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  1. Just curious if anyone has had an experience using a Fisher Gemini 3 or similar detector in prospecting trying to find an ore vein. Fisher Gemini-3 Two Box metal detector
  2. Hi Simon… I realize that your T2 is somewhat different from the F75. But let me describe how I operate the original F75 to deal with issues related to EMI. The original F75 version is very much subject to erratic behavior in areas where EMI is present. Hunting urban areas in zero discrimination with the stock 11” DD coil is frequently impossible. I avoid using this coil in urban environs because it is quite vulnerable to EMI issues (extra windings / antennae effect) compared to the 10” elliptical concentric coil, and this is especially true when compared to any of the smaller coils. So don’t hesitate to switch to a smaller coil, preferably a concentric coil if the ground conditions permit. An added benefit if hunting micro jewelry, is that the smaller coils, particularly the 6” elliptical concentric coil, is quite sensitive to small stuff compared to the stock 11” DD coil. In fact I put it to good use for hunting naturally occurring native silver in rocky environs. It’s not unusual to find sub-grain material with this coil. If using a discriminate mode, avoid JE mode in EMI areas. It is extremely high gain, and therefore much more sensitive to EMI than are the DE or PF search modes. Another very useful technique, if necessary, is to increase the iron discrimination level until erratic behavior settles down to an acceptable level. Do this while moving / holding the coil on the ground, and not while waving it around in the air. Keeping the coil to the ground much reduces EMI instability because it reduces the coil’s antennae effect. Adjusting the sensitivity control is not necessarily the final step in stabilizing how the machine behaves in EMI environments. Do as you please with it. Keep in mind that you may wish to limit iron discrimination to about 6 or 7 and no more as Steve describes, depending on your preference. At that point, if necessary, you may wish to experiment with decreasing the sensitivity control to achieve stability. Of course for prospecting applications, and low trash urban areas, the first choice is to search in the motion all-metal mode. It is much less vulnerable to EMI than are any of the discriminate modes. It makes a huge difference. In closing, I should add that in remote prospecting areas, my original F75 is normally as quiet as a churchmouse regardless which search mode, settings employed, or the type / size of coil that is used. On rare occasion we do experience an intermittent EMI induced instability from what I suspect is the local microwave tower. These occasions are always temporary, rarely lasting more than a half-hour…………….. Jim.
  3. Once upon a time all metal detectors went beep, and you dug up a metal object. Then a simple form of discrimination was developed based roughly on the conductivity scale. The main feature of this scale is that ferrous (iron or steel) items read lower on the scale than non-ferrous items. In a perfect world all ferrous readings could be set as a negative number, and all non-ferrous items set as a positive number. The reality is not so perfect however. Some steel items, especially items with a hole like a steel washer, will read up in the middle or high end of the scale, and show up right where only non-ferrous readings should appear. Thin sheet steel (bottle caps, flat section of rusted cans or roofing material) can show up in the mid range, and hardened steel items like bolts or ax heads can read way up in the silver range. These types of targets can trouble coin hunters in particular. Gold reads much lower on the discrimination scale normally due to a fairly low conductivity for gold. The gold range overlaps entirely with the lead and aluminum ranges, and these items are arranged on the scale based more on size than anything. Small gold, aluminum, and lead reads very low, and larger gold, aluminum, and lead tends to read in the low to middle portion of the scale. Those who chase these low end targets run into another problem with ferrous. Very small gold, lead, aluminum, and other small non-ferrous low conductors actually overlap with small ferrous items and so the clean ferrous to non-ferrous "breakpoint" does not actually exist,. The breakpoint is more of a "breakzone" i.e. a fuzzy zone where items overlap. The ground itself contains ferrous materials in the form of iron minerals. Ground minerals can act to confuse the detector further, enhancing the chance that a small non-ferrous reading will be interpreted as ferrous. Another way to say that is that in highly mineralized ground the overlap between ferrous and non-ferrous targets gets larger. The ground mineralization is critical to how this all works and so air testing is not recommended for testing the ferrous/non-ferrous overlap