Fisher F11 User manual

OWNER’S MANUAL
Uses one 9-volt ALKALINE battery only.
Do not use “Heavy Duty” batteries.
Do not use ordinary Zinc Carbon
batteries.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Congratulations!
Congratulations on the purchase of your new Fisher F11™ Metal Detector. The F11 is the result of many
years of software engineering and features the latest advancements in lightweight design and target
accuracy. The F11 can be used with its default turn-on-and-go settings, or you can adjust the detector's
settings to match your hunting conditions. This detector was designed to be an easy to use yet powerful
detector. This manual has been written to help you get optimal use of your detector so we hope you will
read it thoroughly before your first outing.
Happy Hunting rom Fisher Research Labs!
The F11 operates at a fre uency of 7.69 kHz and comes with a 7” round elliptical
searchcoil. The F11 shares searchcoil compatibility with the F22 and F44.
Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Contents of Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-6
Batteries (use alkaline batteries) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Quick-Start Demonstration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
The Basics of Metal Detecting
Ground Minerals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Trash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
dentifying Buried Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Depth of Buried Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
EM (Electromagnetic nterference) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Using the Detector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Waterproof Searchcoil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
How to Work the Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
The Display
Depth ndicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Overload Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Target dentification
Target- D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
4-Tone Target dentification Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-13
Depth and Target Display
Reading the Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Target Group Category D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Controls
Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Notch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Pinpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Pinpointing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15-16
Headphone Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Characteristics & Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Treasure Hunter's Code of Ethics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Back Page
2

TERMINOLOGY
The following terms are used throughout the manual and are standard
terminology among detectorists.
RELIC
A relic is an object of interest by reason of its age or its association with
the past. Many relics are made of iron, but can also be made of bronze
or precious metals.
IRON
ron is a common, low-grade metal that is an undesirable target in certain
metal detecting applications. Examples of undesirable iron objects are
old cans, pipes, bolts and nails. Sometimes the desired target is made
of iron. Property markers, for instance, contain iron. Valuable relics can
also be composed of iron; cannon balls, old armaments and parts of old
structures and vehicles can also be composed of iron.
FERROUS
Metals which are made of, or contain iron.
ELIMINATION
Reference to a metal being "eliminated" means the detector will not emit
a tone, nor display a Target- D, when a metal object passes through the
searchcoil's detection field.
DISCRIMINATION
When the detector emits different tones for different types of metals, and
when the detector "eliminates" certain metals, we refer to this as the
detector "discriminating" among different types of metals.
Discrimination is an important feature of professional metal detectors.
Discrimination allows the user to ignore trash and otherwise undesirable
objects.
PINPOINTING
Pinpointing is the process of finding the exact location of a buried object.
Long-buried metals can appear exactly like the surrounding soil and can
therefore be very hard to isolate from the soil.
GROUND CANCELATION
Ground Cancelation is the ability of the detector to ignore, or "see
through," the earth's naturally occurring minerals, and only sound a tone
when a metal object is detected. This detector incorporates proprietary
circuitry to eliminate false signals from many mineralized soils.
3

CONTENTS OF BOX
The followin detector components are in the box:
Velcro
Handgrip
Velcro
4
3. Searchcoil
4. Middle
Stem
5. Lower Stem
with Bolt &
Knurled Knob
Attached
6. S-Rod
2. Armrest Assembly with
Screw and Lock-Nut
1. Control Housing
with 2 screws
Headphone
Jack Cover

ASSEMBLY
ool Required: #1 Phillips Screwdriver
●
1• Remove the Screw from the Armrest.
• Slide the Armrest over the end
of the S-Rod.
• Attach with Screw and Lock-Nut.
●
2Attach Control Housing with Screws;
install back screw first.
NO E:
•The Handgrip fits under the
Control Housing.
Handgrip may partially cover one
mounting hole. Peel back
Handgrip to expose the front
hole.
•Ensure the headphone jack
cover is properly seated before
attaching the control housing.
Handgrip
Search
Coil
Cable
Cable
Plug
S-Rod
Middle
Stem
Locking
Collar
Locking
Collar
Headphone
Jack
Battery
Compartment
(back side)
Armrest
Round
Elliptical
Searchcoil
*
Knurled
Knob
Coil
Washer
Coil
Washer
VelcroStrap
VelcroStrap
Place Headphone
Jack Cover in
recessed pocket
so it is level with
the surface of the
housing and held
in place between
the housing
and S-Rod.
Caution:
Forcing in M DDLE STEM with CAM LOCK raised may
form a burr on cam lock. f this happens, remove burr with
knife to allow insertion.
*Note: Very tall users can purchase the optional
Extended Lower Stem (TUBE5X), for extended reach.
5

