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The Curse Of Oak Island And The Minelab Ctx-3030


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Curse of Oak Island watchers will notice that after 9 seasons the Minelab CTX-3030 is still the machine of choice for the crew, particularly Gary Drayton. I know there has to be more people like me, bitten by the bug, watching and waiting to see if the Equinox would make an appearance. To date, it has not. Other than the occasional GPX-5000 clip, and some imaging hardware, CTX-3030 remains the primary detecting platform on the show, and often enough time is taken to point out the make and model being used. 

So one has to wonder, if not for The Curse Of Oak Island, where would the CTX-3030 be in light of the Equinox. I don’t claim to know how many CTX-3030s have been sold on the basis of the show, but I do know it’s not even close to none. It’s a significant amount, particularly among those wanting “the best.” People assume, rightly or wrongly, that the now elevated, popular show and a “metal detecting expert” like Gary Drayton would not be using anything less than the best. You don’t have to go far into various threads to realize a lot of people have sat up to take note of what machine is being used, and have expressed a desire to own it. In various threads regarding current owners the show comes up quite often as a basis motivating their purchase. The continuing high price tag of the unit, at $2,500, seems to confirm their impressions.

Is it reality though? Can the CTX-3030 still be considered the best or one of the best? Clearly, metal detecting manufacturers have all but ignored it, setting their sights instead on the Equinox. If you were to take away the color display of the CTX-3030, and just look on paper, and at field results, you begin to wonder. The CTX makes the claim that it utilizes a full band of 28 multiple frequencies from 1.5khz to 100khz. Field results and independent spectral analysis does not support that claim. Rather, it seems to utilize one 3.125khz fundamental frequency and one 25khz harmonic frequency in each and every mode, leading to a bias toward deep silver, and user feedback that the unit is weak on fine gold; results that are entirely what you’d expect in light of the spectral analysis. 

Enter the Equinox. The Equinox was an obvious redress of some of the most common feedback about the CTX-3030 and other BBS/FBS multifrequency units, mostly that they were slow to recover and overlooked fine gold. It may have also been a response to those who had chosen the V3i over FBS platforms claiming they could get the best of both single frequency and multifrequency worlds. The Equinox now offered a range of single frequencies, which the CTX doesn’t, and mode/task tailored frequency blends, whereas CTX frequency weighting never varied from mode to mode, instead depending upon other settings to vary performance. The Equinox retained the ability to seek out deep silver, while gaining the sensitivity to seek out gold fine enough to make it a competent prospecting unit. With a new approach to recovery speed the Equinox could now hunt among commingled sites in a way CTX couldn’t according to many users. 

While there’s no shortage of those insisting the CTX-3030 is still the best (often citing the high tag rather than its ability), there’s also no shortage of those claiming to have dumped the platform in favor of their Equinox. There’s also those in the middle, claiming a marriage of sorts between the two platforms would be detecting nirvana. What say you? Is the CTX-3030 still one of the very best? Is it still worth $2,500 in light of the Equinox? Did the Curse of Oak Island ever shape your or anyone you knows initial view of the CTX-3030? 

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IMO, if you're evaluating the ML CTX3030 (on its own or vs. other detectors such as the ML Equinox) I wouldn't put much stock on a TV show.  I say that while being a big follower of The Curse of Oak Island where I try to be open minded....  Here's why:

1) As far as detecting goes, the show is just Gary Drayton.  Even though others on the show sometimes use detectors, they are going to give Gary the benefit of the doubt as to which detector to use.  In their eyes he's a deity.

2) Gary Drayton is just one person with a big personality which has gotten him a lot of TV coverage (not just on this show).  TV is more than just expertise, way more.  I would never say he isn't a good detectorist but his image in the TV world as the expert among experts is obviously overblown.

3) Metal detector manufacturers aren't immune from influencing what TV detectorists use.  They can offer equipment for free and even pay the production company and/or detectorists stipends to use their equipment.  (I get it that you made a point of CTX3030 vs Equinox, both Minelab products.)

4) For a given site and conditions, the choice of detector matters.  Is the CTX3030 the best choice for the soil condition, weather, targets (note they are as interested in ferrous as they are non-ferrous) on Oak Island?

