Well when you take it out of the box… It looks plain weird, not really impressive at first. After a while I did get used to the looks of it.

You’ll note it’s easy to put together. And will need adjusting to your length, otherwise it’s going to feel real heavy. (i.e. arm cup, lower rod need adjustments)

It’s not to bad when you’ve done that.

Ok when skimming through the manual you’ll note there aren’t many adjustments, just more or less weird names for them.

Just learn them. Oh and it is a bit noes heavy, if to heavy opt for another coil.

In the field:

Park:

Well I start out at the park and play around a bit and soon I noted.. “I need a smaller coil!”

The trash was to much with a 10″ DD coil. So after getting the little Joey coil the hunt could begin!

Started him up and noise cancelled. Adjusted Auto Sens to 32 and gain to 8. And then slowly creeping around with the coil.

Started pretty quick to pick out much coinage, both deep and shallow. I was surprised what the little coil could give in depth!

After a while silver started jumping up around me, pretty much everywhere I went, boy I was excited!

This was thanks to a elderly gentleman who told us where they used to play poker back in the days. ~Hint~

Summary:

Ok well I finished our day in the park with 5 silver coins most from the 1930′s, a few early 1900′s copper coins and a 1889 copper coin.

It performed very well in the park.

Relic Hunting:

Moving to a older place of the park we went relic hunting.

Remembering the manual I turned on Ferrous sounds and began to dig like crazy!

I found to lower sensitivity among the iron and lowering disc helped significantly to find none ferrous objects among the iron.

Summary:

Some modern trash came through but a few buttons, coins and other strange things where found.

It did ignore the iron just by sound, I loved it! Very easy to operate.

Beach Hunting:

The park also has a small beach and a camping site near by, there we moved next.

Well I noticed a absence of targets so it was ok to put on a bigger coil.

Ok well targets where quite few, as expected on a inland beach.

Luckily I did get deep with the 10″ DD coil and got some coins none the less, and also my first gold ring was found then. (7.9 Grams)

The only thing I really noticed was.. The semi auto sensitivity is nice if your having a lazy day and the lack of tiny targets like foil.

Summary:

It works well on the beach to but lacks sensitivity on small targets, this might be changed by increasing gain.( I used 7-8)

Or do the opposite if much small foil is plaguing you, lower gain.

So all in all it’s a great detector, with minor flaws in balance which tends to make it feel more on the heavy side.

Some scream over slow recovery speed, don’t worry learn the sounds and slowly open the disc (iron mask) and voila! the masking problem is mostly gone.

Oh and a tip, dig ALL deep iffy signals. It might hand you a surprise.Wink

Also watch their behaviour sometimes they just jump in a general area, mostly in a sort of pattern. If you remember them it can help you dig less iron sometimes.

But sound is key, also if it sounds good which you’ll learn after a while dig it none the less. It’s still just a detector that can be fooled but it’s the operators call to dig or not.

You can learn the sounds quicker by looking at the display and associate a sound with a position on the display.Laugh

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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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“The Heat!”

To put it bluntly, the Fisher F70 is THE HEAT! As a proud and happy owner of an F75, I caught myself thinking…”I bet the F70 will be a scaled down F75”. In some ways, I was right. A few less features than the F75, (and I LOVE the F75 trigger!…it should be illegal to build a metal detector without a trigger!) However, Fisher retained the most useful functions and made them very accessible to the user. There’s also a little something extra under the hood… more depth than the F75! Yep, you read that right! In my soil, coil-for-coil, the F70 is slightly deeper than the F75.

Speaking of coil-for-coil, if you already have an F75 you can swap coils back and forth. The new elliptical concentric coil for the F70 is great! Excellent design, construction and balance. However, slap the big F75 11” DD coil on the F70 and hang on! I’m talking SERIOUS depth here! Select the “slow” option in areas that will allow it (lengthens the sampling time on the target…if I understand it correctly) and you will be getting way, way down in the ground! (I picture moles, grubs and earthworms packing their bags and fleeing the radio waves in utter terror!) However, due to the lengthened response time, the odds of masking due to nearby trash are increased…but I love having the option to pick which way I want to hunt, depending upon site conditions.

