I looked into GB over the past week, wow what a poorly explained and understood topic with many conflicting opinions and statements. Somebody is wrong.
On the Deus the Ground Mineralization Index the white number on black background, they never say what that is exactly. There is a range for dirt 60-95 but does that range represent different types of mineralization or mineralization strength, I think the answer is both. As mineralization strength varies, so does the ground mineralization index reported. The Mineralization Strength bar graph is supposed to indicate how mineralized the soil is, so does the plug you just dug have a teaspoon of minerals in it or 4 teaspoons. Which I think is an element of what the ground mineralization index is trying to tell you.
Some suggest the strength of the mineralization has no influence or consequence on the ground mineralization index or GB correction, that seems wrong to me. The manual says hot rocks begin sounding off with a GB correction of 87, okay what about a big hot rock? If you increase the GB correction to 90 surely that will get rid of big hot rocks right, nope. It doesn't speak to target depth at all which is a major factor. To me the above is a generalization at best that 'may' be true in some soil/site conditions. But its so over simplified the user may be confused then when their machine in their local soil doesn't behave as the manual describes.
Simplified - mineralization is camouflage that hides a target. The more mineralization in the soil the heavier the camouflage. The deeper the target the heavier the camouflage. Even in soil with mild mineralization as target depth increases, the target to mineralization ratio increases favoring mineralization. At some point you are hearing about as much mineralization in the tones as target tones. Deeper still and the target fades completely away into the mineralization camouflage. In more highly mineralized soil this transition happens quicker hence less depth in higher mineralized soil.
Adjusting the GB correction to stable operation, mostly free of soil mineralization may notch out smaller, deeper targets which have mostly faded into the mineralization camouflage. Adjust GB to allow more mineralization in and you may hear the target, go too far and it will be difficult to identify the target from the numerous ground false signals. The Deus manual hints at backing off the GB correction just a tad to find that sweet spot, not too low on the GB correction that you drown in false signals, but not too high that you knock out deeper/smaller mostly camouflaged targets.
The link above where the gent Humble Pie explains is about as simple as what you are trying to get answers to.
They put the minerlalization index meter on the Deus for a reason.
Same for Fisher F75.
Now higher mineral ground will tend to have a higher ground phase on average,,but ground phase cannot be relied on for telling a persons just how minerlized- hence affect depth of detector,,,meaning higher mineral soil would generally with Deus tell a person go low on the silencer, go higher in the freq, run a higher Reactivty setting, sweep slower, listen for targets that are sounding off extremely close to iron range tonally. And if even possibly digging iron tone signals especially on the deeper targets.
Ground notch will cost you depth.
It will make the detector run quieter,,and keep the coil,form falsing more on bumps like when detecting in stubble.
But like everything else, anytime a setting quietens a detector, generally some thing is sacrificed.
Now could a more stable detector let a person hear some finds they might not hear other wise?
Yes.
But at the same time using ground notch could knock out what could be normally a fringe depth detected nonferrous target.
Now you mention ground balance, running it below ground setting.
I don't advise newby with Deus to do right off the bat, but sure a person can do.
Now some additional depth can be had,,,I should point out Deus GB not like all other detectors. So yes a persons can run 2-7 points below ground phase. And deeper targets tonally will be different sounding, you go too low iron will start sounding sweet. You go even lower detector will become unstable.
Running higher than ground phase.
In milder ground not much damage here for a user,,but if some mineral exists even low, the deeper targets like 8 plus inches will start sounding chopped, sound like they are trying to squeeze through,,sweep speed here more critical too to hear. Tonally nonferrous deeper can sound tonally real short, can even sound like iron and mislead a person.
You will see where some folks just run 90 GB.
Some folks believe it or not, their soil minerlalization doe allow, and these folks see no benefits to running actual ground phase GB..
Little do they know the deeper fringe (actually detectable) can slip right by them and they won't even know.
Freshly buried targets at deeper depths will expose all of what I talk about above as far as running GB below or above Ground reading.
Ground notch can also be experimented with on deeper targets and a person can see the affects on deeper targets.
I have played with Deus bunches.
But have used all metal modes some,,,they are not for me,,can't keep tuned here in my ground.
And the gold field program,,I have limted experience using.
No beach hunting both fresh and salt water.
No water use period other than in the rain and yes even some snow.
The rest I have tested, hunted, probably used Deus for at least 5,000 hours.
Also have used Deus to compare to other units, even one test unit I tested.
Charles,
This link, talking about ground notch.
Squirrel in the thread is me.
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?83,2381515,page=1
Deus is so far out of all detectors I have run,,,has the largest grey area tonally for nonferrous targets masked by either or mineral or ferrous materials.
Folks need to learn what the iron grunt sounds like.
This is very important.
Tones produced on targets that don't give this ron grunt,,,these can be nonferous although the tone provided is very very very near iron tone sounding.
Hanging tone with just a flutter of high tinge tone, these too can be nonferrous.
Nonferrous under the Deus' coil many times far from textbook tonally.
This goes for LF and HF coil useage.
The clues are there, folks just need to be a good detective and know when to investigate.
Will a person dig some iron a doing??
You bet ya.
If you are pushing Deus to its limits you will dig iron.
If you are using Deus and are not digging some iron,,you need to keep practicing/hunting with unit. Some folks may find this preceding statement,,,thinking it is backwards.
Meaning the more experience, the better one gets with Deus should mean less iron right??
Nope
Now, I am not saying when a person gets proficient with Deus they will be digging iron every other hole dug.
Just that some iron should be dug when hunting old sites with iron-if a person is on their game with Deus.
New Deus users I feel will benefit especially from the info above.
And with time, they will be able to definitely relate to what I have said here.
How long will a Deus user have to use unit hours wise to start seeing the above?
Depends.
I can say if a Deus user will hunt mostly hard hunted previous sites, learning curve I think overall will be shorter.
But your finds numbers will be less vs hunting in lesser hunted or virgin sites.
