Fisher F70 User Guide

ACCESSORIES

FOR COMPLETE DETAILS VISIT WWW.FISHERLAB.COM • 1-800-685-5050

Fisher Padded Carry Bag

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$ 45.00

Rugged double stitched construction. Includes handy exterior pocket for extra batteries or small accessories.

103693000C

Fisher Stereo Headphones

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$ 40.00

Use with Fisher metal detectors. Lightweight and adjustable with true stereo sound, adjustable volume, 1/8 jack with 1/4 adaptor, 4’ cable. 9720950000

Fisher Pin Pointer

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$ 69.00

Pinpoints the exact location of buried metal objects. Audio signal indicator and vibrator. Runs on 1 – 9-Volt Battery. FPOINT

Metal Sand Scoop

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$ 29.99

Large galvanized metal scoop with filtering holes. Strong Rubberized grip. SAND SCOOP

Lesche Knife

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$ 49.95

Made from high quality heat-treated tempered steel. The ultimate digging tool. Comes with a durable sheath. 12" in length with a 7" serrated blade. LESCHE KNIFE

Fisher Apron

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$ 5.95

Natural canvas with 2 large pockets.

Fisher Baseball Cap

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$ 14.95

One size fits all. FCAP

Fisher T-Shirt*

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$ 19.99

100% white cotton with Fisher® Logo. Sizes – LG, XL & XXL

Replacement/Accessory Search Coils

11” Biaxial Accessory Coil - 11COIL-F75

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$ 199.95

10” Concentric Standard Coil (replacement)– 10COIL-F70

$ 179.00

6.5” Concentric Accessory Coil - 6COIL-E

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$ 169.00

5” Biaxial Accessory Coil - 5COIL-F75

......

$ 159.95

Coil Covers

Specially made to protect your coil from abrasion and damage. 11” Biaxial Accessory Coil Cover – COVER-11DD

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$ 19.99

10” Concentric Standard Coil Cover – F70COVER

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$ 19.95

6.5” Concentric Accessory Coil Cover- 6COVER-E

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$ 7.00

5” Biaxial Accessory Coil Cover - 5COVER-CZ3

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$ 7.00

Fisher® Face Rain Cover

......

$ 10.95

Specially made to protect your F70 from weather

Gold Prospecting Kits

$ 29.99 $ 59.99 $ 109.99

*Image not shown.

OPERATING MANUAL &GUIDE TO METAL DETECTING

Metal Detector

Users Manual

Also available with 11”DD coil (Item# F70-11DD)

M70 Rev3 122211

OPERATING MANUAL &GUIDE TO METAL DETECTING

5-Year Limited Warranty

The F70 is a multipurpose metal detector.

It’s most popular uses are coinshooting and relic hunting.

Product Features

• Light weight and well-balanced

• Menu-driven user interface

• Large LCD screen

• Visual indicators of important values such as: Target Identification Target Confidence Target Depth in Pinpoint Mode Ground Mineralization (Dirt indicator)

• Two Search Modes: Discrimination Autotune

• GroundGrab™ touch pad ground balancing

• Waterproof 9 3/4” open-frame concentric elliptical search coil

• Touch pad actuated target pinpointing with variable audio pitch

• Adjustable Arm Rest

• Notch and discrimination controls

• Two retrievable user-programmed memory settings

The F70 metal detector is warranted against defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for five years from the date of purchase to the original owner.

Damage due to neglect, accidental damage or misuse of this product is not covered under this warranty. Decisions regarding abuse or misuse of the detector are made solely at the discretion of the manufacturer.

Proof of Purchase is required to make a claim under this warranty.

Liability under this Warranty is limited to replacing or repairing, at our option, the metal detector returned, shipping cost prepaid to Fisher Labs. Shipping cost to Fisher Labs is the responsibility of the consumer.

To return your detector for service, please first contact Fisher Labs for a Return Authorization (RA) Number. Reference the RAnumber on your package and return the detector within 15 days of calling to:

Fisher Research Labs, Inc.

1465-H Henry Brennan Dr.

El Paso, TX 79936

Phone: 915-225-0333 ext.118

Warranty coverage does not include the cost of transporting the detector back to an owner who is located outside of the United States of America.

NOTE TO CUSTOMERS OUTSIDE THE U.S.A

This warranty may vary in other countries, check with your distributor for details.

Factory warranty follows the channel of distribution.

Warranty does not cover shipping costs.

