groundbalance?

[pax]

is being in tracking mode the same thing as tracking with an offset or does tracking mode alone allow for any GB adjustments?I don't understand ,if you wanted to use a tracking GB offset why not just use tracking mode?I would really appreciate any advice or explanations thank you

 

[Old Longhair]

There is a good explanation on page 22 of Randy's FREE e-book. If you haven't done so already, I highly recommend that you download it and start there.
If you need, we can discuss it further.

 

[pax]

Thanks so much Oldlonghair,i have read the E-book and have learned very much but am still a little confused about this

 

[Old Longhair]

OK, what part is confusing? We can break it down and discuss what you're not clear on.

 

[surfchunker]

the thing I get confused about is when to go minus and when to go plus

 

[Old Longhair]

It's really easy. When you go say -3, what you're doing is subtracting 3 from whatever the GB actually is. What this tells the machine is that the ground is hotter than it has measured. Going to +3 would tell the machine to treat the ground to 4 points less hot than measured.
The thing that usually confuses folks is that unlike other machines, the higher the number the lower the mineral level being compensated for.

 

[pax]

can I set my GB auto or manual then put in my offset? example if GB 45 and set a pos offset of 6 to make GB 39 will the machine only adjust as needed between the two 39 and 45 ?

 

[Old Longhair]

Let's not talk positive/negative, as it makes things more confusing.
If you GB at 45, then while in the GB display you press the accept/reject button to enter the Offset mode and enter -6. The machine will then operate and display GB numbers that reflect that -6 offset, but you must have Tracking turned ON.

 

[mapper65]

is being in tracking mode the same thing as tracking with an offset or does tracking mode alone allow for any GB adjustments?I don't understand ,if you wanted to use a tracking GB offset why not just use tracking mode?I would really appreciate any advice or explanations thank you

Being in tracking mode is just what it sounds like. The detector is tracking the ground as you swipe your coil over it to try and maintain what it thinks is the best possible ground balance setting. Ground balance can swing wildly over even just a few feet of soil let alone 100' or so which used to be the rule of thumb years ago. Many people used to say that if you ground balance in one area and you move 50-100' it is recommended that you re-ground balance again. With more modern day sophisticated detectors like the Xterra we are now able to see that even just a couple of feet can make a huge difference in soil content. There are cases that when you ground balance at point A that it will be the same at point B 50 yards away.

If you are someone that feels you need to offset the calculations of the detector then you would use tracking with offset. Some people think they are smarter than the detector and think that for certain types of soil or other situations there judgement is better so they want to fine tune the automatic adjustment of the detector by using an offset. It's debatable if they are really that good but in many cases an offset can help you out. I doubt there is anything set in stone as far as how much offset to use. Again this offset is added to or taken away from what the detector thinks the ground balance really needs to be. Offset will make a difference in the automatic calculation which may help you or hurt you. People that use offset will argue that they know better and it's helping them but sometimes mineral content is wildly changing in certain soils so their offset may help them here, but hurt them over there. If you had perfect soil that the mineral content didn't change over a vest area then you may be able to do better with an offset. In many cases with the mineral content sometimes wildly fluctuating, running in just plain ole ground balance tracking is good enough.

 

[Digger]

can I set my GB auto or manual then put in my offset? example if GB 45 and set a pos offset of 6 to make GB 39 will the machine only adjust as needed between the two 39 and 45 ?

You can set your Ground Phase manually or automatically, and implement an offset. However, when you implement the offset, you have changed the ground phase to the new level, represented by the offset you have applied to the ground phase (that was chosen when performing you ground balance). That setting will NOT fluctuate or change, unless you implement Tracking or physically change the offset. Or, adjusting the original ground phase number (by re-ground balancing).

When you set the X-TERRA to Tracking, it will constantly monitor the effects of mineralization and continually update the ground phase setting so that it neutralizes the effects of the ground. If you implement Tracking with a ground balance offset, the X-TERRA will again monitor the effects of the mineralization, and continually update the ground phase reading. However, with an offset, the X-TERRA will also implement the number you chose as an offset (either positive or negative), and incorporate that offset into the tracked ground phase setting.

Ground is a conductor. Properly setting your ground balance is the simplest form of discrimination, in that you are trying to set the detector to neutralize the effects of the ground. When the ground phase is properly set, you should hear no change in Threshold when you sweep the coil over the ground (with no targets present). By definition, higher levels of mineralization represent more positive soil conditions. Lower levels of mineralization represent more negative soil conditions. The X-TERRA analyzes the effects of both conductive and magnetic mineralization, and can determine what ground phase setting best neutralizes the effects of that soil.

Here is where it can become confusing. Simply put, it is a matter of defining ground phase vs. ground balance. Higher levels of mineralization are best neutralized by implementing a smaller ground phase number. And, soils with lower levels of mineralization are best served by implementing a larger ground phase number. So, if higher levels of mineralization represent more positive soil conditions, and the X-TERRA compensates for those levels with a smaller ground phase number, we can determine that lowering that ground phase number makes the X-TERRA operate with a more positive ground balance. On the other hand, if you raise the ground phase number, you are adjusting the ground phase for more negative soil conditions. Whether we change it + or -, each number we change the ground phase represents a 2 degree change in the ground phase angle. The phase angle is a measurement of time, between the transmitted signal and the received signal. This is referred to as the time constant. The time constant is used to provide the information that determines a target

 

[pax]

I appreciate the help you guys thank you

 

[pulltaber]

So what you are saying if I am using my x-70 and go with manual gb and I would like a pos gb then I need use the neg key .If the gb lets say 25 and would like 5 + then I would set it at 20??

 

[Old Longhair]

So what you are saying if I am using my x-70 and go with manual gb and I would like a pos gb then I need use the neg key .If the gb lets say 25 and would like 5 + then I would set it at 20??

If you want to change the phase angle 10 degrees to the hotter soil side to get the machine to respond as if the conditions are hotter than they are, then yes.

 

[pulltaber]

But if I was using a x-705 with tracking on and wanted 5 + I would key in 5+ or would I key in - 5 to get a 5+gb?

 

[Old Longhair]

To get to 20 from 25 you would offset -5.

 

[Digger]

But if I was using a x-705 with tracking on and wanted 5 + I would key in 5+ or would I key in - 5 to get a 5+gb?

As Old Longhair suggested in his initial response to this string, it's in the eBook.

from pages 22 - 23......

On the 705, you can adjust this offset to be anywhere from +1 to +15 or from -1 to -15. There has been some discussion as to whether lowering the ground phase number makes the GB of the X-TERRA more positive or more negative. I think the use of the word

 

[pulltaber]

Thanks Diger & olh for clearing that up ,its still a bit confusing for a old timer like me (click my user name)I have been at for a while and had a few detectors over the years but I think I learn something new ever time I come to this forum and ever time I go md'ing. Trying to learn the x-70 and loving it