XL Pro manual GEB conversion?

[Wayfarer]

I love my XL Pro, but don't particularly care for the auto ground balance. It works fine I suppose, just that I prefer the manual control over the auto control, especially since I almost always hunt in "Lock" anyway. Back in the 80's, I got very used to and liked the manual control on my 6000D Series 3, and could balance that machine in almost the same time it takes for the auto to balance on my XL Pro. It was also nice to know at all times exactly how the ground was changing and by how much as well as being able to run slightly positive without any difficulty.

Is there any way to convert the auto system to a manula system? I would think it should be pretty easy just a matter of putting in a manual pot and snipping/splicing a few wires.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[duggr]

Wayfarer

I feel somewhat the same as you regarding the Auto G.B. on the XL Pro!
I find myself going threw the up & down procedure and leaving it in auto-trac
an just sweeping the coil over a clean area for 15-20 seconds and then locking
it in. Then i retune the detector in the air and lower it to the ground to see if the threshold
stays the same. This method has always proved to have a very well balanced ground
setting. I check it occasionally to make shure the ground I'm searching hasn't changed any.
I would much rather have the old 10-turn manual G.B. Myself, but I won't complain to much as this
detector is worth the extra effort it takes to get it right.
Duggr

 

[Wayfarer]

That's pretty much the method I use too. There's nothing wrong with the auto balance, it just doesn't give me the control I got used to having with my old 6000D. Kind of like having a manual transmission vs. an auto. The auto is usable by more people, I suppose, but for those that know how to use the manual, it gives you much more control. C'mon it's not that hard to ground balance an analog machine; (I admit though on the digitals it would be a pain though having to scroll through all those menus). Even the 1-turn GEB control would be fine with me. I would think that it would be a simple matter of replacing the auto switch and connecting the right wires to it from the old auto system. Maybe Bill who does the IDX mods could come up with something like this for the XL Pro/Di Pro SL type detectors? That's the only change I wish I could make to my otherwise perrrrrrfect XL Pro.

 

[duggr]

I remember when I had my old Teknetics Mark-1 and a friend had a whites Digital detector (I cant remember the model) I would sometimes be on my second
or third target before he was even finished going through his menu. He always had to go through the menu again to change his frequency setting when he got
to close to me,....I thought it was funny, but he didn't. I have a fisher F-75 and ground balancing it is as simple and quicker than the XL Pro..

 

[Monte]

a selector to choose Auto-Trac, or manual with the older, stacked 10-turn tuner, or a good wire-wound single knob 10-turn pot.

If I had my choice of just one method, it would be manual GB because I can set it up and make periodic adjustments faster than the XL Pro's Auto-Trac.

Best of all, I just wish they were producing the XL Pro again, regardless of the method of GB'ing!

Monte

 

[d1g1man]

Here is what I did.

I removed the ground balance knob/potentiometer/adjustment.

I replaced it with a 10 turn pot, and added a numerical knob.

Now, I can set things perfectly, and have numerical reference.

You will see that it is set to 675. That is exactly where a nickel is totally accepted.

I will be posting a video soon.

Here is the post.

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?56,896582

Tone ID and other mods coming soon.

 

[TC-NM]

D1G1Man,

I don't see your post you're talking about, the post: (http://www.findmal.com/read/php?56,896582) is the same one we're on at the moment. Can you please post the right one? I would like to see your pics.

I also have a XL Pro and I was wondering the same thing about auto-trac vs. manual too???

Thanks,
TC-NM

 

[d1g1man]

Ugh. My Bad

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?22,877830,891943#msg-891943

 

[ron_c]

Has anyone replaced the Auto GEB ground balance switch for a 10 turn pot for manual ground balance on the 6000 Pro XL/XL Pro? I have talked to White's about this and they don't make such modifications or would they tell me what to do or what part to use. They did say that yes, it can be changed to a manual ground balance. I have emailed Mr. Bill (Surfscanner Detectors) and Keith Wills (East Texas Metal Detectors) and they both said they don't do this type of modification on the 6000 Pro XL/XL Pro. Any ideas on what pot to use and how to do it?

 

[d1g1man]

I have done it. The link in the post right above yours shows what I did. http://www.findmall.com/read.php?22,877830,891943#msg-891943
I took it one step further, I added a digital counter to it so I could tell exactly where the GEB was set.

