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Fisher F5 depth issues

That is why I bought the Omega 8000 and now testing the G2
 
Hi Towzilla,

Forget your freshly buried coin test. All that told you was that your ground has enough iron mineralization in it to hide the coin at that depth. Really. That is all it told you. That was all it told me when you posted it. I've got ground that when disturbed I will loose a dime at three inches. It is hot ground.

I think you just need to find a deeper coin with the F5 to boost your confidence. Next time you are out with your buddies and you check targets, have them pinpoint the target and mark it. Then you use your pinpoint mode and find it. Once you KNOW exactly where the coin is and you have your coil centered over it, then you can find it in your discrimination mode.

For deeper coins I recommend these settings:

Run the 2 tone audio. I assume you are using decent headphones. If not, you can forget the deeper coins. The 2 tone audio mode gives the low grunt for iron and the VCO modulated audio for non ferrous targets. You want to pay attention to the non-ferrous targets, especially the ones with short responses and weak audio strength.

Disc no higher than about 8 so you can hear when the iron is falsing.

Gain....The FE bargraph is there to tell you how to set your gain. If you have a maxed out FE bargraph, you can't run a 85 gain. In fact, if you have a maxed out FE bargraph, you really need to be in the all metal mode if you are hunting deep targets. Use that graph. If it is one or two bars, then raise the gain as high as you can. (do not peg it out, turn it only far enough to get the number change. You loose depth if you peg it out) 3 bars....you might or might not get away with higher gain settings. You'll have to figure it out. When you get 4 bars, high gain settings are going to kill your depth, drop it down to the middle range, 55 - 75. Pump your coil for FE readings. ( Don't scrub your coil on the ground with high FE readings either)

The VCO audio needs a positive threshold number to enhance the weaker audio of deeper targets. +5 is good if you can get it that high.
You need to GB spot on. You can't get a spot on GB by ground grab. You have to hear it in the all metal mode and do it manually. Check your ground balance often.

EMI may cause you to have to do a balancing act. If so, I recommend keeping a positive threshold number and a lower gain for the vco audio mode.

Another thing to be aware of is that your sweep speed has to change for deeper targets, too. The shallower targets stay in the coil's field much longer and can tolerate a faster sweep. The deeper targets require a slower sweep speed. More deliberate. Remember too, that your coil has a sweet spot. Its about the size of a golf ball and starts a inch or so in front of the coil ears. You can actually use a golf ball to find it. When you are deep target hunting, you aren't sweeping the coil. You are sweeping that sweet spot.

You really need to find one to tune yourself to it. Would probably be worth it to hunt in the all metal mode for a bit just to find one so you can hear what they sound like and how your settings affect the audio and meter if you can't wait to go hunting with your buddies again.

Hope I help,
HH
Mike
 
Mike - very interesting indeed .. I shall try the audio 2, I usually use 3, and the other settings you suggest such as disc at 8 instead of the 15 I use, over here in empty soil my fe graph hardly goes above one bar, gb staying fairly constant. I have noticed that a slower sweep speed enhances depth on small items (or rather, signalling items at depth).

By do not peg it out, turn it only far enough to get the number change. You loose depth if you peg it out do you mean don't turn it to maximum?

As for the sweet spot - I assume that this is because the stock coil is concentric -for a wider sweet spot, or a deeper one, what do you think of the option coils - 11" DD fisher and the 12 x 10 SEF coil?

BuckeyeBrad - not at all, I am a grumpy old fart indeed, and there are differences in our language (like the above 'peg it out' - no idea at all) and we haven't quite forgiven you yet for taking America away from us (lol) - though we sometimes explain it by it being English colonials rebelling against a German monarchy illegally on the British throne (they are still with us - bring back the Stuarts) and winning (more lols).

I really do like the F5, finding it very sharp, and look forward to trying these new settings
 
I have noticed with the gain at max you will miss very shallow targets and in air tests with my F5 you will loose up to two inches in depth. What is weird is my F5 is so silent at max gain and high threshold you don't even know it is turned on. It seems like the circuits are saturated and not working optimally.

