Picked up another Beep and Dig

[jimmy clark]

As the title read I picked up another Beep and dig, a troy Shadow X5, LOL just could not pass on it, haven't received it yet but should have it early next week, its coming with three coils the 10x5 DD, 7 inch Concentric and the 9 inch concentric

not much info out about the X5 though videos I have seen the X5 seems pretty impressive though

anyone have any helpful tips I am open

I had one for seven years. Ive had several beep an dig detectors, mostly tesoros, but the x5 was the best B an D detector I ever had. I could kick myself sometimes for selling it. A deep machine.

 

[oldkoot]

@Rick(ND) have a question on the Ground Balance Knob on the Troy Shadow X5

The X5 I purchased was delivered today 4/23/2024 so I put it together and put a new battery in it, took it outside and proceeded to try to ground balance it

my Question is, is the Ground Balance Knob suppose to turn 360 degrees or is it supposed to have stops at each end ???

I think the ground balance knob is broke on this X5, because it does not stop on the negative end or at the positive end it just keeps turning past negative and at positive

so again is the Ground Balance Knob supposed to have stops at each end, or continue in a 360 degree rotation

 

[jimmy clark]

@Rick(ND) have a question on the Ground Balance Knob on the Troy Shadow X5

The X5 I purchased was delivered today 4/23/2024 so I put it together and put a new battery in it, took it outside and proceeded to try to ground balance it

my Question is, is the Ground Balance Knob suppose to turn 360 degrees or is it supposed to have stops at each end ???

I think the ground balance knob is broke on this X5, because it does not stop on the negative end or at the positive end it just keeps turning past negative and at positive

so again is the Ground Balance Knob supposed to have stops at each end, or continue in a 360 degree rotation

the x5 I had just kelp turning. You have to just play with the knob. find a spot of ground that's clear.

 

[oldkoot]

the x5 I had just kelp turning. You have to just play with the knob. find a spot of ground that's clear.

Thats what I am finding out is the Ground Balance Pot just turns 360 degrees, which is odd to me, but I guess its supposed to be that way from what I am finding out, I have talked to a few people and everyone of them stated that, that GB pot is supposed to do that

Thanks for your reply

 

[fwcrawford]

Thats what I am finding out is the Ground Balance Pot just turns 360 degrees, which is odd to me, but I guess its supposed to be that way from what I am finding out, I have talked to a few people and everyone of them stated that, that GB pot is supposed to do that

Thanks for your reply

If you continue to turn the knob either way, at some point, you will feel a slight resistance… this is the end of the adjustment, but it can still be rotated further.
My Tesoro is like this too.
It has a 3 3/4 turn ground balance range.

 

[oldkoot]

If you continue to turn the knob either way, at some point, you will feel a slight resistance… this is the end of the adjustment, but it can still be rotated further.
My Tesoro is like this too.
It has a 3 3/4 turn ground balance range.

Thats just crazy to me, why would they have even made it that way, it makes for a very tough Ground Balance procedure, no wonder some of the complaints I read on the X5 was about the Ground balance procedure being difficult on the X5, I finally gave up trying to manually ground balance the X5 and switched it back to Fixed GB, I never could get the GB correct trying to do it manually, I do like the X5 but I sure do not like that 360 Degree Ground Balance pot.

What to heck was Troy's reasoning behind using a potentiometer that rotates 360 degrees ???

 

[fwcrawford]

Thats just crazy to me, why would they have even made it that way, it makes for a very tough Ground Balance procedure, no wonder some of the complaints I read on the X5 was about the Ground balance procedure being difficult on the X5, I finally gave up trying to manually ground balance the X5 and switched it back to Fixed GB, I never could get the GB correct trying to do it manually, I do like the X5 but I sure do not like that 360 Degree Ground Balance pot.

What to heck was Troy's reasoning behind using a potentiometer that rotates 360 degrees ???

I have never owned the X5, but my Vaquero is very easy to ground balance as well as other Tesoro’s I have owned in the past.
Let me do some looking into the X5 and get back with you.

Update…I just realized that the X5 has a 10 turn ground balance control on it unlike my Vaquero…there is much more range of adjustment for more precise ground balance settings.
Hope this helps you.

 

[oldkoot]

I have never owned the X5, but my Vaquero is very easy to ground balance as well as other Tesoro’s I have owned in the past.
Let me do some looking into the X5 and get back with you.

Update…I just realized that the X5 has a 10 turn ground balance control on it unlike my Vaquero…there is much more range of adjustment for more precise ground balance settings.
Hope this helps you.