The F70 is built very well and sports the nice graphics design seen on other new Fishers. (Whoever does graphic work at Fisher is pretty darned talented!). The rod types seen on the F75 are used here, with the exception of the handle and arm cup. The detector is extremely well balanced and feels light as a feather in actual use. The front panel uses “membrane” type buttons that are in vogue these days, and offer the benefit of water resistance.

I’m a big fan of Dave Johnson and his approach to metal detecting. I’ve been lucky to get opportunities to chat with him from time-to-time. He has made it a personal mission to improve not just detector performance, but also weight, balance and most importantly user interfaces. There’s nothing worse than a clunky interface where you can’t find stuff, or you have to drill down through multiple menu layers to change things. Like most the new Fisher machines, the menu options are very, very accessible and always visible on the screen. You’re never “wondering” how you have something set…it’s right there in front of you.

The F70 uses cool audio ID options similar to the F75. I tend to hunt most often in 4H mode, but also enjoy dp (delta pitch) mode which assigns a different pitch tone to every digit in the ID scale!

John Gardiner is the Lead Engineer on the F70, and has done an outstanding job creating what I see as a custom made old coin killer. The visual ID is in nice large LCD digits that are very visible in all sorts of conditions. I’ve used some LCD screens that were tough to read when it’s either overcast or extremely sunny…I’ve not had that issue with the F70. The confidence bar works very well, and helps cut down on the trash dug…especially when you’re in a hurry. Like any detector, the coins that are in the very extreme limits of the machines capacity will not always identify themselves accurately. It’s kinda like a weak TV or radio signal…the picture or sound can be “snowy”. That’s when the discriminator between your ears takes over… is there enough “good” seen in that 12” target that it’s worth digging? I can tell you my answer would be “YES!”.

SUMMARY

If you are looking for a detector that is light, gets ridiculously good battery life, has accurate ID, is reasonably priced…and goes DEEP, then the F70 is for you! I actually find myself picking it ahead of *gasp!* my F75 quite often! John Gardiner, Lead Engineer on the F70, outdid himself on this one! The F70 feels like a modern muscle car, and most folks who have trouble with it will do so because they keep the pedal to the metal! Even at low sensitivity settings, the F70 goes uncannily deep. One often overlooked feature is the Threshold control. I found many sites that were normally tough to hunt due to noise from power lines, electric fences, etc. By lowering the threshold, the F70 was extremely stable in those spots…and still deep! (Did I mention it’s deep?)

For more great resources, check Bill Ladd’s excellent video series on the F70 over at www.findmall.com in the Fisher forum. Also check out www.fisherlab.com for more company information and their latest products.

To download the F70 sell sheet in .pdf format, click HERE (be warned it’s pretty big)

Mark Ellington

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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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Nowadays, the metal detectorist has a wide array of headphone choices available with fancy names and price ranges that can go over $140.00….or close to the cost of a back-up detector! Thus the casual coinshooter may get along fine and enjoy a low priced pair, and this is great. But, someone like a relic or nugget hunter using headphones usually “thrown in” with a new detector purchase will be disappointed as these headsets rarely survive getting pushed and pulled in the field.

Being fortunate enough to have been chosen to do several advertisements, field tests, as well as help with research and development on many detector products, I get to try many of the “top end” headphones offered today. Many became eternal back-ups; others were given away to other detectorists if they didn’t have exactly what I look for in a headset.

What is it that’s so important? Well, I would have to say there are two main aspects I look for in a set of headphones now. They are being built rugged and also being loud.

Being serious about doing lots of legwork to get to early relic sites and ghost towns deep into forests, really being built to last is a must. Often my headphones bounce around in a backpack alongside the rest of my gear while hiking hard. Plus, once you get to a site that’s often heavily wooded, it’s easy to catch headphone wires onto branches. Believe me I have learned the hard way breaking headphones 3 miles from the car with no spare pair. A fully loaded backpack can’t hold spare headphones, so we venture off and need to have trust in 1 very durable pair.

