question: ground balance or discrimination in saltwater

[dmnz]

Hi guys. My ATX has just arrived in New Zealand! I am used to the ctx3030 and are looking for some advice from a water hunter in the states.


1) is it best to ground balance to saltwater or should we just use pulse delay / discrim?


2) if we do use ground balance to salt water do you do this submerged or just above the saltwater?

3) if ground balanced to saltwater the manual says that you high low tones (I.e for gold rings) will report as low highs... is this indeed the case?

4) if question three above is indeed correct - would it therefore be better to use discrim and no ground balance, allowing us to dig only the high-lows?

Generally looks like a great machine just takes a little getting used to. Goes through the water easy and does not seem to have the 'water risks' of the ctx3030

 

[SoCalBeachScanner]

Hi dmnz,

I use the ATX exclusively in highly mineralized sand and saltwater. I never use any discrimination and I ground balance to the wet sand by the water's edge. I try to use a little ground balance as possible as it kills depth just like discrimination. Sometimes I ground balance about half way then release the button. On some beaches I can go without any ground balance, but I can hear a faint whine as I swing the coil back and forth, but it will scan deeper.

I don't pay too much attention in the water to high/lows & low/high because targets I want fall into both categories. I dig everything in the wet sand/water except for small diameter iron like wire, hair pins, and nails. I can hear most of those as the produce a quick double tone or I will use the iron check if the target is fairly shallow.

Sounds like you want to cherry pick high/lows. Maybe someone else can chime in and help you with that.

 

[WaterWalker]

I have less than 30 hours with the ATX in salt water. I have ground balanced at waters edge with DISC at 0.
I go into the water and if wave cause objectionable falsing, I up the DISC, never going over 3. At this setting, I don't want to dig any deeper that I have be digging.
I am hearing signals that I never would have heard with my Infinium.
I suggest you try one method, learn it the switch to the other and then use the one that you are more comfortable with. Being I have used the Infinium for many years,
I am using the same method. Some day I will try the manual GB.

 

[dmnz]

Thanks very much for the advice. I will spend some time trying both methods. Also will take a ring or so to test at the beach. I think I have 9 golds since January with the CTX....hoping the ATX will provide greater depth. ..

Off to Rorotonga in a few weeks on a detecting trip...want to get the hang of the atx first!

 

[LipCa]

Excellent info here:

http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/topic/102-garrett-atx-review-beach-detecting-in-hawaii/

 

[WaterWalker]

WOW, what an article. I am going to take notes.
Wonderful that the ATX was so productive in HI. Makes me want to take a vacation, but not to the island Steve went to...

Really GREAT, thanks for posting the link and I will keep passing on what I am learning...maybe we will have it all down in a year or so...

I wonder how the cams hold up in the HI environment? I don't remember much silt from my trip to HI back in the early 80s and I remember the sand a bit courser then we have have in the New England states.

Thanks again
WaterWalker

 

[dmnz]

Thanks to water walker for your advice..... first gold ring yesterday with the ATX - very fine female wedding ring - I know the CTX 3030 would not have seen it! (I think 18k). Also today a 18k gold pendant (missing the chain). Awesome machine! My annoyances are:

a) need to maintain the shaft, it will lock up unless cleaned after each hunt properly;
b) not really a big fan of the coil tightening arrangement;

I think I will look at making a shaft for water use, to replace the original somehow!

 

[Treasurehunter1967]

I'm off for Spring Break with my girls (14 & 11) and we are going to the beach. I'm thinking about trying Sara wrap around the cam locks to see if it will keep the salt out.