Newbie here, went out with the F5 for the first time

[hman567]

Ladies and Gents,
Believe me, i am not discouraged, but i started to treasure hunt a picnic area, and it seeme that all i was finding were bottle caps. These caps were like 3-5 inches down??!! The reading my F5 was giving more or less was 61-66. Can some one tell me what would be a good number? I started to ignore the beeps in the 60 range... is that a good idea or should i dig everything? I am still practicing ground balancing and i think i am doing it right! Dont get me wrong, even though i was only finding bottle caps...it was exciting that my F5 was actually pretty accurate, that something was actually there!

 

[hman567]

Well,
At the same picnic area, i found my first steel bracelet! it wasnt really buried though, however i wouldnt have found it without my detector. I am still finding it difficult to distinguish all the different tones, and numbers. what would be an ideal setting on the F5?

 

[gazn357]

Have been MDing for about three weeks. Was using 30 yr old Garrett and now new F5 for last week. Went from digging up nails and trash to coins. Keep digging and it will start making sense to you. I'm runnng gain between 35 and 65. Discrim around 26 and Threshold at -3. Haven't found many bottle caps.

Keep reading the forums....


Danny

 

[hman567]

Thanks Danny,
With you having that setting, does that limit you to what you will find? for example are you only going to find coins? What tone setting are you using, because i havent really settled on any...

 

[Too Wise]

At least the next time you check out the picnic area it won't take as long. Half the garbage will be gone!

 

[BH_Landstar_]

At least the next time you check out the picnic area it won't take as long. Half the garbage will be gone!

LOL, unless someone comes along and chucks some more trash / garbage there

 

[hman567]

Buds,
I have now graduated to beaches, and found my first toonie, and car keys! I have my F5 on all metals mode on the beach...is this a workable idea, or should i discriminate?

 

[BH_Landstar_]

On the beach use it in All Metal Mode (single tone) and dig all the signals, makes sure you ground balance it to get the best from it.

 

[Low-Boy/LCPM]

Well I would try the 11DD on the F5 only way for me to hunt on the 8000. I sold the F5 because the Omega I feel is a way better machine....but the caps you are finding are all apart of the park and school trash. You can't stop but you can start to go cherry picking and hit the targets that read higher or lower. When I got my 8000 the first target I got was a nickel reading and I said pull tab. I dug it and it was an 18K gold ring...I find about three gold rings a year but this was so sweet. I like the 8000 when EMI gets my LTD all screwed up. I would get the 11DD for the F5 and the 5DD and forget the one that comes with it. I think in trash you may want to hunt with the 5DD and take your time. Stay away from tables and look for where the people play sports or watch from the sideline where they sit and party.

 

[marcomo]

Excellent advice, Low-Boy. In trashy areas a small coil is really important or a lot of good targets are going to be masked.

The negative is the 11" and 5" coils for the F5 are pricey - buying both new will set you back over $300 and are difficult to find used because there aren't many out there. The coils aren't compatible with any other detectors and didn't come out until the F5 had already been out about a year.