Ground Balance.

[Rob (IL)]

I cannot stress the importance of a GOOD manual ground balance. If your G/B is not right it affects your ability to correctly ID targets and also the depth of recovery. Carl has a good explanation in the VX3 manual. Unless you are completely filtering out the ground signal you will not be at the optimum performance.

Once the V is powered up it goes into fast track for 20 seconds. If you don't start swinging immediately you need to do a manual balance or risk not being balanced correctly. Make sure you balance over a patch of ground that is clear of all but soil. Test the patch in pin point. If you can't find a clean piece of ground make it clean.

The instructions for balancing is a suggestion only. Pump until the tone doesn't change this can take more pumps then some people think. The last step you should make after making any program changes is a G/B.

While you are hunting, if you pull the trigger and as you lower the coil to the ground and there is a noticeable change in the audio you need to balance again. ROB

 

[Neil in West Jersey]

While you are hunting, if you pull the trigger and as you lower the coil to the ground and there is a noticeable change in the audio you need to balance again. ROB

Unless you keep the GB Offset +1 (like many of us do). If you do keep it at +1 you can expect a slight rise in the threshold as the coil nears the ground.

 

[Rob (IL)]

Yes that is true, if you go + offset but not in G/B mode.

 

[Schultzie]

As I GB my machine and keep pumping it, it will go from a tone towards the ground to a tone when I pull the coil away from the ground. It never goes silent. Why?

 

[Neil in West Jersey]

As I GB my machine and keep pumping it, it will go from a tone towards the ground to a tone when I pull the coil away from the ground. It never goes silent. Why?

Steel Toed Boots?

 

[Rob (IL)]

I never said it would go silent. You've had your V for a while, how could it go silent it has a threshold hum.

Here it is right from the manual.

 

[BHNugget]

As I GB my machine and keep pumping it, it will go from a tone towards the ground to a tone when I pull the coil away from the ground. It never goes silent. Why?

I understand what your saying Schultzie,at least I think I do.Your going from a positive ground balance to a negative ground balance when in autotrac.Not sure what your ground is like,but you might have to play with the tracking speed or try turning inhibit on.You might also try using loctrac and use the offset feature to manually adjust for a very slightly positive ground balance.In some areas in my area with the V3 I had no choice but to detect with a very positive ground balance,as the autotrac wouldnt neutralize it,nor would the loctrac using the using the offset.The only detectors Ive owned that would properly ground balance in these areas were my MXT and GMT. Also,the D2 coil magnifies this,as it is extremely sensitive.

 

[Rob (IL)]

It never goes silent. Why? That was his question. You are looking for an unchanging tone not for it to got silent. If you are waiting for it to go silent it won't. If you are waiting for it to go silent you are not G/B correctly. Now if you can't get a steady tone THEN some changes are in order. ROB

 

[ak_1234]

And while doing the manual ground balance, the offsets aren't applied to the audio for that. They are when in normal pinpoint or in all metal search.

 

[Rob (IL)]

Thank you oh great one. Another reason for Whites. When is the last time an engineer from a certain company took the time to keep us on track. Thanks Anne

ROB

 

[Neil in West Jersey]

And while doing the manual ground balance, the offsets aren't applied to the audio for that. They are when in normal pinpoint or in all metal search.

I am not sure what you are saying, but it seems like what you are saying is even with the GB Offset to +1, I should not hear a slight increase in the GB when the coil is lowered? I may need to send my V3i in!

 

[Larry (IL)]

The offset is applied after the GB otherwise you would GB at the offset and defeat it's purpose. Like setting your speedometer to zero while doing 10 MPH.

 

[Rob (IL)]

You will not hear the increase in G/B mode with a +1 offset, but you will hear the increase in the pin point mode when you lower the coil to the ground.

 

[ak_1234]

And while doing the manual ground balance, the offsets aren't applied to the audio for that. They are when in normal pinpoint or in all metal search.

I am not sure what you are saying, but it seems like what you are saying is even with the GB Offset to +1, I should not hear a slight increase in the GB when the coil is lowered? I may need to send my V3i in!

What Larry and Rob said. In pinpoint and all metal search, you will hear that slight offset. But when doing your manual ground balance (trigger+enter), the offset won't be in effect because you want to hear the machine balance without the offset so your offset will work in your search/pinpoint.

 

[Rob (IL)]

[size=large]Bottom line is if you don't ground balance correctly you will suffer performance. Rob[/size]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMOQR6dq7s0&feature=player_embedded

 

[Neil in West Jersey]

And while doing the manual ground balance, the offsets aren't applied to the audio for that. They are when in normal pinpoint or in all metal search.

I am not sure what you are saying, but it seems like what you are saying is even with the GB Offset to +1, I should not hear a slight increase in the GB when the coil is lowered? I may need to send my V3i in!

What Larry and Rob said. In pinpoint and all metal search, you will hear that slight offset. But when doing your manual ground balance (trigger+enter), the offset won't be in effect because you want to hear the machine balance without the offset so your offset will work in your search/pinpoint.

Yes, now that you mention it, when GBing the unit, it IS SMOOTH with no change in the threshold, even with the offset at +1. My mistake!!

 

[Schultzie]

Okay, first off... NO steel toes. I did not make myself clear enough as BHNugget was the closest to understanding me. I've read in several posts that you should GB until the machine remains "neutral", for lack of better words, and it may take as many as 20 pumps of the coil. What I am saying is that as I start to GB, the machine goes from a positive (louder towards the ground, silent pulling away) to a negative (silent towards the ground, louder pulling away). It takes like 8 pumps then on say the 9th it switches to a negative response... there is little to no "neutral" (silent towards or away from the ground) which would indicate it is balanced to the ground. So, how do I get a "proper" GB??? I've tried "Loc-trac" but there is no difference. I've also tried double GB like the DFX but it doesn't help either.

 

[Rob (IL)]

Sorry you lose me with your terms. Did you watch the video?

 

[kyledfx]

i wish the v had an adjustable number gb for my beaches, on land is ok but i dont like to not be able to see where the gb is at number wise, am i missing something here? is there a way to view the gb after a manual balance?

 

[Rob (IL)]

Your ground probe gives you the VDI number of the ground. So when you are balanced that is what the ground balance value is. If you are in auto track your balance will change as the ground changes. As you are hunting if you bob the coil over a clean patch of ground using pin point and the tone is still constant you are still balanced. Check the ground probe and you will get the new VDI value for the ground balance.

This would be a pain. I don't see how the running value would help. If it's balanced that's as good as it gets. A check literally takes a few seconds.