Mike Hillis , got a ?

Why the F5,as I know you have tried many and liked most..What about the F5 makes you like it BEST>>>>>>Thanks in advance

Mike gave a very lengthy report on the F5, think it was on Find's forum (I can't find it). Also think he was comparing it against the Omega. He incorrectly preferred the F5 over the Omega ;-)

Mike, is it true you don't have your V3i any more? Why so, was it the digital controls? (I read your post on the metal detecting equipment forum)

Hi Sonny,
When I purchased the F5 I was looking for a multi-purpose prospecting metal detector. The reason the F5 made it onto that list to even be considered was because Fisher had it listed as a prospecting unit on their website at that time. I was looking for something that I could nugget hunt with and still take to the parks, etc, to coin and jewelry hunt with. Turned out the F5 was a perfect fit. Best detector I’ve ever owned for this type of hunting.

The three top features that make me like it best are:

1st, I love the audio response I get with a positive threshold setting in Disc mode. The sound is just so much more richer to my ears and any other unit I’ve used, plus the tone id options are the right ones for my style/type of hunting. I have VCO tones when I want them and I have that special nickel tone when I want it. It is sweet.

2nd, The ground balance range. My hunt sites run from no mineralization to extreme mineralization. The F5 has the best ground balance range available of all the F series detectors and I can get and maintain a spot on and I mean "spot on" ground balance setting. There is NO sloppiness. No other unit like it.

3rd, The control I get with the separated sensitivity controls: Gain and Threshold. When hunting gold, either nuggets or jewelry in moderate to hot ground, the ground minerals often require a low gain setting which in turn results in a loss of performance. Hot ground masked the small low conductors when the detector was ran at the high sensitivity required to detect them in the first place. That is not an issue now with the F5 as it can be ran with low Gain settings and high positive threshold settings which in turn allows it to keep it’s “bite” on small low conductors. I love this type of control I can bring into my sites.

Those are the top three reasons. I could go on more about the feature set as there is more that I like, but I’ll stop here as these are the biggies.

HH
Mike

The Whites V3i has some ground cancelling trouble. There is some ground it just will not hunt. Great features, love the programmable audio, but lost faith in it. Thought it was my driving at first but as time went on and I got more proficient and I was still eyeballing coins it wouldn’t respond to, I had to part company. It may still have been my driving, as when you dive deep into the controls there are some complicated interactions you wouldn't expect. I may still circle back around to it again later on as I really liked the features, especially the programable audio as I was looking for it to fulfill some specific characteristics that it couldn't do. But it might hunt well for something else.
We'll see
HH
Mike

Very nice description of the F5 (again) Mike. You know, after having had the Omega for quite a few months now, the one complaint I really have is that I can't do much with it, as far as settings go. I really wish the "beep" mode was as deep as the VCO mode for one, hence I run in the VCO 2 tone mode. But I'm very happy with the performance and will look to that new unit from Fisher/Teknetics to answer my wishes.

I'm shocked the F5 could be used as a prospecting detector, just on the frequency alone. Very interesting but then again I'm not very experienced with detectors.

"and will look to that new unit from Fisher/Teknetics to answer my wishes"......there's that veiled rumor again about a new Tek coming..................I wish someone could expand this story so I'd know what to do with the money I'm holding for the next addition to my arsenal...........LOL!!!

HH

Dave

DKinPA Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "and will look to that new unit from
> Fisher/Teknetics to answer my wishes"......there's
> that veiled rumor again about a new Tek
> coming..................I wish someone could
> expand this story so I'd know what to do with the
> money I'm holding for the next addition to my
> arsenal...........LOL!!!
>
> HH
>
> Dave

It seems the rumor is really just people wishing for a new unit. Outside of wishing the writing is on the wall. Look at all the units First Texas has come out with in the last few years. How long have the T2's and F75's been out? Why not bring some of the quieter new technology together with the original high end T2's and F75's? It seems like they can put a lot of ideas in one unit. Also, it's been a while since they have had a CZ out, maybe a combo - but that is wishful thinking.

As noted, Garrett might have another new unit due out soon as John_:Edmonton just about said so on the Garrett forum, with his "It's coming" thread. I think First Texas needs to have an answer to the AT Pro, not that it is better than a T2 or F75 or even the Omega, but a lot of the detector business is probably like the computer chip business. Got to keep releasing things to keep the customers interested.

I agree. An ideal F-80 should have 3 frequencies to switch between (they can do that by adding the G2 and Omega platforms), tone breaks at any spot, and maybe one feature that made the XP Goldmaxx in Europe so successful the iron overtone, similar to what I think the AT Pro has. I have no inside knowledge, but it seems certain that they will release an F-80 this year, but probably towards the end of spring at the earliest if not next fall, judging by the whole G-2 fiasco last year. There are definitely people "in the know" probably some on this forum!

What's interesting about Fisher/First Texas history is...... they do not 'chase the tails' of other companies. This 'free's-up' the mind-set.......can choose to go in any direction..........and are not incumbered by followership restrictions. They lead........not 'follow'. Minelab is in this same boat. Innovation is 'leading'. You can never be the top-dog if you only 'follow'.

And.....with certainty......there are more platforms/ideas on the proverbial drawing boards.

The iron volume on the XP is just a volume knob that adjust the volume on the iron tone from silent to very low.

And the XP has iron break adjustment like the GB-G2

If we think the GB and G2 would have the same Iron volume we would be able to adjust the tone volume below the iron break point with a knob from silent to very load. It would not have any effect on the volume for the high tone above iron break.

I am certain the new Iron break design will follow on more FT detectors, maybe they also add an iron volume knob on some.

I like to hear what is under the coil at all time's and 1 tone does not allow this...2 tone with my own break does...That's one of the beauty's of the MXT in relic mode it has a great user set tone break...And also the benefit of all metal too...

I would really like to see the next generation FT machine's run at 2-3 freq's that are switchable to all or 1 or 2 at a time being on...and use one coil to achieve this...Minelab's x-terra coil freq swap is nothing more than a sales ploy....I really like the X-Terra 705 but the coil switching to change freq's? Come on this is the 21st century...

I would also like to see them go a step further and offer us a dual mode audio ....allowing the all metal(threshold based) and disc to run simultaneously ....I would love to be able to set my tone at 1 and disc just small nail's out and have the all metal be in unison....So much target info to be garnered....

also like earthman mentioned bring the low noise high gain circuit into the new design's...The G-2 is really quite wide open please give us this in a BP version....( allows more usable depth)

Good thread


Keith