According to FCC part 15.21 Changes or Modifications made to this device not expressly approved by

the party responsible for compliance could void the users authority to operate this equipment.

If you have any questions, or need assistance with your metal detector,

915-225-0333 or 1-800-685-505, and ask for Fisher Hobby Technical

Call Service.

Published by Fisher Research Labs, Inc.

Fisher®is a registered trademark of Fisher Research Labs, Inc.

www.fisherlab.com

1-800-685-5050

OPERATING MANUAL &GUIDE TO METAL DETECTING

How Metal Detectors Work

Most hobby metal detectors use VLF Induction Balance technology. Here's how they work. The search coil (also called search head or loop) contains two electrical induction coils which

are like antennas. One coil transmits a rapidly alternating magnetic field, region surrounding the search coil. If metal is present, its electrical conductivity distorts the magnetic field. If iron metal is present, its magnetism also distorts the magnetic field, but in a different way, allowing the metal detector to distinguish between ferrous and nonferrous metals.

The other coil is a receiving antenna which detects changes in the magnetic field caused by the presence of metal. Electronic circuits amplify this weak signal, analyze it to determine the changes which occur as the search coil sweeps over the target, and then convey the information to the user in the form of a visual display or audio tones. Most modern metal detectors perform many of these tasks in software running on an internal microcomputer.

The iron minerals which are present in most soils also distort the magnetic field, obscuring the weak signals of small or deep objects. This can cause the object to go undetected, or to be misidentified when it is detected. Much of the technology that goes into modern metal detectors is devoted to the task of eliminating the unwanted signals from iron minerals in the soil, while not losing the signals from metal objects.

illuminating the

Treasure Hunter’s Code of Ethics:

• Always check Federal, State, County and local laws before searching.

• Respect private property and do not enter private property without the owner’s permission.

• Take care to refill all holes and leave no damage.

• Remove and dispose of any and all trash and litter found.

• Appreciate and protect our inheritance of natural resources, wildlife and private property.

• Act as an ambassador for the hobby, use thoughtfulness, consideration and courtesy at all times.

• Never destroy historical or archaeological treasures.

• All treasure hunters may be judged by the example you set; always conduct yourself with courtesy and consideration of others

Table Of Contents

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Quick-Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Mechanicals

Assembly Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-7

Mechanicals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Arm Rest Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Using Headphones (not included) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Introduction to the F70

General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-11

Menu System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Ground Balancing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13-15

Autotune Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Discrimination Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17-19

Pinpoint Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

LCD Visual Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21-23

Frequency Shifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Capabilities & Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25-26

Tips & Techniques

Search Techniques

How to Sweep the Search Coil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Pinpointing Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Estimating Target Size, Depth, & Shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

False Signals & Chatter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Adjusting Sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Tips on Ground Balancing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Detecting Activities

Coinshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Relic Hunting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33-34

Gold Prospecting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35-36

Cache Hunting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Shallow Water Hunting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Salt-Water Hunting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

How Metal Detectors Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Treasure Hunter’s Code of Ethics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Back Cover

OPERATING MANUAL &GUIDE TO METAL DETECTING

Specifications

Mechanical: 3-piece breakdown aluminum pole system, batteries under elbow,

Armrest adjustment - forward/backward.

Search coil: 9 3/4” open-frame waterproof concentric elliptical search coil. Batteries: 4 AA, alkaline (not included). Weight: 2 pounds 15 ounces (1.3kg), with alkaline batteries installed. Operating Principle: VLF induction balance Operating Frequency: nominal 13 kHz, quartz crystal timing reference Basic Sensitivity: 6 x 109root Hertz (detectivity) Lag Coefficient: 78 milliseconds Overload: standard 10” elliptical concentric

Reactive approximately 10,000 micro-cgs Resistive approximately 1,200 micro-cgs

accessory 11” bi-axial

Reactive approximately 30,000 micro-cgs Resistive approximately 3,700 micro-cgs

Resistive Overload: approximately 1,200 micro-cgs units (volume susceptibility)

4,800 micro-cgs units with sensitivity < 30.

Detecting Activities (continued)

Shallow Water Hunting

All Fisher Research Labs search coils are waterproof, allowing you to search in shallow water to about two feet deep. If searching around water, be careful not to get the electronics housing wet. Avoid salt spray, as it will work its way into the control housing and damage the electronics -- such damage is not covered by the warranty.

