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White's Dfx Versus V3i On Gold


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Thanks Steve, very enjoyable reading.

 

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We are all learning here! What makes true manual ground balance different is that the control simply spans the entire available ground balance range. This range does vary a lot in detectors. Anyway, you just put the control where you want, and most owner manuals tell you a good default setting. The only way to properly ground balance a manual unit is to manipulate the control in reference to audio feedback you get when bouncing the coil about 8-12" over the ground. Some places have no magnetic ground content (Florida white sand beach) against which to ground balance, so you dial in the default value instead.

At a certain level metal detector targets exist in reference to and in opposition to the ground balance setting. Performance degrades as the target VDI (phase) gets closer to the ground balance VDI (phase). In some circumstances you can purposefully move the ground balance setting away from the targets electronic reading and enhance the target signal by doing so. The White's TDI, even though it is a PI, is a machine that demonstrates well the effect of ground balance on desireable targets.

Another oddball use - splitting the difference between the ground balance setting for the ground itself, and a particular pesky hot rock. A person can usually operate with a bit of positive offset anyway. Moving the ground balance point closer to where a hot rock reads and away from the ground will increase ground noise but decrease the intensity of the hot rock "hit". Lower Gain, increased SAT, and splitting the GB setting can all help make hot rocks less obtrusive or even eliminate them entirely.

Long story short, there are reasons to manually mess with the ground balance. 

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Steve, have you played with the prospecting scan mode on the V3i?

If so, what did you conclude it's best used for? (I know, prospecting, duh! :laugh:) Simply tracking changes in the ground seeking high concentrations of minerals, black sand or something else?

There is almost no information out there about its uses in the field by real prospectors and I'd be interested in learning more about how they use it, if at all.

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The Prospecting Scan (Alluvial Scan) is, as far as I can tell, a continuous graphic display of the ground phase which is the same thing as a ground balance setting. It is showing you the TYPE or ground mineralization, not the AMOUNT of ground mineral. See here for reference. Low numbers are salt ground and higher numbers ferrous ground. In theory tracking to more mineralized ground looking for black sand concentrations, on the theory those concentrations will have gold associated. The reality is this function in a normal metal detector is so depth limited that it is debatable whether eyeballs looking for color variations might be the better tool.

whites-v3i-prospecting-mode-screen-display-small.jpg

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On my Whites, following the black sand relates to the GND meter and it only works when in the tracking mode, you can see the ground phase change under normal sweep speed but if you actually want to follow the black sand it is better to bob the coil up and down and go where the ground phase is the highest, where as on the GMT you have the ground phase on the left meter and the Amount of minerals/black sand on the meter on the right, But if you lock the Tacking on either machine the ground phase does not change and on the GMT only the Amount meter will change.

John.

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LOL! Perhaps that's why nobody posts about it...they use the eyeballs! :biggrin:

I appreciate your wealth of knowledge and breadth of experience. You explain things like a good teacher and that itself is something I can't do but deeply respect.

 

 

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My wife is a teacher also - elementary. My father-in-law retired from teaching/wrestling coach/dean of students as well - middle school. I've always appreciated and respected teachers. :cool:

I just can't do it as well as I would like. I become critical and impatient too quickly. It's not so easy as it would seem if one's temperment is not suited for it. Adults are hard enough but kids.... um, forget about it. I wouldn't last a week.

Major respect!

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With all of that said, you can choose an offset of the ground balance with the V3i to either positive or negative which can help in some difficult ground.

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11 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

At a certain level metal detector targets exist in reference to and in opposition to the ground balance setting. Performance degrades as the target VDI (phase) gets closer to the ground balance VDI (phase). In some circumstances you can purposefully move the ground balance setting away from the targets electronic reading and enhance the target signal by doing so. The White's TDI, even though it is a PI, is a machine that demonstrates well the effect of ground balance on desireable targets.

You are 100% correct on the TDI's capabilities.  I've manipulated the GB/delay many times to hunt a location.  A lot to be learned from a TDI.

Looking forward to when 1st Texas releases their PI.

 

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