The evolution of discovery.
New Product Report Minelab E-TRAC

by Des Dunne

Since the Explorer FBS System (Full Band Spectrum Multi-Frequency) gave us the first glimpse of new and very innovative design principles, Minelab has consistently delivered world-class engineering and technology for the hobbyist and metal sensing specialist. Following in the detecting tracks of the iconic Explorer Series was always going to be difficult but it looks as if Minelab has indeed done it again with their newest innovation! E-Trac promises to be the high-octane detector model that detector users everywhere have been waiting for and its set to quicken the pulse rate of metal detectives! The new-from-the-ground-up E-Trac is bristling with technology and has some very smart new tricks up its sleeve! This detector is a new model, the premiere flagship of the Minelab fleet and does not replace anything else instead it adds to the model line-up and creates a new benchmark in software functionality, performance and class-leading capability. E-Trac is a significant technological advancement - probably the single most important and innovative metal detector model ever introduced and one which has been very definitely designed to cater for the advanced detector user and newcomers to the hobby alike.

Whats in the box

(a) E-Trac main body with arm rest & strap (b) New 11 Double D FBS coil (and fittings) (c) Koss UR30 headphone set (d) Top stem (black aluminium) (e) Lower stem (black carbon fibre) (f ) 1600mAH NiMH rechargeable battery (g) Battery charger (h) Alkaline battery Slim Pack (i) Xchange Installation CD (j) USB cable (to connect E-Trac to a PC) (k) Instruction Manual (l) Field Guide (fold-up) (m) Warranty card Please note content may vary by region.
Control Panel design and layout
E-Tracs Display is logically and cleverly laid out starting on the left with the 4 new Navigation Buttons. These four buttons control the up down and side to side movements and nearly all of the E-Tracs functions making it considerably easy to move around the pre-loaded menu choices. The two large Arrow buttons () on either side of the faceplate control E-Tracs Edit Modes whilst moving around the screen and making detection pattern changes. The Menu button in the centre controls the access to all E-Tracs selectable Menu choices. Pinpoint takes the E-Trac out of a discrimination motion mode and puts it into a temporary all metal, nondiscrimination mode. Note: it is not advisable to search in the pin point mode. The Detect button, while in the Pattern Screen, will switch the Detection Screen to Digital Screen and vice versa if in Digital. While in the Main Menu, QuickMask or Edit Screen, pressing Detect returns you to the Pattern/Digital Screen at any stage of operation. QuickMask allows on the spot adjustments of the FE and CO rejection levels independently of any current Discrimination Settings allowing for a fast and easy way of editing Patterns. It also allows an instant switch back to the last Detect screen. Pressing Accept / Reject allows instant acceptance of / or discrimination against any particular target (more on this later). Noise Cancel allows you to select from 11 operating channels and provide the best noise free channel on which to detect, eliminating or helping to reduce most sources of electromagnetic noise that can be generated into the atmosphere by electrical devices such as radio mast transmitters, pylons and generators. Pressing the button takes about 28 seconds to cycle through. Noise cancel can also be manually chosen via the Expert Menu. The Backlight button illuminates the visual screen area via the extreme top right hand side button which allows you to continue detecting when the natural light gets low.
EXCITING NEW FUNCTIONS & FEATURES
Note the new interface and fantastically clear, bright futuristic graphic displays and you can then begin to play with the new, very intuitive controls layout and discover what the Minelab engineers have really put into this wonderfully exciting new machine! One of the most exciting new functions is E-Trac Xchange: the ability to communicate with a personal computer to upload and share detecting programs, a great innovation and step forward in making the hobby of metal detecting as personable as choosing your favourite music for your iPod. The New Functions (See Page 80 E-Trac Instruction Manual) are described below beginning with the ability to program a metal detector via a home computer. A fully comprehensive Xchange User Guide is also accessible within the Xchange program Installation CD. E-Trac Xchange (Communication between E-Trac and your Personal Computer) A significant advancement of the new E-Trac is the inclusion of a USB connection facility (supplied), for the purpose of allowing a connection between your E-Trac and a PC or laptop. You can download / upload and share Discrimination pattern programs of choice. A CD with the software package and complete Xchange User Guide comes in the box and should be installed onto your PC. Suggested alternate Patterns to get you up and running on Xchange can be downloaded from www.minelab.com/consumer System Requirements for E-Trac Xchange - Windows 2000, Windows XP or Windows Vista - Minimum display resolution of 1024 x 768 - USB or USB 2.0 port - USB Data Cable (included with your E-Trac) To Install E-Trac Xchange on your PC 1. Insert the CD (included with your E-Trac) into the CD/DVD drive of your PC 2. The CD will auto-run once inserted into your PC and the Install program will start 3. Follow the Install prompts to install E-Trac Xchange onto your PC Once you have installed E-Trac Xchange on your PC you can start the application from either the Start Menu or the shortcut on the Desktop To start the E-Trac Xchange application Double click the E-Trac Xchange application icon on your desktop, or open your Start Menu and navigate to: All Programs Minelab E-Trac Xchange. To connect E-Trac to your PC 1. Insert the USB cable into your E-Trac 2. Insert the other end of the USB cable into your PC 3. Start E-Trac Xchange on your PC 4. Although E-Tracs transmitter is switched off while connected to a PC, please make sure the coil is not next to any electronic device which could cause interference (like a TV or PC monitor), then turn on your E-Trac.

Quickmask

This fantastic new feature allows you to adjust the level of Ferrous and Conductive rejection, independent of the Pattern / Digital Smartfind Discrimination Pattern. Quickmask is a great feature for very quickly checking targets for discrimination purposes because it is easy to do by adjusting either of the two slider controls (Navigation Buttons described further down) to adjust the level of Ferrous and Conductive discrimination to see where a target drops out at or to allow the cursor more free movement to locate to the correct axis points of both ferrous and conductive scales (as in 2-dimensional discrimination, the principle behind Smartfind).
Main Menu allows you to browse through each of the 6 Menus Each Menu option appears below the Main Menu and the settings for each can be selected and modified, namely:
User Modes Select / Save Discrimination Select / Save / Edit / Combine Sensitivity Sensitivity / Manual Level / Auto Level (A) Audio Threshold Level / Volume Limit / Volume Gain / Response / Tone ID / Threshold Pitch Expert Recovery Deep / Recovery Fast / Trash Density / Ground Difficult or Neutral / Noise Cancel Preferences Contrast / Pinpoint Mode / Show Sensitivity / Show Mode Info / Display Timeout / Master Reset
E-TRAC MODES Mode Settings, Universal Settings and Preferences
E-Tracs settings can be divided into three categories: Mode Settings, Universal Settings and Preferences. These are explained below. 1. 2. 3. Mode Settings these define E-Tracs performance for a particular location such as the beach or pasture or type of metal detecting as in target type such as coins or iron targets. E-Trac is designed to allow you to save these Mode Settings as a User Mode. A User Mode can be saved in, or retrieved from E-Tracs memory or, shared with another E-Trac owner via Xchange. Universal Settings these affect E-Tracs performance but can be adjusted regardless of your location and desired finds type. Universal Settings are determined according to your personal detecting choices e.g. Sensitivity, Noise Cancel & Threshold Pitch Preferences these do not affect E-Tracs performance and allow you to customize the appearance of the detection screens e.g. Contrast & Show Sensitivity.

