AT Pro Ground Balance in Water

PA John · Sep 1, 2012

I was in the middle Chesapeake Bay yesterday. I ground balanced several times and the number was 11 or 10. I didn't think the water was very salty, maybe it is? The detector was unstable and difficult to pin point. I did manage to find a pocket knife, bottle caps, and some weird rock.

Any helpful hints or thoughts?

bluehunter1973 · Sep 1, 2012

Did you try to reset the machine? It's worked a couple of times sometimes it dont.

Dwight S · Sep 1, 2012

The bay is at least brackish, if not salt like the ocean. 10 or so is about right for salt water. Back down the sensitivity about 3 notches until stable. You'll still get plenty of depth.

Ace350 · Sep 2, 2012

Yup, mine runs about 10 in the ocean around here. I also agree that you have to turn the sensitivity down at least 3-4 notches until the falsing stops.

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kayden · Sep 2, 2012

This may help or not ...Just in case you didnt do this ...before ground balance Do not discrimnate anything...In other words start with Zero discrim before ground balancing!

liftloop · Sep 3, 2012

check that rock with a magnet could be a meteor.

PA John · Sep 5, 2012

Thank you for the advice everyone.

Now I gotta fix my boat! Figures!

Ace350 · Sep 24, 2012

I have also found that if I remove the coil cover for salt water hunting there is a lot less falsing due to sand not being trapped between the coil and the coil cover. Our beaches are mostly sugar sand and you don't really bump into rocks so breaking a coil is not a concern for me. This may work for you if you have the same type of beach but if it has a rocky bottom it would be safer to use the coil cover.

missedshed · Sep 24, 2012

Bay has had a very high salinity this year. I was out by the bay yesterday and I had trouble bc imy detector wouldn't settle down at all. Bay was so salty that flounder and puppy drum were being caught on a regular bases all the way up to kent island.

Ace350 · Sep 24, 2012

missedshed said:
Bay has had a very high salinity this year. I was out by the bay yesterday and I had trouble bc imy detector wouldn't settle down at all. Bay was so salty that flounder and puppy drum were being caught on a regular bases all the way up to kent island.

Missedshed,
Try this next time you hit the bay or ocean.Just try it once for me and let me know how it worked out for you.
1) Take your coil cover off.
2) turn the sensitivity down to 1/2
3) ground balance it underwater
4) re-adjust sensitivity up or down till the chattering stops.
5) with salt water you may have to adjust your ground balance & sensitivity from time to time.
With the sensitivity lower you won't lose depth because the salinity in the water will increase conductivity.
Kinda like how people get more depth with their machines when they hunt on wet ground after it rains. But you have the salt water which is even more conductive than plain water.