The weather took a turn for the better. It's been drier, warmer, and we've had more blue skies, a bit of sun, and less chilly fog. I've been able to get out detecting a lot more, and inspired or encouraged to do so since I also have the Makro Racer for some comparisons. 
In this is Part #2 of my Nokta FORS CoRe evaluation, I want to focus on a few points of interest about the FORS and the performance it offers.
Again, some of the points I really like about the FORS CoRe are the simple set of adjustment functions, and the progression used to advance or back-track from any of the four available search modes. If I make any settings changes, I go back to the mode adjust so that it will be quick to change search mode, if desired, during a hunt.
The settings are very basic and 'functional,' and not difficult to make, with the exception that you have to turn the control housing to view the adjustment display on the left side. That also calls for a two-handed operation which could be cumbersome and a little time consuming. However, that brings up the strong point that the Nokta FORS CoRe has an easy-to-set Memory to retain all custom adjustments you make to any or all programs. Turn it on and you’re ready to Ground Balance and begin the hunt.
In my Part 1 FORS CoRe evaluation I mentioned my choice of search modes, and why or when I might use them and, during the extra couple of weeks of detecting since then, I did make a small change or two. If I decide in the future to tweak my personal settings a little, it’s easy to do and simple to save it all to memory.
The Part 1 of the FORS evaluation is here: http://www.findmall.com/read.php?100,2144744,2144744#msg-2144744
The additional post information with some Part 1 corrections is here: http://www.findmall.com/read.php?100,2144744,2145069#msg-2145069
My Nokta FORS Coin & Relic settings are now saved to memory as follows.:
GEN.. [size=small](All Metal)[/size] .. Sensitivity-‘90’ .. Threshold ‘40’ .. Volume ‘20’ .. Tone ‘3’ .. Brightness ‘10’
DI2.. [size=small](2-Tone)[/size] .. Sensitivity ‘85’ .. ID Masking ‘10’ .. Volume ‘20’ .. Tone ‘4’ .. Brightness ‘10’
DI3.. [size=small](3-Tone)[/size] .. Sensitivity ‘85’ .. ID Masking ‘23’ .. Volume ‘20’ .. Tone ‘4’ .. Brightness ‘10’
COG.. [size=small](Beach)[/size] .. Sensitivity ‘90’ .. ID Masking ‘40’ .. Volume ‘20’ .. Tone ‘3’ .. Brightness ‘10’
Because I try to devote most of my search time to older locations that frequently have iron junk, and because iron can more easily cause good target masking, I like to search with a 2-Tone audio with the Discrimination set very low, as you can see above. I like to hear almost all iron, thus I enjoy the benefits of audio assistance to help classify ferrous from non-ferrous. Even for some 'casual' coin hunting I still like to hear some iron but just barely reject iron nails, and I tweaked the DI3/3-Tone mode from ‘20’ to ‘23’ to just help barely reject the nails in my NBPT.
With some makes and models on the market I like, I do ‘OK’ with the 2-Tone audio of the MX5 and MXT All-Pro, except they have just a static single tone for non-ferrous targets. The Teknetics Omega is more informative, for me, because it incorporates a VCO audio for non-ferrous targets. Therefore, it wasn’t a problem for me to adapt to the Nokta FORS CoRe or Makro Racer 2-Tone w/VCO. So learning to hear and understand the audio was not a problem.
The surprise came when I worked the FORS in some dense iron trash and especially on the iron nails because even with an ID masking [size=small](Discrimination)[/size] setting of ‘23’ to just reject them, the resulting performance was absolutely superior. I usually use a smaller-than-stock search coil in heavy brush and dense trash, but even the standard 7X11 DD coil matched or bettered the other models with a standard or smaller coil mounted, and the Nokta small coil is, well … You have to see it and hear it to believe it!
The COG [size=small](Beach)[/size] mode serves a dual purpose for me on both the FORS CoRe and Racer. Naturally, one is to search salt water beaches or wet alkali sites, if I need that extra conductive ground adjustment. The other handy purpose I use the COG mode for is a quick-check of some places should the iron density just totally annoy me. The COG mode uses the same 2-Tone audio with VCO for the non-ferrous range conductive targets, but I left the ID Masking [size=small](Discrimination)[/size] at the default of '40.'
