F5 from "Big boys toys". first hunt.

[blade310]

I ordered my F5 from Bart at 'Big boys toys'. big thanks to Bart for a great deal and for being on the ball. I ordered the F5 the day before Thanks giving. I wasn't sure when Bart would ship it. I figured I wouldn't get it til the end of the next week. I received it on Monday just five days after I ordered it. that tells me Bart didn't fool around, he shipped it the day I ordered it. Thanks again bart!!.
I took the F5 to a spot that is a big open field and is used once a year as a parking lot for a sports event 3-4 days each year. I thought this would be a perfect spot. I wanted to learn some target numbers. I thought that there would be trash here but hopefully not to much. I have hunted alot of areas like this and always find things (things that are accidentally lost when pulling keys out of pockets etc). the fe3o4 bar graph was clear. I set gain at 85 and threshold at 0. I ground balanced at 71 (I thought the ground balance would be alot lower since nothing was showing on the fe3o4 bar graph). My first target bounced around in the 40s---- beaver tail pull tab at 4''. second target bouncing as low as 30 and as high as 79-------beaver tail at 5''. third target bounce from high 30s to hi 40s------ beaver tail 3''. fourth target bounce mid 20s up to 70 F5 showed it to be 7'' I dug to seven inches and ran my pro pointer around the hole nothing. I can get 2.5 inches easy with the pro pointer. I searched the plug and nothing. so I separated the plug from the hole and ran the detector over the hole and around the hole,nothing. so I ran it over the plug,nothing. I turned the plug over, nothing. I took the dirt off my trowel and checked it, nothing. Irritating but it didn't worry me, that's happened a few times with my At pro. Target # five 40-60-65-42----beaver tail 3''
target #6 low 20s to low 40s---- beaver tail 5'' By now I am wondering where is all the trash? how bout a zinc or two or a twist off top something besides these beaver tails:angry: target #7 Hi 30s low 40s----- beaver tail 3'' ( I am checking depth with a tape measure) target #8 mid 30s to mid 40s---- beaver tail I didn't catch the depth reading on this one so I didn't bother to measure it. Target #9 mid 30s down to mid 20s and up to 65 ( I thought this one was going to be a differant target... beaver tail 3''target #10 this one is bouncing around in the 30s and staying there so I am thinking finally, something differant beaver tail 4''. target #11 bouncy 30s again. I'm thinking @!E?&*^ beaver tail. but no, this time its a mild hot sauce packet from taco bell. WOOHOO something differant!!. target #12 bouncing around in the 20s and staying there--- piece of some type of foil. Target #13 hi 20s to low 30s----- piece of can confetti. Last target odd one, low 20s to mid 30s to 42 two beaver tails,one folded around another. I have been there for an hour and fifteen minutes and really wondering if I am doing something wrong some how. ( this just shows the lack of confidence you can have in a new machine). I decided to go over the same area with the at pro. So I covered the same area with the At pro, my finds....3 beaver tails. That made me very happy. this just wasn't the best site to play with my new detector. I already have another site in mind.
I learned a little today, the depth reading was very very good on all the targets I dug, cept for the seven incher. I hunted with 4tone so that I could hear the tone that Mike H says the nickel area has. I ground balanced several times while I hunted. I think I am really going to enjoy learning this machine.

 

[twoscoots]

Have some fun! I sometimes will just notch out anytthing 65 and under, go 2 tone and crash a tot lot (when I only have an hour or so to swing.........just snatching the dimes pennys and the occasional quarter

 

[Steve missouri]

Blade: The F-5 is a very good mid priced detector, that is somewhat of a fooler, it has a very extensive learning curve (150 to 400 hrs) to learn what it will really do. Most people approach it as a turn on and go detector, it works ok as a turn on and go machine, if however you have the patience to truly learn this detector, you will be amazed at what it is capable of doing.

 

[blade310]

Hi twoscoots.
I didn't mess with the notch or disc a whole lot. I don't think it would have done much good at this site. This was one of the cleanest areas I've ever tried to hunt. The next area I am going to take the F5 has a good bit of trash. It has also produced well. I imagine it won't be long before I'll want start notching out some noise.But to start with I want to hear everything and dig everything for awhile. twoscoots if you notch all that out going into a totlot
aren't you worried that you are going to miss some good targets? or do you specifically go for the coins only? I put close to 190 hours on my At pro
this season and about the first 110 hrs I was notching out everything below nickel. I for some reason had it in my head that any gold would show up at nickel or a little higher. Well I read some old posts on the At pro forum and saw that alot of gold rings were being found below the nickel range. So I started notching out only iron and in the next 2 months I found five gold rings One of those rings rang in in the upper pull tab area. but the other 4 hit in the area I had been notching out all that time. All of my ring finds were as Mike H says "accidental finds" 5 gold and 6 silver Thought I had 8 silver but 2 class rings were of some other type of metal? next season I want to find the jewelry because I believed it would be there. Anyway, best of luck to you.

