CTX Built To Be Expensive?

[☠ Cipher]

I've never thought the CTX-3030 was worth $2,500. Not when it was fresh, and not now, even though it has still not been surpassed in some respects. I've valued it at about less than half that and refused to buy one until I found one in that range, and could do so comfortably. I felt the same about the V3i and many others. At $2,500 Id expect a machine that can do most anything you can throw at it and be dead on about it. There's no such machine, and I couldn't see paying that kind of money for a machine that is just colorful while being a little less wrong than any other machine in some circumstances, and just as wrong in others. I bought it more than anything for its rough imaging (target trace) to use in open fields with the 17" coil. I've wondered if this is what a lions share of the tag is based on. It seems to be what the invenio tag is based on. That machine is so wildly over priced based on its actual ability that I think we've seen the cutoff as far as how much someone is willing to pay for crude imaging in the hobby market. It doesn't seem to be selling well to professionals either as we've seen drastic price reductions since launch. Minelab seems to have better intuition about how far to go with it (2-dimensional, they weren't going to try guessing their way into the 3rd with VLF technology) and what they can charge. I do have to wonder though, if it were the Minelab Invenio, would it have done better at its price point. 

[Steve Herschbach]

The CTX is mapping target id information, the Invenio is mapping location information. Different concepts and Intents entirely, so not really an apples to apples comparison.

[Skull diver]

I own mine since 2013.

I dive in the shallow with it.

Outer speaker:broken and leaved as it was.

Usb port:Never opened since the last update in 2015(more languages w.t.f?)... Also completely filled it with gel grease.

Control box coil's connector:ruined and replaced with the entire rear end.

Lower shaft: ruined trying to create the usual cut to allow less stressful cable passage.The shaft design is good to cut or ruin the cable as it is.Bought another one and mounted upside-down.

Lithium batteries:leaked and destroyed 3 of them.Today I use Ni-Mh rechargeable switching two alkaline pods.

11"coil:sold it (terrible mistake).

6" coil: a killer, but really too little and useless 80%of times.

10x5"Coiltek:sweet coil but floated a lot..Sold it

14x9"Coiltek: really sensitive but unusable in manual underwater...Still prefer and want back again the original 11".

Headphones:bought Grey Ghost underwater and leaved it after a month as the audio is next to a fart and bubbles are all what you can hear underwater.Replaced with yellow Koss Crap (at least at a volume of 30 and higher pitch you should hear something).

My right arm is bigger than the left one thanks to its weight...

To complete my review as a strong old user of this machine I can also say something no one talk about.

Don't expect similar performance with last released ctx.

Tried personally other 3 of them and was like to have half of the depth.

Blind coil almost like an Excal with a gold chain at few Cm from it.

It costed me a bunch of money in damages and I've been only lucky to have it back in finds during these years.

I'll never burn again all that money in a similar thing.

Lesson learned is to wait at least 2 years from Minelab release day.

 

 

 

 

[GB_Amateur]

2 hours ago, Skullgolddiver said:

My right arm is bigger than the left one thanks to its weight...

🤣