Automatic, manual, and precise Ground Balancing

[climber2013]

Hey all,

Firstly, what is automatic ground balancing? Secondly, can anyone suggest a good metal detector for coin hunting? I'm considering the Minelab xTerra 705 due to it's automatic ground balancing. I believe I have an idea of what it is but I'd like someone to explain it in detail. I'm really into coins and have several good spots picked out. I just need a metal detector to actually do it. Haha! This will be my first detector.

 

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[TreasurePirate69]

Well.... automatic ground balancing can mean a lot of things. Here are a few thoughts on the subject.

Manual Ground Balancing - As the name implies you can manually set up the detector to ignore a constant ground signal. Moving the detector to a different type of ground may require you to reset the ground balance. Many people feel this is the best option for harsh conditions as it gives you full control. Depending on the detector and the conditions it may not be possible to successfully ground balance the detector in harsher soil. If the soil is such that the ground signal is outside of the adjustable range of the detector you may be out of luck.

Preset Ground Balance - The detector has been set internally for a "common" type of ground. The ground balance cannot be changed. If your soil is not like the soil the detector was setup for then you could have problems and potentially lose depth. Tesoro will tune your detector to fit your local ground conditions if you send them the detector and a bucket of dirt. Some detectors can be adjusted internally by hand by turning a potentiometer to adjust ground balance. But this requires opening the unit and can void the warranty.

Automatic Ground Balance - This term and what it means is highly dependent upon the manufacturer and the circuit used. Some manufacturers even use this term to mean the same thing as Preset Ground Balance. A truly automatic ground balance system will try to reject any common ground signal automatically. This often implies that the detector must be moving in order for the ground signal to be averaged out. But as I said there are different ways this can be accomplished. As with manual ground balance there are cases where the mineralization in the ground is too harsh for the automatic ground balance system to work.

I don't know anything about how the Minelab xTerra 705 works so you hopefully someone else can come along and fill in the important details.

 

[Frankn]

The ground balance on my XLT is automatic, but you reference it when you start. Here's how it works. Turn on detector, raise detector waist high and hit enter, place coil on ground and hit enter. From that point on it will automatically adjust itself as the ground changes. I like this system best because it is always set correctly and you don't have to fool with it every few minutes in bad soil. It also eliminates false signals. I have been using this detector for 13 years and have never gotten a false signal from anything but heavy rust. Frank...

 

[MT_Joe]

Thanks for the info guys!