Ground mineralization refers to how magnetic the ground is. The false signalling caused by a metal detector that is not ground balanced to the soil is called Ground Noise. The purpose of implementing ground balance is to compensate (electronically) for the effects of mineralization.
Similar to the earlier FBS series of detectors, the Ground Balance functionality of the CTX 3030 comes default with Tracking Ground Balance. This means that, as you sweep the coil, the CTX 3030 continually monitors the mineralization levels in the soil, and neutralizes those effects through it's software programming. In most conditions where the ground mineralization is mild, Tracking Ground Balance will work just fine.
Recognizing that there were parts of the world where mineralization levels were such that Tracking Ground Balance was not the optimal solution, Minelab incorporated a feature into FBS2 that allows us to turn off the Tracking Ground Balance, and enable a specific Ground Balance mode. Ground Balance mode is designed for highly mineralized sites where you might find your TID numbers bouncing erratically. Or, in places where you are getting a lot of ground noise (false signals) from the mineralization in the ground.
As I said, the CTX 3030 comes "default" with Tracking Ground Balance implemented. You can confirm this by looking at the Ground Balance Quick Menu to see if the green check mark is in the little box beside Enable GB. If that box does NOT have a check mark, Ground Balance is NOT enabled and you are in the Tracking mode.
If you want to take the CTX 3030 out of Tracking and put it into the Ground Balance mode, there are two steps required to establish the proper Ground Balance. One is to Enable GB. The other is to allow the CTX 3030 to Automatically set the Ground Balance.
To take the CTX 3030 out of Tracking Ground Balance and implement a set Ground Balance, you should first Press and hold the Ground Balance Button from the Detect or Map screens. This will open the Ground Balance Quick Menu. At this menu you will find two options.....Enable and Start. The Enable Ground Balance option toggles between On and OFF, as indicated by a green check in the box to the right. As I said, the box should be unchecked (empty), indicating that Ground Balance has not been activated (off). To activate Ground Balance, Press Select to confirm Enable GB selection. A green check in the box to the right tells us that Ground Balance has now been Enabled. But we're not done yet! Now that we have taken the CTX 3030 from Tracking mode to a Ground Balance mode, we must set that level of ground balance. Automatic Ground Balance allows the CTX 3030 software to set the level of ground balance required to neutralize the mineralization for the soil at that particular time. To perform this step, find a spot that is metal free. (any non-discriminating hunt mode should suffice). With the Ground Balance Quick Menu displayed, use the down arrow to highlight the Start GB option and press Select. You will then see a message that confirms the Ground Balance is in progress. Raise the coil approximately a foot above the ground, then lower it again until it almost touches the ground. Repeat this motion several times. The CTX 3030 will provide audio feedback during this GB process. The audio should get quieter and quieter until it becomes totally quiet. At this point the process is complete and you should get a message telling you so. If you are unable to complete this process, or don't get the message, go back to the Ground Balance Quick Menu, press Start option and press Select again. Then raise the coil approximately a foot above the ground, then lower it again until it almost touches the ground. Repeat this motion until you get the message that the process is complete. If you don't get the message, you're doing something wrong in the process.
Notice in the last paragraph, when I said that setting the ground balance did so for that particular time...... realize you are locking the ground balance into a setting that will not change as you sweep the coil. It is now what could be termed a "fixed" ground balance, based on the soil conditions under the coil during the time you performed the Automatic Ground Balance procedure. As you hunt the site, the mineralization level can change dramatically. Therefore I recommend to those using Ground Balance....re-set it occasionally, throughout the hunt. Otherwise the level of ground balance you selected could be counter-productive to why you thought you needed to set a ground balance.
Ground Balance is best used in conjunction with Coin-Ground Target Separation.
When you want to disable Ground Balance and go back to the default Tracking Ground Balance, Press and hold the Ground Balance Button from the Detect or Map screens. This will open the Ground Balance Quick Menu. Scroll to Enable and highlight. When the green arrow disappears in the box, Start. press Select to confirm. The green check will now disappear in the box to the right, telling us that Ground Balance has now been disabled and Tracking is back in place.
