So, how does the F-70 work on a salt water beach? I know.

[John 'n' W.Va]

I asked the question. I know we have a lot of guys that have tried it out, but I didn't get any responses. I MD'ed four beaches this past week. I am no expert. This is what happened to me and how I dealt with it.

The first place I tried it out was Saint Augustine Beach. I was there to see my grand kids, but had to try the F-70 on the salt beach. I didn't have time to change the coil. I tried it for a whole 15 minutes with the 6" coil. I GB'ed and it was the same on all the beaches. Dry sand around 70, wet hard packed sand low teens, and wet with water sand 0. I ran sen. at 80, thres. +5. My fasing was below 20 at this beach, so I discriminated everything below that and it ran quiet.

The next beach was Saint Augustine. It is north of the other beach and had a different response. I was there for an hour with the stock coil. I was at this beach 4 years ago and the beach was replenished with a lot of new sand. Now, most of the sand is gone north of the pier. The fasing was unbelievable. Being a prospector, I know the last sand to leave is the black sand and this beach was loaded. I lowered the threshold to "0" and it quieted down a little. I still found things, because the real targets gave a sharper response. The dry sand never gave me any problems.

I did most of my MD'ing at Daytona Beach. It gave me the least trouble. I have MD'ed this beach a lot. The first morning I hit the band shell area for 3 hours. I know of some really some good finds there. Where people park their cars you can find more stuff. This place is a spot where the drunks wander out of the bars onto the beach. The only time I had to detect there was in the dark of the morning. I ran the sen. at 80, thres. +5 in the discriminate mode. Auto tune works great, but I didn't want to hear a tone all the time. It messes with my brain. I would only get a false hit about every 20 swings. I counted. The next morning I went south of the pier for 3 hours and got the same results. Daytona was sanded in and detecting the wet was like trying to detect the Sahara desert. Most of my finds were in the dry to damp sand. Deepest find in the wet sand was only 6". That was my deepest find, it may go a lot deeper.

The forth beach was Folly Beach SC. More fasing than Daytona Beach, but not bad. It wasn't sanded in like Daytona. A lot of hits for an hours work. They had a $1000 reward for a lost ring posted there. No luck.

My findings are every beach is different. If you live near the beach get a salt water detector. If not, don't leave your F-70 home. There is some good stuff to be found. I have found a lot of rings on the beach with my Ace 250 when I lived in Fl. and it falsed like crazy except on dry sand. I could actually detect the wet salt beach with my F-70. I was real happy with its performance.

I really wanted to detect here, but was afraid to ask.
[attachment 139253 fort.jpg]

Folly beach SC.
[attachment 139254 follybeach.jpg]

Total. Chucky cheese and other tokens. Found a new 2009 cent with a new design on the back.
[attachment 139255 9-13-09002.jpg]

A nice little 925 ring. I found a little other jewelry. If there was something good under the coil the F-70 would have found it.
[attachment 139256 9-13-09003.jpg]

 

[John(Tx)]

n/t

 

[wayne_etc]

and the trip down memory lane. I lived in St. Aug as a kid and still have family there. beautiful place, but I do think the feds would have an issue with you detecting Castillo de San Marcos

w

 

[Cal_Cobra]

Nice report John. I guess there's a reason the F70 can be ground balanced to salt

AFAIK the only other current FT offering that can do that is the Tek Omega (don't believe the F75 can GB to salt).

hh,
Brian

 

[dahut]

Very nice, John. Good to see your post. I dont get to the salt beach much, but when I do, it is often Folly Beach, here in SC

Ill try to decipher what you said and remember it. I dont even know what "balancing to salt" means, but I'm glad to know the F70 works there...

 

[John 'n' W.Va]

Very nice, John. Good to see your post. I dont get to the salt beach much, but when I do, it is often Folly Beach, here in SC

Ill try to decipher what you said and remember it. I dont even know what "balancing to salt" means, but I'm glad to know the F70 works there...

I wouldn't look too deep in what I said. I'm not sure I was looking too deep. It was easy to adjust and I was having a fun time. I went out into the wet surf, but not too far. I was after the reward that was posted for a tri-colored diamond ring lost in that area. $1000 bucks if I found it. That is where I found the silver ring. You have to GB in autotune when you are in wet salt sand than go to discrimination mode if you want. To quote the manual," The internal computer can only cancel salt water in the autotune mode."

I hit the lounge chairs that were on the beach hard. Don't ever under estimate dry sand with lot of people. Detector-est try to push how good their detector is in wet sand. I believe there is plenty of good loot in the dry.

Here is a picture I took Saturday of the pier at Folly Beach. I was having fun with my new camera.

[attachment 139354 oldpier.jpg]

 

[John 'n' W.Va]

and the trip down memory lane. I lived in St. Aug as a kid and still have family there. beautiful place, but I do think the feds would have an issue with you detecting Castillo de San Marcos

w

I think of Saint Augustine every time I bite into a datil pepper. I have been growing them for years. It makes the best pepper jelly. I guarantee it's hot. I also picked up three types of datil hot sauces while I was there. Yesterday I made some boiled peanuts cooked with fresh datil peppers from my garden.

 

[dahut]

I went out into the wet surf, but not too far. I was after the reward that was posted for a tri-colored diamond ring lost in that area. $1000 bucks if I found it. That is where I found the silver ring.

That's what I like about you Big John, you're up front. I'da been hunting for that ring, too!

I wouldn't look too deep in what I said. I'm not sure I was looking too deep. It was easy to adjust and I was having a fun time. You have to GB in autotune when you are in wet salt sand than go to discrimination mode if you want. To quote the manual," The internal computer can only cancel salt water in the autotune mode."

Yeah, somehow I missed that part n the book!

I hit the lounge chairs that were on the beach hard. Don't ever under estimate dry sand with lot of people. Detector-est try to push how good their detector is in wet sand. I believe there is plenty of good loot in the dry.

I tend to agree. I think the surf pirates mostly like it since there is less trash at the waterline, and it feels a little cooler.