T2limited

F75 limited

Besides the cool new “camo” paint job, early information indicates both new detectors incorporate an entirely new, more powerful processor.  There’s also new DSP (Digital Signal Processing) modes that will open new doors by leveraging the beefy new processor.

Lead designer on this project is Engineer John Gardiner (  Click here to view the interview with John Gardiner and Dave Johnson after the F75 release )

Keep an eye on www.americanrelichunters.com for upcoming reviews and field tests!

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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 .

The first thought that pops in my mind when I think of the Omega? Buttery Smoothness! I dare say this is the “calmest” metal detector I’ve ever used…by calm, I mean there’s nearly no (as in ZERO) audio noise when it’s set correctly..and when you’re not hitting an accepted target. Do not be fooled…just because it’s quiet does NOT mean it’s not sensitive! The Omega hit targets both in my test garden and “in the wild” plenty deep! As a matter of fact, with the optional 11″ DD biaxial coil it was getting nearly as deep as my F75! Now, not all is perfect (darn close though!). The Omega is NOT as good at identifying Nickels as the F70 or F75, but on silver coins it flat-out kicks butt!

Let’s start with the basics… The Teknetics Omega is the pinnacle of the latest batch of machines flowing forth from the braintrust at First Texas. Lead Engineer of the Omega project was Jorge Saad (of Fisher F5 fame) with major contributions from Engineer John Gardiner. The line of “newest” machines includes the Alpha, Delta and Gamma. The current “King” of the Tek line is still the legendary T2…but the Omega is nipping at its heels! The Omega follows the basic silver and black color scheme as seen in the other Greek named units. Each unit has its own unique trim colors too…the Omega’s is a nice blue!

The first thing you’ll notice when looking at the Omega is the Zen-like simplicity and balance. The face has two prominent knobs which control on/off , Sensitivity and Discrimination. There are also several membrane style buttons, but they are flush with the surface of the face plate making the Omega look very, very sleek. I found out from Teknetics Engineer’s that one of the goals of the Omega was simplicity coupled with outstanding performance…and in my opinion, they succeeded completely.

Checking out the physical design and ergonomics, you’ll find a very balanced and lightweight detector that you can swing for hours. The grip has a nice rubberized texture and the handle has an ergo-friendly curve that helps to relieve stress in your hand over the long haul. Even when using the larger 11″ DD coil balance is great…a little bit heavier up front, but nothing you’ll pay much attention to. Even if you did notice the extra weight, you’ll soon forget it when you’re bent over digging dimes at 8 to 10 inches! (yep…confirmed in my dirt!). The overall physical package of the Omega is nice and solid. No clicks or creaks while swinging the coil. All the locking collars are secure.

Operationally, the Omega rocks! The cool analog style knobs offer just the right resistance for “thumbing” the controls…not too loose, not too tight. The membrane buttons seem to follow design cues from the Delta…flush with the faceplate. This took a little getting used to, but once you swing it a while, you’ll learn how to get to the commonly used options…and in typically brilliant Dave Johnson design style, everything you need is accessible with no more than a button press or knob turn. I think he’s winning that “war on bad user interfaces”!

I’ve spent many, many hours hunting with the Omega. I’ve used both the stock concentric coil and the optional 11″ DD coil. Both are great for various applications…but I LOVE the 11″ DD (more on it later in this report)! I owned a Fisher Coinstrike for quite a while, and while a few things about it bugged me, one thing it did very well…It LOVED round objects! The Omega seems to as well…it sounds off HARD on even small targets when they are round. I was hunting a local park and heard a nice “round sounding” target that pinpointed at 5 inches. I “X’ed the target and started digging… up came a TINY copper washer at 4 inches! I wasn’t so much astounded at hearing such a small target, but I was amazed at how good it sounded at that depth!

The Omega ships stock with a 10″ elliptical concentric coil. I’ve always loved this coil design… It’s a great balance of weight and performance. Pinpointing is dead-on in the center of the “tear drop” shape. This coil also separates targets well (better than most concentrics I’ve used). Depth is very good and can accurately ID coins in my test garden at 8 inches!

Display and Audio:

LCD display on the Omega in very intuitive. Everything is where it “feels” like it should be. The ID digits are nice and large…and the display is very visible in various types of light. One thing that instantly grabs your eye is the cool “horizon” style ground phase monitoring.One quick glance and you can tell whether you need to ground balance or not! The further out of balance you are, the more bars show…you’ll also notice a little arrow above or below the display indicating which way to adjust to get things balanced. Speaking of ground balancing, it’s a snap. You have the option to manually balance or use a one button “grab”. The quick grab seems to always be very accurate in my local soil…so I tend to use it most often. If you do desire to manually tweak the GB, the resolution is incredible. There’s an “up or down” arrow above and below the “GND GRAB” button that lets you physically adjust the balance.

Another new visual feature on the Omega is the “signal” graph. It works just like it sounds…when you locate a target, this will give you a signal strength reading on the fly. It can be very useful for sizing targets or cherry picking for deep stuff.

Something else I really like about the Omega display is the “Setting” window. It changes to reflect whatever option you’re adjusting at any given time. For example, while tweaking ground balance, the adjustment is shown here…same for tone modes, frequency, sensitivity, etc.

