Testing the Fisher F-2 in DIRT VIDEO

[Michigan Badger]

Date 12/20

I removed the video because I'm no longer sure this test was accurate. The machine should be tested in warmer weather on the ground. The test container I used may not be giving a completely accurate result.

Hopefully others will post their results.

Badger

 

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[Burdie]

Re: Testing the Fisher F-2 in DIRT

Thank you for braving the cold. Looks like they improved the front panel for sure. It is not another Edge. Did you try the other coil?

Burdie

 

[Michigan Badger]

Re: Testing the Fisher F-2 in DIRT

Thank you for braving the cold. Looks like they improved the front panel for sure. It is not another Edge. Did you try the other coil?

Burdie

No, didn't have time for the small coil. The face panel is nice for the cost of this machine. The clear material over the numbers could have been thicker. But, it's okay.

I won't know for sure until spring but I'd guess we're looking at a depth similar to the Tesoro Silver uMax with stock coil. Maybe the F-2 is a little deeper.

It's really hard to tell with this loose soil. Maybe tomorrow I'll get time to do the same test with the small coil and maybe even test the Tesoro Conquistador for a comparison.

Badger

 

[TreasurdiggrNY]

Thanks for the video, great to see the machine in action.
Sorry you're going to have to wait so long to use it.
HH
Glenn

 

[Merf]

Thanks for posting that Badger. I think you should try the test with a larger diameter pot and see if it makes a difference. It looks like the diameter of the coil is larger than the pot. Just a thought.

My curiosity got the best of me so I did the same test with my BH 3300.
With the quarter buried 6 inches deep and sensitivity at max with the GB at preset I got the same results as you, A few beeps but not a digable signal. After adjusting the GB I got a dig signal both ways. [A double beep from two different directions.]
The TID bounced between half and dollar and the numbers bounced around between 140 and 199.
It always does this on quarters 5 inches and deeper.
I saw this post a few days ago. I think it was by Easymoney--Not sure.
"Quote"
[[[[[The F-2 goes as deep as a Tejon, Vaquero, Minelab and SE, II, a
White's DFX, MXT, Nautie DMC2b, and a bit deeper than a Garrett 2500, 1500, 1350, 1250, plus many more. The F-4 goes a bit deeper, and the F-75 a bit deeper yet. We are not talking about feet though, it's about 1-3 inches difference between all of them, nothing more.]]]]] "End Quote"

My only other thought is that there is a quality control problem and you got a cold one.

Best luck---Merf

 

[Michigan Badger]

Thanks for posting that Badger. I think you should try the test with a larger diameter pot and see if it makes a difference. It looks like the diameter of the coil is larger than the pot. Just a thought.

My curiosity got the best of me so I did the same test with my BH 3300.
With the quarter buried 6 inches deep and sensitivity at max with the GB at preset I got the same results as you, A few beeps but not a digable signal. After adjusting the GB I got a dig signal both ways. [A double beep from two different directions.]
The TID bounced between half and dollar and the numbers bounced around between 140 and 199.
It always does this on quarters 5 inches and deeper.
I saw this post a few days ago. I think it was by Easymoney--Not sure.

[[[[[The F-2 goes as deep as a Tejon, Vaquero, Minelab and SE, II, a
White's DFX, MXT, Nautie DMC2b, and a bit deeper than a Garrett 2500, 1500, 1350, 1250, plus many more. The F-4 goes a bit deeper, and the F-75 a bit deeper yet. We are not talking about feet though, it's about 1-3 inches difference between all of them, nothing more.]]]]]

My only other thought is that there is a quality control problem and you got a cold one.

Best luck---Merf

Thanks for the test Merf.

It could be a cold detector but I doubt it. I'd say 5 1/2 inches is about as good as it's going to do in this soil. It may go 6 1/2 inches in undisturbed soil.

Like I've told several who contacted me, it's still real early. I need to test and compare a lot more. But, just from what I've seen this machine will in no way beat out or match most of the machines you listed. That's ridiculous.

It's a nice detector and I think has a great future. In depth I'd place it somewhere between the Ace 250 and Tesoro Silver uMax. But it might even be a tiny bit deeper than the Silver. I'd love to see a 12 inch coil for it.

Keep testing.

Badger

 

[Michigan Badger]

One other thing I should mention is the tone and number ID changes from air to dirt.

In the air a silver quarter produces a high pitched tone. In the dirt at 5 inches it's a low pitch tone.

In the air the quarter reads 80 and in the dirt 24.

Badger

 

[Merf]

That variable tone sounds like a good feature.
The 3300 is always the same tone.

 

[Michigan Badger]

That variable tone sounds like a good feature.
The 3300 is always the same tone.

Yes, after having the Sovereign GT I have learned to love those tones. Tones tell us far more than any ID meter. But the two together is a good thing.

