trouble on pin pointing and false signals fisher f5

[redneckjimmy1980]

I live in pa wich has very higly minerlized soil,and i been out all day found nothing but few pennys and a dime,dug tons of holes thogh with nothing in them. haven a hard time findin the sweetspot on the coil to start with, did a test in house with weat penny seemed to be the logo on back coil was the loudest,but in the field this didnt seem to hold true. also got issue with false signals i had a great hit on this old dirt floor of a old mill but dug it and i put all the dirt right beside it,checked the hole nothing,checked the dirt pile,still nothing grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.. this has happend severl other times today as well. had quite a few spots whear it showed quarter and high tone,went back over and nothing. also on the pin point sometimes when i press pin point it has the tone like it shold,but sometimes not and also i even took the detector and waved it in the air while pressin pinpoint and still had a tone.. ??? aint it supposed to be silent till it picks up on a target besides the sky? if i let go and press it again seems to work but still aitn found the sweetspot. its the 10 inch eliptical wich sux,but didnt have the xtra 50 for the dd coil. i seen post wear people set the ground ballance bye just turnin the knob,but book says to put in all metal mode,press and hold phase lock. if i just turn the knob it dont seem to move very fast so wich is better. also I can really keep a steady phase match it jumps aroud like a jack rabbit most of the time. I did notice most of the time when the minerl meter is on the last 2 bars is when i seem to get the most false readings. is this normal? well done writen a book for now hope someone out thier can help me here because im really getin aggravated and tryin to not give up i did find a stinkin lincoln and few shell caseings reall winners let me tell ya.

 

[Mike Hillis]

HAHAHHA

I'm not laughing at you, I'm remembering some of my early days. I was thinking about my first hunt with a CoinStrike. The ground seemed like it was one big iron target, the thing was beeping all over the place, even when I was waving the coil in the air, and I was doing all this standing in a light drizzling rain. I was looking for a tree to wrap the thing around. Luckily I didn't and got it figured out.

Take a golf ball and put it in the gap of your coil. Roll it back and forth there just a little so that it comes to rest in the center of the coil. That spot is your sweet spot. It is that size and that spot. Memorize it, mark it or something.

Ground balance your detector in the Discrimination mode. Find a clean spot of ground with no metal in it, push and hold the phase lock button and pump the coil over the ground until the phase number and the ground number match and then quit. You are balanced.

The Phase number changes every second. Ignore it unless you are pumping your coil. When you want to check your ground balance, just pump the coil over clean ground and see if the phase number and ground numbers are still the same or close to the same. If you see the numbers have become more than 3 or 4 numbers apart, reground balance by pressing the phase lock button and pumping the coil over the ground again. Then ignore the Phase number until you are ready to check your balance again.

Set your Gain and Threshold so that your detector is stable. You only want it to beep when you are over a metal target. If you have it set to hot you will get a lot of false signals. Set your Gain to somewhere between 65 and 85, and then raise the Threshold up until it starts to chatter, then back it off until it stops chattering. Now it will only beep when you are over or around metal.

Set your discrimination low (around 8 or 9) unless there are so many targets that you can't focus. In that case, raise the discrimination until you can handle (read "process") the audio. Use a tone id option that you are comfortable with.

Only recover the repeatable signals. They repeat on both left/right sweeps over the target.

Pinpoint by setting the coil off the target. Press the pinpoint button, then move the coil over the target (remember where I told you the sweet spot was). Watch the depth reading. It will help you stay over the top of the target. Then turn 90 degrees to the target and do it again. Practice this. You will get good. You will get so good that you'll be able to accurately pinppoint in 2 seconds. Only look at the TID number after you have pinpointed the target and can sweep the sweet spot of the coil over the target. You'll get good reads that way. But don't spend a lot of time with the id number. Left-right-left is enough to give you a good TID.

That is enough to get you started in the right direction. You'll be able to pick up more once you get some time on it.

Good luck.
I'm rooting for you!

Mike

 

[cju7250]

Thank you Mike! I just got my F5 a week or so ago, and although I haven't quite had the amount of trouble redneckjimmy is having, there are a few things here that have cleared my mind a bit! I really liked the ground balancing in Disc mode. I have done it numerous times but wondered if it was really the "right" way if I was detecting in disc mode and needed to adjust. Another helpful hint for me was actually adjusting gain and threshold. I usually run between 70 to 85 gain and 0 to -1 threshold, but never thought to actually set the gain, then adjust the threshold until it starts to chatter and then back if off. I've had a few "turn on and go" detectors, but felt it was time to be able to fine tune my hunting so I went with the F5. I hunt alot if trashy areas, so I have gotten the 5" coil which is really the only coil i've been using since it arrived. I've had some success, but nothing to brag about. If I may ask a question as well... when I come across something that "overloads" the detector, is there a "wait period" for it to "reset" or "come back"??? I did notice today when I was out that when I got to close to something just under the leaves or something really shallow and it overloaded, the detctor would take a little bit to "come back". And one more thing, when i'm swinging, ever once in awhile i'll get a faint signal that can be repeated by going back over it and it will display a reading. Sometimes if I bump the gain up a little I can make the signal come in a little clearer, but can never seem to get a pinpoint on it? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[TerraDigger]

