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Unsure About F-70 Purchase Because.......

R

Ronk

Active member
I read where a lot of others say they just don't get the depth that they want.I thought about purchasing the F70 and I have also read where it doesn't get very good depth.I like a lot of the features it has but if it's lacking in depth then that's a Big deal breaker for me.I know it has to be set up properly but it doesn't seem that it is a popular detector on the forums.I do like that you can use tones when the ID fails past 5 or 6 inches depth.The threshold feature is also nice to have as well as the head phone location and battery life and good choice of coils to choose from.I also like the 13 KHZ frequency and other good features it has but they won't do me any good if it the depth is not there.I'm not knocking the machine,I'm just saying if the depth is shallow like what I've seen or read then I'll have to research other models or detectors.

HH!
RonK
 
Which way are you leaning if you had to buy a detector today? whatever you do, please let us know, its a learning experience for a lot of us.
Mud
 
I would imagine that most of the stuff you read was people using the 10" concentric that came standard with the F70, BUT it's now available with only the 11"DD coil (If you desire) which makes this detector much deeper and useful! :)
 
What are you requirements?
HH
Mike
 
I fully agree with Clyde. With the 11" coil it gets super depth and to be honest I think that there's a ton of F75's -Mine Labs- and Whites that will loose coin ID at about 7" and that depends on conditions, ALL detectors will. But you actual depth with be deeper. My last Omega was a super coin shooter that locked on well and was just about as deep as a F70 or equal in SOME conditions. Of course what you do depends on you. But the more you read about high end detectors and that they all suffer on correct ID at certain depths and conditions the more you'll realize that you cutting the F70 short. There are users that claim they can ID a coin deeper than that with their F70's and I believe them. I had an F70 and even though I used it only for a backup I know it ID a dime at 7", after that well not so much. But I won't be made if my soon to be F75 told me a dime at 6" and I found a quarter at 9". Just don't sell the F70 short...it'll surprise you! Just in MHO, Happy Hunting, Woodstock
 
I used a F70 for about a year, and it was not (in my soil) a depth demon. Once a coin sized target surpassed 6" in depth, it was done. I did make some nice finds with the F70, just nothing that deep.

It was a little better with the 11" DD coil, but when I got the F75 LTD, I found it to be a far deeper machine.

HH,
Brian
 
n/t
 
Ron, I think you will be more than happy with the F70. I used one for three months several years back and when I added the 11 inch dd coil, it was too close to call with the depth compared to the F75. I have a friend who has found several coins in the 12 inch deep range with the F70. In my opinion, the 11 inch coil makes it a better detector. R.L.
 
The effects on a detector from soil are corrected by proper ground balancing and ever detector has limited depth if not ground balanced properly. I think the F70 is a sleeper in the Fisher line up and is a great deal and there on sale only because they sell slow because of bad hype and you'd be hard pressed to find a better machine. In the right hands most detectors do well and in the wrong hands they act like toys. Even if you have bad ground you should have hit coins at deeper depths than 6" so if there are better machines for the same money then give him a short list so Ronk can review them and make a better choice. I've seen F70's on sale for $550 so better, so start there and under. Heck, I'll even start the list with I think are as good or better for their prices. The only one that comes to mind for me is a Omega (new) and if you can deal without a meter than a Tejon(used). I still say a new or used F70 ground balanced properly will do better than 6" in ANY soil. IMHO.
Happy Hunting, Woodstock
 
Actually I have been thinking about an Omega but there Are some features on the F70 that I Do like.I don't have any dealers near me to test.I have to more or less depend on reports from users but then again even That is not always 100% accurate either.There are too many variables.The type of ground and EMI are 2 very important issues to be concerned about.I have average to moderate ground and some areas have a bit of hot rocks and I don't know how well the F70 would handle hot rocks.I hunt coins,jewelry and relics.I've had Fisher detectors before but not and F70.One concern I have is getting decent depth with reduced gain.I have been researching for several months but I am in no big hurry.The more I learn about what's out there and how they perform...Not Air testing...or Planting targets....but in the Real world with Real targets in Real Ground in Real Trash...then the more it will help making the right decision.

HH!
RonK
 
Hey RonK, When you read user field reports on the Omega/Fisher F70 or even the F75 you'll find most users get decent depth and advise the gain be turned down to quite the static from EMI. Some detectors become unstable with gain set to high in the wrong soil conditions. And even in the right soils some still crank it up just before their ears bleed like me. But to much gain can make today's detectors become unstable and erratic with everything they do. Ground balance properly, set the sensitivity (gain) high enough to run without driving you nuts and don't trust everything the VDI tells you. Dig solid signals and if there are coins deeper than 6" you should find them. IMHO, Woodstock
 
As somebody else mentioned...ground type plays a huge role in detector selection. It has taken me YEARS and many thousands of dollars now, to figure out what it takes around my area to get depth and performance. It might take the same for you...or you may hit it right the first couple times. I've owned practically every top of the line detectors from all of the big name companies. Some work great for people in other places but not so great here. A perfect example I will use the F75/T2. There are folks out there digging stuff 12+ inches with these machines in disc mode with various audio/tone setups and running disc to at least the FOIL range. I'm talking coins and relics with hard hitting audio and good VDI numbers to match. I've done it myself in good dirt sites. But yet most places locally and up in VA or north GA...you're shooting yourself in the foot running disc mode PERIOD. I've shown this in videos over the years. All Metal motion mode...bam...now were getting coins and bullets/buttons 10-12 inches with good audio and a mostly IRON ID with occasional bounce into better VDIs.

