F2...final impressions below,......

[DIGGER27]

F2...Review and impressions below,......

11-16-2010
This was supposed to be the last bit of info, but after a few months, I am still learning and finding more and better treasure, and I am still posting my thoughts.
Thanks for reading...continuing below....




***not so FINAL UPDATE****

Took it on vacation last week and what a blast it was to use.
http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?p=597375#post597375

Bought a $20 set of Sony headphones with no volume control to use with this and it was great.
No issues with controlling the volume, and the tones were crisp and clear.
Battery time was excellent, with headphone use.

Found almost $10.00 in clad, American and Canadian money, (vacation was in Michigan), 4 wheaties, a Merc and my first silver ring!

It went plenty deep, id was right on for coins,(a beast!), and most of the trash was identified before I dug due to the jumpy signal that was different than most good targets. (Learning the language).
Had a little experience with the sniper coil and found you can get right up to the metal in tot lots.
You lose a little depth, but it still appeared to go at least 6 inches down (unscientific observation), so I am happy with that.

She did everything I asked of her and more, and it made my vacation one of the most fun I have had in a long time.

Very happy I bought this, and I see many fun years and vacations ahead of me with this great detector.

HH

 

[STEVE.H]

FISHER F2 Finds.

We used our machine in the Back Yard last Weekend.My 17 month old Grandson had a real good time helping me dig up the yard,found a lot af trash
and two coins.HH everyone.

 

[scout1026]

Really appreciate the postings

New guy here, I've been considering the hobby for a while, just never got off the bench. Reading your posts here gives me insight on the bewildering array of makers, models, features.

But since I'm buying a motorcycle, I might have to hold off for a bit...

It would seem many use their MD as I intend to - just a little hobby to go and do on occasion. check the yard, check parks on occasion, take on vacations, etc. A sort of casual hobby, like gardening.

Tom

 

[doug2060]

I was seriously considering the F2 and went with the Ace 250 instead. After reading your posts I may give it a shot.

 

[DIGGER27]

I was seriously considering the F2 and went with the Ace 250 instead. After reading your posts I may give it a shot.

I considered an Ace 250, but after listening to the tones on youtube videos, I had reservations.
A big point for me was recovery time which, from what I have read, is better on the F2 than the ace.
I tend to swing a little fast if I am not paying attention, and this thing picks it all up at my natural swing speed.
As a matter of fact, my unit is as good, if not a little better than my Vaq in this area, if I forget to swing the Vaq slow.
Still want to try a 250 sometime, but I am very happy I chose to go with this one.

HH

 

[DIGGER27]

previously mentioned battery posts are / will
certainly fail and snap off--completely idiotic

Quite a stupid piece of engineering, isn't it?
Almost like the battery compartment was an afterthought.

battery consumption seems moderately high

I use headphones so my batteries just last and last.
Even my $20 cheap pair works good with this...no volume control is needed.
Can pinpoint all day too, if I don't do the xing thing...which is what I usually do since it is really accurate.

loves dimes and qtrs

Sure does! When I get a repeated 80 or 82 on the VDI, I know it's gonna be a quarter.(Love that solid, loud, repeatable high tone)
Mine loves and will sniff out dimes up to 7-8 inches.

depth is moderate for coins 6inches is pushing it

As previously stated, I'm getting up to about 7-8 inches in depth on normal coin size objects. Especially when the ground is damp.
I have a theory that all units are not calibrated or tuned perfectly from the factory. If so, I got one of the good ones.

Soil conditions and sensitivity settings also matter.

slippage occurs when the target is big--like a
crushed up beer can or small heavy metal
objects; target id isn't consistent on these tgts

This seems to be the same on all the detectors I have used.
The extra information I get from my Pro-pointer in this situation is a blessing.

i'm hitting alot of pennies as dimes # id at 68

Check the dates on these...you will find they are copper pennies, not zinc.
Most detectors will react the same.

the extra coil is my backup if the 8in ever fails

Only used this once, but in a tot lot you can get right up to the metal.
A little loss in depth, (for me, 6 inches max), but it works well.

all the reviews for the 250 say it rocks

I did not like the tones and the recovery time thing was a big issue for me after using the Vaquero.

is always pissing off my wife cuz I'm spending so
much time with it!

