Preferences: Safari vs. E-trac (advice welcome!)

[cschiefs]

Hi All!

I am a huge fan of Treasure Net. I enjoy coins very much. I have decided I want to broaden my opportunities and learn Metal Detecting. I am from the midwest, but hope to enjoy this on the beaches as well. My husband is a history buff, so he thinks he will enjoy any relics that are found too. We look forward to the most versitile model that we would be happy with for years, because we probably won't buy others. I may be very wrong, but this is my guess. We need the right choice from the beginning.

I have researched many opinions about the various detectors and have decided I will start with Minelab, either the Safari or the E-trac. I decided I didn't want to get a cheaper one and then want to immediately move up, so I wanted to start out with a very nice one from the beginning.

I would like to hear comments on the pros and cons of these 2 in order to know which one to buy? Any comments on which one has better depth, comfort, ease of use would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Carolyn

 

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[cschiefs]

I watched a video on You Tube tonight that made me so anxious to get started

It was titled: My best coin day...E.V.E.R...

Utterly thrilling!

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Safari is a dumbed down version of an Etrac. I had one and sold it, it was nice dont get me wrong, but I love the Etrac I bought with the funds from the Safari..... Met my hunting parter this afternoon at a park, he is a Minelab wizzard, we loaded about 6 custom programs he has built on to my ETrac.........

 

[cschiefs]

A little more explanation on your opinion between the two please....why is the Safari a dumbed down version? Also, do you have to be a Minelab wizard like your friend to be able to load custom programs? Better yet, what are these programs and how did they benefit you?

Thanks for your patience! I really am a newbie wanting to dive into the best option for my situation.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

If you are not comfortable with computers you may not like the ETrac...... When I say dumbed down it has fewer options, pull up the reviews on the two and compare, got to a detector website like Kellyco and look at the two......

An one can load a program if your comfortable with uploading and downloading on a computer, my buddy makes and customizes his own programs using targets he has recovered to open up where the targets report in the program...

 

[cschiefs]

Thank you for the updates! I have spent all afternoon comparing the different detectors I am interested in on websites like Kellyco, which is how I got myself to these two. I am pretty comfortable with computers, depending on the expectations. I can use them very well, just not a programmer.

 

[halfstep]

Thank you for the updates! I have spent all afternoon comparing the different detectors I am interested in on websites like Kellyco, which is how I got myself to these two. I am pretty comfortable with computers, depending on the expectations. I can use them very well, just not a programmer.

I have the safari and it works very well. The etrac is more sophisticated. The discrimination is more precise on the etrac which gives it a more precise target identification. When discriminating targets, if you have more segments to choose from, lets say 100 segments, you can choose the exact segment that blocks out only that target. If you only have 20 segments, you can't discriminate as precisely and you will advertently block out good targets that are close to the targets you are discriminating. Target indentification works the same way. More precise means better target identification.

A detector reads the target by conductivity and ferrous then gives a number/s and a certain pitch sound to help indentify the target. The etrac can give more accurate info but takes more time to learn, understand and remember. The safari is quick to learn and understand and not a lot to remember. It has the same main circuitry as the etrac and reads targets just as deep. I can get around pretty good with the safari. I like simple and easy.

Which ever detector you decide, it will take some time to learn so be patient. After a few outings, you will start to understand the detectors language. Also get the Andy Sabisch book and it will help.

 

[Sovereignelite]

Etrac! Might as well go with the better model!

Hi All!
I am a huge fan of Treasure Net. I enjoy coins very much. I have decided I want to broaden my opportunities and learn Metal Detecting. I am from the midwest, but hope to enjoy this on the beaches as well. My husband is a history buff, so he thinks he will enjoy any relics that are found too. We look forward to the most versitile model that we would be happy with for years, because we probably won't buy others. I may be very wrong, but this is my guess. We need the right choice from the beginning.

I have researched many opinions about the various detectors and have decided I will start with Minelab, either the Safari or the E-trac. I decided I didn't want to get a cheaper one and then want to immediately move up, so I wanted to start out with a very nice one from the beginning.

I would like to hear comments on the pros and cons of these 2 in order to know which one to buy? Any comments on which one has better depth, comfort, ease of use would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Carolyn

 

[cschiefs]

Thank you for the explanations and comments. I really like easy, but also like having the better model. I will be sure to get the book.

 

[sonofadigger]

i had heard before i bought the safaris how they was not as good as the e-trac but here recently i got to try out the e-trac in a spot i hunt often and didnt see a whole lot of difference a lil better discriminaton and a lil faster process speed but thats about all i noticed you get the same depth from both machines so i dont think im missing out on anything with keeping the safari its so much easier to use

 

[302guy]

Call or email Bart Davis at Big Boys Hobbies. He's a minelab dealer. And if you are purchasing online he is the guy you want. No offense to kellyco, but when I was researching detectors, I almost forgot to research dealers. They didn't pass muster. Bart is a class act. I'm not affiliated with him, in fact I just learned about him last wednesday when I ordered my first detector. But I know customer service. And I prefer to support the little guy. Plus he will meet or beat any deal they give you. And for deals, New England Detectors has AWESOME deals, with great "gifts". Just call Bart with details on it. Because NED has communication problems. But they offer scoops, propointer, pistol probes, and lesche diggers with everything. Kellyco offers stuff that looks like it was used on the old Flash Gordon movie.

