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Does The Impulse AQ See All Gold As A Low Conductor?


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6 hours ago, ALEXANDRE TARTAR said:

The impulse doesn't tick all the boxes, as it needs to be versatile on wet sand.

Open Letter to Alexandre and Fisher - That  statement, as a relic hunter who frequents hot dirt sites, makes me salivate at the prospect of what you could do with the Impulse design for terrestrial artifact hunting (mostly mid-conductors) and gold prospecting.  A huge and fiercely dedicated contingent in the US, perhaps several times more detectorists than the super-hard-core water/beach gold jewelry detectorists in Europe and the US that the Impulse AQ is presently targeted for.  You will see  several hundred detectorists in the fields at a single event applying their relic hunting skills at the several annual group hunt events.  90 percent are swinging GPX and lesser PI detectors because VLF induction balance detectors are practically worthless in those conditions.  Same goes for terrestrial gold detectorists.  If you remove the salt cancel constraint (or simply make it a switchable feature) and submersion constraint (to lower unit cost) and focus solely on mineralization and existing Impulse analog precision disc/target reject breakpoints scheme, using the Impulse form factor with light weatherproofing, you and Fisher could make a killing, especially amongst the relic detectorists with aging, unreliable GPX's (just had to send mine into the shop for an expensive repair) who were basically abandoned by ML with the forthcoming release of the GPX 6000 which is devoid of any ferrous rejection feature and steep cost (not a knock, just truth likely resulting from a conscious business decision while maintaining the objective of simplified use in 3rd world gold fields, I don't like it but I get it).  The gold prospectors, however, are ecstatic at the new lightweight and user friendly package with the promise of high mineral and EMI environment performance.

Relic detectorists presently put up with the GPX cost, lack of weather proof integrity, battery cable claptrap, and weight because they have to, not because they want to, as it is the only detector that checks all the boxes, especially in regard to an excellent ferrous rejection scheme.  Now that ML has shown its hand with the 6000, please don't squander the brief window of opportunity you will have to fill this void with an Impulse variant that doesn't need to be waterproof at depth in salt water, but simply needs to work without a harness in the pouring rain and in the high magnetite fields of history across the US.  Relic detectorists, of modest means, have already demonstrated their willingness to pay the same GPX-level prices for a capable, ferrous-rejecting terrestrial Impulse that have been rightfully or wrongfully attributed to the AQ in this thread.  Even if you could somehow simply modify the AQ enable switching off salt compensation to accommodate relic hunting in magnetite soils that woukd be something.  Hoepwever, if the terrestrial prospecting or relic Impulse takes another 2 years to rear it's head, ML will probably figure out a way to add iron rejection to the GPX 6000 via firmware update or release a relic friendly variant in that time frame and that will be the end of that opportunity for you and Fisher.  Think about it...

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If they are going to make a terrestrial version, it would be great if it had the ability to perform like the AQ on wet salt sand as well.  Non-waterproof and ultra light for land and beach.  All for under $2000.

 

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1 hour ago, Badger-NH said:

If they are going to make a terrestrial version, it would be great if it had the ability to perform like the AQ on wet salt sand as well.  Non-waterproof and ultra light for land and beach.  All for under $2000.

 

Yes, that why I suggested switchable salt cancelation/compensation.  As it is now, it is always present which is one of the reasons the AQ is a poor terrestrial detector (or put more correctly, only targeted to the niche hard core saltwater jewelry detectorist that desires ferrous disc and PI depth).

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4 hours ago, ALEXANDRE TARTAR said:

In ALL METAL MODE, iron example, hair pin, double bip in only one direction.

 

 

It is easy to tell them when one can walk around them and sweep from different directions. In the water where you have moving water to watch out for or holes in the bottom to be wary of, there is not the luxury to walk around and find the sweep direction that gives the double bip. Not complaining, just saying ...