The Omega 8000 audio is spectacular! There is TONS of information in the how the signal sounds…it is very hard to describe with words. The closest example is the old style analog detectors of years past… a lot of the “Old Timers” could tell you whether a target was good or bad with a single audio tone! How? Well, it was HOW that single tone sounded…smooth or harsh. Their ears were self-trained to distinguish amazing amounts of information. The Omega audio has similar characteristics.

There are 4 tone options available: Single, 2 tones (ferrous and non-ferrous), 3 tones and 4 tones. Each can have advantages depending on your hunting style.

Discrimination:

Let me just say this…if you discriminate out an unwanted target on the Omega…it’s gone! No spitting or sputtering…it’s just “gone”! The discrimination on the Omega is splendidly designed..and very smooth and linear. I spent a bit of time testing to see if you lose any depth when cranking the discrimination…my observation is no. Even when it is “cranked” for cherry picking silver coins, the depth seems to hold steady (reminds me of the CZ line…another Dave Johnson creation!). Iron handling on the Omega is great…and my experience with co-located targets (a coin butted up against iron that’s been discriminated out) is great. The machine seems to reset almost as fast as the F75 for these situations.

The brand-spankin’ new 11″ DD coil!

New 11 inch biaxial Omega DD coil

I have never, ever seen a great detector transformed into an AWESOME detector by something as simple as an optional coil! (simple for me to say…I didn’t have to design or build it!). The new coil makes the Omega into a butt kickin’ depth demon on par with (or exceeding) the “big boys” of the industry. Side-by-side testing with my F75 indicated it is almost as deep on silver coins! Wow! In real world use, the new coil genuinely makes the Omega feel like an entirely different beast…I keep having these Clark Kent and Superman mental images! It is THAT good! Word of wisdom…if you already have an Omega, run, don’t walk, to your nearest dealer and grab one! It is indeed worth it!

Conclusion:

In a recent conversation with First Texas Engineer Dave Johnson (designer of the CZ series, Gold Bug, T2, F75, etc., etc.) he said:

“There is (in my opinion, which seems to be shared by others) an overall character to the “O-8″ (as I see some are starting to call it), of straightforwardness, elegant simplicity, smoothness and predictability of response, and high level of performance which is difficult to sum up in a short catch-phrase. It’s a good tot-lotter in the hands of a beginner, as well as a versatile high-performance coinshooter & relic hunter in the hands of the experienced enthusiast. It’s the machine you can recommend to almost anyone and not go wrong.

Lots of the stuff I’ve designed is stuff that other people liked but which didn’t really excite me personally. Guess you can tell that I really like the Omega.

–Dave J. “

When I hear something like this coming from someone with Dave Johnson’s background…I stop and take notice!

The Omega reigns supreme in “quiet” operation…deceptively so. This machine is somehow still sensitive to small targets…and gets great depth…ESPECIALLY with the optional 11″ DD coil. In my opinion, the Omega 8000 is a brilliant addition to the Teknetics line-up. It has simplified the user interface without sacrificing control or power…Outstanding performance, intuitive controls and stability. Quite a combination!

Teknetics Omega 8000 Features:

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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*

FEATURES:

PHASE LOCK- This outstanding idea allows the user to quickly grab the current PHASE reading on the F5 LCD while metal detecting. A few quick “bobs” of the coil, and you’ll get a consistent PHASE which will lock with a 1 second depression of the button. The process is quick, easy and accurate. During normal hunting, the F5 is displaying the current “ground phase” or ground setting in the SETTING window. By viewing the live phase reading as you hunt, and comparing it to the “locked” phase, you’ll always know if you’re adjusted correctly for currently ground conditions!

TONES - The tones button allows the user to choose between 1 tone, 2 tones (Iron low tone, foil and above high tone), 3 tones and 4 tones. I also discovered while testing the F5 another cool “tones” feature. When hunting in “autotune” all-metal mode, the button will change the pitch of the audio to suit the users’ preference.

PINPOINT-The F5 uses a nice VCO style pinpoint which varies the audio pitch and volume based on the strength of the target signal. The ID window also switches over to an “inches” of depth reading.
FREQ. – Frequency allows you to slightly alter the F5’s transmit/receive frequency when facing interference from various sources including other detectors, power lines, etc.

NOTCH- Notching works great on the F5! On quite a few detectors, I’ve found myself fumbling through layers of menus trying to find the segment I wanted to discriminate out (or in). With the F5, each press of the NOTCH button advances a line that strikes through the target designation in the top ID arc. When you get to the target you want removed (foil, for example) you simply quit pressing the button. After a brief pause, the target is “notched out”. That simple! Notching a target “in” is just as easy. Rotate the DISC knob the desired amount (through ZINC for example), then advance the strike through line to the 5 cent icon. Release the NOTCH button and VOILA! The target (nickels in this case…) will now be detected.

F5 closeup

KNOBS:

My favorite aspect of the F5 has to be the brilliant use of knobs! They are strategically positioned for “thumbing” the controls that you use the most. I feel a user “connection” with the F5 that I haven’t felt with any other detector. With the fine tuning capabilities offered by the high resolution ground balance, gain, threshold and discrimination knobs, I always feel liked I have “tweaked” the F5 for its maximum potential at any given site.

