Is my Vaquero working right ?

[hatpin]

Ive read the manual and watched the video about ground balancing. The manual says to set the threshold until it barely makes noise then lower it to the ground. My machine is to sensitive and any movement makes it scream.I cannot ground balance it that way .Its impossible.I have to turn the threshold up some, only then will it stabilize to where i can pump it up and down and it doesnt scream. Ive been using it that way but is it correct?

 

[BillF]

Hatpin, first make absolutley certain you arent over some piece of metal in the ground. If not, even though its screaming, turn your ground balance knob several turns in either direction while pumping up and down to see if it goes away. I have had this happen also, somehow the knob gets cranked around getting out of the truck. Give it a shot.

 

[SpiritRelic]

I have also had to cut the threshold up.I have heard others talk about this.So i think we are ok on this one.The tejon is even worse.The tejon does not balance as easy as the V.

 

[hatpin]

Ill continue doing it that way then. Thanks.

 

[BillF]

Let us know how you come out on this, ok?

 

[spellman]

Also turn the sensitivity down to about 5 when ground balancing.

 

[SpiritRelic]

The metal in the ground is the main thing.The only place that i can realy get a great ground balance is in a wooded area.In most any other area the ground becomes contaminated from years of modern traffic.And the metal buildup is more than you think.From old iron to micro bits of aluminum.Be cautious of farm type areas,the ground is polluted in iron deposits.Some ground it is best to just leave it were you had it last unless you can get over some virgin ground that you can trust with no type metal mineral deposits.

 

[hatpin]

I took the unit out back and found a nice area not contaminated with metal, started from scratch , [turning the GB counterclockwise five turns then back two] and had much better luck. I guess for a year now I havent been finding clean enough dirt.

 

[BillF]

When you say you had much better luck, do you mean you were able to get a nice neutral or negative balance?

 

[SpiritRelic]

You got to check the ground with all metal before even trying to ground balance.

 

[hatpin]

When you say you had much better luck, do you mean you were able to get a nice neutral or negative balance?

Yes. I started from scratch and found a clean piece of dirt and was able to raise and lower the coil and not have it wail like a Jimmi Hendrix guitar being waved too close to an amp. I simply must not have been picking good areas to tune.

 

[BillF]

When you say you had much better luck, do you mean you were able to get a nice neutral or negative balance?

Yes. I started from scratch and found a clean piece of dirt and was able to raise and lower the coil and not have it wail like a Jimmi Hendrix guitar being waved too close to an amp. I simply must not have been picking good areas to tune.

Perfect, I hope you get out there and knock 'em dead now.
Dont forget to SUPERTUNE. Makes a huge difference.

 

[SpiritRelic]

I just came out of a marshy area with the tejon and i ran into trouble ground balancing.The salt marsh minerals had me out of wack.I could even start to tell were the ground was changing from marsh to ground.