Reposting a ground balance question tech advice needed

[DigDog]

Had posted about gb in Florida soil and someone replied who hunts here as well and said the soil is neutral here.
So trying to understand how gb on detectors work in neutral soil. If someone who has technical expertise on the issue can answer this question thanks
Here is the question then when the soil is neutral where do you set the gb then assuming you have a machine
where you are supposed to set it before detecting?
Or does it just not matter where it is set at in that case.
Not exactly sure how the physics behind it work.
Like a machine with fixed gb or auto does it just not do anything at that point and is basically a mute point.
Theoretically then you can use any detector in neutral soil and not have to worry about ground balancing and they will not be affected?
Not having to worry about any gb would open you up to a much bigger selection and then just have a separate detector specifically for beach and salt water like a PI machine
I get the need for it in mineralized soil to adjust to work better but not understanding
ing and affecting the detector.

 

[PDH]

I saw your other post too but I'm not sure what question you are asking. If your machine has the capability to do a manual ground balance then perform those manual ground balance procedures each time before you go hunting and your machine will be set for the particular soil in your area. What detector are you using?

 

[trojdor]

It's kind of important to know which detector you're using.
Some manufacturers do it differently than others.
It's also important to note that while the majority of Florida soil is neutral, not ALL Florida soil is neutral.

If your soil is neutral, then your GB should be neutral, but again, how to set that depends a lot on which brand and model you're using.
(Many times....not always....the mfg will address neutral ground balancing in the manual.)

If it's for the Tesoro Tejon you've posted about before, neutral is about the middle of the pot adjustment range.
But here's the deal on Tesoro's like the Tejon...they have a 3 and 3/4 turn GB adjustment pot that has a 'clutch' that prevents you from damaging it by 'overturning'.
IOW, you can turn the GB pot of a Tejon as many turns as you want, and once you get to the end of the 3-3/4 turn range, it will keep turning, but won't change a thing.

So to find the neutral position of the Tejon's GB pot;
1. First turn it about 5 turns to the left (anti-clockwise) to be sure you're at one end of the adjustment range.
2. Then turn it about 2 turns to the right (clockwise) to be close to neutral.

Set the threshold to be just audible, and bob the coil.
If there's no threshold change, start hunting, and have fun.

If there is a change in threshold, your ground isn't as neutral as you think, and you just need to follow the GB procedure from the manual.
Note that the Tejon can be a bit finicky/touchy to GB with a lot (or even moderate) mineralization. IOW move the GB pot in small increments to adjust during GB.


mike

 

[Monte]

Tmops50: The detector used an make a difference, and the search mode used can make a difference. I have only been to Florida once and traveled around the whole state and worked the Atlantic and Golf coasts as well as places inland. I was calling on detector dealers at the time, too, and we discussed the Florida environment. Yes, a lot of the ground is mellow compared with the majority of places I have hunted here in the Western US as well as many of the states through the Central region.

However, I did, and suggest you do, exactly as PGH suggested and use the Ground Balance any detector offers. It does vary a little in different areas around Florida and it is best to have the GB set as close as possible to spot-on IF your detector allows you to do so. To clarify, that is IF your detector allows full GB control for each search mode, and not all of them do.

Please let us know which detector(s) you are using and you can get a better reply to the GB question because there are / can be some differences.

Monte

 

[DigDog]

