more bit of advice. You may have seen this before, but it bears repeating: You numbers will "bounce" from swing to swing. If you are over a non-ferrous target like a coin, the CO number will bounce very little. The deeper the coin, the more the FE number will bounce. If you think you are over iron, put it into "quick mask" with a completely open screen. What is happening? Are you still bouncing around 08-20 range for FE or is it bouncing around the very bottom? If it's around the bottom, ignore it. It is MOST LIKELY iron.
Last edited:
jerseyben
Gold Member
Don't think anyone else has said this already: Turn up your sensitivity. I run mine on manual at 28 or 29 for wide open farm fields. If you are in a park or yard or near power lines you might need to turn it down around 24 or 25.
I was JUST LIKE YOU when I first started using the E-trac. Almost gave up on it. Now, I ONLY run the E-trac and would not trade it for anything! Takes time and practice - it will come.
I was JUST LIKE YOU when I first started using the E-trac. Almost gave up on it. Now, I ONLY run the E-trac and would not trade it for anything! Takes time and practice - it will come.
Jackalope
Full Member
- Jun 27, 2009
- 243
- 167
- Detector(s) used
- White's, Garrett, Minelab
- Primary Interest:
- Metal Detecting
Can't relate to this thread. The E-Trac is very simple to set-up and easy to interpret.
Sensitivity Mode: Set to Auto +3. If there is iron falsing reduce to + 1 or even -1. To use manual mode, start high above 24 and reduce until iron falsing disappears. That isn't hard to do, is it?
Threshold Level: Set to a barely audible hum, around 14-15. That was easy too.
Volume Limit: Whatever you want, perhaps 27-28. There, another easy setting done.
Volume Gain: Increases weak deep signals to sound as strong as surface signals. Try around 20-25. Too high and you won't know if the signal is truly weak and deep as the audio stays strong, so don't go too high if you want to differentiate audio depth.
Response: Use "Normal" for good target separation in trashy areas. You can play with the others but it isn't necessary.
Tone ID No. of Tones: Use TTF in high ferrous/nulling areas (not good in non-ferrous trash areas). Use TTC in high non-ferrous trash areas (not good in ferrous trash areas). Avoid Mulit-tone until you learn the unit better.
Tone ID Variability: Use 25-27, widens range of tones between nails vs. coins for instance.
Tone ID Limits: Use 29-30, or whatever you want.
Threshold Pitch: Changes the threshold hum pitch. Set whatever you'd like, usually 5-10 will work.
Recovery Deep: Boosts weak signals. Just leave it ON and forget it.
Recover Fast: Turn ON in very trashy areas to truncate signal and improve target audio separation, otherwise leave it OFF.
Trash Density: In trashy areas set to HIGH (detects accepted targets better when next to rejected targets) or just leave on HIGH and forget it.
Ground: Generally, use DIFFICULT unless on the beach. If Auto Sens is below 22 the ground is bad and DIFFICULT is preferred.
Noise Cancel: After making settings run auto noise cancel. You can have coil in air or on ground to see which is selected. Really doesn't matter which noise cancel number is selected.
Pinpoint Mode: Use NORMAL.
Load a pattern such as Andy's Coin program. Leave QuickMask blank or reject below 27Fe. Once set you can turn on the detector, noise cancel, and just start hunting. It couldn't be easier. QuickMask just lets you see the cursor position and hear the audio (because nothing is disc'd out). You can hunt in QuickMask if you'd like - you can see and hear everything. It may be too much info in trashy areas. Deep iron will be below 27Fe - leave it. Iron will also wrap around to 01Fe - ignore it. Dig solid signals above 25Co and/or signals that fall around the 12Fe line (coins, pull-tabs, bottle caps, foil) until you can correctly guess the target's identity. Silver and dimes and quarters will be around 12Fe 40-50Co and pennies around 12Fe Co32-38, nickels around 12Fe-12Co (and pull-tabs), foil around 12Fe 01-05Co.