That's the break point between ferrous and non-ferrous, so if I hit a patch of really troubling iron, I simply press the + control, if I am hunting in the 2-Tone mode, and shifts from Di2 [size=small](Discrimination 2-Tone)[/size] to COG mode. With most iron now rejected, that means the COG mode is functioning as a single-tone, VCO only mode for non-ferrous range conductivity targets. The standard 7X11 DD does well in light to moderate iron trash, but the smaller coil still handles dense iron nails at that high ID masking setting. Again, very impressive.
A Continued Reader Alert: Most readers who know me personally or have read my posts through the years are aware I generally favor a Concentric designed search coil. Well, I do, especially IF it is of a good size, like somewhere between 6” and 7” in diameter, AND IF the detector I am using performs well with a Concentric coil. Honestly, I would like to have a smaller-size Concentric coil for this detector for some hunt sites and to compare the performance, but while I have or have-had DD coils, this is the first time I have ever used a detector with Double-D coils that I really liked and provided the in-the-field results I want and need.
So, for some, it might come as a shock that I like these DD coils on the FORS CoRe. I do for one very ‘simple’ reason … they work, and they work very well. ‘They’ being both the DD coils and the Nokta detector circuitry design, and that also applies to the Makro Racer and its DD coils.
I seldom use Coin Depth read-out unless it is to help isolate/pinpoint a target, but that’s hearable with a good VCO audio Pinpoint mode, so the read-out in ‘cm’ on the FORS doesn’t really concern me. Often, Coin Depth readings are more rough suggestions and not all that accurate due to target size, position, ground conditions, and the detector’s sensitivity settings and the search coil in use. Some people have asked me about the Coin Depth but I tell, them it really is simple to make a close guess.
I had planned on Part 2 of my FORS CoRe evaluation to bring some new and different information about this model’s in-the-field performance once I had the opportunity to get into some of the trashier sites I like to hunt. Well, the good news is that I have had improved weather, more sun, and more warmth which has enabled me to get out to some of those sites already. More good news is that I have been able to work the FORS against some competitive models a bit more, and especially use it with its brother unit, the Makro Racer.
But the best news of all is there isn't anything really new. It is now becoming old news …. The Nokta FORS CoRe is definitely a KEEPER. I haven’t worked the larger coil much other than bench testing, but plan to on my 2-week detecting jaunt. I will be leaving before sunrise on the 26th and will hit as many old sites as I can in the four states I plan to visit, if the weather holds up like it has this early in the year. At two of the planned locations, I have a definite assignment for the larger-size coils where I have found old discarded railroad locks and other interesting artifacts.
Therefore my Part 2 isn’t all that different from Part 1. I did change the DI3 ID Masking setting in my saved settings.
I have done more hunting, made more comparisons, and tried to learn what things I might not like as well as appreciate more of what I do like. Again, not much has happened in nineteen days since my Part 1 post to change my mind. In have found I like the DI3 [size=small](3-Tone)[/size] mode for more casual city-type Coin Hunting and on occasions I have selected it for a few older rural sites, but I still favor DI2 and the VCO audio.
The Nokta FORS CoRe gave me some of the functions I missed on my MXT All-Pro with the VCO audio, and the ability to manually GB and tweak it as I want, plus the option to check the GB read-out at any time with the quick press-and-release of a hand-grip button in any search mode at any time.
For a brief time the Nokta bumped my MXT All-Pro to the #2 spot on the back seat of my vehicle as it easily became my favorite #1 detector for general-purpose use. I wasn’t sure how long it would stay in that arrangement, and it didn’t take too long as I got more hunting time in. The MXT All-Pro, w/6½” and 9” Concentric coils and a Tesoro w/6” and 7” Concentric coils are still in my top-four detectors to travel with me. I guess the are in the #3 and #4 positions, but that’s because there isn’t a 2nd position in my Top Four Travel Companions [size=small](not counting Rikki, of course)[/size], because the Makro Racer and Nokta FORS CoRe are kind of tied for the #1 spot.
I will load all four detectors when I head out on a long-duration journey, but the FORS and Racer are the two detectors that stay with me all the time. It’s warmed up to 30.[size=small]7[/size]° at 7:50 AM and I am now headed out the door for another day of detecting and to wrap up my Racer evaluation to post later today. Blue skies and the sun making an appearance so I know this will be another good day. I worked with the standard coil some more on the Racer and have now switched back to the smallest coil on it and the stock 7X11 on the FORS as that will be the general arraignment they will travel in. Both ready to grab one as needed with the assigned search coil, but their accessory coils all travel with me as well.
