midnight rider
New member
i was wondering what is the best way to ground balance the fisher f-5 thanks hal
Find's Treasure Forums
Welcome to Find's Treasure Forums, Guests!
You are viewing this forums as a guest which limits you to read only status.
Only registered members may post stories, questions, classifieds, reply to other posts, contact other members using built in messaging and use many other features found on these forums.
Why not register and join us today? It's free! (We don't share your email addresses with anyone.) We keep email addresses of our users to protect them and others from bad people posting things they shouldn't.
Click here to register!
Need Support Help?
Cannot log in?, click here to have new password emailed to you
Changed email? Forgot to update your account with new email address? Need assistance with something else?, click here to go to Find's Support Form and fill out the form.
what is the best way to ground the f-5
- Thread starter midnight rider
- Start date
The easiest and quickest way is to put the detector in all metal and make sure you're over clean ground, then pump the coil up and down while holding the phase lock button until the ground balance and phase numbers match.
If you've got the unrevised manual, then the ground balance instructions are all wrong.
Here's a great link to Mike Hillis' corrections to the manual, thanks again Mike!
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?37,871164,871616#msg-871616
If you've got the unrevised manual, then the ground balance instructions are all wrong.
Here's a great link to Mike Hillis' corrections to the manual, thanks again Mike!
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?37,871164,871616#msg-871616
Mike Hillis
Well-known member
It doesn't matter if you are in Disc mode or AM mode to ground balance with the Phase button.
Use your pinpoint mode to find a clean peice of ground. Press the Phase button and pump the coil up and down on the ground from about 6" down to the ground fairly rapidly about three to five times until the ground balance number and the phase number match and then release the Phase button. You are balanced. To check your balance ever so often, use the pinpoint button to find clean ground, then pump the coil on the ground and check the two numbers. If you are off by more than one number, rebalance.
To manually balance you have to be in the AM mode. Again use the pinpoint button to find clean ground. Set the threshold to 0 or +1. Pump the coil and get a steady Phase number. Rotate the gb knob until your gb number matches the phase number and you are balanced. If you pump the coil while doing this you will get a visual confirmation from the numbers and an audio confirmation from the threshold tone. At this point you can make any positive or negative offsets the ground balance you may need.
The thing about the F5 is that it lets you know both visually and audibly that you are correctly balanced to the ground conditions. It is perfect.
HH
Mike
Use your pinpoint mode to find a clean peice of ground. Press the Phase button and pump the coil up and down on the ground from about 6" down to the ground fairly rapidly about three to five times until the ground balance number and the phase number match and then release the Phase button. You are balanced. To check your balance ever so often, use the pinpoint button to find clean ground, then pump the coil on the ground and check the two numbers. If you are off by more than one number, rebalance.
To manually balance you have to be in the AM mode. Again use the pinpoint button to find clean ground. Set the threshold to 0 or +1. Pump the coil and get a steady Phase number. Rotate the gb knob until your gb number matches the phase number and you are balanced. If you pump the coil while doing this you will get a visual confirmation from the numbers and an audio confirmation from the threshold tone. At this point you can make any positive or negative offsets the ground balance you may need.
The thing about the F5 is that it lets you know both visually and audibly that you are correctly balanced to the ground conditions. It is perfect.
HH
Mike
upstatedetector
New member
Mike,
thanks for the continuing great information. I know this thread is old but hopefully I can revive it. I am new to the F5, had it for a few weeks or so. I am mostly hunting at my parents early 1800s farmhouse with limited success. I don't think I fully grasp ground balancing but I think the above will help alot. My problem seems to be very erratic ground numbers as I am hunting. The number seems to jump from one section of the yard to another quite frequently. The Fe bar is also quite erratic (usually at least 2 bars, often 3 or 4). I do come across several different soil types throughout the yard. Is this normal for the F5 or have you come across some sites like this?