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I think that an "Impulse GR" , GR for Gold and Relic dedicated to inland hunting  on both hot and mild soils  ,
with good iron disc and without salt compensation/waterproof to reduce the costs , would probably be a success story because the market of inland gold prospectors and relic hunters is much bigger than the beach detecting one to my opinion.

I would be the first to buy such a machine if it performs well , and if it is not too expensive of course , around 1500e ?  .... Or even less ...  🙂


 

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The reason why I can’t see myself ever swinging one of these fully featured models is because I will always be wondering if I’ve missed something due to how I’ve set the detector up, a challenging saltwater/blacksand environment or have I swung over a honker 18/22K gold ring that could potentially be blind to the AQ. As a result of all of this, I would have to run it in AM all of the time which means I’ve paid a lot of money for a straight PI. 
The tech in this detector is really something and I sincerely congratulate the developers behind it but I suspect that there might be a lot of potential buyers who may whip out their credit cards for a BareBones AQ that simply packs a punch in a reliable enclosure.......a three knob model should do it nicely. This way, I can walk off the beach never wondering what I’ve left behind.

Let’s not forget simple.......

73866C63-3FA1-4EA6-AC14-FF5E90BC1D34.jpeg

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On 2/26/2021 at 6:24 PM, tvr said:

As for talk of low conductors; it was an interesting day today with more learning. Was at a beach that has a lot of hot rocks that have given me fits with the Excal on other trips here. Took Carolina's suggested setting from one of his posts on cutting out some iron, ATS 8.5 and disc 3 and started from there. Found that disc setting did not make much difference on the rocks but with disc set at 3.5, got ATS to just short of 9 and no more hot rocks in tone or mute mode. Was running delay at 8.5. With these settings it hit hard on a larger brass snap swivel that came up still attached to the fishing line. Pulled the line up and a good sized lead sinker comes up. Lay the sinker on the sand and nothing in mute and it low tones in tone mode. Drop the ATS to just under 8.5 and the sinker is clear as can be in mute and high tone in tone mode. The same just under 9 ATS setting was also excluding pieces of crab traps in mute mode that I had dug a little earlier at lower ATS. Now I will need to go out with some gold samples and learn more about possible big gold excluding; although I don't have any big high K gold to test with.

No great targets today, but some interesting learning of the beast. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the AQ hunted this area when I was actually expecting it to be a difficult exercise. Now I need to do some more tests on known targets to see if any good ones are excluded hunting tone or mute. Based on the chart above, things should be good but I need to prove it to myself.

There were areas of the beach with lots of big iron that came through in mute mode. In all metal I could exclude them because they were so big and the sound on the edges had a different sharp, kind of harsh sound to them; not double blips on these big ones. I dug several to prove identification to myself. I'll be digging many fewer going forward.

Carolina might be familiar with these beaches already. Wife and I had dinner at Jessy's Taqueria, not far from where we were on the beach today. She got a lot of well tumbled glass and several shells. A good day.

Edited to add: Sensitivity was between 5 and 7 depending on interference level I believe was coming from the near by buildings.

Sounds like the Ocean View area. It also sounds like you are learning the AQ also. I stand by my statement with the ATS at the most conservative setting, just past 8 ( broken tone ) reject 3 a 18k 15+ gram pig, in tone mode is a iron grunt or low tone. Since most of these are located on or near the rim, I dig them all. Mid slope and higher I skip. Once I’m in the water it’s All Metal and dig it all. Good luck everybody.

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3 hours ago, Carolina said:

Sounds like the Ocean View area. It also sounds like you are learning the AQ also. I stand by my statement with the ATS at the most conservative setting, just past 8 ( broken tone ) reject 3 a 18k 15+ gram pig, in tone mode is a iron grunt or low tone. Since most of these are located on or near the rim, I dig them all. Mid slope and higher I skip. Once I’m in the water it’s All Metal and dig it all. Good luck everybody.

Yes that is where we were for the weekend get away. Wife booked the weekend and I knew I had to try the AQ around the granite and brick pieces.