My opinion after watching this show every season (including some before Drayton showed up) is that it is Drayton's favorite detector and that's why he uses it.  He understands it; he trusts it; he isn't bothered by the weight, etc.  Note that for a long time he used the Garrett Carrot, even for a few years after Minelab released their latest handheld pinpointers.  (The last couple years he seems to have gone exclusively to the MLs.)  So in this case I think the real reason you see the CTX3030 repeatedly is because that's what Gary Drayton prefers, simple as that.

BTW, I thought I saw him using the Minelab Equinox in this season's episode 1 (just aired on Tuesday on Discovery cable channel).  :biggrin:

Bottom line:  despite what TV Execs & Producers and detector manufacturers want you to support, ignore all that and read here what our own bevy of experts have to say when evaluating detectors.

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Did the Curse of Oak Island ever shape your or anyone you knows initial view of the CTX-3030? 

New member, first post.  Been reading a LOT on here, not many questions asked that I feel qualified to answer, but I can answer this one.

The show did color my initial view of the CTX-3030.  The show didn't "inform" my opinion, but it did bring the CTX-3030 to my attention.

After about ten years off from detecting, I wanted to get casually back into it, and had decided I wanted (needed?) a new machine.  Since, my old XLT, was really struggling with some of the coins in my 15 year old coin garden.  I knew the CTX-3030 is what Gary Drayton was nearly always seen using.  I agree with all of the above, about the TV image being over blown, and all that, never took it too much to heart.  But, my own observation of the show, also agrees with the above, that he certainly seems a very experienced, competent and even accomplished detectorist.  And, to my reading of the tea leaves watching the show, I too feel like he was just really familiar and confident with the machine and used it because that's what he wanted to be using.

That said...  Yes, when I decided to start researching new machines, the CTX-3030 was the first one I looked at.  But after much research, I chose the Equinox 800.  Price was a consideration, but if I had really been convinced the CTX was the better machine for my applications, I'd have spent up for it.  I decided the Nox looked better for how I would be using it, without even taking the much lower price into consideration. 

 I've only had it two months, with about 60 hours on it.  Which, by the way, I NEVER expected to put 60 hours on it the first two months - I didn't foresee becoming as addicted to the beep as I seem to be.

Have been very happy with my choice.  From my perspective of limited experience, it sure seems to be a lot easier to dig good stuff out of the trash with than my old XLT.  

And, I too, can't swear to it, but I thought I got a quick glimpse of an Equinox in that last episode?

- Dave

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  If i had to choose using between the two, I'm sticking with my 800 for multiple reasons, which have already been stated! Now if ML wants to give me one to use, that's another story!👍👍  

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Curse of Oak Island watchers will notice that after 9 seasons the Minelab CTX-3030 is still the machine of choice for the crew, particularly Gary Drayton. I know there has to be more people like me, bitten by the bug, watching and waiting to see if the Equinox would make an appearance. To date, it has not.

I don't remember being bitten by any bug but I do really enjoy using the Equinox.

Season 9, Episode 2.....Gary Drayton uses the Equinox 800 with the 15X12" coil on camera.

Personally, the CTX 3030 is the CTX 3030 and the Equinox is the Equinox. Two very different SMF detectors with very different SMF technology and different strengths and weaknesses.

For me anyway, the CTX 3030 did poorly in the high iron mineralization I often hunt in.

The Equinox excels in it even on high conductive coins and jewelry in the 8" to 12" depth range which means if I set it up optimally, it will high tone scream on those targets with mostly correct numbers, even on USA clad and silver dimes. So, like the CTX 3030, the Equinox does just fine on small, deep, high conductor targets. It can handle man-made iron trashed sites and man-made aluminum trashed sites very well too.

As alluded to already, it is a very capable gold prospecting detector. In my opinion it is much better than "competent" since it has the ability to hit very tiny gold, navigate well in mining camp iron trash and most of all, it can do what other "specialty" single frequency gold prospecting detectors can't do as well, which is easily handle naturally occurring high iron mineralization and hot rocks that usually are a factor at most gold prospecting areas and often give single frequency VLF gold prospecting detectors fits.

