FIELDTEST: FISHER F-PULSE PINPOINTER

Wayne........ yes, I'm somewhat bothered by a slow power-up. And on this subject............ I have always felt the on/off button should be a separate button. A second button would be for all of the programming & functions. I do understand two buttons double the waterproof hull penetrations......and increases the number of moving parts; yet, simplifies overall operation and speed.

When I find myself beyond the 40-second mark in the attempt to recover a target....... a 2-3 second delay in pinpointer power-up then becomes a moot point.

Don't see folks complain about the seconds it takes when turning on a metal detector and it be actually ready to properly detect.

How come?

Detectors and pinpointers are a little more complicated than light switches and bulbs.

Maybe what's needed is a voice activated pinpointer, you know like the camera Calabash uses.

So as you dig your hole you can tell your pinpointer to turn on.

We might just see one, who knows.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/30/2018 04:23PM by tnsharpshooter.

ncwayne Wrote:
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> Tom, being one who insists on incorporating every efficiency, I'm curious as to your thoughts on the
> 2 to 3 second delay between pressing the button to turn on the F-Pulse - and it turning on?
> My thinking is that this is due to the LED brightness adjustment program starting with the F-Pulse off.

If you quick-press the button to turn on, the LED code is bypassed, has no effect. What happens on power-up is some internal calibration stuff. It is critical during power-up that the PP is held away from metal, if you're waving it around and it sees metal (and it can see large metal from a fair distance) then this will extend the cal time.

The cal is supposed to be accelerated by a factory calibration that saves a very close starting point in memory. If you are still seeing a long power-up delay, you can re-cal your F-Tek and it should speed up. Here are the steps:

As you turn the PP on, you can continue holding the button to toggle the state of the LED. That is, if the LED is normally on and you want it off, continue holding the button on power-up and after about 1 second the LED will turn off. At the instant the LED turns off (or on), release the button and then immediately press the button 6 times in a row. The PP should beep on every button press. After the 6th press stop pressing the button and just hold the PP still, it is now doing a cal routine. This can take up to 10 seconds to complete so be patient. When it's done the PP will beep 2-3 times and the LED will start doing a weird dance. Turn it off, then turn it back on and see if it's faster to boot up.

Two things to keep in mind...

1. Keep the PP away from any metal during the cal procedure.
2. The cal procedure also executes a factory reset on all settings.

NASA-Tom Wrote:
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> Wayne........ yes, I'm somewhat bothered by a slow
> power-up. And on this subject............ I have a
> lways felt the on/off button should be a separate
> button. A second button would be for all of the pr
> ogramming & functions. I do understand two button
> s double the waterproof hull penetrations......and
> increases the number of moving parts; yet, simplif
> ies overall operation and speed.
>
> When I find myself beyond the 40-second mark in th
> e attempt to recover a target....... a 2-3 second
> delay in pinpointer power-up then becomes a moot p
> oint.

I agree with the separate function buttons.. I just received the Pro-Find 35 which is has a power, + and - buttons..
I have only been out once with it but appreciated that design immediately..
So far I’m very happy with it and it’s Iron discrimination feature..

I struggled with the F-Pulse.. too finicky and slow both on start up and coin locate..
I’ll keep one around for Nugget hunting though.. It is very powerful if you can tame it to the ground and your detector..

Bryan

tnsharpshooter Wrote:
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> Don't see folks complain about the seconds it take
> s when turning on a metal detector and it be actua
> lly ready to properly detect.
>
> How come?


Probably because the PP gets turned on and off possibly hundreds of times...where as the detector may only get switched on/off once during the hunt.

tnsharpshooter Wrote:
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> Don't see folks complain about the seconds it takes when turning on a metal detector and it be actually ready to properly detect.
>
> How come?

The detector is only turned on once during a hunt, the PP every time you want to use it, and sometimes several times while digging a single target. It needs to be fast.

Originally I was going to implement a Turbo mode that bypasses the start-up cal procedure. The drawback is a slight decrease in depth that can actually get worse over time if components drift, and would absolutely require an occasional (every few months perhaps) manual cal. And then there was the problem of making this selectable in a 1-button interface.

Thanks for the recalibration tip Carl..
That did improve my startup..

Bryan

Geotech Wrote:
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> The cal is supposed to be accelerated by a factory
> calibration that saves a very close starting point
> in memory. If you are still seeing a long power-up
> delay, you can re-cal your F-Tek and it should spe
> ed up. Here are the steps:

Carl, thanks for the calibration procedure.

I noticed my pinpointer was a little more unstable with Energizer Ultimate Lithiums, but just assumed it had to do with the voltage regulator pulling less current due to the lithiums higher voltage.
(OTOH, It loves basic Duracells, though.)

I'll try the recal routine with the lithiums to see if it tames it down...

Mike in CO Wrote:
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> I noticed my pinpointer was a little more unstable with Energizer Ultimate Lithiums...

An unintended consequence of the in-line battery design is that the front battery is right behind the coil and it is detected. Normally most batteries should look similar enough to the coil, and the start-up cal compensates for minor differences. But I have to admit that I never tried Ultimate Lithiums (even though they are a favorite of mine) so, yeah, a re-cal might help.

I field tested the pinpointer for the factory last year...

And one thing I wanted was separate buttons..

But yes the pinpointer when I first powered it on was amazed at the depth it had and ability to not signal my bad dirt..

There's a lot of options in that one button..but once you get it set its more or less on and off used...

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

Now all We need is for some Minelab engineer to clear up all our little questions about the equinox – LOL

Rick Kempf
Gold Canyon AZ- where there is no gold

That would be me!