Take care
Bob
 
I hunt in some very mineralized ground and there have been many times, using all major brands and mid-to-top end models, a "fresh buried" coin at 4" or 5" might not be detected, or possibly be a 'ratty' sort of response in the Disc. mode. The coin might be positioned flat-to-the-coil, but the problem is two fold. One is the type and severity of the ground mineralization, and the other is the simple fact that the particular spot of ground has been disturbed compared with the adjacent ground matrix.

A coin that has been buried for a lot time, AND is in a compact setting, will often produce a better response than one in disturbed ground if there's an abrupt change in the ground make-up. Dave J. and some others, like Mike Hills, pointed out that you can test your F5, but from your post I didn't see anything that hinted to it not working. nothing, other than disturbed ground and a deeper-positioned fresh-buried coin.

I use my T2 and some other models but mainly my Teknetics Omega. Very similar to your F5, and feature wise you have a bit more manual adjustment. Still, using the stock 10" concentric coil (I like it) I have found naturally-lost US coins at 'typical' depths (surface to 4"), and some deeper coins (over 4" to 7"), and on occasions I've popped a few in the 7"-9" range. There aren't many out there at those depths, usually, unless in disturbed ground, such as a plowed field and the like.

Big target can be found deeper, but I have heard and seen too many over-statements regarding deep coins found in the 8"-10" range. Can they be found that deep? Yes, sometimes, with the right settings and coil and conditions and no shallower masking targets, etc., but I've even used my 5" DD coil and hit on targets some friends have struggled to find, in trash-free conditions, using their detectors from other manufacturers that sported a 9
 
Dude You are 100% right in everything you just stated , all those factors TRUE. And definitely the one about experiance of the operator and knowing their detector, it will tell you everything "YOU" have to know how to understand what it's telling. Way to go Elton... Woody's info is on the money.
 
Yes Nap,
Don't turn the knob until it stops and cannot be turned any further or "pegs out". Just far enough for the digital number to change.
I don't have any info on a SEF coil. I do have the 11" coil but don't use it much as I might like to because I don't like the balance. I was going to spend some time to fix my balance with a little weight behind the elbow but haven't gotten around to it yet. The coil and performance itself is nice, it just doesn't balance out well.
HH
Mike
 
I copied them to watch later at home.
HH
Mike
 
Nap said:
Thank you for your thoughtful reply.

I am English and therefore write English English, not American English, and we still spell our words the traditional English way - patronise rather than patronize, for instance.

Nap, its quite acceptable to spell it both ways in the US and most recently in US literature its more common to find the word spelled the "English" way.
That has to do with the depth of understanding, not the depth of the F5.

I was considering the F5 as an addition to my arsenal of detectors, not any more. The depth sucks based on what I've read. Any way you look at it, less than 5 inches on a recently buried quarter is not good. Might as well get a Bounty Hunter with those results. One shouldn't have to purchase a larger coil to get respectable results. Towzilla, I have found many wheat's and most IH pennies beyond 6 inches in depth in my neck of the woods.
 
Hi Ism - I've had to give up on the F5. It really is a great machine but it just will not go deep. I'm used to multi-frequency Minelabs and I really do know the difference.

I've sold my F5 now and moved back to Minelab - the fab Sovereign Elite. Shame and I did try but that low frequency of the F5, although brilliant at finding iron pipes really deep just cannot find the small items at depth ...
ah well, what can you say.

It is nice to be back digging deep with a spade rather than scratching a few inches with a trowel.
 
I am real suprised that anyone would even expect it to, or purchase one expecting it to. :stars:

That is like buying a Ford Ranger to replace your F-350 one ton to pull your 4000 lb house trailer. Just plan nuts.

The F5 does excellent for it's price range and once you learn it, it will compete ably with the those in the tiers above it. But it is not a Explorer and never will be.

HH
Mike
 
I just bought an F75, I know its not an f5 but from what I have found in my day of owning it is that the faster the sweep speed the deeper it will go, how fast do you swing the coil? Try almost whipping it above the target and see if that helps. It is similar to the XLT's I have used, the faster I go the deeper it goes. If this does not help I would send it back, if you machine is set right and you still don't get a chirp on a target that the other machines are getting it sounds mechanical and not user error unless you have a really high sweep or they have really hot settings and/or a bigger coil.
 