Glad you guys replied but i think we are all a little confused on what I am trying to figure out or just don’t understand which is why i am asking.
First i am looking to start over and have not made up my mind on a detector in my
price range but for one say it is a vanquish that has a fixed gb.
I have used others in past fixed like the cibola and manual or auto like vaquero or sovereign gt.
Sorry for confusion but i will try to ask again now that you have a detector list
Ok starting with cibola keep in mind where i hunt it is basically all neutral soil
Cibola is fixed so what exactly does a fixed detector like the cibola do when it is operating on neutral soil does it just shut off gb because if it is fixed a little positive say and the soil is neutral what is it going to do?
Next take sovereign gt again neutral soil so where does it auto adjust to?
Three vaquero manual gb, again using in neutral soil how or where do you set the gb when the soil is neutral because no matter how i try to gb it gives me absolutely no feedback either positive or negative. No matter which way i turn the knob from all the way negative to all the way positive it does not react so where is correct on the detector if it is not giving any response because the soil is neutral.
Or could be my detectors were not functioning correctly or i was doing something wrong because i got absolutely nontone as i pump the coil up and down to gb no matter where inhad it set. Is that because it is neutral soil and not registering with the detector?
See what i am trying to understand hopefully.
According to manuals you pump up and down and if tone rises or lowers ip or down you know if it is set positive or negative but i get no tones no matter where it is set and was told because i have neutral soil, ok so then what is actually going on in the detector and how does it affect performance if for example it is fixed a little positive and you have neutral soil do you lose performance?
Again if you are not getting any kind of tones how do you know where to set it.
I tried to explain best i could all different scenarios hope this helps clarify what i am trying to understand thanks

 

[trojdor]

1. The Cibola. It's a fixed/manual ground balance, manually adjusted at the factory to a 'mostly' neutral setting. It doesn't 'turn off' or 'turn on'. It's a fixed, static setting that neither knows, nor cares what your ground is like. Just hunt with it.
2. The Sovereign. It's a BBS Minelab, and BBS Minelabs don't ground balance like typical single freq detectors. It recognizes the ground signal separate from the target and removes it in software. It does see the ground, but doesn't care. Just hunt with it.
3. The Vaquero. It ground balances exactly as I described the Tejon GB's. If you've still got one, read those instructions again, set the GB to neutral....and just hunt with it.

"Or could be my detectors were not functioning correctly or i was doing something wrong because i got absolutely nontone as i pump the coil up and down to gb no matter where inhad it set. Is that because it is neutral soil and not registering with the detector?"
Yes, it's because it is neutral soil, and the lack of mineralization in your ground means there's no mineralization effects to register with the detector. (Both you, and your detectors sound like they were working fine.)

You are lucky to live in a rare area that virtually any detector you choose, will work great in your neutral soil. (Far better than in my Colorado soil, for sure!)
The Vanquish you mention, for instance, would work very well for you....and would be a great choice.

I hope that answers the question you're trying to ask.

mike

Edit: If you'd like to know more about the actual internal workings of a metal detector, I suggest you get a copy of "Inside The Metal Detector", by George Overton and Carl Moreland
It will tell you more than you ever wanted to know about what goes on 'behind the curtain'.

 

[DigDog]

1. The Cibola. It's a fixed/manual ground balance, manually adjusted at the factory to a 'mostly' neutral setting. It doesn't 'turn off' or 'turn on'. It's a fixed, static setting that neither knows, nor cares what your ground is like. Just hunt with it.
2. The Sovereign. It's a BBS Minelab, and BBS Minelabs don't ground balance like typical single freq detectors. It recognizes the ground signal separate from the target and removes it in software. It does see the ground, but doesn't care. Just hunt with it.
3. The Vaquero. It ground balances exactly as I described the Tejon GB's. If you've still got one, read those instructions again, set the GB to neutral....and just hunt with it.

"Or could be my detectors were not functioning correctly or i was doing something wrong because i got absolutely nontone as i pump the coil up and down to gb no matter where inhad it set. Is that because it is neutral soil and not registering with the detector?"
Yes, it's because it is neutral soil, and the lack of mineralization in your ground means there's no mineralization effects to register with the detector. (Both you, and your detectors sound like they were working fine.)

You are lucky to live in a rare area that virtually any detector you choose, will work great in your neutral soil. (Far better than in my Colorado soil, for sure!)
The Vanquish you mention, for instance, would work very well for you....and would be a great choice.

I hope that answers the question you're trying to ask.

mike

Edit: If you'd like to know more about the actual internal workings of a metal detector, I suggest you get a copy of "Inside The Metal Detector", by George Overton and Carl Moreland
It will tell you more than you ever wanted to know about what goes on 'behind the curtain'.

