Tony

Hello Steve, TDI was GB off. The guy running the ATX was quite experienced, mainly prospecting but knew how to set it up for beach work. The ATX needed the Sensitivity turned down in order to get a smooth threshold. We agreed that all detectors had to have sensitivity set at whatever level provided a smooth threshold and didn’t false in the general target area. Initially the ATX was set with sensitivity too high which lead to multiple false signals. Once the ATX was adjusted then the threshold was smooth and all falsing stopped.......but the signal depth was about 3” below the TDI which ran smoothly at max Gain and 10us pulse delay. Tony

I’ve been doing some freshwater hunting with the Excalibur lately but I’m finding that the old girl nulls quite a bit due to the lake floor being quite mineralised...it is a clay base. I can turn the Sens into Auto but that really dumbs the unit down and depth really suffers. I have been thinking of getting the Tiger Shark but not sure if the GB will be effective enough and whether it can handle the minerals. The Excalibur in PP is quite effective but there is too much iron junk to contend with. Any thoughts out there....... Thanks Tony

We reduced the buried target depth at 1” increments.....it sure took some time to do ! Started out at 18” buried depth and then worked our way down to 15” where the ATX found the target. Tony

Any prospecting version will have to deal with Australian ironstone....the stuff from Western Australia is legendary. Small pieces will jump an inch to a strong magnet, will deflect a compass needle and outcrops struck by lightning will fuse together into a smooth mass 😳 But it is often a good sign of gold being nearby.......generally speaking, VLF’s go to these areas to die a painful death and you will find more gold swinging a golf club. Tony

I tell my wife that golfers are allowed 14 clubs to play a round of golf and metal detecting is no different.....................I’m still only allowed 4 “clubs” 😩

And it’s back with Fisher 😳

I’m not trying to pour cold water on things but it is quite difficult to determine the original depth of the ring....in liquified sand, the ring will continuously sink to the lowest point created by the several attempts to dig it out......just sayin’ 👍 A bit of detective work........If you look at the video at around the 7:35 mark, you will notice that the “likely” maximum depth can be seen where the scoop is buried prior to retrieval....where the steel meets the yellow handle. I would guess the original depth is probably no more than 12” deep and this is allowing for some angle penetration by the point of the scoop but NOT allowing for the likelihood of the ring getting knocked down by all the digging (and some off centre digging too). I like your enthusiasm PPP...... 😁

On the ATX the coil was the 12” one......also to add to my post, the depths the ring was found at were; 1. 18” for the TDIBH 2. 17” for the Deepstar 3 3. 16” for the SD2100 4. 15” for the ATX........and still quite noisy in the salty sand. The TDIBH isn’t running any more power / current to the coil than the Deepstar or SD but the very smooth threshold on the Whites allows the faintest signals to be heard. This test was done by another person burying the ring at 18” in an area of 10m x 10m as well as having another area of the same size with nothing buried in it (both zones were then raked flat). Operators were told there was a ring in one of the set areas but not in the other (unknown to the operators which zone had the ring). 5 minutes was allocated to each area. The ATX left both areas looking like it had been carpet bombed. Tony

Which means in all likelihood it will be 6 months away 😩

I’ve tested the ATX against my TDIBH.........There is a definite depth advantage with the White’s. Here is a list of depth champions that I have personally compiled over many years. This is on a buried gold ring that I use as my reference. #1. White’s TDIBH with 14.7v battery (12” coil) #2. Deepstar 3 (11” coil) #3. Minelab SD2100 (11” coil) #4. Garrett ATX (large coil) Where will the Impulse AQ fit in.........maybe it will be the new #1 ? I certainly hope so 👍 Tony

Well they got back to me okay....only to say that they don’t ship their products to Australia....😩 Looks like I’ll be staying with the stock phones after all. Tony

I know this is asking a bit too much but for some hunters, a “Lite” version of the AQ would be perfect, especially if it was cheaper 👍 I would be happy with a version minus the REJECT knob and associated 3 ID modes. Running in AM and being able to tweak the pulse delay and ATS is all I need. Having said that, I fully appreciate and respect what has gone into the AQ Impulse....it is “a lot of gun” 🤠 Tony

