Infinium Ground Balance and Frequency Adjust Method

Hi All

I used the infinium in the WA goldfields over the last week.

What I found really useful was when I couldnt get a stable threshold on hot ground (after ground balancing) - I undertook the frequence adjustment which gave a really clear threshold. This was the case for example really hot noisy laterite (ironstone) hills.

My question is what impact does this have on the performance of the infinium?

I do find it difficult to hear the threshold when doing the frequency adjust. THis is my process:
1. Put in lock position
2. Turn threshold to right to Frequency Adjust
3. Turn discrimination slowly to right until I hear a stable threshold (THRESHOLD IS VERY HARD TO HEAR DOING THIS THOUGH??)
4. Once smooth threshold I turn Threshold back to ZERO
5. Then I turn DISCRIMINATION back to zero.

Then my infinium seems super quiet.

So, my questions again were what frequency should i try and select (dead quiet OR loud but smooth OR soft but smooth).

And does this have any bearing on the performance of my detector?

Cheers
Waz

hi wazza
I was about to ask a similer question when i read yours, so I was waiting for a more expierienced user to answer, but no one yet. I was interested when you mentioned you could hear the theshold when changing frequency as I cannot hear anything at all I tend to just change the setting slowly and return to detecting when I obtain a smooth stable threshold. I do not think that changing the frequency changes the performance of the detector at all. about a year ago when I got my finny I was having problems when over some ground I could not get the machine to settle at all, only recently I have discovered that in these areas I have found multple very small targets (and I do mean very small) close together and I think the machine is trying to respond to them all at once confusing me with sound but I am still learning the machine too. hope this helps

Thanks MikeZ

When I turn to the threshold to frequency adjust and then turn the discrimination slowly, I can faintly hear the threshold. It will then change as i turn the discirmination to almost silent, to a bit louder and steady, to soft and stready, to very wobbly (not necessarily in that order).

I have selected the frequency that is louder and steady. I have also selected the frequency that is almost silent.

When I reset the the threshold to my 4 level, you can notice a difference in the threshold depending on what I chose with the discrimination knob. Question is does this affect sensitivity, performance etc.

What I do know is in some ground it is the only option to getting the machine quiet - something I wish I tried years ago! I had walked away from ground because of this!

Looking forward to comments.

Cheers

Waz

Using a silent threshold will cause the Infinium to loose depth on weak signals. Target signals with the infinium are always higher than the threshold setting but setting the threshold low will take the peak target signals down.
Setting the threshold to a comfortable hearing level will enable you to hear all of the target signal not just the clipped top on a silent threshold.
Setting a loud threshold can at times make weak signals sharper and easier to hear but how much so depends a little on how good or bad your hearing is.
Even though the threshold is loud the target signal rides on the top of the threshold at all times unlike most other detectors and vlf machines where the threshold can be driven higher than the target signal thereby drowning the target sig.
The frequency used does not affect the sensitivity of the detector because the PPS shift is only several PPS necessary to counter low frequency EMI from mains and other detectors.
If I am chasing weak signals I set the threshold loud but not so loud as to be annoying.
carrying out the freq adjust can be difficult at times because as you approach the correct setting the threshold is difficult to hear especially on a windy day but you need to find the quietest and smoothest setting and then bring the threshold back to zero and then return the disc to zero, then bring the threshold to the level you want.
Do the frequency adjust first in Lock and then do the GB in fast or slow track. If you try to GB when there is EMI the detector can sometimes try to ground track the EMI making good GB almost impossible.
ALWAYS do the GB with the Disc set at zero.
If you are not able to get spot on GB then winding in a small amount of Disc up to one or two (after GB )can often quieten the machine down that last little bit by taking out the effect of some alkali salts that is often found in the gold fields. This can also help at the beach as well. The Infinium will also run extremely well on the salt lakes.

Thanks Adrian.

Some excellent feedback. It is good to know that Frequency Adjust has no bearing on performance of the detector in terms of sensitivity.

In WA we have some hot ground, so I found that after GB I couldnt get the machine quiet. I then did the frequency adjust as you mention, and the machine was good then.

I shall try doing the frequency adjust first, then going to GB. Perhaps that is a better way of going about it. Its good to know I should be trying to get a freq. adjust threshold that is silent and smooth. THanks.

In general I stick to a threshold level of 4-4.5 when detecting. I find this optimal.

CHeers
WAZ

Question would more likely get a relevant answer on a non commercial forum that show more tolerance towards Infinium LS users.

ivanll