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Detector specifications
Best for
Highlighted icons show the targets, ground and experience level this detector is built for.
- Coin & Relic — shop all
- Gold — not suited to this detector
- Beach & Water — shop all
- Kids — not suited to this detector
- Beginner / Intermediate — not suited to this detector
- Advanced / Expert — shop all
This Minelab CTX 3030 package pairs Minelab's GPS-equipped FBS 2 flagship with the Pro-Find 40 pinpointer and a Minelab padded carry bag, the two accessories most CTX buyers add on the same order. It suits serious coin, relic and beach hunters who want a fully waterproof multi-frequency detector that maps where they have been, plus a pinpointer rated to the same 10 ft so the whole kit can go in the water. If you already own a pinpointer, the Minelab CTX 3030 detector on its own is the same machine without the extras.
CTX 3030 or Manticore?
Be clear about what you are buying. The CTX 3030 is Minelab's FBS 2 machine: 28 frequencies from 1.5 to 100 kHz, a full-colour screen with a 35 by 50 ferrous and conductivity target map, and built-in GPS with GeoTrails, WayPoints and FindPoints that no other Minelab offers. It weighs 5.2 lb with the lithium pack and is waterproof to 10 ft (3 m). The Manticore is lighter at 2.9 lb, submersible to 16 ft, and runs the newer Multi-IQ+ platform, but it has no GPS and no mapping. Hunters who work large permissions, record finds by location, or return to the same beach cuts season after season keep choosing the CTX for the mapping; hunters who want the lightest, deepest-water flagship look at the Minelab Manticore.
What the Pro-Find 40 adds
The Minelab Pro-Find 40 is waterproof to 10 ft (3 m), the same rating as the CTX, so it works in the surf and river holes where the detector goes. Five sensitivity levels let you turn it down in iron-heavy ground, a ferrous tone tells you when the target in the hole is a nail before you chase it, and DIF technology keeps it from interfering with the CTX while it is switched off on your belt. It runs about 20 hours on a 9 V battery, has a lost-alarm and LED, and ships with a holster and lanyard under a 24-month warranty.
What the Minelab carry bag adds
The Minelab padded carry bag holds the CTX 3030 broken down with the coil, WM 10 module, headphones and charger in one place. The CTX is a heavy detector with a full-colour screen and a lithium pack; a padded bag between hunts and in the truck is cheap insurance.
What's in the box
Package extras
- Minelab Pro-Find 40 pinpointer with holster and lanyard
- Minelab padded carry bag
Factory included items
- Minelab CTX 3030 detector with 11 in DD Smart Coil and coil cover
- KOSS UR-30 wired headphones
- WM 10 wireless audio module with belt clip
- Removable headphone module
- Li-ion rechargeable battery pack and alkaline battery holder
- Battery charging station, WM 10 charging cable, car charger and universal AC wall adapter
- USB cable for XChange 2
- Arm rest strap and coil hardware
- Getting started guide
- 3-year limited manufacturer warranty
Serious Detecting kit, free with the detector
- Serious Detecting finds bag with 42 in waist belt
- Double serrated hand digger with belt holster
- Serious Detecting all-purpose carry bag
- Gloves
- 34 in heavy-duty shovel
The kit is added automatically at checkout as a separate cart item, limit one per detector.
How the CTX 3030 works in the field
FBS 2 transmits multiple frequencies at once and the Smartfind 2 processor plots every target on a two-axis map: ferrous content across the top, conductivity down the side. That is why CTX users talk about "12-45" rather than a single number, and why the machine separates a silver coin from a bottle cap that a single-ID detector calls the same. Ten search modes (Coins, Beach, Relics, Silver and High Trash, each with a custom copy) carry 20 editable discrimination patterns, and Target Trace shows several targets under the coil at once. Our CTX 3030 discrimination guide explains how to build patterns for your sites.
On the beach, the Beach mode and auto ground compensation handle wet salt sand, the 10 ft rating covers the surf line and shallow wading, and the WM 10 module lets you run the supplied UR-30 headphones or your own wirelessly on dry sand. The UR-30 headphones are not waterproof, so in the water you use the built-in speaker or a dedicated CTX waterproof headset. Our CTX 3030 beach detecting guide covers settings and headphone choices for salt.
GPS is the CTX's signature. GeoTrails draw the ground you have covered on the screen, WayPoints mark spots to return to, FindPoints record each find, and XChange 2 on a Windows PC lets you review the whole hunt on a map, attach photos and push settings back to the detector.
Specifications
- Technology: FBS 2 multi-frequency (28 frequencies, 1.5 to 100 kHz), Smartfind 2, GPSi, Wi-Stream
- Target ID: Ferrous 1 to 35, Conductivity 1 to 50, 2D display with Target Trace
- Search modes: 10 (Coins, Beach, Relics, Silver, High Trash plus 5 custom)
- Discrimination patterns: 20, fully editable (2 per mode)
- Sensitivity: Auto and manual, 1 to 30
- Noise cancel: Auto and manual, 11 channels
- Ground balance: Auto compensation and auto ground balance
- Display: Full-colour LCD, backlight 1 to 10
- Audio: Built-in speaker, 6.35 mm (1/4 in) wired headphones, WM 10 Wi-Stream wireless
- Coil: 11 in Double-D Smart Coil, waterproof
- Waterproof rating: 3 m (10 ft)
- Length: 37 in (940 mm) to 55.3 in (1405 mm)
- Weight: 5.2 lb (2.36 kg) with Li-ion battery pack
- Battery: Li-ion rechargeable pack with fast charger, alkaline holder included
- PC connection: XChange 2 via USB (Windows)
- Warranty: 3 years
- Pinpointer: Minelab Pro-Find 40, waterproof to 3 m (10 ft), 5 sensitivity levels, ferrous tone ID, DIF, 9 V battery, about 20 h, 24-month warranty
Why buy the Minelab CTX 3030 from Serious Detecting
Serious Detecting is a family-owned authorized Minelab dealer in Michigan, so every CTX 3030 we ship is new US stock with Minelab's 3-year warranty, and our team can talk you through XChange 2 setup and pattern editing before your first hunt. Free shipping on orders over $99, 30-day returns and a price-match guarantee against other authorized US dealers. Coils, headphones, batteries and shafts for this detector are in our Minelab CTX 3030 collection; the rest of the Minelab range is a browse away.
Customer Questions & Expert Answers
Is the Minelab Manticore better than the Minelab CTX 3030?
Does the Minelab CTX 3030 come with wireless headphones?
Is the Minelab Pro-Find 40 pinpointer waterproof?
Customer Reviews & Field Feedback
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