Ground Balance question for ALL F70 users?

[MarkCZ]

This seemed like a good idea to me, but now I'm having second thoughts about it because I'm not sure if the ground balance setting will carry over from program 2 to program 1.

Let me explain!
I thought it a good idea to use the program 2 to store a group of settings in the Auto Tune mode to use for ground balancing the detector and then just switch over to the program 1 for my discrimination mode search settings. The Auto Tune settings were very mild because I wasn't hunting in that mode so I didn't want to go deep and it be to sensitive to EMI, just the ground minerals. So, it went like this,
Turn the detector on and switch to program 2 with these settings,
Threshold = -5 (minus 5)
Sensitivity = 15
then ground balance, then switch to the program 1 with the hotter discrimination settings.

Now, to me this all made sense, but the manual doesn't say that a ground balance setting done in one storage bank (program 2) will carry over to the other bank (program 1) I'm thinking it does, but that don't amount to a hill of beans if it really doesn't.

???????????????

Mark

 

[IBdiggin]

I'm with you Mark. I believe we are suppose to balance in Auto tones so we can hear if it is clean ground. I hunt with very low discrimination, 1 or 2 in program 1 and 4H tones since I like to hear if there is iron present along with my mid and high tones. I usually run sensitivity very high in auto tones for program 2 which seems to help me untangle iffy or mixed tones that comes from iron, tabs, or multi denomination spills. HH and hope this helps-----------------------IB

 

[B.P.Beeper]

Ground Balance setting is same for both Program 1 and Program 2. Just like Frequency Shift.
To check it, tap the Ground Grab button in the other Program. Should show the same number.

 

[MarkCZ]

I'm with you Mark. I believe we are suppose to balance in Auto tones so we can hear if it is clean ground. I hunt with very low discrimination, 1 or 2 in program 1 and 4H tones since I like to hear if there is iron present along with my mid and high tones. I usually run sensitivity very high in auto tones for program 2 which seems to help me untangle iffy or mixed tones that comes from iron, tabs, or multi denomination spills. HH and hope this helps-----------------------IB

Well, I'm wanting to actually run in program 2, I just want to use it as part of the setup, ground balance it in program 2, then switch to program 1 and bring the fresh ground balance with the change.

"B.P.Beeper" I'll check that out to see if the number carries over.

Mark

 

[MarkCZ]

I'm with you Mark. I believe we are suppose to balance in Auto tones so we can hear if it is clean ground. I hunt with very low discrimination, 1 or 2 in program 1 and 4H tones since I like to hear if there is iron present along with my mid and high tones. I usually run sensitivity very high in auto tones for program 2 which seems to help me untangle iffy or mixed tones that comes from iron, tabs, or multi denomination spills. HH and hope this helps-----------------------IB

Well, I'm wanting to actually run in program 2, I just want to use it as part of the setup, ground balance it in program 2, then switch to program 1 and bring the fresh ground balance with the change.

"B.P.Beeper" I'll check that out to see if the number carries over.

Mark

I hate it when I do that, the above has a blunder of a type-o.
Its suppose to read!

Well, I'm "NOT" wanting to actually run in program 2, I just want to use it as part of the setup, ground balance it in program 2, then switch to program 1 and bring the fresh ground balance with the change.

Mark

 

[IBdiggin]

Yeah Mark. I figured so. Amazing how a little 3 letter word can have sooo much effect.
I also hunt in program 1 Mark but jump back and forth only when there is some confusion as to the iron content or the combination of multi targets or to ground balance. I get the best of both worlds as I believe I get better iron id in the display in auto tones and better tone id in program 2 discrimination. Here is a neat little trick to use while hunting in program 1. Balance in program 2 and then switch to program 1 and push your pinpoint over clean ground. You should see horizontal lines in your display. If you see numbers instead you are either over a target or your out of balance ------------IB

 

[mudpuppy]