Thanks again,
Steve
thanks for the continuing great information. I know this thread is old but hopefully I can revive it. I am new to the F5, had it for a few weeks or so. I am mostly hunting at my parents early 1800s farmhouse with limited success. I don't think I fully grasp ground balancing but I think the above will help alot. My problem seems to be very erratic ground numbers as I am hunting. The number seems to jump from one section of the yard to another quite frequently. The Fe bar is also quite erratic (usually at least 2 bars, often 3 or 4). I do come across several different soil types throughout the yard. Is this normal for the F5 or have you come across some sites like this?
Thanks again,
Steve
upstatedetector
New member
Hi,
Sorry to keep posting but I hope someone can give me some advice and it pertains to my above post. I have still only been using my new F5 (how long can I continue to call it new?
) at my parents old farmhouse. I find that when I ground balance it (using the phase lock and pumping) then move even a few feet away the ground balance drastically changes. The Fe bar is constantly moving as well (sometimes 0 bars, sometimes 3 etc.). As I said I have not used my detector anywhere else yet. Just wondering of someone can tell me if this is normal? I hope that it is. The detector seems to be functioning fine. Finding lots of iron junk, horshoes etc. but that is expected.
Thanks Again,
Steve
Sorry to keep posting but I hope someone can give me some advice and it pertains to my above post. I have still only been using my new F5 (how long can I continue to call it new?
) at my parents old farmhouse. I find that when I ground balance it (using the phase lock and pumping) then move even a few feet away the ground balance drastically changes. The Fe bar is constantly moving as well (sometimes 0 bars, sometimes 3 etc.). As I said I have not used my detector anywhere else yet. Just wondering of someone can tell me if this is normal? I hope that it is. The detector seems to be functioning fine. Finding lots of iron junk, horshoes etc. but that is expected. Thanks Again,
Steve
I haven't hunted any areas like that, but the experts say ground mineralization can change drastically over a short distance in some places.
You do want to make sure you're GBing over clean ground.
I'd make it a point to try it out at a couple other locations besides the farmhouse and see what happens.
I wouldn't say practice makes perfect with any detector, but it sure makes you a lot better. Good luck!
You do want to make sure you're GBing over clean ground.
I'd make it a point to try it out at a couple other locations besides the farmhouse and see what happens.
I wouldn't say practice makes perfect with any detector, but it sure makes you a lot better. Good luck!
My Omega does the same. I believe it is normal. As you sweep you are seeing the changes from the stuff in the ground too. When you hit a place with no targets do the numbers get closer? I have seen where some people use the Fe bar to help in ID of targets. It doesn't hurt to find clear ground and reground balance every so often.
blacktoe
blacktoe
Mike Hillis
Well-known member
Steve,
That is perfectly normal. The ground phase number will change all the time when sweeping or holding the coil up in the air. Ignore the ground phase number unless you are pumping the coil to balance or check your balance. It is only accurate when you pump the coil over the ground.
The FE304 bar graph is also only accurate when you pump the coil, however, it will also change over targets, especially if you make multiple passes over them. For instance, if you normally have 2 bars showing, and sweep over a horseshoe a couple of times you will see the number of bars increase. If your ground is mellow enough you can use this to help id the iron targets. Since most of my ground already maxes out the FE graph I am unable to use this feature. But you may be able to.
Rusty washers are a good target for FE identification as are steel bottle caps. Both may give high tone and high id numbers but both will spike the FE meter if your ground FE reading is low to start with.
Ground phase readings over targets in mild ground can be somewhat useful as well. The phase reading will also measure conductivity if there is not a lot of FE mineralization in the ground. You would need to pinpoint the target, then pump the coil over the target to see it. You can see this in air by bobbing a couple of different objects over the coil. It will work in low mineral ground (one or two bar) I don't mention this much just because my ground conditions negate being able to use these features.
Good luck,
Mike
That is perfectly normal. The ground phase number will change all the time when sweeping or holding the coil up in the air. Ignore the ground phase number unless you are pumping the coil to balance or check your balance. It is only accurate when you pump the coil over the ground.
