Tuning the ground balance on a Mojave

DukeBoxer

Jr. Member
Feb 3, 2017
60
129
CT
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Mojave and Compadre
Garrett Pro-Pointer AT
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Hey all. I've searched around google but I can't really find any information about this. I bought a Mojave on eBay a year or two ago and I love it. I found my first and best gold ring with it and i even ditched my AT Pro in favor of it. The problem is it's always been pretty hot and falsed a lot in the low setting of the GB. In southern CT I had to run it on the high ground balance even though I'm pretty sure the ground there isn't that mineralized. I love in Costa Rica now and the few times I've taken it out it likes to false on the high GB setting and the low is basically unusable.

I've tuned the ground balance on my compadre that ran hot when I got it too but from what I can see there's no GB potentiometer screw on the Mojave. Does anyone know of anything I can do tune it a bit so it doesn't run so hot?
 

steve1357

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May 17, 2013
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my memory says the mojave is like the older compadre with the 7" coil. It has an extra gain circuit in it compared to the newest compadre

I'll look this evening, there is a post somewhere with both circuit boards and the adjustments labeled....

Found it

https://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=216038

fwiw I'd just mess with the sensitivity

then again, I may be all wrong lol
ymmv
 

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DukeBoxer

Jr. Member
Feb 3, 2017
60
129
CT
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Mojave and Compadre
Garrett Pro-Pointer AT
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I used that post to mess with the sensitivity and ground balance of my compadre. I'll open up the Mojave and post a picture of the board in a minute
 

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DukeBoxer

Jr. Member
Feb 3, 2017
60
129
CT
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Mojave and Compadre
Garrett Pro-Pointer AT
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
1034212721.png

Ok so there are 2 pots, but again I have no clue what they do. The two wires circled are the wires from the high/low ground switch. Does anyone know what those 2 pots do? I'm guessing, unfortunately, they're discrim and sensitivity
 

Terry Soloman

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May 28, 2010
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It is a 12 Khz detector. Get a Vaquero or some other Mid-freq (14-17) VLF, or make the jump to Multi-freq.:skullflag:
 

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DukeBoxer

Jr. Member
Feb 3, 2017
60
129
CT
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Mojave and Compadre
Garrett Pro-Pointer AT
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Terry, I have an Equinox 800 and I use that much more, but I have 2 kids plus other young family members that like to come out with me and I want the Mojave to be a little more quiet and stable. I appreciate your advice but that's not the answer I'm looking for.
 

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DukeBoxer

Jr. Member
Feb 3, 2017
60
129
CT
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Mojave and Compadre
Garrett Pro-Pointer AT
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Ok I fixed this one too (I'm referring to the almost same problem I had with the Compadre that is documented on this forum also). I emailed Sven from treasurelinx, hoping he'd see the email and get back to me at some point in the next couple weeks...it was less than 12 hours before I had a reply. I asked him if he knew which trim pot, if any, controlled the ground balance. He informed me it was the one on the left, the innermost one that did. The one on the outside controls the discrimination and should not be touched. Here's what I did.

I opened up the control box and exposed the board. I made sure the disc was set to the lowest position in iron (basically no disc), the sensitivity was on 4 and the ground condition was on low. I took the coil and pumped it at the ground and it falsed. I then turned the trimmer all the way CLOCKWISE until it wouldn't turn any more. I did this very very easily and lightly. If you attempt this remember, easily and lightly. I then pumped the coil to the ground to make sure it wasn't falseing still and it wasn't. Then I started turning it back COUNTER CLOCKWISE a tiny bit at a time until it started to false and then turned it slightly back CLOCKWISE to where it didn't false any more. Remember, the movements are slight when turning the trimmer.

I also noticed that when I touched the yellow wire coming from the ground condition toggle, it made the machine false also. Knowing why and being able to fix it is probably beyond my knowledge and comfort zone so I made sure that when I put it back together it was snug and didn't move. I'm guessing some of the falseing was for that wire and other falseing was from the ground balance being off.

Again, this was the solution to my problem. It might not be the same for everyone but it worked for me. I hope this helps at least one person with the same problem since I couldn't find a solution for it myself, or even a good picture of the board
 

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DukeBoxer

Jr. Member
Feb 3, 2017
60
129
CT
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Mojave and Compadre
Garrett Pro-Pointer AT
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting

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