Putting a Fast Tracker Through its Paces

[turtlefoot]

Hi All,

I see a lot written about many different models of BH machines on this site but I haven't seen much about the one that I purchased. I bought a Fast Tracker new about a month ago and have been putting it to work on weekends as time allows. So far, I am impressed with this machine. I am surprised that some national dealers market it as a "kids detector"

I bought it for relic hunting mostly. I know that it does not have notch disc. or a digital read out to tell you how deep your target is, but that is ok for me.

Here is what I found impressive. It has great depth and is good with target seperation. With the stock 7" coil, I found a horseshoe at approximately 9". I also found a U nail used for tacking up barbed wire at 4". What was neat about the U nail was that I got two solid signals when I swung the coil over it slowly. I got a hit for each side of the U nail.

I bought the optional 10" coil and was blown away with the depth! This afternoon, I recovered the top of an old Sinclair oil can at over 18"! I had a SOLID signal from the very beginning. Please note, I use this machine with maximum sensitivity and no discrimination. I was a bit worried that I was not getting any hits from coins with it so I took it to a tot lot to test it out and found two pennies in the first two minutes (one copper and one zinc). I no longer have any worries about coins. If they are there, it will find them.

There are not a lot of bells and whistles on this machine but in my opinion, they are not needed. Do not be afraid of this machine just because it is inexpensive or is marketed as a kids machine.

I'm not trying to push one machine over another but I am trying to let people know one person's experiences with this machine.

Doug

 

[slingshot]

Yeah-I have a $50 Walmart version and it does magnificently with the tone on coins.

 

[mwaynebennett]

I have a question about how your machine works. With the higher end machines, iron gives a low tone, gold/nickles/pulltabs give a low/medium tone, zinc gives a medium/high tone and copper and silver give a high tone.

Does the Fast Tracker give just one tone, but the intensity is dependent upon the size of the target and its distance from the coil?

Thanks,

Mark
Elite 2200

 

[slingshot]

Well, mine has a disc control that you rotate until the pulltab gives a mixed tone of high/low tones. Then, when set this way, the nickel will give a low tone and the other coins a high tone, and the tabs, of course, mixed.

 

[turtlefoot]

From the sounds of things my machine is the same as Slingshots machine. If I turn the disc on at all, I don't hear anything when I swing over iron (unless it is real big and then I get a broken or low tone). If I set my disc at about 8-9 o'clock position I will get a solid low tone on nickels and gold and some pull tabs. I get mostly broken tones on pull tabs and a high tone on copper and silver. Lead does not give a strong tone nor does zinc pennies. Please note, most of this was figured out by air tests as I have yet to find silver or gold buried. It is coming though.

HH,
Doug

Slingshot - Impressive pic!

 

[slingshot]

For a simple yet accurate way to set the tones: take a nickel and wave it in front of the coil and rotate the disc control from its lowest setting until the only tone you get is the low tone. It will start out at a high tone, then a mixed tone, and finally when all the high tone disappears and leaves you with a pure low tone-you're all set!

 

[turtlefoot]

Good Advice! I am still fairly new with this machine. I am going to give it a try this weekend at the local middle school.

Doug

 

[drsmithtft]

This was my first detector.I have a Tesoro Cibola now but I still have my fast tracker and take it to the tot lots every now and then. Its been a good detector to me.

 

[turtlefoot]

I went to two tot lots today that had been hit hard by others. In two hours I found two toy cars, one quarter, one dime, two pennies and ONLY two pull tabs. I was even hunting in all metal mode! On my way back home, I stopped at an old house site that I have been hunting off an on for a month or so and found my first lead round ball at 4"-5" with the 10" coil. I was happy.

The main reason I bought this machine was that it reminded me of my first metal detector in the way that it is built (the White's Coinmaster Classic III)....two knobs, beep and dig. I actually like this machine better than my first.

Doug