This is a thorough how-to book on Minelab’s CTX-3030 from settings, discrimination, how to search, what you might need besides the metal detector and lots of other useful information. This was the first metal detector I’ve ever used and I found the instruction manual that came with it, while it had good information didn’t have nearly enough on how to do settings, discrimination and a lot of other things that would have been useful. It also jumped around and didn’t thoroughly explain something so I didn’t have t go to this or that page for more info on the same subject. As a first metal detector, it’s not difficult to use but understanding about all it does can be difficult. I’m glad I got the book but I think I’d have gotten more out of it if I’d used the machine for a while first. Using it and playing with the buttons and settings would have given me a better frame of reference for what the book was talking about. I wasn’t sure what the book had to say on a few topics when I first got it and the machine. I read it cover to cover and had the metal detector with me while I did, which helped a little. I first used in on my front yard and the first hole revealed a Morgan silver dollar. However, the only reason I dug at all was because of the noise the machine made. I also recovered a some modern dimes, Nichols and pennies, along with a 1918 Standing Liberty quarter and a dandy collection of roofing nails. I thought that was great but didn’t really know why the metal detector found it. I went a few more times, once to a plowed field, once to the beach and once to the front yard of an old abandoned church. In all that, I didn’t find much to brag about. After having some experience using it, I went back to the book. The best thing it told me to do was to make a test garden. I located part of my backyard that I only got a few alerts on that dug up a couple of pieces of old copper wire. When I was sure there was nothing else there I dug the holes, per the book and buried at various depths, what the book suggested: something gold, pull tabs, nails, copper wire, etc. In all there were twelve different things. I spent hours going over one at a time and noting what the machine had to say about ferrous and conductive numbers and depths. When I though I was doing pretty well I added a second item, such as an steel nail next to a gold ring and a few second items at different depths than the original item and leaving the original items. After doing the garden for a week and comparing the readings with the object found, along with reading about it in the book, I felt it was time to go out again. I went back to the church yard, beach and plowed field and while I didn’t find any US $20 gold pieces, I did find enough US change to pay for gas, along with a child’s gold ring and, at the beach, a lot of keys and key on key rings including the newer pushbutton fobs. I’ve found going over territory that other detectorists have told me is played out, usually results in some pretty good finds. I’m by no means an expert but I’m doing pretty well. I think the book is great but, in my opinion, only if you have some context of what the book is talking about, especially the pictures of the screen showing different discrimination patterns. At first I thought it was a sort of map of where I was searching. Then I had an “Ah Ha” moment of what I was looking at as I reread the parts about discrimination. I recommend the book but read the CTX-3030’s manual first and then go metal detecting a few times. Then would be a good time to read the book with the CTX-3030 next to you. Read book, do what book says to the machine, on and on. I also recommend putting file tabs on pages you want to go to quickly and annotating the table of contents for the same type of thing. It’s a great machine. Use the book to make your understanding of it better and that will make you a better metal detectorists.
