Find's Treasure Forums
Welcome to Find's Treasure Forums, Guests!
You are viewing this forums as a guest which limits you to read only status.
Only registered members may post stories, questions, classifieds, reply to other posts, contact other members using built in messaging and use many other features found on these forums.
Why not register and join us today? It's free! (We don't share your email addresses with anyone.) We keep email addresses of our users to protect them and others from bad people posting things they shouldn't.
Click here to register!
Need Support Help?
Cannot log in?, click here to have new password emailed to you
What is "Hot Ground" mean?
- Thread starter Oakman404
- Start date
soil that is heavily mineralized.
This usually refers to ferrous components within the soil that make your detecotor see things that aren't there. Often this causes signals that come and go, but cant be repeated - "ghost signals," if you will. One way to determine this is to go into the non-motion, all metal mode and lower your coil to the ground. If the threshold swells and rises to a loud amplitude, you have "hot ground" beneath your coil.
The solution is to re-balance your detector, if you have that feature.
The other kind of ground mineralization is really what could be called "cold ground," or "negative ground." In this case the minerals work the opposite and when you lower your coil in all metal, the threshold disappears. I found a spot like that recently at the high school. Some gravel fill had been brought in and it was "cold" in this way. My ground is usually pretty mild, so this was a distinct and noticeable anomoly.
Most simple detectors with pre-set ground balance functions are susceptible to such extreme "hot and cold" ground conditions. This is one reason why it is a good idea to start with a midrange unit or upgrade as soon as possible. Most units in the middle price range offer features that can help you overcome things like "hot ground" which can exist wherever you go. In my example at the high school, had I had a low end unit, my best choice would have been to leave.
Many of the 'cognescenti' will denounce detectors with "bells and whistles," saying you don't need such things. I disagree. Not every feature added to a detector is useless, only put there to make another sale to suckers. Most are there for a good reason, and are useful when used properly.
They say, "Dont Bring a Knife to a Gun Fight," and nobody with even half a brain would do so.
Well, when the ground changes and you aren't prepared, you are little better off.
This usually refers to ferrous components within the soil that make your detecotor see things that aren't there. Often this causes signals that come and go, but cant be repeated - "ghost signals," if you will. One way to determine this is to go into the non-motion, all metal mode and lower your coil to the ground. If the threshold swells and rises to a loud amplitude, you have "hot ground" beneath your coil.
The solution is to re-balance your detector, if you have that feature.
The other kind of ground mineralization is really what could be called "cold ground," or "negative ground." In this case the minerals work the opposite and when you lower your coil in all metal, the threshold disappears. I found a spot like that recently at the high school. Some gravel fill had been brought in and it was "cold" in this way. My ground is usually pretty mild, so this was a distinct and noticeable anomoly.
Most simple detectors with pre-set ground balance functions are susceptible to such extreme "hot and cold" ground conditions. This is one reason why it is a good idea to start with a midrange unit or upgrade as soon as possible. Most units in the middle price range offer features that can help you overcome things like "hot ground" which can exist wherever you go. In my example at the high school, had I had a low end unit, my best choice would have been to leave.
Many of the 'cognescenti' will denounce detectors with "bells and whistles," saying you don't need such things. I disagree. Not every feature added to a detector is useless, only put there to make another sale to suckers. Most are there for a good reason, and are useful when used properly.
They say, "Dont Bring a Knife to a Gun Fight," and nobody with even half a brain would do so.
Well, when the ground changes and you aren't prepared, you are little better off.
I used an SSII for years - nice, smooth detector.Oakman404 said:
What matters is the ground conditions, and then the detector itself. If you are using an SSII now without major difficulities, expect the Ace 250 to be pretty stable.
There is some inevitability here, however, that you will one day encounter conditions that exceed the detectors compensation circuitry. The problem is, you dont always know it until it may be too late. Just be mindful of this.
If you find it happens more than you like, it may be time to move to a unit with auto-tracking or adjustable ground balance.
lazyaussie
New member
great explanation dahut 
Uncle Willy
New member
Highly mineralized ground.