Never got married...I think I am a genius.
My girlfriend is very into the fact that this is my passion...she is great about this so... NA-NA-NA-NA-NAAAA-NA!


I also want to add that I have discovered that I like using the VDI, but it can't be trusted all the time on every signal.
In air testing, I have found that the further away from the coil the target gets, the numbers and tones could get bouncy, especially at the limit.
In the ground, a lot depends on the conditions and the position of the target.
I have been fooled. I once dug a for-sure penny/dime signal and was totally surprised when I popped out a shallow nickel!

Two, separate, gold ring targets in the dirt at about 2-4 inches came up mostly as a foil signal but bouncy. One with the F2, one with the Vaq.
Since I read another member's post that the best thing he ever dug came up foil, I always dig these.
He was right, now I can say the same.
As a matter of fact, I dig mostly everything but iron, ( gold lives here too, so sometimes I dig iron), and those huge loud signals that are usually cans.
You never know, and I figure I will just clean out the trash to make it easier for the next time I hit that site.

I guess you can say we both are impressed with the performance and value of this detector.
Especially as a cheaper "beginners" unit.
Still having much fun when I use it!


Thanks for the comments!

HH

 

[DIGGER27]

"I've got headphones, but never use them...how does using headphones save on battery consumption? Is the pwr draw less via the phone jack?"

Terry,
Unless you own stock in a battery company, use the headphones. You will go many hours before the first battery bar fades out.
The speaker uses a huge amount of power compared to the headphones.
The VCO ,(voltage controlled oscillator, or pinpointing tone), coming through the speaker will drain the batteries fast!

"i bring the sensitivity down to 1 bar"

I keep reading about people setting their F2's on one bar or two or three bars...and then wonder why they are getting very little depth...I don't get that.
I turn my sense up to the max every time I go out.
The only time I turn it down is if I am near power lines or something else making the unit chatter, or if I want to get close to tot lot metal with the 8 inch coil.
Never been to a saltwater beach with this but you would probably need to turn it down here a little, also.

The lower the sensitivity, the less depth you will get...It's a war out there...why give up even an inch of vertical real estate?
Haven't done any scientific experiments, but it seems like you lose between 1/4 and 1/2 inch of depth for every sensitivity bar you remove.
An F2 powers on one bar below full strength...unless you are having trouble with a super trashy site...or one of the situations described above,,,,punch it up!
Remember, I can, and have, picked up solid, clear dime signals close to 8 inches deep with mine at max settings.

"i tend to dig if my pinpoint is precise and extremely small diameter"

If you read the manual, you probably know about de-tuning while pinpointing.
For anyone reading that does not know about this trick, here it is.

Pinpointing and De-tuning...

X the target to zero in like you usually would.
Hit the pinpoint button, move closer to the target and notice the point of the loudest tone and lowest numbers on the depth display, that should be your spot to dig.
If you need to narrow the field and get even more precise, let go of the button, move the coil a few inches outside the target center, (where you still would get "part" of the signal), hit the pinpoint button then move in to center again.

This de-tunes the field and makes it much smaller so pinpointing will be even more accurate.
Just like a Propointer.
Remember, the depth reading will not be accurate if you de-tune.
I wonder if this works on other detectors? Don't see why it shouldn't....Gotta remember to try this with the Vaquero.

Having said all that, I want to say I have used this technique...let me see...once....Just to see if it worked.
The F2 is so good at Xing, and my Pro-pointer takes me to the exact spot to dig, so I hardly ever use the pinpoint to locate the target, only if I want to get an idea of depth.

So let's all get out there and swing, and at full power please!

