Auto Tune button on the GPX4000

Could I ask you both to clearly set out how and why you set the auto tune button when commencing detecting and also how when and why you subsequently ground balance.
I'm in Heathcote Vic <moderate to high mineralisation> and recently went out in the G/fields with my 4000 and my mate had his 4500. I normally go out on my own so never get any feedback on what I do to set up. He looked at me setting up ..pissed himself laughing and said what on earth are you doing all that for?".....we kept our detecting distances and I never did see what he does to set up...<he did say something about pressing the auto tune AFTER doing all that not before..>?
I have your 4000 DVD Johnathon, however as I recall it didnt give blow by blow exactly how you use the auto tune when setting out.......please tell me how you set up, and Stoppsy I know you are having considerable success with your 4000 so would like to know how you set up. <Also as I understand it you use Mono Coil with Mono RX setting..I use 14 x 9 Elliptical Coiltek GS Mono and have only ever used the DD RX setting..what are both your thoughts on this please and does it make much difference which setting is used>
Here's what I do right or wrong...Get clear of the Car find elevated ground press the auto tune do 360 degree slow turn holding the detector/coil horizontal and when I hear the greatest burbling I stop motionless still pointing the coil in that direction and wait for the 3 beeps..when it invariably goes quiet..then raise and lower the coil from the ground..press the manual tune button holding it motionless about 1" from the ground....set the threshold which seems to run stable to a faint bumble bee buzz and away I go...I do ground balance like before often during the day but dont reset the auto tune.....is all this something like you do?...I have no problem whatsoever finding every bit of shot gun/22 leads buried in the fields.....<what worries me most that day my mate found 3 small gold pieces all sub gram in close proximity to each other...I found zero apart from ferrous and lead bits>. I'm reasonably satisfied I have the other settings on my GPX similar to collective thoughts on this site.....I usually set Manual Tune to 113 yet after using auto tune it seems to go to about 87 is this correct for that situation?.
I think many new GPX chums are confused by exactly what to do when setting out and as I have used an Infinium for years there is nothing really similar in setting up both I find....
Thanks for any input...

Seeing as how no-one has come back to you yet Larry, try this.
1. Turn 4000 on
2. Ground balance
3. Hold 4000 horizontal and do a "360"
4. Point 4000 to worst interference
5. Lay 4000 on ground with coil vertical and press autotune button.
6. Ground balance again and off you go
7. Re-autotune as necessary

Robert

what i do is make sure all the leads are pluged in and nice and tight, make sure my settings are all set to where they should be, then step away from the car, turn on the detector wait about 5 or so seconds for it to settel and ground balance then off i go. the only time i use the auto tune is if the detector is realy noisey...what you do is put the detector about hip hight go around in a circle until you find where the detector is most noisey push the button and hold it still until you hear the 3 beeps. then you regraound balance (make sure you get the coil right down as close as you can to the ground without hitting it and hold your green button in and do very small pumps up and down abou an inch high i do) then offyou go again. have you tryed my setting that i posted a few weeks ago on this forum? if you find a target and you don't know if it's ground noise do a 90 degree angle and swing back over it, if it's still there dig. you realy have to listen to the detector for any change in the hum.
cheers
stoppsy

Many thanks for your replies Robert and Stoppsy. By not auto tuning I guess your preferred setting for manual tune does not alter is that correct Stoppsy?...Have you tried your mono coil in DD setting on front panel and if so did you notice any difference to using the mono setting with mono coil?...which is the most sensitive?
I will try your settings this weekend. Could you repeat them again here if I'm not being too painful. I find so much crapp in the Heathcote fields <at least I'm helping remove it all> I wonder if I should try the stock DD which remains unused from new and try descrimination mode.<fine bits of rusty tin, 22 and shot gun leads, brass cartridge shells, and junk at quite deep levels over 12"...I think I'm responding to junk signals and not the gold which I know is there>>
The coils I've got that came with my GPX 4000 unit are..stock Minelab DD Round 11". 14 x 9 Coiltek GS Elliptical Mono,16" Coiltek GS Round Mono <still unused> and the 12" Round Mono Nugget Finder which I have been told by experienced operators is next to useless as far as pinpointing and difficulty to use....so I've been sticking to the 14 x 9 Coiltek.GS Mono....and using the Koss TD80 headphones.instead of the exterior amp speaker that came with it..thanks for your help...

