All Metal Mode

[CladDog]

When using the GBPro in all metal mode, do the target ID numbers on the screen reflect the conductivity of the target like in discriminate mode, or do the numbers represent something else?

 

[steve herschbach]

The big numbers on the screen while in all metal switch to show you the ground reading. The disc reading shows on the arc above the big numbers.

This is the one thing I would most like to change on my Gold Bug Pro. Make the big number the target id number, like my F75 in all metal mode. Frankly, once I get going I do not care what the ground reading is. But I do squint and peer at that target id arc.

 

[pasttom]

Agreed.

 

[CladDog]

Thanks Steve.

 

[Monte]

Both search modes ought to have the target VDI number reference displayed.

They could have incorporated a Ground Error display like on the Omega, but there's no need for the running GB phase number reference in the All Metal mode in my opinion, either.

Monte

 

[laserfeller]

It is my understanding the G2 was originally designed for gold prospecting. I'm not a gold prospector. I use my G2 for relic hunting low conductors in iron covered sites, but I believe I have read the ground error is important to gold prospecting in highly mineralized soils.

 

[steve herschbach]

I use my unit for prospecting. In theory you can use the ground balance reading to try and chase variations in mineralization. In reality that is something very few people spend any time doing. I never have yet. No, what most of us are doing is trying to find gold nuggets, and while in all metal mode having a target id on the screen is very helpful for nails and other ferrous targets.

In other words it is backwards. Put the number people use the most up front and large.

Now in a perfect world the detector would let me choose which number I want to see. Let the user decide which is more important.

 

[Monte]

any half-savvy detectorist who hunts in a true threshold-based All Metal mode can easily tell when the ground mineral changes have been significant as they will be GB'ed either too negative or too positive. Many nugget hunting detectors also incorporate an auto-tune to help maintain a functional Threshold when operating over somewhat varying ground, and other even have a variable auto-tune control so the operator can set it as desired.

It is my understanding the G2 was originally designed for gold prospecting.

It was, and it des a decent job at that, but... it was also incorporates a Discriminate mode and that makes it multi-functional for Relic Hunters and Coin & Jewelry Hunters, One feature found on some All Metal mode only nugget hunting detectors is is either, or both, a visual display of probable iron or non-ferrous make-up, and/or a Tone ID to help alert the detectorist of possible ferrous on non-ferrous target make-up.

Even the lead engineer at First Texas (Teknetics & Fisher) is aware of that approach he as he was the design engineer of the White's MXT and GMT (Gold Master Tracker). Most dual model detectors designed with a higher operating frequency to appeal to the gold nugget hunter do tend to display a VDI number a larger, easy-to-see display as a help to gold nugget chasers they the might have encountered a target that is probably iron-based, or maybe even a non-ferrous target that reads much too high for most anticipated gold specimens.

Yes, there is the arched 'speedometer' like display, but that's not always large an easy to see, especially on a brightly lit day. Like Steve, I would much prefer to have the All Metal mode's large center display report the conductivity range of a located target, just like it does in the Discriminate mode.

I'm not a gold prospector. I use my G2 for relic hunting low conductors in iron covered sites, but I believe I have read the ground error is important to gold prospecting in highly mineralized soils.

Yes, it is important to be aware of an improper or less-than-function Ground Balance setting, but in the All Metal mode that is easy to tell just by lifting the search coil up and down from the ground.

Now, as I stated before, if they wanted to have done something visual to alert the operator of a possible 'Ground Error' or being out-of-balance, they could have simply incorporated the Ground Error reading that is used on the Teknetics Omega. It works well to alert the operator of a GB that is out-of-whack for the ground they are hunting over.

There is no such thing as a 'perfect' detector so we are always going to note something that we either do or do not like about any model.

Monte

 

[vtcivilwar]

I emailed Dave J and asked if there was a way to swap those numbers around. No way...