I only GB my F70 when things just dont sound quite right, and on those days that might just be me..maybe 2 times per month I'll go into AT and do a GB....when signals are crisp and tight, I dont fool with nothing!
Mud

 

[IBdiggin]

You must have pretty consistent soil in your area Mud. Here with all the sand there is a lot of dirt hauled in for grass growing and whatnot. My balance numbers will range all the way from 67 to 83 in the same park. The thing is I have not heard what is a more desirable number, high or low All I know is if my balance is close the F70 does a good job no matter what the ground is------------IB

 

[MarkCZ]

"Mud" Another thing I'm thinking is that the F70 stores the last used ground balance when its powered back up, is that correct or does it automatically startup at a default setting?

Mark

 

[REVIER]

"Mud" Another thing I'm thinking is that the F70 stores the last used ground balance when its powered back up, is that correct or does it automatically startup at a default setting?

Mark

This is one setting that it usually doesn't save.
I say usually because mine actually did a few times for some reason, but that is rare when I start mine up 99.99% of the time the GB is at 90.

 

[IBdiggin]

I think you are right Revier. It seems somewhere within my feebleness and tinnitus I recall reading the default is 90 or 92.---------IB

 

[kt]

You must have pretty consistent soil in your area Mud. Here with all the sand there is a lot of dirt hauled in for grass growing and whatnot. My balance numbers will range all the way from 67 to 83 in the same park. The thing is I have not heard what is a more desirable number, high or low All I know is if my balance is close the F70 does a good job no matter what the ground is------------IB

Same here for me - I can see numbers anywhere from the mid 50s up to the mid 80s in a surprisingly short distance (original dirt versus fill dirt, I wonder?). I ground balance pretty often. Don't know if it helps me any, but it makes me feel better.

 

[mudpuppy]

Since I hunt shallow clad and jewelry, it probably doesnt matter much for me...I can tell though, going from one sand or gravel totlot to a chip one or the dirt...And I have hunted all over the Country in all sorts of dirt w/out GBing....toughest is rain on top of sand for some reason, and gravel totlots for really throwing strange signals but I get them anyway on account of I run the thing so light a sens...deep wet woodchips seem to magnify depth and tones, dry chips not so much..
Mud.

 

[MarkCZ]

okay, lets see if I can do this without any major type-0's (well that looks pretty good LoL)

Getting back on track now.
I had the F70 out again the other evening for a couple of hours in the 89 degree heat and it does seem to carry the ground balance setting from one program to another. I turned it on and switched to program 2 for the mild preset auto tune settings and I ground balanced it (58 for the reading) then I switched to program 1 and when I pushed the ground grab again I got a reading of "58" I did notice that much coil movement while the ground grab button is pushed and the ground balance will change.

Another thing I did was I checked to see when the detector was powered up if it stored the last ground balance setting, NO! it powers up at a default of 90.

Not much to report about the hunt, it was at a modern fairgrounds that always gets swept after each event, but it still produces a few missed coins from the fast grab of the locals.
A couple of things I did notice is the F70 hits on a lot more of edged coins that most detectors I've had in the past.
It also will chirp out high tone coins in zinc coin spill and other lower conductive targets.
And I don't believe it possible to sweep it to fast, sharpen the edges of the coil and weed eat as you hunt.

I will go as far as to say that most of the coins I recovered from the two test runs at the same fairgrounds were "Difficult Targets" that the F70 somehow squeaked out.
The photo's are from the two different days at the fairgrounds.

The one token I'm counting in coin count, its just to much like one to not count it.
I also, did better on the nickels the second day, the field has a good bit of can slaw that was fooling me in the nickel range.

Mark

 

[WV62]

As long as you don't count it as a nickel, big brother is watching.

 

[MarkCZ]

"Mud" Another thing I'm thinking is that the F70 stores the last used ground balance when its powered back up, is that correct or does it automatically startup at a default setting?

