From Etrac to Deus - Tips & Advice please!

[vferrari]

Thanks for the input guys I really appreciate it! I got a copy of Andy's book, I'm trying to read as much as a can. I got the Deus for the sole reason of using it in and around iron infested sights. My etrac was great, but in the iron sites it was extremely slow and extremely frustrating. In PA we have so many old homesites (especially farms) and every single one is loaded with iron. So I'm going to try it this weekend and use some of your pointers.

One quick question though to follow up....If my mineralization is low should I use 8hz over 12hz? Oh and another....How the heck do I tell target depth? On the Etrac the bar was there and made it simple. I thought the bar on right on the Deus was for depth until I realized it was for mineralization.

Regarding frequency under low mineralization conditions, in Andy's book he goes over the desirable frequency of operation depending on the conditions and types of targets you are pursuing (see page 15). In general the lower frequency gives you greater depth, so with the Deus that would be 4 khz. But there are always caveats - 4 khz also locks you into TX power = 3 which is not so good for highly mineralized conditions and if you want to conserve battery life. Therefore, 8 khz with TX power = 2 is probably the best place to be for max depth detection of high conductors regardless of soil mineralization conditions. If you are going after small, low conductive targets such as small items, gold jewelry or hammered coins, or brass relics, than 18 khz is best though you will take a hit on depth and it will not work well in highly mineralized soil. I generally use 8 khz for general searching under most conditions and switch it up to 12 khz if I am experiencing any EMI or nearby detector interference. Hope this helps.

 

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[Iron Buzz]

Tones, The same goes for a minelab, you can tell if it is more than likely a trashy target and never look at the display so I do not agree with the deus being more of a tone machine then the ctx, the ctx just has another GOOD tool that is accurate with the FE/CO readings, you would be crazy not to use it. In my experience the Deus gets things inaccurate all the time with just tone alone,

Hope I'm not saying something stupid here... I have never used a Minelab MD aside from a little twiddling at home with their emulator, but have you tried the XY screen on the Deus? I think that it is sort of conveying similar information regarding the amount of ferrous vs. non-ferrous in the signal, even if it displays it in a different way.

 

[JackalopeZL1]

I am sure Calabash is very versed in running the Deus and am not doubting his abilities, But at my estimated 300hrs on the Deus it is becoming extremely clear to me it can't hold a candle to the ctx/etrac on accuracy in my soil that I have in my area. Even with the XY, And lifting off the target etc.. Especially at depth. In the same park I have used as a example above any target past about 5 inches it reads high or is "up averaging" as some call it like crazy. Both the 11" and 9" coils, 3.2 and 4.0 and 3 separate Deus machine it still does. This is exactly what I am talking about when I keep saying "higher good finds ratio" You can spend more time digging good targets without a doubt with the Minelabs, but, the deus will kick its but on masked targets..

In a controlled experiment I would without a doubt put money on my opinion being accurate. Hell I spent one day of detecting carrying my Deus over my shoulder to compare signals. I will stand behind every comment I have made between these 2 machines as this is what I have found from doing, Not reading on the internet.

Someone Challenge me, Come on out to Ca with your Deus, We will go to this park and find out, Target for target and lets check what you think the target is compared to what it really is then when it is all done and over with I will take whoever to dinner and Bruskies to celebrate a fun day detecting no matter who is surprised by the Outcome

 

[vferrari]

Hope I'm not saying something stupid here... I have never used a Minelab MD aside from a little twiddling at home with their emulator, but have you tried the XY screen on the Deus? I think that it is sort of conveying similar information regarding the amount of ferrous vs. non-ferrous in the signal, even if it displays it in a different way.

Agree. I mentioned that in my post above as an additional piece of information for the user. Not as sophisticated as the CTX, but available nevertheless. That is why I have my machine set up with one custom program that uses the X-Y screen adjacent to the same program except it uses the horseshoe display (which I prefer to use most of the time - but when I need that extra info on an iffy target, I just switch to the adjacent X-Y display program).

