Detecting Iffy Sounds/Weak Signals, Ground Noise, What to Expect – Gold?

[Lost Scout]

Lots of good info here.

Not to take off on a different direction from the 7000 or 6000, at the beginning of the thread Gerry asked "do you know your detector well enough..." Many years ago I attended one of his trainings. I was using a goldbug ll. Although most had a minelab 3500. It was hammered home at the training to listen for the weak / subtle signals. Also the signal should be repeatable from different directions. At the end of the second day I found a good signal but in only one direction. The discriminate mode gave an odd click noise. Not a great target , probably trash but being a newbie didn't want to walk away and miss something. A small picker, my second piece of gold came out of the small hole. I've always remembered that.

How about ify signals on the gpx series? Anyone have info on those?

[TheDeepseeker]

39 minutes ago, Lost Scout said:

How about ify signals on the gpx series? Anyone have info on those?

I have wondered the same myself LS, and I suspect that much of what Gerry has discussed above would also apply. As soon as I read Gerry's excellent post it reminded me of something I bookmarked some time ago from the Minelab site.

 https://www.minelab.com/anzea/community/treasure-talk/the-halo-effect-when-nugget-hunting

And the funny (or tragic) thing is, I've had the disappearing signal thing drive me nuts a couple of times in the past and I have just back-filled the hole and walked, assuming it was just a "clay dome". Also, in my early days of learning about my 5000 I used to think that I had to hear a distinct signal rather than just a change in the threshold. Luckily I don't rely on detecting for a living, as I would have died from hunger long ago 😄

 

[Lost Scout]

20 minutes ago, TheDeepseeker said:

I have wondered the same myself LS, and I suspect that much of what Gerry has discussed above would also apply. As soon as I read Gerry's excellent post it reminded me of something I bookmarked some time ago from the Minelab site.

 https://www.minelab.com/anzea/community/treasure-talk/the-halo-effect-when-nugget-hunting

And the funny (or tragic) thing is, I've had the disappearing signal thing drive me nuts a couple of times in the past and I have just back-filled the hole and walked, assuming it was just a "clay dome". Also, in my early days of learning about my 5000 I used to think that I had to hear a distinct signal rather than just a change in the threshold. Luckily I don't rely on detecting for a living, as I would have died from hunger long ago 😄

 

Yea one my common mistakes on ify signals is I forget to re-ground balance.

[Gold Catcher]

6 hours ago, Jonathan Porter said:

I would not recommend this method. No matter the mode, Semi Auto, Auto or Manual, when triggering QT always have the ferrite present. The tracker that tracks X is VERY slow, so if using Auto you should use QT over the ferrite and then when you go detecting the X balance will remain reasonably constant or slowly drift away dependant on ground conditions (conductive is the worst for throwing X out in Auto mode). If X is present in the soils the X tracker usually does a good job of things, but if there is conductive present as well things can get ugly, hence why I always use Semi-Auto so I can lock the X to the electronics temp which hardly alters once warm. Conductive is almost always present regardless of the mineralisation levels, and is often confused with mineralisation.

So to reiterate, if you are triggering Quick-Trak whip out the Ferrite and use that at the same time otherwise don’t use QT and just pump the coil slowly and let the tracker do its thing, in Manual key your User button to the GB menu and go to either Auto or Semi-Auto to achieve a GB without using QT. The moment you trigger QT the X balance will hit warp speed expecting to grab onto whatever X signal is present, if there’s no X then it might try to extract its readings from the conductive instead, not a problem in zero X ground from then on but the moment you hit some X then Xspurt mode will engage. 😂 (you liked my little pun? X being the unknown and spurt being directly related to conductive signals 😝).

If the X balance is out badly in ground with zero X then there’s no issue (it can’t make a signal if there’s no X present), however if X is out and X is present then there will be extra ground signal that will in turn do harm to edge of detection with unwanted unnecessary signals.

Hope this helps
JP

Many thanks. JP, really appreciate your insights. I have a long word document where I extracted your excellent comments/tutorials that you made about the Z on DP over the years. Your last post is making a great addition, and I hope it won't be the last chapter 🙂

Best,

GC

[Gerry in Idaho]

Norvic - When the 7 1st came out, it was pretty easy.  I also feel the same way with the 6 at 1st release.  heck, our 1st time training a group at Rye Patch, NV with the GPX-6000, it seemed as if little picker nuggets were in every direction.  But as you know, those days are behind us and we need to learn the "Fine Tuning/Tricks" to squeak out a few more nuggies.  The really deep ones and or larger ones that flip the signal response are the toughest. Still to this day, I'm learning these detectors as there are so many variables that are out of our control.