Nap. I don't doubt the E-Trac/Explorer/F75/T2. etc. are deeper than the F5. I know for a fact the F75 is. Nasa Tom says 1 1/2 - 2" deeper with the F75 than the F5 and that seems about right. But there are things I've found the 5 does better than the 75, including numeric ID and stability.

And I won't say you're a nutcase for trying the F5. Especially since I believe the term is "balmy" on your side of the pond. :rofl:

But the F5 ain't no slouch, and when you dismiss it depth-wise as "scratching a few inches with a trowel" that is a little balmy!
 
I bought my F5 after asking Fisher about depth capabilities, asking how it compared with their 1236x2, and they told me that it would go as deep as a 1236x2 - now that is a deep machine, I've had one. So, going on that information straight from Fisher, from the horse's mouth as one would say, I bought one.
Originally I thought that it did go that deep but after comparison with other machines in the field I now realise that it does not. They do not go as deep as a 1236x2 - simple as that.

They are a brilliant machine, it is true, but they do not go deep. Our detecting in England is different from yours in America. We do not search 'lots' or backyards or school parks and so on, our detecting is mainly upon farmland. Farmland is usually easy to dig and items sink into the ground over time - so although many finds are found within the first six inches or so - especially on land that is regularly ploughed - on pasture fields older items can be quite deep. So in England we need machines that have reasonable depth capabilities.

The 1236X2 had those capabilities - unfortunately Fisher machines are renowned (over here) for not being able to distinguish between ferrous and non-ferrous items at depth, so although it was a sharp and fast and deep machine I found that I was digging up a ridiculous amount of ferrous items. After a while this becomes quite disheartening.

For some years I used the minelab Sovereign. This was sharp and deep, very deep, but has a problem with slow recovery from masking a ferrous item so if one is in a field that has seen a lot of activity, and therefore is full of ferrous items, the Sovereign would miss a lot of the good stuff. I checked this a number of times with friends using single high frequency machines. When the F5 came along it had very good reviews in the States - though not over here as not many people bought them - so I checked with Fisher before I bought.

I say again that it is a very good machine, the most pleasant to use that I have ever used, but in comparison with other machines over here it again and again displayed a complete inability to find items deeper than, say, five inches - which is quite useless over here. So I sold it and returned to a Sovereign Elite.
In America you have different detecting problems I think. your lots and yards are difficult to dig and littered with trash items. Here the F5 would appear to excel - I suppose that it is horses for courses.

Now, I don't really need insults from people about my decisions - I am not a fool, and I am an experienced detectorist. I am an honours, with distinction, graduate (theology and world religions), have written a number of articles for the hobby magazines over here, and have experience of many machines.
My mistake was to trust that information I had received from the manufacturer was true.
As for not getting depth with a mid-priced machine. Well this is not correct. The C-Scope 2MXP and 5MXP are in the same price range and are fast and sharp and go quite deep - I have found silver coins at a measured nine inches with them - they are very good machines indeed - and they are the same or less in price as the F5.
And, as for comparing with Minelab Explorers and Etracs - I didn't, I mentioned only the Minelab sovereign range. I find that what is quite helpful is to read a post properly before replying to it, don't you think?

so .. can I go back to my detecting now?
 
I get a bit.....fustrated....by some of the posts I read sometimes, and that one in particular, especially coming from you and considering the data you have already shared. To make a comment that the F5 is only good for 5", especially after you shared information with the public to the contrary and then stating that you where going back to a multifreq competitor's unit just struck me wrong. It read to me as if you were expecting Minelab'sBBS/FBS depth out of the F5. However you say that is not the case, so please accept my apology.

Can't comment on the 1236 as it isn't one of the 40 units I have experience with. Congratulations on your theological degree. Maybe we can discuss our faith sometime in another venue.

Have you received and used the 11"DD yet? Are you decisions being based upon performance with the stock coil or the 11"DD coil?

Mike
 
Nap, sorry if my feeble attempt at humor made you feel insulted. That wasn't my intent.

I don't doubt your intelligence, education or detecting experience. And I have no reason not to believe you when you say that your F5 didn't find anything worthwhile at more than 5".