CJU, please read ALL of Mike H's post regarding the operation of the F5. You will greatly accelerate your learning/finds. We refer to Mike H. as the F5 guru

 

[redneckjimmy1980]

cool thanks for the info man i was about to wrap mine around the tree as welll. fixin to head out here this mornin and see what happends. I was hittin the pin point right on top of the target plus was diggin stuff that only had a signal in one direction. one thing i ddint get though was i was on this crick bed of a historic tunnels minerlized ground bars was up in the top and was goin nuts turned gain down and treshold and was still goin nuts. think that was because of i didnt have the gournd ballance right? also i noticed on the gb knob it pushes in? whats the purpose of that dont sy nothing in the book about it. again thanks for the inspiration saved me from beatin the crap outta my detector. let ya know how i make out later today

 

[Mike Hillis]

The F5 surrenders, don't beat the crap out of it!

High minerals can be a problem. When you are in the really bad stuff you have to hold your coil just a little higher off the ground.
and, uh...those historic creek beds...they are full of old iron trash, most of which will want to make a noise. If you hunt in the iron you want to hear it as a low tone so the false high tones don't fool you, so run your disc low (7or .

The ground balance dial does push in but it does nothing on the F5.

Good luck.

HH
Mike

 

[Mike Hillis]

Hi cju7250,
Most detectors with an overload alert feature just sound off until you move the coil. The overload on the F5 is somewhat unique. It overloads for about 1 to 2 seconds and then resets. That means you can place the coil on top of or next to something that overloads it. Leave it there until it resets. Then move it away and identify it or things close to the object causing the overload. No one else that I can recall has this feature. It is VERY useful.

You never know about the weak signals. They could be fringe depth targets or they could be micro trash or they could be oxidized iron that got charged up enough to spike a reading. Raising the Gain like you are doing is good, if you investigate them you want to try to get the best signal response you can. You can also try raising the threshold closer to +9 to get a more definitive (sharper) audio response. Typically, if it doesn't pinpoint, or can't pinpoint in one specific location it is trash.

Speaking of fringe depth targets (objects at the limit of the detectors ability to detect them with the current settings), Threshold settings play a big part of how they will sound. Theshold settings closer to 0 will give a "whisper" type response. Threshold settings closer to the ends, either -9 or +9 will give more "ping" type responses. I bring this up so you know what type of audio to expect for the deep objects.

HH
Mike

 

[redneckjimmy1980]

well i went out this mornin and got aggravated once again,had a tone both ways in quarter range,dug it and and checked to see if i had it out or not,well got nothing checked dirt nothing in it. refilled hole check nothing so for the hell of it i went over a coin i found and hit that hole again and got the same double signal im really gettin irriatated with this thing. i mean whats the deal here the ground balance was set as i set it right there at that spot this just dont make sence hope i didnt waste 500 bucks for nothing startin to seem that way

 

[cju7250]

CJU, please read ALL of Mike H's post regarding the operation of the F5. You will greatly accelerate your learning/finds. We refer to Mike H. as the F5 guru

Oh believe me TerraDigger i've went through all of Mikes' post I could find on the F5. I have even went as far as copying and pasting "improtant" information into a notepad file on my computer! I titled it "learning the F5" That way if/when I have a question about something I may have ran across out in the field I can simply go to this file first and check it over instead of trying to find it in the forum. This file has already helped me a few times. I'm so glad there are these forums to reference! I like to think of myself as a pretty patience fellow, but sometimes I can start to lose confidence in myself when I can't figure something out. I am registered on another forum, but I find myself here most often because of Mike and his knowledge of the F5.

And Mike, thanks for the help! I'd love to think that after a few hundred more hours (or more) I could possibly acheive the level of expertise on the F5 that you have!

Oh and btw, sorry redneckjimmy for butting in on your post here! I'll start my own from now on!

 

[redneckjimmy1980]

ehh no big deal only a forum, is all of mikes posts on the f5 on this forum? if possible add @gmail.com to my name and send me the file u got for the f5. i am kinda gettin high pich tones on the low tones shows quarter when its a small iron in the 10 range guess its just the metals not shure im new to this f5 is first detector i ever owned or used. did manage to find a few stinkin lincolns and old odd 6 casings found out they was mine,but still found em. and got a old toy in feild guess im gettin thier. and once again mike thank u for the pinpoint tip with the golf ball worked out perfect its dead on the money before i had gorund hogs beat on diggin holes,now thier normal small oness. ? on the only hit in one direction though, is it just junk? and for relics dont u have to dig all low tones? just wondern more aftet coins and jewery but relics is nice to. been runnin 55 gain 5 tres all metal mode seems to work perty good all ya and3 on the tones

 

[NE Digger]

First, most areas in Pa are NOT heavily mineralized. You may live in the coal belt though, and are hunting over cinders and coke. If thats the case I highly recommend all metal as opposed to Disc mode.
Also, you do not need to put the 5 in all metal to GB. All you need to do is push the phase lock button, bob the coil till the number stabilizes, and then release the button WHILE STILL BOBBING.
PM me and let me know where you live. If close enough I may be able to take a little field trip. I guess I'm as familiar with the 5 as anyone......