When Sun Ray called to ask if I would like to try their new “Sun Ray Pro” headphones, I said sure. But, I also stated that I already had a couple sets I was pretty happy with. Yet, when Sun Ray ran down the list of several impressive features, hearing “toggle switch boots” perked my ears up. What may sound very minor is actually very important to the type of rugged hunting I mentioned. Many top shelf headphones have the basic chrome toggle switch. The pair I was using passed the test for clear/loud volume, but on a rainy, muddy trip to England the switch got stuck and broke in the middle of a field rendering them useless. I was forced to hunt half the day without headphones, and found very little. In disgust those headphones got punted back toward the bus when we were picked up. It was later found that dirt and moisture got inside the open toggle switch. This is why Sun Ray’s switch boots sounded awful intriguing. Still, I was skeptical it would have everything else I needed, especially good volume.

When I got the Sun Ray pro’s I looked over an obviously well built product. I immediately inspected the all important cable design, as I have ripped out, or severed many different headset cables in the woods. I spied a very durable looking coiled cable, that featured a right angle gold plated plug for top sound quality. But, even better is an external strain relief that appeared strong enough to break branches rather than vice versa. So far, so good.

I also have to mention that they came folded up or curled inward thanks to the duel swivel point ear cups. This is perfect for packing into my backpack- another plus in my book. The Sun Ray Pro headphones also feature 2 toggle switches on 1 side (as mentioned, covered with black rubber boots to keep dirt/moisture at bay). One switch is called a “limiter”. This on/off toggle switch is a circuit that can be activated to reduce those surface blasts from large, shallow targets such as a can or plow part. This is very welcome for someone like myself who enjoys running the detector and phones almost on max. But, perhaps the best part is that putting the limiter on will not diminish those faint whispers from being heard. Some may assume this would not be possible, but it is on the Pro’s. The other switch is the “mode selector” which will make the new Sun Ray Pro’s compatible with most every detector out there. I tried mine on every unit that I own, and also several other brands at my local dealers and they sounded great and compatible with every one.

Speaking of sound, all the “extras” I’ve already mentioned are great so far, but again I really desire good, loud volume. Why? Well, with the type of detecting that I do, and the type of units I use to get to deep relics, I need to hear everything clearly. Most of the Fisher units I use have 4 tones and also I often run them on “all metal” as well. Though some would prefer to “silent search” or turn their headphone “chatter” down, I like to hear every single change. Often I can pick out a small object like a coin or a button that lay “masked” amid a bed of iron trash. I like to hear all the blips, or iron “grunts” as often a weak target others missed can be in there too. So, in short, many brands just plain didn’t seem loud to me, even with their volume all the way up.

Well, the Sun Ray Pro’s were a different story. If fact, they are currently the loudest detector headphones I own at the moment. Beneficial here is that the ear cups really fit fully over the ears and totally block out all background noises. They are comfy to boot, with an adjustable ribbed headband. Looking inside the ear cups, one can see that the high output 150-ohm nominal impedance speakers are aluminum case construction with polymer cones. This means they can handle the moisture and sweat protection that comes with the hobby. I found the different tones were crisp and easy to distinguish, and even faint signals were clear and they are hearing aid compatible too. Again, so far so good.

