Ground Balance Question

[AugustMoose87]

So now that I'm using a more advanced detector, I've got a question about ground balance and sensitivity. The manual for my X-Terra 705 says that higher sensitivity can only be used in very stable conditions. So could I use my ground balance number as a guide for how high I can set my sensitivity?

 

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[SusanMN]

I just move the sensitivity up until it starts to get unstable, then back it down a bit. It is a pretty simple process to adjust it so I wouldn't sweat it much.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

The ground balance # is not an indicator of 'stability'. As susan says, you can just slowly amp up your sens, till it starts to get unstable. And "unstable" is known by numerous signals that don't repeat in the same spot. (momentary flutters).

 

[airscapes]

Ground Balance is short for "Ground Elimination Balance" When you ground balanced the machine is set to Ignore the iron minerals in the ground. If the machine is not properly ground balanced it will respond to the iron in the ground as if it were a target. This will certainly reduce your ability to find conductive targets and cause your machine to act very unstable especially if you are not discriminating out iron.
I assume the numbers you see with the ground balance are either the VDI of the minerals in the ground or some other number the corresponds to the same. Every manufacture is different but the end result is the same.. make the machine ignore the slow changing minerals in the ground.
Hope that helps!

 

[AugustMoose87]

Alright, thanks guys. I've been trying to find some reading that will help me with some of these more advanced controls - ground balance offset might as well be Russian at the moment. I need the 101 version to help me understand the basics, but also do better once I get the 501 version so that I understand the mechanics/physics/electronics behind the basics.

 

[airscapes]

Offset in the Whites world is more for advance prospecting and not something you need to fiddle with when starting out. Could be different on your machine but keep it simple, start with the defaults and then read/fiddle with each setting to understand what it does, that is how I attacked the DFX when I first got it.
Good luck