Minelab CTX3030 Target ID's

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Jed

Jed Bartlett
Joined
Apr 27, 2013
Messages
157
Reaction score
39
Location
, ACT
Thanks Jed, that is one long list all right. :) There is only one issue with that list and that is the ID numbers on the CTX change depending on whether you use Ground coin, HI trash, Low trash and Ferrous coin. I did an air test with various old coins and i found that in some cases it was quiet a big difference in ID readings. I have lost the list of readings that i wrote down. I just thought i would mention this just in case. :) I will have to re-test and post?
 
Thx for the headsup Roscoe - Minelab did not mention that there could be big differences in ID readings depending on settings.
I am sure the forum 3030 owners would be very interested in your retest results.
I have found the ID readings (for a setting) can jump around - I assumed it was due to environmental factors rather than a particular setting.
cheers Jed
 
Jed, I was surprised about it as you are. I found out about it in the Australian metal detecting forum. I have to re-scan my coins and post results. I did air tests, but instead i will do in ground tests next time. I will do this over the xmas break and let you know my results. :)
 
Thx Roscoe - look forward to seeing the results in 2014 :)
 
This is a good guide but run the machine yourself as the numbers do differ with the settings you run, ground, etc. For example the $2 coin normally reads a solid 12-38 on my machine and if its deeper then sometimes around the 34/35 number. I've hit them shallow at times and even got a 41 on conduct! Try and pin down the post 46 pre decs 3p's! Thy bounce all over the place and read in the range of a pulltab. The 50 cent pieces are normally a 12-28 solid. The post 46 6 p's are always 12-34/35.

I don't trust air tests that well and they will differ from the ground results. I've dug thousands of coins with the e-trac and 3030 and the chart is in my head. After some use you will be able to tell yourself. If you set up the combined tones in the 3030 you can change the sounds to fit your coins. I set up my 1 and 2 dollars (goldies) to sound just like they did with the etrac. when I'm I nan area with only dec coins I can hear a goldie over a higher sounding 1 or 2 cent piece. (only use this in non pre dec areas!)

The pennies will also give off different signals. I've noticed the pennies made in the 50's sometimes read 12-43. The English copper generally reads lower into the 12-30's and the commonwealth hp's also read into the 12-30's. I love going to places where others have been and they have discr out these lower signals. You can tell because they are a whole bunch of post 46 small silver and CW hp's. If older then there are some English coppers around.
 
Thanks Jed, my prayers have been answered, have been looking everywhere for something like this, but of course if anyone has something not on this list please post it.
 
There are a few of us on this forum who is or may be interested in the CTX 3030.

I am interested to hear about how the CTX performs and identifies certain targets at a depth of 6".

One thing I do like about the CTX is the digital readout over targets which is 00.00 instead of 00 so I
am presuming it analyses targets more technically giving the readout capability rather than rounding off to
a number like many other detectors.

For me though how the CTX performs in target identification would be the deal breaker since the cost of the
machine is around $2695.

The items I am interested in seeing tested in reference to target identification includes the following
targets buried at 6". These include:

1. Pull tabs vs gold ring (mens and womans wedding band). Is there a way to differentiate between both?
2. Screw cap digital read out buried at 6".
3. $1 digital readout buried at 6".
4. $2 digital read out buried at 6".
5. Canslaw (bits and pieces of chopped up aluminium can) buried at 3".
6. Aluminium drink cans buried at 6".
7. Rusty nail about 40mm in length (about 5mm thick) right next to a $1 coin.
8. Rusty nail about 40mm in length (about 5mm thick) sitting directly on top of a $1 coin.

Are there noticeable changes to the target tones as well?

Is there anything else you care to share in helping identify targets?

Thanks in Advance.
 