The Sun Ray Pro’s also feature dual volume controls on each ear cup. I owned a pair of headphones once that only had one dial, and many others had “free turning” dials, meaning volume often got bumped down easily. Well, another fine feature of the Pro’s are the volume knobs themselves. What’s so special about a knob? Well, these knobs are “segmented”. This means they are detent controls that offer an amazing 32 different volume positions. In other words, they don’t get bumped out of position, they click and hold right where the user chooses, even when I pack them. Again, some will only choose to put their headset volume half way up, while others like myself will be up near the loudest point. So, there’s a lot of flexibility to go up or down with the Sun Ray Pro’s, and I now have a set with volume to spare even. Another trick to achieving the perfect pair of headphones is having a happy medium between lightweight YET still durable. I owned a pair that were durable, but to be this way were very heavy, awkward, and didn’t fold up at all. I have been field-testing the Sun Ray Pro’s for a few months now and they have been with me week after week, on many different adventures and on many different detectors. They have seen lots of activity, and I have scratched them, pulled them, etc, and they now look well used. Mine have been out in the rain with no worries at all. The Sun Ray Pro’s have passed the test for a durable headphone, and for additional piece of mind they also have a limited lifetime warranty. With all the added features and for under $100.00, the Sun Ray Pro’s outperform many other “top end” headphones that can cost $50.00 more. For more information about the Sun Ray Pro headphones you may visit the Sun Ray website at

www.sunraydetector.com

or e-mail:

sunrayd@iowatelecom.net

or call Ralph at Sun Ray at (319) 636-2244.

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The F5 offers me tones and depth and is a fast machine with the standard coil and really holds its own in iron and trash. Give it a DD and man you may have a mini F75. On most of the targets I dug I checked them out after the F75 found them with the F5 and the F5 hit on all of the targets. Near iron or on one target under a horseshoe I found a leather belt buckle both were old and the F5 hit the same way the F75 did. Good info so dug it! The F5 is also more quite even in 0 disc and that can be a plus. I have felt that the F75 reads so much info that is in the ground that sometimes it can mask targets because so much info is flooding the machine. But if you slow down and have an ear for what the F75 is telling you then you can pick out the masked targets a lot of the time.

The F5 has a sweet spot being the coil is not a DD it has a different smaller footprint so you have to investigate the target over the sweet spot. The small 4″ BH coil was a waste of time and it would be nice to have a small coil and a DD. That would make me really happy and show me Fisher really is backing their machines for the long run. I really can not say anything for depth as of yet the places I have hunted are not places where targets sink much into the ground. But I am making a Video for youtube that will show the F75 and F5 in action. I know that Bill Ladd is making a video for the F5 so I am going to let him have first run so I can also see how a pro hunts with the F5.

I will post my finds as photos for you I did really well with the F5 even no I will hunt 99% of the time with the F75 it is nice to know the F5 is in the back seat of my SUV waiting if I need a back up…Fisher give the F5 a DD Christmas is coming??????

· Posted by lcpm on August 20 2008 19:09:46

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The Fisher F5 is yet another weapon in Fisher’s ongoing “War on bad ergonomics and interfaces” that tends to plague the hobby industry. The absolute brilliance of the design makes me wonder “why in the world hasn’t someone already done this?” Sure…hobby detectors have used knobs in the past to control functions (like Fisher’s own venerable CZ series), but never before has there been this perfect storm of digital, software driven power combined with the ease of tactile knob control.

The F5 knob settings are instantly relayed to the user in a window in the bottom left of the display (settings). When you give the gain a tweak, the window intelligently switches to the gain setting… adjust the ground balance, it shows you that too! The same goes for Threshold, Discrimination, Tones and more. When you’re not adjusting something, the window displays the current ground “phase” setting. It’s a great concept… all adjustments can be made on the fly, and you’re instantly informed on what you’re changing (and by how much).

Each of the knobs on the F5 is strategically placed so you can “thumb” the controls. If I hear a deep target that is on the fringe of detection, I don’t have to dig through layers of menus to adjust the gain or threshold…a quick reach with the thumb of my detecting hand and I can ease the controls up quickly and efficiently! When I’m done, it’s a very simple task to “thumb” it right back to my starting point…

Speaking of gain and threshold, the F5 puts these to control knobs side-by-side for a reason. There is a very synergistic relationship that has to be seen to be believed! High gain or high threshold…which will be best for my current hunting site? The flexibility offered for adapting to all your various hunt sites and their challenges are incredible. There is a local farm that I hunt that is surrounded by an electric cattle fence. I have had to hunt this spot with ridiculously low settings on older detectors just to make it bearable. With the F5, I can adjust the Threshold control to around -1 or -2 and still get very impressive depths!… without the noise and chatter this spot usually bombards me with. Since using the F5 in this pasture, I’ve recovered several old silver coins that I just could not hear with my older detectors!