It’s a holiday and no school so I might work the FORS on a few sports fields for a while, then go work a site in the country I came across during pheasant season. If they haven’t planted the field yet, I might find the old school location and pluck a keeper or two. It’s always great to set out with a goal, and to be sure to allow enough time and patience to learn and understand the site we are hunting. Equally, it is also great to set out with a goal to get our hands on a new detector model, and when we do, to be sure to allow enough time and patience to learn and understand what the detector provides in the way of features and performance.
I can tell you for certain, that if you have the willingness to set a goal to learn a new detector, and the patience and desire to put in some time and know the detector and coil abilities for your types of hunting, then you need to try a Nokta FORS CoRe. Unfortunately, in the USA there is only one dealer so you can’t find a local source to visit and see one, but you can rest assured that this detector is everything you could hope it to be.
Perfect? Of course not. No such thing as a ‘perfect’ detector, but you would be hard pressed to find any detectors [size=small](from a competitor, not the Marko which is in the family)[/size] which will feel as comfortable and provide the simple adjustments for advanced performance as what is provided by the FORS CoRe.
If you have a FORS, learn it well. Adjust the mode settings you’re comfortable with and save them to memory. Then, when afield, you only need to make one or two simple changes as you desire, and one I suggest trying is reducing the Sensitivity at some sites to really learn the abilities of this detector. I have my saved Sensitivity levels set pretty high because I like them that way, most of the time, and it also lets me know if I have any EMI issues when I am. If so, I can quickly reduce the Sensitivity.
Don’t fault the default: As I stated before, the default Sensitivity level is ‘50’ on an adjustment range from ‘1’ to ‘99’ and you might think the default setting is way too low. Depending upon the search coil used and the target conditions at a site, you might be surprised at that default level, which works very well. I have worked several more places where I have intentionally reduced the Sensitivity level quite low, and still have had remarkable performance. A low setting of ‘1’ to ‘10’ can still bring you impressive results and there are times to opt for it.
I am afraid the Nokta/Makro Forum can easily take a swing to whatever seems new and exciting, such as the Makro Racer that's about to be on dealer's shelves and in consumer's hands. That's wonderful because the Makro Racer is my quick-to-grab detector, but I sure wouldn't want people to forget the Nokta FORS model. Heavens, it is the unit with the similar adjustment features and similar performance that paved the way for the Racer, and while quite similar, they are still a wee bit different. The FORS CoRe is one model I think everyone should experience.
Monte
In this is Part #2 of my Nokta FORS CoRe evaluation, I want to focus on a few points of interest about the FORS and the performance it offers.Again, some of the points I really like about the FORS CoRe are the simple set of adjustment functions, and the progression used to advance or back-track from any of the four available search modes. If I make any settings changes, I go back to the mode adjust so that it will be quick to change search mode, if desired, during a hunt.
The settings are very basic and 'functional,' and not difficult to make, with the exception that you have to turn the control housing to view the adjustment display on the left side. That also calls for a two-handed operation which could be cumbersome and a little time consuming. However, that brings up the strong point that the Nokta FORS CoRe has an easy-to-set Memory to retain all custom adjustments you make to any or all programs. Turn it on and you’re ready to Ground Balance and begin the hunt.
In my Part 1 FORS CoRe evaluation I mentioned my choice of search modes, and why or when I might use them and, during the extra couple of weeks of detecting since then, I did make a small change or two. If I decide in the future to tweak my personal settings a little, it’s easy to do and simple to save it all to memory.
The Part 1 of the FORS evaluation is here: http://www.findmall.com/read.php?100,2144744,2144744#msg-2144744
The additional post information with some Part 1 corrections is here: http://www.findmall.com/read.php?100,2144744,2145069#msg-2145069
My Nokta FORS Coin & Relic settings are now saved to memory as follows.:
GEN.. [size=small](All Metal)[/size] .. Sensitivity-‘90’ .. Threshold ‘40’ .. Volume ‘20’ .. Tone ‘3’ .. Brightness ‘10’
DI2.. [size=small](2-Tone)[/size] .. Sensitivity ‘85’ .. ID Masking ‘10’ .. Volume ‘20’ .. Tone ‘4’ .. Brightness ‘10’
DI3.. [size=small](3-Tone)[/size] .. Sensitivity ‘85’ .. ID Masking ‘23’ .. Volume ‘20’ .. Tone ‘4’ .. Brightness ‘10’
COG.. [size=small](Beach)[/size] .. Sensitivity ‘90’ .. ID Masking ‘40’ .. Volume ‘20’ .. Tone ‘3’ .. Brightness ‘10’
Because I try to devote most of my search time to older locations that frequently have iron junk, and because iron can more easily cause good target masking, I like to search with a 2-Tone audio with the Discrimination set very low, as you can see above. I like to hear almost all iron, thus I enjoy the benefits of audio assistance to help classify ferrous from non-ferrous. Even for some 'casual' coin hunting I still like to hear some iron but just barely reject iron nails, and I tweaked the DI3/3-Tone mode from ‘20’ to ‘23’ to just help barely reject the nails in my NBPT.
