Bevo,
I too recently got a Bounty Hunter Platinum. I got a little deeper results on my airs tests. I had my sensitivity cranked all the way to 10.
The BH Platinum is very similar to the Teknetics Gamma 6000. I was told that the software was developed from the Teknetics T2 Platform.
Some things that are different in the two detectors are the way you manual ground balance the detectors. The BH ground grab type adjustment is different than the Gamma's ground grab adjustment. Ground grab is like a semi automated manual ground balance to make it easier to manual ground balance these machines. Just being able to make this adjustment is better than the pre-set ground balance machines as it gives you more depth. Another difference is that the gamma has more than the manual ground grab feature as you can select manually the number setting of the ground balance. And in Audio the Gamma has VCO tone when you have selected the one tone option. If you select any of the other audio options 2 tone, 3 tone , 4 tone you have the saturated audio type response. The number scales are different for like sensitivity at max is 10 on the bounty hunter. The the top max setting on the Gamma is 99 which basically means you have a refined selection ability with the gamma. But the gamma is $200 more in price.
The numeric coin value readouts are the same from the detector manuals.
Bounty Hunter Platinum 2-Digit TARGET IDENTIFICATION Values
Some Typical Values
Numeric Common for Common
Category Value Range Objects Objects
Iron 10 - 39
Foil 40 - 54
Nickel 55 - 59 US Nickel 57
PullTab 60 - 64
S-Cap+ 65 - 74
Zinc 75 - 79 US Zinc Penny 77
(after 1982)
Dime 80 - 84 US Dime 83
US Copper Penny 82 - 83
(pre-1982)
Quarter+ 85 - 99 US Quarter 88 - 89
US Half-Dollar 91-93
US Silver Dollar 96-98
TEKNETICS GAMMA 6000 2-Digit TARGET IDENTIFICATION Values
Some Typical Values
Numeric Common for Common
Category Value Range Objects Objects
Iron 10 - 39
Foil 40 - 54
Nickel 55 - 59 US Nickel 57
PullTab 60 - 64
S-Cap+ 65 - 74
Zinc 75 - 79 US Zinc Penny 77
(after 1982)
Dime 80 - 84 US Dime 83
US Copper Penny 82 - 83
(pre-1982)
Quarter+ 85 - 99 US Quarter 88 - 89
US Half-Dollar 91-93
US Silver Dollar 96-98
Bounty Hunter Platinum Ground Grab:
4. GROUND GRAB
All soils contain minerals. Signals from ground minerals interfere with the
signals from metal objects. All soils differ, and can differ greatly, in the
type and amount of ground minerals present. This detector incorporates
ground balancing algorithms which eliminate interference caused by the
ground minerals found in most soils.
The GROUND GRAB feature allows the user to more precisely calibrate
the detector’s internal circuitry to the specific ground you are searching.
We call this calibration process ground balancing.
We therefore recommend that you use GROUND GRAB to most accurately
calibrate the detector to the specific ground conditions where you are hunting.
It is a quick and automated process, and will instantly grab the ground reading
of any patch of ground you are standing over. This process will maximize the
detector’s target identification accuracy and depth detection capability.
The Process is as follows:
1. Find a patch of ground which is free of metal.
Use the DISCRIMINATION mode, with no targets discriminated out.
2. Enter the ALL METALS mode of operation.
3. Hold the detector with the search coil a foot or two above the ground.
4. Press-and-Hold .
The GROUND GRAB line is illuminated.
5. Lower the searchcoil down to within 2 inches of the ground.
6. After successfully ground balancing, release .
You have successfully ground balanced after a 2-digit number appears in
the middle of the screen. After 3 seconds with the same 2-digit number
displayed, you will hear a repeating high tone, indicating that ground
balancing was successful.
If the detector is not able to ground balance, “ _ _ ” appears, a low-pitch
warning sound alarms, and the message “Raise Coil” is illuminated. You
could be over a piece of metal. If so, find another patch of ground. The
detector will also not Ground Grab on a wet salt-water beach.
Teknetics Gamma 6000 Ground Grab:
4. GROUND GRAB
All soils contain minerals. Signals from ground minerals interfere with the
signals from metal objects. All soils differ, and can differ greatly, in the type and
amount of ground minerals present. This detector incorporates ground
balancing algorithms which eliminate interference caused by the ground
minerals found in most soils.
The GROUND GRAB and MANUAL GROUND balancing feature allows the
user to more precisely calibrate the detector’s internal circuitry to the specific
ground you are searching.
We therefore recommend that you use GROUND GRAB to most accurately
calibrate the detector to the specific ground conditions where you are hunting. It is
a quick and automated process, and will instantly grab the ground reading of any
patch of ground you are standing over. This process will maximize the detector’s
target identification accuracy and depth detection capability.
AUTOMATIC GROUND BALANCING PROCEDURE USING GROUND GRAB
1. Find a spot of ground where there is no metal present.
2. Hold the detector with the searchcoil about one foot
above the ground.