The threshold control also does something else. Have you ever hunted a site that drove you nuts due to tiny bits of foil, rusted tin, etc.? By lowering the Threshold control, you can partially eliminate the F5′s sensitivity to ‘em! As a precaution, I tested this in my coin garden to see if it would have a major impact on the depth I could get coin sized targets. Although there was a very slight loss of depth, I was still able to hear coin sized stuff within about ½ of an inch of the “zero” setting on the threshold (this was adjusting the threshold to around -2 or -3…plenty to get rid of the tiny stuff on most sites).

The audio on the F5 is amazingly descriptive. You have the option to choose single, two, three or four tones. However, there’s a lot more to the F5 audio than just the number of tones! There are some amazing tonal qualities that change according the cleanness of the signal, proximity to other targets, tone mode selected, etc. I’m reminded of a few old analog detectors I’ve owned that although 1 tone, gave me a lot of information about the target due to the “little things” you hear in the audio. In other words, there’s much more going on here than just “BEEP!” on a target.

Another super-cool feature on the F5 is the “Phase lock” button. I mentioned earlier that the F5 has a brilliant user interface. The F5 is also spectacular in another area… user information! The F5 feeds the hunter with important data in “real time”. The “Phase lock” button allows you to “grab” one of these real-time bits of information…the phase reading! Phase and ground balance are nearly synonymous (at least in practical use terms). While hunting, you can glance at the “phase” reading on the right, and if it is several numbers off from the static ground balance reading in the “Setting” window, you have two options. One is to manually tweak the GND BAL knob to match the setting, or my favorite method, a quick press of the “Phase Lock” button, and it’s set for you!

You have the usual TID (target identification) on the big, clear LCD screen, but you also have other key bits of intelligence streaming to you. One is the Fe3O4 bar on the GND DATA window on the right. This tells the user about the amount of “magnetite” in the soil, which can affect the accuracy of the target ID circuits in the F5. The other is the previously mentioned “PHASE” reading, and lastly there’s the CONFIDENCE bar. The bar tells me how “sure” is the detector that the target identified along the TID arc (Fe, Foil, Tab, 5ct, etc.) is indeed what it says it is. It is yet another piece of information for the user to add to his/her list of “evidence” when investigating a possible goody! Really deep targets, and targets partially “masked” by other junk items can fool even the best, so good practice is “when in doubt…DIG!”.

Hunting with the F5 is sheer, ecstatic joy! The weight and balance are great…the controls intuitive and useful…the ground and target information…actually practical! Minutes can turn into hours while hunting without the usual fatigue setting in…a testimony to a metal detector that has both the physical stuff right (weight, balance and ergonomics) , as well as the abstract stuff… (Can I call it “mental and emotional fatigue?). I have hunted with detectors in the past that “wore me out!” both physically and mentally due to bad physical design, constant chatter and horrible menu systems that made you have to dig through layer after layer to change something. NOT so with the F5!

F5 features:

* Tremendous battery life (I’ve gotten over 40 hours from a pair of 9 volt batteries!)
* Incredibly descriptive adjustable audio ID (1 tone, 2 tones, 2 tones or 4 tones)…tones also adjustable in All-metal mode
* Great in-ground depth performance
* Very accurate target ID at depth
* Visual target ID while in all-metal mode
* Brilliant user interface
* Tons of useful ground/target information in real time
* Nice big LCD display
* Solid construction and materials
* Great and simple NOTCH feature for eliminating (or adding) targets
* Excellent elliptical concentric coil
* Included Velcro cable and arm cup straps!
* Frequency adjustment for hunting near other detectors or electric fences, power lines, etc.

