Fisher F5 and Phase numbers

[Mike Hillis]

As a inland jewelry hunter I am always trying to improve my odds of locating gold and silver jewelry in the midst of aluminum trash. Trash like foil paper, foil, can slaw, round and square tabs, alum screw caps, etc. The F5 has the heat needed for low conductor searching, and it has a special tone for a certain range of low conductors (25 - 35) in the 4 tone audio mode. Both of which are desirable features for the inland jewelry hunter. It also has the added feature of the ground phase number display. My question was, "Is the Phase number useful for target id for the jewelry hunter?"

So I focused some long overdue attention to the ground phase number.

The ground phase number will measure conductivity in the absence of ground minerals.

Its conductive range is 0 to 50. Zero being the low end and 50 being the high end. It can provide a separate, independent conductive measurement.

I actually went out and detected for several hours using the ground phase number to id targets before I dug them. I was using the new 5x10

 

[Mike Hillis]

n/t

 

[rick in mi]

Mike I have been looking very close at your numbers,I dont run a F5,but noticed your TID is very close to those of my F75. I dont find a lot of jewelry,but I do find old deep coins,wich makes me think I am walking over some gold and not knowing any better!! My question is are you refering to the magnetic mineralization facter,or magnetic susceptibility,of the soil? That would be the Fe3O4 bar graph on the F75? Please correct me if I am wrong.I am trying to see if I can use your data to my advantage!! Very good post....hh rick in mi.

 

[Mike Hillis]

The phase number I am refering to is the ground balance number. Not the FE304 meter.

Hope that helps.
Mike

 

[rick in mi]

Very good thank you

 

[patti]

Interesting... Have to experiment with this one!

Thanks,

patti

 

[patti]

I went for a quick test session today after work. Had my head lamp on because it gets dark at 4 pm already! I used the 5 inch DD coil that I have preferre for coin hunting recently. I paid close attention to phase numbers and while 99% of the signals didn't give any positive results I did manage to get some interesting results. I had a 44 TID but phase was only 5 and out came... a rather large piece of aluminium soda can! Looking at Mike's tables you see that 5 phase is typical for TID's around 30, not above 40. I have to try the same with a gold coin like pendant to see whether I get a similar response from TID/phase with it. If it works then I am happy as a duck because then I should be able to distinguish between all those 40 TID 1960's coins and a 40 TID gold so I could target only gold TID/phase. Also steel beer bottle crown caps seem to give a high 70's TID/low phase but they are easily spotted with other methods too so no benefit here.

It is still too early to jump up and down since 40 TIDs are always must digs but this looks promising. Oh yes, I also added another 12,50 euros (17 USD) to my total in just two hours

HH,

patti

 

[Eganwp]

Interesting find patti! Nice work.

Can I ask which headlamp you use? Having never owned one, I recently purchased an $18 North 49 headlamp from Walmart. It didn't list a lumens value (only 1W power draw), so I'm not sure how it compares with other headlamps. In testing it seems fine, though it's a single large LED with a very concentrated circle on the ground rather than much for broadcasting light. It does have low, high, and red LED though, which is nice. It's just hard for me to compare having never owned one before. I read a few reviews of different models and such, and all seem to be similar. I may try out one of the higher power Energizer headlamps just to see.

Cheers!

 

[TerraDigger]

If you want a headlamp that really puts out a beam, try this:

http://www.amazon.com/Dorcy-41-2098-Lumen-Headlight-Batteries/dp/B000YXJ018/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322029699&sr=8-1

I own one, use it for detecting and as a bicycle headlight. It's powerful. Nothing can touch it in its price range. Current price is a awesome deal. I paid well over $30.00 for mine.

 

[mudpuppy]

Even though I swing the F70, the TIDS look very much alike...the new dollar coins hit like a loud Q 87ish, though they can be in the Q range too. New halfs hit 92,93 I have noticed some copper pennies hitting 81's in certain situations.
Its the multidenom STACKS that are creepy! Boy, they can be just about anywhere, even some multi nickle stacks are weird. The slanted coins, or slanted spills are a real B. I will renew a focus on the tabs and foil, and am trying to listen to the differrence in the PP squeal, but so far unsuccessful at determining gold rings from tabs by sound. I do check depth, and stab around with the probe, If I dont hit a target right away, I slow down and "feel" around gently with the probe. Most of the gold rings I've found hit in foil 21-26, except for the girls class rings which were tab, 36-38, and one womans wedding ring hit solid nickle. This is great work you've done for us to contemplate and concentrate on when we are out hunting, especially if the LOCATION says to.
Mud.

 

[Furious T]

Interesting, thanks Mike!