Thanks for your response. In summary i guess like you said im lucky to have the soil here i have and not worry about any detector im using having any problems.
Ground balancing sounds like a mute point here. With the exception of the beach and wet salty sand of course.
But there is no best of both worlds not alot of target rich areas as opposed to areas with minimization I suppose.
Sounds like i am fortunate in that i can basically use any detector and know its going to work optimal in which case i have more to choose from and not have to spend more depending on what features I want
It still would be interesting to know more about the inner workings and sounds like a great link to finding out more

 

[Monte]

Glad you guys replied but i think we are all a little confused on what I am trying to figure out or just don’t understand which is why i am asking.
First i am looking to start over and have not made up my mind on a detector in my
price range but for one say it is a vanquish that has a fixed gb.

The Vanquish does rely on a 'fixed' or 'preset' GB in circuitry, but there are actually two different GB settings used. It depends upon the factory search mode. There are three modes and you can hear the GB behavior when you activate the Horseshoe button to accept ALL of the Disc. segments which gets low enough to accept ferrous targets as well as ground signal. I sold my three Vanquish 540 Pro packs so do not have one in-hand to double-check, but all of them acted the same. One of the modes has either a negative GB behavior or a positive GB behavior, and the other two modes have just the opposite. If searching in mineralized ground, especially if it is bare dirt, rocky or has uneven ground with mounds or dips, it can be very noisy to listen to due to the improper GB. The only way to eliminate the audio annoyance, aka falsing, is to reject the first and possibly second Disc. segment from the left.

I have used others in past fixed like the cibola and manual or auto like vaquero or sovereign gt.

Sorry for confusion but i will try to ask again now that you have a detector list

The Tesoro Cibola has a 'fixed' or internally 'preset' GB trimmer that was adjusted at the factory for the supplied search coil, but the GB for both modes might be 'off' or incorrect if:
1.. The search coil is changed and the detector and coil are not properly 'calibrated'. That is a term used by Tesoro to imply the detector GB was 'preset' or 'adjusted' thus 'calibrated' for the specific coil so that is was going to operate without falsing from being too negative for harsh ground.
2.. Anyone has opened the control housing and messed with the GB trimmer without knowing what they were doing to make a proper GB adjustment.

The Tesoro Vaquero has an external GB control which allows the user to switch to All Metal and adjust a proper audio Threshold and then adjust the detector with the coil used for the ground mineralization being searched.

NOTE: The Cibola and Vaquero, like most of the Tesoro models, were designed so the GB adjustment effects BOTH the All Metal/Pinpoint function as well as the silent-search motion Discriminate function. With most Tesoro circuitry designs, the Disc. mode GB reference is slightly positive from the Threshold-based All Metal GB setting to help eliminate falsing from the ground if the setting was too negative.

The Minelab Sovereign GT has a switch control to adjust the Ground Balance in the Threshold-based All Metal mode. The Discriminate mode ground handling is filtered to control noise from the ground, but has to rely on a reference from either a preset adjustment of is based off the All Metal mode's GB.

Ok starting with cibola keep in mind where i hunt it is basically all neutral soil

I will keep in mind that your soil is very low iron mineralization, and in some locations it is very low to be considered almost neutral. However, I will also know it is ground that consists of 'something' and I want to have the best functional GB I can for the environment.

Cibola is fixed so what exactly does a fixed detector like the cibola do when it is operating on neutral soil does it just shut off gb because if it is fixed a little positive say and the soil is neutral what is it going to do?

Models like the Cibola have a 'fixed' or 'preset' GB so that they will handle higher iron mineralized ground w/o falsing. They do not 'shut off'. If you are searching any site with lower ground mineral conditions, then the detector will work without anticipated falsing from bad ground. If the ground is very low in mineralization, to the point of being almost 'neutral', then you can expect okay performance and depth of detection close to what you might achieve in an 'air test'.