GND BAL- Although the F5 has the option to “GRAB” the phase reading for quick and efficient ground balancing, it still provides an very high resolution manual balancing feature. Another interesting aspect of the manual ground balance is a speed proportional piece of software (written by Mark Krieger) that will “accelerate” the numbers much more quickly depending upon how fast you turn the knob. Turn it slowly for very exact settings, spin it fast for jumping quickly up or down the scale!

GAIN- The “GAIN” control is the front-end transmit power of the F5. It is also the ON/OFF control for the Detector.

THRESH- By making THRESHOLD an easily accessed control, you can fine tune and tweak all you want! There’s a synergetic relationship between the GAIN and THRESHOLD controls that has been made much, much more dynamic and accessible due to the knob controls being right there in front of you. The THRESHOLD control gave me the ability to hunt sites that normally were “huntable”, but offered a great deal of frustration. One of these is located in an area that is surrounded by an electric cattle fence. This particular spot has driven me crazy in the past with various detectors due to the “pulse” of electrical interference transmitted. The F5 was able to handle the spot incredibly by turning the THRESHOLD into the slight negative numbers. (-2 to -3 for this location).
If you’ve ever hunted places that are littered with tiny bits of metal (foil or rusty bits of tin roofs, for example) , then you know that it can be a challenge due to constant chatter on every swing. Quite often, these nuisances can be too small to dig and remove. The THRESHOLD control does a great job of “quieting” down sites like this by make the F5 less sensitive to smaller targets. I was initially concerned I would be losing a lot of depth by turning the threshold into the negative, but on coin sized conductors, I haven’t found a great deal of difference. Most of these sites are already limited due to these small surface targets creating a shield that masks the deeper goodies.

DISCRIM- By giving the F5 a knob dedicated to DISCRIMINATION, the user can easily change settings “on-the-fly” with instantaneous feedback from the detector as to where you have it set. The F5 operator has three methods to visually verify where they are situated in regard to discrimination.
1. Target Identification Arc- The F5 offers a very nice visual quick reference along the top of the LCD screen. A clock-wise rotation will advance lines that strike out each target group you desire.
2. Setting window- When any changes are being performed, the SETTING windows reflects that change in detail. When using DISCRIM, a fine tuning number as to the amount of discrimination dialed into the knob is shown. For example, if you want to eliminate the lower range of “FOIL”, yet keep the upper range, no problem! Discrimination resolution is down to the single digit of the “1” to “65” range scale.
3. Physical knob- Like with most analog detectors, the physical location of the knob indicator is scaled to the DISCRIM range. I may be starting my hunt and getting set up. I know from using the F5, the “M” in DISCRIM is approximately just below the 5¢ (nickel) designation. I nice little quick reference!
LCD Screen information: The F5 gives the user a wealth of valuable information that is always right there in front of you.
• Target ID arc- The F5 gives you a quick visual reference on detected targets along the top. Each of the 8 segments has a common target designation (Fe, FOIL, 5¢, TAB, ZINC, DIME, QTR and 50+) as well as the top of each segments conductivity range (15 for Fe, 25 for FOIL, etc.)
• STATUS- The left side on the F5 screen gives you the “status” of your batteries (2 nine volt “transistor” batteries) and the SETTINGS portion at the bottom keeps you informed on what changes you are making while adjusting knobs and buttons. For example, when I adjust “GAIN”, my adjustments are reflected in real-time here. The same goes for PHASE LOCK, GND BAL, TONES, THRESH, DISCRIM and FREQ! Whew! That’s a lot of useful information the F5 feeds the user!

• TARGET ID- in the center of the screen is a nice, large, 2 digit target identification. Visibility has been excellent, regardless of whether hunting in bright sunlight or in overcast conditions. Along the bottom of the screen is a CONFIDENCE bar. The F5 has processing software that evaluates the target on each swing, determining how “sure” the detector is that the target indeed matches the designation in the ID arc. For example, while hunting, I hear and see a buried target that’s identified as a “dime”. I will subsequently continue swinging ,shoulder width, over the target and watch the CONFIDENCE bar. If the ID remains steady, and the bar is full on most swings, there’s a much higher probability that it will indeed be a dime! Nothing is perfect, and really deep targets may not always consistently hit as high “confidence”. When in doubt, DIG! The TARGET ID also switches over to a DEPTH reading when the pinpoint button is depressed.

• GND DATA- On the right side of the screen, the F5 gives you great, “live” information about the site you are hunting! The Fe³O 4 graph informs you of the magnetic susceptibility of the ground you’re currently hunting. When the reading is high, accurate identification of deep targets can be altered a bit. In real life use, if you’re hunting a site that has the potential for deep, old coins and you notice the Fe meter is “high”, dig the questionable deep targets!
The real attention grabber here is the “phase” reading. One aspect I love about all the new Fisher detectors is the implementation of “useful” features…PHASE is basically a real-time, live ground reading. In my area, I can watch the phase change itself…varying several numbers as I wander about a typical field or old Church Yard. When I see a drastic change, a quick press of the PHASE LOCK button, and I’m accurately balanced for my spot! Pretty cool stuff!