 

[edofloyd]

f2 instead of ace 250

Hi there,
I'm new here, also in md-ing.
After seeing many youtube clips i went for the ace 250.
The best dealer arround here in Holland recommended the F2.
Due to sickness I could search for only a couple of hours.
Hit 2 times silver, and loads of coins.
On a freshwater beach and a former playground.

the signals on my machine are deadcenter on the standard coil, and pinpoint is realy good.
the various blocks of notching dont work here as they are, because we use different material for the coins.
Made an airtest, burried the stuff in the garden and found them with the same numbers as in the airtest.
Because i am still learning, i made an excelsheet with what type of soil, what in display, and what found.

Thanks for the nice reviews, helps me a lot.
Greetz from Almere, 25 foot below sealevel....

Max.

 

[DIGGER27]

Welcome!
Just keep experimenting and digging and you will be surprised how fast you get the hang of this.

Go to the first section and introduce yourself...plenty of people waiting to welcome the new folks.

Ask questions as needed...we are here to encourage and help!
HH

 

[Cboogie]

Good read thanks for review

 

[DIGGER27]

More stuff I have learned....

I had a nice little time with the F2 yesterday, I posted the story here...
http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=59570


Using it, I found most of the clad, the medal, senior charm and the Bacardi lock thing, and of course, that beautiful ring.

Here are some of the particulars....

As I stated, I knocked out iron and dug all solid signals.
Edit here...I just heard Dan Hugh's podcast on this unit review.
He says it has 95 notch settings.
Never did the math but, don't care.
I dig everything above iron and always foil!

The F2 was humming along giving me great info and was pretty much right on with most of the ID's.
The super fast recovery time came in real handy as there were a ton of signals, good and bad, almost next to each other in several places.

If you own one of these, you no doubt know by now that the depth numbers in pinpoint mode are usually off by about an inch, unless it is something huge down deep.
Then it is really off.

I read of a trick...some guy had that tested and reviewed one of these units and he just raised the coil off the ground about an inch and got a more accurate reading.
Kinda works, but after I X the target, I get most of my depth info from my ProPointer, so I don't pay much attention to the depth display so much.

The big medal came in at Zinc and a solid 61.
Thought I was digging a Zincoln, imagine my surprise when this huge honker popped out!

The senior charm was a 64 and zinc, the Bacardi thing read a solid 82 quarter.

Every quarter rang up a solid 80-82.
I can now tell the tone of a quarter instantly without looking at the VDI and using my better quality Killer B's headphones.
It is loud and a high tone like a dime, but if you listen close there is an extra dimension to the sound of a quarter.
Hard to put into words but, maybe a little deeper sound around the edge....just slightly different than a dime, and I just know if I pass over a quarter, I can really hear the difference.
This skill just hit me one day...like if a silver coin is dropped on a hard surface and you are able to hear that special "ring".

The silver ring, ( I just love this find!), was a solid dime, 70-71.

I came across several large signals that had a pretty good high tone coin signal near the outskirts...I will go back and remove this deeper trash another time.

Several places I got several real bouncy signals in a small area, and most of the time it was several good targets hanging around the same area with trash.
The F2 picked them all up no matter how fast I swung, thank you speedy recovery time!.
I tried to determine which signals were the good ones by sound and Xing, and I was right every time.
It pays to also learn to hunt with a non VID Vaquero!
Foil and trash will sometimes have a slight lag-time, or it won't be very "crisp" on the edges of the tone.
Hard to explain, but now, like the quarter thing, I am starting to hear these differences with the F2.
You will too, with practice.
.
Dug the rest of the trash too, to get it out of the way for next time.

Most finds were between 1 and 4 inches down...one dime was about seven...several copper pennies were 3-6 inches.
This thing loves dimes, quarters and pennies...along with everything else!



Not only is this detector capable and much fun, it is starting to become very lucrative!

HH

 

[DIGGER27]

Dan Huges did a review on 4 entry level detectors.