The GB setting is going to do nothing that would be a problem IF it hasn't been messed with and manually adjusted to be way too positive or way too negative in the Disc. mode. This pertains to inland hunting where you are not needing to deal with the low-conductive wet salt sand or saltwater.

Next take sovereign gt again neutral soil so where does it auto adjust to?

The Sovereign GT will 'auto adjust" or Track to the existing ground in the All Metal mode, and once it has Tracked you can toggle to Fixed which will hold that adjusted setting. However, in the Discriminate mode the ground handling is controlled or filtered internally and you have no control. It is designed to handle noise and you should be fine.

Three vaquero manual gb, again using in neutral soil how or where do you set the gb when the soil is neutral because no matter how i try to gb it gives me absolutely no feedback either positive or negative. No matter which way i turn the knob from all the way negative to all the way positive it does not react so where is correct on the detector if it is not giving any response because the soil is neutral.

So you are saying you have a Vaquero. To GB, are you selecting the All Metal mode and then adjusting to hear a slight audio Threshold hum? If you hear a slight hum with the coil held 6" to 8" off the ground and then pump the coil down to about 1" and back up to 6"-8", you will generally hear some audio change. In very mild ground it might be slight, but when I hunted in Florida using my Tesoro's I could hear it. Then I made a very slight GB control adjustment to get it as close to neutral as I could. Then switched to the Disc. mode and hunted.

Or could be my detectors were not functioning correctly or i was doing something wrong because i got absolutely nontone as i pump the coil up and down to gb no matter where inhad it set. Is that because it is neutral soil and not registering with the detector?

If you had adjusted for a slight audio hum Threshold setting in All Metal but had no response when pumping the coil down and back up, then it must be very mellow soil.

See what i am trying to understand hopefully.

According to manuals you pump up and down and if tone rises or lowers ip or down you know if it is set positive or negative but i get no tones no matter where it is set and was told because i have neutral soil, ok so then what is actually going on in the detector and how does it affect performance if for example it is fixed a little positive and you have neutral soil do you lose performance?

Yes, I see. And if using a 'preset' or 'fixed' GB detector, just hunt away. But if using a manually adjusted model, such as a Vaquero or my Inca or my Bandido II µMAX then it is important to have a 'proper' or 'functional' GB setting because if the GB is set too negatively you're likely to get some falsing. But if it is set too positive you might lose detection depth and even not have a good response from a high-conductive target such as a silver Dollar, 50¢ piece or even worse.

Again if you are not getting any kind of tones how do you know where to set it.

I tried to explain best i could all different scenarios hope this helps clarify what i am trying to understand thanks

You should hear a Threshold audio hum if trying to manually adjust a model such as a Vaquero. If you haven't done that, then you might not hear even a subtle change in the audio when trying to GB.

Monte

 

[DigDog]

Thanks Monte again for a very well informative explanation. So we are finally getting somewhere.
So let me ask you this. Now those detectors i had and was using as an example to get an idea.
So if i am hunting in say mostly neutral soil and probably just getting a detector with preset gb and they are all set differently some more positive some negative are the ones set more positive or negative going to work better in neutral soil or does it not really matter at that point. I would think it’s not going to make a difference but could be wrong and maybe actually look for something with manual gb and set it myself even though the soil is neutral.

 

[Nauti]

Detectors with a preset ground balance are set to cope with most soil conditions you will come across and will give you good performance in most places.The difference in the way different manufacturers set up a fixed ground balance setting is negligable and will make no difference in reality when used in neutral soils.Buy a detector with a fixed and adjustable setting to cover all eventualities,that way if you ever do find your detector is falsing a lot you will have the option to calm it down with a manual gb setting.

 

[DigDog]

Detectors with a preset ground balance are set to cope with most soil conditions you will come across and will give you good performance in most places.The difference in the way different manufacturers set up a fixed ground balance setting is negligable and will make no difference in reality when used in neutral soils.Buy a detector with a fixed and adjustable setting to cover all eventualities,that way if you ever do find your detector is falsing a lot you will have the option to calm it down with a manual gb setting.