3. Enter the GROUND GRAB mode.
3. Push and hold .
4. Physically pump the searchcoil and detector up and
down over the ground.
Lift it about 6 inches above the ground and lower it to within
1 inch of the ground, about once or twice a second.
5. A 2-digit ground value will appear on the display. This is the
Ground Balance setting.
6. When the 2-digit ground value stabilizes, release the button.
Note: GROUND GRAB will not automatically balance over highly conductive soils, such as a wet salt water beach. Automatic balancing is not possible in soils with gound values less than 40. The screen will display “--” and
an alarm will sound if over metal or in ground with a value less than 40.
Gamma 6000 MANUAL GROUND BALANCING
In most situations, it is preferable to use GROUND GRAB to automatically
ground balance. Generally, it is best to first let the detector automatically
cancel interference from ground minerals. However, for gold prospecting,
searching on a wet saltwater beach, or searching in an area with so much
metal trash that there is no clean ground for the detector’s internal computer
to sample, we recommended that you manually ground balance. Manual
ground balancing requires a bit of skill, acquired with some practice.
When manually ground balancing, try to “feel out” a spot on the ground
to make sure there is no metal present. In order to avoid locking onto
metal, the detector will not ground grab where the GROUND setting is
less than 40. Where the ground reads less than 40, the ground value is
displayed as “--”, and manual ground balancing is required.
To perform the Manual Ground Balancing operation, do the following:
1. Select the GROUND GRAB mode
The legend GROUND appears near the top of the screen.
The present ground balance setting is displayed (0-99).
2. Physically pump the searchcoil and detector up and down over
the ground. Lift it about 6 inches above the ground and lower it
to within 1 inch of the ground, about once or twice a second. You
are trying to balance the sound as described on the top of page 19.
a. If the detector balances, use this setting as a starting point for
manual balancing.
b. If “--” is displayed press until you find the desired setting.
3. While pumping the coil, press or to change the ground
balance setting.
The range of ground balance settings indicated on the display range
from 0 to 99; however, each displayed number spans about 10 pad
presses of the and buttons. The actual internal ground balance
settings change with each step; there are a total of 1000different settings.
The scale at the upper-right of the screen indicates the AMOUNT
of magnetic mineralization. The searchcoil must be in motion to
measure this. The most accurate measurement is obtained by
pumping the searchcoil, as in the Ground Grab procedure.
The indicators are as follows:
VL = Very Low Mineralization
L = Low Mineralization
M = Moderate Mineralization
H = High Mineralization
The two-digit GROUND setting number displayed at the center of the
LCD indicates the TYPE of ground mineralization.
Some typical ground mineralization types are:
0 -10 Wet salt and alkalis
5 - 25 Metallic iron. Very few soils in this range. You are probably
over metal.
26-39 Very few soils in this range -occasionally some saltwater beaches
40-75 Red, yellow, and brown iron-bearing clay minerals
75-95 Magnetite and other black iron minerals
When operating in ALL-METALS mode the goal is to eliminate the
sound as the coil is being pumped over the ground. In some soils,
the sound is not completely eliminated. If the ground balance
adjustment is incorrect, there will be a difference in the sound as the
searchcoil is either moving toward or away from the ground. It may
sound like you are either pulling the sound out of the ground, or
pushing the sound into the ground.
• If the sound is louder as you raise the searchcoil, increase the
ground balance setting.
• If the sound is louder as you lower the searchcoil, reduce the
ground balance setting.
NOTE: Experienced users often prefer to adjust the ground
balance to get a weak but audible response when lowering the
searchcoil. This is called adjusting for positive response.
Positive and Negative Response
The purpose of ground balancing is to adjust the metal detector to
ignore ground minerals. If the setting is incorrect, ground minerals will
give either a positive or a negative response, depending on which
direction the adjustment is off.
POSITIVE RESPONSE
If the G.B. setting is too high a number, the response of minerals will
be positive. This means that when the searchcoil is lowered to the
ground in PinPoint or All Metals mode, the sound will get louder as
the searchcoil approaches the ground. The sound will grow quieter as
the searchcoil is raised. What, if anything, you will hear in
discrimination mode depends on the discrimination setting. When
searching in All Metals mode, if ground balance is properly set to
cancel the ground, and you sweep over a positive hot rock, the rock
will give a “zip” sound similar to that of a metal object.
NEGATIVE RESPONSE
If the G.B. setting is too low a number, the response of minerals will
be negative. When the searchcoil is lowered to the ground in
PinPoint or All Metals mode, the machine will be silent. The machine
will sound off as the searchcoil is lifted away from the ground. What,
if anything, you hear in discrimination mode depends on the
discrimination setting. When searching in All Metals mode, a negative
hot rock will produce a “boing” sound after passing over it, making it
difficult to know where it is located. It will not have the sound and
“feel” of a metal object.