i never use mono in dd on front cap you loose sensitive if you do. i was out a few weeks ago in a spot and someone had dug a hole and the target was still in there. i walked past it as it was realy loud sounding like a bit off tin. it got the better off me so i redug the hole to where they stopped. i put the detector over it and it was still there, i dug about another inch down and about an inch back it was a bit off gold that was 1.2 grams. when you pick up a nail and that you'll hear a wobberly sound in it not just a high pitched scream like gold. next time i'm out i'll video the different sound nails and gold that make. lead sounds like gold wich is a pain but i don't mind digging it. one thing is that if your finding all these targets it just shows that the spot hasn't been detected. just keep going to that spot coz if you know gold is there you'll soon pick some up.
cheers
stoppsy
ps it's hard to tell someone what to do and that over a computer. it's easyer to show one on one. just stick at it and one other thing make sure you have you coil hitting the ground or nelly hitting the ground.

and the 12" Round Mono Nugget Finder which I have been told by experienced operators is next to useless as far as pinpointing
If they told you this then they are not experienced operators, if you cant pin-point with a round coil then get shown how to by someone who mostly uses a round coil of the mono type.
Those coils you mentioned are all capable coils round or elip, pinpointing with an elliptical coil is child's play, if you don't learn how to with a round coil then you'll become like those who told you they are next to useless for pin-pointing.

In this video im using a 14" round NF coil, although the camera was on my detector shaft it shows you somewhat how easy it is to pinpoint with a round coil.
VIDEO

The question what is best, DD or mono when using a mono coil can best be represented on the day of its use, some days are almost EMI free and you may benefit more so by using the mono coil in DD mode.
Other times you will have a smoother threshold by using it in mono with the mono coil.
I mostly use the mono coil in mono mode, but when im able to use a much higher gain, I will also use DD mode.

Before you do your auto tune balance you must se the motion speed to fast !!!!!! (read the manual it states this quite clearly).
Set gain at factory, audio normal.
Carry out your auto tune balance, after this has been done reset your motion speed to what U use normally ( slow for me). Then grd balance after it has balanced and seems to have settled down adjust your gain up or down suit the enviroment.
If still noisy start with lowering the motion speed down to very slow still noisy lower your gain (dont go below 5) still playing up switch to quite audio (last resort) if still noisy check the time and see if any pubs are open .
The 12" round NF is my primary coil it is not hard to pinpoint with it, it does take time getting use to doing this however. Elliptical coils are a lot easier to pinpoint with, but i will also mention that the 12" round has a habit of picking up the target at the rear of the coil swing and to be honest i still dig 6" away from the target until i recheck and find it has moved LOL.
Read the manual (which is pretty useless i find), watch your M8 set up next time maybe you could laugh at him instead one day
Regards
PS When you first switch on do a quick grd balance, listen to see if its stable if so no auto tune is needed. Auto tuning everytime you switch on i find is not nessacery only when the enviroment conditions change do i find it nessacery to do one.
But this is a personal choice.

Hi Freshwater,
You are obviously pin pointing incorrectly, as you know the mono is sensitive the full circumference of the coil.
When you get a target step back then move slowly forward while slowly swinging the coil, when you get a signal make note of where the target is. Now move around 90° and approach again, when you get the target signal again make note where the swing crosses the previous line. Your target will be directly below this point. If you have problems with this scratch lines in the ground until you master it.
If the ground permitted you could use a post hole digger and retrieve your target from a hole no more than 100 mm diameter.