Posted originally at www.findmall.com by Andy Sabisch

Andy Sabisch is an avid detectorist, writer and reviewer who has contributed to the hobby for years.  I ran across this post over at Findmall.com, one of the largest detecting hobby sites on the web.  I was so impressed I asked Andy for permission to post it here…he graciously consented.

PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT intended to discourage posting…on the contrary, post all ya want!  Andy’s point is to be careful WHAT you post… don’t give away your sites, be careful about posting historically important finds, etc.

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Over the years I have seen many posts that leave me scratching my head wondering what the person was thinking or should I say not thinking when they hit the final ENTER key. With some of the controversy that has come up on this forum and others lately, I wanted to pass on some points to consider when you are thinking of posting something . . . . do with it what you may:

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Childhood memories of the 4th….

Watermelon!  Family gatherings, Events in town (catching a greased pig, climbing a greased pole, parades, eat a pack of crackers and try to whistle, etc.)

I was one of those kids who took his shoes and shirt off when summer break started…and they did NOT go back on except to go to Church or the occasional trip to town!…  Simpler times.

I hope everyone has an awesome 4th and makes some great memories!  (If it’s not too hot in your neck of the woods, I hope you can get a little quality “coil” time!)

-Mark

Mark Ellington

Detectorstuff.com

As most of you know, I am a big fan of the Fisher F5! The F5 blew me away with the “control” I had over how I wanted to hunt…and its amazing flexibility to handle various soil and radio noise pollution situations. However, as much as I love the F5 and despite its growing “cult” following, the Engineers at First Texas knew there was even more potential in the basic electronic platform from F5. The always amazing Dave Johnson wanted to create a machine that exceeded the performance of the F5 and simplified the controls. (One thing for which I’m very thankful…. Dave Johnson is NEVER satisfied with status quo!).

When I was given the chance to field test the Teknetics Omega 8000, I jumped all over it! I knew it grew from lessons learned on the F5, so expectations were high. The Omega did not disappoint .

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HOT new optional coils are soon heading out the door at First Texas! I’ll be posting a full review of the 5″ F5 coil and an AMAZING 11″ DD coil for the Tek Omega…and be prepared for some shocking statements about the Omega!…Keep watching for the reviews!

I know this isn’t a metal detector…BUT it is COOL!

It is also the creation of Night Owl Optics, a sister company of Fisher and Teknetics, who are metal detector manufacturers…the metal detector manufacturer connection, and the sheer coolness of night vision is more than enough reason for me to write up a review on the iGen 20/20!

Who hasn’t dreamed of being able to see in the dark?  It ranks right up there with breathing underwater and flying with a jetpack!  The incredibly cool iGen 20/20 does indeed let you peer clearly into the darkness…not only that, but you can take photos of your nocturnal adventures as well!

Most of my readers may not realize I spent nearly 20 years in law enforcement prior to my current career. Being the resident PC nerd and gadget junkie, I was always involved in new technology grants and purchases. Years ago, I spent time learning how to operate a “Generation 1″ night vision scope. The thing felt like it weighed 30 pounds and had a big, bright green, CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) that you had to peer into. Battery life was abysmal and I spent hours doing “double takes” trying to figure out if you could really see anything with it that you couldn’t see without it!  Man, oh man…has technology improved!  Let’s check out the iGen 20/20!

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Marvinbean! Congratulations and thanks for being a member of Detector Stuff!

White’s new flagship has proudly left port!…the Spectra V3!

Part 1 of however many it takes!

To say there are a LOT of features and options on White’s newest flagship, the Spectra V3, is an enormous understatement!    I’ve spent weeks deliberating on the best way to present a review of the Spectra…and I finally decided to break it into phases.  If I tried to put everything into one story, I think it would almost be overwhelming! (to me too…trying to write it!)  There will no doubt be some outstanding books and tutorials written on this machine.  I would strongly suggest buying one of those when they become available (Jeff Foster or Andy Sabisch?).

This first “phase” report is about the packaging, contents and overall new user impressions.  As the chapters continue, I will branch out into other aspects such as assembly, air-testing, interface and “real-world” usage.

So here we go!…

White’s Spectra V3 Review, part 1

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I’ve noticed we have many friends from all over the world visiting Detector Stuff!  I’m honored to have them dropping by and reading, so to make it a little easier, I’ve added “Google Translator” to the site.  You will see a small link at the bottom of each article that looks like this: [Translate]

This should let you pick your native language and hopefully it will make some sense once the translator does its magic!

I’ve had a lot of questions about the innovative F5 over the past few months.  This is a feature break down I did that was posted on Kellyco’s site.  Hopefully you’ll find it useful

Fisher F5 Field Test

Mark Ellington

Fisher F5 Face

I was given the wonderful opportunity to do some field testing with Fisher’s amazing new F5. The F5 is one of the most unique detectors I’ve put my hands on in a very long time! The perfect blend of cutting edge, software driven power meshed with the feel of good old fashioned knobs. I find it very interesting that the “oldest name in metal detecting” is utilizing the newest technology! The F5 is the result of Fisher’s self proclaimed “war on bad user interfaces”. The lead Engineer on the F5 was Jorge A. Saad.

Since Fisher Laboratories came under new management, the Company has not been resting on their laurels! First out of the gate came the incredible F75, followed by the mid-range F4. Next up was the affordable F2, then recently the incredibly deep F70. That leads us up to the innovative F5!

The F5 is situated in the familiar F2/F4 housing, but the electronics are entirely different. This platform was designed by Engineers Jorge Saad and Dave Johnson (with John Gardiner and Mark Krieger additionally lending their talents) to offer outstanding discrimination, depth and ID capabilities. You’ll find the F5 mounted on the familiar gold and black “S” rod which has proven its ergonomics and durability throughout the years.

*Click below to see the rest of the review*

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Hey Folks,

We’re still running a couple of contests…and time is running out!  At last count only 6 (That’s SIX!) people had signed up for a chance at the free metal detector bag… Now, I know some folks are shy, but usually free stuff helps people overcome things like that!

No strings…just post on the forum and you’re officially entered!  Here’s the forum for posting …  CLICK HERE

Dave and Pete still have a contest running HERE for a cool old English coin!

I also have a box of goodies including hats, T-shirts and drink cozies for future contests…I’m just itchin’ to give this stuff away, but I need y’all to enter and share the fun!