I have been finding that out about the X5

 

[oldkoot]

I have never owned the X5, but my Vaquero is very easy to ground balance as well as other Tesoro’s I have owned in the past.
Let me do some looking into the X5 and get back with you.

Update…I just realized that the X5 has a 10 turn ground balance control on it unlike my Vaquero…there is much more range of adjustment for more precise ground balance settings.
Hope this helps you.

OK finally am understanding the GB Pot on the X5

I took it out on my open patio and dialed the GB Pot all the way to the Left with the threshold set pretty loud so I could hear the threshold buzz started with the GB Pot dialed back to fully left which is a fully negative setting the Threshold would increase a lot as you took the coil towards the ground while the GB pot was fully Left till it stopped turning, proceeded to start Ground Balancing by turning the GB pot clockwise as I pumped the coil up and down, took about 2.5-3 full turns before I started noticing a change in the threshold, where when the coil was pumped up and down I would get a slight rise in the theshold either way, got the X5 to the point where there was no change in the threshold going down to the ground or picking the coil up, got it to where I was getting a nice steady threshold going either way with no change

in the manual for the X5 it states you want the X5 to be slightly positive so I took it another 1/8 th turn to positive and that's where I stopped, where I have the GB set now I am getting a nice steady threshold with just a slight rise in the threshold as the coil is lifted from the ground

Now its time to run it over some of my in ground test targets and see what the X5 can do now that I understand the Ground balance Pot and the Ground Balance procedure, Just another Learning Curve LOL, like any other detector.

 

[oldkoot]

Thank to everyone that contributed to this thread, you all have been of great help and I mean that sincerely, as with any detector there is a learning curve and this X5 was just another one of those learning curves that took a little bit to understand.

again thanks to everyone that contributed on this it is greatly appreciated

 

[fwcrawford]

OK finally am understanding the GB Pot on the X5

I took it out on my open patio and dialed the GB Pot all the way to the Left with the threshold set pretty loud so I could hear the threshold buzz started with the GB Pot dialed back to fully left which is a fully negative setting the Threshold would increase a lot as you took the coil towards the ground while the GB pot was fully Left till it stopped turning, proceeded to start Ground Balancing by turning the GB pot clockwise as I pumped the coil up and down, took about 2.5-3 full turns before I started noticing a change in the threshold, where when the coil was pumped up and down I would get a slight rise in the theshold either way, got the X5 to the point where there was no change in the threshold going down to the ground or picking the coil up, got it to where I was getting a nice steady threshold going either way with no change

in the manual for the X5 it states you want the X5 to be slightly positive so I took it another 1/8 th turn to positive and that's where I stopped, where I have the GB set now I am getting a nice steady threshold with just a slight rise in the threshold as the coil is lifted from the ground

Now its time to run it over some of my in ground test targets and see what the X5 can do now that I understand the Ground balance Pot and the Ground Balance procedure, Just another Learning Curve LOL, like any other detector.

Sound like you have a handle on it now, but the only thing I find odd is that with the setting all the at negative, the threshold should have disappeared as the coil was lowered to the ground, not increase.
However, it sounds like you have it balanced now.
I am not sure about the detector you have, but from what I have read, at least some of the Tesoros have an offset between all metal and disc. mode.
In other words, if set to be spot on in all metal mode, it will be slightly positive in Disc. mode.

 

[oldkoot]

Sound like you have a handle on it now, but the only thing I find odd is that with the setting all the at negative, the threshold should have disappeared as the coil was lowered to the ground, not increase.
However, it sounds like you have it balanced now.
I am not sure about the detector you have, but from what I have read, at least some of the Tesoros have an offset between all metal and disc. mode.
In other words, if set to be spot on in all metal mode, it will be slightly positive in Disc. mode.

to GB the X5 you do it in All Metal mode, that is the setting that allows you to hear the threshold buzz, and yes if it is set to negative you will get a rise in the threshold when the coil approaches the Ground, if you turn the GB pot fully right (Positive) you get a rise in the threshold as the coil is lifted, that rise in the threshold when the coil was lowered to the ground was also confusing me LOL, but the other three beep and digs I have do the exact same thing when you ground balance them, also something else that is kind of confusing is in the manual it states to have the GB slightly positive, to me when positive the X5 should have a change in the threshold when the coil approaches the ground not as the coil is lifted, when you are in Disc mode the threshold on the X5 is not even audible you can not hear the threshold buzz in Disc mode at all at least I can not on the X5

 

[Picketwire]

I use rechargeable 9v batteries all the time. The first ones were Maximal Power 600mah lithium. They are over 10 years old and still work fine. My newer ones are EBL lithium 650 mah lithium. Both brands have been perfect for me. They last a long time between charges and hold a charge for over a year. I'd hate to think how many dollars I would have spent using alkaline ones plus they never leak. I haven't used alkaline 9v batteries for over 10 years and have never had a rechargeable one fail during that time. They are like most lithium rechargeable batteries in tools, when the run out of power, they just quit. I always have a spare near in a little plastic box. I can't remember the last time I changed one in my Carrot.