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I feel like the 3030 is just Drayton's weapon of choice because it's what he is most comfortable with. He uses it on the Florida beaches as well. However, I did noticed that he used the Equinox on the most recent episode and it made me wonder if his 3030 was broken.  

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Yes, for a majority of the first episode when they show the metal detecting expert he is using the CTX, but for one small quick second they show a target recovery where he's using the Nox with 15x12" coil, so he obviously uses both, and rightly so they complement each other well.  I love the CTX for deep silvers, I thought I was doing well with the Nox until I got a CTX and it was finding coins I am 100% sure I missed with the Nox and my other detectors for whatever reason.... perhaps just my poor ground coverage ability. 🙂

1855847487_NoxOakIsland.thumb.png.3be851365efbd38dae5c2ae181d99552.png

I can’t believe that escaped my eye. I’m so used to seeing him with the CTX-3030 with 13”x17” coil that either I conflated the image or I wasn’t looking at all. It’s actually nice to see. 
 

I brought up this topic partly because the show is what pushed me over the edge into metal detecting. I’d always been curious and fascinated by treasure hunting. My best buddy had also gotten a metal detector and was showing off his finds to me. That got me motivated, but the show gave me that extra nudge into buying my first metal detector. When I first started out I dreamed about owning a machine like the CTX. I started at the bottom of the lineup and worked my way up to the machines I have today. But as I learned more about metal detecting and metal detectors the further down my list of priorities the 3030 slipped. Just as I was about to start looking for a used unit the Equinox came on the scene and pushed it further back. 
 

I can say that comparing what my expectations were about what a metal detector could do starting out to the reality of the technological limitations was a bit of a let down at first, but I got over it pretty quick. Yet I think those expectations colored how I approach metal detecting (on land) today. From the beginning My goal most days has been to make the best use of my time by limiting the amount of trash I dig. This has me primarily focused on the silver range, not always, but most of the time. NY is just not a gold bearing state unfortunately. With this in mind, eventually I couldn’t resist buying a CTX-3030. 
 

Given that it has the same fundamental limitations as every other machine, I never valued it at $2,500. I jumped on one at $1,100. The story behind it was very familiar to me. The Curse of Oak Island inspired the previous owner to take up metal detecting and he wanted the machine he saw on the show. Like myself starting out, he had unrealistic expectations about what it could do. The difference was he never joined or consulted the forums to find out more about everything before buying it. By the time I bought mine, I knew what I was getting. 
 

Bottom line on the purchase is at my price I don’t regret it. Though the Equinox is more versatile and well rounded, and I wouldn’t necessarily trade it for a CTX, I can say the CTX-3030 next to the V3i are two of the most fun machines I’ve ever used. When given to the tasks they are best at, I just have a blast with them. Primarily they have become my isolated target field machines and my cherry pickers. Equinox for everything else. 
 

It’s hard to believe 9 years have passed since the first season. In that 9 years I have to imagine the Curse of Oak Island has played a role in growing the hobby. I hear a similar story as mine reflected back at me quite often both from those just passing through and those who’ve stuck with it. I only wish I’d discovered the hobby earlier even if you told me when Oak Island first began, 9 years later they’d still be there and without solving the mystery. For those that stuck with the hobby, it truly is “the thrill of the hunt,” and “the fellowship of the dig” above all.

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I haven't been watching that show regularly but when I first did the few shows I did watch , Gary WAS using an Equinox .

The first time I saw the 3030 , he had a GIANT coil on it.

And the last show I saw , it was still the 3030. .... clips of the actual detectors are going by quick. 

The rest of the show,,,,,,,meh.  Gary IS the star ,,,,,,isn't he ??????? well , to us anyway.

And yes , I agree . There are many here that could probably teach him a thing or two.

But he might be portrayed differently on the screen than he is in person.

Not putting down his previous finds either . Location location location ,,,,really makes a difference. His relic knowledge seems pretty extensive though so I'm guessing he has some serious years under his detector harness..........possibly some archaeology (sp?) background ?

The Nox and 3030 are said to be complimentary , would be nice to see the best of both in just one or the other IMO.

 

 

 

 

 

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