Question about the F5 compared to the OMEGA 8000

Both these detectors appear to have same or similar feature sets, coil selection, and operating frequency. I'm not familiar with either unit, but received a question about whether one has any performance advantage over the other. Any information you guys could offer would be very much appreciated, and thanks...

Jim.

I had both, loved the F5 just too dang unbalanced, lots of wasted space inside the control housing. Has somewhat slow recovery between targets, wasn't that great in trashy areas.
The Omega, same platform as the F5, seemed to have faster recovery, never saw the depth or performance claimed by others on the forums. Was no better than the F5 in that regard.
Main difference is one is mostly menu touch pad driven , the other has knobs.

electrically, sharing the same circuit design.

The F5 allows the user more manual control over the operation of the detector. The Omega is been trimmed down on the manual adjustments, and users find it friendlier to operate. You will discover performance is about the same..................Mr. Bill

Omega works better for newbies since it is fairly idiot proof. No offence meant.
The F5 gives the user more control for site conditions, has a better audio and a tighter ground balance. Takes a bit longer to get proficient with it as the Gain and Threshold controls creates setting combination options that takes a little while to learn.
I prefer the F5 over the Omega because I like the audio better and the extra control helps me respond to the varying site conditions with a better setup than I could get with the Omega.
Mike Hillis

[www.dankowskidetectors.com]

DeepTech Vista X with 3 search coils.
Works for me



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/2014 12:30AM by Sven1.

Thanks Sven, the information you provided ought to be sufficient. I'll do a forum search to see what else is available.

Jim.

F5 has slow recovery between targets?

First time I have ever heard that. I haven't ever experienced that either. Maybe it is relative to something else?

HH
Mike

Seems like this aspect was lost judging by the posts...F5 is just a more solid built unit and with knobs and buttons offers more changeability while I felt the Omega was going to fall apart by swinging it but probably more user friendly for the average hunter. Most prefer the Omega but the F5 is just a more solid built unit and pretty darn close in abilities.

I'm still stuck on the "F5 has slow recovery between targets" comment. The F5 is only slightly slower than the F75, and far faster than most other makes, such as all Xterra's and all Tesoro's and all Garretts, and most Whites.

sputtering, mumbling to myself, "slow recovery?" what in the world,....muttering...sputtering

I guess it has slow recovery if you compare it to a F75.

Mike

Dan and Mike... it seems to me that either unit ought to work for my friend re: coin and freshwater beach hunting.

No worries Mike... everyone has an opinion and that's fine. Your experience particularly with the F5 is known to me and accordingly lends considerable weight to your comments. Thanks you guys, your help is appreciated, and I think that pretty well wraps it up here.

Dan... I seldom post here anymore so let me take this rare moment to mention that I enjoy your voice of experience and common sense a good deal. Trust you'll be back in full swing with the ol' detector this summer. All the very best...

Jim.

Void



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/2014 10:16PM by jimmyjiver.

MIke, I had the F5 when I lived in Northern Canada, really like it when I found my first Canadian 1911 silver dime at around 5". I found that it did have a slow recovery time between targets unless I swept the coil very slowly and waited a second after hitting a target before I went on. I was surprised at it's some lack of performance compared to what I read in the forums. The ID Edge was a better machine up there. I eventually sold it off due to a bad elbow......................Picked up an Omega to replace it as well as a Delta. Those two actually worked much better than the F5. The ground mineralization changes from area to area. It's basically granite, magnetite, iron in the ground which was mostly solid rock with a sandy, type soil with black sand thrown in.
It's a good chance that the F5 I had was an under achiever, maybe needed to be sent in for a check-up and update? Maybe I should try another F5, I no longer live up in the North country. And since I picked up a Detecting Buddy shoulder strap that makes all the difference when using a heavy or unbalanced detector.

There was one spot up there that has been a look out on top of the hill since the 1800's, not one detector I owned would function without falsing.





DeepTech Vista X with 3 search coils.
Works for me

Omega loves silver. Easily as deep as my CTX.

I hear some complain about depth on the f5. Dave J has put some mojo in the Omega that's for sure.

Yeah, the Omega is a refine F5. Both in hardware and programming.