Thanks for info
Yes probably good to have both in case.
As of right now though only planning on being in areas with very little to no mineralization, so gives me something to think about.
I assume by fixed and adjustable is auto or manual modes. I don’t know of any that are both fixed and adjustable
Terminology can get a little confusing, had one response somewhere nobody understood what I was talking about when i said “neutral soil” and i had a hard time explaining what neutral soil was. I tried to explain there is no mineralization in my soil perhaps they never experienced anything with no mineralization or i am not fully understanding what it is. Again terminology can get confusing especially when you don’t know and are learning

 

[Monte]

I assume by fixed and adjustable is auto or manual modes. I don’t know of any that are both fixed and adjustable
Terminology can get a little confusing,

Some folks confuse the term "auto" or "automatic" meaning 'fixed' and that is wrong

Fixed or preset simply means the GB has already been set or regulated in software. An example would be a Tesoro Cibola or Silver Sabre microMAX.

Next comes Manual GB which is simply means You, the operator, makes the necessary GB adjustment using adjustable controls.

Next option would be a detector with Automated Ground Balance where you access the GB method and pump the coil towatds and away from the ground, from 6" to 8". Just a few pumps and the circuitry makes the necessary GB adjustment. This is often termed Ground-Grab or Fast-Grab.

A final method, which might be considered 'Auto', is Auto-Track which is circuitry that reads, analyzes, and adjusts the GB setting based on repeated coil sweeps over the ground conditions, and can work reasonably well but mainly in some mineralized ground.
Just remember things I mentioned in my above post:

** Not all detectors have an adjustable GB in the Disc.mode.

** Many have a GB in Disc. that is ixed or controlled by software.

As Nsuti mentioned, most preset detectors will work fine as they come in neutral to very low mineralized conditions.

A lot of detectors are preset for a higher mineralized environment, such as a Fisher F75+, Nokta FORS Relic or Makro Racer 2 and can be turned on and operated. Those models also feature the 'automated' GB by pumping the coil. Plus, if desired, you can Manually adjust the GB setting.

Monte

 

[DigDog]

Some folks confuse the term "auto" or "automatic" meaning 'fixed' and that is wrong

Fixed or preset simply means the GB has already been set or regulated in software. An example would be a Tesoro Cibola or Silver Sabre microMAX.

Next comes Manual GB which is simply means You, the operator, makes the necessary GB adjustment using adjustable controls.

Next option would be a detector with Automated Ground Balance where you access the GB method and pump the coil towatds and away from the ground, from 6" to 8". Just a few pumps and the circuitry makes the necessary GB adjustment. This is often termed Ground-Grab or Fast-Grab.

A final method, which might be considered 'Auto', is Auto-Track which is circuitry that reads, analyzes, and adjusts the GB setting based on repeated coil sweeps over the ground conditions, and can work reasonably well but mainly in some mineralized ground.
Just remember things I mentioned in my above post:

** Not all detectors have an adjustable GB in the Disc.mode.

** Many have a GB in Disc. that is ixed or controlled by software.

As Nsuti mentioned, most preset detectors will work fine as they come in neutral to very low mineralized conditions.

A lot of detectors are preset for a higher mineralized environment, such as a Fisher F75+, Nokta FORS Relic or Makro Racer 2 and can be turned on and operated. Those models also feature the 'automated' GB by pumping the coil. Plus, if desired, you can Manually adjust the GB setting.