F5 coil

Hunting with the F5:
As I mentioned earlier, I feel a connection when using the F5 I have not experienced with all my other detectors. The combination of real-time digital information and the tactile feedback of knobs work together beautifully while searching my favorite sites. Recently I was hunting an old school yard. This particular site, being located in the center of town, has been hunted for many years. Old coin finds are very rare these days, and are always deep. With the instant access to controls and information offered by the F5, I was up and hunting in seconds. The elliptical concentric coil seems to be the perfect size for getting great depth while still allowing for excellent target separation that the new F series Fishers are renowned for. Another great feature common in the F series of Fisher’s is also in the F5. That is incredible processor speed! The detector resets itself so quickly that good targets buried beside of rejected targets still sing out loud and clear. One of the first targets I retrieved on this old school yard hunt was a silver dime less than an inch away from an old rusty chunk of iron. The target ID of the F5 was dead on the “money” and the confidence bar was high for “dime” although it was retrieved at more than 6 inches.
In my North Carolina soil, it’s not uncommon for older copper coins to deteriorate quite a bit. This generally means to get Wheat Pennies and Indian Head Cents you need to dig targets that ID in the “ZINC” and “TAB” range. On this hunt, I got a nice soft high tone while searching the middle of the yard. The target pinpointed small (a GREAT sign!) and deep. After quite a bit of digging, I retrieved a nice 1919 Wheat Cent at a measured 8 inches…and it ID’ed in “DIME” range (genuine copper pennies and dimes both ID at this icon, but with different TID’s)…very uncommon occurrence for this soil! The penny was as corroded as most I dig, and it was deep for this soil. I have found the F5 to regularly surprise me with its depth and accurate identification.
I ended the hunt this day with an apron full of coins and a very, very satisfied feeling that the F5 is an EXCELLENT detector! There is no doubt in my mind that there has been a lot very careful design work to get it “just right!”. This is a detector that perfectly blends the world of analog knobs and digital circuitry in such a way that you always feel in total control…and have confidence that you have the settings just right for the conditions!

F5 autograph Jorge Saad

Authors note: I had such a BLAST testing the F5, I asked the lead Engineer Jorge Saad to autograph it for me…and he did! Thanks again Mr. Saad!

* 7.8 kHz frequency – good for coin shooting,
relic hunting, and casual gold prospecting.
* Frequency shift for eliminating electrical interference and crosstalk.
* Advanced software-based motion discrimination with notch for searching
trashy areas.
* All metal autotune mode for deep-searching
in non-trashy areas.
* Visual target ID by category & 0-99 indication, both discrimination & autotune modes.
* Target ID confidence bargraph.
* High-resolution manual ground balance with continuous ground readout.
* Ground balance range goes all the way to salt.
* Continuous display of ground mineral concentration and phase.
* Push-button static pinpoint with variable audio pitch and visual depth reading.
* Independent gain and threshold knobs provide complete control over sensitivity.
* Standard 10″ elliptical concentric open center searchcoil.
* Two 9-volt alkaline batteries last approximately 40 hours.

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Mark Ellington

www.detectorstuff.com

*Review based on prototype version…subject to change!*

(click on images to zoom)

The Teknetics T2 has developed quite a cult-like following since its release! With good reason…It is powerful, lightweight and innovative. It is chock full of useful features that appeal to advanced users in this wonderful hobby.

The Teknetics name has long been synonymous with performance…and that legacy is continued with the launch of the new Teknetics Delta 4000. Lead Engineer on the Delta is John Gardiner. He has had a hand in many recent metal detector releases, including the Fisher F75 and F70. He was backed up by Jorge A. Saad (see my Fisher F5 review for more on him) who wrote the core software code. The legendary Dave Johnson designed the hardware and is overall Lead Engineer for the Teknetics line of metal detectors.

Teknetics Delta 4000 Face

The Delta will be the first of several new Metal Detectors coming to the Teknetics family…the Delta, the Gamma and the Omega. The Delta is positioned as a user friendly, yet very powerful machine!

On screen information includes:

• Mode Setting
• Menu Setting
• 99 digit target ID
• Icon target designators
• Battery life meter
• On-the-fly depth gauge

Appearance and Construction:

The Delta sports a visually appealing black and green color scheme with silver and black upper/lower rods. The display is large, clear and sharp with red overlay that contrasts the black LCD nicely. The Delta utilizes the same rod system seen on the F70/F75 (which is super light, but solid). The armcup/stand is a black ABS plastic with rugged closed cell foam in the arm cup.

Arm Cup and Stand

Foam Grip

The Handgrip is a “grippy” foam that covers the entire grip section of the rod…it allows for more grip options and less time readjusting. The handle angle (an often overlooked feature…until you feel some pain!) seems just right, and the grip material comfortable enough for hours of hunting.

The rod locking collars are nice and tight and feel very secure while swinging away…no flex is felt. One of my favorite things about these rods is the great range of adjustability. I’m around 6′ tall, and still find myself in the mid-range of available length adjustment. There seems to be plenty of room for taller and shorter hunters.

The control housing is has excellent viewing angles and is easily accessed by your thumb. I really, really like this style housing…it is light but rugged, offering a nice precise battery door fit.

Battery Door

The Delta has an internal speaker that does an excellent job in conjunction with the built-in volume control. For headphone use, there’s a 1/8th” jack AND a 1/4″ jack! This, as far as I know, is a FIRST in the industry! No matter your headphone preference, you’re covered!…as you can see in the photo, I enjoy using some lightweight Koss phones due to the internal volume control…and plenty of loudness from the circuit. However, if I want to use my old heavyweight phones, I don’t even need an adapter! Pretty durned COOL!