Different Shaft
1 9v instead of 2
single linear sens/threshold dial vs seperate
Omega locks onto round objects better and gives more solid TID at depth. It will be tight and solid all the way to edge of detection.

I prefer the Omega over the F5....

The omega actullay uses the Sens/gain control as a dual purpose control....it reaches maximum sens at 70 then as you go above you are adding threshold...sort of like on the F5 having separate controls for sens and thresh...

you could on a F5 have an advantage of say running a high thresh and lower sens maybe for some sort of specialized type targets say in an area where theres emi and cant get the sens high you could still stay stable and run high thresh..but to be honest Ithink the Omega dial it in just right...

usually adding alot of thresh at low sens for one will loose separation ability..and make the audio splattery...

I also favor the Omega feel over the F5...

I had one of the first F5s though that had that push on connector and it was actually too noisy to run...

But at the end of the day they both are about equal...And I could not have either as my only machine for working iron...but maybe for coin hunting ...

Keith

Omega 8000, what a GREAT detector. For the money, just AMAZING. So simple, and such a great coin monster.
Was just behind my E-Trac in depth, I think. I hunted one spot to no end with the Omega, went back there later with an E-Trac and barely
pulled but a few more coins.

The Omega was my second ID detector (T2 my first) and I preferred the Omega over the T2 on coins every day of the week.
I remember hunting the park by my house that I hit hard with the T2. It was like a new spot with the Omega. Just a great coin machine.

I can imagine how some would like the F5 (never used one) due to more control, but if you like turn and (mostly) go, the Omega was enough.
Nice big screen, super light, pretty good balance though it felt like it was going to break at any moment. I never had problems with the build
though it felt like it would give, but I did have to send it back 2X for repairs, then it was ok.

Oh, very nice VDI - nice again for the coin shooter. (I like my Signum on depth and tones better, but that VDI was pretty damn good on the Omega, jumps around on my Signum.)

Albert

Sven… thanks for the additional clarification.

Your last photo… would that just happen to be the provincial park beach area at Kakabeka Falls, Ontario (just east of Thunder Bay)?

Sure looks like it… I hunted the water there some 25 years ago, best hunt ever for gold and silver. Returned many years later while headed on a prospecting trip to Atlin, BC, the water level was low… but could only recover one silver quarter, some miscellaneous modern change and a few costume trinkets.

Ferrous Bueller
DetectingMO
Keith
Albert

The above response provided much more detail than expected, reminds me of the mutual support experienced over the years on the former AMDS Adventure forum... it's all good, thanks everyone.

Jim.

I have had both of these detectors several times since they were introduced. I really liked both of them for coin detecting, but prefer the F5 over the Omega. I used the 11inch dd coil on both. When I put this coil on the F5, it brought a couple of inches of depth. The 11 inch on the Omega was an improvement over the 10 inch stock coil, but did not improve the detector as much as it did on the F5. The F5 has a fantastic knob and push pad design(I believe it to be the best in the industry) and slightly better audio than the Omega. I just could not hear a coin at the detectors maximum depth on the Omega like I could on the F5. Speaking of depth, I could routinely find 8 inch deep coins with both. I never saw any difference in speed between the two, but remember I got rid of the stock coil on both of them and replaced with the 11inch dd(a fine coil by the way) The F5 takes two nine volt batteries and I could get over 30 hours on these two batteries. The Omega takes one and I could get 15 to 18 hours on one. The battery consumption is a wash. I believe you can't go wrong with either and my favoring of the F5 was mainly the controls. What ever you decide, I would suggest getting the 11 inch dd coil. One last thought, I do believe the F 5 feels slightly sturdier than the Omega, but I don't throw my detectors to the ground when I start the digging process. It makes me cringe to watch some videos of how people treat their detectors.

HumblePie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sven… thanks for the additional clarification.
>
> Your last photo… would that just happen to be
> the provincial park beach area at Kakabeka Falls,
> Ontario (just east of Thunder Bay)?

> Ferrous Bueller
> DetectingMO
> Keith
> Albert

> Jim.

=======================================
No, a bit south east of that, I was in North Bay, Lake Nipising where summer starts in July and ends in August.

DeepTech Vista X with 3 search coils.
Works for me