region on any particular detector. Note that this does not apply just to very small items. The deeper an item is, the smaller it appears to a detector. In other words a deep large item can sound just like a shallow small item. When you bury items of any size in highly iron mineralized ground, the deeper they are, the more chance the ground mineral signal will overlap and cause the item to read as ferrous right at the edge of detection range. Fisher F75 metal detector The early model discrimination detectors usually had a knob that adjusted all the discrimination. Everything below the knob setting was ignored, and everything above the setting accepted. The discrimination pioneers rapidly discovered that the dividing line between ferrous and non-ferrous is "fuzzy". The knobs could be set to reject nearly all ferrous readings, but then some good non-ferrous targets would get missed. The solution was to use a little bit lower discrimination setting, which meant more ferrous trash was dug, but more non-ferrous items were revealed. Managing the ferrous to non-ferrous breakpoint is critical. There is no setting that rejects all ferrous while detecting all non-ferrous, and the more mineralized the ground is, the less reliable the settings become. As a rule of thumb, the more aggressive the iron rejection, the more chance of non-ferrous items being misidentified. Detector technology advanced, and tone schemes were developed that divide the discrimination scale up into segments or "bins" where all numbers within a specific range make a specific tone. These tone schemes are often preset at the factory. The ranges can be arbitrary and arranged in many ways, but all share one common factor. Where is the setting that divides low ferrous tones from the higher non-ferrous tones? This is the "ferrous breakpoint". Everything below this point will give a "ferrous tone" and everything higher a "non-ferrous tone". The detector engineers are well aware of the overlap between ferrous and non-ferrous items. In choosing one setting to define what is in reality a zone the engineers have to make a hard choice. If the setting is too low, the operator will get many non-ferrous readings that turn out to be ferrous. That really irritates people. Or they can set the breakpoint higher. That way less ferrous gets dug. Some good non-ferrous items will also be missed, but only in the rarest cases does anyone ever know what they are missing. The odds are there will be more complaints if the ferrous breakpoint is too low than too high. The goal is not to find every non-ferrous item, but to keep from digging too much trash identified as good. This diagram is shows the common discrimination range employed in nearly all metal detectors. This particular model (Garrett) sets 40 as the point where ferrous items separate from non-ferrous items. Yet the chart reveals the overlap zone runs from about 35 to 45, a solid ten point spread. Small gold can identify as ferrous, especially in iron mineralized ground. Many detectors identify this zone on the meter via overlapping diagonal lines. The ferrous/non-ferrous overlap region What this means is that any detector that employs a preset tone scheme with no ability to adjust the "ferrous tone breakpoint" is assured to be missing at least some items due to an overly aggressive setting dialed in at the factory. This was eventually recognized, and now quite a few detectors allow the point where ferrous tones flip to non-ferrous tones to be adjusted. Some models are now even allowing for multiple volume controls for each separate tone, are at least the ferrous tone. This is most often called a "ferrous volume" setting. The Fisher F75 is an earlier tone based model and as such the tone schemes are preset at the factory. You can choose between the schemes, but the tone settings of where the tones occur cannot be adjusted. The F75 employs a target id scale that ranges from 1 to 99 with the 0 - 15 range defined as ferrous. From the F75 Users Manual page 20: 1. 1-7 iron 2. 8-15 iron 3. 16-20 foil 4. 21-25 foil 5. 26-30 nickel 6. 31-35 nickel 7. 36-45 tab 8. 46-55 tab 9. 56-60 zinc 10. 61-65 zinc and from page 25: F75 OBJECT AND TARGET I.D. Most iron objects 4-12 foil from gum wrapper 16-25 U.S. nickel (5¢ coin) typically 30 aluminum pull-tab 33-55 aluminum screw cap 60 - 70 zinc penny (dated after 1982) typically 60 aluminum soda pop can most often 63-69, but can vary widely copper penny, clad dime typically 70 U.S. quarter (25¢ coin), clad typically 80 50¢ coin, modern clad typically 86 old silver dollar coin typically 90 US silver Eagle $1 coin typically 91 The implication is that non-ferrous items will only read 16 and above. Any readings of 15 and lower are deemed ferrous. The F75 has several preset tone schemes, the basics being monotone, two tone, three tone, four tone, and Delta Pitch (separate tone for each target id number i.e. multitone). The quirk is simple. The two, three, and