For whatever reason, you and I are seeing a significant difference in depth.

I know some people exaggerate depth, but I don't. I got over the whole mine is better than yours because it's mine thing at a young age. Unfortunately, some folks never get over that mindset. Which makes depth comparisons between detectors more difficult to ascertain that it should be.

The most outrageous depth statements I remember from the past on this forum was the guy who got around 6" depth with his Cen-Tech pinpointer and another fellow who had developed a special technique to allow him to find coins at up to 25" with his Garrett GTI 2500...

I've etched graduations into my Raptor so I can figure as close as possible the correct depth when a target appears to be 6" or deeper. It's not an exact science, but I try to be as close as possible. When in-between, I round up or down to the nearest inch.

I've had the F5 for over two years and spent more time with it than any other detector I've had. My deepest coins found have been 8", and it's been rare enough that I know I have done it four times. Three of those four were iffy signals. So for me, with my soil and atmospheric conditions, and my level of detecting skill so far, 8" seems to be the outside limit for the F5. I have dug measured 7" coins enough times that I don't know how many, and a whole lot of measured 6" coins.

On most of those 6 and 7" targets, the audio signals were solid, or at least reasonably solid. Notice I said solid, not loud. With the F5's modulated audio, deeper coin-sized targets will usually be quite a bit softer in sound than moderate or shallow coins. I'd also point out that on those deeper coins the target ID is notably less reliable. Often you'll get a decent idea of the general range of conductivity, but you won't see those tight 2-3 number variances like you usually see on shallower coins.

The F5 is deeper in all-metal, and a lot of people say it is deeper in one and two tones. I've tried those options periodically, but always come back to four tones because that's the way I enjoy hunting the most.

I do want to point out that since I've gotten the 11" DD coil, I've only put the stock back on a couple times. The 11" seems a little deeper on average - maybe half an inch, an inch at the most. But I did find coins at up to 8" with the stock coil before getting the 11"

Nap, I don't begrudge you choosing any other detector over the F5. But when you said it was a 5" or less depth detector and using it was like scratching the soil with a trowel, I wanted to respond because that has not been my experience at all.

Best of luck to you as you go back under to the Sovereign.
 
Thanks for all of the comments. There were many that I consider valuable to me as I just ordered a Fisher F5 detector and am excited to try it. I especially appreciated the comments from Nap. By the way, Nap, I have kidded a good British friend of mine and told him that it was shame as to what you have done to the language since we left England. He took it in good humour (see, I can learn) and I hope you will too. I am very proud of my English heritage and my American citizenship. There are so many funny things that can occur with all the slight differences we now have in our use of English. One occurred to a good friend of mine who was visiting England with his son. They had just finished dinner with a family when the good women asked if he would like some more to eat. He replied, "No thanks, I am stuffed." His son, who had been in England for a couple of years tried to quickly quiet his dad and explained later that over there that was not a good word to use to explain that you were too full to want more.

I am going to look into the Minelab detectors but probably will not purchase one in the near future. Towzilla, did you ever send your detector in? I would like to know how you are doing with it now. Good luck to all of you in your detecting
 
Ok I'm here in central Virginia HOME OF THE HARD CLAY GROUND. Using my f5 for two years now, most of my finds in this clay ground are 1-5 inches deep. Settings I use are disc 10-16 gain 50-70 thresh 0 to-1 / 0 to +1 ground bal when I remember
Every body has different settings they use it doesn't mean yours are wrong. Just got back from Virgina Beach Salt water was no problem DID GROUND BAL BEST I COULD IN WET SAND. F5 WORK GREAT AS ALWAYS. Did find a lot of clad some gold earrings, a silver cross. Remember all parks and old home sites don't always have a lot of silver. When I go to a park or school yard I do the nickle test, always have one with me. First I bury it 5" inches down run my detector over it while adjusting the disc. so the coil picks it up about 3-5 inches over it. Once you find NICKLES YOU WILL FIND GOLD, SILVER I use the 4 tone setting. 40 years doing this w/ fisher 6a/1270/1280/1236/ f5/ f70/1220 you name it I had it no kidding
 
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