Northeast - Got it and thanks for pointing that out as I can easily miss a thing or two, kind of like those really iffy sounds.

JP - I just realized it after you circled.  The chart showing HY at 50 gram and under, is also when in Factory Preset Difficult.  As you pointed out, we have leaned towards HY and Normal for most of our recoveries.

I also thank you for sharing the way you Ground Balance the 7000 and when/how you use the ferrite ring.  Since it never came with one when 7 was first introduced and I had success, I really never adapted to it.  Your words of wisdom ahs me desiring to start using it.  Heck, one extra nugget find is worth it.

Mountaineer Matt - Yes, that's exactly why I decide to take the time to write this up.  I know so many of us have habits and I too used to only scrape 2 to 4" and then make decision.  Luckily, I went with my gut and kept go down.  Glad to see you desiring to get even better results.  That's what this forum is about, sharing.

[Gerry in Idaho]

Lost Scout - Good to see another one of my previous customers enjoying their detectors and having Success.  You're hurting my brain now, but I would imagine that class is one we taught about 20 yrs ago?  How time flies.  Interestingly, we're still finding gold out there.

As for possibly Iffy targets with the GP/GPX (excluding 6000), I still do the same steps of investigation, but the detector Settings are different.  Because the GP-GPX are quite similar in those series, it would be best if someone started a new thread in my opinion.  That way, they don't have to read all the comments of detectors they don't use (GPZ-7000).  Good idea though and hopefully someone takes it on.

TheDeepseeker - Oh, the missed gold in our swinging youth years, we'll never know.  Glad you're willing to learn and hopefully the gold recoveries have proven it for you over the time.  Thanks for sharing the bit and knowledge of the link.

Gold Catcher - Yes, it is great having folks such as JP and others on here sharing.  Steve H has been instrumental in keeping the rubbish (gov/politics) and knuckleheads from trashing this forum.  I think that's part of the reason most of us continue to share on here.

 

 

[Jonathan Porter]

8 hours ago, Gerry in Idaho said:

Yes, it is great having folks such as JP and others on here sharing.  Steve H has been instrumental in keeping the rubbish (gov/politics) and knuckleheads from trashing this forum.  I think that's part of the reason most of us continue to share on here.

This forum is a good place to expand on ideas and pass on information mentor style, I can’t do that on social media or more specifically I don’t want to. I’ve been very fortunate over my career in gaining experience from two angles, one was from lots and lots of in-field experience during a time when the gold was plentiful, and the 2nd thing which was fortunate for me, it coincided with my inclusion into the development of the future crop of metal detectors, also a form of mentoring if you like through having access to the people, especially that one key person who I consider a very good friend, who create the very machines I swing. This combination has allowed me to grow as an operator which has then fed back into my usefulness to the company progressing further on with its designs. I’m truly honoured and will always want to pass on what I know as a user so others can get the maximum amount out of their machines as well.

None of us know it all, knowledge is gained through experience but also by asking questions, sadly the human spirit is inclined, often through pride, to “think” it’s knows it all preventing learning more, but the reality is you only know what you know, and others who know better can often clearly see the roadblock but are prevented from informing because that person is not open to learning.

In my 30’s I thought I knew it all, man was I wrong. 😂 The more I learned the more I realised how little I knew, the more I realised this the more I learnt, so I plan to ask dumb questions and be mindful of my capacity to “think” I know it all and will constantly remind myself I hardly know anything so I can continue to have my mind opened to learn more. With that in mind I try to read everything written by all participants in this space, this also includes my chew chum customers, because I have learned so much from them over the years.

A wise old Owl sat in an oak, the more he heard the less he spoke, the less he spoke the more he heard, why can’t we all be like that wise old bird? 🦉 I consider this forum to be the oak and I’m trying my hardest to be that wise old Owl 😊 

[Lead Detector]

I'm trying to keep up @Gerry in Idaho!

you might need to give me a beginners handicap 😁

[Gerry in Idaho]

Lead Detector - You most certainly are.  That's a very impressive discovery. Well earned,