Ground Mineralization ?

[Coin Digger]

So you hear a lot about how ground mineralization effects the performance of a metal detector.

My question is: how do you know what your ground mineralization is where your hunting?

Is there a general rule of thumb that you can use?

Where I'm at it's farm country with a mixture of clay and loam type depending where your at. Most of the newer parks here are clay back fill and the older untouched sites are more the loam type.

 

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[The Beep Goes On]

Searched for old posts...not much there...

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,11764.0.html

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,204957.0.html

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,70592.0.html

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,339396.0.html


If you search some other sites, you might find more...

http://www.gi.alaska.edu/~jesse/treasure/misc/howdetector.html
"Ground Balance
As previously mentioned, most sands and soils contain some amount of iron. They may also have conductive properties due to the presence of salts dissolved in the ground water. The result is that a signal is received by the metal detector due to the ground itself which may be thousands of times stronger than the signal resulting from small metal objects buried at modest depths. Fortunately, the phase shift caused by the ground tends to remain fairly constant over a limited area. It is possible to arrange things inside the metal detector so that even if the strength of the ground signal changes dramatically--such as when the loop is raised and lowered, or when it passes over a mound or hole--the metal detector's output remains constant. Such a metal detector is said to be "ground balanced". Accurate ground balance makes it possible to "pinpoint" the location of the targets with a good deal of precision as well as to estimate the depth of the targets in the ground. If you choose to search in a non-discriminate, or "all-metal" mode, accurate ground balance is essential."

As to your specific question, some detectors can tell you, numerically, where the ground balance is set and allow you to compare ground conditions site-to-site. Otherwise, it is set automatically or manually. The following pic shows where ground balance typically falls...

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Ohio.

Your soil should be on the neutral side, meaning less hot (Minerals) rocks.
But here is the only true way of learning.


http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=1350&nm=Minerals-of-Ohio

 

[Frankn]

Don't worry about it! When you ground balance you compensate for the mineralization. Just balance and enjoy yourself.

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[Coin Digger]

Don't worry about it! When you ground balance you compensate for the mineralization. Just balance and enjoy yourself.

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Not worried - just curious.

 

[oldcoon]

My Tesoro Vaquero tells me the ground mineralization
by affecting the threshold sound.
I then make the necessary adjustment and away I go.
I live in a heavily mineralized area, so I frequently
re-check the ground balance to make sure it hasn't drifted.
If it has, I just re-balance and continue hunting.
Takes all of about 15-20 seconds.
Other model machines have different ways.
Some have automatic ground balance where you merely sweep the coil a few times,
others you pump the coil 4 or 5 times and are good to go.
Just follow the manufacturer's recommendations and enjoy the hunt. ​

 

[gleaner1]

Crank her up to max sense, see how she handles it, and settle 'er down as the ground requires to get smooooth operation. Or a bit chattery if you wish, as much as you can take. All this makes zero sense unless you understand that gb follows the sense level, not vice versa. Shoot for the high end of sensitivity based on trash density and mineralization, then gb. If the machine is too chattery, kick down sense, re ground balance till everything is stable enough for your liking.

 

[Frankn]

Here's a little tip that some don't even think about. When you ground balance, make sure that there is nothing under your coil but the ground. If you ground balance over a gold ring in the ground, you have just discriminated out gold rings. I usually carry a gold ring and some coins to double check after I have balanced.

Ever have a real bad day in a good area? This could be why!

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