This has been bothering me for a while, so I figured that I'd ask. Why doesn't the F75 (and F70) have ground tracking? They're both upper end detectors and it would seem that, especially for prospecting in bad ground, ground tracking would be beneficial. There are less expensive detectors that have it (MXT, M6, 6T, XTerra 70, GTI 1500, GTP 1350, LST).. Why not Fisher's top of the line units? Experiments with the F75, trigger held forward, seem to indicate that tracking would be effective. Is there some secret combination of button pushing that can activate it, or a possible future upgrade? I'd really like to have a tracking function since the ground I hunt is very variable and (using a GMT and MXT w. DD) has shown, to me at least, that tracking really helps. I was thinking of getting an F70, but am doing some rethinking. Is there something about these detectors that that makes ground tracking unnecessary? ...Willy.
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A question for Dave Johnson regarding the F70/75
- Thread starter willy
- Start date
I quite agree with Willy and would appreciate a response to these questions. Here is an even more pertinent question Dave....Is there any way the current model F-75 could be upgraded by the addition of auto tracking (with a manually adjustable offset of 5 full units positive and negative) at the owners expense? Thanks,
Jim Hemmingway.
Jim Hemmingway.
The F75 is a released product and the addition of new features is not expected.
In general I don't respond to questions why we do or don't do something, since "whys" don't have anything to do with what a metal detector is or isn't, or how it works, or even how good it is or isn't. Once you get into arguing with people about "whys" it just becomes an opinion brawl and I ain't got time for that. I'm busy with other more useful stuff.
Incidentally, those of you who haven't seen the essay on native silver prospecting, it's a really good well written essay on a subject most of us don't know much about. I recommend it.
--Dave J.
In general I don't respond to questions why we do or don't do something, since "whys" don't have anything to do with what a metal detector is or isn't, or how it works, or even how good it is or isn't. Once you get into arguing with people about "whys" it just becomes an opinion brawl and I ain't got time for that. I'm busy with other more useful stuff.
Incidentally, those of you who haven't seen the essay on native silver prospecting, it's a really good well written essay on a subject most of us don't know much about. I recommend it.
--Dave J.
LilloEsquilo
New member
Only thing I can think of is the cost. Odds are you probably re-balance the machine every 20 minutes or so anyway, maybe more or maybe less depending on your soil, so you can get maximum depth and stability. So the only real reason why not that I can think of is that it would have cost more. Since Dave isn't telling all we can do is take our best guess and that's mine.
Dave thanks for making a perfectly frank response here. We can certainly understand such discussions may infringe on proprietary issues, and there is nothing further to be gained where the F-75 is concerned. The F-75 is what it is, and that's a very capable, versatile instrument...but that phase is complete.
It's comical really Dave. You did such a grand job on the F-75, in addition to the usual coin/relic pursuits, the unit actually performed better in the prospecting world than might have been anticipated. A pleasant "issue" to preside over, because users are finally fully appreciating what you have achieved...but they damn well want more.
We hope you will keep an ear to the consumer suggestions here, with resolve to incorporate further improvements in a future we hope to discover together.
Jim Hemmingway.
PS: Suggestion # 1...include autotracking on the next revision in addition to what is currently available. Pls provide manually adjustable autotracking offset...a minimum 5 full GB units pos/neg.
It's comical really Dave. You did such a grand job on the F-75, in addition to the usual coin/relic pursuits, the unit actually performed better in the prospecting world than might have been anticipated. A pleasant "issue" to preside over, because users are finally fully appreciating what you have achieved...but they damn well want more.
We hope you will keep an ear to the consumer suggestions here, with resolve to incorporate further improvements in a future we hope to discover together.
Jim Hemmingway.
PS: Suggestion # 1...include autotracking on the next revision in addition to what is currently available. Pls provide manually adjustable autotracking offset...a minimum 5 full GB units pos/neg.
Low-Boy/LCPM
Active member
[size=medium]Thank you Dave for a response. It is not a perfect world or a perfect machine but the F75 is the best machine money can buy for Calif hunting. Let Dave use that brain for the next unit he makes. It seems after the T2 he made a machine for everyone with almost every need. And it seems that Fisher is letting him do what he has wanted to do in the past but couldn't. So lets give him a break and see what he is dreaming up in the future. This hobby is ( I think) a baby boomer market. Most of us have been doing this for a long time. And the world is changing and it is harder to have the freedoms we had in the past. From what I see with the other companies they have not even come close to coming out with a new better unit. And I think it is because the base of buyers is not growing like it did years ago. We are the buyers and we have had a lot of machines in those years. We are willing or at least I am to invest in a new better machine because we love finding history and relics and jewelry. Where else can you look at your collection of gold rings and say yeah I found those in the ground at parks, schools, lakes. One day I found one gold ring in about two hours of detecting that was worth over one grand. And that has happened to me a lot of times over the ten years I have been hunting.
So lets just hope we get a new Fisher this year or next and we are all working or retired and have the health and energy to find more history with the help of our friends at Fisher.[/size]
So lets just hope we get a new Fisher this year or next and we are all working or retired and have the health and energy to find more history with the help of our friends at Fisher.[/size]
Dave J. said:The F75 is a released product and the addition of new features is not expected.
In general I don't respond to questions why we do or don't do something, since "whys" don't have anything to do with what a metal detector is or isn't, or how it works, or even how good it is or isn't. Once you get into arguing with people about "whys" it just becomes an opinion brawl and I ain't got time for that. I'm busy with other more useful stuff.