6
●
3Position S-Rod upright.
●
4Rotate the LOCK NG COLLAR fully in the counterclockwise direction.
●
5nsert your finger inside the tube and make sure the NTERNAL CAM LOCK
is flush with the inside of the tube.
●
6 nsert the M DDLE STEM into the S-ROD, with the S LVER BUTTON pointed
upward.
●
7Rotate the M DDLE STEM until the S LVER BUTTON locates in the hole.
●
8Twist the LOCK NG COLLAR fully in the clockwise direction until it locks.
●
9Repeat this process on the LOWER STEM.
●
10 Using the BOLT and KNURLED KNOB, attach the SEARCHCO L to the
LOWER STEM.
●
11 Adjust the LOWER STEM to a length that lets you maintain a comfortable upright
posture with your arm relaxed at your side, and the SEARCHCO L parallel to the
ground in front of you.
●
12 Wind the CABLE securely around the STEMS, leaving slack at the bottom.
●
13 Connect CABLE PLUG to housing.
Do not twist the Cable or Plug. Turn Locking Ring only. Use minimal finger
pressure to start the threads. Do not cross-thread. When the Locking Ring is
fully engaged over the threaded connector, give it a firm turn to make sure it is
very tight. When the Locking Ring is fully engaged over the threaded connector,
it may not cover all of the threads.
ASSEMBLY
(Continued)
S-ROD
LOCKING
COLLAR
INTERNAL
CAM LOCK
SILVE R BUTTON
MIDDLE
STEM
S-ROD MIDDLE STEM
●
4
●
5
●
6
●
6
●
7

7
The detector requires a single 9-volt
ALKAL NE battery (included).
Do not use ordinary “Zinc
Carbon” batteries.
Do not use “Heavy Duty”
batteries.
Rechargeable batteries can
also be used. f you use
rechargeable, we recommend
using a “Nickel Metal Hydride”
rechargeable battery. The battery
compartment is located on the back
side of the Control Housing. Slide the battery door to the side to remove. nsert
battery (see illustration). Close battery door. When it is time to replace the
battery, simply pull up firmly on the end of the battery.
BATTERY LIFE
Expect 20 to 25 hours of life from a 9-volt alkaline battery. Rechargeable
batteries provide about 8 hours of usage per charge.
BATTERY INDICATOR
The battery icon has three segments plus an outline segment.
The amount of battery voltage for an ALKAL NE battery is indicated as follows:
All segments illuminated: 8.0 volts or more
Two segments illuminated, one grey: 7.5 to 7.9 volts
Two segments illuminated: 7.0 to 7.4 volts
One segment illuminated, one grey: 6.5 to 6.9 volts
One segment illuminated: 6.0 to 6.4 volts
One segment grey: 5.5 to 5.9 volts
No segments, flashing outline: less than < 5.5 volts
t is recommended to change the batteries when you see one grey segment.
f using NiMH rechargeable batteries, the display will remain stuck on the
second or third bar for most of the battery life; when it drops to the first bar, the
batteries will go dead within minutes.
SPEAKER VOLUME AND BATTERY CHARGE
You may notice the speaker volume drop while one battery segment is illuminated.
With the outline flashing, low speaker volume will be very apparent.
BATTERY DISPOSAL & RECYCLING
Alkaline batteries may be disposed of in a normal waste receptacle or
recycled. Non-Alkaline batteries should be recycled. n the state of California
all battery types must be recycled. Please refer to local municipalities for
detailed disposal and recycling requirements.
BATTERIES

