Avoid Relying On Absolutes . . . . Ground Balance

[Andy Sabisch]

Since the Equinox first came out and the Facebook groups started up covering it, there have been several examples of settings that are posted and stated as absolutes. One that warrants some discussion is GROUND BALANCE.

The common response to the question “Should I Ground Balance my Equinox?” is “No, leave it at preset as there is no need to ground balance it since it is running Multi Frequency.”

Before we accept that statement as gospel, let’s step back and ask a basic question which is if there was no need to use the function, why would Minelab had included it in the first place? The answer is they would not have and it is there for a reason which is to address the adverse effect caused by mineralized ground. The more mineralized the ground is at your selected search site the more the performance will be impacted. Remember, the factory preset for this is “0” yet it offers an adjustment range from “-9” to “99”

So, do you know how mineralized the ground is in your area or the sites you frequent? Do you know that mineralization levels can change dramatically in a short distance? A good example is an older house where the front yard can be mild in terms of mineralization while the backyard can be severe due to coal cinders and other stuff in the ground. On a site such as this, settings that would be ideal for the front of the house might be mediocre at best in the backyard and ground balance may be the setting that corrects that issue.

In the area around where I live in Michigan, the Ground Balance registers between 55 and 75 on the Equinox. I do extensive testing on actual targets before recovering them (great use for poker chips) so I can see if making a change or changes will improve performance and I have found that performing a Ground Balance at my sites makes a noticeable difference over leaving it at preset. In fact, several times I have found that a deeper target either is not detected or mis-identified with the GB at preset compared to setting it correctly. It also runs quieter which helps pick out those marginal signals. So, I could make the absolute statement that “Ground Balancing is always required” but is that really an accurate statement for any location worldwide?

This past weekend my wife and I attended a hunt (rally) in central Pennsylvania and we stopped at an old school (circa 1924) on the way to the hunt site. I Ground Balanced the Equinox 800 and the site registered between 14 and 18 . . . much different than my home sites. I searched for a few minutes and got a good, deep signal. I reset the GB to “0” and checked the target . . .it was still discernible. So, in this case, adjusting the GB off of the preset did not buy me anything. The hunt site was a bit different and in some areas, the ground registered 50 or higher. In those cases, coins on edge were not as clear with the GB at preset (0) as compared to setting the unit for the ground conditions. I used the Equinox on my last trip to England and rarely saw GB values above 20 in any of the fields we visited.

The takeaway from this is that there is no “one rule fits all conditions” as site conditions can and do change which will cause you to reassess your settings and make the adjustments needed to compensate for those changes. If you want to get an accurate answer to the question “Should I Ground Balance my Equinox?”, do the following . . . .

1) Do an Auto Ground Balance at your site to see what the ground mineralization is.

2) Find and mark a deep target.

3) Sweep over it with the GB set at “0” (preset) and then again with it at the value you found when you GB’ed the Equinox.

If you get a cleaner, stronger signal with the GB set off preset, you have your answer for that location. If not, leave it at preset and reap the rewards. But avoid saying it always should be left at Preset based on an Internet forum or Facebook post as the person that made the post might be searching sites totally different than what you are.

Dial the detector in to YOUR sites and YOUR targets . . . you will always do better than simply taking advice that might be fine in one area and not another and usually that other area will be yours.

Hope this helps . . . . . remember, the answer to virtually any question that pertains to setting a metal detector is almost always "IT DEPENDS" as conditions vary so greatly!

[Jeff McClendon]

Andy, thank you so much for addressing this super important subject. I think Minelab originally included the recommendation about not needing to ground balance in order to reassure new or inexperienced detector users about the turn on and go aspects of the Equinox for most detecting scenarios. Unfortunately, I think that has been one of the reasons for some user complaints about overly chatty operation. Auto Ground Balancing on the Equinox takes 5 to 10 seconds max and can make a huge difference in depth, target ID accuracy and general detecting enjoyment. My detecting ground balance numbers at the areas I detect are usually -5 to +5. I have to ground balance or ground noise will just overwhelm the Equinox and me!

 

Jeff

[BeachHunter]

Should the ground balance be done even if one is returning to the same beach? So if I GB where I hunt usually, is it still advisable to GB again the next time I show up at the same strand of beach several days later? Thanks and Good Luck!

[hosey]

Sand moves on beaches so it changes

[Chase Goldman]

On 6/4/2019 at 12:44 AM, BeachHunter said:

Should the ground balance be done even if one is returning to the same beach? So if I GB where I hunt usually, is it still advisable to GB again the next time I show up at the same strand of beach several days later? Thanks and Good Luck!

My advice based on experience is that you can pretty much just go with the default on  “normal” dry and damp white sand as the mineralization level is  usually nil (I’ll usually pump an Auto GB anyway out of habit as that is part of my startup routine).  For variable salt and/or black sand conditions in wet sand or the surf zone, I use Beach 2 and tracking just as recommended in the user guide.

But as Andy and others have said, if you don’t take the 5 seconds to GB as part of your regular routine, then let your own ears be the judge.  No matter what the situation, if you are getting ground feedback noise (no disc), the detector is telling you to do something about it, so listen to it.

 

 

[Gerry in Idaho]

Very good info Andy.  I too think the confusion was from dealers telling new customers "it is not needed", so folks think it is a simple "turn on and go" detector.  I still feel it is, if you want to hunt what I call "urban modern hunts" looking for recently lost coins/jewelry at parks/schools.

Most higher end detectors have Ground Balance capabilities and now we are seeing them in medium range priced units.  Folks need to realize (and I am glad you shared this post) a proper GB will get you greater depth and a more accurate target identification.

Good to see you on here sharing your detector knowledge.  Tell the wife Idaho said hello and next time you are in my neck of the woods, stop in and we'll hunt Eastern Idaho.

 

[BeachHunter]

15 hours ago, Chase Goldman said:

My advice based on experience is that you can pretty much just go with the default on  “normal” dry and damp white sand as the mineralization level is  usually nil (I’ll usually pump an Auto GB anyway out of habit as that is part of my startup routine).  For variable salt and/or black sand conditions in wet sand or the surf zone, I use Beach 2 and tracking just said recommended in the user guide.

But as Andy and others have said, if you don’t take the 5 seconds to GB as part of your regular routine, then let your own ears be the judge.  Now matter what the situation, if you are getting ground feedback noise (no disc), the detector is telling you to do something about it, so listen to it.

 

 

Thank you Chase. Very much appreciated!

[MANTIQUE]

i have been trying to educate myself on the best way to ground balance, for the hot ground i detect in and this info was exactly the type info i am looking for and need. it will be a great help for me to apply the info you provided. thank you Andy. the people & this forum is just wicked good! 

[Guest Tnsharpshooter]

I am putting this link here.  Pay close to attention to Mr Dankowski comments.  And notice the test I did where Mr Dankowski replies good test in thread.  Some folks may find this info helpful.  Just in case some folks don’t know Mr Dankowski was indeed involved with Equinox before release to public.

http://www.dankowskidetectors.com/discussions/read.php?2,140280

[MANTIQUE]

wow tnss just finished up reading thru the link you posted. wow had me really scratching my head. you guys are a wealth of knowledge and info! i feel that article clearly sums up what andy presented "it really does depend" on the ground and conditions and the only way to find out what works best is to try it as many ways as possible and see what works best. thanks for all the helpful info.