The F70 is a decent machine. The 11" DD does help it some in bad ground. I am more partial to the F75/T2 platform in a VLF machine though. A friend of mine recently got an F5 and put the 11" DD on it and I was actually more impressed with it than I was the F70.
 
If I had to buy a detector today based upon what I've read here on all posts on every forum, and the type of hunting I do (inland jewelry and coins)...It would be between the F70 and the F5. The next time I'm at my dealer (80 miles one way) I plan on having a look at the F5... a mid priced detector I can swing all day and pay for it as fast as possible...the F70 has paid for itself several times over. I have used mine in several different states, in all soils and conditions, it travels with me, I think the recovery time, (speed) HZ shift, and DP tones are what I really like when it comes to the features. I like getting in the trash, you can pick through the mess very quickly, clean open ground you can really fly!
The F70 fits my style perfectly, and I havn't even begun to learn the nuances of its capabilities in deep silver, its good to know its there if I need it...
 
Agreed mudpuppy, Although I haven't tried one (F5) I think it would be a great machine in the right hands. That because you can tweak it better with it's dials and fine tune it much more to your settings. A completely digital set up gives you the best tune possible through segments but lacks the availability to fine tune between factory pre set segments and I've heard the F5 hits deep as well. Maybe someday I'll pick up one for a backup to my soon to delivered F75 and even though it's my 3rd F75..yes I said third. This time I want to really learn it like the back of my hand. Happy Trails, Woodstock
 
All ground balancing does is tune out the ground signal so that it doesn't sound like a target. The ground signal didn't go away just because you are ground balanced. It is still there and a strong ground signal will still mask targets, cause coil overload at times, and limit detection depth and if you are not aware of it and don't setup your detector properly for it, performance suffers. And some machines do better than others in strong magnetic minerals.

What I like about the new Fisher detectors (F5/F70/F75/Goldbug/T2/G2) is they give you the tools for proper setup. The FE304 meter for measuring the grounds magnetic properties and the Phase readout for identify soil types. I use them to my advantage because I have ground conditions where they are useful. If my FE304 meter is maxed out with a ground phase showing a lot of magnetic black sand (my normal condition) I know I'm wasting my time with a high gain setting. Sure I can set it higher and it will be nice and quiet and stable while sweeping but the targets I'm after will be completely masked by the ground signal. I'll never hear them. But if I use the tools provided, set my gain properly to the ground conditions, adjust my coil height as necessary, I will hear the signals I'm after.

Another thing I like about the new Fisher detector (F5) is the two EMI stability points. The first point is the normal, coil held motionless. Raise the gain until it chatters then back it down until its quiet. The second point is found with the coil in motion. If you have any bars showing on the FE304 meter, you can raise the gain while sweeping the coil over the ground and find a higher stable setting. Sometimes much higher. It uses the ground signal to help cancel the EMI chatter.

Lots of good stuff in the new Fisher units.

HH
Mike
 
Hey Mike, Thanks for the low down on the F5 and about tweaking to get the best out of all the Fishers and Teks. HH, Woodstock
 
The right set up is where its at on almost all detectors, i run a F5 on the california beaches and it is pretty assume, yesterday i got a faint signal, sweeping slow and dug a quarter at 12" this is not unusual i'm running the 11" DD coil and the digital is right on, 82 to 86 is a quarter 99% of the time.

My setting is 60/-1 and ground balanced many times as i get closer to the water the GB will change.

I agree with Mike this IS a great detector
 
A lot of the bad hype on the F-70 comes from people who are NOT thoroughly familiar with there machine. I have owned a Minelab Explorer for 4 years and felt it was one of the best detectors out there. The weight of that machine started to limit my detecting time because of my arthritis. I am 78 years old. So I bought a Fisher F-70. It will hold its own with any of the Minelab's. I know this because I hunt with people who own Explorers and they do not usually outdo me on finds or depth. Plus I can go right behind them and find coins they missed because the F-70 does a better job of unmasking then the Explorers. I have found a dime at 8 inches and a quarter at 12 inches. All detectors are affected by ground mineralization and it will limit your depth. I have checked an Explorer SE several times before the target was dug and marked every single one of there finds. As long as you adjust the Hertz settings for EMI and then ground balance you will get as deep as any of the deep detectors. Best of luck with whatever your choice. If you buy an F-70 I would be happy to assist you with your settings.
 
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