Questions for F2 users...

[Skillet]

Last week, I sent my F2 in to First Texas for a checkup, as it seemed that it wasn't working properly. I sent a detailed list of the problems (as I saw them) with the unit.

Today, they called and told me that they could find nothing wrong with the machine. I reiterated what I thought was wrong, and they said that they would check it again, waiting to hear back now.

Three main problems, other F2 users please comment, maybe your machines don't behave this way?!

1) Depth readout. With mine, everything meters as 1" or 2" in pinpoint mode, even when much deeper. Example: bullets etc. in my test plot, buried 5" deep will meter 2" on my F2. My Explorer, 250 and 1000 PM all read correct depths for my test-plot items (these are the only of my 13 machines that have depth readouts).


2) Numeric target ID: On targets deeper than abt 3", my numeric TID is so jumpy that it isn't very useful. Won't 'lock-in' on targets well at all.

3) Depth-in-general: One target, a dime at 5.5" in clean ground, is totally too deep for my F2. Won't give up a diggable signal at all, even though every other machine I have will hit this dime just fine.

I'm really trying to get to the bottom of these performance issues and hope that F.T. can 'fix' them. To their credit, they've been very responsive to e-mails and such. But if they simply repeat "There's nothing wrong with it" and return it, then I'll be getting rid of it as quickly as possible, or maybe not, I don't really want to sell someone else my problems...

Surely every other F2 owner isn't having these same issues?

I will keep the forum posted on how it all pans out.

Respectfully,
Skillet

Tesoros
Tejon
Vaquero
Sidewinder
Compadre

Garretts
Freedom Ace Plus (x2)
1000 PM
150
250

Whites
Surfmaster
IDX Pro

Minelab
Explorer XS

Fisher
F2

 

[robert roy]

Skillet:
I'll be very interested in hearing the response to your problem.VErrryyy interested indeed.
Robert R

 

[KurtB]

I too would like to hear their response. My sons F2 gets much better depth and has a stable ID if the sensitivity isn't set too high. The depth readout in pinpoint is the same as you described BUT the on the fly depth readout that I believe reads in 4" segments is much more accurate. Let us know how it goes.

 

[jmaryt]

me too!..curious as to how they will handle this!...obviously,you are telling them straight,and it certainly SOUNDS like something is amiss!..hope you find satisfaction!

regards!
(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[coinhunter1952]

I think the F2 is a piece of junk, I sold mine within the first week I had it. It did not perform as expected, it looks cheap, feels cheap and I also had the same problems you did.

 

[TreasurdiggrNY]

Hey Skillet,
I've had real good success with the F2, I like it a lot. I have about 14 hours in the field now and I have only ever used the 8" coil and I run the sensitivity at 5. I always notch iron out and get no nails or bobby pins and the other little junk and no bottle caps, maybe 3 all together. My wife's sapphire and diamond ring didn't show up when I notched out foil so I only notch out iron. I've found my first 2 tokens and 2 rings a 14K and an 18K plated.

My number ID jumps around and depth jumps around, I mentioned in a previous post that I could see someone getting frustrated with that if they relied on that. I never had a machine with those features anyway so not using them does not bother me. I don't use the pinpoint button either, it is so easy to do by X'ing the target and narrowing it down that I just do it that way.

Depth? at a cleaner New York park with damp soil I got down to a measured 8-9". I got the 14K ring here.

Lately, I have been working a different place, the nastiest trashiest park in New York and most of my finds so far have been pretty shallow, I'm racing through it though to get the shallow clad and tabs out so I can go back and try for the deep silver with another machine. My deeper hits have been 6-7". I got the 18K plated ring here at about 6" it rang up a dual tone signal nickel and dime(see Tones below).

The key to this machine and what makes it so good are the price, the tones, the recovery speed and the pinpointing and another thing that you will see over time is that someone with the patience to dig the tabs is going to find a lot of gold, this machine loves nickels, they are always the deepest targets I dig for some reason .

Tones: The recovery speed is so fast I get a lot of dual tone signals, I'll get a high tone as I swing the coil left to right and then a mid tone when I swing the coil right to left, same thing sometimes on the front to back swing. As long as I get a repeatable signal regardless of the tone, I dig. I have dug a lot of times and got a pull tab and a coin in the same hole.

Recovery speed: Very fast, aside from the dual tone explanation above, I have often got targets so close that I don't have to cut on one whole side because it's already been cut from the last target I recovered, in that case I drive my digger in the soil opposite the already cut side and pry up the flap and pull the target out.

Good luck with your repairs, I think the only difference in our 2 machines are the depth.