He read my mind...The F2 and compadre come out on top, I think they still would even if the 250 were inserted for the 150.

http://69.16.184.134/g9z6c6z5/cds/p...8fff5&dopsig=6ca54d0383f990eb3e5acda721d94bb9


A side note, a short hunt yesterday, I found another dime at 7 inches.
Man, this thing eats dimes!

HH

 

[Rob479]

Loved your reviews and information, partly why I chose the F2 over the ace250 was the target separation, and the recovery time... enjoy reading it...you said in your first post "Pinpointing is not quite as laser-like as my tesoro but close and I have learned to "de-tune" to narrow it down even more."

Care to share what you meant by "de-tune" to narrow it down? Sorry, I'm a newb so I am trying to learn all I can about my F2 <<<<Never Mind, I hadn't read down to where you explained it in this post...

Still, loved your review

 

[Rob479]

NM

 

[blazin]

I would argue this since it seems to to be my Bounty Hunter Discovery 3300 with a different color scheme which came way before it!

I don't really understand what all the widespread criticism is on Bounty Hunter products! Me and my son have been using a Bounty Hunter Lone Star with what we thought were excellent results. We use a 4'' inch nugget coil and just yesterday in less than an hour at a park we had $2.88 in clad. Not a tremendous amount but nonetheless the unit is effective. Depths have been from 2-8 inches.

 

[BountyHunter]

Some hunt to perform, some hunt to have fun walking around and finding something along the way

Bounty Hunter metal detectors are fun, inexpensive, perform quite well comparatively considering how many years ago many of the models have been released!

And recently, the Time Ranger model could be had for 150-180 dollars

Enjoy your outings hunting

 

[DIGGER27]

I really don't understand what all the widespread criticism is on Bounty Hunter products? :

Hey dude, I think you posted your opinion in the wrong thread.
This one is about the F2

Bounty Hunter metal detectors are fun, inexpensive, perform quite well comparatively considering how many years ago many of the models have been released!

And recently, the Time Ranger model could be had for 150-180 dollars

Fine, as long as we are on th BH subject...
Most reviews by owners on Bounty Hunters seem to be positive, and that Time Ranger at below $200 looks like a great deal.
Can't speak about any other models except the one I had...Pioneer EX.
THAT one, and I am speaking of that model only, for me was inexpensive, but it also did not perform well and was not fun.
As a matter of fact, it also had some severe falsing problems, which made using it one of the most frustrating experiences in my life.

At the $200 range, this F2 package with the sniper coil has got to be one of the best values in the low end side of the market...Time Ranger not withstanding.
Especially considering the way mine performs.

 

[Rob479]

If the rain holds off I am about to go on my first relic hunt with my F2 outside of my yard. It's a small foundation maybe 20 by 20 in the woods, I plan to clear the brush and work the whole thing.

Last time I was there I found some rusty buckles and part of a horse collar. Anyway, we'll see what, if anything, is in there

It will probably rain, but even if it does it should clear out by 9am or so and I can hit it then. Kinda excited, but my expectations of finding anything of value are low. It should be a fun and interesting hunt though and the temperature is supposed to be in the upper 60's...

I've been practicing a few times with my F2 and have learned a bit on what it is telling me. Today I am not going to use any Discrimination and that's why I am clearing the brush because I'm diggin it all.

I did see some treasure the last time I was down there, I just decided not to carry it out then. I'll probably bring it back this time...

 

[DIGGER27]

I might suggest not only hunting with no disc, but press the pinpoint button and try hunting for awhile in all-metal, also.

You're gonna be digging a ton of trash, but the goodies should show themselves, too.

Good Luck!

 

[Rob479]

I might suggest not only hunting with no disc, but press the pinpoint button and try hunting for awhile in all-metal, also.

You're gonna be digging a ton of trash, but the goodies should show themselves, too.

Good Luck!

Thanks for the tip, I figure most of it'll be trash hahah But, it's that minute possibility of a cache that keeps us going, isn't it?

After I clear most of the junk I'll try out the pinpoint trick, we'll see if anything else shows itself