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My Personal Method Of Ferrite Balancing


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20 hours ago, Jonathan Porter said:

I also recommend users adopt the GB configured to their USER button approach and to go into Manual mode when checking deep targets or committing to dig, leaving the GPZ in Semi-Auto will allow the GB to drift either through exposure to the pick whilst digging or just general drift through the coil not moving,

The whole post is interesting, but I found this part particularly on the money. I followed this recommendation months ago (this is not the first time you have mentioned this), and have found that going into Manual mode to check signals helps with targets not getting tracked out or not reacting as strongly because the GB is out.

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Thanks JP, I tried that yesterday,  I always figured that balancing out the ferrite would also ground balance but when I pumped the coil off to the side the ground balance was way out  ?

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I too noticed that while digging the detector would drift so this bit of info will go into my little book of tips.

Thanks JP.

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17 minutes ago, phoenix said:

Thanks JP, I tried that yesterday,  I always figured that balancing out the ferrite would also ground balance but when I pumped the coil off to the side the ground balance was way out  ?

Sweeping the coil gives an average of the ground balance, depending on how variable the ground is the GB can be way out at times which explains why nuggets are missed on flogged patches to then be found on other occasions (usually with some new whizz bang bit of kit or coil). Sweeping the coil side to side will not show the GB is WAY out, only pumping the coil will do this. All Nulled coils are like this, they run quiet over the ground even when the GB it out, this is their strength and also their weakness if the user is not aware.

Pumping the coil gives accuracy on the ground that is under the coil then when you sweep the coil the Semi-Auto mode continues to slowly track the ground giving an average continual GB from the last pump point. It pays to pump regularly to bring the GB back to accuracy especially in ground that has salt signal (DO NOT TOUCH THE Quik-Trak button unless the Ferrite is present). Salt signal, even faint ones, drag the GB away from accuracy which is why you get a faint false pip like target signal that disappears on second pass. Salt is everywhere, it is part of what Mineralisation is. 

All this information is given to our customers during our training sessions, we go above and beyond when it comes to GPZ purchases.

JP

PS this is my opinion only and not directed to me by anyone else.

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A catch-up question on GB and the ferrite since I had to stop detecting and go back to work full time before the update with Semi Auto was released:

At the time, the general consensus was that running in Auto with the ferrite was preferable, reasoning being that the GPZ had a more sophisticated auto tracking program than the GPX series and it was no longer required to run in manual as we had been used to. It was only required to occasionally toss the ferrite down in auto to make sure it was still balanced to it with a QT pull to make it go faster.

Is this no longer the case? I know in heavy salt areas before, it was almost impossible for me to stay in manual (I detect much faster than most and thus my patience for going that slow was limited) and auto tracking was much better. Will auto tracking no longer suffice to balance to the ferrite with salt present? Or does it still work fine but semi-auto just does a better job?

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23 minutes ago, Jonathan Porter said:

Sweeping the coil gives an average of the ground balance, depending on how variable the ground is the GB can be way out at times which explains why nuggets are missed on flogged patches to then be found on other occasions (usually with some new whizz bang bit of kit or coil). Sweeping the coil side to side will not show the GB is WAY out, only pumping the coil will do this. All Nulled coils are like this, they run quiet over the ground even when the GB it out, this is their strength and also their weakness if the user is not aware.

Pumping the coil gives accuracy on the ground that is under the coil then when you sweep the coil the Semi-Auto mode continues to slowly track the ground giving an average continual GB from the last pump point. It pays to pump regularly to bring the GB back to accuracy especially in ground that has salt signal (DO NOT TOUCH THE Quik-Trak button unless the Ferrite is present). Salt signal, even faint ones, drag the GB away from accuracy which is why you get a faint false pip like target signal that disappears on second pass. Salt is everywhere, it is part of what Mineralisation is. 

All this information is given to our customers during our training sessions, we go above and beyond when it comes to GPZ purchases.

JP

PS this is my opinion only and not directed to me by anyone else.

Every time JP posts, I'm blown away by the obvious "News to us in the USA". Looks like ML may have to update their manual, I can't keep up with all the changes and "Cut & Paste" is now a such a big mess to keep it straight in my mind!?

Bill 

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32 minutes ago, cobill said:

Every time JP posts, I'm blown away by the obvious "News to us in the USA". Looks like ML may have to update their manual, I can't keep up with all the changes and "Cut & Paste" is now a such a big mess to keep it straight in my mind!?

Bill 

This is all my own personal information from using the GPZ professionally, I do not speak for Minelab and the messages they want to deliver to their customers.

JP

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1 hour ago, jasong said:

A catch-up question on GB and the ferrite since I had to stop detecting and go back to work full time before the update with Semi Auto was released:

At the time, the general consensus was that running in Auto with the ferrite was preferable, reasoning being that the GPZ had a more sophisticated auto tracking program than the GPX series and it was no longer required to run in manual as we had been used to. It was only required to occasionally toss the ferrite down in auto to make sure it was still balanced to it with a QT pull to make it go faster.

Is this no longer the case? I know in heavy salt areas before, it was almost impossible for me to stay in manual (I detect much faster than most and thus my patience for going that slow was limited) and auto tracking was much better. Will auto tracking no longer suffice to balance to the ferrite with salt present? Or does it still work fine but semi-auto just does a better job?

In Auto mode the detector is VERY slowly tracking the X signal and also tracking the G signal as per normal, the problem is Salt signals and Saturation signals drag the X signal away from accuracy so Semi-Auto mode is better. In Semi-Auto mode the X balance is fixed unless the Quick-Trak button is triggered. In warmer weather the calibration of X does not shift much but in colder weather it can shift as lot from first startup to when the electronics warm up, so its a good idea to check periodically. So long as no signal is present or minimal signal is present on the ferrite your all good.

FIXED was only ever recommend on the GPX series when using Fine Gold, Enhance or Sens Smooth.

Fixed is not preferred on the GPZ because it tends to react to ground changes more aggressively especially when one winding is on different ground to the other. On an interchange the operator is effectively blind during the signal phase response of the interchange which is where a lot of nuggets reside so it is better to let the Semi-Auto GB iron out those interchanges. 

Detecting fast is always going to aggravate salt signals, you need to slow down and control the coil sweep speed. This is very important for GPZ  because DoD coils and the pre-set Motion filters are slow in response to get maximum depth signal noise off deep targets. Deep targets are slow response signals.

Hope this helps

JP

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