Incidentally, those of you who haven't seen the essay on native silver prospecting, it's a really good well written essay on a subject most of us don't know much about. I recommend it.
--Dave J.
Dave I appreciate you taking the time to respond, and definitely understand that new features aren't typically added to a post production machine.
Can you point me to a link on the native silver prospecting essay, I'd definitely like to take a look at it.
Can you tell us if the next high end Fisher will have the auto ground tracking feature?
Thanks,
Brian
your best guess is probably 'dead nuts" on!..the detector is expensive to begin with,and i share your opinion of ground balancing every so often while hunting!..it's so simple to do,i don't really see the benefit of an auto tracking circuit,and making the detector even MORE expensive is,i believe, counter productive from a marketing perspective!.
(h.h!)
j.t.
(h.h!)
j.t.
(a) The original illustrated essay entitled "Silver Rock Hunting with an F-75 Metal Detector" is posted over on the TNet (the T stands for treasure) forum under the subforum "Nugget Hunting". The copy posted here on Finds does not contain my original opening comments, nor is it illustrated with quite a number of photos.The copy here on Finds also does not contain any of the follow-up discussion and accompanying photos.
(b) About autotracking. Many F-75 users enjoy electronic prospecting, coin and relic hunting pursuits over highly mineralized, and frequently highly variable ground. Under either condition maintaining precise ground balance is especially critical if the user is to have any success, for example, finding small gold/silver nuggets, while avoiding spurious ground noise which is further accentuated over uneven terrain. Over more extreme ground, the ground balance "window of tolerance" is greatly reduced compared to searching over lighter/moderate mineralization. Thus, precise ground balance must be maintained. Variable ground can mean ground balance shifting of 10 to 15 full units within a few yards. These mineral conditions are commonly encountered in mining country, many western areas of the continent, and just about anywhere on the great Precambrium Shield. Under these conditions, autotracking ensures the detector stays balanced precisely. An autotracking option in addition to what is currently available on this unit is not outside the realm of a perfectly reasonable request. I cannot speculate on what additional cost would be associated with including this feature. Many moderately priced metal detectors by comparison do provide autotracking.
Jim.
(b) About autotracking. Many F-75 users enjoy electronic prospecting, coin and relic hunting pursuits over highly mineralized, and frequently highly variable ground. Under either condition maintaining precise ground balance is especially critical if the user is to have any success, for example, finding small gold/silver nuggets, while avoiding spurious ground noise which is further accentuated over uneven terrain. Over more extreme ground, the ground balance "window of tolerance" is greatly reduced compared to searching over lighter/moderate mineralization. Thus, precise ground balance must be maintained. Variable ground can mean ground balance shifting of 10 to 15 full units within a few yards. These mineral conditions are commonly encountered in mining country, many western areas of the continent, and just about anywhere on the great Precambrium Shield. Under these conditions, autotracking ensures the detector stays balanced precisely. An autotracking option in addition to what is currently available on this unit is not outside the realm of a perfectly reasonable request. I cannot speculate on what additional cost would be associated with including this feature. Many moderately priced metal detectors by comparison do provide autotracking.
Jim.
Well i understand that there is a Chinese Detector selling for 60 bucks with a good auto GB and target recovery speed like the f-75, that has been deemed a little bargain. so i don't think it would really cost much more to add a good GB, and it would be a nice feature in the gold bearing areas where the ground changes real fast as Jim mentioned,. last year i was in an area that fluctuated from a 78 to a 92 on my t-2 over a few feet. i love my t-2 and its easy to GB, but an auto GB would be nice.
^ I don't think it would cost a cent aside from adding new code routines (which could probably be borrowed from something like the C$), as modern detectors such as the F70/75 are software based tectors - add the code, reflash the bios (or whatever they call it on these), and now you have the new feature.
I suspect it's a feature we'll see on their next high end detector(s).
I suspect it's a feature we'll see on their next high end detector(s).
LilloEsquilo
New member
I would ask where I could find it, but honestly, I'm a bit afraid the paint might have lead in it or something that will kill me. Being serious here after all we've heard about Chinese products. I would really have to see this detector to believe it's as good as advertised for 60 bucks. I'd feel pretty stupid if I ended up feeling screwed over that amount of money.
LilloEsquilo
New member
Yeah, they always damn well want more. It's human nature. And why not? If they didn't, they'd still be using BFO machines and the detector companies would be out of business.
As far as that goes too, the F75 is kind of like the T2, only with what more goodies the users wanted; i.e. a backlight, memory saving of settings when the machine is turned off, more power, etc. So it isn't too much of a stretch to think they might be able to incorporate an auto tracking system that adjusts ground balance - I mean the machine is already doing ground tracking anyway, it just doesn't adjust the ground balance for you based on what it is picking up.
I could see it both ways really - it's kind of nice that you can monitor that yourself and decide when to rebalance, but it would be nice to be able to turn on auto-balancing and turn it back off as well.
As far as that goes too, the F75 is kind of like the T2, only with what more goodies the users wanted; i.e. a backlight, memory saving of settings when the machine is turned off, more power, etc. So it isn't too much of a stretch to think they might be able to incorporate an auto tracking system that adjusts ground balance - I mean the machine is already doing ground tracking anyway, it just doesn't adjust the ground balance for you based on what it is picking up.
I could see it both ways really - it's kind of nice that you can monitor that yourself and decide when to rebalance, but it would be nice to be able to turn on auto-balancing and turn it back off as well.