Carl, could it be calibrated at turn off, and stored in memory for use the next time it is turned on?

Wayne

The now discontinued UniProbe is what I have been using for last 12 years, just got mine back from repair and is deep as ever.

I don't leave home without it ! This headphone set with built in pulse induction probe is very deep, not going to mention how deep because some would say I'm lying...lololol

Maybe your'e the exception, Keith. Maybe you SHOULD quit your day job <g>. Oh, right, they don't pay field testers. But they do pay consultants!

Wayne

ncwayne Wrote:
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> Carl, could it be calibrated at turn off, and stor
> ed in memory for use the next time it is turned on
> ?
>
> Wayne


After recalibration my F Pulse takes 1 second to boot, even after multiple power cycles it has stayed.

I tried the recalibration. Didn't seem to reduce the start up lag time at all. Those button press routines are sketchy. Seems to take several tries to get the timing of the presses right for the progression.

Wayne

I use the Nickel (dime or penny) trick on my Garrett Pro Pointer but only seldom. Usually I just turn it on and use it. I carry mine upside down in my finds pouch so that the heavy end is inside the pouch keeping it from falling out. With a mercury switch installed (5 minute jog for less than a buck) the PP turns itself off when it goes into the pouch, and turns itself on when you turn it "tip down" to use. It also eliminates wearing out the on/off switch and the battery lasts a year using it three or four times a week.

Tom Slick Wrote:
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> I use the Nickel (dime or penny) trick on my Garre
> tt Pro Pointer but only seldom. Usually I just tur
> n it on and use it. I carry mine upside down in my
> finds pouch so that the heavy end is inside the po
> uch keeping it from falling out. With a mercury sw
> itch installed (5 minute jog for less than a buck)
> the PP turns itself off when it goes into the pouc
> h, and turns itself on when you turn it "tip down"
> to use. It also eliminates wearing out the on/off
> switch and the battery lasts a year using it three
> or four times a week.

Pretty Slick, Tom Slick!

Cal_cobra Wrote:
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> If it has 2-3 second on/off lag like the Garrett c
> arrot top, I won't like it.
>
> I need to dump my carrot top and go back to a fast
> pinpointer (the original Garrett propointer was fa
> st) I feel it wastes a lot of time.
>
>
> What is this nickel tuning trick you guys have men
> tioned?

The lag to turn on isn't that long, it just seems like it while you're waiting. I do know my original carrot has lasted over 2 years now, it still works but the outer plastic has worn through. Put a little plastic cover on it like several sell cheap on auction site. I never had an original Pro Pointer that lasted anywhere near that long without performance degradation. I agree that the one advantage the original had was the virtually instant on/off although I got used to a lag in short order. I'll be getting one of the FT ones, it sounds like they are the new state of the art.

Since the Tek-Point is nothing like the old piece of junk F-Point, why not keep it less confusing and call the green one the Tek-Pulse?

ncwayne Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I tried the recalibration. Didn't seem to reduce t
> he start up lag time at all. Those button press ro
> utines are sketchy. Seems to take several tries to
> get the timing of the presses right for the progre
> ssion.
>
> Wayne

Really Wayne?

Give it a shot again using Carl's steps below. I recalibrated, then re-setup for the highest sensitivity and both beep and vibrate and everything saved, including the fast boot up.

- As you turn the PP on, you can continue holding the button to toggle the state of the LED.
- That is, if the LED is normally on and you want it off, continue holding the button on power-up and after about 1 second the LED will turn off.
- At the instant the LED turns off (or on), release the button and then immediately press the button 6 times in a row.
- The PP should beep on every button press. After the 6th press stop pressing the button and just hold the PP still, it is now doing a cal routine. This can take up to 10 seconds to complete so be patient.
- When it's done the PP will beep 2-3 times and the LED will start doing a weird dance. Turn it off, then turn it back on and see if it's faster to boot up.

Two things to keep in mind...

1. Keep the PP away from any metal during the cal procedure.
2. The cal procedure also executes a factory reset on all settings.

I didn't say I would not try it again. In time. Just reporting that I tried it with no improvement. YMMV and all that.

Wayne

Tom Slick Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I use the Nickel (dime or penny) trick on my Garre
> tt Pro Pointer but only seldom. Usually I just tur
> n it on and use it. I carry mine upside down in my
> finds pouch so that the heavy end is inside the po
> uch keeping it from falling out. With a mercury sw
> itch installed (5 minute jog for less than a buck)
> the PP turns itself off when it goes into the pouc
> h, and turns itself on when you turn it "tip down"
> to use. It also eliminates wearing out the on/off
> switch and the battery lasts a year using it three
> or four times a week.


[www.youtube.com]

I recalibrated mine using the method here, and can happily say after running it twice in a row my start-up is now instant. This should have been included in the manual, because it's basically turned the pointer into a must have recommendation from a previously nice to have if you can live with the long start up.

I tried the re-calibration a few times and it didn't help to speed it up. I'll keep trying.

So far, I haven't been able to stop the F-Pulse from causing interference with my detectors. Both the Equinox and the F75 go nuts whenever I turn it on. I ran it through all the frequencies a number of times. Some are a little quieter than others but they all still cause noise.

.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/18/2018 08:47AM by Badger in NH.

I finally figured out how to stop the F-Pulse from interfering with the Equinox.

Simply turn on the F-Pulse and hold it a few feet away from the coil while you noise cancel the detector.

Now they will be perfectly compatible.

.

Yes now I do that also. Not sure why I did not remember to do that as I did this same thing with my Xterra 705.. works good. Now it interferes badly with my Deus! Turn on and they both go nuts.