FISHER 1280 X trouble in salt water

[charlie23]

Helllo! I have recently purchased a Fisher 1280 X metal detector, and I am having some troubles in salt water. It just goes of very often and if i put the sensibility lower it doesn´t detect very much, so I don´t get very comfortable with it. Any tips on lowing the beeping and still get a good signal? Maybe lowering the sensibility?


Thank you!

 

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[Treasure_Hunter]

Helllo! I have recently purchased a Fisher 1280 X metal detector, and I am having some troubles in salt water. It just goes of very often and if i put the sensibility lower it doesn´t detect very much, so I don´t get very comfortable with it. Any tips on lowing the beeping and still get a good signal? Maybe lowering the sensibility?


Thank you!

Charlie, Welcome to TreasureNet......

I haven't used the 1280X, but I do own a 1225X and it is very stable on salt water beaches.....If you adjust the sensitivity it should settle down if it is too sensitive for the beach your hunting. But first............

You say in the salt water, is it very shallow when you notice the problem? It may be the surf when it is rolling over the coil and that is common, especially if your hunting in very shallow water. Watch and see if the false signal happens as the wave rolls over the coil, if it does then you know that is what is causing it. You learn to watch the waves as you hunt and know that false signal is just the surf rolling. You can hunt deeper, or just learn to recognize it and continue to hunt as the shallow water is usually a excellent zone to hunt.....

Now this is all based on the belief that your detector is operating properly......

 

[charlie23]

Thanks for the reply

I only used it a couple times, and the sea was pretty calmed, no waves or anything, and I was diving 3-4 meter deep, I guess I just have to put the sensibilty lower so I don´t get the false signal of minerals. Though by lowering it gives me the impression that I am missing stuff, but I guess if I put Discrimiation is on 5-6 and the Sensibility around 6 it will just "beep" with the good stuff

 

[diggummup]

I've owned a 1280x for a short time and have only used it a few times at the beach. That being said, I reduce the sensitivity ever so slightly until the chatter stops (or slows really). It still chatters but if you can deal with it and only dig the repeatable tones it will work. I haven't found any gold in the water yet but I have found some clad and a couple pieces of junk jewelry, nothing too deep yet. I read about the "problems" with salt water with this unit before I purchased it but figured I could deal with it plus I have some freshwater sites that I detect and it is supposed to be a really good unit for that. I haven't been snorkeling with it yet but I hear it only gives you problems in the wet sand and near the waters edge where the waves are breaking, we'll see.

I just read your last reply- I reduce my sens to between 5-7 and the discrim. to around 3 only.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I didn't know you were that deep.....

I would be careful you don't discriminate out the good stuff. Too many people set the discrimination high thinking they are discriminating out all the junk and will only dig good targets. The problem is they do not realize they are also discriminating out a lot of gold. Remember 10, 12, 14 and 18k gold have base metals in them and those are the metals you are discriminating out. I personally use no discrimination at all. I would rather dig a hundred trash targets then discriminate out a nice fat diamond ring.....

 

[Sandman]

Treasure_Hunter is right. I have used the 1280 diving and at the salt water beaches. It is not the best detector for shallow saltwater at most places. Never set the disc higher than 3 and 2 is even better to not miss any gold. The 1280 still gets good depth at a sens setting of 3. You just need to listen for the repeatable signals.

Good Luck.
Sandman

 

[U.K. Brian]

It never got sold in Europe as a salt water machine. You can press it into service and some do quite well but its easier to stick to its strengths.

I think the circuit was used for the Headhunter VLF and they did some modification so that it could cope better with the salt. Or my mind might be going !

 

[steve from ohio]

I had the Fisher 1280X for almost 15 years and thought it was fantastic till I tried the Excalibur. I then sold the 1280X as I hunt salt water almost exclusively now.

The Fisher 1280X is an awesome fresh water machine but salt water is a real problem for it. I decided that the Fisher is just too touchy in salt water especially at the edge of the water. So I sold it and never looked back.