Auto tracking ground balance?

[CarsonChris]

I’ve heard people say auto tracking will discriminate out good targets?

Should I use a standard ground balance or is auto ok in iron infested sites?

 

[saanich2018]

You may want to watch this Minelab video on Ground Balance

 

[Hawks88]

I’m always on auto tracking. Great video by the way.

 

[CoinHunterAZ]

I prefer to do it manually, checking it every once in a while throughout the hunt. Fortunately the main areas I hunt aren't highly mineralized at all. I could actually hunt at zero in most of my spots and be fine. Goldfields are a different story though, but I still prefer to manually ground balance.

 

[Possum]

Great video, thanks for sharing... "D"

 

[lamarkeiko]

I am confused between auto ground balance and tracking ground balance. Don't they both automatically adjust for ground balance?

 

[vferrari]

I am confused between auto ground balance and tracking ground balance. Don't they both automatically adjust for ground balance?

This terminology does confuse folks.

Auto ground balance is a single point automatic adjustment of ground balance while pumping the coil in ground balance mode but the ground balance setting remains fixed until you perform another auto or manual ground balance (manual GB just means you manually press the +/- push buttons to null out the ground phase feedback tone vs. the auto adjustment I just described). Either manual or auto GB has to be repeated if the ground phase changes significantly at your site since you last performed the GB setting. Tracking ground balance senses changes in mineralization while in search mode and changes the ground balance setting on the fly. It helps in situations where there are significant variations in ground phase due to mineralization at at a site. It is spelled out in the video posted above, btw.

Ground balance is mode specific and needs to be performed separately for each mode (unless the default setting of 0 is sufficient for the site - typically 0 is sufficient for dry beach sand or very mild soils. Though, even in those cases a manual/auto GB is fine if that is part of your normal startup routine).

Regarding the OP’s question, tracking should only be used as a potential remedy if variations in ground phase are resulting in ground feedback noise occurring (you need to be in all metal to hear it as constant, variable low tones and TIDs varying between -9 and -7). Otherwise, just stick with a single point manual or auto ground balance or 0 default if you are in mild soil. Tracking may or may not resolve your ground noise issue, but there is little chance of it causing you to miss targets, even in thick iron situations because it is programmed to react to rather slowly to probable mineralization changes or likely hot rocks vs. discrete iron targets. HTH.

 

[Slim382ms]

For some reason while watching that video I was pumping my iphone up and down trying to ground balance.

 

[lamarkeiko]

Thanks vferraia for the explanation. So if I understand correctly, you can do ground balance as the manual describes either manually or auto and the number should come out about the same. This would be just what ever method was prefered to ground balance an area.

 

[vferrari]

Correct. And tracking for real problem areas were GB is highly variable. Let your ears be the guide, if it sounds like you are getting a lot of ferrous noise and low TID numbers -9 to -7 when in all metal, then do a GB (manual or auto). If you periodically check and find you are often not balanced try tracking. Don't worry about GB readings so much, just the AM ground noise and target performance. Doing a GB even without noise is a good habit to get into, but unless the ground is medium to super hot (noisy) the Equinox in multi IQ does a pretty goid job even at zero. Some soils drive the GB number up but if it is not caused by mineralization or causing ground noise, perfect GB is not a critical. If you are using single frequency, you lose the multi IQ ground compensation and are more likely to have to GB to get rid of ground noise even in milder soils.