I really wish Sandcrab would post on this thread... He is a beach hunter and he knows his stuff...
How are you Craig... I decided to take one person out of my sights. You can tell him if you choose...
The one side hates PI, they go run to a cut like the circus is in town, get 100's of coins but all the pulse guys run away... The other side say this thing is going to make them like Moses with his staff, just tap the sand and the gold will just come to the surface... They are already modifying it, really??? It gets better by the minute… But from both camps, how many have used a pulse on the beach in the past year? Even own a pulse, but all are saying what it can do… Yea compare it to an Excal or Equinox, sure. On even medium mineralized ground… You know exactly what I think about the Excal and I have done everything to it and then some, still is lacking.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_5JWM-9n5E&feature=emb_logo
The video, this is what I was talking about… Watch when he swings the nail, that to me sounds like the machine is giving an overload signal. It goes to a tone to overload at about the 1:10 mark forward. A tone but then overload drowns out the tone. Oh but it is sooooo smooth. Maybe just maybe the threshold is turned down. But no already have some saying what it can do with that video… Change this, change that. Yea the headphones will do it. Really??? Always thought the coil could change the whole dynamic of a pulse machine.
Now at 2:27 watch that real close, that is when the ring is introduced to the coil. As it goes perpendicular to the coil look when it detects it… It happens really fast but approaching the coil listen. Don’t care about the speed swing, that is a joke… Now I know PI’s are not the best at air testing, but not getting into that discussion. For reference the end of the screen to the left to where the coil is would be about 12” approx… Come to your own conclusions.
It has a ceiling for the power going to the coil, but what is the floor? Oh but its volts vs current… If it is taking dual samples would it not have two blind spots… If it is optimized for salt, what happens to the small items? Would that be another blind spot. But is it sensitive or deep? Keep seeing these two statements intermingled, because it is sensitive it is deep. Really? So a machine running higher power with a coil that can handle the power and hopefully the ground can take the added power would that make it more sensitive or deeper? Now add pulse delay, pulse delay then does what? I don’t need any of them answered, I already know. For example if a PI detector on the receiver used a voltage regulator, but the transmit signal is current driven, then would higher battery voltage mean a stronger pulse into the ground? But if the power is limited to the coil???… How much of that power which is already limited gets to the coil… Something else to consider.
Like the TDI, the AQ in discriminate is using two samples to determine high or low tone/mute. Unlike the TDI, there is no “hole” where the ground balance breaks. In the TDI, any target whose time constant is near the GB setting has greatly reduced signal strength - leading to complaints of “invisible nuggets” when looking for nuggets and accounting for the mediocre depth when using offset GB to ID high conductors like silver coins while excluding most iron.
I never said the iron ID is infallible. My own limited experience with it at beaches (San Diego and Drøbak in Norway) showed the ID to provide a useful level of discrimination between ferrous and other targets. Infallible - no. Badly rusted hairpins fooled it occasionally as did bits of wire. In those cases, raising the coil to bring the target to the limits of detection caused it to break up convincingly. Steel crown caps are a complex target and many detectors struggle with them - they can fool the AQ also on occasion.
I would only use discrimination on a beach with the AQ if ferrous trash was a major issue on that particular beach. The signal from good targets in all metal is plenty solid and you can often ID iron, especially elongated stuff just fine in AM by “Mapping” the target nd listening to the response in one direction vs the other.
When comparing to the TDI, the AQ runs happily in all metal on almost any beach, no matter the mineralization - The TDI with GB (and therefore some discrimination via two tone) is crippled for depth and I suspect no one runs it GB on at the beach.
Alexandre has “tickled” the system to extend the “first sample” spread so that gold jewelry has a “big window” to come in as a good target. This is unique and even If I understood how he has done it, I wouldn’t be allowed to say.
Here is what he wrote himself on the subject on one of the forums. I will post it now in a separate post.
You sure about that one? The TDI uses two samples. But there is no blind spot with the Fisher, but where are you getting the 10% loss in your next post. 10% of what, good way to not nail down an actual number… Why compare gold nuggets and mediocre depth, nice use of words. So the Fisher machine would be mediocre as well? You have posted ad nauseum that this is not a gold nugget machine. Odd you would compare the TDI to nuggets. I really liked that the TDI is crippled in GB, but the Fisher “runs happily” with what kind of loss? In fact tell me the loss in inches on the Fisher? On a TDI what is the exact loss, percentages do nothing. You posted it, owned one, care to share that number?
