Detailed questions about the F5

[wassermann]

Now, a few questions which intrigue me most - about the dependencies between discrimination settings and target ID feedback given by the F5 detector.

My current detector has a nice feature of 2-tone motion mode. It acts in a simple way. I set the discrimination knob to eliminate ferrous targets of a given size. My detector responds to every target it finds, giving clear high beep to the stuff above the discrimination level and a low chirpy sound to every piece of metal rejected by
the discrimination (plus combinations of these sounds as not everything can be classified in a 0-1 maneer). In such way, I'm only "marking" rejected stuff, and still able to hear its presence, leaving the decision dig/not dig to myself. The Tesoros (like Cibola) don't have such feature and you can't hear targets which its discrimination rejects without any doubts. Thus one has to hunt with quite a low disc setting and check the target every time by toggling discrimination knob every time up and down.

The F5 manual states that:
"The audio and visual target discrimination systems are independent of one another. In some situations, targets eliminated from visual detection will still produce an audible response."

So, what behavior to expect from the F5 in a multi-tone mode?

1)
Assume, that I set the discrimination to "40", to eliminate small and mid-sized iron targets. How will the F5 react when it comes across a target with a steady "10" value (small iron)? Keep silent or sound the lowest (iron) tone?

2)
What is the difference between hunting in all-metal mode, and discrimination set to the lowest possible level?
I know that all-metal disables the multi-tone sound feature, but offers greatest depth. Will depth deteriorate significantly as soon as I switch into the lowest setting of the discrimination mode?
Does the VID feature remain active while searching in all-metal mode? (possibly yes)

3)
Deep-buried targets can be misidentified by the VID display. I read several reports that the deepest objects caused the VID to vary significantly and keep changing constantly, making it impossible to classify target by the VID means.
But how about the audio-ID channel in such cases? Is it strictly connected to the VID or fully independent, as it can be expected after reading the manual? Imagine a situation, when a deeply buried copper coin produces a totally inconsistent reading at the VID - but how will it sound? A cacophony-like or a steady, high but rather silent sound?

Many thanks in advance for your assistance,
Michal

 

[Terry in PA]

Here's what I know ! Today was a good test on deep target's.

(1) First to answer your first questions. If you had your disc level set at 40 and you got a steady 10 reading the F5 will not tone on anything below the 40 setting.But you still have the VID number to tell you the target ID.

(2) I run my F5 on the lowest disc setting that knocks out Iron. In my testing I have not found a big drop off in the depth of the detector. Where the advantage of the all metal mode comes in is you can hunt very very slowly com paired to the disc mode. And the target ID also works in all metal but you have a VCO type audio sound.


(3) Today was my first real day that all most every target was deep. I was hitting pennies and dimes at 8 to 9 inches and that's the truth! On clad pennies
I had a good tone but the ID was a little below the zinc zone and sometimes in the tab range but the VID numbers stayed in the 50's. The dimes came in with a soft high tone telling me that they were deep and had a ID of dime to quarter VID numbers in the 70's and I hit some quarters at the 8,9and 10inch marks all with high tones and VID numbers in the 80's. I didn't have VID numbers that jumped all over the scale like form 40 to 80 they stayed some what close to the VID range of the coins give or take a few digit's. The target separation is unreal ! It's the fastest of any detector I've ever owned and I've been at this since 1993. Targets close together will give a tone for each target. I had nice high tones for copper pennies as well as dimes and quarters at those depths. Clad pennies gave a middle tone and I had one nickle that gave a high tone. I'll have to check it out it could be a older one.

Hope this helps you out !