I'll bet your 3300 is deeper than the F-2 but the F-2 is probably more fun

Badger

 

[Shenandoah Digger]

Nice little detector for $200, but would you dig that 24 in a real life situation? Sounds like that may fall at pull tab or below. It's probably a great clad hunter, or for a first detector. But like you said, it can't and shouldn't compare to the Tejons, IIbs, or SE's.

 

[Michigan Badger]

Nice little detector for $200, but would you dig that 24 in a real life situation? Sounds like that may fall at pull tab or below. It's probably a great clad hunter, or for a first detector. But like you said, it can't and shouldn't compare to the Tejons, IIbs, or SE's.

Yes, like you said, it will make for a great clad and TOT LOT hunter. And too it will find that old stuff if one hunts slower and learns the deeper sounds. But, to get that deep stuff with this machine will mean digging a lot of trash. Turning up the discrimination greatly reduces the depth so one must use almost zero discrimination.

I'm hoping the sounds and meter readings will be consistant enough to distinguish trash from the goodies.

But the machine really needs a larger coil to improve depth.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I was going to buy the F-2 until I saw your test! lol. On a silver quarter, I heard 3 DIFFERENT belltones and it registered as a 24! Whats up with that? I always hated those belltones on the Ace. I like to use headphones and hear the suttle differences that are only learned by using ones machine.

 

[bavarianminister]

Badger - thanks for the video - I am relieved that the F2 is made in the USA. The TID number is mysterious though. Shouldn't it be a higher number? Still looks like a great little detector! Bavarian

 

[Michigan Badger]

Badger - thanks for the video - I am relieved that the F2 is made in the USA. The TID number is mysterious though. Shouldn't it be a higher number? Still looks like a great little detector! Bavarian

Targets change tone the deeper they get. Minelab users have always known this. You can't learn target sounds by air tests.

In air a quarter will register 80 with a high tone.

In the ground at 5 inches the same quarter will read 24 (FOIL) and have a low tone.

This is not only the case with tone machines. This is basic stuff with all VLF discriminating machines. This is why when hunting deep silver we never discriminate out FOIL. At depth all gold will register FOIL and also most deep silver coins.

I've been told that silver at 8+ inches can register as IRON.

Really, the less discrimination the better the chance of finding something really old and great.

When you get down to it, the ideal is a PI machine. These miss nothing but most people couldn't stand all that digging.


Badger

 

[JOE(USA)]

Badger,

Thanks for the test info. Joe

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Targets change tone the deeper they get. Minelab users have always known this. You can't learn target sounds by air tests.

Badger

Tone changes with depth? Good to know because the Ace belltones do not change.

 

[Burdie]

Hey Badger. I was just wondering if the test is set up properly. (just brain storming not criticizing) The way you have it set up the coil is going from air to ground to air. Could this confuse the detector? I herd some place the coil needs to be in close contact with the ground once it is set up. Some one jump in and explain it better or tell me it doesn't matter.
Burdie

 

[Michigan Badger]

Hey Badger. I was just wondering if the test is set up properly. (just brain storming not criticizing) The way you have it set up the coil is going from air to ground to air. Could this confuse the detector? I herd some place the coil needs to be in close contact with the ground once it is set up. Some one jump in and explain it better or tell me it doesn't matter.
Burdie

The problem here is if you touch the ground with the F-2 coil you get a false signal. See in the video where I show that.

With many detectors bumping the ground is fine due to coil construction. Some detectors require a small distance between the coil and the ground or grass. This is one of them.

Badger

 

[Michigan Badger]

Trade Secret: Return to your old "hot" sites and hunt with very low discrimination. Use all-metal if you can stand the digging. Look for those small/tight signals (even those just one way that break up). Never discriminate out more than tiny nails. No discrimination is far better. Just ignore the large sized signals. Deep coins and rings give a very small area signal. And too, it really helps to use a concentric coil. This type of coil is ideal for separating out super deep coins and rings. This is one of the secrets the big finders know and use. Probably more great treasure is lost each year due to VLF discriminators than any other single cause.

 

[Burdie]

Hey Badger. I was just wondering if the test is set up properly. (just brain storming not criticizing) The way you have it set up the coil is going from air to ground to air. Could this confuse the detector? I herd some place the coil needs to be in close contact with the ground once it is set up. Some one jump in and explain it better or tell me it doesn't matter.
Burdie

The problem here is if you touch the ground with the F-2 coil you get a false signal. See in the video where I show that.

With many detectors bumping the ground is fine due to coil construction. Some detectors require a small distance between the coil and the ground or grass. This is one of them.

Badger

Badger I am lousy at explaining myself. Your coil when not over the bucket is 3 ft from the ground, then moving over the target it becomes 1 inch. Then when passing the target it becomes 3 feet from the ground again. Would that have any effect on the machine? Probably a stupid question.
Burdie