I will make it easier, my TDI Pro is that in name only from everything I have done to it. I can run it at 19.5v if I so choose, built a few coils to match the power, can run 8ms, for the type of hunting I am going to do. That was tested in a lab more than once on my dime. If I adjust it specifically for low conductors, and the ground will allow the power, water temp, air temp, water depth, current, uneven sand layer or anything else will not come into play at 8ms, how much depth am I losing in GB? You have stated you used and know the TDI… Somewhat difficult for you to say, now you can see how others see some of your posts. How about the Beach Hunter, how is the threshold on that machine? Just curious...
“Alexandre has “tickled” the system to extend the “first sample” spread so that gold jewelry has a “big window” to come in as a good target.” But there is no hole/blind spot? Then what is a “big window”? How about the edges of the window, one side and the other?
“So, in practical terms, the iron ID function works to the full depth of detection, but that depth is somewhat less than in all metal - although jewelry below 22k is not severely affected.”
This has to be without a doubt my favorite post you have ever written, bar none!!! So would that be considered double talk?
“Full depth of detection, but that depth is less… but under 22k is not severely affected…” Hmmm that is an interesting view… So in practical terms “I got you a full tank of gas but the gauge is only reading one half… So when it explodes there will be less gas to burn…” Am I reading this correctly???
But above you stated the Fisher “runs happily…” in ground balance…
What the Devil is runs happily??? Is that some technical term? If you are writing the manual I have to get my hands on one.
You know I really don’t care… At one time I did, all I have ever used is a pulse. Heck I answered I believe Jag years back when he wanted info on the Gold Scan. Long before you started your quest and then you would pop up in every thread regarding a pulse machine to somehow bring up what Fisher was doing. I have read info you have posted that is false, watch some question you lately but others come to your defense saying that was a year ago.
Other than the million posts about the Nox, this comes as a solid second. I know I am not alone in saying that. I seriously don’t want the machine after reading all of your posts, if Fisher thought it was a good idea that is on them. Would have been better not saying a word, bring it to market and buy it to find out if it is better than what I am using. Then again forums are a niche, metal detecting a smaller niche and water hunting is even smaller. There are few out there that really know/use a pulse machine for the beach. Yea I have an Aqua-Star that runs at 8ms as well, and a Barracuda, a modified TDI Beach Hunter, the lower power Aqua-sound and a couple others. The Aqua-Star I would rank third of all my pulse machines. Something to consider.
You look at all the threads, but nothing you could take to the bank, mostly percentages and hedging your bets. Nothing solid, even the power is a question? Then you go out and say once people use it then… Yea but the people using it will be comparing it to VLF machines they use. What will that prove? Even the tests that are shown, against a Nox? Seriously… In a way you and Fisher have created this buffer zone, few own the rigs I have. For most it will be a step up in some ways, any good pulse machine would be. But for the guys that do have very capable machines? Most of the reports to me will amount to nothing, going from a weak machine to a stronger one. Yea I can already hear the answer, well you are going to have to buy it and try it out. In fact your most recent post is below, like you read my mind...
Now I have seen all the offers of people saying to help you, test it out, ploys to get the machine early. Even posting finds to maybe be one of the first… (That ring a bell with anyone reading???) If you do ever get one, I will send you a map of an area. It is near impossible for most, watched many go over it and maybe get a light find or two. If the machine is good enough, there is old big gold there. The picture I posted from last year with the 30gram gold ring and the 3 others at about 10g each were from that spot in one day. That area always produces something but is fickle. You go have fun, I don’t want to be there, test it, see it, get it early or anything. Freely given no strings attached... You go back home and then tell me how you did on one of “my beaches.” Maybe you could back up “your conclusion” below…
You did write this…
“Now that I have inundated all of you with text, here is my conclusion.
This thing will kick you know what. Early users will explore their own “turf” and develop approaches and techniques which yield extraordinary results. Just hope it’s not on you beaches!!
Or maybe it will prove to be a “damp squib” much like the TDI.”