Both fresh and salt water beaches are popular places for metal detecting. Vacationers lose money and jewelry playing in the sand and in the water. It is usually easy to dig in a beach environment, and metal detecting is permitted on most beaches. Occasionally you may be able to help someone recover a piece of jewelry they have lost minutes before, this is a gratifying experience.

When searching on a beach, it is best to either search in Autotune mode, or to search with the discrimination level set just high enough to eliminate iron, because the value of beach finds is largely in the jewelry rather than in the coins. You will dig a lot of aluminum trash, but the digging is easy, and you can tell people that you are helping to clean up the beach and make it safer for people's feet. We recommend the use of special valuables from the sand quickly -- most metal detector dealers sell these.

The electrical conductivity of the water itself can pose some challenges. You may get false signals when going into and coming out of the water, making it necessary to pay careful attention to keep the coil either in or out of the water, but not to touch the surface. This effect may be observed in either fresh or salt water.

sand scoop for recovering

Salt Water Hunting

Ground Balancing Range:

Discrimination Ground Suppression:

ID Ground Suppression:

Battery Life: Typically 40 hours with high quality alkaline batteries

Operating Temp Range:

Operating Humidity Range:

From ferrite to salt, inclusive

combination of second and third order methods

third order

Estimated 80 hours with nickel oxyhydroxide batteries Estimated 65 hours with lithium iron disulfide batteries

4 to +122 degrees F (-20 to +50 degrees C)

0-90% non-condensing

Salt water is highly conductive, and produces a strong signal which is like that of metal. The

F70 is not specifically designed for top performance in salt water, but can be used in this

environment. If you desire to search in or over salt water, the following measures will usually be sufficient to

silence the salt water response while retaining acceptable sensitivity:

1. Set the detector to Autotune mode (At).

2. Set the

2. Use GroundGrab button to balance.

3. Search in the Discrimination mode with a discrimination setting higher than 20.

sensitivity to less than 30.

OPERATING MANUAL &GUIDE TO METAL DETECTING

Detecting Activities (continued)

Gold Prospecting (continued)

Gold prospectors are mostly a friendly bunch, and willing to spend some time showing a beginner how to increase his odds of finding the yellow stuff. Many will invite you to search on their claims (if they have any) once they get to know you. In some gold areas, a lot of the terrain is under claim, so you need to learn how to recognize posted claims and stay off of them unless you have the claim owner's permission. Prospecting clubs such as the GPAAoften own claims which are open to their members, and sponsor group outings to good gold areas.

To dig into the ground and pull out a precious piece of yellow metal that you are the first person on earth to see, can be a thrilling experience. If you love being outdoors, have patience, and can stay motivated by the prospect of finding that next nugget, then

gold

may be the hobby for you. Not many get rich prospecting, so think of it as outdoor

recreation where your finds might defray the expense while having fun doing it!

beeping for

Cache Hunting

A cache (pronounced "cash") is an accumulation of money, jewelry, gold, or other valuables, which someone has hidden. When people bury a cache, they usually put it in a strongbox or in a jar. To search for a cache, you first need a reason to believe the cache may exist. This means doing research. Some caches have been the subject of many stories you can read about in print, but you need to be able to sort fact from fiction. If you can get copies of old newspaper stories about the circumstances surrounding the hiding of the cache, you may find discrepancies which help you to judge the reliability of the information available. Often the best information on an old cache is to be learned from old timers who live in the area where the cache is thought to be. In the case of newer caches, often the only information is what can be obtained from family and acquaintances of the person who is believed to have hidden the cache.

Quick Start

Use your F70 right out of the box

1. Assemble the detector (see instructions beginning page 4).

2. Install four AA

3. Turn the knob, located under the armrest, fully clockwise. This turns the machine on and sets audio volume to maximum.

4. When first turned on, the

Discrimination Level = 15 (iron eliminated) in both program-1 and -2. Speed = dE Sensitivity = 60 Threshold = 0 Number of Tones = 3

Sweep the search coil from side to side, parallel to the ground. Keep the search coil moving over the ground. If you stop moving the search coil, the sound will also stop. Probable target type will be indicated at the top of the LCD screen.

5. If the search coil is not in motion and not close to metal, the detector should be silent.

6. If you experience false signals from electrical interference, from the soil itself, or from lots of trash metal, press MENU button until:

Sensitivity is highlighted. Press “-” as needed Reduce the sensitivity setting until the false signals go away. After 7 seconds, the machine will exit the menu, unless you exit by pressing MENU first.

