Just got f5 and really like it a lot. Kinda figuring it out I thought! Went same place , different day same settings, and it went crazy. It had just stopped raining, will that effect the settings? Running gain on 50 and threshold on 1. Don't really know what I'm doing half the time. Live in north Ga mountains, would like to find someone to talk to who has experience. Really glad I found this forum. It has been very helpful. Thanks
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F5 newbie
- Thread starter Dan123
- Start date
Thank you Ron for the information. I can't wait for the weather to clear so I can try some of those setting. I was forced to retire because of health, now on the mend, and always want to get into detecting. I love the hobby. I'm in a good part of Ga. for gold prospecting. That's my goal anyways. Thank you for your service Ron.
still looking 52
Well-known member
Same place/ Same settings doesn't make a lot of sense to me but I'll throw in my 2 cents of what I think could be going on.Dan123 said:
My first thought is right after a rain is the " best" time to use any metal detector, should be nice and calm plus go even a little deeper in depth with the same settings.
Maybe if there was lightning in a thunderstorm just before you started that could definitely make your F5 " light" up and go crazy especially if there was lightning still close by your area.
I've noticed with my F5 which I've had now for over 4 years and logged thousands of hours on, that when you first turn the detector on it will take a few minutes to stabilize no matter what the weather conditions, I don't actually start metal detecting until I've made several swings and let it warm up. It's done this from day one and hasn't got any worst so I just figured it was that nature of the beast. With all those circuit boards and wiring it really doesn't surprise me it takes a few minutes to tune itself in.
dfmike
Well-known member
It could depend on the amount of rain you had. If the ground is drenched, it can make a detector go crazy. I don't recall it happening with my F5 but it happened with my F44. It could be EMI as well. You can change frequencies with the F5 to tame it when it starts acting up. Try that as well as lowering your sensitivity as you have done. You make no mention of your discrimination settings. Personally, as a beginner I would not run threshold above zero until I have a clear understanding of what it does.
Read this first:
http://www.fisherlab.com/hobby/field-tests/f5%20review.htm
I am trying to find the Fisher F5 tips and tricks guide (F5 bible) but the link I have is down. If somebody has it (Sven, Mike Hillis ?) can you repost it please. I was a necessary read for me when I started using the F5.
Read this first:
http://www.fisherlab.com/hobby/field-tests/f5%20review.htm
I am trying to find the Fisher F5 tips and tricks guide (F5 bible) but the link I have is down. If somebody has it (Sven, Mike Hillis ?) can you repost it please. I was a necessary read for me when I started using the F5.
I really appreciate your thoughts on this.I think I got a little confused as it was happening, went back to area and looked it over and I think it was what you thought Mike, emi and just blanked and didn't change the frequency. There was also power lines over head . I've heard in damp conditions the emi is higher.?. Today went out , ground balanced in all metal then switched to disc mode and the display went nuts. Don't know what's up, maybe like you said I just need to give it a minute to settle. I didn't , just switched to all metal. Had gain at40 threshold at0, is that to high or low?? I read the manual daily and I find new information every time. I'm learning, and I thank y'all for the help. The greatest hobby in the world to me!!!
WV62
Well-known member
You could be trying to ground balance over some metal trash in the ground. Those overhead power lines don't sound good at all.
Your settings don't seem at all high, I would suggest going to some place that you know the machine will run good. Then I would spend some time making sure you don't have a machine problem that needs some factory attention.
No need to try to hunt until you figure out what is going on.
I can't remember any settings making the machine go nuts, maybe a little jumpy and hard to handle.
Ron in WV
Your settings don't seem at all high, I would suggest going to some place that you know the machine will run good. Then I would spend some time making sure you don't have a machine problem that needs some factory attention.
No need to try to hunt until you figure out what is going on.
I can't remember any settings making the machine go nuts, maybe a little jumpy and hard to handle.
Ron in WV
Mike Hillis
Well-known member
Hi Dan,
Give it about 10 minutes or so for your coil temp to stabilize. Reduce your Threshold setting. Start out around a -4 or a -3 and up your Gain to around 70. Remember...a threshold setting of.0 is wide open and anything above 0 is weak signal audio boosting. So even though you are running a low gain setting at 50 and 40, your threshold setting of 0 and +1 are wide open for any and all noise. So lower your threshold into the negative numbers to get some stability and go enjoy the hunt.
Regarding charts, make your own. Everyone's EMI is different and what one guy measures at his place is going to be different than what you will measure at your place.
Good luck.
HH
Mike
Give it about 10 minutes or so for your coil temp to stabilize. Reduce your Threshold setting. Start out around a -4 or a -3 and up your Gain to around 70. Remember...a threshold setting of.0 is wide open and anything above 0 is weak signal audio boosting. So even though you are running a low gain setting at 50 and 40, your threshold setting of 0 and +1 are wide open for any and all noise. So lower your threshold into the negative numbers to get some stability and go enjoy the hunt.
Regarding charts, make your own. Everyone's EMI is different and what one guy measures at his place is going to be different than what you will measure at your place.
Good luck.