four tone schemes all have a non-adjustable factory preset low tone for ferrous at 15 and below. The tone schemes override any other discriminations settings. In other words, if you have manually set the discrimination for ferrous to be a lower setting, switching to any two, three, or four tone scheme will automatically change the low tone setting to be at 15 and lower. The problem is that with time it was revealed that the F75 will detect some non-ferrous items at much lower settings than 16. Tom Dankowski finally put it all together and determined that a reading of 7 or higher would reveal additional non-ferrous items that are rejected when the setting is at 15. Tom's recommendation for the F75 while hunting ferrous is therefore to not use the tones, but to use the monotone setting and adjust the discrimination manually to 6. That way items 7 and higher signal as a non-ferrous target instead of delivering a low ferrous tone via the tone schemes. Again, going to a tone setting will automatically override a manual discrimination setting if one has been set. Tom wrote this all up as a great article in the 2009 Fisher Labs World Treasure News on page 11. I actually had the chance to see this in person in my own use of the F75. Early on I trusted the tone settings and two tone is quite handy for those simply wanting to dig all non-ferrous. Yet on my trip to England with the F75 I encountered a mystery. A gold coin was found and another F75 newbie was telling me about how he tested it with his F75 and it gave a nice ferrous tone. He was quite upset and worried his detector was defective. He did not have the coin however and so I could not see what he was describing and at the time I have to admit I was clueless. I know now that he was using tones, and that the gold coin was reading lower than 16 and so being identified as ferrous! My early use of the F75 was more for gold nuggets, and I usually used all metal mode. Yet my favorite feature on the F75 was full time target id while in all metal mode. My method was to acquire all targets, then dig any that flickered even once above my mental ferrous breakpoint. Unfortunately I leaned too much on the user manual initially and tended to pass on targets reading under 16. My early writing on the subject reflected that. After I discovered on my own that gold was reading lower I started adjusting my mental settings lower. Then I bumped into Tom's writing on the subject and it all came together. The bottom line in that non-ferrous items can read as low as 7 on the F75 yet the ferrous tone break is set at 15. This is just fine for most Park coin detecting, but problematic for those hunting low conductors of any sort or coins in dense ferrous. Either use monotone and decide where you want the setting to be (6 as Tom recommends or maybe somewhere in between 6 and 15 if 6 has you digging too much trash) or hunt in all metal and use the target id numbers to decide when to dig keeping in mind non-ferrous can read lower than 16, especially in high mineral ground. This is not a flaw in the F75 but just a function of any detector using a preset tone scheme. There are many detectors like this on the market. They tend to be less expensive models, or older models, as most new detectors now feature an adjustable tone break for the ferrous/non-ferrous overlap zone. Another take on the subject. And down the rabbit hole - Tune Out Nails - You Will Miss Gold! Fisher F75 Information Page
  4. Benchtesting Rocks & Minerals with an F75 Metal Detector Introduction From the earliest time when we were aware of our surroundings, most of us looked for pretty rocks. We wondered what interesting or valuable minerals might possibly comprise them. Now as adult hobbyists, I doubt if any of us hasn’t benchtested an interesting rock from curiosity, and wondered what actually produced the signal. Although a sensitive benchtest usually has little in common with how marginally conductive rocks and minerals respond to metal detectors in the field due to ground effects, we can learn and become familiar with how rocks and minerals in our respective areas respond to metal detectors in a benchtest. A sensitive metal detector’s electromagnetic field penetrates rocks, usually generating either a positive or a negative signal in response to whatever material is in the rock. We can sometimes determine whether such signals should be investigated further, or whether worthless iron minerals produced them. I’d generally describe my benchtest results as worthwhile and informative, but that notwithstanding, I look forward to doing a benchtest because I think it is an intriguing study on its own merit. That said, how do you conduct a benchtest? I’ll describe my methods and hopefully we’ll see what you think about it. Benchtest Requirements and Techniques Benchtesting ideally requires a visually displayed, fully calibrated, manually adjustable ground balance that covers the entire (soil) mineral range from salt to ferrite. As a minimum, the detector should feature a threshold-based true motion all-metal mode, and preferably an additional true non-motion all-metal mode for significantly improved sensitivity to borderline samples. Visual displays in either of the true all-metal modes are essential for target ID, Fe3O4 magnetic susceptibility and GB readouts. I prefer a small (concentric) coil to promote detector stability and improve sensitivity to the rock sample, to ensure uniform sample exposure to the coil, and to minimize EMI (electromagnetic interference) especially if benchtesting at home. Elevate the sensitivity control as high as possible while maintaining reasonable detector stability such that you can clearly hear changes to the threshold. To check for a target ID, move the sample back and forth across the coil at a distance that produces the best signal but does not overload the coil. To determine ground balance and Fe3O4 readouts, advance the sample toward the coil, back and forth to within an inch or two (depending on sample size and signal strength) of the coil’s electrical sweetspot. Ensure your hand does not come within detection range of the coil to avoid creating false signals. If you extend your fingers to hold the sample, this is not an issue when testing larger samples. If necessary use a plastic or wood food holder that can firmly grasp small samples. Benchtests should be conducted utilizing a minimum of two widely diverse GB control adjustments. Initially I prefer the same GB control adjustment that is typically required to keep my detector ground-balanced to the substrates in my prospecting areas. It’s a personal preference that works for me. That particular GB control point (F75 / GB86) is more likely to improve any rock or mineral sample’s signal strength compared to using a more reduced (more conductive) GB compensation point. The next step is to use a dramatically reduced GB control adjustment (F75 / GB45) as suggested by Fisher Research Engineering. This setting ensures that (obviously weathered) oxidized samples do not generate a positive signal from any type of non-conductive iron mineral inclusions, particularly maghemite mineralization that may be present within such rocks. It follows that this second benchtest will, if anything, slightly subtract from the sample signal strength, particularly with low grade and otherwise marginally conductive samples, compared to the first step of the benchtest at GB86. As a general rule, I do not recommend the F75 / GB45 compensation point for benchtesting (non-oxidized) mafic samples that are dominated by constituents such as common magnetite or other black minerals that normally support highly (non-conductive) elevated GB readouts. Such samples can produce strong negative threshold responses at the reduced GB compensation point. It will be difficult or impossible for the signal from a marginally conductive substance to successfully compete with those negative threshold signals. For non-oxidized samples Fisher Research Engineering suggests using F75 / GB65 rather than the F75 / GB45 compensation point, since obvious iron mineral oxidation should visually be absent from such samples. With the above discussion in mind, extremely fine-grained, unweathered magnetite that occurs in pyroclastic material (for example volcanic ash) can drop into the GB45 range, but it is extremely rare. Unweathered volcanics do frequently drop into the GB70's due to submicron magnetite, but the recommended F75 / GB65 compensation point will eliminate those positive signals. The arsenopyrite sample depicted above is a good example of a commonplace mineral that we encounter in the silverfields of northeastern Ontario. Generally field examples could be described as marginally conductive and many are low-grade. A good many react with only a mild positive signal, and sometimes not at all to a benchtest depending on which GB compensation point is used. The high-grade, solidly structured sample above produces a strong positive signal in either zero discrimination or true motion all-metal mode with the ground balance control adjusted to the GB compensation point required for our moderately high mineralized soils. As noted, that’s approximately F75 / GB86, although in the field, of course, it varies somewhat depending on location and coil type / size employed. The response is not as strong as a similar size and shape metalliferous sample would produce, but it does generate a surprisingly strong benchtest signal that would be readily detectable in the field. Even with the GB control dramatically reduced to more conductive values (F75 / GB45), to ensure that any positive signals produced by non-conductive iron mineral inclusions should now only produce a negative threshold signal, it is no surprise that this (non-oxidized) specimen continues to generate a strong signal. For those readers unfamiliar with detector responses to such