Power and coil:

The Teknetics Delta uses a single 9 volt battery for power! Conversations with Engineer Dave Johnson indicate one of his pet peeves is inefficient metal detector circuitry…this is very evident in his recent designs. Battery life is phenomenal given the performance observed. Expect over 20 hours from a single battery! The design evidently efficiently focuses the power where it counts.

battery

The Delta comes with an 8 inch concentric coil. This coil feels surprisingly light, contributing to the amazing overall feather-like weight of the detector. The coil fit is very precise, allowing no coil “flop” that seems to happen on some machines.

coil

Controls and Functions:

The user interface on the Tek Delta is very intuitive. There are 2 Sections on the face, with two buttons below to access each.

They are “Mode” and “Menu” …

Hunting with the Teknetics Delta

My first thought….”Man! this thing is LIGHT!” The weight and balance mean you can hunt all day long! Let me put it like this…the rest of me wears out a long time before my swinging arm does.

The Delta has no ground balance adjustment, yet it seems to handle the various soils I’ve exposed it to amazingly well (all soils are different…this is for mine)…Switching over to all metal mode, you can hear the circuitry quickly adjusting itself to the ground. From previous fixed ground balance detectors I’ve used, I expected a substantial loss of depth…that has not been the case for me. In my test garden, I’ve been able to accurately identify coins down to the 8 inch range, and “hear” a deep silver dime I have buried 8 to 10 inches (sinkage has changed it over the years). This same deep dime screams at you when hunting in all metal mode! The “ALL METALS” mode has power to spare…surprising power.

Discrimination is great…totally blanking eliminated targets. Reset speed is very impressive, which will help when using discrimination and trying to find closely co-located targets. Optimal swing speed seems to be very forgiving…I don’t seem to lose much if any depth when slowing or speeding up. Quick transitions from one soil type to another (ie; going from chip bark to the surrounding dirt) doesn’t cause any falsing, which can be the case with some preset ground balance detectors I’ve used.

Using Notches in a very simple affair. Simply pick “NOTCH” with the MENU button and begin pressing the “UP” arrow button. When you get to the target you want to “notch out” (foil for example) pause when the blinking indicator reaches it, and it will be “notched out”. You can notch out anything in the icon bar all the way through ZINC. Another cool feature is to be able to “notch in” targets. For example, you can run discriminate all the way up to ZINC, then NOTCH in 5 cent. A handy way to handle some quick “cherry picking”!

All-in-all, I’ve put around 40 plus hours on the Delta, and I am very impressed! I consider myself a top end detector junkie…I’m one of those types that always wants the high end machines. The simplicity of operation for the Delta reminded me of just how much fun the hobby of metal detecting can be when you don’t have to spend a ton of time adjusting things….it just works!..and works amazingly well. Carefree coil jockeying can go a LONG way towards stress reduction…and isn’t that what it’s really all about?

Teknetics Delta Goodies

Here are a few clad, wheat and silver Delta finds…

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Introduction:

First of all, I want to thank Tom Walsh, Mike Scott, Tricia Richardson, Dave Johnson and John Gardiner for their help in arranging this interview. I think it’s a fair statement that First Texas – Fisher is one of the most exciting metal detector companies on the planet right now, and as such, has piqued the interest of the hobby detecting world in a way that hasn’t been seen for quite a while.

I had the idea for this interview months ago, before I had started this web site. There was quite a buzz in the forums when rumors started of a new Dave Johnson design coming from First Texas under the Teknetics moniker. After the subsequent release and success of the T-2, the hobby community was set on fire with excitement over the prospects of “things to come”. Another wave of excitement hit when it was learned First Texas had acquired Fisher, and that wave turned into a tsunami with the release of the F-75. Mr. Johnson was quick to point out that the T-2 and F-75 were team efforts, not solo projects, and that Engineer John Gardiner was key to the success of both machines.

The purpose of this interview is to give the fans of metal detecting a “behind the scenes” glimpse of the engineers who designed the T-2, F-75 and F-4. There is an unusual “connection” people in this hobby have with their metal detectors. Over time, they seem to take on a personality of their own, becoming an extension of the owner/user. Because of this “personal” connection, most view the responsible engineers with a sense of awe and mystery. I feel that “getting to know” the Engineers will help people appreciate and applaud the outstanding efforts of these geniuses behind the scenes.

All questions below are for both Mr. Johnson and Mr. Gardiner, unless otherwise designated.

Question 1:

DS: What got you interested in engineering metal detectors?

Dave: “In the early 1970’s I was working for CALTRANS doing traffic census. Some of that work involved inductive loop vehicle detectors. I got tired of hauling a 150-pound box of lead-acid batteries around to power them, and prototyped a vehicle detector that ran off a single 9-volt “transistor battery”. It was too unstable to be useful, but to my surprise it discriminated between cars and trucks. Then I got transferred to another department and abandoned work on the vehicle detector.

In 1981 I was hired by Fisher Research Lab, which at that time was in Los Banos, California. I’ve been working in the metal detector industry ever since.”

John: “After I graduated from UTEP I landed a job with First Texas Manufacturing. I started working on the different model for Bounty Hunter line. ”

Question 2:

DS: How do you feel about the excitement amongst metal detecting hobbyists generated by the T-2 and the F-75?

