Hello...got any advice for me?

[Johnny Cache]

Good day everybody. I've been detecting for about 4 months now, and I'm hooked. Recently I bought my brother a detector, he did some research and ended up picking the Gamma 6000. My machine is the Garrett GTAX 550, it's been really good, but I need to send it back to Garrett to get it fixed. The pinpoint button is wrecked, it's very annoying, so away it goes. My brother is very busy, so he offered my the use of his Gamma while my machine gets fixed. I have never used the Gamma before...

First I have a dumb question: what is "setting the ground balance" all about? My Garrett doesn't require manually setting the ground balance, so I have never done it before.

I have read a bunch of really good reviews of Teknetics detectors, so I am excited to try it out. Any hints or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks, and happy hunting

 

[earthmansurfer]

Get yourself familiar with the manual. It's pretty short. Then check around here using the search function as there is such good information that has already been posted.
Here is the manual Gamma Manual

From the manual (it says it pretty well):

GROUND BALANCE
Ground Balancing is the ability of the detector to ignore, or "see through,"
the earth

 

[Monte]

I've been detecting for about 4 months now, and I'm hooked. Recently I bought my brother a detector, he did some research and ended up picking the Gamma 6000. My machine is the Garrett GTAX 550, it's been really good, but I need to send it back to Garrett to get it fixed. The pinpoint button is wrecked, it's very annoying, so away it goes. My brother is very busy, so he offered my the use of his Gamma while my machine gets fixed. I have never used the Gamma before...

You said that YOU bought your brother the Gamma? Man, you're a very good brother to have.

Sorry to hear about your Garrett control failure, but manufacturers usually take care of you. In only 4 months you've still got a lot of learning to do, and one will be getting to know the Gamma and the difference between it and the GTAx 550 you've been using.

First I have a dumb question: what is "setting the ground balance" all about? My Garrett doesn't require manually setting the ground balance, so I have never done it before.

Detector models generally fall into two groups when you are considering their operating Ground Balance settings. Some are "turn-on-and-go" designed which means the Ground Balance setting is factory preset or engineered. That would include models such as your Garrett GTAx 550 (and most Garrett models) or the Teknetics Delta 4000. As Earthmansurfer indicated, the Ground Balance setting is a method used to ignore or cancel the effects of the ground mineralization,. 'Ground' produces a signal of about 1 Hz to 2 Hz and a detector needs to have a Ground Balance setting so that it ignores the ground response. If it is set too high you can cut in on some depth, but if it is set too negatively, you are prone to get a lot of falsing. In the area where I live in NW Oregon, and most of the sites I hunt in several western states, most Garrett models reflect a too-negative preset Ground Balance in one or both operating modes (motion Discrimination or Pinpoint/All Metal).

I have found the Teknetics Delta to function flawlessly in every site I've hunted so far, but for all around performance in both modes and with all search coils, I prefer to use a model that features an 'auto-mated' or manual Ground Balance control. In the Teknetics line, the current T2, Omega and Gamma models all provide you with an 'automated' Ground Balance feature as well and manual Ground Balance control, of you want to fine-tune the setting.

The Gamma and Omega call it "Ground Grab" and all you do is follow the simple steps to bob the search coil from about 6"-8" down to about

 

[Johnny Cache]

Hey guys, thank you for the in-depth and helpful responses. Yes I am fairly new to metal detecting, it's been an awesome 4 months so far. I really got comfortable with my Garrett quickly, I'm nearly at 50 silver coins so far, the best being a 1902 Barber half. Being that I'm so new, and just figuring out my first machine, I was nervous about having to suddenly switch and try to be as successful with a different detector. I was able to try it out the other day for about an hour, found a few bucks in clad, even a few wheaties. I REALLY like the weight (or lack thereof) of the Gamma, I can't believe how light it is!
I'll hopefully be able to go spend a full day this weekend with the Gamma, and really get to know it. Now that I understand the ground balance, I just need to put some time in, and practice.

Thanks again, Mike