minerals, the same general response scenario described above with arsenopyrite applies to other marginally conductive minerals such as galena, pyrrhotite and to a lesser extent even iron pyrites. Ordinary iron pyrites is generally innocuous, but maghemitized pyrite, pyrrhotite, and the copper sulfide ores, particularly bornite and chalcocite, can be a real nuisance in the field due to magnetic susceptibility, magnetic viscosity, and / or electrical conductivity, just depending on what minerals are involved. Such variable responses from arsenopyrite and many other mineral and metalliferous examples clearly infer that signal strength and potential target ID depends on a sample’s physical and chemical characteristics, including the quantity of material within a given rock. These factors include structure, size, shape, purity (overall grade), and magnetic susceptible strength of iron mineral inclusions. Moreover, the VLF detector’s sensitivity, the GB compensation points employed, the coil type and size, and the sample profile presented to the coil further influence benchtest target signal strength and / or potential target ID readouts. Incidentally, neither of my PI units will respond to the arsenopyrite sample depicted above, even with a TDI Pro equipped with a small round 5” mono coil, the GB control turned off, and a 10 usec pulse delay to deliver its most sensitive detection capability. That result is typical of most, but certainly not all sulfides and arsenides that occur in my areas. Higher grade and solidly structured pyrrhotite, an unwelcome nuisance iron sulfide, and collectible niccolite, a nickel arsenide, are commonplace mineral occurrences here that do respond strongly to PI units, although their respective VLF target ID ranges are quite different. As a related but slight diversion, the photo below depicts a handsome example of the widely occurring mineral sphalerite. It forms in both sedimentary beds, and in low temperature ore veins. It is interesting to collectors because it possesses a dodecahedral cleavage which means that it breaks smoothly in twelve directions, and it is usually triboluminescent, meaning that it gives off a flash of light when struck sharply. Like many desirable minerals lurking in prospecting country, unfortunately sphalerite doesn’t react to metal detectors. A Final Word The foregoing is intended to illustrate that sensitive metal detectors can be utilized as a supplementary tool to assist with evaluating rocks and minerals. There is no question that the benchtest has serious limitations, particularly if trying to distinguish positive signals produced by some types of iron mineral inclusions from weak conductive signals. That notwithstanding, a positive signal that persists below the F75 / GB45 compensation point cannot be confused with iron mineral negative threshold signals produced at that same compensation point. Therefore a positive signal merits further investigation. Such signals are almost certain to be generated by a marginally conductive mineral or a metalliferous substance. On the more interpretive side of a benchtest, we need to point out that weak positive signals from lower-grade samples of minerals such as arsenopyrite, galena, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, and doubtless a few others, may disappear well before the GB control is reduced to the F75 / GB45 compensation point. We learn early that benchtests are frequently equivocal and require interpretation based on any further evidence that might support the benchtest result. Look for iron oxidation in addition to structural or other physical evidence as described above that could explain why a sample reacts as it does to a metal detector. Jim.
  5. Found this on eBay and confirmed that it is only 1 of 4 made. I know Russ B. Owns one. This guy stumbled in into his on the FB marketplace and then discovered how rare it is. I think the bottom line may be a bit ambitious, but who knows.
  6. Is anyone going to get the new Fisher F75 Plus? They sure put together a nice kit at a good price. thanks Bill
  7. I have a feeling it FT is about to rock the detector world, they have been too quiet for too long. They have some of if not the best detector engineers in the world, they have lowered prices on the F75/T2 platform to a level that is bringing them into the mid-level machine price range, even though they they are still at the top performance wise. FT is behind in the all terrain business but that wont last long and I think you will see a repackaged waterproof F75/T2 machine very soon and a true game changer shortly there after. I had an Equinox on pre-order but other than being waterproof (which I really don't need), my F75 LTD SE has more depth and is plenty fast for my hunting, thus I canceled my order. I am going to wait and see what FT has up their sleeve, until then I will keep going behind the latest and greatest machines and dig what they can't hear.