Dave: “We intended for the T2 and F75 to be exciting products. We’re pleased that our effort was a success.

Not all metal detectors are supposed to be “exciting”. Many are revisions of established familiar products, and customers buy them because there’s a good track record behind them. Some products are new and different enough to generate a lot of interest, like our new F4. It’s getting a lot of attention because it’s a new combination of stuff that offers uncommonly good performance and features for the price. But it doesn’t generate the kind of excitement that major technological advances do.”

John: “I was very pleasantly surprised at how fast the T2 popularity has grown.”

Question 3:

DS: How difficult was it walking the line between superb ergonomics and weight vs. structural durability (on the T-2 and F-75)?

Dave: “It took a lot of attention to detail. I was originally shooting for even lower weight. I’ve been studying the physiology of metal detector ergonomics for my whole career and on this product I had a blank check to get it right. There were things we had to do to get the ergonomics right that added weight. We were all betting that good ergonomics was more important than shaving every ounce, and the T2 and F75 proved us right. Nobody is saying we should have made it lighter.”

John: “I really did not get to involved with this issue.”

Question 4:

DS: Do you guys metal detect as a hobby? If so, what’s your favorite “find” to date?

Also, what are your other hobbies?

Dave: “I don’t detect as a hobby, but enjoy field testing units with people who really know their stuff. I especially enjoy field testing gold machines because both my grandfathers were gold prospectors and I inherited from them some of that love for geology and the desert.

My main hobby if you can call it that, is being successful at treating the supposedly “untreatable” Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS), and helping other ALS patients do the same. If anyone reading this has ALS or knows someone who does, I invite them to contact me at scandalousdave@gmail.com and mention “ALS” in the subject line so I’ll know it isn’t spam.”

John: “I don’t detect as a hobby, but do have a unit that I use at home.

My other hobbies are bike riding and reading.”

Question 5:

DS: Would you mind giving us a list of detectors you’ve had a hand in developing?

Dave: “Old Fisher: 1260, 1220, 1210, 1225, 1235, 1265, 1266, 1280, Impulse, CZ6, CZ5, CZ20, Gold Bug, Gold Bug II, TW6/Gemini, FX-3, and several industrial products.

Tesoro: Diablo MicroMax, Lobo Supertraq.

White’s: DFX, Beachhunter ID, GMT, MXT

Troy: Shadow X5

Bounty Hunter & related products: nearly everything we manufacture. Many of these products are adapted from the original Teknetics which was designed by George Payne. The Teknetics T2 however was an entirely new design.

New Fisher: F75, F4, and everything else since then.

On most of the above I was the lead engineer. On the White’s DFX and Beachhunter ID I developed the multiple frequency circuitry, and other engineers designed products around that circuitry. In addition to the above there are many products on the market which are adaptations by other engineers of products I designed.”

John: “Bounty Hunter : I have had a hand in most of our current line up from the bottom to the top, from Guardian to the Time Ranger.

Teknetics : T2 I was main programmer

The Fisher’s : The F4 and F75″

Question 6:

DS: Are we about “maxed out” as far as how deep VLF units will go? In your opinion, what’s the biggest obstacle for current technology in achieving increased useable detection depth?

Dave: “Getting extra depth out of a VLF, multifrequency, or PI machine is very difficult, because these machines follow an inverse 6th power law relationship between signal voltage and depth. If everything else is maintained equal, doubling the depth requires 64 times as much signal. If this is done by increasing transmitter power, doubling depth requires 4,096 times as much battery drain. That’s the basic reason why depth increases come so slowly in this industry.

The biggest impediment to getting usable depth in the ground, is interference from magnetic and electrically conductive minerals in the ground, which can produce signals hundreds of times as strong as that of the metal target you’re trying to detect and hopefully identify. There are several approaches to extracting the metal signal from the ground mineral signal, but they all have their limitations. That’s why you see several different technologies coexisting in the market.”

John: “Dave points out biggest obstacle which is seeing target through the Ground and Air interference.”

Question 7:

DS: If you had to pick one existing feature on the F-75 that you’re the proudest of, what would it be?

Dave: “If we can include the T2, it’s a tossup between the ergonomics and the target separation. Both aspects of the design were huge leaps forward.

If you mean just the F75: the fact that on the F75 we pushed sensitivity even further than on the T2. As I said a few questions back, more sensitivity is very difficult to get in this industry.”

John: “One of things I like best about the F75 is it has the ability to give I.D. values while in static mode.”

Question 8:

DS: Are TID pulse units the hobby future? Or, what do you think will be the next great advancement in metal detector technology?

Dave: “About 1985 I built a real sweetheart of a discriminating PI unit, not very hot in air test, but it was simple, lightweight, powered by one 9 volt “transistor battery”, ran quiet in bad ground, had no bad habits, and you didn’t have to dig any trash. It morphed into a fully static TID machine which Fisher came close to releasing about 1989, but its reliance on fully static operation which was supposed to be an advantage, was in fact a fatal flaw for a TID machine. Stripped back down, it became the Impulse which was strictly all-metals.

Industry insiders know about a PI TID machine which a fairly sharp freelancer has had under development for about 5 years and which is said to be nearing production. Whether or not that one makes it, I expect there will eventually be others.