In my limited time with the Explorer, I find that a lot of the junk targets that ring up similar to coins are nearly always reasonably shallow in depth. Get them any deeper and the tones/vdi numbers get real real jumpy, unlike coins that seem to still have repeatable high tones with high conductor/low iron ID's - unless on edge or partly masked. If I get a good repeatable conductor that sits deep on the depth meter, I start to get excited.

I don't know whether I would want a screw cap to sound the same at depth vs 1" from the surface, much better to have junk target tones/ID's degrade at depth, leaving the more highly conductive coin targets stand out from the crowd. I will usually run on tones only, then check the ID once I come across a high conductor. I have also been running in the ferrous tones setting which gives all ferrous targets a low tone, and all non-ferrous targets high tones, as iron rings up as a high conductor in the conductive tones setting which gets tiring to listen to (31:30). Just a thought anyway,

The four digit target ID, whilst it does degrade to a degree at depth, still holds a lot of useful info, much more so over the two digit ID on other detectors.

Whilst the CTX has a broader ID range, and should be able to ID more accurately at depth running FBS2, I thought this may be of interest anyway.

Testing of a few junk targets on surface, then at 6" down had the following results on the Explorer SE with 11" coil, all-metal, deep setting, and sensitivity at 28. (Don't take as gospel, results will vary in other conditions).

Large steel nut
31:27-30 on surface
31:30 buried

Modern pull tab
09:12 on surface
00:10 through to iron range, very jumpy response - buried

Beaver tale pull tab
08:12 on surface
06:12 through to iron range, very jumpy response - buried

Near new Coopers crown cap
00:07 on surface
00:08 buried

Old crown cap, partly crushed
00:04-06 on surface
Reads up to 31:30 buried, but jumps all over the place

Flattened aluminium screw cap
07:26 on surface
23:27, basically ID's all over the place when buried

Penny
04:27 on surface
05:28 buried +/- 2

1925 Florin
00:28 on surface
00:27-29 buried

1943 6P
00:29 on surface
00:25-29 buried

Half penny
01:29 on surface
01:24-27 buried

$1
06:26 on surface
00:24-26 buried (jumpy ID, but still registers high conductive)

$2
07:26 on surface
00:22 upwards buried (jumpy ID, but still registers high conductive)

So in general, most coins will continue to have repeatable high conductivity tones at depth, but the ID may vary by a few numbers either way, but still show as a high conductor with low iron. Of course this will depend on how junky or iron ridden the ground is that you are working, or how the target sits in the ground.

Whilst I still do dig some junk, it is usually out of curiosity and very much part of a learning process, especially if I get a sqeak of a deep high conductor amongst a lot of junk, sometimes it is just warranted to investigate. The penny I found last night was about 7" down, and was the only target in a sea of pull tabs, crown caps, foil and aluminium ring pulls to give a consistant high tone on both swings, reasonably solid ID, and depth wise, it sat a lot deeper than the surrounding junk targets. So tonally, the good targets can really stand out running on an open discrimination screen (all metal), without resorting to discriminating targets. :)
 
Goldpick said:
In my limited time with the Explorer, I find that a lot of the junk targets that ring up similar to coins are nearly always reasonably shallow in depth. Get them any deeper and the tones/vdi numbers get real real jumpy, unlike coins that seem to still have repeatable high tones with high conductor/low iron ID's - unless on edge or partly masked. If I get a good repeatable conductor that sits deep on the depth meter, I start to get excited.

I don't know whether I would want a screw cap to sound the same at depth vs 1" from the surface, much better to have junk target tones/ID's degrade at depth, leaving the more highly conductive coin targets stand out from the crowd. I will usually run on tones only, then check the ID once I come across a high conductor. I have also been running in the ferrous tones setting which gives all ferrous targets a low tone, and all non-ferrous targets high tones, as iron rings up as a high conductor in the conductive tones setting which gets tiring to listen to (31:30). Just a thought anyway,

The four digit target ID, whilst it does degrade to a degree at depth, still holds a lot of useful info, much more so over the two digit ID on other detectors.