Bill
Bill
Uncle Willy
New member
Excellent explanation bud.
Bill
Bill
The ground itself is a huge target. It varies just like areas vary. I think preset machines are set to handle most average conditions, and when the ground mineralization gets a little too hot, the machine efficiency suffers. Manual ground balance allows setting's above/below a preset level for grounds that are hotter or colder than average. If the mineralization is within the circuitry limits of adjustable ground balancing, then one can set the machine to balance out the effect for efficiency, to better detect a target.
If I can, in most cases, with manual ground balance, I'll set the machine just very slightly positive - a little more threshold as the coil is lowered to the ground. Just slightly.
On a preset machine, if it suffers too much because the soil conditions around are a little too hot, most have a pot on the circuit board that trims on the ground balance. I have heard in some cases that one can send in the machine with a good soil sample and have the manufacturer re-adjust the preset.
Some coils can handle differently on soil conditions. When I gold nugget detect, I used DD coils for the higher mineralization soils whenever I can.
Now some machines have a display that gives some kind of indication of soil conditions - thing is, I mainly hunt audio and don't totally rely on the display, if any at all at times.
If I can, in most cases, with manual ground balance, I'll set the machine just very slightly positive - a little more threshold as the coil is lowered to the ground. Just slightly.
On a preset machine, if it suffers too much because the soil conditions around are a little too hot, most have a pot on the circuit board that trims on the ground balance. I have heard in some cases that one can send in the machine with a good soil sample and have the manufacturer re-adjust the preset.
Some coils can handle differently on soil conditions. When I gold nugget detect, I used DD coils for the higher mineralization soils whenever I can.
Now some machines have a display that gives some kind of indication of soil conditions - thing is, I mainly hunt audio and don't totally rely on the display, if any at all at times.
Thanks so much Tab! I was just a little worried cause I ordered a 250 and it has a pre-set ground balance. I had a Tracker IV and never had a problem but that got stolen so I have been using my brother-in-laws SS2 and in the no motion all metal I have to re-balance it often so I was just wondering if it will be a problem for my ACE when it comes in.
Rick
Rick
Uncle Willy
New member
Yeah a positive setting detects gold nuggets much better, especially the little ones.
Bill
Bill
The 4.5 sniper coil is a concentric. It works good for the trashy areas to provide better target separation, having less targets under the coil, or actually separating a target from junk, depending on how close/distance a non-desirable item is from a desired target.
A larger coil in a trashy area covers more ground and can also have more targets (desirable & non-desirable) under the coil at a giving moment - think of what the machine thinks with 2, 3 or more targets under the coil. More, the confusion of mixed signals, hence masking, and the machine limitations.
When I hit a good signal and have a difficult time getting a repeatable signal, I'll narrow my sweep width, sometimes so narrow some call it the wiggle, and I'll zero in by walking around the target to get a sweep angle that may eliminate a nearby non-desirable target hopefully giving me a good repeatable signal. Sort of like a wagon circle walk. I'm known to dig iffy signals as there are just so many variables and digging the iffy has paid off. Yes I dig up more junk, but if I get nice finds in the area, I try not to pass up a good possibility. Of course the ultimate is to dig everything in all metal, but we all have limitations one time or another. And days when I'm less into it, then I'll up the discrimination a notch or so. But as I get older, I get slower and get more patience. Folks I hunted with, it's common to hear that I'm the slowest they have ever known detecting, and my a good bit. I really like to hunt all metal and listen with quality headphones. Been my way for years, now I'm trying some silent search machines which I'm getting more used to, but after having a threshold tone and manual ground and then change all that, it's like learning a new trick.
I see I got away and caught myself - back - the 4.5 is a concentric, and a DD coil due to it's ground matrix just is better designed for high mineralization. I myself haven't compared the 250 stock coil and the 4.5 sniper coil in high mineralization and therefore cannot give a best answer - except the 4.5 is not a DD coil.