User Modes

A User Mode is a collection of Preset detector settings and a Discrimination Pattern. E-Trac comes pre-loaded with four (4) Minelab User Modes and four other slots which are empty, just waiting for you to save your own modes. In addition, there are six (6) other Discrimination slots ready for you to also create your own discrimination patterns giving a grand total of 10 personal patterns you can make up yourself for certain targets or to tackle difficult sites or perhaps to Xchange with other E-Trac owners. The Minelab User Modes are: 1. Coins 2. High Trash 3. Beach 4. Relics If a Minelab User Mode is selected then the Minelab logo and that particular Mode number will be displayed on-screen if a My User Mode is selected then the My User icon will appear instead of the Minelab logo. If any changes are made to E-Tracs settings you are able to save those settings to the current User Mode via the User Mode Menu a small flag icon will appear in the top right hand side of the detection screen showing a user Mode has been modified but not yet saved. NB: the Show Mode Info setting must be turned ON via the Preferences Menu in order to see any of the icons displayed (more on this later) Remember, a user Mode is [a start point] for a new owner of E-Trac to get going on his / her way to making finds! It is important to mention that in these Preset Modes certain sounds, responses and audio settings are preset so, in E-Tracs Instruction Manual see Page 83 and make sure the settings are right for your hearing and if not, select a particular sound or audio response that you are comfortable with. These Modes can be finely tuned for your personal hunting style. Remember again, they are starting points for a new owner to get going right out of the box!

Discrimination Menu

The Discrimination Menu allows you to Select, Save, Edit and Combine Discrimination Patterns. Important Note: ALL Discrimination Patterns Pre-Programmed into E-Trac are accepting Discrimination Patterns e.g. the Iron Disc Pattern accepts iron. E-Trac comes pre-loaded with ten (10) Discrimination Patterns which are: - all metal coins Jewellery foil pull tabs crown caps screw caps nails iron Fe Coins NB: as E-Trac is a completely new innovative metal detector it allowed the engineers to go back to the drawing board and bring into line the complete conductive range of all metals in a linear fashion: on the left are very low conductive, in the middle area mid conductive, and to the right, high conductivities with the most conductive i.e. copper and silver to the right hand side end of the linear scale. The conductivity scale has a wider range of IDs (from 1 to 50) and the ferrous range is expanded also (1-35). So on E-Trac, the Ferrous scale is on a vertical adjustment and the Non-Ferrous or Conductivity scale is on a horizontal adjustment. This change is very important to owners of the previous FBS Explorer models as the axes were different i.e. ferrous was the horizontal scale and non ferrous was the vertical scale. But remember, E-Trac is a unique machine so you can expect new and distinctive features at every level!
Auto Latch (Semi-Automatic Discrimination Editing)
Within the Discrimination Menu, E-Trac has a brand new, very innovative feature called Auto Latch which provides semi-automatic editing of your Discrimination Pattern. In this editing mode the Edit Frame will automatically move to the Ferrous (FE) and Conductive (CO) coordinates of the detected target. You can then choose to accept or reject that target from your Discrimination Pattern using the Accept/Reject button found on E-Tracs front panel.

The Combine Function

Again, this is a brand new feature which allows you to merge preset or saved Discrimination Patterns to create a new Discrimination Pattern. The Combine function should not be confused with how you select Discrimination Patterns via the Select Menu. With Combine, you do not add or subtract whole Discrimination Patterns. The accepted target white areas of a listed Discrimination Pattern are what you accept or reject from the Combine Discrimination Pattern. The two Smartfind Windows at the top of the Combine Screen are the Combine Pattern (left) and the active Disc Pattern (right). The Active Pattern is the Discrimination Pattern currently being used in the Pattern / Digital Screen. By default, the Combine Pattern (left Smartfind window) is empty. As you scroll down the listed Discrimination patterns, areas of the Combine Pattern will flash relative to the white areas of the selected Disc Pattern. For example, if you select the Jewellery Disc Pattern, then the white area of that pattern will flash in the Combine Pattern. Each Pattern that is pre-programmed into E-Trac is, as I stated above, an accepting i.e. the Jewellery Disc Pattern accepts Jewellery, the iron disc accepts iron etc. Therefore, the flashing area indicates where the object is located.

Sensitivity Modes

Now for a bit of Physics! E-Trac has three sets of internal signals used to identify targets. E-Trac continually measures the magnetic ground interference that affects these signals and adjusts the level of Sensitivity individually for each set of signals, to provide the most stable Target ID. Most ground types cause some interference and E-Trac uses this to adjust the detector to the correct Auto Sensitivity. Auto Sensitivity may not work well on the wet and transition areas of salt water beaches (it would be fine on dry sand areas) as they do not typically contain magnetic materials. Note: Minelab recommends beginners use E-Trac in the Auto Sensitivity mode unless detecting on a beach where Manual is recommended. A completely new feature, the Sensitivity Gauge has two indication bars in both Auto and Manual and a numeric Sensitivity value above the gauge.

Auto sensitivity (A)

The left hand side bar indicates the highest Sensitivity level that either the high, medium or low channel is operating in. The right hand side bar indicates the Suggested Sensitivity level. This is an average Sensitivity Level of the internal signals. Each internal signal is set to a different level of sensitivity individually by the detector to provide the most stable Target IDs. For example, if E-Trac determines the Sensitivity Levels for each signal to be 20, 15 and 10, the left hand bar and the numeric value of the Sensitivity gauge will display 20 The Suggested Sensitivity (the right hand bar) will display the average of all three channels, which will be 15.

Manual Sensitivity (M)

The left bar and numeric value indicates the level of Sensitivity you have set. The right bar indicates the Suggested Sensitivity level the same as it does in Auto (A) The important difference between Auto and Manual is that all of the 3 channels (H, M & L) are set to the same level in manual and if set too high may cause unstable target IDs. For example, if the Suggested Sensitivity determined by the detector is 15 and you set Manual Sensitivity to 20, all channels are set to 20. If one channel is affected by the ground conditions then Auto would normally reduce the level for this channel. In Manual it is not reduced and stays set to 20 so the ground interference may cause false signals and unstable IDs.
Auto Sensitivity Range + 3 to 3
The Sensitivity can be increased by + 3 levels or decreased by 3 levels. This innovative new feature allows you to be [more aggressive] or [conservative] while operating E-Trac in Auto Sensitivity. Increasing by 1, 2 or 3 sets the Auto Sensitivity higher than the Automatic setting by the number of levels you select. Similarly, decreasing would have the opposite effect but bear in mind sensitivity to smaller items could then drop off somewhat.

