bklein

Hi Steve, in your post regarding using your AQ for prospecting you got frustrated and didn’t try Volcanic mode. Did you later or just box the AQ up and sell it? Do all detectors favor a ring vs a nugget or in my case nuggets of similar or higher weight?

No replies so I’ll add some content… I tried the AQ with my bucket of “black sand” from upper Newport. It detects my gold ring no problem, really strong with the Bigfoot coil and any run mode. The volcanic mode seems worse depth of all. Then I tried some gold nuggets I had found at a Havasu Goldseekers dig. It only sees them if they are on the surface. No superior mode here either - just doesn’t work. Here’s a photo of the gold and my bucket. All of this seems to contradict what Alexandre was suggesting in his comments here. I wonder if they just gave up on volcanic mode and focused on the others.

Just curious if anyone has been using the Volcanic mode on the AQ. To even have it had to be worth it to someone…

I do. On my right shoulder with earbuds. Haven’t tried a real long hunt yet though.

Used to be if you found coins in the surf that’s where the gold is. Now no coins in the surf (with any detector).

What is it that is masking out some coins? Do you guys have a setup that seems to eliminate the problem - maybe at the cost of some other behavior? I’ve never spent time on looking at this. I just know it happens and the design team thinks it’s a normal consequence of trying to have a gold sweet spot that no other detector has (???).

Have a link? eBay is just saying one AQ sold, by serious detecting, $1999.

I wonder how it would be if we could assign a modulation to an ID bin. Like if that gold range is unmistakeable. I have been playing with my Manticore and discovered the default tones for coins/gold/silver 5 tone bins were really really wrong. Even so, for me the gold ring or nickel bin did not have enough uniqueness for me. I suspect my mind would treat it as a target but not a special one. Hearing a frequency rarely heard is not enough.

I was thinking the same thing as I always wanted to go there. But I suspect the weather may be bad for both activities.

I have a few CTX batteries that fail to work with new cells, so I’m thinking the protection board is bad. I have two varieties of protection boards purchased from China but how do they interface to the charger/flex circuit. Their diagram just shows a P+ and -. Perhaps you have found a better replacement board for sale? edit: found good info from SUBE on find forum

Strick, the way my Manticore is set up, the small targets are very significant. No weakness present. It’s a unique experience having such a strong signal but I can’t see it. Usually wire or nails eroded to the size of a pin, or pop can rivets… And the thing is a silver plated ring didn’t blow my ears off. There is a voltage gain/limit setting on the CTX that does the same thing. I’m too new on the Manticore to know what I should do to improve things.

In my practice sessions at home with a bucket of black sand, Rich mode should help, but afterwards at the beach not really. I guess I’ll just spread the sand with my shoe and if no target seen I’m done and move on. But… I was hearing very weak signals in the wet and digging them and they were coins. Didn’t try setting back to Simple to see if they were louder unfortunately.

The one thing that is bugging me with the Manticore is the audio is not telling me the size of the target. So few good targets that I lose memory of what they sound like and I’m digging small pop can rivets, needle like iron, wires… I’m wondering if the M15 coil is less sensitive to foil and small targets but still good on good targets and might solve my problem.

The metal enclosure serves a purpose - you probably should try and maintain the concept somehow. Your coil connectors aren’t waterproof and would quickly corrode. I had used a GP Extreme at the beach with a plastic bag over it but I avoided getting into the water over a foot or so. It did not seem to pick up the foil - which was nice. The AQ is my replacement now. I don’t think the work you would have to do would result in something with benefits over what the alternatives are. It’s too heavy.

All in good condition. Also have NIMH rechargeable battery. Would be interested in trade for something recent from Minelab, working or not. I may be willing to add $$. I like to fix things if it’s worth fixing. Also like Nikon equipment or Ricoh GMIII. Reason for selling is I use a Beach hog with my Impulse AQ so don’t need the Bigfoot. I mainly hunt beaches and the XLT is not a beach machine. Barry 949-324-0167 $500