F70 vs. Club Hunt

[minnixb]

Went to our annual club this past weekend in Middle TN and the F70's performance was quite impressive. Locked on to coins with no problems and with 50 other detectors around me, no interference whatsoev er. It has just about become my favorite detector to date.

 

[mudpuppy]

Yep! Where was the hunt? You ever get into northern Alabama? I was in Lexington Ky a few weeks back, some of those rich neighborhoods sure looked like some great spots for totlottin...I never had the chance though, I had the F70 with me, we go everywhere together!
Mud

 

[minnixb]

The hunt was in Gallatin TN. The club meets in Nashville. I haven't hunted in Northern Alabama but have done a lot civil war relic hunting in Northeast Mississippi.

 

[mudpuppy]

Hell! I just flew into Gallatin a few weeks ago! Sure looked like some old dirt around there! Aint there some big fall shindig down there at the Steamengine works or something?
Mud

 

[minnixb]

They're moving a lot of dirt as they are expanding the airport and moving Airport Road over a bit. As far as the steam engine, I think you're right. Not sure exactly when that is though.

 

[dbax]

I have had my Fisher F70 about a month now. I have found a lot with it and still battle the bottle cap enigma -- my F2 ignored them -- maybe that is why I am finding quarters again in areas I thought my F2 had searched out? Still, 10 + bottle caps to one quarter in this one park is not fun. I thought I had a method figured out but it is so hard not to dig a signal sounding so strong. But, that is not why I am writing. I was hunting this morning and it seem strange, 40 minutes of searching and not so much as a bottle cap. I threw a penny and a quarter into the grass and they did not read. I pressed the coil dead on top of the quarter and nothing. The head phones were chirping and low numbers were bleeping up in a scattered fashion while scanning over the grass but nothing over the coins themselves. I pulled the head phones and went with the speaker, still nothing, then it began to read the quarter in a one way swing, reading as I passed over going left then silent on the return trip back to the right? I shut it off and on, reset, changed sensitivity, threshold, even the MHz. I headed back to the car in defeat, but like all addicted seekers, I began scanning again and was able to pick out a dime. Still the machine seem off and, of course, untrustworthy at this time. I finally threw another quarter on the ground and it read it, loud and clear. So, I searched some more and rounded up four quarters and four pennies and the f70 seemed much more stable and not as noisy but still, my confidence level had suffered a blow. Now -- the question -- has anyone else experienced this? It is a new machine and so far, not counting the bottle caps I have found three rings (nothing of real value) a half dollar, 40 quarters and as many dimes and several nickel and goobs of pennies. These finds were over the last four week at two camp grounds, and three parks all of which have been heavily search, by me, my partner and other. I am finding coin in place I thought were searched out. Still, this business of not reading has me bugged -- unless someone tells me this is common -- as my partner is telling me his White DFX does this all the time and he has to reset it a lot -- then I will be sending it in. My F2 has never done this, but then it did not cost $600 either. Just sharing but comments and solutions are appreciated --

 

[Steve O]

When you turn on a unit, it's supposed to work, period. Make the usual checks. Factory re-set, change coil if u have another, hand tighten coil cable, check batteries. Still doesn't work, call Felix @ Fisher, he will give u a number and explain what to do.

 

[mudpuppy]

Welcome to the Forum Dbax! Sounds like you are experienced with detecting! Every once in a while my F70 does what you describe, once in a lightening storm, and every once in a while for no apparent reason, so I push the HZ button, and everything is cool after that...now that I think about this a little, it could possibly be that it ground balanced itself over the top of something metallic? Regarding bottle caps, I have no trouble at all distinguishing them from a Q, oh every so often a flattened one fools me, but its usually me fooling myself hoping for a Q...i hunt a very bottlecappy park and pick the Q's right out in the caps regularly..What coil do you use? Do you have the 11"dd? I run 50 sens, -3 thresh, 1disc, DE mode, DP tones in the trash, and have thousands of hours on the F70. I have not done a factory reset in more than a year, rarely ground balance...I just turn it on and go...Of course if a fellow was looking for deeper targets, this program is not the one to use, but for anything 5" on up in the trash, or in totlots, it kills!
Mud

 

[minnixb]

Mud, are you using the 11 in. DD? I've beeing using the 10 stock but I ordered the 11 and it should be in tomorrow. If you use the 11 what do you think of it's performance?

 

[mudpuppy]

Hey minnixb, Yeah, I have the 11"dd on since day one...I did try the 10 this past summer from some urging on the forum, and found a silver bracelet with it..Theres two schools of thought on these coils, I really think its what you put the most time in on and the understanding of the strengths/weaknesses in the location and situation you are hunting to get the best results from one to the other. I think the 11" dd gives more depth all things being equal, I like it because I know how it handles, but I bet if I never got one in the first place, the 10 would have been just fine for my type of hunting. If I were to get another coil, it would be the 5", and it would be attached to a 30" lower rod, permanently wired to my machine with a crossover switch from Sunray, then if I get into a tight spill, or totlot situation, or under bleachers, I could just flip the switch, and sweep around with the 5 as if it were some sort of probe, instead of taking the time to swap coils... that would be cool! It would be like having two detectors all in one! Just flip the switch back to heat up the main coil, and sweep away! of course the little coil and rod would have to be holstered in some fashion to stay out of the way until needed...Ralph at Sunray already said he'd build me the switch with the fisher plugs on it..If I can get a good price for my muskrat pelts this year, maybe I'll give that a go!
Mud