HH Randy
Similar to the earlier FBS series of detectors, the Ground Balance functionality of the CTX 3030 comes default with Tracking Ground Balance. This means that, as you sweep the coil, the CTX 3030 continually monitors the mineralization levels in the soil, and neutralizes those effects through it's software programming. In most conditions where the ground mineralization is mild, Tracking Ground Balance will work just fine.
Recognizing that there were parts of the world where mineralization levels were such that Tracking Ground Balance was not the optimal solution, Minelab incorporated a feature into FBS2 that allows us to turn off the Tracking Ground Balance, and enable a specific Ground Balance mode. Ground Balance mode is designed for highly mineralized sites where you might find your TID numbers bouncing erratically. Or, in places where you are getting a lot of ground noise (false signals) from the mineralization in the ground.
As I said, the CTX 3030 comes "default" with Tracking Ground Balance implemented. You can confirm this by looking at the Ground Balance Quick Menu to see if the green check mark is in the little box beside Enable GB. If that box does NOT have a check mark, Ground Balance is NOT enabled and you are in the Tracking mode.
If you want to take the CTX 3030 out of Tracking and put it into the Ground Balance mode, there are two steps required to establish the proper Ground Balance. One is to Enable GB. The other is to allow the CTX 3030 to Automatically set the Ground Balance.
To take the CTX 3030 out of Tracking Ground Balance and implement a set Ground Balance, you should first Press and hold the Ground Balance Button from the Detect or Map screens. This will open the Ground Balance Quick Menu. At this menu you will find two options.....Enable and Start. The Enable Ground Balance option toggles between On and OFF, as indicated by a green check in the box to the right. As I said, the box should be unchecked (empty), indicating that Ground Balance has not been activated (off). To activate Ground Balance, Press Select to confirm Enable GB selection. A green check in the box to the right tells us that Ground Balance has now been Enabled. But we're not done yet! Now that we have taken the CTX 3030 from Tracking mode to a Ground Balance mode, we must set that level of ground balance. Automatic Ground Balance allows the CTX 3030 software to set the level of ground balance required to neutralize the mineralization for the soil at that particular time. To perform this step, find a spot that is metal free. (any non-discriminating hunt mode should suffice). With the Ground Balance Quick Menu displayed, use the down arrow to highlight the Start GB option and press Select. You will then see a message that confirms the Ground Balance is in progress. Raise the coil approximately a foot above the ground, then lower it again until it almost touches the ground. Repeat this motion several times. The CTX 3030 will provide audio feedback during this GB process. The audio should get quieter and quieter until it becomes totally quiet. At this point the process is complete and you should get a message telling you so. If you are unable to complete this process, or don't get the message, go back to the Ground Balance Quick Menu, press Start option and press Select again. Then raise the coil approximately a foot above the ground, then lower it again until it almost touches the ground. Repeat this motion until you get the message that the process is complete. If you don't get the message, you're doing something wrong in the process.
Notice in the last paragraph, when I said that setting the ground balance did so for that particular time...... realize you are locking the ground balance into a setting that will not change as you sweep the coil. It is now what could be termed a "fixed" ground balance, based on the soil conditions under the coil during the time you performed the Automatic Ground Balance procedure. As you hunt the site, the mineralization level can change dramatically. Therefore I recommend to those using Ground Balance....re-set it occasionally, throughout the hunt. Otherwise the level of ground balance you selected could be counter-productive to why you thought you needed to set a ground balance.
Ground Balance is best used in conjunction with Coin-Ground Target Separation.
When you want to disable Ground Balance and go back to the default Tracking Ground Balance, Press and hold the Ground Balance Button from the Detect or Map screens. This will open the Ground Balance Quick Menu. Scroll to Enable and highlight. When the green arrow disappears in the box, Start. press Select to confirm. The green check will now disappear in the box to the right, telling us that Ground Balance has now been disabled and Tracking is back in place.
HH Randy
I must have been sick the days they covered that stuff back in high school. 
Way over my head.