David Johnson Passes

[Geotech]

I am told that David passed away today (1/3). As most people know, David design many popular and successful models for Fisher (12xx series, CZ series, TW6/Gemini 3), Tesoro (Lobo ST and Diablo uMax), White's (GMT & MXT), Troy (Shadow X5), and First Texas (T2, F75, and the basis for most of the intermediate models like the F2/F4/F5, F19, Gold Bug, etc). For the past several years he's been in poor health and often needed assistance for everyday living. Nevertheless, he continued to work on metal detector designs as much as he could because that's what he liked to do.

Personally, I first met David at the Mesa Gold show in 2000 and we chatted up metal detector design. At the time he was either working with Tesoso or White's, but was visiting the Fisher booth. Afterwards, we stayed in touch on detector forums exchanging design ideas until I joined FTP 11 years ago. Unfortunately, we really didn't get the chance to do much together at FTP as he was working on MF and I was doing a security walk-thru and other PI work. He will be missed.

 

[Robert Eaton Jr]

Rip I love my f75 and fpulse. He left a great legacy.

[snakejim]

4 hours ago, Geotech said:

I am told that David passed away today (1/3). As most people know, David design many popular and successful models for Fisher (12xx series, CZ series, TW6/Gemini 3), Tesoro (Lobo ST and Diablo uMax), White's (GMT & MXT), Troy (Shadow X5), and First Texas (T2, F75, and the basis for most of the intermediate models like the F2/F4/F5, F19, Gold Bug, etc). For the past several years he's been in poor health and often needed assistance for everyday living. Nevertheless, he continued to work on metal detector designs as much as he could because that's what he liked to do.

Personally, I first met David at the Mesa Gold show in 2000 and we chatted up metal detector design. At the time I think he was still with the old Fisher. Afterwards, we stayed in touch on detector forums exchanging design ideas until I joined FTP 11 years ago. Unfortunately, we really didn't get the chance to do much together at FTP as he was working on MF and I was doing a security walk-thru and other PI work. He will be missed.

 

I'm sorry to hear that. I went to the Fisher Factory in Los Banos California with my old friend and mentor "Woody" Woodworth sometime in the late 1980s and met with Dave Johnson the Engineer and Jim Lewellen the manager. Dave designed the Original Fisher Gold Bug. The Original Gold Bug was the Best VLF Nugget detector in the world at that time. There is no telling how many pounds of Gold was found by those that used one. When the Los Banos factory closed, Dave went to the the New Fisher factory in El Paso Texas and continued his work until a few years ago. I kept in touch with Dave by phone and email until a couple years ago, when he didn't answer my emails any longer. He will be missed.

[Steve Herschbach]

Thanks for letting us know Carl. Sad news indeed. Dave and I used to communicate sporadically back in the day but I also have not heard from him in years.

"Dave Johnson" detectors were key in both my metal detecting world and business world. As a dealer I was a Tesoro Gold Star Dealer for many years based almost entirely on sales of Dave's Tesoro Lobo SuperTRAQ. Similarly I sold a huge number of Fisher detectors but they were almost all the Dave Johnson Gold Bug 2. I'd bring them in 50 at a time. And with White's almost all my sales were Dave's MXT and GMT. I was not so much a metal detector dealer for the brands as I was a supplier of Dave Johnson metal detectors. This was because of my location in Alaska and almost everyone wanting a detector that was good on gold in some way, and when it came to VLF nugget detecting Dave's designs ruled almost exclusively for over 20 years. The Gold Bug 2 is one of the longest running production models ever made, over 30 years in production now.

Dave cared a lot about ergonomics. Both his original analog 19 kHz Gold Bug and the F75 set new design standards emulated by many companies. To this day I consider the F75 the most pleasant swinging detector I have ever used. The Gold Bug hip mount / chest mount / rod mount design lives on until this very day in the Gold Bug 2 and is now rather unique in that capability.

The MXT I consider to be the first true multipurpose model in that it was superb at almost every facet of metal detecting. The processor based ability to flip a switch and have a different detector, something now taken for granted, was groundbreaking at the time. The MXT had almost the perfect melding of a microprocessor design operated by switches and knobs, affording an ease of operation lost in todays menu driven control schemes. What is accomplished now with several button pushes and submenus was accomplished on the MXT with a quick nudge of a knob.