Thanks for the info on the 18K pig. I don't have an 18 K bigger than I think 4 grams to test with. How I was set would have missed that pig. Most places and most of the time I'm in all metal.

Picture is of stuff less the few crab trap pieces that I thew away at the hotel. The little chain and things left of it will get picked up by a magnet, things to the right won't.

 

NorfolkFeb2021.jpg

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On 2/27/2021 at 7:18 AM, Luis said:

Alexander, all of us who have used a pulse know that this double-tone discrimination does not work when the target is at considerable depth.

I would have to disagree with that in that even the toughest to master PI I've run, the TDI Pro gives a kind of weak, linear "off center" tone on any pin, even upended ones.  The AQ does too.  Only thing is it took me quite a while to learn to hear it.   Might not be an out and out double tone but it has elements of it--more drawn out, less peaked.  This is why I'm so sick of trying to promote my Equinox books--everyone's got these hard and fast "how to" rules--but they lack basic skills.  To be fair though--hearing this level of signal quality is by no means basic.

I'll say this on the topic.  An "optimized" pulse--is just that--it focusses on a narrow conductive band.  You can't have both.  Now I was a bit put off testing some big 22k and seeing that there was a diminished response in the ID modes.   I feared missing my "dream find".  At the same time--I recognize that the best features of any machine come with trade-offs and (oh no!) its here that basic skills come in.  It's like even with a pulse--there are those who are expecting the machine to do everything for you.  No--there are a dozen signal quality features that can, with practice be recognised.  As with all metal hunting with a VLF these signal features tell ten times more than any discriminate circuit ever could.  This relegates the ID modes to a secondary role.  They are nice to have but when I get something that is strong, solid and giving a partial low tone--I dig anyhow.  I like the stability of Mute mode, but am aware of its response range.  Hate to say it but so many of these questions come from a perspective of "what can this detector do for me?" when the answer is....

I feel like some old saddlemaker, or hide tanner preaching the "old skills" to an audience of highly vocal scofflaws.  But then five minutes later they're asking a question (or posting a picture of a pile of junk) to which the obvious and simple answer is contained in those same, simple basic skills.  

cjc

 

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On 2/27/2021 at 9:24 PM, Tony said:

The reason why I can’t see myself ever swinging one of these fully featured models is because I will always be wondering if I’ve missed something due to how I’ve set the detector up, a challenging saltwater/blacksand environment or have I swung over a honker 18/22K gold ring that could potentially be blind to the AQ. As a result of all of this, I would have to run it in AM all of the time which means I’ve paid a lot of money for a straight PI. 
The tech in this detector is really something and I sincerely congratulate the developers behind it but I suspect that there might be a lot of potential buyers who may whip out their credit cards for a BareBones AQ that simply packs a punch in a reliable enclosure.......a three knob model should do it nicely. This way, I can walk off the beach never wondering what I’ve left behind.

Let’s not forget simple.......

73866C63-3FA1-4EA6-AC14-FF5E90BC1D34.jpeg

Hi Tony

Epic ring BTW--I know you work hard at this and have done so for a very long time.  I will say this:  As these machines become more sophisticated, there's less need for a target ID circuit.  The precision that allows the AQ to run a low, stable uSc also makes for a very clean and informative signal.  This is what distinguishes Eric's circuits too--the GQA2 and the CS6Pi both tell you a ton about something in straight PI mode,  To a lesser extent, even the simpler Dual Field has a clean enough signal that IF you don't run it too high--it will be wide and caps and weak / linear on pins.  The AQ is all of these and more. To me, the ID modes are gravy--to be saved for "bed of spikes' type situations.  Of the submersible pulses available I would be hard pressed not to admit it's the deepest too--with the TDIBH  being second.  To my mind with all your PI experience--you are "just the guy" for this machine--given some time on it.  This is true of VLF's too.  With machines with sophisticated electronics like the Anfibio and the EQuinox your target testing and coil control target "challenges" are much more effective.  Point being that there's a lot more information in the All Metal tone of this machine than any simple PI.  cjc

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