Summary

The new Fisher F5 is a metal detector that will set a benchmark for it’s incredibly well designed interface. I can see new Metal Detectorists and Veterans having a blast with it, as well as anyone who just likes the feel of knobs better than button pushing their way through menus. All the control is there for the power user…but in a whole new way! “Simple…yet intelligent” may sum up the F5 quite well! I find it quite ironic that Fisher Labs, the “Oldest name in Metal Detecting” is on the cutting edge of the newest technology! I very vigorously tip my hat to Jorge Anton Saad who was Lead Engineer on the F5 project…and well supported by the legendary Dave Johnson, John Gardiner and Mark Krieger. A job well done on what is sure to become a favorite metal detector for a lot of people!

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The subject of this particular dose of excitement was the new Fisher F4. Fisher Research Laboratories, the oldest metal detecting company in the world, was recently purchased by First Texas Products of El Paso Texas. First Texas also owns the Bounty Hunter and Teknetics brands. At first, a lot of folks in the metal detecting hobby didn’t know what to make of the Fisher purchase…would First Texas continue the long tradition of high performance/high quality metal detectors? Would the “new” Fisher be introducing new exciting models? Luckily for us, the answer to both these questions is a resounding “YES!”

I arrived home from work one afternoon to find a plain brown cardboard box lying on my front porch. I’m sure those of you who metal detect know the feeling all too well… sweaty palms, rapid heart rate and adrenaline rush! I scrambled out of my car and made my way up the steps. A quick investigation of the box convinced me my new F4 had arrived! I fished through my keys, opened the front door and stumbled my way in. A few quick swipes with my pocketknife later and I had the plain brown box opened. As I lifted the flaps to the outer box, I saw the new white Fisher box on the inside. A nice Fisher F4 logo smiled up at me as I carefully opened the end and removed the contents.

Is there any better smell than the scent of new electronics? For me, it’s kind of like “that new car smell”, but better! The F4 was securely wrapped in plastic and foam padding, particularly the upper rod and control housing. I gently removed the F4 and its rods and coils (yes… COILS! There are two of them!). Assembly is fast and easy, (make sure the rod locking collars are completely open before assembling the shaft) and fit tolerances are very precise and secure. I am struck with a wonderful feeling of familiarity when I look closely at the included rods. They are the time proven Fisher “S” rods like you find on the CZ3D and Coinstrike. These rods are known for their light weight and durability. Long time Fisher users will also be happy to see the same heavy plastic arm cup and thick foam grip from previous Fisher detectors.

The toughest decision I had to make during the assembly process was “Which coil do I use first! The 11” double-D or the 8” concentric?” I am extremely impressed that Fisher decided to include two coils with this detector! After a little internal struggling, I opt for the 11” DD due to my past wonderful experiences with a similar coil for the F-75. The mounting ears on the coil make a nice tight fit on the lower rod. The strategic use of the single rubber bushing allows the coil to be secure, but still have “just the right amount” of flex. I wrap the coil cable up the rod in typical fashion and plug the coil cable connector into the back of the detector control housing.

Like most folks, my first act after assembly of a brand spankin’ new metal detector is to take a few “test swings” across the floor. I’m blown away by the light weight and balance of this machine! I’m also very impressed by the lack of any movement or flex in the shaft, even during “vigorous” swinging… nice and tight! I finally decided it’s time to get down to business. I notice there are no batteries in the shipping box, so I assume none are included. Wrong assumption! I open the battery compartment and find two 9 volt alkaline cells installed “backwards” for shipping purposes. I carefully removed the batteries… (Be careful, they are pretty tight!) and installed them. Finally! The moment of truth!

A light press with my right thumb brings the F4 to life. The F4 makes use of membrane type buttons that offer a light “click” for feedback. Generally speaking, I’m no fan of membrane pads, but these feel more resilient and tactile that others I’ve used. The LCD display is clear and sharp with a centrally located conductivity ID number. Along the top is an arc of various common targets, ranging from iron to $1. A LCD “arrow” points to the detected target, making for quick and easy identification. The faceplate itself looks great. The red, gold and black color scheme is very “pleasing to the eye” and all the buttons are logically placed and clearly marked.