HH
Mike
As I've said I just started detecting and really enjoy it totally, but having you guys willing to help a newbie out really makes it great. Just wanted to say thanks. Mike I did like you said and turned on unit and give it about 5min.before starting to hunt. I run gain on70 & threshold on-3 and it worked our well. Still looking 52 mentioned waiting a few before starting too. As I was pinpointing a couple times as I got really close to point that all the screen would flash and make a different sound, is that normal or am I doing something wrong? Really like the fisher f5 a lot. If I notch out tabs will I miss small gold rings? If I understand stand right that's where they fall. Thanks
dfmike
Well-known member
I used to run mine at about 70 for gain and thresh -3 when I started. I liked the mostly quiet hunt I was getting until a good target came along. Later I started cranking up the gain when I understood what the machine was telling me. It was one of the most stable machines I've used even with the gain at 90. Notching out pull tabs will effectively make them virtually invisible to the detector but yes, you might pass a gold item. If you hunt an area that is littered with pull tabs you might want to keep your sanity and notch them out anyway. I usually don't notch or discriminate anything out but iron but at the beach I will sometimes ignore the small foil target numbers as foil wrappers and tiny bits of aluminum can become excessive.
Yea Mike just starting I'm running like y'all told me and just adjusting up or down a little to see how it reacts.I usually run in all metal or 0 disc not notching out anything.I'm digging a lot of trash, just starting it the best way to figure out what the f5 is trying to tell me.I'm even digging choppy signals. What about the pinpoint being errant sometimes, is that normal? Where about do you live Mike if you don't mind me asking? I found something weird on a dig, don't know what it is , wanted to post a pic, where do I do that? It looks like a tusk of a wild boar! Wild. Thanks
REVIER
Well-known member
Dan123 said:
If you notch out tabs you might miss gold.
Notch out any nickel numbers you might miss gold.
Get rid of any numbers in the foil range and you could miss gold.
That will go for the upper end of iron and the zinc area too...disc them out and you might miss gold.
A common misconception is that most gold comes in at any one specific place like tabs, or foil, or nickels....or anywhere else for that matter.
It doesn't, no uniformity in the jewelry business like there is when we talk about coins so gold can literally come in, anywhere.
I wouldn't be worrying about gold right now if I were in your position, like many you don't understand that precious metal or how it behaves.
Much more important to learn that machine.
If it was me I would download the tips and tricks F5 Bible off of Sven's site and just read, read and read some more.
Gold will come as will much more understanding about that great machine...eventually.
still looking 52
Well-known member
I've ran my F5 with 0 treshold and it doesn't make it jumpy, that's what I normally run. I don't set disc the same on every hunt that depends on how trashy the area is, the higher the trash the higher the disc.
Gain setting I usually run 70, that gives me maximum depth, actually any higher setting I lose depth, it's like turning your headlights on bright when your driving in the fog.
My F5 is very stable in 90% of the places I hunt and when it's not there is always a lot of power lines close by.
Gain setting I usually run 70, that gives me maximum depth, actually any higher setting I lose depth, it's like turning your headlights on bright when your driving in the fog.
My F5 is very stable in 90% of the places I hunt and when it's not there is always a lot of power lines close by.
WV62
Well-known member
First thing is to get your picture size down to 480KB or less.
Then Header area above you will see Attachments: Upload File select that then it will come up to Browse select that, then select your picture file, then select Upload. It will tell you if your picture is attached.
You can check preview before you post to see what it looks like.
Ron in WV
Then Header area above you will see Attachments: Upload File select that then it will come up to Browse select that, then select your picture file, then select Upload. It will tell you if your picture is attached.
You can check preview before you post to see what it looks like.
Ron in WV
Thanks for the information, that will definitely help. Ron are you and still looking52 brothers? I think I seen a post by y'all hunting a steep&muddy bank where y'all about busted your hind end and had found silver before and found a bunch more. Saw pics if I'm not mistaken. Great find. Looking forward to finding some myself soon. I'm getting really good at digging plugs and finding trash! LOL I am getting better each time understanding what the machine is trying to tell me.
WV62
Well-known member
Dan123 said:
SL52 is one of my younger brother, MarkCZ is also my youngest brother. From time to time we really enjoy getting together for a hunt.
You are correct about that steep muddy bank hunt, we had a pretty good hunt that day and we really had to work for our trophies.
Ron in WV
still looking 52
Well-known member
Dan123, I've been thinking more about your F5 going crazy on you and I've got a plan I'd like you to try and see how it works.
Set your disc at 65, your threshold at 0, gain at 70, set your tones on 3 and get a good ground balance. Hunt with these settings for awhile until you get use to the sounds of detector, then gradually lower your disc settings by five point increments until you get use to each setting.
I got to thinking back when I first started using my F5 and how noisy it was and there was times I thought the detector was going wacy. This process I'm suggesting is starting simple( the swallow end) and taking you gradually into the deep end.
Set your disc at 65, your threshold at 0, gain at 70, set your tones on 3 and get a good ground balance. Hunt with these settings for awhile until you get use to the sounds of detector, then gradually lower your disc settings by five point increments until you get use to each setting.
I got to thinking back when I first started using my F5 and how noisy it was and there was times I thought the detector was going wacy. This process I'm suggesting is starting simple( the swallow end) and taking you gradually into the deep end.