 

[blade310]

Hi Steve,
When I decided on getting the F5 there were several reasons. At first I thought about a gold machine ( Fisher gold bug or the Garret scorpion) but I also wanted something that would be good on coins and silver. After alot of research I decided on either the F5 or the new Garret Atgold. I ended up choosing the F5 because there was a little more to learning it then the Atgold. I may be wrong but I don't think there is that big a step between the Atpro and the Atgold. With the F5 I have the ability to fine tune it (once I know what I am doing.) If the F5 would have been a basic turn on and go machine I probably would have went with something else. I am sure your right about the learning curve Steve. I am looking forward to it. I just wish it was the start of spring and not the start of winter:sad: I think the gain and threshold is what will puzzle me most. I have read bout all the posts on the F5 but I still just can't seem to grasp the concept of the gain and threshold and the relation ship between the two. Just a matter of doing and learning I guess. Any advice you might have would be great Steve. Best of luck

 

[Steve missouri]

Blade: You will do well with the F-5, you clearly have the patience to learn what the F-5 can do, The F-5 is not a good gold nugget detector, but is very good on jewelry, the difference being nuggets are usually in very hot ground.The AT-Pro Should handle nugget hunting fairly well for you if you ever go to placer areas. The F-5 will do better in moderately materialized ground and salt sand areas, then most people think it will, if you learn the detector well, I think you will achieve that. As you know, Mike Hillis is the true expert on the F-5, follow his posts it will speed up the learning curve, a few extra coils can make the F-5 more fun. A great adventure is ahead, this coming spring, good luck and happy hunting. Steve

 

[mudpuppy]

n/t

 

[Big Boys Hobbies]

Thanks for the props! Great machine. Glad your getting it. Yes trashy areas are terrible places to learn new machines! Keep us posted on next hunts!

 

[Neita SC]

Blade, I had copied a post from last year that may help you with the threshold/gain relationship.

"The gain is basically the power, a magnifier of the signals that increases or decreases the strength of those signals.
The threshold controls what size signal the detector will pick up.
Anything below 0 with the threshold and the detector is restricting smaller signals from being detected to some degree.
At 0 the threshold is totally open, above 0 threshold settings will increase the volume of all signals.
Mike H. made an analogy a while back that stuck with me. The threshold is the door that controls what signals get in. At 0 the door is wide open. Below 0 the door is partly shut. Above 0 threshold does not open the door more, it merely increases the volume.
A higher threshold is usually preferred when you're looking for very small targets, small gold for instance.
Stability aside go with what you can tolerate re: the amount of valid signals coming through which will vary depending on the site conditions (trash ect.). In areas with a lot of small trash you can go with a lower threshold to reduce signals from the tiny stuf and then perhaps up the gain a bit. Of course you could just notch out the foil range for coin hunting but many prefer to hear it all.
Lower threshold settings should not cause much if any loss/depth on coin sized targets however the signal will be audibly weaker."

Have fun!

 

[mudpuppy]

I'm pretty settled on a -3 thresh, and still I can get the little pieces of rivets and whatnot...the machine (F70) runs very stable for my conditions at -3.
Mud

 

[blade310]

Thanks to all of you for responding. It sure helps learning a new detector when folks are willing to share tips and experiences and advice.
Hi Steve. I have read everything Mike H has posted or responded to on the f series forum. I guess I am a glutton for punishment cause instead of doing a search for any F5 related posts, I pulled up everyone of mikes posts and went thru each page and read anything and everything he posted or responded to on the f series forum. and the CZ forum. (something bout that cz3d. may be my next detector). I am interested in hunting jewelry with the F5. because gold machines are basically prospecting machines is why I didn't go with one. Since I found several gold rings with another detector I thought it would be nice to have something that may be a little better at finding the gold (jewelry)
Neita, Thank you for that information. I'll copy that and review it now and then. I'll understand and master the gain and threshold in due time.
mudpuppy I looked at the f70 awhile back. ended up goin with the At pro. Is the F70 your main detector? I want to eventually own an F75 I think learning the F5 will help me alot in understanding the F75. you know I have not seen an actual mudpuppy in 40 years. If I remember right the little son of a gun had a serious attitude. I guess if I had a hook stuck in my face I'd be a little grumpy myself. best of luck to all of you!!!

 

[mudpuppy]

Blade, yeah, the F70 is my first detector, I got it spring of 2010, and its features really suit me well..I have been very curious about the F5...the ability to quick shift with the knobs instead of scrolling through the program. I am mainly an inland jewelry/clad stabber, though I really hit the beaches hard in the summer early mornings before sunup. Theres a nice crop of snot otters/ mudpuppies/ waterdogs up here in the Muskegon river..I like them, the cold doesn't seem to bother them much, very unusual for an amphibian. I hope to hear and see some good things from you! The sledding hills will be opening soon, and one of the best around here has vending machines that give dollar coins in change! So I will be up early and hit it after the snow starts to fly!
Mud .

 

[Jamtom]

Congrats on the new machine. So far I love mine. Lots to learn just keep at it.

 

[Mike Hillis]

Blades, It sounds like you were into a beaver tail gold mine

Some help with your TID....pinpoint the target inside the golf ball size opening in front of the lower rod, then sweep for id. When you look at your TID, also look at the confidence graph. The more confidence bars lit up, the stronger and better the read. Disregard the lower graph readings and just keep the higher graph readings. . If you sweep 4 times and get a 20/4bar, 33 3bar, a 224bar, and a 70/2bar, keep the 4 bar readings and ignore the others. This scenario would give you a 20 and 22 reading.....Your intial pinpoint will tell you what to expect to see, confidence bar-wise.

Sounds like a good start and you were able to validate your finds with the AT Pro, which would be a good confidence booster.

Looking forward to reading more.

HH
Mike

 

[blade310]

I am glad you brought up the confidence bar mike. I wasn't sure if it would be helpful or just a novelty selling point. I'll sur utilize it now.