I grab a few test targets and swing them in front of the DD coil. The 4 tone audio from the internal speaker is very clear and distinct. The corresponding ID numbers, and target icons seem to be dead “on the money” (pun intended). The F4 seems to be marketed as a “mid range” metal detector, but the air testing I did was comparable to many detectors I’ve had that cost much more.

Every time I get a new detector, my first destination is my “test garden”. I’ve had it planted for over five years with a large variety of targets buried at different depths. The F4 with the double-D coil was able to correctly identify closely located targets with a precision that nearly rivals my F-75. Very impressive! Depth is much better than I expected from a mid-level machine, and I was able to run it at maximum sensitivity in my yard without any false signals. Pinpointing was a breeze with the toggle on/off style pinpoint button. Entering the pinpoint mode changes the central ID numbers into an “inches of depth” reading. The numbering combined with the great VCO audio made it very easy to size up your targets and avoid large trash items.

My next stop was a local school yard. In my opinion, school yards are the best place to learn a new metal detector. Targets are plentiful, and digging is easy. The F4 felt “custom made” for this type of hunting. The 11” DD coil cuts a wide swath allowing you to cover ground quickly without fear of missing targets. One of the beautiful things about a Double-D type coil is the great heel to toe ground coverage. I was immediately rewarded for my detecting efforts with coin after coin. The high tone audio “sang out” to me on copper pennies, dimes and quarters. Another cool thing I discovered is that the visual ID number stays locked on the last target detected, allowing you to hunt by sound, then refer to the meter afterwards.

The F4 has a very unique notching system that allows you to either choose the item you want to reject manually, or by waving a troublesome trash item in front of the coil, then hitting the “notch” button. Both methods work great and completely discriminated out the unwanted target. Another way to use “notch” is to crank up the discrimination as high as you want to go (all the way through “zinc”), then “notch” back in a desired item. This is what I opted to do for my school yard hunt. Discrimination was maxed out through zinc, and nickels “notched” back in. This made for a VERY productive coin hunt! Nickels came in the ID dead on the “30” mark, while still rejecting most pulltabs and pencil eraser bands. For the clad coin hunter on a limited time frame, this mode of hunting is outstanding. Your “coins per minute” count will undoubtedly skyrocket with the sheer volume of ground you can cover, while avoiding the trash items. I ended the school hunt with a nail apron FULL of coins of all denominations including a couple of Susan B. Anthony dollars and a Sacagawea dollar.

I’ve gained more and more respect for the F4 during the 40 hours I’ve logged on it so far. In my opinion, this detector is a great multi-purpose machine that would be an excellent addition regardless of whether you’re a “seasoned pro” or just getting started in the hobby. The F4 is incredibly “quiet” until you hit a target, and the audio feedback with 4 distinct tones is very good. All-metal depth is incredible and quite easy to ground balance.

Durability doesn’t seem to be an issue. I hate to admit it, but while hunting, I stopped to adjust my headphones, leaning the F4 against my side. Before I could catch it, it fell straight to the ground with a couple of bounces on impact. I just knew I had killed it for sure, but it never missed a beat! This tough little detector was no worse for the wear.

Coil availability is a huge plus! The F4 comes shipped with the 11″ Double-D elliptical coil, a 8″ round concentric coil, and available for purchase at a very reasonable price is a 4″, 7 1/4″, and a 10″. An incredible selection that will cover most hunting needs!

On the negative side, I wish Fisher had included Velcro cable/shaft straps like they did with the F-75. I like to be able to secure my cable. I also wish the headphone jack was facing rearward instead of its current position, facing forward. This is a personal preference due to the way I set my detector down when I dig.

My personal opinion is that the F4 is an outstanding metal detector. It is very much a “turn-on-and-go” type detector, but with enough power to satisfy even the most discerning hobbyist.

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