  8. I owned and used several of the old 1200 series Fishers and the 1236x2 was my favorite detector ever. Like a dummy I sold it. Does anyone have any guesses what a 1236x2 in very good condition would sell for today? Might want to invest in another one. All estimates are welcome. Thanks, Keith
  9. Been watching and waiting for another Goldstrike to come up for sale... Got lucky and finally found one, a new one for under $300 with the 10" coil. Yippe for me. I know many don't like it but I do. This will be my third one. I'll make a me a bag to mount it under the arm rest. Turn it on, set it up and go. I'm stoked. HH MIke
  10. Should I buy a Fisher Gold Strike and will it work on Bradshaw for nuggets
  11. Hi Steve, I recently acquired a Fisher Goldstrike metal detector at a really good price. I know it's a older machine, what's your thoughts on the machine-good,bad or ugly. Is it a decent machine for gold,coins,relics or all the above. Also lastly please give me the strong points and the weak points of the machine, any information would be very helpful. Thank You Very Much, Keith
  12. (I moved the conversation over here since it was going off-topic.) In the above thread, relicmeister mentions that he put the Teknetics Omega ("frat brothers") 5in X 10in DD coil on his F75 and it worked fine. I expressed surprise and a motivation to try that out myself. I can now confirm that my Fisher Gold Bug 5"x10" DD works on my F75. I'm going to investigate further. I have both 5" round DD and 7"x11" DD for both these detectors. I'm curious to see if I can find any differences when mounted on the F75. Different ground balance numbers? Different TiD values? Different sensitivity (depth)? I also have an inductance meter so I'll make some measurements of the coils on the bench and see how different that important characteristic is. This might shed some light on why to swap works. Stay tuned.
  13. An acquaintance has asked if I'd help him find some shotguns he buried several years ago. They are wrapped in oilcloths, sealed in PVC pipes (~3 in = 7.5 cm diameter) and buried about 20 inches (half meter) deep according to him. He says he can show me the approximate location within about 10 m. If all this is accurate it seems like an easy task.... Then again, he also said someone in his family (without him being present) tried to find them with a detector and couldn't. That could be due to a lot of reasons as I'm sure you are already thinking, but my concern is that they may be buried more deeply than he remembers. Which of the following would be your first choice? 1) TDI/SPP with 12 in round mono and 16 V battery pack. 2) X-Terra 705 w/15 in Coiltek 3kHz. 3) Gold Bug Pro (19 kHz) w/15 in Nel Attack. 4) F75 black (13 kHz) w/11x7 in^2 coil operating in cache process. Assuming he has the time and patience I'm going to have all four with me to do a comparison, but I'd like to start with the one that gives me the best chance. Your advice is appreciated.
  14. Apparently this is my day for questions.... Although this could be a general question, I'm asking here because Fisher has two similarly looking detectors: Gemini-3 for treasure and TW-6 for pipe and cable locating (in their Industrial Division). I seem to recall other manufacturers (possibly Garrett) at least in the past having similar differenced models. My main question is: will the TW-6 do everything the Gemini-3 does? I'm pretty sure the Gemini-3 will not do everything the TW-6 does, but I'm not interested in locating pipes,... While I'm at it -- one more question. I know these are old designs, from back in the 70's or before. With all the new advances in detectors (particularly PI's), have these two-box T/R detectors been rendered obsolete? My guess is 'no' since they are still being made and sold, but sometimes that is a bad conclusion.
  15. No real information yet but this was just posted to the Fisher Facebook page. The Fisher F75+ is on the way! The Fisher F75 is the company's flagship model, and so I assume this is an update with some sort of additional features, otherwise we would be looking at a different model name. Time will tell.
