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All Metal versus the Ground Balance Function the X-Terras

B

BarnacleBill

New member
Recently there have been some posts concerning the Ground Balance Function on the X-Terras.

On many makes and models of detectors the All Metal mode is used during the Ground Balance procedure. Typically these are knob based detectors with an example being many of the Tesoro models and the CZ models in the Fisher line. The detector is set to the All Metal Mode, the coil pumped up and down, and the Ground Balance Knob adjusted till the detector shows no reaction to the ground.

The X-Terras have an All Metal Mode, so why not use it? Why include a separate Ground Balance Function? Why write more software? Why use faceplate real estate with another button/switch? Why use more memory to provide the menu readout? Every bit of memory, every switch, overlay etc costs money. So there must be a compelling reason to not just use All Metal as many others do & have done for the purpose of ground balancing?

The reason is, that this is a software driven function that provides better Ground Balance than is achievable with a simple All Metal scheme. Consider it an enhanced or specialized version of an All Metal type of mode. Make sure you note that I am not saying it is a super duper All Metal mode that you should run around and hunt in, it isn't.

When in use, that is that you have the Ground Balance Function selected, you will note that you hear noise. You are SUPPOSED to hear noise! You are hearing the ground, and the sound/signals of the minerals are coming through in an enhanced mode. An analogy would be a photo on your computer, that you use the Zoom In Function to get a greater detailed look at some portion of the photo. This highlighted signal makes it easier for you to achieve a correct Ground Balance by being able to note the changes in the audio response. The changes are both tone and amplitude based, so that if you have hearing issues, then you have two different components to listen for if you are insensitive to either of the responses.

If there are forms of interference nearby, you MAY also hear them more in the Ground Balance Function than in other modes since more filtering is used in the other modes. It also will likely be a matter of the nature of the noise source.

HH
BarnacleBill
 
Bill, while we are on the subject of Ground Balance, I think some newbies and some of us oldbies would like to know when is the best time to use Manual GB or Tracking? I mean, how do we determine if we should be locked into a GB number or let the machine decide? I know the difference between Auto GB and Manual GB, but Tracking is very different. I like the Audio better in Auto GB, so I use it the most of the time but I wonder if I am missing targets by not using Tracking.I know the ground changes as I GB every 20 - 30 minutes but I don't know how fast the ground changes. I realize it probably has a lot to do with how mineralized the ground is and that there is a way to check for this, but it seems to me that if Tracking is reliable and effective, why not use that most of the time?

I hope this isn't confusing and hope this is a legitimate question but I have never asked this but was always wondering.
Ron
 
After having my X-70 over an year have my personal though on All-Metal mode, Ground balancing and to use Auto/Track or manual settings. Since I Relic Hunt only , I always hunt in all/metal with two tones, and run Sen. most time between 26-28 most time. Only very few cases did I have reduce sen. setting lower then 25 even worse types soil etc. The Coil you use also plays in factor to Sen. level, noise etc. The 10.5 DD 7.5 coil to me is more stable then all 9 inch coil in Both 7.5, 3kHz and can run slightly higher sen.settings will be stable, this more likely due DD coil design less affected by ground condition from any type soil good or bad. I have switching from Tracking Off / On and setting ground balancing manual over the past year , on many targets I switched back to Auto Track Off/ On and setting Groundbalnce slight Positive. My final conclusion I ground balance use Auto raising coil up / down , then turn on Auto Track On, The Auto Track is not to fast or slow and will save lots time, and keep your X- Terras counterbalanced for max. depth, stability.
 
It is an innovative method that works but I was turned off by the responses using manual GB. Not that I could not use it, I just felt that ML dummied down the process too much and possibly alienated some old timers with the "tone/amplitude" method. Kick me, hit me, leave me in the ditch for dead but thats my opinion. Auto GB and auto tracking are painless and work wonders. 3 methods of GB'ing? Maybe manual GB was intended for the Nintendo crowd or was it the Pac Man crowd of us old timers. :lol: Yeah OK whatever turns ML's crank.

Tom
 
Ron,

Most detectors will start to spit when the ground conditions have varied away from your GB setting, especially if you have the sensitivity cranked right up to the point of instability. One thing I do like about the X70 is not only will it Track, but you can watch it Track by walking around in GB function. On a new site, I will sometimes conduct a ground condition survey using the X70 by walking around and seeing what the ground is doing in Tracking. This gives me a feel for what to expect, and whether to use Tracking or not. If the ground is consistent, then I'll just turn off Tracking.

I will also not use Tracking in cobble fields with wildly varying GB points, first I do my survey to see what the average is, and set it there If I find I'm getting a little noise, I'll manually adjust a couple of points and/or turn down the sensitivity. On mild freshwater beaches I am already familiar with, once I GB and I will leave it in manual, especially if hunting for small gold jewelry. Keep in mind that for about the first five seconds after you enter Tracking the X70 is in a kind of Turbo accelerated GB finding mode, then the Tracking slows down.

The above is in regard to inland hunting in Coin GB mode. Saltwater beach GB Tracking mode is a whole different beastie. It is, fast, very fast, because it is trying to be in two locations on the GB scale at the same time. Now I always use Tracking at the ocean, but turn it off when I locate a target, because it will track weak signals out after about 5 swings. Now that may seem a little problematic, but on a saltwater beach with black sand, you need to use Tracking.

I don't know where you are located, but if cabin fever gets the best of you, and some warm winter weather comes your way, then may I suggest you make a little trip. The location would be Long Sands Beach in York, ME. This is a lovely black sand beach that hides targets very well from most detectors. It is an educational experience to bring several detectors using various technologies and coils for some experimentation on GB, Tracking, & depth. Be forewarned, do not go around high tide time, as this is a sea walled beach where the beach disappears completely at high tide. A good tide/waves/ weather/web cams resources is www.maineharbors.com.

HH
BarnacleBill
 
Thanks BBill. I tend to require the Ground Balance feature when hunting in the mineral rich soils here. If I ran in 'All-Metal-Mode' I would be up to my neck in both miserable junk and too many hot rocks otherwise.

I have noticed that with using the HF coils in Prospecting Mode, I can detect targets which won't even show up in Coin/Treasure-Mode. Others claim that Prospecting Mode is better for wet beach sand and I need it for the goldfields. So obviously the machine is more sensitive if some modes than others. If I don't use correct Noise Cancel and Ground Balance for each location that I drive to, I just can't read the ground properly. I discovered this when switching modes once to see what it was I was digging for. If the soil is damp and very thick (clay-like), the only mode that has a consistency for me is the Prospecting Mode. I think if I was hunting on 'virgin' ground, it might be worth trying in All-Metal-Mode. At least I could be fairly sure that all the metal targets which I detected might be worth digging.... just as long as there's not too many darned ores in the ground. I've watched other detectors just squeal continuously whereas the X-70 gets a clear signal. Tracking seems to work although I sometimes wonder if there's much change with or without it. I know that if I don't activate it, I have to re-balance should I be detecting at different elevations on the one walk.
 
Just keep diggin an you will find somethin!!! The more technical you end up getting the more confused people git!! Keep it simple boy and take it slowly and keep it low. Detectors today do it all for ya! Not like the ol tin boxes I used back in the day boy, no auto GB , tracking, noise cancel, just a beep beep so you dug it up!! Keep at it boy and one day you will hit the big one!!
 
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