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Is there a GB pot on the GTA 1000?

W

willy

New member
Hi y'all! well, it looks like I'll be picking up an older GTA 1000 PM in a bit. I just can't bring myself to get one of Garrett's higher end detectors 'cause I figure that something good is probably just around the bend ( maybe 15 KHz w. Imaging & Profiling, tracking, better ergonomics). Anyway, there was a good deal on a GTA 1000 and I figured.. why not? Thing is, I believe they have a fixed ground balance (preset), though the manual seems to imply otherwise. Such being the case, I wonder if there's a GB pot on the board and, if so, if anyone has figured out which one. If there's a GB pot, I can replace it with an external one. One thing I've noticed with preset detectors is that, if they have an adjustable internal GB trimmer, that properly setting it allows the disc. to be significantly more sensitive to smaller targets. By smaller, I'm thinking small, low conductive targets such as GOLD NUGGETS!! I'm not saying that I'm looking at the GTA as my main nugget detector (I have a Goldstrike for that), but it might make for a decent backup or a big nugget finder. ..Willy.
 
..just couldn't muster the self control to just say "NO!" to detectors. Actually, part of my figuring went this way: I already have a nugget detector that will out-do a higher freq. multipurpose detector like the MXT or X70 or F75, and I already have a medium frq. detector that can compete with the other med. freq. detectors.. my X-100. Now, that being the case, and the small gold finding abilities are covered, I now have to consider coins/rings & such. Now, a high frequency/gain detector can do real well on small gold, but often becomes problematic when it is made to hunt for coins 'n such in really trashy areas. Having the detector sounding off on microscopic bits of trash (of which there is an abundance) can get old, and very quickly at that. So, I figure, here's a detector that will cost me the same as an Ace 250 while being (I think) somewhat more capable. Also, at that price, I don't mind doing a few modifications. Taking a $500-$1000 detector and tearing into the guts just make me a tad bit nervous. I've got a waterproof Lexan box sitting somewhere and a number of Hexseal nuts (there mounted on the empty case of a defunct AT3 I have sitting around), and the GTA would make for a wicked wading machine in freshwater lakes. Actually, I'll have a look first and see how difficult it would be to waterproof the present enclosure. After all, it's not as if I'd be swimming with it. ..Willy.
 
I dunno about making a water rig out of it. Those pizza coils tend to float and are a real workout to keep 'em underwater. You might be able to re-plug a Proformance coil to the GTA plug, they don't float. If you want to make a nice water rig, the 150 fits the bill. They hit gold much harder than the 1000 and come already equipped with the proformance coil. That's what I did last summer and dug some pretty deep coins and a few nice goldies, too.
Not sure if there's any pots onboard as the 1000's have a auto-tracking ground balance, I believe. Might want to drop Garrett an e-mail and get the straight skinny!!
Here's a pic of my Otter Ace, not real pretty but real functional. Skillet built me a straight shaft for it that made it real easy to swing while wade hunting.
 
I just might drop them an email John. The reason I was thinking that the GTA 1000 wouldn't be too hard to somewhat waterproof is that it has a membrane face (inherently waterproof) which could be sealed around the edge. Actually, come to think about it, I'd probably be better off converting it to a chest mount unit. That way the only thing that would need waterproofing would be the coil connector. I still have my doubts re. the ground tracking bit though. I'm pretty sure it's a preset. In some respects, I'd prefer a preset (with an accessible trimmer pot) 'cause then I could set the GB to be just a bit positive and wouldn't have to worry about tracking out deep/small targets. I'll also check on the Geotech forum.. you never know. ..Willy.
 
I know the 150/250's are presets, but that was a big selling point on the GTA's, GTAx's and GTI's that they had automatic ground balance so they could be used in many different soil conditions. Now I have slept lately, so I could be wrong, but here's the link to the Owners Manual. Look on Page 3, first paragraph under Operating Instructions.
http://www.garrett.com/manuals/GTA-1000.pdf
If you do decide to do it, I would sure be interested as I have a 1000 Ultra that I don't even use and maybe I could get a little use out of it that way. I have some old "x" connectors and an extra 6 x 9 that I could re-wire, might be OK. I just never was too impressed with the 1000 and how it hit gold, kinda weak in the 'phones compared to the newer 150/250. Might be different in the water, more conductivity!!
 
..and they don't expressly say that the detector adjusts anything to do with the ground. I learned a long time ago that 'automatic GB' is basically a pile of doubletalk.. basically a lie. I got onto the geotech forum and someone there was inquiring about adjusting the GB on a Gta 500 (or was it a Gtax 550?); supposedly, there are two plastic plugs on the back of the detector. One adjusts the GB and the other has something to do with the disc. parameters. Maybe, you can take a look at the back of your Ultra GTA 1000 and see if it has two plastic plugs. If so, there's probably a solution in sight.
I was fooling around with the Coinscanner Pro I have and testing it for disc. mode sensitivity with my 3 grain test nugget. Basically, at zero disc. & full sens., it wouldn't pick up the nugget unless it was rubbed against the coil.. and then just barely. Putting it into the non-motion P mode, I noticed that it was set way too pos itive for the ground here (and we've got nasty ground too). Adjusting the GB trimmer pot in the back for just a slight positive offset made it so that the detector picked up the nugget, laid on the ground, with good consistency. Now, this has me thinking about the GTA 1000 PM insofar as it would probably be pretty simple to replace the GB trimmer with a 3 1/2 to 10 turn pot. Judging from what i saw when testing the GTI 1500/2500, proper GB can make a big difference re. sensitivity. I also wonder about the faint target audio boost option that's available on the GTA 1000. Have you noticed any difference when it's switched on? ... Willy.
 