Audio menu

Volume Gain:
The Volume Gain controls the amplification of a targets audio response, relative to the targets signal strength. It is important to stress that, the Volume Gain control is most similar to volume adjustments in other devices such as a radio or a televisions volume control.
Response: The Factory Preset Response is: Normal
The Response setting changes the way target signals sound upon detection. A particular response choice can improve your ability to identify certain targets in different and sometimes difficult conditions: the 4 Response choices within the range are: 1. Normal 2. Long 3. Smooth 4. Pitch Hold
Tone ID: The Factory Preset is: Multi Tone
In the Audio menu all the familiar choices are present with the addition of a few new settings. One very nice feature that will be sure to appeal to lots of E-Trac owners is the ability to select the number of Tones one hears in the Tone ID Option. You can select: 1 Tone - where everything will have the same monotone sound including ferrous; 2 Tone - a low tone and a high one; 4 Tone - where the sound has 4 tones from low to high Multi-Tone - where E-Trac will have the full usable and broad range of signal response tones that complements E-Tracs tremendous FBS operating system.
Sounds: The Sounds Setting allows you to set the detector to emit a distinct audio response based on
either a targets ferrous characteristics or its conductive properties. E-Tracs Sounds range is therefore set to either: Conduct or Ferrous Sounds. <Tip> Conduct is often preferred by coin hunters as coins can give high signal responses and trash items such as foil and tabs can give low signal responses.
Threshold Level now features an enhanced adjustment range from 1-50. This ensures you can adapt
your E-Trac to your exact requirements for comfortable use in all detecting conditions.
Threshold Pitch: This is another exciting new feature as it changes the pitch of the threshold and can
have useful benefits to people with hearing difficulties who may generally prefer a Low Pitch.

Expert Menu

The Expert Menu contains some of E-Tracs more advanced settings and functions and some of these are covered in extra detail here.
Trash Density: The Factory Preset is: Low
The Trash Density setting of either Low or High will, enable you to optimize the Discrimination of the detector for areas that have (a) highly variable ground mineral levels (b) ground with unusually high amounts of ferrous objects e.g. habitation sites or old Roman sites. When the Discrimination Pattern is All-Metal the Trash Density (TD) setting has no effect. When the Discrimination Pattern has rejected (black) areas, E-Trac will produce different detection results depending on the TD setting. The TD setting will not affect the target audio response. Low is recommended in areas that have low target density (not more than one target under the coil at any time), low ground mineralization and in areas with sporadic iron trash. High is then recommended in ground where the target density is high (more than one target under the coil at any time), the mineralization content can vary, at times even in adjoining fields or in a single field split into two by a track (yes, it does happen and levels can be very different) and where the areas being searched contain masses of iron targets.

Ground: The Factory Preset is: Difficult
The Ground settings, either Neutral or Difficult, affects the way E-Trac responds to the mineralization present in the soil. The correct Ground setting will reduce false signals from the soil. So therefore, a good question would be: How would I know which setting I should set E-Trac to? One of the answers to that lies in the Sensitivity range of the E-Trac, particularly the Auto or A setting. If the A ranges upwards and stabilizes at a high setting then it could be determined that the ground is normal and the Neutral setting would be best applied there. Conversely, other clues could be if E-Trac does not range to a high A setting and produces spurious false signals and loses threshold tone, it could be determined that the ground is mineralized and the Difficult setting a better option at that location. Bear in mind too that at times certain types of soils might have no pronounced effect. Should that happen either Neutral or Difficult can be used. For beach hunting Neutral should be used for the majority of situations and should black sand be present then some experimentation should be done to deal with that challenge with ease. Geographical black sand areas may vary, so on-site testing would be recommended.

Preferences Menu

The Preference Menu allows you to change the appearance of E-Tracs detection screens by using installed option settings like, Contrast, Pinpoint, Display Timeout and Show Sensitivity these new features are explained in more detail here. Pin Point Modes (2) The Factory Preset is: Normal E-Trac offers its owners two distinctly separate Pin Point settings in one or the other setting the information coming back via your speaker or headphones can be quite telling giving lots of valuable information prior to putting a spade to the turf at all. In Normal it operates just the same as any other VCO type pin point system giving a precise audible location and rising to a crescendo screech when the center of the coil or best detection area is directly over the center of the target this also ensures correct and true value target IDs The first sweeps over a target will give a wide response. Subsequent passes will set the baseline (strength of audio output) of the audio response to a new level, just below the maximum signal the in-ground Sensitivity is also adjusted these adjustments keep the response narrow but, will allow targets at different depths to be pinpointed with equal precision. Say goodbye to scratched coins and hello to previously difficult to trace deep targets! In Sizing the baseline is set to the original level the moment that Pinpoint is activated. From then on, the baseline and the sensitivity are held at constant levels. Sweeping over a target in Pinpoint Sizing, the detector produces a linear audio tone the pitch of the tone is proportional to the strength of the target response, and the volume is proportional to the position of the target under the coil. During use with Normal pinpoint.say you have just detected a large sounding target, it can at times be a stubborn process to glean the rough target dimensions and target shape back from the ground with repeated passes over the target. With Sizing this is a thing of the past! Press Menu, scroll to the Preferences Menu, scroll down two slots and engage Pinpoint Sizing and with the coil away from the target engage pinpoint and come back in slowly and evenly over the target. You will be delighted to find that not only can you distinguish a shape you will also be able to tell in the case of elongated objects where a target begins and ends allowing you a guesstimate at what the target might be? This can assist in cleaner and safer target recoveries. Show Sensitivity: The Factory Preset is: On This setting, either On or Off lets you select whether or not you want the Sensitivity Gauge (2 bars) on your detect screen. This is a very useful innovative new feature. There may be times when you might decide to not have it displayed - if switched Off, Sensitivity has then to be accessed via the Menu button if On, it can be adjusted via the Navigation Buttons (described above) Show Mode Info: The Factory Preset is: Off This allows you to turn the Mode Information Icons, of which there are four, On or Off these icons are located at the very top of E-Tracs control box display. Display Timeout: The Factory Preset is: Off When the Display Timeout is On, the last on-screen detection results (FE & CO readout, Target Crosshair & Depth Gauge) will be cleared from the screen after 5 seconds. When the Display Timeout is Off, the last detection result will remain until a new detection is made or, the Detection Screen is changed.

Master Reset This control will restore your detector to its Factory Presets and erase all of your User Modes, Discrimination Patterns and other settings you may have loaded into E-Trac over several months of ownership and use. If you want to be safe, backup your settings using Xchange before performing a Master Reset. If you only require a basic Reset (if you wish to cancel a Learn Edit) then turn E-Trac on and hold the Power button for 3 seconds. NB: It is very important to differentiate the two different Reset Options - in actual use you will be asked if you want to perform a Master Reset so if you find yourself at this step without meaning to its an easy matter of cancelling the request doing a basic Reset you wont be asked for approval as its done as explained above, via the Power On button. So its very important to distinguish the two because you dont want to erase all your saved discrimination patterns! But, even if you had it would not be a total loss provided you had saved all your favourite settings on your PC via E-Trac Xchange. It would then be a simple matter of re-loading them via the USB cable that comes with E-Trac in the box.