Monte

Ok yes now we are starting to get some understanding and i think terminology confuses people as they look at it differently.
Thats how I suspected it worked but as far as a manual gb detector i take it they are pretty much the same to gb where you pump the coil up and down so many inches and listen for a increase in tone up or down? And leads to my final questions,
If i do that process and do mot get any kind of tone up or down at any setting does that mean my soil is “neutral” So to speak or no mineralization that affects it?
In that case does it matter where you leave set the knob then on a manual gb detector?
I understand fixed is fixed no adjustments just hunt with it the way it is and should work fine in my soil conditions

 

[Nauti]

You will probably find there is a sweet spot on the gb knob even on neutral ground.......setting the gb too positive or negative will cause a rise or decrease in sound too so this will tell you where the neutral setting is by following the detectors ground balancing procedure..A few detectors,particularly older models used to have a mark on the gb knob showing the user a "general"setting that the operator could use as a type of fixed gb that would generally work well in most soil conditions.
Over here in the UK we have a manufacturer that still sells a lot of fixed gb detectors which are "set up for uk conditions".......i have owned a few different models and they have all performed very well in every area of the uk i have detected in,sometimes makes me wonder what the fuss is all about concerning gb.Main problem we encounter here is that some of our ancient sites are so littered with iron minerals from thousands of years of occupation that getting any sort of performance out of your machine is almost impossible.......you know the really good targets are there but you just can't get to them,luckily that is not that common.

 

[DigDog]

You will probably find there is a sweet spot on the gb knob even on neutral ground.......setting the gb too positive or negative will cause a rise or decrease in sound too so this will tell you where the neutral setting is by following the detectors ground balancing procedure..A few detectors,particularly older models used to have a mark on the gb knob showing the user a "general"setting that the operator could use as a type of fixed gb that would generally work well in most soil conditions.
Over here in the UK we have a manufacturer that still sells a lot of fixed gb detectors which are "set up for uk conditions".......i have owned a few different models and they have all performed very well in every area of the uk i have detected in,sometimes makes me wonder what the fuss is all about concerning gb.Main problem we encounter here is that some of our ancient sites are so littered with iron minerals from thousands of years of occupation that getting any sort of performance out of your machine is almost impossible.......you know the really good targets are there but you just can't get to them,luckily that is not that common.

First of all thank you you are probably the one of the couple people really understand my concerns and what i am talking about.
People are getting frustrated with me saying i never heard of “neutral” soil or I don’t know what you are talking about manual gb you just pump the coil and the detector setts the gb, are you trolling us, I’m not falling for your bs.
WOW
Obviously people who don’t know are trying to answer the question. if the detector is setting the gb it’s automatic gb not really manual.
I think they have never seen a detector with a pit and dial that you actually tirn and adjust or never seen really non mineralized neutral soil.
I even suspect where you are there is at least some mineralization everywhere . We are fortunate I suppose to have little to none, probably rare but so are the good finds lol. s i said i would love to have an area as yours and deal with some gb issues.
You have basically hit the nail on the head most still are confusing asking which detector do i have, I haven’t chosen yet but all detectors with manual gb basically work the same and you have to find that sweet spot. I might decide and get a fixed if it really doesn’t matter in my soil that where I’m going with this.
The only other thing that really confusing me and you might have never experienced this but as you said listen to adjust the gb knob. Well thats just it no matter where i have it set it does not make any type of sound with the manual detectors i have had.
Perhaps thats what happens in absolutely no mineralization soil I don’t know. So where is the sweet spot if you are not getting any type of tone to indicate where to set it at or does it even matter then.
I think a small few could only answer this you, probably Monte, im sure there are others.
But those that don’t even know difference between auto gb and manual I appreciate the effort in helping but its not with the question i have. Thank you sir.

 

[Nauti]

Hi bud,
I owned a detector with a manual ground balance knob that did not seem to want to balance whatever way you turned the gb control.......slightly confusing.I contacted the manufacturer and he gave me an answer that made a lot of sense..........set the gb control to the center of the scale.Basically he told me this would give a neutral position on the gb control knob.The same detector would gb at other sites so i assumed that on the ground that it wouldn't was mineral free.
I later owned an xp goldmax power which has a control knob that is a ground "accept" and "reject"....you do not have to pump the detector and there is no tone to listen for......you simply listen for spurious signals as you sweep the coil over the ground and either turn the knob to reject or accept to calm down the chattering caused by the ground.Most who used the machine put the control into accept as much as they could to gain that little extra depth.On the control knob was an arrow indicating the neutral position of the gb........it was bang in the middle..
So i would advise setting any gb knob in the center of the scale and see how you go.Another way you can determine how the gb is functioning is on a buried target.Bury a target in the ground you are searching and compact the soil on top of it as much as you can.......then start off with the gb in its lowest position and swing the coil over the target.You can then go through the whole range of adjustment on the gb knob and see which position gives the best response......just another thing to try.

