Etrac review after 50 hours.

[Normsel]

I have an E-TRAC and have about 25 - 30 hours on it. I have loved it from the 1st day out of the box. I also have an ATP and a V3i. The ATP is a great detector for the price. Mine paid for itself more than twice over. The V3i took two years to pay for itself. In comparing the 3 detectors I have done that in the same exact path with all three. The E-trac beats the V3i and the ATP hands down. I found more twice the amount with the E-trac after I hunted a place with the ATP and V3i. I bought the E-trac because my V3i went haywire twice in a month and I had to send it back to Whites.

You can use bottle cap reject on the V3i and still hit bottle caps that ring as a good signal. I have hit fewer bottle caps and tabs with the e-trac than I ever did with the V3i.

I really don't dig much over 8" because so many times it is a soda can and I know that before i dig. I dig to confirm that the tone I heard was a can.

Whether it's fair to compare the e-trac to the ATP or not depends on why you're comparing them. Is the value of the e-trac worth twice the money well I think that's where comparing them comes in. I am darn good with my ATP and just learning my e-trac. The ATP is well worth the money but on the other hand the E-trac is worth the money as well.

I have found that using stock programs for the V3i nets me as much as the programs some of the experts develop. I am also using stock programs for my e-trac as well and so far the Andy Sabisch haven't shown me much more that the stock programs tweaked. We all learn what works best for us and produces the most. I hunt by tone more than anything. The vdi is great tool to confirm what you heard but I always practice hearing the tones I want to hear.

I had a bunch of tones this morning and it sounded like a circus calliope but I detected the quarter and a flashing 12-46 so I pin pointed and dug and found the quarter and with my hand pointer I scanned the ground and ended up finding 2 nickles, 2 dimes and 4 pennies. No wonder I got so many tones in an area no bigger than the coil.

I am a coin shooter so I don't do relics or water hunts.

I love these forums because so often one little statement on something someone did is very valuable info. I also love the feed back from everyone on these forums.

Most people on here are sincere and don't bash others and many people are brand loyal and that's fine too. I think we all find which detector we like best and the more you learn it the more successful you are.

I know of only one person on T-Net that keeps making amazing finds week after week but he must be the luckiest guy out there because he found 6 rings identical to 6 rings he found about two years ago. I must be doing something wrong because I have never found 6 rings in a month much less any of them identical...LOL

 

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[masterjedi]

I love my Etrac... I am not brand loyal... I have 6 detectors and use the right one for the right situation... I am glad your on the Etrac team
Gary from Oregon

 

[RobRieman]

Since you are an IT person I have a question about the cable that plugs into the E-TRAC and computer. I haven't been able to get an answer from Minelab. Is it a basic Printer cable connector end to a USB Computer connector end? I ask because I don't have a cable and no one seems to have an E-TRAC Xchange cable for sale. By looking at it I'm guessing its a simple printer cable which a have a couple of extras of. I just didn't want to hook it up and screw it up without asking first. Please send me a PM to [email protected] on your opinion. Thanks! Ken W.

Yes. Same cable.

 

[toyboy]

this is my first post here and i am also from canada(quebec)
i have an at pro and an etrac.last year i used the atpro and found gold and silver and lots of clad(clad is different here--it's mostly steel and the lonnies and toonies are steel and a composite of metals)
this year i purchsed used an etrac and have used it until a few days ago--i have switched back to my atpro now.

the etrac is horrible on canadian clad and small jewellery such as small gold earrings and small silver chains.
the atpro finds everything clad and jewellery--at extreme depths too--even with the 5x8 coil i'm using.it's so feather lite with this setup.

the etrac is a heavy unbalanced beast and you need the rnb innovations lion battery--it goes forever with a 2 hour recharge.
the etrac is also slow to swing since 1--it's heavy and 2--it does not recover quickly.
the atpro you can swing it like a madman and it will sound off quickly.
my atpro finds the tiniest item (small button or wire) deep.

the etrac has a very high learning curve(i'm now where near even comfortable with it)
the atpro turn on,ground balance and pro zero sens 2 down from full and maybe 20 discrim.--thats it--go huntin'

now i mostly do "tot lots" and the atpro shines--etrac not so much.this is in cedar mulch mostly--sand not as good with the atpro.
the atpro won't work in salt water or on wet salt water beaches--i've tried no dice.
fresh water it's fine.i have not tried the etrac but i suspect it will work on salt water sand--as long as i don't get the control box wet.
the thing i can say is that the etrac is probably better in grass and looking for deep items like silver.

only my opinion.

