GM3 Threshold Gaps

[davehall14 4]

I am totally new to all of this, and have been playin in the backyard (stone) with my newly aquired Goldmaster 3. Have been through the manual and tried all the settings and can't seem to get a steady threshold without gaps. I'm swingin low and slow and tryin not to get "ahead of the threshold", but still get 1-3 second gaps with no sound. Just straightened out the coil cord and the strain reliefs seem ok. Brand new headphones. Ground balance seems to be adjusted ok and slightly positive. What am I doin wrong?

[garimpo 2,283]

I've never used a Goldmaster 3 but do you have discriminate and if so is it turned on?

[davehall14 4]

Hi Garimpo, thanks for the reply. The "Iron ID" is turned off. I have played with it though, and it seems to work really well.

[garimpo 2,283]

How does the iron ID sound opposed to the "gaps"?

[davehall14 4]

Hi, It clicks more, and the gaps are shorter, plus you can watch the needle swing up to "Iron"

[garimpo 2,283]

You need more help than I can provide DH but hang in there

[davehall14 4]

Hey I appreciate your replies and help on my first posting! I just got in from practicing in the backyard and with careful ground balancing, seem to have gotten a smoother threshold. I think I need more time on this manual machine! Thanks.

[Au Seeker 3,092]

Dave,

Do you have a owner's manual for your GM3?

If not you can read and download one in PDF format at this link.

http://media.whiteselectronics.com/manuals/Goldmaster%20Manuals/GM%203%20Instruction%20Manual.pdf

[davehall14 4]

Hi Au Seeker,

Yes, I did download the manual for the GM3, thanks. I've been playin around setting up the Gain, Ground Balance, and messin with the VSAT timing. The Iron ID seems pretty cool. This is my first experience with a detector, and GOLD in general, so I'm tryin to learn all I can.

[Caliche Chris 177]

Dave,

I just got a gold master vsat a few months ago and like you had never used a detector before. I think they are pretty similar machines. Sometimes I have trouble with my threshold as well. I rarely get a really steady hum, it usually has dips and cuts out occasionally for a quick second. I'm sure that an experienced detector could balance mine and tweak it to sound smoother but I've noticed that even when the threshold sounds a little choppy like that, the detector will still scream over a target and the erratic threshold is more annoying than anything. I just go over ground really slow and check the same spot a couple times and even if the threshold is acting screwy I can still hear signals just fine.

[Hoser John 1,240]

Sounds dusty/dirty-tried electronics tuner cleaner yet??John

[Mike Furness 1,511]

Dave ...One of the many detectors I have is the v-sat not the GMT3 ... a little different operation but in the same family of detectors ... may I suggest that if you are in a close neighborhood you do your experiments/learning away from the houses due to unknown EMI close by. Not like trying to run my GPX5000 in those conditions ... nearly impossible ... but if there is a strong EMI force such as high tension lines or a ham radio tower just for examples you need to get away. It may never smooth out completely but I'm willing to bet it will be a bit more stable. Nothing like getting experience in real world gold field areas. They will be different than your neighborhood also if for no other reason than soil mineralization(typically higher mineral density in the gold fields than your soils around the house) that you will need to learn how to handle when searching for gold. ---Mike F

[Uncle Ron 1,486]

The GM3 is the most sensitive of all the Gold Masters, according to Dave Johnson, who invented all of them as well as the Gold Bugs and some of the Tesaros ... While the GM3 is the favorite of many experienced gold and meteorite detectorists, it does make more extraneous noises than the others ... It is so sensitive that when they came out with the next couple of Models, i.e., GM4 and GMT, they dialed the sensitivity back a bit ... I have owned all of the Gold Master series except the GM4 ... I have trained quite a few folks in using them ... Settings that work best in Arizona are different that those recommended by the manuals ... Here's what I've found seems to work best in the big AZ: VSAT- 10; Gain - 6 to 7; Threshold, dialed back to where you just barely think you can hear it ... You still are going to have a little bit of noise, because that's the nature of the GM3 ... Once you get used to it and tweak the settings I've suggested above, you'll love the machine ... Hope this helps ... Cheers, Unc

[sawmill 69]

The GM3 is my choice of weapons. Uncle Ron is right about the settings for most

ground in Arizona. I hunt some really hot ground and use a little different setup.

The GM3 is not affected by EMI like most detectors. I can run mine in the house

and it will just purr. The key to the GM3 is ground balance and gain. If it gets too

noisey just tweak the fine balance a tad. If the threshold is acting up lower the gain,

if the fine balance doesn't settle it down.

As stated,it will still signal on a larger piece ,or shallow piece with a ratty threshold,

but will miss deeper or smaller gold. If the threshold is running ratty,you are only

hearing the easy stuff.

The GM3 will hit deeper,and smaller gold in real hot ground with a lower gain setting,

and smooth threshold,than trying to run a high gain . Don't be afraid to drop the gain

to 4 or 5 to get a smooth threshold,and accurate ground balance. It will actually go

deeper like that. Most of the time I am running a 4 to five gain,and the sat set to the

first position from off,with a finger on the fine ground balance. I set the threshold to

where you can just ,hear it decent with a good set of headphones.

With the right gain setting ,you can balance out a lot of crap noise,hot rocks,and

recognise non target signals easier. Lots of folks call the target signal zip,zip, but

to me it is more like whack,whack. With the right setting it will make a solid whack,

whack on even the smallest good target,both ways. Sometimes it will be faint,but

still distinct,if you are set up right.

[davehall14 4]

Hi,

Thank you Caliche Chris, Hoser John, Mike, Uncle Ron, and Sawmill! I just about finished replying to you when my cursor jumped somewhere and it all disappeared. Thanks to you all for the great information. You've given me full confidence in my machine and the knowledge to get out there and find some gold with it now.

[davehall14 4]

Hi Hoser John,

Where would I use that tuner cleaner? The Coil Cord contacts, or inside the control box somewhere?

[Hoser John 1,240]

Box contacts on the cord to the coil and the dial itself,unscrew knob and give a shot. Out in the dust,dirt,mud and grime we handle them knobs with crusty hands all the time. Dirty business but oooooooooooooooo so much fun-John