 

[oldkoot]

to GB the X5 you do it in All Metal mode, that is the setting that allows you to hear the threshold buzz, and yes if it is set to negative you will get a rise in the threshold when the coil approaches the Ground, if you turn the GB pot fully right (Positive) you get a rise in the threshold as the coil is lifted, that rise in the threshold when the coil was lowered to the ground was also confusing me LOL, but the other three beep and digs I have do the exact same thing when you ground balance them, also something else that is kind of confusing is in the manual it states to have the GB slightly positive, to me when positive the X5 should have a change in the threshold when the coil approaches the ground not as the coil is lifted, when you are in Disc mode the threshold on the X5 is not even audible you can not hear the threshold buzz in Disc mode at all at least I can not on the X5

OK disregard the part that I stated when the GB is set positive the threshold increases when you lift the coil it is the opposite the threshold does increase when the coil approaches the Ground when the GB is set to slightly positive, I had it ass backwards LOL, I had to go out and do a reset of the GB just to confirm what I was saying.

 

[fwcrawford]

OK disregard the part that I stated when the GB is set positive the threshold increases when you lift the coil it is the opposite the threshold does increase when the coil approaches the Ground when the GB is set to slightly positive, I had it ass backwards LOL, I had to go out and do a reset of the GB just to confirm what I was saying.

I see…. I figured it was a typo…
The way you ground balance the X5 is exactly how it is done on my Vaquero..
all metal mode with a slight threshold.
In disc. mode, my threshold is silent too.

 

[tab-nabit]

I'd think that having a 10-turn pot one could really fine tune a little positive threshold to one's liking - fine tweaking to one's desire also for varying soil conditions etc. But I don't know

 

[MuddyMo]

I personally didn’t like or need them. Maybe if gold prospecting but for anything else not needed.

 

[oldkoot]

I personally didn’t like or need them. Maybe if gold prospecting but for anything else not needed.

It does make it just a little harder to ground balance but I am finding you can really fine tune the GB with that 10 turn ground balance pot, took a bit to understand it though

 

[MuddyMo]

I’m sure you can but in a lot of places the ground changes from spot to spot and some of us use an offset on gb anyways so an exact gb either doesn’t last, isn’t wanted or really needed. It’s probably a good option for some folks but not for me or the vast majority. As we know in most places even a factory set gb works fine and with more and more SMF detectors coming out the gb seems to be less important.

 

[synthnut]

Yes I have a X5 also I picked up a few years ago that has the 7 & 9 inch coil with it, I had one before as I was a dealer for them and sold it and missed it dearly as I did well with it. In a area 2 different Minelab had went over well and said they had gotten everything. It was a corral area where they mush have rode horses and might have been used for something else years ago. I decided to do a quick hunt with the X 5 and made a couple of passes and if my memory is correct I believe I got several coins with 2 of them barber dime and 3 merc and even 1 buffalo Nickle. These it good on the X5 and there was trash too, but my swinging the coil faster the coins locked on while the trash would break up. What also impressed me was at a old school in a small town my friend with a Sovereign just went over and said not much there, went about 10 feet and had 3 mercs and some wheaties which surprised me and him. I know that one merc was about 8 inches deep and locked on, but weaker signal , but hit when I swung the coil faster. I think the reason I got it and he didnt as he like to swing the coil faster with the Sovereign and miss them.
right now I have the X5 a Sovereign GT, and a Sovereign XS plus a Legend that I got when they came out, but just too many buttons for me, so it just sit on the wall .

I havent been out detecting for a while and the last time out was with the X5 as it is not heavy, does a good job and easy to use as I am sure many getting up in age cant get up and down to dig as our mind say we can,but the body says it ain't going to happen.

I think you are going to like the X5 and hope you do

Rick

Rick,

Detecting for so many years, and owning so many detectors, I’m surprised that I have never owned an X5…..I have a bunch of analog detectors that all serve a purpose, but are now at 72 getting tough to carry around….I do have a few digital machines that I will probably sell off as well as some of my analog machines….I will say this, if you can spend some time and learn the Legend, I think it will surprise you….Nokta continues to improve it…. We have both gone down this detecting path for years, and I can’t help you “getting up and down” but the features and the weight of the Legend are hard to beat for a digital machine….It will surprise you with its unmasking abilities…