Taking the F75 LTD to the next level!

I've had my F75 LTD now since 2009, I'm sure I've logged thousands of hours on it by now.

I always hunt in BP mode, Nasa Tom style with the sensitivity maxed as much as EMI will allow, and disc as low as I can stand (usually low single digits, maybe all the way up to 7).

I'm curious what other seasoned F75 LTD/SE users are doing?

What tricks have you learned over the years?

Do you typically use the same settings, or do you have hot settings for deep silver, different settings for relics, or ?

What kind of sweep speeds do you find work the best for you?

I've read using positive or negative manual GB for better stability, TID, or depth, what do you find works?

Just throwing out a discussion to see what tricks and tips are working for you?

Happy hunting,
Brian

I also hunt with the settings you mentioned, max sens, low or mostly 0 disc, bp mode, 4 tone, rather slow swing speed according to closeness of targets. I prefer the 11" dd coil for the depth. I'll use the 5" once in a while but I seem to have more luck with the 11". Most of the areas I hunt are loaded with old iron and centuries of bits and pieces and the full spectrum of oddities.

Occasionally, in very high iron nail infested sites I'll go with 1 tone, 6 disc, 99 sens. This NASA Tom setting has proven to be rewarding. One has to be in a relaxed, serious and a with high concentrated mindset, when in this scenario, to be successful.

I can't bring myself to hunt with high disc. Although, the other day I went against the grain and set the disc up to 20 just messing around at the end of the day. I pulled out a King George in an area I've hit many times, surprised me....RodPa was there briefly with his G-2.

I also like all metal in old lower target areas. Max sens, any slight whisper changes in the threshold with good numbers and deep, I'm digging....has also been rewarding.
As far as that, no settings you haven't heard of or tried before, Brian. Iv'e used 75's since they came out and have thousands of hours with them...we clicked, so to speak.

I'm hesitant on sending my LTD in for the upgrade until further knowledge from Tom or Keith. Although chatty, I wouldn't want them to do a lobotomy on my unit just to make it quieter. If reports are good from seasoned 75 users, I'll send it in.

*Learn the importance of a VERY smooth, even sweep, at the right speed. Once you realise the technical reason why detectors are depth-limited, it makes more sense. The ground gives a significant signal, which varies (uneven sweep, uneven ground surface, uneven mineralisation/magnetisation). Distinguishing this wobbling ground signal from the small blip of a target is the limit-setting problem. A neat swing reduces ground-signal variation, giving more chance of getting a hit / better ID.

*Don't be afraid to sweep the coil slightly higher off the ground. There's loads of people working on the ill-informed idea that getting the coil closer to the target will give more target signal, and hence better depth/better ID. But they're not realising the ground-signal also varies as you raise or lower the coil (and not in an obvious way) so the total combined effect is far from obvious. The success or not of lower/higher coil height probably depends on whether it's a larger deep target, or a tiny shallow one, so experiment.

*If you're sweeping with the coil some distance off the ground, eg, long grass, (and probably in Boost mode) you should ground-balance with the coil at the intended search height, whether fast-grabbing or manual balancing. Not only does the level of ground-signal pickup fall off as you move the coil away, but the phase of the pickup changes significantly, too. Example: ground that balances at 65 with a close coil may balance at 45 with a 5 inch gap.

Very good points Pimento. Sweep speed and ground balancing at the height where you will be swinging the coil is of utmost importance.

That's a great point on the sweep distance for ground balancing.

I'll have to try the 1 tone, 6 disc, 99 sens. setting. I have an old spot that's been pretty cleaned out, but I took a buddy there and he managed to find a 1776 copper reale, that's an old coin for California!


I took the plunge and send in my F75 LTD for the DST upgrade. A friend has researched out an old trading post site that we are going to hit next week once the F75 DST gets back, I can't wait to test it out!
It has the new 4 levels of FE tone settings, one being FeTone feature. It would be great if the DST upgrade included the ability to change the FE window like the G2, but still the new FE tone settings will be useful.