The next great advancement in metal detector technology will be….. ahem… we’ll all know when whatever it is actually hits the market and customers say it’s a great advancement. I hope that when that event happens, it’s got our trademark on it. If it’s got someone else’s trademark, I guess we’ll just have to play leapfrog.”

John: “At this point I will reserve comment.”

Question 9:

DS: “Crystal ball” time… if you had to take an educated guess, what do you think hobby detecting hardware will be looking like 10 years from now? (Operational and physical)

Dave: “Everything will look like a T2/F75 clone.

Just kidding! Actually, I do expect machines to show up on the market looking a lot like the T2/F75. But, there will always be a lot of variety in what machines look like and how they’re designed to be used. Some machines 10 years from now will probably look about the same as they do today. The Tesoro Micromax is such a good basic mechanical design that it or something similar will still be around 10 years from now.

Operation? The basic 2 or 3 knob VLF motion discriminator has been around for almost 25 years and does very well what it’s supposed to do. It’ll probably still be around 10 years from now. Predicting what the leading edge high end machines will be like 10 years from now is a lot more difficult because the path as yet untrod offers so many surprises.

To put this in perspective, 25 years ago I was predicting the impending demise of single-frequency metal detectors. 16 years ago Fisher introduced the CZ and Minelab introduced the Sovereign, both of ‘em multiple frequency machines. But single-frequency metal detectors kept getting better, and in 2007 the happiest F75 owners are the ones who already have a multiple frequency Minelab Explorer.”

John: “With advances in display technology and RF technologies. They should be lighter and even more ergonomic than the T2.”

Question 10:

DS: The “halo effect”… fact or fiction?

Dave: “Mostly fiction. A lot of what people attribute to “halo” actually has to do with what happens to the natural magnetic and conductive structure of the soil matrix when you disturb it.

The rust that remains from a rusting iron object is definitely a “halo” which can have a definite effect on detectability and on target ID.

Corrosion from nonferrous metals is essentially neutral to metal detectors and is present in too small an amount to affect detection. It is plausible that the electrochemical corrosion process of nonferrous metals influences the geochemistry of the iron minerals in the immediate vicinity of the target; however I doubt that such an effect would be sufficiently prominent as to influence detectability.

Nonetheless, there are a lot of beeperists whose actual field experience leads them to believe that the halo effect is real, independently of the question of whether the conventional explanation (“conductive corrosion products”) is right or wrong. I’ve been around the block enough times to have encountered things which seemed impossible and yet there they were. One of these days I may have to eat my words about “halo effect”.”

Question 11:

DS: “Detectable depth of a target cannot exceed the diameter of the coil” ie: 8” coil goes 8” deep. Agree or disagree?

Dave: “Not true. Most metal detectors will detect a manhole cover at least 2 feet deep, and most won’t detect a 1-grain gold nugget 1 inch deep. Small coils usually detect deeper than people expect them to, and large coils usually buy you sweep width rather than additional depth.”

John: “Disagree. We already have a unit that with a 4” coil can detect coin size objective at 6”.”

Question 12:

DS: What new, top-secret detectors are you currently working on? (HA! Just kiddin’)

Dave: “The Eta-Kappa. No kidding. So what’s an “Eta-Kappa”? Sorry, can’t tell you.”

John: “Ha Ha!”

Question 13:

DS: What’s the working environment like at First Texas?

Dave: “Love it. Flat organizational structure, there’s no engineering dept. manager, we all work for Tom. Tom is a very smart fellow, eager to innovate, very much in charge and yet doesn’t micromanage, flexible enough to change course when it’s necessary, listens better than just about any other boss on the planet, and doesn’t sweat the small stuff as long as things are getting done that need to be done.

Oh yeah, also the air conditioning in engineering dept. works real good during hot weather.

You didn’t ask how I like El Paso. Love it. Decent climate, desert mountains to hike in, friendly people, low crime rate, low cost of living, and great Mexican food.

We also have the nation’s stupidest ex-mayor. Joe tried to get through airport security packing a loaded pistol…….. His excuse? “But I have a concealed weapon permit.” Yeah, right, here’s your piece back, proceed to your boarding gate? I don’t think so!”

John: “It’s a good environment, we are always looking forward while learning from our past.”

Question 14:

DS: (For Dave Johnson) Can you tell us about how FRL came up with the innovative 1200 series design, which really set the bar for “balance” over the heavier “lunchboxes” of the 80’s?

“When I came to work for Fisher in February of ’81, Fisher was just about dead. They knew they needed new product. They didn’t have anyone in house who could design the guts, so they got to work on the mechanicals and hoped to hire someone who could design the guts. That someone turned out to be me. We introduced the 1260 in late spring of ’82, and it was a revolutionary machine for its time. Credit for the mechanicals goes to Dick Williams, Marvin Jones, Jim Lewellen, and Carol Chandler. They got a heckuvalotta stuff right.”

Question 15:

DS: Do you have a collection of different coins and trash items in your engineering department that you test target ID with? How about test beds/gardens with different soil types? Do you rely heavily on field testers for soil type handling information?

“The old Fisher site in California had a carefully designed and constructed test bed with several different sections where we imported different soil minerals so we could emulate almost any mineral condition besides alkali or salt water. It was an expensive undertaking which we haven’t replicated here in El Paso because we don’t own the premises.