  16. First Texas has reinstated their F75 upgrade program http://www.fisherlab.com/hobby/upgrade.htm I have an older LTD model, any reason not to upgrade? Tim
  17. I've linked to a thread I started in July. I finally (after over 3 1/2 months, most of which were bone dry) returned to see if I could squeeze a few more old coins out of this site. At the time of my earlier searching the parks department had fenced off a large coniferous tree to prevent the demolition crew from damaging its roots. That had kept me out of that area as well. Now with fence removed I decided to see if my good fortune in the rest of the recently acquired lot could be supplemented. I was not disappointed. Fisher F75, gain of 50, 4H tones ('H' meaning US nickels hit on a high tone, with copper and silver), 5 inch DD coil, either de (default) mode or fa (fast) mode (both filtered discrimiation side) depending upon the amount of iron trash (nails). Supplement that with my now favorites: White's Prostar headphones and White's TRX pinpointer. I was able to get in 8 1/2 hours over the weekend before the stormy weather arrived. I didn't start under the tree but rather along the street curb, some of which I had searched once (without too much success) and some virgin. After 2 1/2 hours with nothing more than a Zincoln to show for the effort I switched over to the unsearched area under the tree. It didn't take long for the production to result. Deepest coin (Wheatie) was 5 inches; compare that with the deepest ring tab of 6 inches. Even though I was running at a gain of 50 compared to July hunts' 70 I was finding targets at similar depth. Most pennies were in the 3-4 inch range. The silver dime (1945 plain -- see photo below) was only 2 inches deep. So much for the theory that coins always sink considerably with time. Over 50 years in the ground and only down 2 inches. I added 14 more Wheats to the 36 I had found there in July, and my 5th silver coin (3rd Merc) from this reclaimed lot. The sterling ring was also under the tree, likely dropped by a child many decades ago. With a severe storm approaching (my several hundred $ lightening indicator told me so ) I worked my way to the car, but dragged the coil along the edge of a couple sidewalks to see if anything jumped out. With minutes to spare before the skies opened I got a strong but inconsistent ID signal. I guessed either a nickel or a pulltab, got a low but clear signal from the TRX, and dug down about 3 inches to find... gold! 16 grams of 14kt. I told my wife that my best find ever won't be staying with me for long. The owner's full name is inscribed on the inner surface so shouldn't be too hard to locate.
  18. I missed this video when it came out. It is well done however so I am posting it now - better late than never! Slick little detector for only $309.00. Fisher F44 Owner's Manual
  19. I have the Fisher F75 black which comes with both the standard 7in X 11in DD and the 5 inch round DD. They also make a 3 in X 6 in DD (among others). I like coils but don't like wasting $. My question is simply: "Is it likely I'll be able to see much difference (in the positive direction, that is!) if I buy the 3x6?" I have read a couple posts on another forum reviewing the F75 3x6 coil positively, but I don't know if those people actually had the 5 inch for comparison. BTW, I'd be happy to hear responses from those who have used 3x6 coils, whether or not they've used the Fisher. For example, the White's MXT has both a 3x6 and a 5.3 (the latter a concentric, though).
  20. Both the F75 and T2 have suped up 'black' versions which have processes called 'boost' and 'cache' that their basic versions don't have. Sometimes they used 'limited' and 'special edition' to distinguish these, but I don't think those always go hand-in-hand. Nominally the basic F75 has a gold colored upper shaft while the T2's equivalent is green. But has that always been the case? I.e. if a unit has a black shaft (and of course if someone hasn't simply swapped it in for a colored one), does that unit have boost+cache processes? The reason I ask is for potentially buying a used one (e.g. on Ebay). A lot of times it's easier to just figure out from a picture what a seller has than trying to get an answer out of him/her. Often the seller doesn't know what s/he has. I've seen on more than one occasion where a question tipped off a seller that s/he had a more valuable unit than thought, with the result being the item being pulled and later mysteriously relisted with a higher asking (or starting in the case of auction) price. I realize I could e-mail First Texas, but on the one hand they don't make a dime if I buy used, and the one time I wrote them with a question (about if a detector could be damaged getting close to a strong magnetic field) it took several days for a person (turned out to be a sales person) to answer, and even that was terse and, IMO, not sufficiently detailed. Besides, often readers & posters here know as much or more on technical issues than 95% of the people who work at these companies!