Yes, you have to spend some time digging targets, including deep nails that mimic good non-ferrous targets. You'll need to dig trash to know what it sound/looks like. You should be guessing mostly correctly after about 10 hours with the machine. If you want rings you'll need to dig the trash too (they often have low Co values). Jumpy TID reveals buried iron. A low grunt with clipped high audio (iron falsing) is something you'll need to recognize. Iron nails give a high tone but it is rarely a two-way signal, usually gives the low-grunt too. Dig some so you know how to pass them by.
You don't need to watch the screen - just listen for the high tone in TTF or TTC and check for a repeatable signal. Check the TID location - is it in a known location for good targets? If so, dig it. Is it near the bottom of the screen - probably iron.
With all the setting made, the pattern saved and loaded, the audio and TID understood - this is perhaps the easiest detector anyone could ever want. Swing it slow - wait for a high tone or TID in a known good area and dig. After 10 hours use you should be comfortable with it and after 40 hours you should become one with the machine. If you have a VCR with 12:00 still flashing and you can't figure out how to set it, you may want to look elsewhere, perhaps the Ace 250 that makes a bell tone when it's time to dig.
Sensitivity Mode: Set to Auto +3. If there is iron falsing reduce to + 1 or even -1. To use manual mode, start high above 24 and reduce until iron falsing disappears. That isn't hard to do, is it?
Threshold Level: Set to a barely audible hum, around 14-15. That was easy too.
Volume Limit: Whatever you want, perhaps 27-28. There, another easy setting done.
Volume Gain: Increases weak deep signals to sound as strong as surface signals. Try around 20-25. Too high and you won't know if the signal is truly weak and deep as the audio stays strong, so don't go too high if you want to differentiate audio depth.
Response: Use "Normal" for good target separation in trashy areas. You can play with the others but it isn't necessary.
Tone ID No. of Tones: Use TTF in high ferrous/nulling areas (not good in non-ferrous trash areas). Use TTC in high non-ferrous trash areas (not good in ferrous trash areas). Avoid Mulit-tone until you learn the unit better.
Tone ID Variability: Use 25-27, widens range of tones between nails vs. coins for instance.
Tone ID Limits: Use 29-30, or whatever you want.
Threshold Pitch: Changes the threshold hum pitch. Set whatever you'd like, usually 5-10 will work.
Recovery Deep: Boosts weak signals. Just leave it ON and forget it.
Recover Fast: Turn ON in very trashy areas to truncate signal and improve target audio separation, otherwise leave it OFF.
Trash Density: In trashy areas set to HIGH (detects accepted targets better when next to rejected targets) or just leave on HIGH and forget it.
Ground: Generally, use DIFFICULT unless on the beach. If Auto Sens is below 22 the ground is bad and DIFFICULT is preferred.
Noise Cancel: After making settings run auto noise cancel. You can have coil in air or on ground to see which is selected. Really doesn't matter which noise cancel number is selected.
Pinpoint Mode: Use NORMAL.
Load a pattern such as Andy's Coin program. Leave QuickMask blank or reject below 27Fe. Once set you can turn on the detector, noise cancel, and just start hunting. It couldn't be easier. QuickMask just lets you see the cursor position and hear the audio (because nothing is disc'd out). You can hunt in QuickMask if you'd like - you can see and hear everything. It may be too much info in trashy areas. Deep iron will be below 27Fe - leave it. Iron will also wrap around to 01Fe - ignore it. Dig solid signals above 25Co and/or signals that fall around the 12Fe line (coins, pull-tabs, bottle caps, foil) until you can correctly guess the target's identity. Silver and dimes and quarters will be around 12Fe 40-50Co and pennies around 12Fe Co32-38, nickels around 12Fe-12Co (and pull-tabs), foil around 12Fe 01-05Co.
Yes, you have to spend some time digging targets, including deep nails that mimic good non-ferrous targets. You'll need to dig trash to know what it sound/looks like. You should be guessing mostly correctly after about 10 hours with the machine. If you want rings you'll need to dig the trash too (they often have low Co values). Jumpy TID reveals buried iron. A low grunt with clipped high audio (iron falsing) is something you'll need to recognize. Iron nails give a high tone but it is rarely a two-way signal, usually gives the low-grunt too. Dig some so you know how to pass them by.
