Another ATPro Ground Balance question

markbxr400

Tenderfoot
Aug 15, 2014
9
1
Lower Alabama
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro
Fisher F2
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I've been hunting a park out in the middle of nowhere where a very large oak once stood with several large oaks still remaining, but smaller than the very large one. History says people used to come hang out around the oak nearly 100 years ago. While private property for a century +, it is now owned by the county and designated a park, so OK to hunt. About 40 feet away from one of the large oaks, I found my first ever nickel, a 1918 buffalo, and in a different spot away from this oak, a 1917 wheat. I have found a zillion pull tabs and beer cans as well. However, whenever I get within about 30 feet of this particular tree, I start getting massive iron background noise. Not like iron targets, but more constant, I assume like heavy mineralized soil. I typically hunt in Pro Zero, no discrim, but in this area also have tried discriminating out iron, but then no targets at all, like the detector is masking all targets due to the iron.

I have found that I'm lousy at best at manually ground balancing, and can't get the thing to distinctively auto ground balance in this area. I'm convinced there are more old coins around this tree if I can figure out how to crack this nut.

Many thanks for any suggestions.
 

signal_line

Silver Member
Nov 14, 2011
3,601
1,835
Detector(s) used
XP Deus
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I'll say it again, when in doubt, bury a test target near the edge of detection and gb to get the best response. That means manually raise or lower the GB number and then see how the target sounds.
 

Opie

Sr. Member
Aug 27, 2013
274
173
Primary Interest:
Other
If I'm understanding you correctly, the tree is gone? If so the fill dirt is probably from a different source and probable whats termed "junk fill" for the hole from the tree removal. I would try and resource who and how the tree was removed. this should tell you why the ground is different in this section. I have seen places that have filled in holes with old bed springs, old metal fencing material, there is a section near an old Union Pacific rail line in my area that buried old tools, some magnetic in a pit behind a station house. You can't get within 30 yards of the place regardless what you do. I would have never found out about the tools had I not researched the location. good luck!!
 

OP
OP
M

markbxr400

Tenderfoot
Aug 15, 2014
9
1
Lower Alabama
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro
Fisher F2
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
If I'm understanding you correctly, the tree is gone? If so the fill dirt is probably from a different source and probable whats termed "junk fill" for the hole from the tree removal. I would try and resource who and how the tree was removed. this should tell you why the ground is different in this section. I have seen places that have filled in holes with old bed springs, old metal fencing material, there is a section near an old Union Pacific rail line in my area that buried old tools, some magnetic in a pit behind a station house. You can't get within 30 yards of the place regardless what you do. I would have never found out about the tools had I not researched the location. good luck!!

Sorry for the confusion. The area includes a very large oak that has since died and has been cut down to a very large trunk/stump. This tree has since had a lot of sod planted around it and is well groomed, so I tend to stay away from it so as not to create any fuss with park employees. So I've been searching outside the groomed area.

The particular tree I'm searching near is about 50 yards away and is a large oak also that is still fully alive and appears to have original soil/terrain around it. But unlike all the other trees around it, it has a lot of noise.

Signal Line - excellent idea. I'll definitely try this. I'm bound to learn something about ground balancing in general, and specifically might just crack this nut.

Thanks!
 

Diggin-N-Dumps

Gold Member
Sep 9, 2009
6,046
3,781
Fort Worth,Texas
Detector(s) used
CTX 3030 / AT PRO / Etrac w/ NEL
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I'll say it again, when in doubt, bury a test target near the edge of detection and gb to get the best response. That means manually raise or lower the GB number and then see how the target sounds.

Lol..Uh..What? First off a "Test Target" will never read as if it were in the ground 60+ years. Its weird because I read all these posts abotu GB...but i NEVER GB my machine, and I really have no problem finding stuff. I think its good if you are on the beach or something, but I dont think its really going to help you find more coins
 

Bart@Big Boys Hobbies

Supporting Vendor
Supporting Vendor
Jul 24, 2005
4,594
1,219
Moore Oklahoma
Detector(s) used
Call for your Treasurenet special discount! Be sure to mention Tnet when you call!
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I find especially on the Garrett Metal Detectors that a well ground balanced machine runs more stable and falses less. Much less likely to miss a deep target on confusing it with a false hit.
 

OP
OP
M

markbxr400

Tenderfoot
Aug 15, 2014
9
1
Lower Alabama
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro
Fisher F2
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Can't hurt to try it. My ability to find anything in all of this noise is currently zero. I'm going to try it early next week and I'll report back how it goes. Again, thanks for the useful suggestions.
 

signal_line

Silver Member
Nov 14, 2011
3,601
1,835
Detector(s) used
XP Deus
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
If there is salt (fertilizer) or lots of sand or even ash, all of these can create noise. Wet ground really makes salt chatter. Try less sensitivity, even try holding the coil off the ground a bit if nothing else works.
 

perry2

Sr. Member
Jan 1, 2013
404
215
Bradford, NH
Detector(s) used
AT PRO
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
OK so I'm on a lakeside beach ( VERY KLEEN) and start to detect // Beepidy beep --all kinds of noise-- I shut down and do a restart // WOW about 75% less noise//--I then try a GB
-hold the gb button and bounce up and down 6-7 times ?? what should happen?? the vdi meter shows 60s up and down, 62,67,61,69///Is it supposed to settle down to a number ?? I never know if I do it correctly //// Perry PS I had a good hunt anyway///
 

Goose MKII

Full Member
Oct 22, 2014
138
36
Niwot, Colorado
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro
Primary Interest:
Cache Hunting
I've been hunting a park out in the middle of nowhere where a very large oak once stood with several large oaks still remaining, but smaller than the very large one. History says people used to come hang out around the oak nearly 100 years ago. While private property for a century +, it is now owned by the county and designated a park, so OK to hunt. About 40 feet away from one of the large oaks, I found my first ever nickel, a 1918 buffalo, and in a different spot away from this oak, a 1917 wheat. I have found a zillion pull tabs and beer cans as well. However, whenever I get within about 30 feet of this particular tree, I start getting massive iron background noise. Not like iron targets, but more constant, I assume like heavy mineralized soil. I typically hunt in Pro Zero, no discrim, but in this area also have tried discriminating out iron, but then no targets at all, like the detector is masking all targets due to the iron.

I have found that I'm lousy at best at manually ground balancing, and can't get the thing to distinctively auto ground balance in this area. I'm convinced there are more old coins around this tree if I can figure out how to crack this nut.

Many thanks for any suggestions.
Try some of the Garrett videos.
On the video playlist go to video 2/4 (2 of 4) at the 1:50 on
I bet they cover your question. watch the whole video

Garrett AT Pro Metal Detector Information and Settings

 

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