With some makes and models on the market I like, I do ‘OK’ with the 2-Tone audio of the MX5 and MXT All-Pro, except they have just a static single tone for non-ferrous targets. The Teknetics Omega is more informative, for me, because it incorporates a VCO audio for non-ferrous targets. Therefore, it wasn’t a problem for me to adapt to the Nokta FORS CoRe or Makro Racer 2-Tone w/VCO. So learning to hear and understand the audio was not a problem.
The surprise came when I worked the FORS in some dense iron trash and especially on the iron nails because even with an ID masking [size=small](Discrimination)[/size] setting of ‘23’ to just reject them, the resulting performance was absolutely superior. I usually use a smaller-than-stock search coil in heavy brush and dense trash, but even the standard 7X11 DD coil matched or bettered the other models with a standard or smaller coil mounted, and the Nokta small coil is, well … You have to see it and hear it to believe it!
The COG [size=small](Beach)[/size] mode serves a dual purpose for me on both the FORS CoRe and Racer. Naturally, one is to search salt water beaches or wet alkali sites, if I need that extra conductive ground adjustment. The other handy purpose I use the COG mode for is a quick-check of some places should the iron density just totally annoy me. The COG mode uses the same 2-Tone audio with VCO for the non-ferrous range conductive targets, but I left the ID Masking [size=small](Discrimination)[/size] at the default of '40.'
That's the break point between ferrous and non-ferrous, so if I hit a patch of really troubling iron, I simply press the + control, if I am hunting in the 2-Tone mode, and shifts from Di2 [size=small](Discrimination 2-Tone)[/size] to COG mode. With most iron now rejected, that means the COG mode is functioning as a single-tone, VCO only mode for non-ferrous range conductivity targets. The standard 7X11 DD does well in light to moderate iron trash, but the smaller coil still handles dense iron nails at that high ID masking setting. Again, very impressive.
A Continued Reader Alert: Most readers who know me personally or have read my posts through the years are aware I generally favor a Concentric designed search coil. Well, I do, especially IF it is of a good size, like somewhere between 6” and 7” in diameter, AND IF the detector I am using performs well with a Concentric coil. Honestly, I would like to have a smaller-size Concentric coil for this detector for some hunt sites and to compare the performance, but while I have or have-had DD coils, this is the first time I have ever used a detector with Double-D coils that I really liked and provided the in-the-field results I want and need.
So, for some, it might come as a shock that I like these DD coils on the FORS CoRe. I do for one very ‘simple’ reason … they work, and they work very well. ‘They’ being both the DD coils and the Nokta detector circuitry design, and that also applies to the Makro Racer and its DD coils.
I seldom use Coin Depth read-out unless it is to help isolate/pinpoint a target, but that’s hearable with a good VCO audio Pinpoint mode, so the read-out in ‘cm’ on the FORS doesn’t really concern me. Often, Coin Depth readings are more rough suggestions and not all that accurate due to target size, position, ground conditions, and the detector’s sensitivity settings and the search coil in use. Some people have asked me about the Coin Depth but I tell, them it really is simple to make a close guess.
I had planned on Part 2 of my FORS CoRe evaluation to bring some new and different information about this model’s in-the-field performance once I had the opportunity to get into some of the trashier sites I like to hunt. Well, the good news is that I have had improved weather, more sun, and more warmth which has enabled me to get out to some of those sites already. More good news is that I have been able to work the FORS against some competitive models a bit more, and especially use it with its brother unit, the Makro Racer.
But the best news of all is there isn't anything really new. It is now becoming old news …. The Nokta FORS CoRe is definitely a KEEPER. I haven’t worked the larger coil much other than bench testing, but plan to on my 2-week detecting jaunt. I will be leaving before sunrise on the 26th and will hit as many old sites as I can in the four states I plan to visit, if the weather holds up like it has this early in the year. At two of the planned locations, I have a definite assignment for the larger-size coils where I have found old discarded railroad locks and other interesting artifacts.
