trouble with f5

[starguymike]

Hi. I'm new here but have done a fair amount of research about my detector. I am having trouble with its depth and vid. I threw a silver dollar on the ground and it absolutely refuses to Id it as anything but a pull tab. Also most coins show up as a nickel (pennies, dimes, quarter) but nickels shows as pull tabs. I got this unit slightly used and it appears to work decent. I find stuff but I have to dig everything because as with the silver dollar the sound and display indicated a tab. And with tabs notched out of course it failed to detect it at all. Sort of concerning. That's a huge chunk of silver to simply pass over. Also on air tests I max out on around 4 inches with coins with gain halfway and desc on but not blocking. All metal is better but my way cheaper whites did better than this currently is. I know they do better because I've seen it and read about it. Please any advice or ideas would he greatly appreciated. Thanks guys

 

[Mike Hillis]

StarguyMike,

I hate to say it but your machine is broken and needs a doctor
If you want it to work correctly you will have to send it to the factory for repair.
Sorry I couldn't offer a quick fix, but in your case, there just isn't one.

Mike

 

[starguymike]

I was afraid of that. I had went through the "manual" of all of your posts and was still coming up short. Any idea on fishers turn around times or cost? I would hate to pay too much to fix it as I've already lost money in the original trade? Thanks for your help Mike

 

[Dave J.]

I agree with Mike, this doesn't sound like operator error or something screwy with ground conditions. My guess is that the electronics are fine, and that it's the searchcoil that's gone bad.

--Dave J.

 

[starguymike]

All bad news guys. At the moment I'm too broke to even send it to El Paso much less get it fixed. I just imagine it's going to be high. I had wondered if it was the coil. Whenever you mess with the cord or the connection the detector goes all crazy. It goes through various tones and numbers when it just in the air. I don't know. Unfortunately I don't know anyone around here with another coil to test on it.

 

[Digger 45]

It does sound like a bad coil, call Fisher and get a return number and explain the problems, they are very good and will help you in every way they can, you will be surprised. When you get it back you will love this machine because it is one of the most accurate metal detectors out there.

 

[starguymike]

I unwrapped the coil disconnected it from the control box yesterday. It was screwed in tight. Now I have it secured at the bottom by the coil and up top by the box but not wrapped around the shaft. It id's everything correctly now. It's still not getting over 4 inches of detection though. So after that I do believe it to be the coil, the cord, or the connector at the control box. I've tried to replicate what it was doing but I cant. Now I'm afraid if I send it in they will think it is ok. I know intermittent problems are the worst to fix.

 

[Digger 45]

I had similar problems and when i called they said send in the coil and they replaced it with a new coil and it has been great ever since.