Other New Features

Liquid Crystal Display E-Tracs LCD has a viewing area of 72mm x 48mm and improved resolution. This provides clearer on-screen graphics and improved target identification, making detecting with E-Trac much easier. More information can be displayed helping you to find the target. Ergonomic Keypad Layout the new keypad layout provides ergonomic single-handed access to all of E-Tracs functions and settings so more time can be spent detecting and less time adjusting settings. Ergonomic Handle Assembly E-Tracs new handle design gives a precisely balanced detector with a feel that is distinctly different and unique to E-Trac. I will give a small word to the wise hereallow some time to get used to the very different feel of E-Trac as you become accustomed to it and to help find your own, personal best balance & most comfortable position. This will allow excellent maneuverability on both fast and slow sweep speeds and is very comfortable so you can keep detecting for long periods.
Performance in the Great Outdoors
I was lucky enough to have been given the opportunity to trial E-Trac for an extended spell and during that time there was no time wasted as I wanted to put it through its paces at some of my sites. As it was early spring and, due to crops being in, access to some of my sites was off-limits hence I researched and found a few new ones. As I stated earlier when first using E-Trac it took a while to find the best and most comfortable detecting position for me. This involved moving the sliding arm rest back and forth, raising the coil to loosen and / or tighten the coil bolt, adjusting the shaft and once done it was plain sailing after that. In fact, I dont believe I have ever swung such a comfortable metal detector. After many hours on the first day out at 4pm walking back to the car when done for the day it dawned on me that I had no obvious fatigue and had actually been metal detecting for several hours. Another feature of E-Trac that I found absolutely amazing was, and I have three words to describe it, stability, stability, stability! It was uncanny. Again, detecting in the proximity of an airport, at my most iron contaminated site it never emitted as much as a gurgle of a false signal. In fact, it was at this site that I really came to realize just what E-Trac is all about. Sometimes, when testing new models it doesnt immediately become obvious what really went into the meticulous crafting of a new software system. Soon after powering it up I witnessed the genius of E-Trac. Coupled with the new and amazingly lightweight Pro coil (which took 2 years to develop) this detector wheedled in and out of countless pieces of ferrous materials and for the first time working that site (over 20 years) allowed me to hear and recover several low conductive metallic targets that had been completely blanked during all those previous years. I could hover the coil and hear iron to my left but an inch or two away I could hear the unmistakable guttural low tone of something that was not iron and to the right of the target, more iron! In metal detecting circles this is what we call see through. This with an 11 coilabsolutely phenomenal. The superb stability continued at a few salt water beaches again it was an off-season time of year but the multitude of older coins, a few rings and dozens of other miscellaneous targets that surfaced during the beach tests was astounding. Sensitivity to tiny things was fantastic and not witnessed repeatedly on beaches before and it took me quite a while to recover two memorable targets, crude triangular shaped bits smaller than half the size my little finger nail on two separate days taking around 15 minutes each to locate! They had been Im estimating at about the five inch level in wet sand but the audio signal returns were loud and fluty sounding and went unmissed. Speaking of unmissed, I had a few targets that were so deep I couldnt recover them. That was reminiscent of my testing the deep-seeking GPX-4500. I had no doubts that the E-Trac was a true all-rounder and was so easy to get along with. The new larger meter display is fantastic and the FE and CO digital IDs for targets is accurate and very easy to read as the numbers are displayed as huge black figures perfectly visible in any light if things do get dull E-Trac has a handy backlight function as well.

Conclusion

Well, after reading this far it is easy to see that E-Trac is a true and genuine tour-de-force Brand new technology, lots of proven and established Minelab technology, and then some! The machine reflects energy, vision and creativity bringing such a radically advanced new metal detector to market. This is the type of metal detector which will excel at any task and the very attractive thing about E-Trac is, it can be as easy to use just by turning it on and allowing the Factory Preset settings to run the show although, there can be no denying that the E-Trac was designed with the Professional in mind, this will also suit the first time buyer. If an experienced detector fan, you can choose to tune, tweak and customize it to your requirements. E-Trac is supported with a great line-up of very usable accessories to help get the most from your detecting expeditions. Items such as, spare highercapacity rechargeable batteries, screen protective covers, a very useful small 8 FBS coil great in tight spots and some nice carry bags to carry all the necessary gear to your chosen destination. Quite simply, E-Trac is capable of delivering some high-quality rewarding Serious Detectingand thats what its all about isnt it?

Technical Specifications

Transmission Technology Microprocessor Connectivity Software QuickMask Depth Gauge Noise Cancel Pinpoint User Modes Discrimination Target Identification Sensitivity Adjustment Sensitivity Gauge Threshold Audio Response Tone ID Number of Tones Tone ID Variability Recovery Speed Trash Density Ground Balance Modes Ground Settings Coil Batteries Low Battery Audio Alarm Visual Display Headphone Patents Full Band Spectrum (FBS) Multifrequency Technology 32bit, 48MHz microprocessor fast and powerful USB connector for communication with Personal Computer Intuitive User Interface; Fast Target processing; Multi-language functionality Fast and Easy adjustment of Ferrous and Conductivity Discrimination Accurate Gauge active in Normal detecting and Pinpoint mode Automatic & Manual selection of 11 channels Non-motion with modulated audio and visual Crosshair on LCD, 2 Modes Normal and Sizing 4 Minelab Modes and 4 My Modes 2 Dimensional Smartfind Discrimination 2 Dimensional Smartfind Size / Conductivity and Ferrous characteristics Conductivity 1-50, Ferrous 1-35 Fully Automatic; adjustable to be more aggressive or conservative, Manual Setting 1-30 Auto Level, Manual Level, Suggested Level Fine adjustment level from 1-Settings: Normal, Long, Smooth, Pitch Hold 1, 2, 4 and Multi-tone; customizable for Conductivity or Ferrous response 30 adjustable steps for better Target Identification Selectable Fast & Deep Low for areas with isolated targets or High, for areas with more trash Auto Ground Compensation - Advanced Digital Filtering Neutral for most ground conditions, Difficult for more mineralized soils Ultra-lightweight 11 Double D (DD) waterproof coil 1600 mAh NiMH or Alkaline batteries Audio and visual indication Large 3.4 (8.65cm) greyscale LCD panel with Contrast adjustment and Backlight Input 100 Stereo Jack US 4890064; US 5537041; US 5506506

Single Frequency Dual Frequency
Discrimination (Disc.) Discrimination is the ability of a metal detector to identify your desired targets (e.g. coins and jewellery) and eliminate signals from undesirable material (e.g. nails). E-Trac can be programmed in a number of ways to discriminate against unwanted targets in different types of ground.
Ground Compensation E-Trac uses a sophisticated approach to the elimination of ground mineralisation. It uses advanced digital filtering to eliminate the influence of ground signals. This is achieved automatically, allowing you to concentrate on detecting targets.

Multiple Frequency

New Features
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) E-Tracs LCD has a viewing area of 72mm x 48mm and improved resolution compared to previous Explorer models. This provides clearer on-screen graphics and improved target identification, making detecting with E-Trac much easier. Ergonomic Keypad Layout The new keypad layout provides ergonomic, single-handed access to all of E-Tracs functions and settings. Ergonomic Handle Assembly E-Tracs new handle design gives you a precisely balanced detector with a feel that is distinctly different and unique to E-Trac. This allows for excellent manoeuvrability with firm control on both rapid and slow sweep speeds and provides optimum comfort over extended detecting periods. This also ensures easy viewing of the LCD and access to the keypad, allowing for quick assessment and adjustment of settings. New Menu In combination with the new Keypad Layout, the new Menu improves access to settings, User Modes and Discrimination Patterns, allowing quick and simple adjustments. Auto Latch (Semi-Automatic Discrimination Editing) E-Trac now has an Auto Latch feature which provides semi-automatic editing of your Discrimination Pattern. In this editing mode, the Edit Frame will automatically move to the Ferrous (FE) and Conductivity (CO) coordinates of the detected target. You can then choose to accept or reject that target from your Discrimination Pattern using the Accept/Reject button. QuickMask QuickMask allows you to adjust the Ferrous and Conductivity rejection levels independently of the current Discrimination Pattern, allowing a fast and simple way of editing Patterns. User Modes A selection of preset User Modes allows you to choose the best detector settings and discrimination patterns for the ground conditions. There are four pre-programmed Minelab User Modes for you to choose from, as well as slots for saving your own personalised User Modes. All User Modes are easily accessed via the Menu, allowing you to quickly switch User Modes when required. Suggested Sensitivity When using Auto Sensitivity the E-Trac will show your sensitivity selection as well as the suggested sensitivity, as determined by the detector, relative to ground conditions. E-Trac Xchange E-Trac Xchange allows you to download and upload detector settings and Discrimination Patterns via USB. This advanced feature is designed to allow you to quickly configure the E-Trac to particular detecting environments and preferred targets.