In design, I rely heavily on my knowledge of soil mineral conditions around the country and how they affect metal detectors. We do limited field testing locally, but El Paso doesn’t have a wide variety of soil conditions. For design verification we rely on field testing by people in other regions who have in-depth experience with a number of metal detectors and who are articulate in explaining what happens during field testing.”

Question 16:

DS: Do you follow the online detecting forums and do you feel these help to promote your product and the hobby?

“There are several detecting forums that I take a look at almost every day. They’re good for the hobby, and they’re also a valuable source of information for us. I don’t post on the forums, because I don’t have time to get into nonsense arguments with people. Once in a while when we feel it would be beneficial for information to be posted on a forum, for instance to get a stupid rumor straightened out, we leak the information semi-officially to people who are already active on the forums and give them permission to post it if they feel like it.”

Question 17:

DS: (For John Gardiner) Mr. Gardiner, in the 70’s and early 80’s there was a detector company, “Gardiner Metal Detectors”, with huge rods and search coils… any relation?

John: “Not that I know of”

Question 18:

DS: There’s been a lot of emphasis on the DD coil design for the new Teknetics and Fisher machines. What was your main motivation for going DD versus concentric?

Dave: “Better ground penetration. And some other stuff. ‘Nuff said about that.”

Question 19:

DS: Iron separation seems vital nowadays & perhaps more important than depth. Can detectors truly “see thru the iron”, or is “unmasking” best achieved at this point with smaller or DD coils?

Dave: “Mostly yes on all counts.”

John “Nice one Dave.”

Question 20:

DS: Seems specialized detectorists feel frequency/khz is so important now, claiming a 7khz Coin$trike for example is for coins not relics. Is 13khz great for all-around hunting, & why don’t we see say 25khz units for relic hunters?

“In general, higher frequencies are better for smaller and lower conductivity stuff, and lower frequencies are better for larger and higher conductivity stuff. Relic hunters are generally looking for stuff that is smaller or lower conductivity than US clad, copper, and silver coinage. However, frequency is not critical, and a 7 kHz machine can be good on relics and a 13 kHz machine can be good on coins.

Metal detector manufacturers generally avoid the 20-30kHz range because of electrical interference from military communications.”

Question 21:

DS: There have already been two new models released for Fisher in the past 5 months, the F-75 and the F-4. Is this a sign of things to come?

Dave/John: “Yep.”

Question 22:

DS: Are there any tricks or tips for the F4, T-2 or F-75 you’d like for users to know about?

Dave: “The F4 is pretty straightforward. Only tip is to use autotune all metals if you’re in an area that’s relatively free of trash to locate targets, and then switch to discrimination to ID them. You’ll get more deeper stuff that way.

The T2 and F75 are very sensitive machines, which makes them more vulnerable to electrical interference than a less aggressive machine like the F4. And, the T2 and F75 incorporate a number of improvements in discriminator design, some of which affect sensitivity independently of the sensitivity control setting. This caused more confusion than we expected. Fortunately most owners are getting used to it.

My personal recommendation is to select the discrimination process you want, then dial in the discrimination level you want, then set any notches you want, and then after doing all that set the sensitivity setting just below the edge of noise. Don’t be afraid to crank the sensitivity ‘way down if necessary: the T2 and F75 are still hot machines even at low sensitivity settings.”

John: “Slow down and listen to what the machine is telling you.”

Question 23:

DS: There are lots of forum rumors floating around in regards to the possible return of a Fisher water detector…. Any comment?

Dave: “Marketing dept. has released information indicating that a water machine called a “CZ-21” is in the works.”

Question 24:

DS: What’s the most challenging part of designing metal detectors for the hobby market?

Dave: “Psychology.”

Closing:

DS: Do you have any parting words for all the www.detectorstuff.com readers and metal detecting fans at large that are following your work?

“We’re building on a legacy that was created by many people. The progress we make is the work of many people. Of these many people, most never get any credit other than a paycheck and maybe a thank-you.

I would like to name two of those unsung heroes. Javier, who assembles prototype boards faster than anyone else on the planet and somehow does that while making no assembly errors. Aurora, who worked hard to make sure every T2 went out right, even while she was losing her fight with cancer.

First Texas Products is still benefiting from the genius of George Payne, whose basic target ID system has gone into more metal detectors sold, than all other target ID systems put together. Thanks, George.

Finally, I would like to thank my former employers for the privilege of having worked for them.”

DS: Thanks again for taking the time to answer these questions! I have no doubt folks will thoroughly enjoy reading your responses. In closing, if there’s a question, that as you read this you thought “Now why didn’t they ask *blank*?” please feel free to add it and I’ll make sure it’s included on the site!

“What are your favorite designs?”

Dave: “This will probably surprise you. My all-time favorite designs are the Tesoro Diablo Micromax, and the little Bounty Hunter two-knobber that goes by several different names and retails in the $55-75 range.”

John: “My favorite unit so far is the Land Ranger. The T2 come in at a close second.”

DetectorStuff: We hope our readers have enjoyed this interview as much as we have! I want to personally thank the great folks at First Texas /Fisher for allowing us to interview Dave and John. These two gentlemen are extremely busy, and taking the time out of their hectic schedules for this is hugely appreciated! Special thanks also goes out to Bill Ladd who thought up quite a few of the great questions for the interview.

Thanks again,

Mark Ellington & Bill Ladd

www.detectorstuff.com

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