Mark

This is one setting that it usually doesn't save.
I say usually because mine actually did a few times for some reason, but that is rare when I start mine up 99.99% of the time the GB is at 90.

I'm sure that I'm not the only one on here that has heard of the term "Power Balance" well, I've not practiced it but its my understanding that this is done by a slightly positive ground balance for hunting in the discrimination mode, its messes with the all-metal pinpoint somewhat but its supposed to give more depth in the disc. mode.
I believe I read in the F75 manual that the default ground balance will go positive it most soils and should be adjusted when using the Auto Tune search mode. So, they know in most soils the default ground balance is set to go positive, is the idea here a form of power balancing?


Mark

 

[MarkCZ]

As long as you don't count it as a nickel, big brother is watching.

Okay, I'll keep the nickel count real! but be warned!!!! I'm not planning on ever discriminating nickels as long as I have the F70, it likes them and most people are leaving them, well they're is one exception, if I find myself in an area where those old pesty quarters are everywhere and in the way I may crank up the discrimination to full just to clear them out first.

Mark

 

[REVIER]

Regarding the coin capabilities of this thing at a site that has enough to show what it can do.
Yesterday's hunt, 3.5 hours hunting the sidelines of a few soccer fields.
Many of these coins were on edge but that doesn't seem to matter.
Sense at 85, thresh at -3, discrimination at 15, 4H tones using the standard elliptical.
Most coins were between 1 and 4" deep, a few deeper.
Notice the nickel amount...plus all the other coins.
If you can't find coins with this thing you either have dead batteries or something else weird is going on.

 

[mudpuppy]

"If you cant find coins with this thing, its either got dead batteries or something else weird is going on"..

That statement pretty much sums up the F70!...its the perfect tool for how this Sport has morphed over the years...inland gold, jewelry, clad, even an occasional silver coin missed during the "Great Silver Wars" of the 70's-80's

Thats what its come to, all the easy public silver is mostly gone..plenty of nickels, clad, jewelry and gold still there though...

And Fast!

If you are looking for something that can deliver Century Days consistently, long batt life, light, etc.etc....If you are in the right type of town, with the right kind of weather, and a moderate hunter, a guy will easily find $100 bucks/month in clad alone, on ONE set of batteries, just hunting weekends!!...I am trying to remember an ultimate speed test...it was in the Fall of 2012 I believe, when I was shooting for a 10k coin year...I timed myself for 1/2hr at a place loaded with clad...I got 70+ coins in 1/2hr with the thing...the place was a solid carpet of clad, pulled well over 200 coins that day I remember...still....a fellow's biggest challenge is developing a super speedy and comfortable target recovery method to maximize the 70's strengths.. I found the pics of a 3 day run back in 2012, Nov 18th-20th...here they are...

In a few more years, after all financial transactions are digital, and nobody carries any metal money, we will be telling stories around the campfire of the "Great Clad Grab" days of the early 2000's!
Mud.

 

[MarkCZ]

Regarding the coin capabilities of this thing at a site that has enough to show what it can do.
Yesterday's hunt, 3.5 hours hunting the sidelines of a few soccer fields.
Many of these coins were on edge but that doesn't seem to matter.
Sense at 85, thresh at -3, discrimination at 15, 4H tones using the standard elliptical.
Most coins were between 1 and 4" deep, a few deeper.
Notice the nickel amount...plus all the other coins.
If you can't find coins with this thing you either have dead batteries or something else weird is going on.

"REVIER" I know I'm still learning the F70 but I have been around detecting for a lot of years and whenever I'm clad stabbing shallow stuff, lets say 4" or less I usually go for the milder side of settings like sensitivity and threshold, my question is I noticed a mild threshold, but pretty HOT sensitivity @ 85?
I know you have some logic behind this but for my clad stabbing I've settled in on the sensitivity @ 45 I'm I missing out on something??
Thanks

Mark