 

[DigDog]

Hi bud,
I owned a detector with a manual ground balance knob that did not seem to want to balance whatever way you turned the gb control.......slightly confusing.I contacted the manufacturer and he gave me an answer that made a lot of sense..........set the gb control to the center of the scale.Basically he told me this would give a neutral position on the gb control knob.The same detector would gb at other sites so i assumed that on the ground that it wouldn't was mineral free.
I later owned an xp goldmax power which has a control knob that is a ground "accept" and "reject"....you do not have to pump the detector and there is no tone to listen for......you simply listen for spurious signals as you sweep the coil over the ground and either turn the knob to reject or accept to calm down the chattering caused by the ground.Most who used the machine put the control into accept as much as they could to gain that little extra depth.On the control knob was an arrow indicating the neutral position of the gb........it was bang in the middle..
So i would advise setting any gb knob in the center of the scale and see how you go.Another way you can determine how the gb is functioning is on a buried target.Bury a target in the ground you are searching and compact the soil on top of it as much as you can.......then start off with the gb in its lowest position and swing the coil over the target.You can then go through the whole range of adjustment on the gb knob and see which position gives the best response......just another thing to try.

Really appreciate all the help thanks again for understanding

 

[DigDog]

Hi bud,
I owned a detector with a manual ground balance knob that did not seem to want to balance whatever way you turned the gb control.......slightly confusing.I contacted the manufacturer and he gave me an answer that made a lot of sense..........set the gb control to the center of the scale.Basically he told me this would give a neutral position on the gb control knob.The same detector would gb at other sites so i assumed that on the ground that it wouldn't was mineral free.
I later owned an xp goldmax power which has a control knob that is a ground "accept" and "reject"....you do not have to pump the detector and there is no tone to listen for......you simply listen for spurious signals as you sweep the coil over the ground and either turn the knob to reject or accept to calm down the chattering caused by the ground.Most who used the machine put the control into accept as much as they could to gain that little extra depth.On the control knob was an arrow indicating the neutral position of the gb........it was bang in the middle..
So i would advise setting any gb knob in the center of the scale and see how you go.Another way you can determine how the gb is functioning is on a buried target.Bury a target in the ground you are searching and compact the soil on top of it as much as you can.......then start off with the gb in its lowest position and swing the coil over the target.You can then go through the whole range of adjustment on the gb knob and see which position gives the best response......just another thing to try.

Tried asking the same question on a different site not sure if they are all connected as they both appear pretty identical. Anyway apparently some couldn’t understand what I was trying to ask and were even accusing me of trolling or somehow messing with them. I don’t know you seemed to get it. Part of problem person trying to answer the question apparently thought manual gb and auto were one in the same. Then we were all confused lol.
I replied that i was not trolling or anything of that sort and that i found someone that understood my question and answered it to which he replied, oh so you got some dude from the UK with different soil to answer
Well yes he understood how manual gb works on a detector lol
We might all have different soils but the electronics on a detector are not made different for different countries at least not to my knowledge.
Is it me?

 

[Picketwire]

then start off with the gb in its lowest position and swing the coil over the target.You can then go through the whole range of adjustment on the gb knob and see which position gives the best response.

That's a pretty simple way to tell. You don't even have to bury a target, just find deep target or three and see what happens. Then you won't have to sort through all the different ideas.

 

[DigDog]

That's a pretty simple way to tell. You don't even have to bury a target, just find deep target or three and see what happens. Then you won't have to sort through all the different ideas.

Never been big fan of air tests for accuracy and they say even if you bury a target its not the same as the ground is disturbed. Unless you are going for relics, old coins , stands to reason most would be freshly buried anyhow