7. Toss a coin on the ground and sweep back and forth over it a few times to get a feel for how the machine responds.

8. You are now ready to search.

alkaline batteries. All positive (button-end) terminals point up.

F70 starts out in the Discrimination mode, with presets at:

The ownership of a cache is not always clear. Sometimes it belongs to the person or heirs of the person who hid it, sometimes it belongs to the owner of the property on which it is located, and sometimes it belongs to the person who finds it -- or some combination of the above. If the contents of the cache were stolen, this fact can also complicate the question of ownership. Find out what laws apply to the cache in question, and always make sure that the issue of ownership is resolved prior to recovering a cache.

Compared to a coin, a cache is usually large and deep. Searching in Autotune mode is recommended. However, for a really deep cache, it may be advantageous to search in PINPOINT, by keeping the button depressed, frequently releasing and re-depressing the button momentarily to maximize sensitivity.

9. Press-and-Hold the PINPOINT button to pinpoint the exact location of targets, making them easier to unearth.

When Pinpoint is held ....

The search coil need not be in motion to detect an object. The 2-digit numeric display indicates approximate target depth, in inches.

OPERATING MANUAL &GUIDE TO METAL DETECTING

Coil Knob

Coil Bolt

Top Locking Collar

Lower Locking Collar

Biaxial Search Coil

Optional

Arm Strap

Assembly

Adjusting the Arm Rest

The Arm Rest may be moved forward or backward by removing the single screw and nut, and then repositioning the 2-piece Arm Rest. Users with shorter arms may find the Arm Rest more comfortable in the forward position. In order to move the Arm Rest backward, the plastic plug must be removed from the aluminum tube.

Arm Rest Strap

(optional accessory)

The Arm Rest Strap accessory can be purchased separately. Some users prefer to use the strap when swinging the detector vigorously, in order to hold the detector securely against the arm.

The detector can always be used without the strap, with no compromise to detector balance and stability under most conditions.

Detecting Activities (continued)

Gold Prospecting

In the United States, gold is found in many places in the western states, Alaska, and in a few localities in the Appalachians. The old saying "Gold is where you find it", means that to find gold, you should look in areas where the yellow metal is known to be present.

Hillsides are the best areas for gold prospecting using a metal detector, because hillsides cannot be cleaned out by panning and dredging the way streams can. Also, gold on hillsides, not far from its source vein, tends to be larger, and hence more readily detected, than alluvial (placer) gold which tends to get pounded to pieces and worn away as it rolls along the streambed with gravel during floods. Gold is valuable because it is a scarce commodity. Even in a good gold producing area, you will often spend an entire day without finding any gold. Meanwhile you will dig bits and pieces of other metal-- birdshot, shells and bullets from hunting and target practice, bits of rusted barbed wire, chips off shovels and other mining tools, rusted tin cans, etc. Hot rocks -- rocks containing concentrations of iron oxides that sound like metal when you pass over them -- are also a nuisance in many gold areas. Discrimination is usually ineffective because the loss of sensitivity resulting from discrimination is enough to cause those little nuggets to vanish. If you have gone many hours without finding gold and are wondering if there is something wrong with your metal detector or how you are using it, the most important clue is this: if you are digging

tiny pieces of trash metal, then if you had swept over gold nuggets, you would have

dug them too! Because most gold nuggets are tiny, and are usually found in soil which is high in iron oxide

minerals, serious gold prospecting requires a detector with high sensitivity and true ground balanced autotune operation. Run the machine with the sensitivity high enough to hear some noise from ground minerals, and recommended unless consideration for safety (for instance rattlesnakes) rules them out. Move the search coil slowly and deliberately, carefully controlling its height above the ground to minimize noise from iron minerals in the soil. If you hear ground noise, your Ground Phase could be a bit off, so perform the ground balancing procedure again. As you walk even a very short distance, ground conditions can change. The ground geology typically associated with gold will tend to change over very short distances.

The DIRT bar graph indicates the amount of iron mineralization in the soil. In most gold fields, especially alluvial (placer) deposits, gold tends to be associated with iron minerals, especially magnetite

black sand. If you know this to be the case in the area you're working, you can maximize your gold recovery by concentrating your effort on areas where the bar graph indicates higher amounts of iron mineralization.

learn the language of the sounds you hear. Headphones are

+ 14 hidden pages