Talk to you soon,
Glenn

 

[lovepulltabs]

Hi coin hunter1952, after reading your 7 posts it seems like you're having bad luck with a Tesoro detector also, I've had several Tesoros and never a problem and owned a CZ-7a and the old Gold Bug from Fisher no problems. I believe the mistake a lot of people make when they get into detecting is that more is better, what I'm referring to here is the gain. People read their manuals and see that sensitivity controls depth so they run it maxed out thinking they will detect objects deep. Most times this will cause problems unless you are in totally unmineralized ground, if there is such a thing. Detector will start falsing and acting erratic like there's an internal problem in the machine. Anyway that's what I used to see back in the late '90's when I was actively detecting. Now I'm back in the hobby and I can't wait to get my F2, it's been 9 days since the guy shipped it so I hope I didn't get ripped off. Anyway I rambling on and I really wanted to thank Glenn for his great insight on the F2 as someone who has experience in the field with this machine!

 

[Skillet]

Their rep told me that after checking further, they found that a 'chip' had gone bad... he said that this would account for the performance issues that I'd been experiencing.

Should be next week before I have it in my hands again.

I'll let y'all know.

Again, their cust. service has been decently responsive, I have to say!

Skillet

 

[Jeff Beecham]

Maybe they will get you taken care of...

My F-2 does not read correctly in the pinpoint mode; the number has to be
multiplied times 2 on mine to be about right.. A coin at 6" on mine will read 3...
It seems like each number on mine equals 2 inches...

I buried 3 coins yesterday at 4" , zinc penny, dime and a quarter... They came
up 62, 72 and 82 on the meter.. With a good lock and very little movement at all and
each one showed 2 on the depth in pinpoint...

I also have a dime at 6" and a quarter at 7" that have been in my test garden for 5+ years
and the F-2 hits the quarter easy and reads between 72 and 82 not a perfect lock on by no
means but is very diggable... The 6" dime will register but jumps around a bit dime/zinc/tab, I would not dig
it in a clean school yard or park, but at an old home site I would just out of curiousity...
HH, Jeff

 

[jmaryt]

you are right!..too high sensitivity will ruin your day!

(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[TreasurdiggrNY]

[quote Skillet]Their rep told me that after checking further, they found that a 'chip' had gone bad... he said that this would account for the performance issues that I'd been experiencing.

Should be next week before I have it in my hands again.

I'll let y'all know.

Again, their cust. service has been decently responsive, I have to say!

Skillet[/quote]

Skillet,
Glad to hear they diagnosed a problem. Has to be something to do with the depth huh? All your problems seem to be depth related. I was just wondering, I know from your original post you had problems in the field. Did you also do an air test of the machine? I'm very interested in knowing the air test results if you did it.
Good Luck,
Glenn

 

[jackintexas]

Dept reading on my F4 is in no way correct. I just thought that was the nature of the beast....Jack

 

[Skillet]

Comparable to other machines I've airtested, I've got charts on all of them for comparison.

Skillet

 

[Ray-Mo.]

I would have to say that maybe the F2 seemed cheap because it was very cheap!! Come on what more do you expect for $200.00 besides the machine extra coil and shaft?I got my 14 yr old son one for his birthday and you will have a fight on your hands if you tell him it is junk! On his first day out he found a nice large cent 3 indian heads and 2 early wheats at a very small country school.Sure it is not as good as my F-75 but it cost only 20% as much not counting the extra I paid for my small coil and lower shaft.I would have to say The F2 is a very good bargain for the price.I have used a lot of machines over the last 30 + years and a few of them cost more and worked less than the CHEAP F2.

 

[jmaryt]

con gatulations on the great finds with the little guy!....you are correct in stating that an f-75 it is not!..i must say however,that with the advent of "nano-second" digital processors,we are experiencing technological strides unknown even ten years ago!..the f2 proves that the latest technology doesn't have to be expensive!
in my field experience,i have realized that the detector with all the bells and whistles is NOT necessary to hunt successfully!..the f2 incorporates the "right" tools to hunt successfully in trash,or any where else for that matter..it IS designed to deliver the "goods" for short money,and so far it appears to be doing just that!

(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[jmaryt]

also if i may add,i would settle for those finds with ANY detector regardless of complexity,OR cost!

(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[hsjrev]

My F2 tests on buried coins showed the target ID way off on anything deeper than about 3.5". It wouldn't pick up a silver dime at all beyond 5" and when it would pick up a signal at 5" it showed it as iron on the target ID. Some swings wouldn't get any response at all. An Ace 250 called it a dime or quarter at the same depth. My F2 ID's a wheat penny at 4" as foil or tab.

 

[TreasurdiggrNY]

[quote hsjrev]My F2 tests on buried coins showed the target ID way off on anything deeper than about 3.5". It wouldn't pick up a silver dime at all beyond 5" and when it would pick up a signal at 5" it showed it as iron on the target ID. Some swings wouldn't get any response at all. An Ace 250 called it a dime or quarter at the same depth. My F2 ID's a wheat penny at 4" as foil or tab.[/quote]

You may have the same problem as Skillet.
Glenn

 

[Bozack]

I haven't had any problems with mine.............so far!?