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 .

Read the rest of this entry »

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*

Read the rest of this entry »

Teknetics Delta 4000 Review

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

Read the rest of this entry »

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?

Read the rest of this entry »

DS: Hi Mr. Saad! Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions about the very unique F5! There is a lot of interest in the metal detecting hobby about this unusual detector… First of all, tell us about yourself…. How long have you been designing metal detectors?

Jorge: Good day Mr. Ellington. It is a pleasure to have the opportunity of speaking with you. I first learned about the metal detector’s technology barely three years ago, when I was hired in First Texas Products and got under the expert lead of Dave Johnson and John Gardiner, who you know are two of the top leading engineers in the Industry. Before that I used to write firmware for other kind of products.

DS: What machines have you had a hand in designing?

Jorge: I was involved in the design of the Bounty Hunter Platinum and Gold; and the Fisher F5 machines.

DS: What’s it like working at First Texas? (The people you work with, the philosophy, atmosphere, etc.)

Jorge: FTP is unique in many aspects. We have a very friendly and open environment. Dave, John and Mark are great people to work around. We are quick with a joke and always on the mood to help each other. Our CEO is also a great guy to work for. We consider ourselves happy to be working here, and that adds a lot to our team. In addition the philosophy of FTP has always been geared towards overall customer experience and satisfaction; as a result here in the Engineering Department we keep open and in touch with as many people using our products as we can spare time for. To learn from their experiences and preferences is vital to develop the metal detectors they dream about – or at the very least get close. As close as physics will allow! We are lucky to enjoy a wonderful support and feedback from our customers and field testers via forum chats, email and phone calls. Those guys are an indispensable part of this team!

Read more of this great interview below!….

Read the rest of this entry »