Dinger51
Elite Member
Just a quick question. Why aren't more people using the auto tracking on the equinox? I figured Minelab had that technology nailed down. My Etrac worked like a champ with it on. Thanks ahead of time for the responses.
Nox Auto Tracking
- Thread starter Dinger51
- Start date
Stiffwrists
Elite Member
I've heard that some are worried that constantly rechecking a signal (I do this) artificially adjusts the auto tracking and it takes a while to recover. I typically just ground balance in the area and keep it constant. My soil doesn't change that much. It might be different in other areas of the country or in salt water/sand scenarios.
Dinger51
Elite Member
Gotcha..
Longhair
Elite Member
They are foolish is why. There is no earthly reason not to use it, and a couple good reasons you should use it. Not only is it way faster at adjusting to changes than you are, but it's also ten times more accurate than you can be, because it isn't limited to adjusting in whole point increments. It is accurate to the tenth of a point.
AirmetTango
Forum Supporter
That's the first time I've seen this information stated anywhere...are you sure that's accurate for the Equinox series? Everything official I've seen from Minelab says Ground Balance range is from -9 to 99, with no mention of 1/10th increments in auto tracking or any other mode.
Longhair
Elite Member
Absolutely sure. The technology isn't new. It was developed with the Xterra 70/705 (Minelab's first digital machine), and Minelab did state back then that it was accurate to the tenth of a point, making it ten times more accurate than you could be.
Somewhere I still have the original documentation that they published on the subject.
Interesting comments here.
In error though.
Try the following and you’ll see why.
I have done.
If I try and use tracking and letting EQX start out from 0 GB, it will take ions to balance to the ground. Soil level mineralization levels drive how fast the EQX tracks I think. So milder ground would take longer vs higher mineralization.
Doing auto GB to begin with is the right thing to do imo. If one wants to use tracking GB.
I will go out and do a demo video to show what I am talking about above.
Now, there will be time gaps in the video, to keep video shorter.
Stay tuned.
Will post in this thread.
Longhair
Elite Member
I've always used Auto GB & Tracking together. The machine is always going to be more accurate than the error prone human element.
One thing we don’t know is just long long does it take Etrac to track. It does take some time.
Is it possible to first hop on a site and not detect a deeper say coin right off the bat since Etrac was just turned on? Imo yes based on what I have seen with Etrac.
Remember Etrac gives no visuals for correct GB ever.
There is a way to prove this btw.
Go to some more higher mineral soil and bury dime. Deeper yet Etrac detectable.
Take a kiddy pool full of inert sand and turn Etrac on and sweep the inert sand continuously for 2 minutes. Then instantly sweep deeper buried dime in higher mineralized ground. Will Etrac detect dime right off??? Or will some sweeping have to take place for Etrac to track hence it starts detecting dime??
Longhair
Elite Member
The digital aspect makes the Nox difficult to directly compare to the Etrac.
I'll have a look to see if I can turn up the info on the all digital Tracking I have. It's faster than you think.
I'll have a look to see if I can turn up the info on the all digital Tracking I have. It's faster than you think.
Longhair
Elite Member
Found part of it!
SoOregonMd
Elite Member
It is very possible that the Display rounds the decimal up or down and Manual probably does it in Increments of 1
Martin_V3i
Elite Member
It hardly matters about decimal tenths don't show. Just simply have repeated ground balances, in the same exact spot,,,have those repeated GB numbers stay within 1-whole number of the first result.
I can't stress over tenths when whole numbers jump around so much, while standing in the same exact spot.
I always run manual it that is a choice in the settings.
Longhair
Elite Member
Improper GB will result in skewed TID. The more accurate you can get your GB, the more accurate your TD will be. It doesn't matter much on shallow targets, but at depth it does.
Martin_V3i
Elite Member
Point taken, as gospel. Is auto tracking, consistently accurate though? I say, "It is sketchy at best."
Longhair
Elite Member
That depends on YOU exhibiting good skills such as appropriate sweep speed. Larger coils that will see deeper need more time to do everything that they do due to the additional volume of soil that they are scanning. Swing that dude like a weedeater and you'll experience some pretty poor results. Slow down to a proper speed, and enjoy success, as you'll allow the machine the time it needs to be accurate.
Martin_V3i
Elite Member
Thank you from a Weed Eater swinger. That was sarcasm. I do know how to repeatedly test a simple GB after 11 years, testing some of the trickiest machines over time.
Video showing auto ground tracking Eqx 800.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2dHncXOJVhs
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2dHncXOJVhs
Longhair
Elite Member
In that video, what he did was essentially lie to the machine before beginning to sweep.
Proper procedure would be to Auto Noise Cancel, then Auto GB, then turn Tracking ON. Or, start with Tracking ON, Auto Noise Cancel, Auto GB, and begin sweeping. Either way will work like it's supposed to.
I'd like to see a test done on ground like I have here, where it can dramatically change in 15ft. Set the machine up properly, and then monitor GB while sweeping over transitioning soil.
Proper procedure would be to Auto Noise Cancel, then Auto GB, then turn Tracking ON. Or, start with Tracking ON, Auto Noise Cancel, Auto GB, and begin sweeping. Either way will work like it's supposed to.
I'd like to see a test done on ground like I have here, where it can dramatically change in 15ft. Set the machine up properly, and then monitor GB while sweeping over transitioning soil.