The FE304 bar graph is also only accurate when you pump the coil, however, it will also change over targets, especially if you make multiple passes over them. For instance, if you normally have 2 bars showing, and sweep over a horseshoe a couple of times you will see the number of bars increase. If your ground is mellow enough you can use this to help id the iron targets. Since most of my ground already maxes out the FE graph I am unable to use this feature. But you may be able to.
Rusty washers are a good target for FE identification as are steel bottle caps. Both may give high tone and high id numbers but both will spike the FE meter if your ground FE reading is low to start with.
Ground phase readings over targets in mild ground can be somewhat useful as well. The phase reading will also measure conductivity if there is not a lot of FE mineralization in the ground. You would need to pinpoint the target, then pump the coil over the target to see it. You can see this in air by bobbing a couple of different objects over the coil. It will work in low mineral ground (one or two bar) I don't mention this much just because my ground conditions negate being able to use these features.
Good luck,
Mike
upstatedetector
New member
Mike thanks for the reply and the information which is new to me. I actually had the detector in a new spot tonight and a much more stable spot. I appreciate the quick reply.
Steve
Steve
Great information!
Another thank you to Professor Hillis!
Mike, as our F5 oracle if you ever figure out the optimum monotone discrimination unmasking number for the F5 I'd really love to know.
Nasa Tom has figured out 6 for the F75, 21 for the T2, and 16 for F5's sister unit the Omega. But he hasn't worked with the F5.
Another thank you to Professor Hillis!
Mike, as our F5 oracle if you ever figure out the optimum monotone discrimination unmasking number for the F5 I'd really love to know.
Nasa Tom has figured out 6 for the F75, 21 for the T2, and 16 for F5's sister unit the Omega. But he hasn't worked with the F5.
Mike Hillis
Well-known member
Hey Marcomo,
I don't know about the professor stuff but I would have liked being marooned with MaryAnn
I don't know if its the optimum setting or not but I run my disc mostly on 8 in the 4 tone audio mode. It cuts out a lot of the tiny stuff but still lets me hear the normal nails, hairpins, chains, and other junk and tell iron false from partially masked. I believe, if I recall correctly, that I had the disc on 8 when I got a dual low tone/high tone mix which I decided wasn't an iron false. I recovered a bobbie pin, then rescanned the hole and got a solid 80 that turned out to be a silver ring. I posted this late December. Have to hunt up the post and see if it was an 8 setting.
Its hard to get me off the 4 tone mode as I'm a tone junkie
and it fits what I'm looking for. But I'll try.
Maybe all the F5 users can compare notes and see what we come up with.
HH
Mike
I don't know about the professor stuff but I would have liked being marooned with MaryAnn
I don't know if its the optimum setting or not but I run my disc mostly on 8 in the 4 tone audio mode. It cuts out a lot of the tiny stuff but still lets me hear the normal nails, hairpins, chains, and other junk and tell iron false from partially masked. I believe, if I recall correctly, that I had the disc on 8 when I got a dual low tone/high tone mix which I decided wasn't an iron false. I recovered a bobbie pin, then rescanned the hole and got a solid 80 that turned out to be a silver ring. I posted this late December. Have to hunt up the post and see if it was an 8 setting.
Its hard to get me off the 4 tone mode as I'm a tone junkie
and it fits what I'm looking for. But I'll try. Maybe all the F5 users can compare notes and see what we come up with.
HH
Mike
Thanks for the additional info, Mike.
I pretty much always hunt in 4 tone, too.
Nasa Tom's optimum setting info for the 3 units mentioned above was for single tone.
The idea being in dense iron a lot of good otherwise high tone signals will not hit with a diggable higher tone because of the iron masking.
Mary Ann or Ginger would be fine with me...
As long as it wasn't Lovey!
I pretty much always hunt in 4 tone, too.
Nasa Tom's optimum setting info for the 3 units mentioned above was for single tone.
The idea being in dense iron a lot of good otherwise high tone signals will not hit with a diggable higher tone because of the iron masking.
Mary Ann or Ginger would be fine with me...
As long as it wasn't Lovey!