Using the Fisher F-Pulse as a Secondary Detector

mh9162013

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I'm not as young as I used to be and I'm not a fan of getting dirty when handling items that aren't easily cleaned. That being said, I hate digging and want to spend as little time digging and in the dirt as possible.

What are your thoughts on using an F-Pulse as a quicker way of finding your target, but before your use your primary pinpointer? For example, I use the Garrett Carrot on medium sensitivity. This is not sensitive enough to fully "see through" all the plugs I cut/dig.

So why not increase the sensitivity of the Garrett Carrot? Because it still won't be sensitive enough to see through most of the plugs I dig. Also, when trying to narrow in on the target, I have to slow down to press the button with my thumb and retune.

But once every 3 or 4 digs, I have to spend extra time rescanning the hole or plug until I get within range of the target. Or, it's in the plug, and I have to start pulling it apart and constantly rescanning it with my pinpointer.

Is this a big deal? No. Is this far better than it was when I used to detect without a pinpointer? Absolutely. But it adds time to the dig, which means more time kneeling or squatting and less time standing up scanning more ground (most important).

My proposed solution? Keep my Garrett Carrot in its least sensitive mode to find the target, but then have a Fisher F-Pulse in maximum sensitivity to get a good idea of where it is before I pull out the Carrot. So basically, I would be using the F-Pulse to determine if the target is in the plug, at the bottom of the hole, or in the side of the hole (including its approximate location in the side of the hole).

I would like to use a Tesoro with the micromax design with a 4 inch or so coil and shortened shaft. But this is too expensive and plus, this would get very dirty and these micromax Tesoros aren't waterproof.

As an added bonus, I could use the F-Pulse before digging to get a good idea of the target's depth.

Anyone else do this or something similar? Either way, what are the general thoughts of you fellow detectorists out there? I'm curious before I drop $130 or so for the F-Pulse.
 
Why not just use the F-Pulse and leave the Carrot as a backup? The Pulse detunes as neatly. I do carry the F-Pulse along with a Whites TRX though. A tip-only TRX for max pre-dig detection, then the Pulse for the target in a pile of dirt. I sold my Carrot to a friend.
 
Why not just use the F-Pulse and leave the Carrot as a backup? The Pulse detunes as neatly. I do carry the F-Pulse along with a Whites TRX though. A tip-only TRX for max pre-dig detection, then the Pulse for the target in a pile of dirt. I sold my Carrot to a friend.


Because of the lost time to detune (retune?) the F-Pulse during the dig. Then after the dig, I'd need to "reset it" to its max sensitivity.

I know what I'm proposing isn't a huge time saver, but I'm estimating it'll save me 15-30 seconds per hole, which will add up the more I dig.

Why do you use your TRX for pre-dig detection when the F-Pulse is more sensitive? I thought about doing it the other way around, using the F-Pulse before I dig and the TRX's flashlight tip for the final "home in" on the target after the hole is dug. But that requires buying two new pinpointers.
 
What Martin said. Detuning only take a second. When you turn it back on at your next hole it will start back up at the original sensitivity. Imo the f-pulse is better than the carrot.
 
Another vote for the F-Pulse as a primary pinpointer. I love mine. I often use it to pinpoint the target before digging, especially when clad hunting.
 
What Martin said. Detuning only take a second. When you turn it back on at your next hole it will start back up at the original sensitivity. Imo the f-pulse is better than the carrot.

I forgot to mention how detuning with the Carrot doesn't help that much.

One of the benefits of the pinpointer is being able to hear or feel when you get closer to the target. When you detune with the Garrett Carrot, this ability is largely lost.

In other words, there comes a point where detuning does little as the moment you move the Carrot 1/8 of an inch, you get the solid tone, which doesn't help much in homing in on your target. That's why I would rather have a pinpointer in the least sensitive mode as opposed to detuning it.

Are you telling me that detuning the F-Pulse is the equivalent of reducing its sensitivity?
 
I forgot to mention how detuning with the Carrot doesn't help that much.

One of the benefits of the pinpointer is being able to hear or feel when you get closer to the target. When you detune with the Garrett Carrot, this ability is largely lost.

In other words, there comes a point where detuning does little as the moment you move the Carrot 1/8 of an inch, you get the solid tone, which doesn't help much in homing in on your target. That's why I would rather have a pinpointer in the least sensitive mode as opposed to detuning it.

Are you telling me that detuning the F-Pulse is the equivalent of reducing its sensitivity?

I don't have the Carrot to compare to the Pulse anymore, but the F-Pulse appears to "de-sensitize" and it does it smoothly. I read that the Carrot wasn't very gradual, so maybe that's is what you mean. The bottomline to me is that the Pulse gets deeper, feels more solid, hasn't lost as much as even an eighth of distance in all the time I've owned mine. The Carrot lost some depth, as well as the black Garretts did.

I guess what I'm saying is, IMPO, both the pulse and Carrot lowers sensitivity, yet the industry calls it de-tuning. I really don't recall my Carrot rushing a tone with just 1/8" during movement during de-tune, but that doesn't mean it didn't. I did read that somewhere. My F-pulse is smooth.
 
I don't have the Carrot to compare to the Pulse anymore, but the F-Pulse appears to "de-sensitize" and it does it smoothly. I read that the Carrot wasn't very gradual, so maybe that's is what you mean. The bottomline to me is that the Pulse gets deeper, feels more solid, hasn't lost as much as even an eighth of distance in all the time I've owned mine. The Carrot lost some depth, as well as the black Garretts did.

I guess what I'm saying is, IMPO, both the pulse and Carrot lowers sensitivity, yet the industry calls it de-tuning. I really don't recall my Carrot rushing a tone with just 1/8" during movement during de-tune, but that doesn't mean it didn't. I did read that somewhere. My F-pulse is smooth.

Thanks for your insight and thoughts. I'll do some more digging into the F-Pulse and its detuning capabilities.
 
Cool! If you were inclined to buy the F-Pulse and carry both, I personally think it's a no brainer to get the Pulse, test your initial plan, and see quickly. You can't lose if you end up using both as planned. You'd ended up owning both either way. I simply love the operation of my F-Pulse above the old Carrot, de-tuning is premier imo.

I will add a sorta off topic comment about sensitivity, but it does add to the de-tune capabilities of many pinpointer models. I never set my sensitivity settings below maximum when I have a unit which detunes smoothly. That tap on the power button is just too easy to do to lower detection sensitivity, and what's the sense in having an extra level of power if it gets forced lower. Sorry to belabor the issue.

Happy Hunting!
 
Martin_V3i;3288038[HTML said:
...........I will add a sorta off topic comment about sensitivity, but it does add to the de-tune capabilities of many pinpointer models. I never set my sensitivity settings below maximum when I have a unit which detunes smoothly. That tap on the power button is just too easy to do to lower detection sensitivity, and what's the sense in having an extra level of power if it gets forced lower......

X2
 
Cool! If you were inclined to buy the F-Pulse and carry both, I personally think it's a no brainer to get the Pulse, test your initial plan, and see quickly. You can't lose if you end up using both as planned. You'd ended up owning both either way. I simply love the operation of my F-Pulse above the old Carrot, de-tuning is premier imo.

I will add a sorta off topic comment about sensitivity, but it does add to the de-tune capabilities of many pinpointer models. I never set my sensitivity settings below maximum when I have a unit which detunes smoothly. That tap on the power button is just too easy to do to lower detection sensitivity, and what's the sense in having an extra level of power if it gets forced lower. Sorry to belabor the issue.

Happy Hunting!

Good to know, thanks!
 
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