Yep......same down here as well 😤

Do we know where Platinum falls......it’s usually marked 950 but registers quite low on typical VLF machines. I know I have skipped over Platinum with my Excalibur.....my TDIBH eats this stuff for breakfast in AM mode. Platinum is popular down here with the Japanese which means there is plenty lost in Hawaii I’m guessing ? Tony

I’ve tried the ones listed on the website......maybe they are closed this time of year. I might try calling direct. Thanks Tony

Does the Anti Rotation Mechanism lock the coil in place....if so, then any wear/abrasion should be minimal ? I’m looking at the small notched red male parts and notched female part of the coil bracket. Looks promising 👍 Excessive coil movement would probably override the design but if it offers good resistance then that should be sufficient.

I have been trying to contact Detectorrepair for information on the GG Amphibian headphones.....trying to find out if the ones they sell for the Excalibur are the version II’s. The stock photo shows the originals with the volume control. I am after the version II. I have tried emailing from Australia several times with no response. The company is https://detectorrepair.com If anyone could contact them on my behalf that would be very helpful. i want to order the GG Amphibians II.....comes with the potted plug. Thanks, Tony

It’s also important to remember that “still” saltwater allows for quicker delays than “moving” saltwater. Working in 5 feet of calm saltwater is far easier (in terms of running shorter pulse delays) than 1 to 2 feet of fast moving saltwater.

I’m starting to appreciate the flexibility in the operation of the AQ......but for me and my hunting conditions, I can see the pure AM mode the one to use. Beaches down here have very little iron targets (big or small) We have quite a lot of Asian gold = 22 K as well as the big, hairy guys with the ounce plus nuggets around their necks. 😳 I can find quite a lot of money because of our $1 and $2 coins which need to be “captured”.......maybe this is possible in one of the ID modes. These coins are quite high up on the conductivity scale. Thanks Tony

Even considering the potential to pay off the detector, I feel anything over $2500 USD may turn off people right from the start.......they need to sell to a wide range of hunters and not just the ones who feel they can easily and quickly pay off the unit. It is comparable to those who purchased expensive GPZ 7000’s......how many of them have paid off their machines? Hopefully the mindset at FT is not to try and recoup all of the expense in one model but spread it out over time and maybe further machines.......they really need to get AQ’s out the door in what is a niche detector (PI) in a niche hobby (beach/water metal detecting). I do want one though....👍

Definitely the case...I suspect Minelab already has a range of advanced prototype technology that can be brought to market whenever the need arises. Their R&D budget is...........a lot. Tony

That particular test was somewhere in between the wet and dry......I used to hunt parallel to the water but with the TDIBH, I have had to change to hunting perpendicular to the water (so I am either facing the water or have my back to it). I only hunted parallel to the water to maximise coverage of the towel lines but with max power settings then a bit of salt signal will be heard when the swing is at its closest to the water. When hunting the “correct” way then no salt signal on the hard pan.👍 Tony

If it does then there will be no one happier than me.......wish the Aussie dollar was stronger against the US dollar 💵 If you need any Aussie testers then just let me know.....assuming I’m still alive after granny reads this thread 😳 Tony

I always take the time to rest the detector on the ground.......on the hard ground, my dive boots make for a great pillow for detectors. 👍

Looks like a killer unit. I don’t think the cable management at the back will be a problem as far as being exposed to “ blunt trauma”. I’m liking everything that I’m seeing. I WANT TO SEE THIS UNIT BEAT THE TDIBH FOR RAW DEPTH 👍 I am expecting sticker shock BUT any performance gains over current beach PI’s will then be justified ! Raising funds now.......Will be selling my grandma on eBay shortly 😳 Good luck with the testing.....and thanks for sharing on this great forum (I’m sure Steve won’t mind if all of your posts are just here 🤫) Tony