 

[JackalopeZL1]

Hope I'm not saying something stupid here... I have never used a Minelab MD aside from a little twiddling at home with their emulator, but have you tried the XY screen on the Deus? I think that it is sort of conveying similar information regarding the amount of ferrous vs. non-ferrous in the signal, even if it displays it in a different way.

Yes indeed, I dug a corona cap last week that I bet anyone would have said it was a coin. XY was straight as a arrow, tone perfect with no scratchiness at all, I did not even raise the coil on that one since the xy was so perfect. I will admit that the XY screen is generally more accurate than this example. and this corona cap was still in pretty good shape. With my CTX I almost never dig them I do truly think the CTX is evaluating the signal to a much higher degree with a few more frequencies. Maybe that is why it is so much slower?

 

[vferrari]

Jack -

So you are saying in a bake off with the CTX vs. the Deus under good (i.e., low iron/low trash conditions) you will dig a greater number of false (trash) "deep" (>5") targets (e.g., a crowncap) that the Deus is saying are good whereas you would pass on the same targets if you were using the CTX. Correct? It tends to false positive vs. the CTX. How many false negatives does it "miss" vs. the CTX?

 

[JackalopeZL1]

Yep, I would love to follow someone around with their deus and compare signals, Document what the readings and thoughts were then dig to see. Would be fun, and heck we might even find something good!!

 

[vferrari]

Yep, I would love to follow someone around with their deus and compare signals, Document what the readings and thoughts were then dig to see. Would be fun, and heck we might even find something good!!

LOL. I'm sure we would!

 

[JackalopeZL1]

LOL. I'm sure we would!

Come on out, Heck this park I am talking about is old at least for Ca, I have found lots of silver including a 1911 barber half, Many early mercs, a couple walkers, Indians etc... I would take you to a few places I have been saving up in the mtns with lots of old history to.

 

[vferrari]

I'm a so cal native, San Diego but have been living in VA now for more than half my life. Will let you know if I ever make it back your way.

 

[JackalopeZL1]

You invited to Calabash..

 

[Iron Buzz]

Yes indeed, I dug a corona cap last week that I bet anyone would have said it was a coin. XY was straight as a arrow, tone perfect with no scratchiness at all, I did not even raise the coil on that one since the xy was so perfect. I will admit that the XY screen is generally more accurate than this example. and this corona cap was still in pretty good shape. With my CTX I almost never dig them I do truly think the CTX is evaluating the signal to a much higher degree with a few more frequencies. Maybe that is why it is so much slower?

I'm only saying this partly in humor, Jack, but it would be a whole lot less work to dig a dozen bottlecaps while carrying the featherweight Deus around than to skip a dozen while lugging a 3030. (not that I wouldn't love a 3030 to lug around when conditions warranted)

 

[JackalopeZL1]

the deus is light and that is a beautiful thing, I love how easy it is to take in a backpack, or on the airplane. Indeed awesome. But in reality I can swing the CTX all day long and never even know it was heavy, it swings great and is very balanced on the arm.. but it is a hell of a lot harder to get on the plane

 

[austin_luker]

Just got back from Oceanside near San Diego, found the beach hunting to be good either wet or dry. However the park hunting left me a little bummed. All the parks in the area where of the newer type not like home on the east cost.
I am also in the camp of the Dues being one of the best separation machines out on the market, I'm not to up on the CTX I have been out with a guy using one and the Dues seemed to keep up just as well if not better. All in all each machine has a certain aspect that it shines at find the one that suits your hunting style and stick with it. Learn the machine the best you can and dig all signals that peak your interest and even dig the ones that don't, you will be surprised at what Coke out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[flysar]

I've got a Deus on the way. Are full tones similar to 50 tones of the CTX ?
One of the reasons I bought the CTX over the Etrac was the option of Combined mode. Every target sounded iffy to me in 50 tones because of the warbler/flutey sound. I suppose that's one of the reasons why the FeCo numbers help me because I run in Combined (5 tone).