Most likely my last post on this particular thread
On the 3rd time out with the replacement F-Pulse, it started to act up. This time a different issue than in the past. Every time I would touch the tip of the probe to the ground, it would emit a beep (just a gentle touch, not prying, or bumping, or anything). Touch the ground 10 times, I'd get 10 beeps. I'd have to wait after each touch to see if it would continue to beep, as if I'd found the target, or to determine that it was just a false alarm. Extreeeeemly time consuming to work that way! Also, whenever the Minelab Equinox 800 would get within about a good 4 feet of the pinppointer, the 800 would start beeping like crazy. I tried switching frequencies on the F-Pulse, and also Noise Cancelling the 800 many, many times, but to no avail. The only way I could use the two devices in tandem when on the ground was to place the coil of the 800 behind me a good four feet. Only then would the 800 stop beeping. Turns out, PI pinpointers and multi-frequency metal detectors don't seem to play well together (I got that from a good source), and who knows when or if things will be changed to make them play better together. This particular F-Pulse had to go, and a different model would have to be purchased.
Fisher customer service from every single person I dealt with was exemplary...better than I could ever hope, and something that I hope other companies would try to emulate!!!! They offered to keep sending me units to try, until I found one that worked well with the 800, but I declined and decided I'd be better served by having a different model of pinpointer. While waiting for the first replacement F-Pulse to arrive, I borrowed and used a few Garrett Pro-Pointers and Pro-Pointer AT units and experienced no weird interactions between them and the 800. They worked as expected.
I reached out to the original selling vendor who had initially directed me to contact Fisher with my concerns over the unit looking like it was previously used and not functioning properly, and he consented to offer me an exchange. I was worried that too much time had elapsed between the initial purchase, waiting for the replacement units from Fisher, and my now delayed attempt to return the F-Pulse, but Bart at Big Boys Hobbies stepped up to the plate and took care of me! He even shipped me a pinpointer that had a slightly higher price than the Fisher, without charging me the overage. He also took care of the cost for shipping me the new one. In conversation before I shipped the F-Pulse back to him, I offered to gladly pay the difference plus shipping, but he said it wasn't necessary. Keeping things real - Although my initial thoughts on the customer service (when I got the defective unit, and told to contact Fisher) were lackluster, Bart truly did take care of me in the end, and took care of me better than I had hoped for!!!!
I now have a Garrett Pro-Pointer AT that arrived last evening. Can't wait to take it out and use it. Hopefully this saga has been concluded!