I used Dave's detectors and not only found many pounds of gold with them but many great coin, jewelry, and relics finds also. The Gold Bug 2, F75, and MXT are among my all time favorite detectors. Long story Dave left a massive impact and legacy in metal detector history with designs used and employed by many people who never heard his name.

Rest in peace Dave. Here is a copy of my post from 2014 recognizing his contributions, now a memorial:

 

Lots of people may think they have owned a Fisher, Tesoro, White's, or other brand detector, when in fact they really owned a Dave Johnson Detector. The companies came and went but the mind behind many of the best detectors ever made belonged to Dave Johnson. He was like a professional gunslinger that everyone hired at one time or another.

From Interview with Dave Johnson at https://www.fisherlab.com.ua/downloads/documents/journals/Interview-with-Dave.pdf

Many of the people reading this interview unknowingly own products of your design. Would you mind listing them?

My first metal detector (in 1971) was a portable experimental vehicle detector for use on roadway loops. It discriminated between cars and trucks, but to become a practical product would have required a lot of development and nobody was interested in investing in it.

Fisher in California: 1260, 1220, 1210, 1235, 1225, 1212, 1265, 1266, CZ6, CZ5, CZ20, original Gold Bug, Gold Bug II, Gemini, and industrial instruments including TW6, FX3, XLT-16, PF-18, and circuitry of the TW-770.

Tesoro: Diablo MicroMax, Lobo SuperTraq.

White's: GMT, MXT, analog circuitry of DFX, Beach Hunter and PCL-600 line tracer.

Troy: X-5 and X-3.

FTP Bounty Hunter: major revisions to existing platforms most of which originated with George Payne. The BH Junior, Platinum, Gold and security wand (sold under various trademarks) were new designs.

FTP Teknetics: T2, Alpha, Delta, Gamma, Omega, G2.

FTP Fisher: F2, F4, F5, F75, F70, new Gold Bug, circuitry of the TW-82 industrial line tracer.

In the case of microprocessor-driven FTP products, the software was coded by John Gardiner and Jorge Anton Saad. Mechanical designs were done mostly by other people, but I engineered the ergonomics of the T2 mechanical design, which is also used on the F75.

See also Detector Stuff Interviews FT-Fisher Engineers, David Johnson and John Gardiner at https://firsttexasproducts.com/blogs/q-a/question-and-answer-session-with-ft-fisher-engineers-david-johnson-and-john-gardiner (Dave pictured with a guitar)

Dave's detectors are more similar than not. There is a direct progression from the old analog with knobs 19 kHz Fisher Gold Bug, to the 17 kHz Tesoro Lobo ST, the 19 kHz Troy X5, the 15 kHz White's MXT, 19 kHz digital Fisher Gold Bug, and finally 13 kHz Teknetics T2 and Fisher F70/F75. Having used them all I can attest to a similar feel driven by the same ideas and methodologies of the mind behind the machines.

Want people to know you own one of the Dave Johnson detectors listed above? Just download and print the attached logo and apply to your detector. 

[Steve Herschbach]

  
4.95 ounce nugget found with my Gold Bug 2...

 

6.5 ounce nugget found with my MXT....

Loved that F75....

 

Thanks Dave for a ton of great finds and great memories!!

[Joe D.]

R.I.P Dave😔

Still own and operate some of "your" detectors! Thanks for all you contributed to the field!🙏👍👍

 

[phrunt]

A one man army, it appeared as his health went downhill so did the US manufacturers as they almost all relied on his work at one point or another to kick them off, a true genius.  A shame we will never see his multi freaker unless someone can continue where he left off.

I still own a few of his detectors and like them all, two T2's an early and late model one, two GB Pro's, a Gold Bug 2 and an F19.  All fantastic detectors in their day and still highly capable now.

A big loss to the metal detecting world.

[locator]

Some yrs ago I downloaded some of Mr. Johnson's essays and it was well to read. Also have downloaded some of the interwies he did as there  was much information in about MDing, machines e.t.c.

From what I read it was a nice man and a genius in electronics. R.I.P. Mr. Johnson.

[Steve Herschbach]

 

Dave Johnson "Tek Files"

A Collection Of Forum Posts by Dave Johnson