You don't need to watch the screen - just listen for the high tone in TTF or TTC and check for a repeatable signal. Check the TID location - is it in a known location for good targets? If so, dig it. Is it near the bottom of the screen - probably iron.
With all the setting made, the pattern saved and loaded, the audio and TID understood - this is perhaps the easiest detector anyone could ever want. Swing it slow - wait for a high tone or TID in a known good area and dig. After 10 hours use you should be comfortable with it and after 40 hours you should become one with the machine. If you have a VCR with 12:00 still flashing and you can't figure out how to set it, you may want to look elsewhere, perhaps the Ace 250 that makes a bell tone when it's time to dig.
cntrydncr1
Gold Member
- Feb 23, 2007
- 7,806
- 777
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the etrac has a HUGE learning curve. I have ONLY used stock settings and had to slow down immensely what what I was used to. I think the machine has too many settings for my taste but I love it and think it is a great machine. It LOVES silver but you have to move slow. I don't look at the screen but just listen to the sounds and when I get a high squeek I'm pretty sure it is silver. The high trash mode is awesome in trashy areas; it will really find coins amongst lots of trash. good luck
metal.mulisha
Jr. Member
- Aug 11, 2012
- 57
- 19
- Thread starter
- #53
I somehow only find old wheat penny's. and usually 6
jerseyben
Gold Member
If you are running the E-trac on auto sensitivity - you are missing targets! Plain and simple. There is almost no downside to turning up the sensitivity and if you are getting a lot of falsing, just turn it down until it is manageable.
Also, I don't know why everyone always suggests Pinpoint Mode: Normal. "Sizing" is much easier and more helpful to use, hands down.
Also, I don't know why everyone always suggests Pinpoint Mode: Normal. "Sizing" is much easier and more helpful to use, hands down.
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metal.mulisha
Jr. Member
- Aug 11, 2012
- 57
- 19
- Thread starter
- #55
What pinpoint mode do you recommend using. Mine is in normal. I hunted a old river town today. Unbelievable old town. Old county road had trees 12-14 in in it wow. And I never found a single coin. Found a pocket watch and numerous other things. The one thing there is not in these places is pull tabs and aluminum cans. Must be super old
Jackalope
Full Member
- Jun 27, 2009
- 243
- 167
- Detector(s) used
- White's, Garrett, Minelab
- Primary Interest:
- Metal Detecting
Pinpoint mode is really "all metal" and will signal or lock-on to the strongest signal, which may not be your desired target. It may may be a junk non-ferrous target nearby if you are in a junk-ridden areas (or iron-ridden site).
I use normal (or sizing, doesn't matter much). Narrow has a narrow audio response (shrinks with each pass over the target). First get the center of the coil over the target - then move the coil 1/2"-2" back-and-forth to double check the TID cursor is IDing the right target. If the target is dubious, try circling around the target while keeping the coil stationary and try the back-and-forth again. If the cursor changes position radically, that is the TID jumps about, likely there is iron under the coil or the target is a deep nail (or elongated wire). The point of turning your body is to get away from only sweeping the long axis of the nail (if it is a nail). The long axis may give a high audio at the head and tip (usually the tip) which will fool you. But perpendicular you are likely to hear the audio grunt or threshold drop (null). At first you may think it is iron next to a good non-ferrous target - but non-ferrous has a more rounded clearer and sharper audio sound and tends to give a high audio in any quadrant of coil sweep. So, if you've centered the target and circled it watching the TID - you've got about all the info there is - then either dig or pass it by. If you dig and the target isn't there - it's probably a nail off to the side and the pointy end is near the edge of the hole (so watch out).
If you use Normal pinpoint and the audio disappears - you've narrowed the response too much. Pause off to the side a bit and the audio will reset (or push pinpoint off-on). Sizing works well too - the audio pitch and volume increase as the target strength rises (highest at target center). In Sizing, if you push pinpoint while just off the stronger target center, the weaker audio is truncated which helps isolate the center. If you push pinpoint at the strongest center then you may lose the audio as there is no audio level rise possible. Both are very simple to use.