Assembly

Attaching the coil to the Lower Shaft: Note: Before attaching the coil to the Lower Shaft, remove the nut, bolt and washers from the coil. 1 Plug the two rubber washers into the holes on either side of the Lower Shaft. 2 Feed the coil cable up through the inside of the Lower Shaft, ensuring the coil cable appears out the top of the Lower Shaft. 5 Insert the bolt through the Lower Shaft and the bracket on top of the coil. 6 Fasten with the nut provided, taking care not to damage the thread of the nut by over-tightening. This will need to be loosened later to adjust the coil to a comfortable detecting angle.
3 Place the coil on a flat surface. 4 Slide the Lower Shaft into the bracket on top of the coil. Ensure that the open side of the Lower Shaft faces the ground.
WARNING: The coil cable is directly wired into the coil and is not removable. Any attempt to remove this cable will void your warranty.
Attaching the Lower Shaft to the Upper Shaft: 1 Release the Upper Shaft camlock by pulling the lever away from the shaft. 2 Feed the coil cable up through the inside of the Upper Shaft, ensuring the camlock side of the shaft is facing the ground. Connecting the Shaft Assembly to the Handle Assembly: 1 Release the Control Box camlock by pulling the lever away from the Control Box. 2 Align and push the coil cable connector into the socket underneath the Control Box, firmly tightening the retaining ring to secure. Attaching the Armrest Strap: 1 Clip both buckles onto the outer sides of the armrest. Disconnecting the coil: 1 Reverse the steps in Connecting the Shaft Assembly to the Handle Assembly, Attaching the Lower Shaft to the Upper Shaft and Attaching the coil to the Lower Shaft. 2 Pull the coil cable out from inside the lower shaft.
3 Slide the Upper Shaft over the Lower Shaft, so the coil cable appears out the top. Attaching the Headphones: 3 Push the Handle Assembly onto the Upper Shaft, as far as it will go. 4 Lock the Control Box camlock by pushing the lever flat onto the Control Box. 1 Plug the headphone jack into the headphone socket, located in the rubber seal at the battery end of the Handle Assembly. The headphones may be plugged or unplugged at any time. WARNING: Do not attempt to completely remove the shaft assembly while the coil cable is still connected to the Control Box.

Adjusting the Detector for Comfortable Detecting
For comfortable detecting it is important to take the time to adjust the detector correctly. Holding the Detector Thread your arm through the armrest and strap. Grasp the handle of the detector and rest your forearm in the armrest. The correct position of the armrest should allow you to comfortably grip the handle. Your elbow should sit just above the back of the armrest and the detector should feel like an extension of your forearm. Adjusting the Armrest Strap: 1 Loosen the strap by tilting the top edge of the buckle out to release it from the armrest. 2 Undo the Velcro and pull the buckle outwards (towards yourself ) to loosen the strap. 3 Clip the buckle back into place and tighten the strap until your arm is secure whilst in the armrest. Re-attach the Velcro. Adjusting the Length of the Shafts A correct shaft length will allow you to swing the coil over the ground without uncomfortably stretching or stooping. If the coil is too far from your body it will be difficult to balance and manoeuvre while detecting. If the coil is too close to your body it may detect your digging tools or any other metal which you are carrying, causing confusing sounds. Adjust the lower shaft to the correct length, securing the camlock to hold it in place. A longer lower shaft is available for tall people (p. 88).
Adjusting the Position of the Armrest: 1 Use a screwdriver, or the edge of a coin, to loosen the screw in the centre of the armrest (turn counter-clockwise).
Shaft is the correct length
2 While holding the detector, slide the armrest to sit just below your elbow. 3 Remove your arm. Tighten screw (turn clockwise) to lock the armrest into position. Shaft is too short

Battery Packs

E-Trac is supplied with two types of battery pack.
Adjusting the Angle of the Coil: 1 Loosen the bolt that connects the Lower Shaft to the Coil. It should be loose enough to allow the Coil to be moved for adjustment, but tight enough that the Coil can hold its position. 2 While holding the detector as if detecting, lightly press the Coil to the ground until it sits flat/parallel with the ground. The Coil should remain parallel when lifting to the sweep height, approximately 25mm (1) above the ground. 3 Tighten the bolt, but do not over-tighten it.
One is a sealed rechargeable Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery pack. This comes with a charger which plugs into a conventional wall socket. The NiMH battery pack is supplied discharged and needs to be charged for 18 hours before operating the detector. The other battery pack is a housing for eight AA cell alkaline batteries.

The Power button turns the detector On and Off. Press the Power button once to turn the detector On. The detector will begin its startup with an animation and tune, after which the Pattern Screen will appear and E-Trac is ready to find treasure! Note: Sometimes it is possible that a large object close to the coil will overload the detectors electronics. When this happens, E-Trac displays an Overload message and emits a fading Overload sound which repeats until the coil is moved away from the source of the overload. Each time you turn the detector On, the last Detection Screen used before shutting down will appear, e.g. if E-Trac was operating in the Digital Screen when turned Off, then the Digital Screen will appear when E-Trac is turned back On. To turn the detector Off, press the Power button.
To Reset the detector: 1 While the detector is switched Off, press and hold the Power button for three seconds. A Reset message will appear on the screen and a tune will sound. After the startup is complete the detector will be reset and E-Trac is ready to detect again.
It is best to operate the detector only when outdoors and away from sources of electromagnetic interference (EMI) such as power lines and phone towers. These sources may cause the detector to perform erratically, giving false signals and causing inaccurate target ID. There are also many metallic objects inside a house, such as nails in the floor, reinforcing in the walls, televisions and other household appliances, that might overload the electronics of the detector.
CAUTION: After turning E-Trac Off, allow at least 1 second before turning E-Trac back On. This will allow the detector to save user settings into the memory so they are not lost when the batteries are removed.

Discrimination

Smartfind
Smartfind is Minelabs unique two dimensional scale of discrimination. Smartfind graphically represents both the FE-CO target properties on the same display. The horizontal axis rates the target on its size/ conductivity (CO), ranging 150 from left to right. The vertical axis rates the extent of the targets ferrous characteristics (FE), ranging 135 from top to bottom. A FE value of 1 represents low ferrous characteristics and a value of 35 represents high ferrous characteristics. Similarly, a CO value of 1 represents low conductivity and 50 represents high conductivity.

