All Roads Lead To First Texas

[Redneck]

I used an F70 back in the day for about a year.  I replaced it with a Safari, and never went back to Fisher. 

[wltdwiz]

i jumped its on its way yay

was 1 of my favorite machines

what a deal

thanks steve for posting this

[RickUK]

47 minutes ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Per designer Dave Johnson:

Posted by: Dave J.
Date: September 24, 2015 08:59AM

"Cache mode" on most F75 and T2 versions is very similar to "Slow mode" on the F70. The response is slow, with improved sensitivity to large deep targets. However this means that the signals from shallow targets will smear, with a cost in both sensitivity and in ability to discriminate and ID targets. Shallow targets will do better in cache/slow mode if you slow down to a crawl, but the default and boost modes work better for the shallower stuff. And, if you really do want best response on deep stuff, all metals mode goes deeper than disc mode. For finding the deep stuff, an alternative to Cache/Slow mode is to search in Boost mode all metals, then switch to disc when you suspect you're fighting trash. ........Another way to deal with shallower stuff is to search in Cache/Slow mode with the searchcoil lofted several inches above the ground. This will result in a big cut in response to shallow trash, but perhaps more importantly it will achieve a large reduction in ground mineral interference (since ground itself is the shallowest target) and in mineralized ground will usually enable deeper detection than if you were scrubbing the surface in a misguided attempt to "get as close as possible to the deep targets".

SUMMARIZING: Cache/Slow mode is basically for locating large deep stuff in areas where there's not so much trash as to defeat the enterprise.”

@Numero uno,Steve,many thanks for that reply,that was the information that i needed.....thanks again.

[abcoin]

I picked up one of these F70s even though I already have an F75 (and a Deus 2, lol) just to see what it's capable of.

As others have said, the all metal mode should be excellent. There's also a lot on the forums about its nuances, from Dave J's posts to Digger27's extensive experiments and experiences. I've only gotten out one time with it so far but it found me some three-ringers at a place I'd gone over with more expensive machines.

For $199, it's fun to pick one up and see just how it stacks up to machines that cost several times more. 

[Jeff McClendon]

On 3/6/2024 at 3:20 PM, Steve Herschbach said:

And that is the long way of saying they have to practically give these things away now to sell them.

I fell for it.  Not the F70 though. I sent them an offer of $250 with free USA shipping for a brand new F19 with the coveted (by me anyway) 10X5" coil and they accepted. Some of you know how much of a sucker I am for the F19/Gold Bug Pro/Tek G2+ platform. I guess I could have offered less and they would have accepted........

At that price I could just keep it hanging on the wall as a piece of nostalgic art but I know I will use it sometimes. The knobs and that threshold based all metal mode are too tempting.

[GB_Amateur]

The Fisher Gold Bug Pro (twin sister of the F19) has a special place in my memory (and detector closet) since it re-introduced me to detecting in 2015 after ~35 year hiatus.

Last weekend my neighbor saw me coming back from a 'hunt' and asked me to find his property line stake.  He showed me its approximate location which was close to both a metal light pole and metal utility box cover.  Out comes the Fisher F75 with tiny 4"x6" concentric coil -- the right tool for the job.  I quickly located two screamer hits, one being the desired target.

First Texas gets a lot of negative criticism here, some of it justified and other just sharks in a feeding frenzy after seeing blood in the water.  As others (e.g. El Nino77 recently) have noted, we can be thankful for some great products they've produced over the years that are still getting the job done.  Your F19 is certainly one of those.

[Steve Herschbach]

3 hours ago, GB_Amateur said:

just sharks in a feeding frenzy after seeing blood in the water

Fairly damning indictment of the members. Frankly I've observed little of that. Most of the criticism is warranted and generally motivated by a desire to see the company do better, not to tear it down. I'd love for First Texas to succeed, but they have been their own worst enemy for a decade now.

Yeah, the Gold Bug/F19/G2, one of the best little machines ever made. A blast to use and quite effective for what it is designed to do.

 

 

[phrunt]

I'm sure you'll have some fun with your F19 Jeff, but I think your memory of the Gold Bug's maybe fonder than it probably should be.   I have my favourite coils on it, the Snake, Sharpshooter and Detech Ultimate, the Fisher 10x5", 5" and 11" yet it rarely if ever gets used, other detectors are just better.

It's fun to take it out every once in a while to stop the motor seizing up, but not a detector I'd choose to use and can't think of any reason I'd use it in a serious manor over my other better detectors.

For a single frequency it's Target ID's are fantastic though, far superior to the T2, a better coin machine for parks than a gold machine, I think.

[Steve Herschbach]

10 minutes ago, phrunt said:

can't think of any reason I'd use it in a serious manor over my other better detectors

Probably the best EMI friendly machine I have ever used due to the 19 kHz frequency missing almost all the interference that's out there.

[phrunt]

6 minutes ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Probably the best EMI friendly machine I have ever used due to the 19 kHz frequency missing almost all the interference that's out there.

Manticore 20kHz, noise cancel.  Beaten by a mile. 

But yes, compared to many detectors its the best, even for use near electric fences, I was using it with the Snake with success.

For the price it's a winner, but it's more does someone with more modern more expensive detectors need it.