Also, before you dig check the depth meter. You'll want to know if it is shallow or deep before digging. If you have Volume Gain set above 26 the strong audio may fool you into thinking the target is shallow (Vol Gain near 30 will make all audio responses the same whether weak/deep or not). Also, for the depth meter to calculate depth info the sweep must rise to the max response (over target center) and then fall off. If you hover over the center too much then you may lose the depth display as there is no min-max-min signal happening.
If you don't have a pinpointer - you need to get one. I use Minelab's pinpointer (Garrett's is good too) and it works in both vibrate and audio (or vibrate only). Recovery time will be lengthened without one and your frustration in locating the target is unnecessary, a pinpointer is mandatory if you are serious about detecting.
I use normal (or sizing, doesn't matter much). Narrow has a narrow audio response (shrinks with each pass over the target). First get the center of the coil over the target - then move the coil 1/2"-2" back-and-forth to double check the TID cursor is IDing the right target. If the target is dubious, try circling around the target while keeping the coil stationary and try the back-and-forth again. If the cursor changes position radically, that is the TID jumps about, likely there is iron under the coil or the target is a deep nail (or elongated wire). The point of turning your body is to get away from only sweeping the long axis of the nail (if it is a nail). The long axis may give a high audio at the head and tip (usually the tip) which will fool you. But perpendicular you are likely to hear the audio grunt or threshold drop (null). At first you may think it is iron next to a good non-ferrous target - but non-ferrous has a more rounded clearer and sharper audio sound and tends to give a high audio in any quadrant of coil sweep. So, if you've centered the target and circled it watching the TID - you've got about all the info there is - then either dig or pass it by. If you dig and the target isn't there - it's probably a nail off to the side and the pointy end is near the edge of the hole (so watch out).
If you use Normal pinpoint and the audio disappears - you've narrowed the response too much. Pause off to the side a bit and the audio will reset (or push pinpoint off-on). Sizing works well too - the audio pitch and volume increase as the target strength rises (highest at target center). In Sizing, if you push pinpoint while just off the stronger target center, the weaker audio is truncated which helps isolate the center. If you push pinpoint at the strongest center then you may lose the audio as there is no audio level rise possible. Both are very simple to use.
Also, before you dig check the depth meter. You'll want to know if it is shallow or deep before digging. If you have Volume Gain set above 26 the strong audio may fool you into thinking the target is shallow (Vol Gain near 30 will make all audio responses the same whether weak/deep or not). Also, for the depth meter to calculate depth info the sweep must rise to the max response (over target center) and then fall off. If you hover over the center too much then you may lose the depth display as there is no min-max-min signal happening.
If you don't have a pinpointer - you need to get one. I use Minelab's pinpointer (Garrett's is good too) and it works in both vibrate and audio (or vibrate only). Recovery time will be lengthened without one and your frustration in locating the target is unnecessary, a pinpointer is mandatory if you are serious about detecting.
metal.mulisha
Jr. Member
- Aug 11, 2012
- 57
- 19
- Thread starter
- #57
Could you give me a compete list of your settings. I will post mine.
metal.mulisha
Jr. Member
- Aug 11, 2012
- 57
- 19
- Thread starter
- #58
I would like to take a vet to this old river town. I know there's gotta be loads there. It's on private land and has never been hunted. There was a ferry there and a lodge and a old hotel. The lodge is still standing. Also like 20 or more old house places. The only remains of the houses are old wells and of coarse a flat spot. Some have what looked like cellar holes
jerseyben
Gold Member
Don't think like that, man.
If there is stuff to be found there then YOU will find it. Especially if you are hunting with an E-trac, you already have a huge advantage.
Here is a simple tip for you regarding the settings: Turn the sensitivity as high as you can up to 28 or 29 without falsing (turn it down if you are near power lines). Then turn on the "quick mask" screen. Use the arrow keys to set it to 27 FE and 07 CO. Set your sounds to "multi" and "conductive".
Now go hunting. Ignore the screen and focus on all the high tones and dig all of those. You will dig more trash this way but you will not risk missing targets by running a "bad program".
L
lost hunter
Guest
You may be better off trading for a F75 SE Mine. Lol
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