The Target Response is the sound produced by the detector when a target is detected and not rejected. A highly conductive target (e.g. a large silver coin) will generally produce a high-pitched tone and a low conductive target (e.g. foil) will generally produce a lowpitched tone. Large targets or targets close to the ground surface emit louder signals (p. 57). When a rejected target is detected, the Threshold blanks (becomes silent), indicating that a target is located underneath the coil, but has been rejected by the Discrimination Pattern (p. 20). Blanking is a useful way of distinguishing between desired and undesired targets. Note: As the coil passes over the nail, the Threshold hum momentarily disappears (blanks).
Large objects close to the coil may Overload the detectors electronics. When this happens, E-Trac displays an Overload message and emits a fading Overload sound which repeats until the coil is moved away from the source of the overload.
To initiate an Automatic Noise Cancel: 1 Hold the detector 30cm (12) above the ground and make sure there are no large targets or obvious sources of EMI close by.
Overloading is not harmful to the electronics of the detector. It is important to understand the sounds produced when you make a valid or invalid button press. You will usually encounter these sounds while adjusting settings via the Main Menu. A valid button press makes a bip sound, an invalid button press makes a ba-dump sound.

Target Response

Threshold

Blanking (No Sound)

Automatic Noise Cancel The Noise Cancel button instructs the detector to automatically listen to every channel and select the channel with the least interference. Automatic Noise Cancel may take up to 30 seconds. The detector will display the progress on the LCD display and a tune will sound at the end of this period. After the Noise Cancel is complete the chosen channel will be displayed momentarily and then the detector will resume normal operation.

30cm (12)

2 Press the Noise Cancel button. Keep the detector 30cm (12) above the ground and completely still during the automatic channel selection. Note: This may take up to 30 seconds.
QuickMask allows you to adjust the level of Ferrous and Conductivity rejection, independent of the Pattern/Digital Smartfind Discrimination Pattern. QuickMask is a useful tool for checking accepted/rejected targets with an extra Discrimination Pattern, without needing to load or edit the current Pattern/Digital Smartfind Discrimination Pattern. QuickMask has two slider controls to adjust the level of Ferrous and Conductivity discrimination. The level of Ferrous discrimination can be adjusted using the Up and Down Navigation buttons, located on the control panel. The level of Conductivity discrimination can be adjusted using the Left and Right Navigation buttons, also located on the control panel. In QuickMask the default setting for Ferrous (FE) is All Metal, and 0 for Conductivity (CO). This makes the QuickMask an All Metal Discrimination Pattern, which means that you can quickly press the QuickMask button to accept target signals from all types of metal. Note: Adjusting the QuickMask Pattern does not alter the Smartfind Discrimination Pattern. The QuickMask Discrimination Pattern can be loaded into the Pattern/Digital Smartfind Window by pressing the Detect button.

To Select a Discrimination Pattern: 1 Press the Menu button 2 Scroll across to Discrimination (using the Right or Left Navigation button) 3 Scroll down to Select (using the Down Navigation button) 4 Press either the Left or Right Navigation button to enter the Select sub-Menu
To Save a Discrimination Pattern:
1 Press the Menu button 2 Scroll across to Discrimination (using the Right or Left Navigation button) 3 Scroll down to Save, or Save QuickMask if you have entered from the QuickMask Screen (using the Down Navigation button) 4 Press either the Left or Right Navigation button to enter the Save sub-Menu
Note: All Discrimination Patterns preprogrammed into E-Trac are accepting Disc. Patterns. For example, the Iron Disc. Pattern accepts iron.
You can select any one of these patterns and load it into either the Pattern/Digital Screen or QuickMask. E-Trac comes pre-programmed with 10 Discrimination Patterns. These patterns are: All Metal Coins Jewellery Foil Pull Tabs Crown Caps Screw Caps Nails Iron Fe Coins 5 Scroll down to the desired Pattern and press the Detect button to load it into the Pattern/Digital Screen, or press the QuickMask button to load it into the QuickMask Screen, and resume detecting
You can scroll through the list until you find your desired Discrimination Pattern. A thumbnail accompanies each Discrimination Pattern name, so that you may see the different characteristics of each Discrimination Pattern. There are also 10 slots available for saving your own Disc. Patterns, and a slot for saving your QuickMask Pattern.
5 Scroll down to an empty slot, or a Pattern you wish to overwrite and press the Left or Right Navigation button to Save 6 Press the Detect button to exit the subMenu and resume detecting

Edit Screen

By selecting the Edit option in the Discrimination Menu, you will enter the Edit Screen. You can use the various functions of the Edit Screen to modify an existing Discrimination Pattern, or create your own. Any changes made to a Discrimination Pattern may then be saved for future use, via the Discrimination Menu (p. 43). If you enter the Edit Screen from the Pattern/ Digital Screen, the Edit Screen will display the same Discrimination Pattern you were using in those screens.
If you enter the Edit Screen from QuickMask, the Edit Screen will display the QuickMask Discrimination Pattern. The Smartfind Window in the centre of the Edit Screen displays the Discrimination Pattern. The Edit Frame Size options are to the left, the Edit Mode options are to the right. Tip: Changing the Trash Density setting (pp. 723) from High to Low can stabilise the FE-CO coordinates of a detected target while using any Auto Edit Modes.

Auto Sensitivity

Range: 3, 2, 1, A, +1, +2, +3 Factory Preset: A The Sensitivity can be increased by +3 levels or decreased by 3 levels. This feature allows you to be more aggressive or conservative while in Auto. Increasing the Auto Sensitivity Level by +1, +2, or +3 sets the Auto Sensitivity higher on each channel than the automatic setting by the number of levels you select. You may prefer this if you do not mind a few false signals, if it means detecting very faint target signals. It also tends to reduce the accuracy of Target IDs. Decreasing the Auto Sensitivity Level by 1, 2, or 3 sets the Auto Sensitivity lower on each channel than the automatic setting by the number of levels you select. You may prefer this if you do not want to dig very small targets and false signals. It also tends to improve the accuracy of Target IDs. When changed, the numeric value above the Sensitivity Gauge will increase or decrease by the number of steps you select and display your setting. The Auto Sensitivity animation above the gauge will change from to either if increased or if decreased. This is to indicate you have made a change. To adjust the Auto Sensitivity Level in the Pattern/Digital Screen: 1 Press the Up Navigation button to increase Sensitivity. 2 Press the Down Navigation button to decrease Sensitivity.

Sensitivity Level

Manual

Sensitivity (cont)

Audio Menu
The Audio settings control the types and levels of sounds emitted by the detector while detecting and when a target is found. To adjust Manual or Auto Sensitivity via the Menu: 1 Press the Menu button 2 Scroll across to Sensitivity (using the Right or Left Navigation button) 3 Scroll down to Sensitivity (using the Down Navigation button) To adjust the Audio settings: 1 Select the Response (Normal, Long, Smooth or Pitch Hold) (pp. 623) according to your preferences, detection conditions, etc. 2 Select the No. of Tones (Multi, 1, 2 or 4) (p. 64) 3 Adjust the Threshold Pitch (p. 69) 4 Select the Sounds (Conduct or Ferrous) (pp. 656) according to the types of targets you are searching for. Detect two targets that produce close Target IDs (Close CO numbers if Conduct Sounds is selected, or close FE numbers if Ferrous Sounds is selected). 5 Adjust the Variability (p. 67) until you achieve your preferred pitch separation between the Target IDs. 6 Detect a target with High CO numbers if Conduct is selected (or high FE numbers for Ferrous Sounds). If the pitch of the target audio response is too high for your hearing, limit it with the Tone ID Limits setting (p. 68). You can also reduce the pitch by adjusting Variability.

