barryny

Yep - ordered the 11" from Detector Electronics (Metaldetector.com) on January 10th - just got the tracking number today. They had a special and included a pair of "$150" headphones - which I'll promptly sell on fleabay...LOL... They are one of the main distributors of XP - got my D1 from them in 2013...

Hey Joe....another great find...time and location and the right tools - the great equalizer! Two things: 1. As you know, when I showed the former Senator from NY your picture of the ring let's just say he was more than embarrassed.... 2. Chin deep? Jellyfish? You had best keep your mouth closed....😉

Hi Steve - I know you sometimes have concerns re: shaft length. I use a length that's about the same as you (from your other posts about other machines)...I saw a post somewhere that said the shaft for the MDT is too short for a 6' guy - what's your opinion on that - are you fully extended and is that ok for you? Thanks!

Steve - curious...do you even use the MDT-8000? Fairly new machine you really haven't had it all that long....

You are 1,000% correct...Those little one's are always holding mom's hand and pull those rings right off her suntan lotion drenched hands...

...you're gonna need a bigger scoop...🤣

Steve - If a faint signal is obtained and investigated while in All Metal, then by quickly scooping some sand (as easy as that really is vs. dirt digging) - maybe by taking a scoop or 2 off, then getting closer to that faint target and possibly identifying it at that point - that's what I'm really hoping for in terms of performance. In the salt water beaches here...typically I have not come across many hair pins, there are few "rusty nails" and other bits of small iron...but bottle caps, bits of aluminum & stainless, sinkers, etc - yeah they are everywhere... Just becoming aware of deep faint targets that the Nox/Excal passes over - that will open up many opportunities for the very old beaches here on the east coast...If I can knock out the higher conductors and avoid going another 2-3 scoops down - that will increase efficiency and overall detecting time....then for PI hunting as you have said - it could be the total package.

Nah....haven't bought anything yet (still waiting for my turn 😉) but always like to see performance for myself. I was just bringing forward some more video of previous testing done...after you had mentioned about the sand conditions in Hawaii....the volcanic soil they used in the video sounded like similar stuff. I think the term he used "does not work" maybe got lost in the French to English translation...who knows? Anyway, I do remember all the testing we did using the Blisstool and a couple of buckets of Culpeper red dirt LOL...trying to figure out if it would discriminate out the ground and the iron while still getting decent depth on non ferrous in those conditions...of course it never measured up to a well tuned PI being used by a well versed detectorist...

I'm posting the below video links in case some new watchers have missed it. This video of the technology in an earlier assembled version in France...this shows off some pretty good target disc abilities versus the CTX https://youtu.be/ubQ8sMSADSE Some comments that were made: 3 months ago no, the TDI pro does not work on the volcanic sand / try you will see ... AQ gets there and that gives you an idea of the gold / iron separation very far from the TDI PRO

Hi. Yep Steve - you are spot on (as usual)... I think the vast majority are "hoping" that even when giving up the +/- 10% in depth while in those Tone/Mute modes - the AQ will "avoid" most trash while gaining that additional depth over the Nox. Most guys want the "ease of use" and light weight on these relatively clean east coast ocean/bay beaches that the Nox delivers...if the AQ can now get those additional inches while not needing to be digging everything - that's going to be a BIG win...will blow out any ATX or Beachhunter competition... I know a few very old beaches that will need the straight up full power of All Metal to pull out old gold. I've witnessed the original TDI from back in 2009 pulling out nickles from 18" where the Excal had zero response... In the end - I agree - the AQ is a perfect companion for the Nox/Excal - it's gonna be the best tool in the right circumstances. I mean you can't screw a slotted screw with a phillips head screwdriver...

Steve - love the analogy....I always opt for the gun.......... Just dumped the ATX (I think most have already given up on it for the beach as too heavy) and got rid of my old Dual Field when I got the ATX...LOL. Yes - finding someone with the Beachhunter would be ideal....

Good morning and Happy Father's Day to all... I've participated in lots of extensive field testing over the years: from being one of the first of 3 Deus owners in the USA and testing it privately (specifically for Minelab against the E-Trac), or for field testing the Blisstool V3 and then the Deeptech brands of metal detectors - before I became their initial USA importer for both of these products. Burying known objects and observing the depth/discrimination capabilities of a new machine (while standing there and swinging over and over) is a great way to learn how to operate and understand its feedback from the different settings - but the ultimate test is in the real live hunting conditions..."How is this machine going to give me an edge over what I already have?"..."Is it stable enough to use at the tuned in for the buried object settings for under normal detecting conditions or do I have to dial it back?"..."Will it outperform what is the current standard machine known for all around best performance in these conditions?" I think the best testing methodology will be to have 2 people administer the live hunt tests...one using the subject new machine (AQ) and the other using the current "machine du jour" for that type of detecting. I think, right now, for salt water beach detecting both wet sand and wading - it should be tested against either/both the Nox or Excalibur. The method I would use is that both people go about their detecting business as usual and then call the other over when a target is detected - both a good target or trash...make the call what you think it is...then dig it up - all while filming the comparison of either machine "approaching the vicinity" of the target..did the other machine get any signal and is it a dig/no dig signal. I think this is what everyone is waiting/looking to see. This takes time and effort. I'd be more than happy to do this at the NY ocean and bay beaches versus the Nox/Excalibur when I can eventually get a hold of the AQ Ltd...

Steve - thanks for taking the time to do the measurements and post the pictures...that 52" minimum is just about the length I'm at with my straight shaft setup for the excal....and knowing that the lower rod can be cut is a bonus! Rick - it should be a gimme that they throw this extra piece in...

Steve...maybe due to the limited run to get it out there...they saved a boatload on "tooling" and probably sourced these parts as best they could....honestly a hip mount for the battery pack will prob be the best way to go for wet sand use....one cable out the back...tie it down in a loop to eliminate stress then there's one long cable to the battery/phones system....used my excal that way for years...

Badger - add the middle rod...$9.99 by retailer but maybe Fisher will throw in???

Who knows - Could have been a manufacturing defect by the connector supplier maybe had a hairline fracture and just needed some use to break apart??? Definitely good to know the potential issues...you were a 2 hour drive what if it was a plane ride vacation 😟 Not to self: 1. get middle rod for length 2. get spare power connector

Joe - that 90 degree connector is a great improvement - it looks like it would make a huge difference in keeping the connector safe if the end got bumped...and the bracket for the battery was just able to be slid forward after you removed the cuff?

I think the introduction of the Fisher AQ helped drive another nail in the coffin.... Steve's review of the AQ and the implied notion amongst the beach detecting crowd that the TDI may now possibly be "obsolete" - well that couldn't have helped any with their tough business decision...

Hi Steve - good luck with the surgery today... This is very good info and I would think that Fisher would just throw this extra shaft section in with the detector. Especially with a powerful PI and beach detecting using a large scoop...you want that coil way out in front of you...at 6' tall - I would definitely need that middle section too: There is only one thing about this machine I did not like to the point of needing to do something about it. At 5' 11" the two piece rod is too short for my liking, like by a couple inches. I had to keep the coil a foot ahead of my feet and was still bent over. Thankfully I just found that the middle section out of a standard Fisher three piece rod (I have one in my pile of stuff) plugs nicely into the gap, and will give me that extra reach I need.