  21. Yes, it's Steve!!!!!!!!!!!! https://web.archive.org/web/20130508060926/http:/www.troycustomdetectors.com:80/reviews/x5-herschbach-review.html
  22. Fisher just dropped the price of the F75 Ltd (also known as the Special Edition) from $1099 to $799. This is the most deluxe version of the F75 that comes with two coils, the 11" x 7" DD and 5" round DD. The F75 was an offshoot of the Teknetics T2, which although intended for coin and relic detecting, became a bestseller in Africa for gold nugget detecting. The F75 is every bit as capable and I found quite a bit of gold with mine. The Gold Bug Pro is the better choice for most people, at a lower price and with a bit more hots for gold, but for those wanting a top of the line do-it-all machine the F75 Ltd has been Fishers answer for many years now. I always appreciated the T2/F75 ergonomics, which as far as I am concerned still set the standard for what feels best on my arm. The F75 weighs more than a DEUS, but shows just how important proper balance is. The question of course is - why a $300 price drop? Fisher did drop the price of the base F75 some time ago to $599 and left the F75 way up there, so it may have been too much differential, hurting Ltd sales. There are the persistent rumors of new Fiser models in the pipeline, and this may be a clear the decks thing. I tend to think the previous price drops in the base T2 and F75 were a response to aggressively priced models from Nokta and Makro. That this price decrease comes immediately on the heels of the introduction of the Nokta Impact at $849 does not seem to be a coincidence to me. That may be the case, but inside I am hoping it is more a sign of new models to come. Regardless, killer price for a great detector package! I have been thinking for a couple years that with competition heating up we would start seeing prices finally come down. When I look at the T2 in particular I am amazed at how much detector we can get now for only $499. Probably the best bargain in detectors right now. Now if Fisher would just drop the price of the Fisher F19. I like that machine but at $699 the price is nuts now compared to the other models.
  23. Been using both the White TDI Sl and ML Xterra 705 with 5x9 coils here in the California Mother Lode and along the Klamath and Trinity Rivers. Between the two detectors been able to handle the ground conditions. Lots of magnetite. Use the TDI Sl over the serpentine. Heavy thick brush, steep terrain, occasional old cabin and tent sites from 1850 through the Depression Era into 1950's. The smaller coils are a must, just can't sweep the larger coils on the steep brushy slopes. Been looking at the Fisher F19 and F75 which both seem comparable to the Xterra 705. Like the option of searching for coins & relics while detecting for gold when an old camp site is discovered. After reading several of Steve's articles on the Fisher Series and Xterra, here is what I think I have learned: The F19 at 19 kHz and Xterra 705 are very close except the Xterra multi-frequency coils selection ( 3, 7.5 & 18.75 kHz); the only waterproof Xterra coils is the 6"; all Fisher coils are waterproof. Not sure if the F19 displays discrim target id in true all metal mode; the Xterra 705 does not. The F19 is a little pricey compared to the Xterra 705. The F75 at 15 KHz 13 kHz in true all metal mode will indicate discrim target id. The Xterra 705 does not display target Id in the prospecting true all metal mode; requires you to toggle over to Coin/Relic Discrim mode for target id resulting in a loss of detecting depth. The F75 Discrim notching is limited compared to the Xterra 705. The F75 apparently has a history of EMI problems; the Xterra does not. The Xterra with a 18.75 KHZ coil runs a little hot for coins and relics but works. The F75 apparent ability to separate out good targets in trashy areas may be a big plus over the Xterra. The F75 stock coil ( 8x11?) may work in the brush. The current base F75 and Xterra 705 price are the same; the F75 Limited Editions $ 250 plus higher. Often switch from Prospecting mode and use the Discrim notching feature on the Xterra 705 then toggle between the notch and all metal to weed out the iron using target id when in trashy old mining camps. ( Use the Garrett AT Pro in pro mode when strictly coin/relic hunting; great target separation; iron audio; but no true all metal mode for prospecting.) Do not know enough about the F75 Limited Edition Boost/ Cache features to decide if they will be useful. Use the TDI Sl detecting for nuggets under a gram so the Fisher F75 15kHz is not an issue. Really like the F75 feature of displaying discrim target id in the true all metal mode; current pricing on the base F75 with two coils at $599 is hard to pass up. Have drop the F19 from the list. Any opinions and experience with the Fisher F75 compared to the Minelab Xterra 705 are welcomed. Keep in mind on the west coast during the gold rush US coins were in short supply; some military buckles from the war with Mexico were exchanged for trade goods. Let me know what you think and keep Santa out of this; on the wrong list. Good prospecting & detecting To all you devil dogs out there, have a Merry Christmas where ever you may be. Semper Fi
  24. Hi steve and members, can the coils from the gold bug series be used on the go ldstrike, thanks all for your imput. lennie-downunder.
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