Manual Sensitivity

Range: 130 Factory Preset: 22 Manual Sensitivity allows you to control the Sensitivity directly. Manual Sensitivity is suitable for the beach, nonmagnetic ground or when there is EMI. Increasing Manual Sensitivity Level sets each channel to the Level you select. A High Sensitivity setting will increase the amount of false signals and may detect very faint Target signals. It also tends to reduce the accuracy of Target IDs. Decreasing Manual Sensitivity Level sets each channel to the Level you select. A Low Sensitivity setting will decrease the amount false signals and may not detect very faint Target signals. It also tends to improve the accuracy of Target IDs. When changed, the numeric value above the Sensitivity Gauge will increase or decrease by the number of steps you select and display your setting.
The correct setup of Audio settings, relative to your current detecting conditions, is vital to successful detecting. While setting-up your E-Trac, take the time to experiment with the Audio settings so that you become familiar with how they operate and affect the target audio response. Minelab recommends using the following steps as a guide for how to adjust the Audio settings to best suit your preferences and detecting conditions. Note: Threshold Level (pp. 589), Volume Limit (p. 60) and Volume Gain (p. 61) are not included in these steps as they are all settings that you will need to change depending on detecting conditions.
4 Press either the Left or Right Navigation button to switch between Manual or Auto 5 Scroll down to either Manual Level or Auto Level 6 Press either the Left or Right Navigation button to adjust the level of Sensitivity 7 Press the Detect button to exit the Menu and resume detecting. Note: If you experience erratic signals try reducing the interference with Noise Cancel before adjusting the Sensitivity. To do this, press the Noise Cancel button (p. 31), or manually select the channel with the least noise via the Expert Menu (p. 75).
To adjust the Manual Sensitivity Level in the Pattern/Digital Screen: 1 Press the Up Navigation button to increase Sensitivity. 2 Press the Down Navigation button to decrease Sensitivity.
Tip: Headphones allow you to hear subtle variations in audio response and lessen exposure to adverse conditions (i.e. wind), which may mask sound from the speaker. Headphones also minimise the disturbance to other people in the area, and provide greater battery efficiency than when audio is emitted by the speaker.

Threshold Level

Range: 150 Factory Preset: 30 The constant background hum produced by the detector is called the Threshold. Variations in the Threshold help you to hear very small and deep targets. When a rejected target is detected, the Threshold sound blanks (becomes silent) indicating that an undesired target is underneath the coil. The Threshold is controlled by Threshold Level and Threshold Pitch (p. 69). The correct setting of both Threshold settings will depend on your hearing and environmental noise such as wind, waves and machinery. The Factory Preset for Threshold Level is set at an appropriate level for E-Tracs built-in speaker. If the Threshold is too loud whilst using headphones, use the Threshold Level setting to reduce the volume. If the Threshold Level is too high, accepted targets will be harder to hear above the Threshold hum. Small target responses will become difficult to hear as the Threshold nears a maximum setting of 50 when there will be a persistently loud Threshold hum. Adjust the Threshold Level to a faint, audible hum. This will highlight variations in signal response which may indicate the presence of a target. If the soil conditions change the Threshold Level may need adjustment. If the Threshold Level is too low, the slight variation caused by a small or deep target may not be sufficient to hear. Adjusting the level to below an audible level will ensure silent operation but could mask the audio response from small targets. Adjusting Threshold Level: 1 Press the Menu button 2 Scroll across to Audio (using the Right or Left Navigation Button) 3 Scroll down to Threshold Level (using the Down Navigation Button)

Audio range that you are able to hear. Threshold Level Small signal Very loud signal
Audio range that you are able to hear.

Just Right

Too Low
Small signal Loud signal now inaudible
4 Press either the Left or Right Navigation Button to change the Threshold Level 5 Press the Detect button to exit the Menu and resume detecting
Threshold Level Audio range that you are able to hear. Small signal masked Loud signal just audible

Too High

Volume Limit
Range: 030 Factory Preset: 30 The Volume Limit sets the maximum volume of target signals. When detecting, the sound produced by a distant target will be quiet. As the coil gets closer to the target, the volume increases until it reaches the Volume Limit setting. A high Volume Limit will allow a greater difference between a small and large target. The Factory Preset for Volume Limit is set at an appropriate level for E-Tracs built-in speaker. If the audio is too loud whilst using headphones, use the Volume Limit setting to reduce the audio volume.

Volume Gain

Target Response Volume
To adjust the Volume Limit: 1 Press the Menu button 2 Scroll across to Audio (using the Right or Left Navigation button) 3 Scroll down to Volume Limit (using the Down Navigation button) 4 Press either the Left or Right Navigation button to change the Volume Limit 5 Press the Detect button to exit the Menu and resume detecting
The Volume Gain controls the amplification of a targets audio response, relative to the target signal strength. The Volume Gain control is the Audio setting that is most similar to volume adjustments in other devices (e.g. radio or television volume controls). With a setting of 1 the target signal will not be amplified. Weak target signals will sound quiet, medium target signals will sound midrange and strong target signals will sound loud. There will be greater differentiation between target signal strengths, however, weak signals will be harder to hear.
Target Response Volume Volume Limit

e lum G ai n= 1

Range: 130 Factory Preset: 24

Weak Medium Strong

Target Signal Strength
High Vol. Limit Audio range that you are able to hear.
With a setting of 30, all target signals will be amplified to a loud audio response. At this setting there will be less differentiation between medium and strong signals, but weak target signals will be easier to hear.

Tone ID (cont) Limits

Range: 130 Factory Preset: 30 Limit allows you to adjust the maximum audio pitch of all tones emitted for Tone ID Sounds; Ferrous and Conduct. Limits is only available if the Number of Tones is set to Multi. A high Limit setting will allow E-Trac to produce very high pitched target signals as well as low pitched. Minelab recommends setting the Limit control to the highest tone you are comfortable with. Use a highly conductive object, such as a large silver coin, to test your Limits setting.
Range: 130 Factory Preset: 15 Threshold Pitch changes the pitch of the Threshold; a high Threshold Pitch is often preferred by people with good hearing, whereas a low Pitch is preferable to people with hearing difficulties. Adjusting Threshold Pitch: 1 Press the Menu button 2 Scroll across to Audio (using the Right or Left Navigation button) 3 Scroll down to Threshold Pitch (using the Down Navigation button) 4 Press either the Left or Right Navigation button to change the Threshold Pitch 5 Press the Detect button to exit the Menu and resume detecting
To adjust the Limits: 1 Press the Menu button 2 Scroll across to Audio (using the Right or Left Navigation button) 3 Scroll down to Tone ID (using the Down Navigation button) 4 Press either the Left or Right Navigation button to enter the Tone ID sub-menu 5 Scroll down to Limits 6 Press either the Left or Right Navigation button to change the Limits setting 7 Press the Detect button to exit the Menu and resume detecting

High Limit

Low Conductivity

High Conductivity

A low Limit setting will allow E-Trac to only produce low pitched target signals.