 

[dougofpa]

i had heard before i bought the safaris how they was not as good as the e-trac but here recently i got to try out the e-trac in a spot i hunt often and didnt see a whole lot of difference a lil better discriminaton and a lil faster process speed but thats about all i noticed you get the same depth from both machines so i dont think im missing out on anything with keeping the safari its so much easier to use

I'm with Son on this one....I have never used an E-trac, but one of the guys that I go detecting with all the time just bought one..and we were comparing the two...didn't seem to be much different..a little faster in processing..but like it was mentioned above, same depth....and YES the Safari is easier to use...basically turn it on, ground balance and go....I really like my Safari....Excellent machine...I bought mine on Ebay for LESS than Half of the Safari listed price....can't beat that.

Good Luck..

 

[Sovereignelite]

And a lot of the bells and whistles help you be more productive with less time digging junk, frustration etc. I thought about buying a Safari myself but found a nice used Etrac and snatched it up. That said it doesn't have a warranty: a new model will have a warranty which is a big +. Good luck on your choice!

I'm with Son on this one....I have never used an E-trac, but one of the guys that I go detecting with all the time just bought one..and we were comparing the two...didn't seem to be much different..a little faster in processing..but like it was mentioned above, same depth....and YES the Safari is easier to use...basically turn it on, ground balance and go....I really like my Safari....Excellent machine...I bought mine on Ebay for LESS than Half of the Safari listed price....can't beat that.

Good Luck..

 

[sonofadigger]

And a lot of the bells and whistles help you be more productive with less time digging junk, frustration etc. I thought about buying a Safari myself but found a nice used Etrac and snatched it up. That said it doesn't have a warranty: a new model will have a warranty which is a big +. Good luck on your choice!

So does learning your detector I dig just about everything anyway so a lil better iron discrimination don't really do a lot for me

 

[Jackalope]

Based on detector tests I've seen, the CTX3030, E-Trac, and Safari are going to give very similar depth results in very mineralized soil. In more normal soil the CTX3030 and E-Trac might have a slight edge. In overall use through all soil types, the Safari, E-Trac and CTX3030 are about indistinguishable in the depth department.

 

[cschiefs]

Went to the nearest bookstore in my area (40 miles away) and tried to get the Andy Sabisch book....not available, so I will look it up on Amazon - thanks!

 

[cschiefs]

Well I contacted sonofadigger, since he had 2 for 1 price going on for a couple of used Safari's....can't beat that since my hubby appears to be very interested too. He is a history buff, so he will enjoy looking at Civil War sites around our state. I am anxious to check creeks and beaches, as well as my 11 acres. Our property is known to have an old homestead and well out front, so I will practice lots here before we head out. Of course if the 2 are not available anymore, I will go to Big Boys Hobbies for the full package and additional packages.

Thank you all for the great comments.
I am pretty stoked!

Carolyn

 

[dholland02]

I'm with Son on this one....I have never used an E-trac, but one of the guys that I go detecting with all the time just bought one..and we were comparing the two...didn't seem to be much different..a little faster in processing..but like it was mentioned above, same depth....and YES the Safari is easier to use...basically turn it on, ground balance and go....I really like my Safari....Excellent machine...I bought mine on Ebay for LESS than Half of the Safari listed price....can't beat that.

Good Luck..

I just also purchased a new safari from tom at miller MDZ. I got to use it 2 timea b4 the weather go to bad. It really is turn on and go machine. I love it already and only have 2 hrs on it. Main thing is u can't swiing it like a weed eatter lol. I was used to my ace250 that I could move pretty good pace. I couldn't justify spending the extra 500 or whatever the price difference on an etrac, especially watch them both pull DEEP server outta the ground.

 

[halfstep]

It is all about how well you know your detector. A $200 detector in the rights hands is better than a $1500 detector is the wrong hands. The etrac gives you more detailed info about the target. The safari's discrimination isn't as precise as the etrac's but that doesn't mean the safari's discrimination is lacking. The safari has a discrimination the is more than adequate. I can discriminate the obvious things like pull tabs without any noticeablle effect on missing good targets. If I am hunting a location that has a lot of a particular pull tab, I will block it out so I don't have to be distracted by it. Sometimes you might have 2 or 3 different pull tabs that read different numbers and I will bloack them all out sometimes. The less discrimination you use, the more depth your detector will read. But if you don't get carried away with discrimination, you will have plenty of depth.

Learning to pinpoint with the dd coil takes practice. The safari and etrac have a pinpoint function but I don't use it. It seems to run down the batteries rather quickly and I can pinpoint better without it by wiggling my coil until the target is at the notch of the coil. Just take short fast swings over the target and move the coil backwards over the target until it stops beeping. There is a notch at the top of the coil and that is where the target will be. Sometimes you will have 2 or 3 targets in a small area and it requires you to change positions and swing at a different direction to help get a fix on the targets.

You can take some coins and other objects and bury them in a test garden. Mark the locations of the burried targets so you know where they are at. You can practice with the detector and learn the sounds and numbers of different types of coins and common trash targets. Bury the coins 6" and with plenty of room in between the targets. You can practice every day for a week or so and then practice once a week to keep sharp. It will save a lot of time while make your hunting trips more productive.

 

[302guy]

I was advised to follow guys with expensive gear if I saw them stand on one spot for more than 30 seconds without digging..thats about 20 seconds longer than it should take to make the choice to dig or move on if you know your machine...he said the guys with the cheapest machines usually start digging as soon as it beeps. And will eventually learn to quit digging every beep or buy a better detector.
So when I apply my logic to that I see it as a typical problem that every one suffers at some point in time. The balance of confidence between a person and their equipment. You either have too little in yourself and too much in your equipment, or vice versa. Once you achieve a balance then you become successful. I'm guessing patience is prerequisite in this hobby huh?