I see the 4.5 is a top performer for the trash areas, and it gets good depth for it's size. I'm just small coil slow worker when I can be.
In my earlier years when I first got an extra coil for a machine, I would use the stock, clean up what I can, and if the area does me good or has very good potential, I'll hit it again walking grids at different angles, and if it continues to hold my interest, slap on the extra coil (usually smaller) and re-work the area. Good areas are worth the effort. Then a different machine can produce different results.
Maybe a link on coils - and I'm sure there is a ton of coil info on-line:
http://www.treasurefinders.net/types_of_coils.html
And ones info on the 250 - mentioned coils:
http://www.thetreasureleague.com/Ace250_Tips.htm
If your getting the results others are on this forum and elsewhere, then your machine-soil conditions should be fine for it's preset.
Some of the common mistakes I see others who hunt with me is trying to run sensitivity to high for conditions, and not cleaning debris between the coil and coil cover, and sweep speed/also not keeping the coil flat to the ground, poor sweep overlap. When checking out an iffy, besides different angles , sweep width, speed, try raising the coil and re-sweep at different heights and speed, - get the narrower coil matrix working on what may be a good target. Then let me work slowly behind their path - one of my favorites going with newbies
A larger coil in a trashy area covers more ground and can also have more targets (desirable & non-desirable) under the coil at a giving moment - think of what the machine thinks with 2, 3 or more targets under the coil. More, the confusion of mixed signals, hence masking, and the machine limitations.
When I hit a good signal and have a difficult time getting a repeatable signal, I'll narrow my sweep width, sometimes so narrow some call it the wiggle, and I'll zero in by walking around the target to get a sweep angle that may eliminate a nearby non-desirable target hopefully giving me a good repeatable signal. Sort of like a wagon circle walk. I'm known to dig iffy signals as there are just so many variables and digging the iffy has paid off. Yes I dig up more junk, but if I get nice finds in the area, I try not to pass up a good possibility. Of course the ultimate is to dig everything in all metal, but we all have limitations one time or another. And days when I'm less into it, then I'll up the discrimination a notch or so. But as I get older, I get slower and get more patience. Folks I hunted with, it's common to hear that I'm the slowest they have ever known detecting, and my a good bit. I really like to hunt all metal and listen with quality headphones. Been my way for years, now I'm trying some silent search machines which I'm getting more used to, but after having a threshold tone and manual ground and then change all that, it's like learning a new trick.
I see I got away and caught myself - back - the 4.5 is a concentric, and a DD coil due to it's ground matrix just is better designed for high mineralization. I myself haven't compared the 250 stock coil and the 4.5 sniper coil in high mineralization and therefore cannot give a best answer - except the 4.5 is not a DD coil.
I see the 4.5 is a top performer for the trash areas, and it gets good depth for it's size. I'm just small coil slow worker when I can be.
In my earlier years when I first got an extra coil for a machine, I would use the stock, clean up what I can, and if the area does me good or has very good potential, I'll hit it again walking grids at different angles, and if it continues to hold my interest, slap on the extra coil (usually smaller) and re-work the area. Good areas are worth the effort. Then a different machine can produce different results.
Maybe a link on coils - and I'm sure there is a ton of coil info on-line:
http://www.treasurefinders.net/types_of_coils.html
And ones info on the 250 - mentioned coils:
http://www.thetreasureleague.com/Ace250_Tips.htm
If your getting the results others are on this forum and elsewhere, then your machine-soil conditions should be fine for it's preset.
Some of the common mistakes I see others who hunt with me is trying to run sensitivity to high for conditions, and not cleaning debris between the coil and coil cover, and sweep speed/also not keeping the coil flat to the ground, poor sweep overlap. When checking out an iffy, besides different angles , sweep width, speed, try raising the coil and re-sweep at different heights and speed, - get the narrower coil matrix working on what may be a good target. Then let me work slowly behind their path - one of my favorites going with newbies