Has anyone replaced the Auto GEB ground balance switch for a 10 turn pot for manual ground balance on the 6000 Pro XL/XL Pro? I have talked to White's about this and they don't make such modifications or would they tell me what to do or what part to use. They did say that yes, it can be changed to a manual ground balance. I have emailed Mr. Bill (Surfscanner Detectors) and Keith Wills (East Texas Metal Detectors) and they both said they don't do this type of modification on the 6000 Pro XL/XL Pro. Any ideas on what pot to use and how to do it?

 

[akille68]

Hi D1g1man,
I think that Your mod is not a real "manual ground balance mod". You 've just modified discrimination pot exchanging a 10K 1 turn pot with a 10 turns one.

In this way You got an higher resolution discrimination pot, nothing more than this...:sad:

Your modification can work to ground balance only when you are in tr/disc mode, where ground is a target that needs to be discriminated out.

A real manual gb mode should bypass autotrack system and work in GEB/NORM...as an old 5900 DI PRO SL.

I think that this kind of mod requires a heavy modification of mobo and circuits, and needs engineering knowledge and White's original schematics.

All the best.

 

[d1g1man]

Hello Alessandro. You are very correct. Even with the increased resolution it does not help enough to warrant this mod. If one wants true manual ground balance, the 5900 is the way to go. I have done the swap of the potentiometer, and it is not worth it. Perhaps this will answer some questions and discourage other people wasting their time and money.

Hi D1g1man,
I think that Your mod is not a real "manual ground balance mod". You 've just modified discrimination pot exchanging a 10K 1 turn pot with a 10 turns one.

In this way You got an higher resolution discrimination pot, nothing more than this...:sad:

Your modification can work to ground balance only when you are in tr/disc mode, where ground is a target that needs to be discriminated out.

A real manual gb mode should bypass autotrack system and work in GEB/NORM...as an old 5900 DI PRO SL.

I think that this kind of mod requires a heavy modification of mobo and circuits, and needs engineering knowledge and White's original schematics.

All the best.

 

[akille68]

D1g1man,
I saw Your videos on XLPRO tone mode, really nice!
I think that time is made to be wasted...
Btw, even if it could be too hard to have a manual gb mode, maybe something could be done to make XLPRO autotrak more reactive or faster...
Someone should study how it resets and if there is a way to overclock it.
Have a nice day.

 

[mrand]

Today once again I watched the schema 6000. Meseems, that I found a very good manner to have manual GEB in 6000. The manner is unconventional and otherguess than applies Whites in 5900. The modification is a lot more easy than the assembly MultiTone ID. is Necessary only the switch and miniature precise 10-turn potentiometer. Perhaps somebody knows where one can buy such? In the last resort one can install the normal potentiometer in the meter case. What you on this?
This is only the idea. It is necessary to test this. Now in Poland is the Siberian winter . It is necessary a little to wait. About performance of the experiment I will write later.
Mrand

 

[akille68]

Hi Mrand,
Do You think that a 100 Kohm 10 turns Bourns pot could work well? I bet that You found where bypass automatic ground signal filtering...
It would be wonderfull if You could go ahead with Your experiment and let us now if there is some performance or id issues.
All the best.

 

[kmann]

I am new to metal detecting though I built a few in the 70's, but I wonder about the "mods" that I see and also about the lack of "power". As an electronics engineer, it would be easy for me (given a schematic) to do such mods and has anyone ever thought about increasing the power of detectors? Of course power depends on the power source and the first thing that comes to me is to wear a battery of sufficient strength to supply the power and a mod of the output to supply the power. Heck, if I can't get the power then I would drag a trailer of batteries. And are these 'mods' documented? I know that not many have the antiquated skills to do these electronic marvels, but I do and welcome any suggestions...kmann

 

[bfodnes]

Hi Andrej.

I think You have hit the jackpot.

I have from a very good source that the XL-Pro is almost ready for a Manual GB pot.

It wasnt until late in the design stage that they decided on the Auto option instead of manual.

When You have it sorted, Ill buy another kit from You. You have my email.

Regards.
Bjorn

 

[akille68]

Me too!!!!

Hi Andrej.

I think You have hit the jackpot.

I have from a very good source that the XL-Pro is almost ready for a Manual GB pot.

It wasnt until late in the design stage that they decided on the Auto option instead of manual.

When You have it sorted, Ill buy another kit from You. You have my email.

Regards.
Bjorn