Whilst the CTX has a broader ID range, and should be able to ID more accurately at depth running FBS2, I thought this may be of interest anyway.

Testing of a few junk targets on surface, then at 6" down had the following results on the Explorer SE with 11" coil, all-metal, deep setting, and sensitivity at 28. (Don't take as gospel, results will vary in other conditions).

Large steel nut
31:27-30 on surface
31:30 buried

Modern pull tab
09:12 on surface
00:10 through to iron range, very jumpy response - buried

Beaver tale pull tab
08:12 on surface
06:12 through to iron range, very jumpy response - buried

Near new Coopers crown cap
00:07 on surface
00:08 buried

Old crown cap, partly crushed
00:04-06 on surface
Reads up to 31:30 buried, but jumps all over the place

Flattened aluminium screw cap
07:26 on surface
23:27, basically ID's all over the place when buried

Penny
04:27 on surface
05:28 buried +/- 2

1925 Florin
00:28 on surface
00:27-29 buried

1943 6P
00:29 on surface
00:25-29 buried

Half penny
01:29 on surface
01:24-27 buried

$1
06:26 on surface
00:24-26 buried (jumpy ID, but still registers high conductive)

$2
07:26 on surface
00:22 upwards buried (jumpy ID, but still registers high conductive)

So in general, most coins will continue to have repeatable high conductivity tones at depth, but the ID may vary by a few numbers either way, but still show as a high conductor with low iron. Of course this will depend on how junky or iron ridden the ground is that you are working, or how the target sits in the ground.

Whilst I still do dig some junk, it is usually out of curiosity and very much part of a learning process, especially if I get a sqeak of a deep high conductor amongst a lot of junk, sometimes it is just warranted to investigate. The penny I found last night was about 7" down, and was the only target in a sea of pull tabs, crown caps, foil and aluminium ring pulls to give a consistant high tone on both swings, reasonably solid ID, and depth wise, it sat a lot deeper than the surrounding junk targets. So tonally, the good targets can really stand out running on an open discrimination screen (all metal), without resorting to discriminating targets. :)

Thanks Goldpick.

It just goes to show you notching out a target on a
Particular id won't work because the numbers jump
Around if they are 1" deep compared to 6".

So if 12.01 is a screwcap at 1" but 12.04 at 6" by
Notching out 12.01 your still going to detect the
Same target notched out buried at 6".

This is why i asked the question a out the 3030.
 
Hi,

I am doing a programme for my 3030 as a quick park search but notching out the deep targets.Some parks here I am not allowed to dig below 60mm in.
Like above but I am notching out the 12.04 type response and keeping the 12.01 with sensitivity turned down to 7 to 9 also I am using 50 tone and I am using the big coil for this.
If I pick up a good target that is a little deep I use the GPS way points to mark them. Tried digging a couple but even after all this rain it has only penetrated a small distance and the ground is like cement. So these targets will be for a future dig.

Bob.
 
NavyBob said:
Hi,

I am doing a programme for my 3030 as a quick park search but notching out the deep targets.Some parks here I am not allowed to dig below 60mm in.
Like above but I am notching out the 12.04 type response and keeping the 12.01 with sensitivity turned down to 7 to 9 also I am using 50 tone and I am using the big coil for this.
If I pick up a good target that is a little deep I use the GPS way points to mark them. Tried digging a couple but even after all this rain it has only penetrated a small distance and the ground is like cement. So these targets will be for a future dig.

Bob.

Unless the area is heavy on traffic where coin drops are
Frequent you could be digging a fair bit of trash because
The trash targets i find like pull tabs and screw caps are
Generally up to around 3" in depth.

60mm being a tad over 2" its in the range i am talking
About.

Good luck with it.
 
I've been considering buying a 3030 and have been doing a lot of research into the machine and the TIDs.

I've come across this and thought it might be handy for current and future 3030 owners

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:Y:
 
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