Rick K - First Member

Mary Hudson is a jewel - happily for her, she retired last year. Todd is an Ace, with high tech companies around in OR, hopefully he will get a better job! Or maybe he would like a warmer climate - there is always El Paso - lots of high-tech stuff there now!!

Their whole business model was build stuff for $100 and then sell it to distributors who would sell it to dealers who would sell it to users.

User price $600. Their profits were likely not extreme, the distribution channel ate up all the money.

The distributors are mostly or completely gone. The dealers likewise.

The remaining companies have leaner distribution models, and the future is likely direct manufacturer to customer.

Problem is that the manufacturers aren’t used to this either and are struggling with how to do this. Openness, transparency etc. great ideas but hard to achieve.

Wow - still have an IDX Pro with mods - pretty sure I will keep it - heck I just bought a like new Tesoro Pantera.

Folks pay millions for classic models of all kinds of stuff which were the product of long vanished companies.

I wondered what the heck I did with that thing!  Lol

The ML coils would negate the advantages of the Impulse Gold. Alexandre has specialized in building advanced PI coils for MANY years. You can “go fishing” in the forums - especially in Europe and find references to Alexandre repairing Eric Foster coils or building new ones for Eric’s detectors for folks after Eric stopped doing that kind of work.

Every aspect of the AQ and the Gold is designed to work together to optimize the functionality and performance of the device at “The Job to Be Done”.

That’s why the AQ “Rejecting” silver coins isn’t a problem. In terms of the “job to be done” of finding gold jewelry, silver is an unwelcome distraction - FOCUS

So far, those two plus OBN who has posted here and a former tester who has a production model now and has not posted.

The Impulse AQ Limited sales are restricted to the US and CAnada.

The follow-on AQ will have at least some international distribution.

I can quickly answer one of GPZ’s queries. The pic is from Coronado in San Diego. October ‘18. I had an AQ prototype and on this stuff it hit a buried nickel at 18”. My Nox managed 8”

Alexandre has stated repeatedly that disc (multitone or mute) reduces maximum depth by approximately 10%. We will soon have solid experience here as to how that works out, but if you hit a ring at 18” in all metal, 16” in multitone would still be great.

Again, we will see. One thing for sure it will be NOTHING like the penalty the TDI incurs when you turn GB on. The AQ is designed quite differently.

I have about 45 on my list at present. Due to the slow ramp-up of production I am reviewing as units become available to ensure a good mix of experience and geography, it is not necessarily first come - first serve, but I am adding names at the bottom of the list so that once production ramps up I can just go down pretty much in order.

They used GG’s first on prototypes, then decided to go with their own design.

P.S. They are NOT GG knock-offs!

P.P.S. Say what you want about the M8 connectors, but being industry standard, you can hook up whatever headphones please you.

Interesting that accomplished beach hunters do the same thing with the current best tool for the job, the Excalibur and the CZ-21 are almost always used in all metal (I think that’s PinPoint on the Excal, correct me if that ain’t right. The AQ is the same. If you want the maximum of sensitivity - either for really deep stuff or jus weak signals from smaller stuff a ways down,  you will do like Denis (LE.JAG) does and hunt in all metal - listening VERY closely for nice “round” returns or those little “breaths” in the threshold which betray something at the edge of detection.

One note. This is not a beta test Joe is a customer I sold him my machine that was the first sale.

I AQ is not being tested it’s being used – as a tool to find treasure

Alexandre has a magic wand - “Poof” and they are gone!

The battery and headphone arrangements are the MAIN thing which will be changed.

Alexandre has one or more production machines. I expect he loaned it to the person who made the video.

Alexandre is more than an accomplished physicist/engineer - he is an artist. Perhaps his middle name is Leonardo - who knows?

I have two of the “other” Bigfoot coils - for the earlier machines. I have fun with it on the IDX Pro - luckily mine has the GB mod, because unless you GB the BF coil to the ground, it can read silver as wrap around to iron.

We cannot rely on El Paso to design and produce (or even source and re-sell) the kind of accessories which will be wanted. An opportunity for a third party is wide open once the various Impulse models are REALLY launched. 

that will be no problem. The problem is that NORMALLY they want to sell several hundred per month or even per week.

It is a niche machine and only a fool would have spent what they have to bring a beach detector to market. BUT

The Impulse AQ is  just the first of a line of detectors which will change first one, then another detecting “job” At least that what Fisher is convinced of.

And knowing Alexandre, I’m betting (literally) that they are right.

About the battery run time. Their early figures were calculations based on battery capacity and detector consumption. When more in the field testing was carried out, it became apparent that the early numbers were not reflective of in the field use.  Now they have good test data to support this conservative number.

Apologies for sticking this in here, but I’m a bit rushed these days and I thought I posted it earlier - if in fact I DID post it earlier today - then 2 apologies. Here

is a link to my Vimeo site - it is the Hardelot beach video which Alexandre and Co. did several years ago with a Manta prototype. I added some captions in English to sot of guide you through it (assuming you don’t speak French) The AQ is many development versions later than this, but it operates just the same (except even better)

DBC - the rod end connector is potted with epoxy internally. Changing the connector would be a big job and Poof goes your warranty - and maybe your detector.

Also, the battery pod is exoxy filled, so opening it and replacing the batteries with something else is likely impossible to do non-destructively

SGD -  with respect, If your complaint is with your Italian agent for Fisher not having any AQ's to sell, it is because none of the AQ Limited machines will be sold outside the US and Canada. 

In my experience distribution of manufactured goods internationally goes via Agency agreements with exclusive rights - in such a case Fisher would have agreed to not sell directly into the Agent's territory and such an agreement would prohibits agent from selling into each others territories.

All of this is a relic of the pre Internet age, but it is not likely to just disappear.

Here is a link to my Vimeo site - it is the Hardelot beach video which Alexandre and Co. did several years ago with a Manta prototype. I added some captions in English to sot of guide you through it (assuming you don’t speak French) The AQ is many development versions later than this, but it operates just the same (except even better)