4-Level Search Program for Minelab E-Trac and CTX 3030, page 2
3. LEVEL 1 Settings For Detecting Tiny Hammereds at Sites with High Junk Content
This search program allows for detecting both hammies and thin-sectioned coins lying on ground surface or buried no deeper than one inch. Deeper hammered coins will not be detected due to "aggressive" Discrimination implemented in this program. And a detector would not respond to any coins that are too close to nails.
This search program is suitable for both a beginner and an experienced coin shooter assessing the hunt site. If no more non-ferrous signals are received at the hunt site during detecting, and ferrous targets are abundant as indicated by frequent nulling of Threshold, you will need to switch to either the Level-2 or Level-3 search program and search the hunt site again.
NOTE 1: In my "Level 1 - "High Discrimination/Low Noise" Coin Program #1 Description, I explained every program setting's level or mode I utilize. If any setting in the following program has a different mode or level, or not utilized at all, a clarification will be given accordingly. Otherwise, please refer to the Level-1 Program Description for detailed explanations of program settings and useful tips for their implementation.
NOTE 2: While all the E-Trac functions, program setting and modes are given in black, the program settings of the Minelab CTX 3030, references to their description pages in the CTX-3030's Instruction Manual, and my short notes on their utilization in this program are given in this pink font color.
NOTE 3: I ALWAYS operate my metal detectors with headphones.
NOTE 4: A SLOW sweep speed is the basis of the search coil discipline when operating any FBS technology metal detector at the iron-infested site. Slow coil swinging allows to detect good targets lying beside iron nails, and hear the low-tone responses without additional high-pitched falsing to accepted iron targets.
SEARCH COILS:
Both small search coils (for E-Trac: 4.5 x 7" DD EXcelerator ("Sniper" type), 6" DD EXcelerator EQ 2 Pro, Minelab FBS 8", 8" EXcelerator Concentric, and 8x6" SEF (Butterfly); for CTX-3030: CTX 06 Smart Coil), and a standard (stock) 11" DD search coil (for CTX-3030: 11" DD Smart Coil) should be used with this program. If you utilize a larger search coil for detecting hammered coins in the farm fields, make sure the coil is SENSITIVE enough to detect the tiny coins.
PROGRAM SETTINGS for NEUTRAL or LOW-MINERALIZED GROUND:
NOTE 5: Some program settings for detecting on HIGH-MINERALIZED grounds are included and explained.
NOTE 6: Summary Tables for these program settings are shown on next page.
DETECTION SCREEN - PATTERN Screen (to select this mode, press "Detect" button; page 23 of the E-Trac Instruction Manual) - see details here.
CTX 3030:
DETECT Screen (page 7 of the CTX-3030 Instruction Manual)
Sensitivity Menu:
(see details on page 3 of my description for 3-Level "COINS" Search Program)
SENSITIVITY - Auto (page 56 of the E-Trac Instruction Manual)
CTX 3030:
SENSITIVITY - Auto (page 21 of the CTX-3030 Instruction Manual)
If you wish to use Manual Sensitivity, it should be set on the detector's stability level.
If mineralization is too high, it is best to select the 'AUTO' mode of Sensitivity to avoid both ground and iron falsing.
AUTO SENSITIVITY LEVEL - A if you use AUTO SENSITIVITY (page 55 of the E-Trac Instruction Manual)
CTX 3030:
AUTO SENSITIVITY LEVEL - A if you use AUTO SENSITIVITY (page 21 of the CTX-3030 Instruction Manual)
Audio Menu
(see details on page 4 of my description for 3-Level "COINS" Search Program)
THRESHOLD LEVEL - 15 (page 58 of the E-Trac Instruction Manual)
CTX 3030:
THRESHOLD LEVEL - 15 (page 23 of the CTX-3030 Instruction Manual)
VOLUME LIMIT - 15 (page 60 of the E-Trac Instruction Manual)
CTX 3030:
VOLUME LIMIT - 15 (page 24 of the CTX-3030 Instruction Manual)
VOLUME GAIN - 27 (page 61 of the E-Trac Instruction Manual)
Decrease the setting level to 26 or lower if the ground is HIGH-MINERALIZED.
CTX 3030:
VOLUME GAIN - 27 (page 23 of the CTX-3030 Instruction Manual)
Decrease the setting level to 26 or lower if the ground is HIGH-MINERALIZED.
RESPONSE - Long (page 62 of the E-Trac Instruction Manual)
CTX 3030:
RESPONSE - Long (page 39 of the CTX-3030 Instruction Manual)
NUMBER OF TONES - Multi (use the Tone ID sub-menu; page 64 of the E-Trac Instruction Manual)
The NUMBER OF TONES setting is not available in CTX-3030
CTX-3030:
TONE PROFILE TYPE - "50 tone CO" (page 36 of the CTX-3030 Instruction Manual)
SOUNDS - Conduct (page 65 of the E-Trac Instruction Manual)
The SOUNDS setting is not available in CTX-3030
CTX-3030:
TONE PROFILE TYPE - "50 tone CO"
VARIABILITY - 30 (page 67 of the E-Trac Instruction Manual)
VARIABILITY setting is not available in CTX-3030
TONE ID LIMITS - 30 (page 68 of the E-Trac Instruction Manual)
The TONE ID LIMITS setting is not available in CTX-3030
TRESHOLD PITCH - 17 (page 69 of the E-Trac Instruction Manual)
CTX 3030:
TRESHOLD PITCH - 17 (page 24 of the CTX-3030 Instruction Manual)