Low Limit

Expert Menu
The Expert Menu contains some of E-Tracs more advanced settings and functions. While the settings and functions within the Expert Menu will allow you to get the most out of your E-Trac, Minelab recommends that you become familiar with the other settings and functions of the detector before experimenting with these.

Recovery Deep

Range: OnOff Factory Preset: Off This setting affects only weak target signals, enhancing identification of deep targets. This setting should be selected in relatively uncluttered areas where deep targets are anticipated. Strong signals are unaffected. In the deep setting there will be a slightly slower reaction in target signal and Target ID due to the extra filtering that is employed in the processing of the target characteristics. To turn Recover Deep On or Off: 1 Press the Menu button 2 Scroll across to Expert (using the Right or Left Navigation button) 3 Scroll down to Recovery Deep (using the Down Navigation button)

It is recommended to use High in areas with high trash and where a good target may be masked by the presence of many ferrous objects or high ground mineralisation. In a High Trash Density setting the Target ID is more unstable, therefore, a greater number of Target ID numbers need to be used to reject a specific target. High Trash Density can be used with a slightly faster sweep, so it is suitable for use during competition hunts or in areas where speed of ground coverage is important.
It is recommended to use Low in areas with low trash. It is not recommended to use Low in areas where a good target may be masked by the presence of strong signals from ferrous objects or high ground mineralisation. The Low Trash Density setting also allows you to create a quite narrow discrimination pattern for a specific target as the Target ID is more stable than in High Trash Density. High In High setting, E-Trac searches for the best accepted target signal during detection and then displays the most stable Target ID. The High setting allows you to detect accepted targets in the presence of ferrous objects, high ground mineralisation or amongst a number of rejected targets. For example, when a coin is buried amongst nails and you are using a Disc. Pattern that accepts coins and rejects nails, the detector will lock onto the coin and the Target ID for the coin will be displayed at the end of detection. If the nail produces a stronger signal response the detector will not blank at the end of detection, and the Target ID for the coin will be displayed at the end of detection.
To turn Trash Density to Low or High: 1 Press the Menu button 2 Scroll across to Expert (using the Right or Left Navigation button) 3 Scroll down to Trash Density (using the Down Navigation button) 4 Press either the Left or Right Navigation button to turn Trash Density to Low or High 5 Press the Detect button to exit the Menu and resume detecting
If the nail produces a stronger signal response, then the Detector will blank at the end of detection and the Target ID will not update as the nail is rejected by your Disc. Pattern.
Trash Density Performance Characteristics Setting Low Trash Density Accept/Reject Functionality Very good Detection in average soils, and low trash sites Very good Detection in mineralised soils, and high trash sites Average may miss detection of nonferrous targets Good

Average

Very good

Ground

Range: Neutral or Difficult Factory Preset: Difficult The Ground setting affects the way the detector responds to the mineralisation of the soil. The correct Ground setting for your detecting conditions will reduce false signals from the soil and improve the stability of the Target ID. Selecting the appropriate Ground setting will also improve the performance of the Depth Gauge in those soils. In some areas the Neutral setting will be adequate and produce the best detection results. However, there are types of soil where the Difficult setting is more appropriate, particularly when the soil conditions force a reduction of the Sensitivity Level, in either Manual or Auto (pp. 546). There are also types of soil where changing the Ground setting will not have a pronounced effect, in this case either Neutral or Difficult can be used. Neutral should always be used whilst detecting on the beach. However, for beaches where the sand is contaminated with mineralisation (e.g. black sand), some experimentation is required. A useful way to determine the type of ground in which you are detecting is to monitor the Auto Sensitivity (p. 55). In typically neutral soil types the detector will run at higher Auto levels and in difficult mineralized or magnetic soils the detector will reduce the Sensitivity (pp. 546). To determine the Ground setting: 1 Find an area free of targets and set E-Trac to accept All Metals by using QuickMask or clearing the discrimination pattern. 2 Switch to Manual Sensitivity and start sweeping the clear area of soil as if detecting for targets. 3 Progressively increase the Sensitivity until the detector starts detecting the soil and note this particular Sensitivity value and the Target IDs you get from the soil. 4 Change the Ground setting to Difficult and repeat the procedure, again noting the Sensitivity value and the Target IDs you get from the soil. 5 Choose the Ground setting that allows you to use the highest Sensitivity and displays any soil Target IDs in an area that is easily masked by your discrimination. Note: It should be understood that the value determined by the test above is a maximum usable value and not necessarily one that would ensure accurate Target IDs. The suggested Sensitivity should be used as a guide in setting the Manual Sensitivity. Regardless of the Ground setting, the stability of the Target ID (and in particular the FE numbers) is negatively affected if the Sensitivity is set too high. Auto Sensitivity is the preferred option to use inland, as it continuously monitors the soil conditions and selects a Sensitivity which gives a relatively stable Threshold (p. 589), and consistent Target ID.

With each sweep, the zero point, or baseline of the audio response, is set to a new level, just below the maximum signal. The Sensitivity is also adjusted. These adjustments keep the audio response narrow, but will allow targets of different depths to be pinpointed with equal precision.
Note: Do not initiate Pinpoint while over the centre of the target or the whole target may be masked. To change the Pinpoint Mode: 1 Press the Menu button 2 Scroll across to Preferences (using the Right or Left Navigation button) 3 Scroll down to Pinpoint Mode (using the Down Navigation button) 4 Press either the Left or Right Navigation button to change the mode 5 Press the Detect button to exit the Menu and resume detecting Note: Pinpoint turns E-Trac into an all metal detector, disabling discrimination.

Narrow response

Full response
A long pause between coil sweeps will produce a wide audio response, due to the baseline falling between sweeps. Short pauses between sweeps will keep the audio responses narrow.

Show Sensitivity

Range: On or Off Factory Preset: On You can select whether the Sensitivity Gauge (pp. 546) appears on the Detection Screens or not. If the Sensitivity Gauge is On, you will be able to adjust the Sensitivity using the Navigation Buttons. If the Sensitivity Gauge is Off, you need to enter the Sensitivity Menu to adjust the Sensitivity settings.

Show Mode Info

Range: On or Off Factory Preset: Off Show Mode Info allows you to turn the Mode Information Icons (p. 38) On or Off. Selecting On displays the Mode Information Icons in the Detection Screens. Off hides the Mode Information Icons.

Display Timeout

Range: On or Off Factory Preset: Off Display Timeout can be turned On or Off. When the Display Timeout is On, the last detection result will be cleared from the screen after 5 seconds. The detection results are FE-CO numbers, Target Crosshair and Depth Gauge. When the Display Timeout is Off, the last detection result will remain until a new detection is made, or the Detection Screen is changed.

Master Reset

Master Reset will restore all settings to the Factory Presets and erase all of your User Modes and Discrimination Patterns. If you only require a Reset, see p. 19 for more information. Note: If you enter the Master Reset dialogue box by mistake, scroll down to Cancel to return to the Preferences Menu. To Master Reset the detector: 1 Press the Menu button 2 Scroll across to Preferences (using the Right or Left Navigation button) 3 Scroll down to Master Reset (using the Down Navigation button) 4 Press either the Left or Right Navigation Button to enter Master Reset