Ground balance: Pros and cons of auto vs manual ground balance systems

[gfmucci]

Several Whites machines (Coinmaster Pro, GT, and MX5 for examples) have AutoTrac, which is automatic ground balance without a manual ground balance capability.

How accurate and consistent is that ground balance system compared to the more "hands on" systems of machines like Fisher F4 and F5 and Garretts that require periodic manual tweaking to maintain the balance?

What are the pros and cons of each?

The cons I read for auto trac systems is there there is no manual option. If auto trac works well, it seems there would be no need for manual intervention. The pros I read include statements like "why would I want to have to check ground balance every 10 seconds to make sure its reading correctly if it can be done automatically? This assumes auto ground balancing is doing a good job.

 

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[Longhair]

I can't speak to the Whites machines, but Minelab illustrated an analogy of the increased accuracy of their auto GB.

And with an Xterra you can even offset the GB (either positive or negative) and it will track with that offset.

 

[woof!]

Phase-tracking ground balance systems as found on actual products vary from the positively awful, to the moderately good. All have disadvantages. None (not even Minelab's) works like Minelab's ads describe.

When we introduced the T2 without a ground phase tracking system, people asked "where's the ground tracking?" Our response was "you don't need it". After about a year of that, the whole issue went away. Nothing we presently manufacture has a ground phase tracking system, and customers rarely ask for it.