Another way to carry the control box when water hunting is to pick up a small inner tube for a trailer tire or small compact car and cut a piece of plywood to fit in the center of the tube, drill some holes around the edge and run some electric ties through the holes and around the tube to cinch it down. Fasten a velcro strap in the center of the plywood to hold your control box. Attach a small length of rope to the tube and the other end to your waist, belt, or whatever. Put a plastic bag around the box in case it gets splashed or you can create your own variations.

Bill
 
What you get with faint target boost is the same loud signal on a deep target that you would get on a shallow target. Ain't like the older Tesoros where you got a faint signal on deep targets and you had to whip the coil rapidly over the target to boost the signal so you could pinpoint it.

Bill
 
So I suppose that the audio boost saturates the audio whilst the normal audio would be modulated.. sound good, or am I just blowing air? ..Willy.
 
I dunno. I checked out the manual for the lower en GTA/GTAx detectors and it reads the same as for the GTA 1000. It's also the same as in the GTAx 750 manual. Garrett is very specific in the ad copy for the GTI's, GTP, and the discontinued GTAx 1250 that they have ground TRACKING as opposed to 'automatic ground balance'. That kinda sez to Willy that one is and the other aint. ...Willy.
 
out of the realm of my limited technical expertise!! But I will check for the plugs on my 1000's (Ultra and PM) when I get back to the house tonight. It would be nice if they could be tweaked a bit to be a little hotter on the lower conductivity (gold) stuff. Since I hardly have anything invested in the Ultra (got it off ebay as a fixer-upper for next to nothing and then factory refurbished for $80) I wouldn't be nervous about playing around with the settings on it. You willing to help out a little? I'm pretty much a greenhorn when it comes to the inner workings of these things, but I catch on pretty quick!!
 
to not pursue modifying the 1000 and want to go the route BigCatDaddy did with the 150, I was the one who was trying to trade my almost new 250 and sniper for a GTA 1000. I need something that uses the same coils as my CXIII.- Dan
 
I'll trade you a factory refurbished 1000 Ultra. Don't really need a third 250, but don't need 2 1000's either. Somebody ought to get some use out of it. Does the CXIII have an "X" plug on the coil connector? That's what the 1000 has.
 
I used a 1000 PM with the stock coil for wade-hunting for awhile. I weighted the lower rod with sheet-lead and found my first gold/wading ring with it. Eventually, the stress on the 'ears' of the coil caused a crack and water got in, ruining the coil.

The 150/250 coils sink and make for a better wading coil.

If I had to use a 1000 for wading, I would use a sniper coil as it is less buoyant.

IMO the newer "Ace" series makes for a better platform for converting a land machine to wading.

Skillet

Newly finished "Otter-Ace"​
[attachment 53114 OtterAce1.jpg]
 
It does have the 5 hole X pattern. Crossfire coils at 7khz.

LOL........why do you have so many detectors?

I was advised not to trade the Ace for a 1000, but my wife uses the Ace and likes the threashold feature like on the CXIII. Let me talk to her and let her know what may transpire as I want to see my 58th birthday.
 
Why??? You gotta ask why?? Well, let's see......I started out buying a 1250 new back in late '99. Swung it for a year and decided I needed to uprade. Bought a 2500!! Love the imaging, but a little heavy for every outing. Went to a comp hunt. My buddy won a 1500, but already had one, so he sold it to me for 1/2 price. Decided I wanted to water hunt to get the gold. Bought a Headhunter Diver off e-bay. Guy sent me 2 of them about 3 mo.s apart. The 250 came out!! Gotta have one, so light!! Saw the 1000 on e-bay, needed a little help. Got it refurbished at Garrett, good hunter. My neice wanted to detect. Bought her a 1000 PM. She said she liked my 250. Found one cheap on e-bay (see a pattern emerging)traded her the 250 for the 1000PM. Now, the Ace series are hot on gold, so why not take the little 150 and make a water rig out of it? Works great!! Had a friend, wanted to metal detect, I tell him the 250 should fit the bill. He didn't take to it. Sold me his entire outfit, diggers and all for 50 cents on the dollar. Hmmm....knobby machines, hear Tesoros are hot relic hunters. Again got a good deal on You guessed it) on a used Tejon. Like the depth but would like some of my Garrett features. The Deleon has a VDI, that might work (guess where). Where's my multi-tone? The Golden has multi-tones, and a notch system (back we go). So that's why!!!
So let me know what you decide, it's all good!!
 
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