Therefore my Part 2 isn’t all that different from Part 1. I did change the DI3 ID Masking setting in my saved settings.
I have done more hunting, made more comparisons, and tried to learn what things I might not like as well as appreciate more of what I do like. Again, not much has happened in nineteen days since my Part 1 post to change my mind. In have found I like the DI3 [size=small](3-Tone)[/size] mode for more casual city-type Coin Hunting and on occasions I have selected it for a few older rural sites, but I still favor DI2 and the VCO audio.
The Nokta FORS CoRe gave me some of the functions I missed on my MXT All-Pro with the VCO audio, and the ability to manually GB and tweak it as I want, plus the option to check the GB read-out at any time with the quick press-and-release of a hand-grip button in any search mode at any time.
For a brief time the Nokta bumped my MXT All-Pro to the #2 spot on the back seat of my vehicle as it easily became my favorite #1 detector for general-purpose use. I wasn’t sure how long it would stay in that arrangement, and it didn’t take too long as I got more hunting time in. The MXT All-Pro, w/6½” and 9” Concentric coils and a Tesoro w/6” and 7” Concentric coils are still in my top-four detectors to travel with me. I guess the are in the #3 and #4 positions, but that’s because there isn’t a 2nd position in my Top Four Travel Companions [size=small](not counting Rikki, of course)[/size], because the Makro Racer and Nokta FORS CoRe are kind of tied for the #1 spot.
I will load all four detectors when I head out on a long-duration journey, but the FORS and Racer are the two detectors that stay with me all the time. It’s warmed up to 30.[size=small]7[/size]° at 7:50 AM and I am now headed out the door for another day of detecting and to wrap up my Racer evaluation to post later today. Blue skies and the sun making an appearance so I know this will be another good day. I worked with the standard coil some more on the Racer and have now switched back to the smallest coil on it and the stock 7X11 on the FORS as that will be the general arraignment they will travel in. Both ready to grab one as needed with the assigned search coil, but their accessory coils all travel with me as well.
It’s a holiday and no school so I might work the FORS on a few sports fields for a while, then go work a site in the country I came across during pheasant season. If they haven’t planted the field yet, I might find the old school location and pluck a keeper or two. It’s always great to set out with a goal, and to be sure to allow enough time and patience to learn and understand the site we are hunting. Equally, it is also great to set out with a goal to get our hands on a new detector model, and when we do, to be sure to allow enough time and patience to learn and understand what the detector provides in the way of features and performance.
I can tell you for certain, that if you have the willingness to set a goal to learn a new detector, and the patience and desire to put in some time and know the detector and coil abilities for your types of hunting, then you need to try a Nokta FORS CoRe. Unfortunately, in the USA there is only one dealer so you can’t find a local source to visit and see one, but you can rest assured that this detector is everything you could hope it to be.
Perfect? Of course not. No such thing as a ‘perfect’ detector, but you would be hard pressed to find any detectors [size=small](from a competitor, not the Marko which is in the family)[/size] which will feel as comfortable and provide the simple adjustments for advanced performance as what is provided by the FORS CoRe.
If you have a FORS, learn it well. Adjust the mode settings you’re comfortable with and save them to memory. Then, when afield, you only need to make one or two simple changes as you desire, and one I suggest trying is reducing the Sensitivity at some sites to really learn the abilities of this detector. I have my saved Sensitivity levels set pretty high because I like them that way, most of the time, and it also lets me know if I have any EMI issues when I am. If so, I can quickly reduce the Sensitivity.
Don’t fault the default: As I stated before, the default Sensitivity level is ‘50’ on an adjustment range from ‘1’ to ‘99’ and you might think the default setting is way too low. Depending upon the search coil used and the target conditions at a site, you might be surprised at that default level, which works very well. I have worked several more places where I have intentionally reduced the Sensitivity level quite low, and still have had remarkable performance. A low setting of ‘1’ to ‘10’ can still bring you impressive results and there are times to opt for it.
I am afraid the Nokta/Makro Forum can easily take a swing to whatever seems new and exciting, such as the Makro Racer that's about to be on dealer's shelves and in consumer's hands. That's wonderful because the Makro Racer is my quick-to-grab detector, but I sure wouldn't want people to forget the Nokta FORS model. Heavens, it is the unit with the similar adjustment features and similar performance that paved the way for the Racer, and while quite similar, they are still a wee bit different. The FORS CoRe is one model I think everyone should experience.
Monte