What Do The Ground Balance Numbers Mean?

[Badger-NH]

Most of the sites I hunt have very mild ground. I typically leave my GB at 0 most of the time. When I do take the time to Ground Balance, I usually get single digits with occasional numbers in the teens.

Do the GB numbers reflect the levels of mineralization in the soil? Do soils with high mineralization have higher numbers? The manual says nothing about it.

[Steve Herschbach]

GB Numbers = Mineralization?

Fe3O4 versus Ground Phase versus Ground Balance?

Fe3O4 versus Ground Phase versus Ground Balance

 

[Badger-NH]

Thanks Steve, I may have to read that a few times to fully understand it. 

From what I've gathered so far, it appears that the Equinox GB numbers do not directly carry any useful information about the make up of the soil and should not be used as a reference to mineralization levels.

Is that correct?

[Raphis]

34 minutes ago, Badger-NH said:

Thanks Steve, I may have to read that a few times to fully understand it. 

From what I've gathered so far, it appears that the Equinox GB numbers do not directly carry any useful information about the make up of the soil and should not be used as a reference to mineralization levels.

Is that correct?

https://www.detectorprospector.com/forums/topic/13400-another-nox-ground-balance-question/?do=findComment&comment=134273

Chase made a reply to me and a couple others about what you’re asking last Wednesday.....click the link I just copied/pasted.

[Badger-NH]

Thanks Raphis and Chase. I think that helps to further confirm and simplify what Steve said.

[Steve Herschbach]

The numbers are a reference to a type of mineralization, not the amount or intensity of mineralization. Amount is what matters more when it comes to low mineral (low amount) or high mineral (high amount). That is what a Fe3O4 meter tells you... the amount of mineralization.

So no, simply knowing a ground balance number does not tell you if your ground is highly mineralized or not. For example, you could have low mineral content ground with a high ground balance number, and high mineral content ground with a low ground balance numbers.

[mcjtom]

It looks like this may be the answer as in 'yes', if Minelab uses similar metaphor: 

 

[PimentoUK]

Minelab chose the Equinox GB numbers to go the opposite direction to what Fisher typically used on their range, eg.  F75.

So 00 is strong magnetite -> 90's for saltwater.

I think the owners manual states this, if you download it and take a look.

( it's not that clear to be honest. And the fact that in 'beach' modes, the default GB value is '00' doesn't help matters ...)

[Steve Herschbach]

13 minutes ago, PimentoUK said:

Minelab chose the Equinox GB numbers to go the opposite direction to what Fisher typically used on their range.

So 00 is strong magnetite -> 90 for saltwater.

I think the owners manual states this, if you download it and take a look.

Correct, and why the default ground balance setting for Equinox is 00, while it is 849 on Gold Bug Pro. Only thing I’m not sure about is “strong magnetite” characterizing that setting; might be more like “average ground,”, but I honestly am not sure on that. Keep in mind that some ground balance compensation in multi is via the multifrequency algorithms themselves, not simply via the ground balance setting alone. It’s far more critical to have a perfect ground balance setting on a single frequency detector than a multi, which tends to be more forgiving in that regard.

[PimentoUK]

I believe that ground with strong magnetite will still have electrically conductive minerals in it, it's just that the magnetite dominates the response to a detector, and whether it's also medium mineralised or hardly any minerals, or wet, or bone dry, has very little effect on the phase angle, it's going to be pretty close to Zero degrees, which would nominally be '00' on the Eqx, and '90' on the Fisher F75.

[[ mathematically, it's Vector addition:

There is a 'Zero Degrees' signal caused by the microscopic iron / rust / magnetite etc.

And a '90 Degrees' signal caused by minerals making up the ground, that conduct electricity, particularly when wet.

These two add together like vectors. The total strength would be calculated using the Pythagoras equation:

(Total strength)^2 = (Zero degrees)^2 + (90 degrees)^2

And the resulting Phase angle = arctan (90 degrees / Zero degrees )

The phase angle is the figure that is manipulated heavily to end up presented as 'Ground Balance', whether it goes 0 >99, or 90 to 0 , or anything else. ]]