 

[Normsel]

Sorry to hear you're not happy with the e-trac. I have an AT Pro and darn good with it but it don't come close to the e-trac. I use open screen TTF most of the time. Rarely is the vdi ever off when identifying a coin or trash. I also found the e-trac the easiest detector to learn I ever had. I agree the e-trac isn't known as a jewelry machine and I have only found a few silver rings etc with mine but I am a coin shooter and it out does the ATP easily 5 - 1 on coins. I can detect an area with my ATP and use my e-trac to detect the same area afterwards and every time I find more with the e-trac than I did with the ATP and in most cases at least 5 - 1. I hunted and area about 20' x 500' with my ATP and then the same area with my V3i. Between the ATP and the V3i I found about $5 in clad. I followed up on the same area with my e-trac and found another $11 in clad. Again I am sorry you're unhappy with your e-trac. I love mine.

 

[TheHunterGT]

I surely did not get the impression he was unhappy with his Etrac....perhaps I read it wrong....

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Not in the same league... With an environmental cover to protect it from salt mist in the air the etrac is a fantastic saltwater beach detector.. I got well over 12" depth with my etrac using stock coil on land.

I suggest you pick up the Andy Sabisch Etrac Handbook...




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DT2016

 

[toyboy]

right now i am unhappy with the etrac to be honest.it's probably because i'm (relatively)new to the machine.
for example i tossed on the ground a silver necklace and some hollow gold earrings on the grass and the etrac didn't even find
them even in quickmask.the atpro,when i tried the same thing it sang like a canary.

i guess i need to do some more youtube watching and reading to see if the etrac is right for me.

 

[timelord]

The E-Trac is like my Safari, it may not find that small gold so your hunting with the wrong detector if that's what your looking for. You will find the silver coins that everyone else missed. I have found several silver rings. So it will find those no problem. I expect I will not be finding gold rings so I don't even bother, they are discriminated out, I'm a coin and silver hunter... So hunt with a detector that will find your ideal target.. If it's fresh water and your looking for small gold use your AT Pro, but take your Etrac to a park and you will find what others have missed. Just a warning it takes months to really learn the Minelab language but once you do you will be proud to own the Etrac....

 

[cudamark]

right now i am unhappy with the etrac to be honest.it's probably because i'm (relatively)new to the machine.
for example i tossed on the ground a silver necklace and some hollow gold earrings on the grass and the etrac didn't even find
them even in quickmask.the atpro,when i tried the same thing it sang like a canary.

i guess i need to do some more youtube watching and reading to see if the etrac is right for me.

There may be something wrong with your machine. I've found many small gold and silver items with mine.....even with the 15" NEL Attack coil.

 

[Jason in Enid]

right now i am unhappy with the etrac to be honest.it's probably because i'm (relatively)new to the machine.
for example i tossed on the ground a silver necklace and some hollow gold earrings on the grass and the etrac didn't even find
them even in quickmask.the atpro,when i tried the same thing it sang like a canary.

i guess i need to do some more youtube watching and reading to see if the etrac is right for me.

Without seeing what items you are talking about, it's impossible to give you any accurate help. There is a huge range of sizes for necklaces and earrings.

 

[RobRieman]

I agree with both of you. I have found lead shot that drove me nuts finding it. The Etrac also does not seem to like fresh drops as much as buried items sometimes. Air tests do not do it justice. It will find very small targets.