Anyone familiar with the Fisher 1280x????

[paulb]

First of, I know this is the beach hunting section and I do plan to use this detector in the water but tonight I took it out for the first time since buying it to a couple woodchip tot lots to try to get familiar with it.It had alot of chatter.I am use to using the White's Eagle Spectrum with the nice display and the vco feature.This detector just drove me crazy with the chatter and not knowing how deep targets were or even a clue as to what I am digging.I know only time using it will make me better, but does anyone who is skilled with this machine have any tips???I plan to use it both on land and in shallow creeks and rivers here where I live,so I don't want to dig to much trash in the water like nails and screws.Had alot of them tonight in the playgrounds.

[John's Detectors]

Hi Paul, I haven't used the 1280 myself but you want to get the sens. control set to where you get rid of chatter. This is where you are going to have to spend a lot of time digging targets until you get used to the audio reponse on the 1280. I would really experiment with the disc. a lot. Of course you know that nails,bottle caps,iron objects have there own response. You will just need to mentally tune your hearing to recognize these sounds and responses. I use the Minelab Musketeer and you learn pretty fast to listen to that audio and mentally analyze it. I hope you will stay with the CZ20, I understand it is a very good machine. Ok Paul God Bless and let me know how it goes for you.

John Tomlinson,CET P=VI
John's Detectors
Blackwell,Tx.
Best Little Detector Shop in Texas!

[Knobertsfinds]

Hi paulb. I have a 1280X. The reason you have the chatter is because your sensitivity is set too high. It should be set at about 7 to 8. When you get the chatter just turn it back slightly until it stops. I set my discrimination at 1 with sensitivity and volume at thier highest when i'm hunting the water/ beach.When I get a signal I turn up my disc. to 3 and if the signal is smooth/solid in both directions I dig it. I don't use mine for land very much but I have and have dug a silver 5 cent @ 18". In trashy areas on land I set my disc. @ 5.My best day at the beach was 3 nice gold rings. Hope this works for you. Happy hunting.

[Monk]

Paul, The 1280X won't locate gold chains, I set my sincitivity on 8, Dis. on 5 and go for it. Don't dig the chatter! That will be stuff you had dis. out. Only dig the solid sounds. Works good for me.

[mgaliana]

Hey Paul, You made the Best Choice to take the step up to Great Machine.
I got my first 1280X in 1984. I lived in SW Louisiana.
Lot of great Places to Hunt for the old coins(lots of SILVER).
I had been using a Garret, but with the many weekends of Rain, I would have to sit home, wait till rain stopped and then go find the goodies. All Metals give off a better halo signal when the ground is WET.
I was a member of the Lake Charles Club, and was able to try several MD. I learned quick that Fisher had the Best for both Land and Water with the 1280x. And Paul, you will learn quick, that Rain is your Friend. I Hunted spots that were hunted for years, and was told picking would be slim. I was finding Indian head pennies and barber dimes, walking liberties, all in places that the old timers thought were hunted out. I have 2 now, one is my wife's, and both have paid back twice what they cost. We hunt Land and Water, Rain or Shine. Love it when Rains for Days, we are the only ones on the Beach now and We Find Gold All the Time. The 1280 will find a Gold earring post, bracelets, ankle chains, Toe Rings. You have the BEST all around Detector Made. Over half a dozen hunting buddies have switched since seeing all the Goodies my wife and I find. Listen for the sounds, those head phones are made to pick up faint noises. you will in be able to tell Trash from a Nick le or Gold. And Depth, Wife found a gold charm letter(K 14k) at about 20 inch's on a day it was Raining. I see your in Ohio, you have some great places to hunt, even in the winter rain or snow. And all those lakes and ponds and rivers where everyone hung out to get a tan with all that sun tanning oil on them, that's only the modern stuff you will find. Winters moving in, get out there and put some hrs on that 1280X, You will soon see what I'm sharing with you.

Good Hunting and Keep us Posted
Mark

[warthog steve]

..Here in michigan,all I use it in is fresh water,Ive heard its not too good in salt water....AND:If you run the sensitivity too high;it will chatter a lot-Just tone down the sens.a tad,and yer good to go......

[Roly]

Hey Paul,

I've been using my 1280X for almost one year now. A buddy of mine recommended the following configurations for use in Florida Saltwater beaches:

I always set my descrimination to 0 or 1 if I'm detecting in the water (unit completely submerged) with a sensitivity of between 6 & 8. If the the chatter begins to be a problem, I turn the sensitivity down to 3 or 4. One other very important thing to consider, especially near shore where wave action is heavy, is to use velcro straps to keep the coil cable snug. This eliminated the majority of my chatter allowing to raise the sensitivity to between 6 & 8.

If I'm detecting in the water near the breaking waves (only coil submerged) I have to turn my sensitivity down to almost zero to be able hear good signals. ame goes for wet sand hunting.

In dry sand, i crank up the sensitivity to 9 with pretty decent results.

Once in a while (not too often) i turn discrimination up to the area between 3 and 4. This helps me eliminate bottle caps in some of our trashier beaches. I only do this when i begining to get fatigued after digging hundreds of caps. In test plots, I am able to tell the difference between the bottle cap tone and nickles at this setting. I'm told nickles and gold share similar characteristics on our detectors.

sorry about long reply, but i love this unit...

roly