8
QUICK-START DEMONSTRATION
I. Supplies Needed
• Nail (made of iron) • U.S. Quarter (or silver coin) • U.S. Nickel
• Gold Ring • U.S. Dime • U.S. Penny, dated after 1982 (post-1982 pennies are made of Zinc)
(Most newer non-U.S. coinage also contains mostly Zinc)
II. Position the Detector
a. Place the detector on a table with the searchcoil hanging over the edge. (or,
have a friend hold the detector with the searchcoil off the ground).
b. Keep the searchcoil away from walls, floors and metal objects.
c. Remove watches, rings and jewelry.
d. Turn off lights or appliances whose electromagnetic
emissions may cause interference.
e. Pivot the searchcoil back.
f. Press to power on.
g. Press twice to enter Artifact Mode,
notice all target groups illuminated.
III. Demonstrate MODES:
a. Pass all objects over the searchcoil and notice the different tones.
Nail: low tone
Nickel: medium tone
Zinc Penny: medium tone
Gold Ring: most gold rings will register with a medium tone
Dime: high tone
Quarter: high tone
b. Wave objects close, notice depth indicator. Wave objects farther away
and notice depth indicator.
c. Press once to enter Jewelry Mode. Notice Fe graphic is no longer
illuminated.
d. Wave nail over searchcoil. t will not be detected because it has been
“discriminated out.”
IV. Demonstrate NO CH Feature:
a. Press until “NOTCH” is illuminated.
b. Press until con “3” is flashing, then wait until icon stops flashing
(approximately 5 seconds). The icon will be blanked out.
c. Pass nickel over the searchcoil. t will not be detected. The nickel has been
“notched” out.
d. Press until con “3” is flashing, then wait until icon stops flashing
(approximately 5 seconds). The icon is now illuminated.
e. The nickel target group is now “notched” back in.
V.
Demonstrate DEP H Indicator:
a. Pass the Nickel close to the searchcoil (about 1” away).
b. Notice the depth bar graph indicating a shallow target.
c. Wave the Nickel farther away from the searchcoil and notice additional
bar graph segments illuminating, indicating a deeper target.
VI.
Demonstrate PINPOIN feature:
a. Press and hold .
b. Hold a coin motionless over the searchcoil.
c. Lower coin toward searchcoil and then raise coin away from searchcoil.
d. Notice the sound changes as the coin distance varies.
e. Notice the depth indicator changes as the coin moves up and down.

9
THE BASICS OF METAL DETECTING
This metal detector is intended for locating buried metal objects. When
searching for metals, underground or on the surface, you have the following
challenges and objectives:
1. gnoring signals caused by ground minerals.
2. gnoring signals caused by metal objects that you do not want to find,
like nails.
3. dentifying a buried metal object before you dig it up.
4. Estimating the size and depth of objects, to facilitate digging them up.
5. Eliminating the effects of electromagnetic interference from other
electronic devices.
Your metal detector is designed with these things in mind:
1. Ground Minerals
All soils contain minerals. Signals from ground minerals can interfere with
the signals from metal objects you want to find. All soils differ, and can
differ greatly in the type and amount of ground minerals present. This
detector has proprietary circuitry to automatically eliminate interfering
signals from minerals that occur naturally in the ground.
NOTE: This detector will not completely eliminate inter erence rom all
types o minerals. For example, the detector IS NOT designed or use on
wet sand saltwater beaches. Another example o soil this detector will not
eliminate is any soil containing large concentrations o iron oxides, which
are usually red in color.
2. Trash
f searching for coins, you want to ignore items such as aluminum foil and
nails. You can see the Target- D of the buried objects, listen to the sounds
and then decide what you want to dig up. Or, you can eliminate unwanted
metals from detection by using the NOTCH feature.
3. Identifyin Buried Objects
Metal objects are identified along the 9-segment Conductivity graphic
symbols. This scale is an indicator of the relative electrical conductivity of
different objects. Segments to the right indicate more conductive targets. ron
objects, which are usually of lesser value, illuminate on the left with the Fe
symbol. Silver objects will be illuminated on the rightmost segments.
4. Depth of Buried Objects
The 6-segment graphic indicates the relative depth of a buried metal object.
For a given object, the more distance between it and the searchcoil, the
more segment lines illuminated.

10
5. EMI (Electroma netic Interference)
The searchcoil produces a magnetic field and then detects changes in that
magnetic field caused by the presence of metal objects. This magnetic field
the detector creates is also susceptible to the electromagnetic energy
produced by other electronic devices. Electric fences, cell phones, cell phone
towers, power lines, microwave ovens, lighting fixtures, TVs, computers,
motors, etc… all produce EM which can interfere with the detector and cause
it to beep when no metal is present, and sometimes to beep erratically.
The SENS T V TY control lets you reduce the strength of this magnetic field
and therefore lessen its susceptibility to EM . You may want to operate at
maximum strength, but the presence of EM may make this impossible. f
you experience erratic behavior or “false” signals, reduce the sensitivity.
THE BASICS OF METAL DETECTING
Sweep Method
Sweep the detector side-to-side over
the ground.
Keep the searchcoil parallel to the
ground as you sweep; do not lift the
searchcoil at the ends of your sweeps.
Searchcoil motion is required for target
detection.
USING THE DETECTOR
This detector is equipped with a 7” diameter round elliptical waterproof
searchcoil. This lightweight, ruggedly constructed searchcoil can be fully
submerged in water. The bottom portion of the pole assembly can also be
submerged, but the control housing and the searchcoil cable plug
connection into the housing must be kept dry.
Accessory searchcoils are also available for purchase; see back cover or
visit www.fisherlab.com. A smaller searchcoil offers more precision and fits
into tight spaces. Larger searchcoils provide for more ground coverage on
each sweep and penetrate deeper into the ground.
WATERPROOF SEARCHCOIL
RIGHT
WRONG