 

[sqwaby]

If the target is at max depth for the set up you are running or the target is at the machines depth limit, you might not get a target response when you use the pin point button. If that happens, try pin pointing by Xing the target. Most times I don't use the pin point button, I just X the target. When you dig a target and find nothing, its possible that you where picking up a rust halo, and when you disturbed the soil it broke up. Try reducing the gain to 40 -50 and as Mike said raise the threshold till the machine starts to get chatty, then cut the threshold back 1or 2 notches.

 

[redneckjimmy1980]

ya man that would be great if ya could so u can see what im gettin into. i'm in the gettysburg area. some spots i hunted the minerl bar was at its peak others whear i been findin shell casings,dimes, and stinkin lincolns, it wast but mabey one bar. only about half mile apart. im actually in orrtanna,pa in between the town and cashtown. hope youer somewhat close.

 

[osgood]

Jimmy1980, I dont have an F5, do have a F4, F70 and now 75ltd, along with other detectors. Id agree with NE Digger, coal and coke and all that can mess with a detector. There are times when what appears to be a piece of coal, ends up being the target itself, even the handheld pinpointer hitting on it. The other thing I will say is when I get a repeatable, good numbers, and loud , obvious hit , for which digging turns up nothing, I suspect there is a massive iron object buried there, like a plow blade, a car, etc. I have dug some of these signals maybe 16 inches deep when Ill start to find some massive sea of orange rust and give up. After you remove the dirt from the hole, is there still a signal in the hole? I mean is it like endless digging or is all of a sudden the signals gone, that was there moments before? CO

 

[peimike]

i bought an f5 last spring, and was having the same type of problem.......here was the problem, i started to go through my plugs very slowly, in the middle of the plug was a rust halo, nothing else, just a halo. after i disturbed it, the signal went away.
almost looked like something was there at one time, and melted away.

i would say that the problem i was having is a detector clitch in general, not just the f5.

not saying this is whats happening to yourself, but something to check out.

 

[redneckjimmy1980]

got got a signal in both directions,dig hole some still got signal,dig more no signal in hole. check dirt pile got signal so it shold be in pile carefully go though dirt puttin it in front of detector in process and nothing. mabey im missin some small targets but they are hittin good. another issue i been runnin into i notieced is when i get a low tone wich is obviously iron,i just dig it because i want ot find dig something,well i get a high pich with the low also thinkin thier is something maskin out the high tone bein the iron, well come to find out all it is is some small nail or something. last few with low tone and high mixed was either bottle cap,or nail is it normal to get a low and high tone on the same target? kinda wondern if its me bein new to the hobby, or my detector bein retarded.

 

[NE Digger]

n/t

 

[Todd.]

Hi RedneckJimmy, I am a new F5 user also, been out 2-3 times and have a lot to learn also with it and noticed the same things. Been detecting for over 30 years though and I've found the F5 an extremely sensitive machine. It's a learning curve, today for example I found if the detector has a hard time pinpointing, then its probably junk. I dug a lot of holes and it seems to hold true for the most part. The ground here is still semi frozen and the halo effects seem to be worse when those conditions are present. I played with the control knobs and found (for these conditions and my area) that these settings DISC 12, THRESH +9, GAIN 50 gave very good results and GROUND BALANCED in DISC MODE. Just the few times i've been out I could never run above a -2 on THRESH and for fear of running too low on GAIN I might miss something...not true. Very difficult to find a silver dime around here and I just popped one out about an hour ago! Readings were everywhere but sounded good and pinpointed well. Dug the dime at about 5", put it on the grass and played with the settings until I got a good dime reading and numbers were stable and depth had not been compromised. I'm sure things will change as the soil conditions change also. But hang in there and don't be discouraged. Even detecting for 30 years does'nt make one an expert on a new machine. It has to be learned. My humble advice is to dig those strong signals that are consistantly strong in multiple directions and that pinpoint well. After that will be another learning curve on the iffy signals. HH

 

[redneckjimmy1980]

yea it makes sence i guess,just aggravating. ill have to pay more attention to that and see what happens thanks

 

[redneckjimmy1980]

ok we got a new issue,it was half snowin here today so i coudnt go out grrrrrr so i just played with it in the house here since i couldnt got out it sux i wanted to go soooo bad. but anyways done winen the blues about not bein able to go out, it was shown pull tab on foil is this normal?