Rick K - First Member

The curve shown in the ML document Steve linked to is not a diagram of target signal decay after pulse switch off, but a curve showing decay of transmit current. It is basically illustrating the effectiveness of the cut off of current which causes the voltage spike - the Pulse. Pulse Delay in PI detectors refers to the delay in microseconds between pulse cut-off and the first sampling of return signals. A completely different thing. Here is a diagram Reg Sniff published many years ago. The grey line in Reg’s chart is the current output of the detector. The colored lines are return signal from targets and the ground. Pushing the slope of the grey line to the left - a faster delay of transmit current may allow moving the target sample to the left - reducing the pulse delay. Microsoft’s claim is that the transmit current is gone sooner that some other PI’s - they make no statement as to how much the SDC is able to take advantage of the earlier absence of transmit signal in order to sample target signals earlier. Shortening the pulse delay requires extreme care in circuit design and lay-out as well as very special coil construction.

The cable connections are the depth limiting factor on the 1 meter rating. Steve, how about you turn your battery holder around 180º and the cables can come out the front, use right angle connectors at each end of the battery cable.

Steve. You see things so clearly - often

Tested and rated for 1 meter for 4 hours. Wading in 5’ of water, you would have the control box and battery submerged only a foot or two. The coil is waterproof.

COVID19 has added to Fisher’s burdens in getting these ready to sell. They were shut down by mayor’s orders and are now only allowed 25% manning. Since the majority of their workforce is comprised of El Paso residents of Latin American extraction, and since COVID19 seem to be hitting Latin American families pretty hard, it is not unlikely that it could touch Fisher as well. This whole thing is putting me - once again - in the position of being (rightfully) expected to know what is going on. As of this Friday morning, I can truthfully say that I do not entirely know the status of the ongoing production of the AQ or what Fishers plans are for marketing it - wish I did - it would spare me a good deal of potential and actual embarrassment.

This thing has moved pretty rapidly from proven design to ready to market hardware Pretty rapidly if you are comparing it to the rate of Greenland glaciers melting (even at today’s rates) It has taken FOREVER - three years ago I expected it in a year - hell, the boss at FTP - Tom Walsh, probably expected it two years ago. It ain’t HERE yet. It’s close, but even now if you listen closely you can hear the grinding of millions of tons of ice moving over granite bedrock. Kidding? Sure, but - it’s a whole new world for Fisher and there are being VERY careful. Problem is - one of their marketing guys tipped off some blabbermouth PI enthusiast on the forums three years ago and now we re all sick of hearing about it. P.S. Guilty as charged. COVID19 has added to Fisher’s burdens in getting these ready to sell. They were shut down by mayor’s orders and are now only allowed 25% manning. Since the majority of their workforce is comprised of El Paso residents of Latin American extraction, and since COVID19 seem to be hitting Latin American families pretty hard, it is not unlikely that it could touch Fisher as well. This whole thing is putting me - once again - in the position of being (rightfully) expected to know what is going on. As of this Friday morning, I can truthfully say that I do not entirely know the status of the ongoing production of the AQ or what Fishers plans are for marketing it - wish I did - it would spare me a good deal of potential and actual embarrassment.

Coy my Aunt Sally. I am pleased that my “bait” caught the big fish however! Lol I had an SDC - sensitive yes, but GB2 sensitive, maybe I didn’t push it hard enough, but I never saw it. That warbly threshold - ug. Deeper in real world conditions than the GB2 in higher mineral, of course, but that is not my thesis - my question is about a hypothetical detector deeper in tough mineral than the GB2 is in good ground - deeper than the SDC in any ground. But never mind about all that - is there anything in my speculation that such a device (deeper on fly poop than the ‘’’sdc in any ground) could make a change? If not, then perhaps my whole thesis is bunk and the folks can forget my speculations.

Now all we need is a PI detector with greater sensitivity to tiny bits of fly poop gold than the GB2, but with the ability to find it in the very worst mineralization. If such a thing existed, how could it be employed to change gold seeking?. All the places where “separation” by dry washing, or wet methods including panning - where the mineralization has made VLF’s useless but the prevailing size of “bits” made PI’s unproductive. Is that a possibility. I ask, because, I suspect that such a device can and will be devised - by somebody.

The whole thing is much simpler than the complex stuff which goes on behind the curtain in most modern VLF machines. Most of the controls adjust a single variable. Having said that, one adjustment might effect the performance in a way that necessitates the adjustment of another control to some extent, but nothing like the complex juggling of lots of internal parameters which we have become used to in recent times.

Dew, the answers to your questions are Yes, No and Maybe - but not necessarily in that order.

That’s correct, the outage had nothing to do with the introduction of new sites - which is still pending. My speculation was wrong

Phrunt - I know nothing about FTP’s plans for international marketing and distribution. Steve - I look forward to hearing someday how an AQ does on a gold ring under your magnetite!

The great thing about Steve’s House is how it is becoming an ever more important repository of good data on metal detecting and its technology. phrunt asked about how magnetic the Reunion black sand is - easy peasy- the answer is right here at “home” - scroll down in this link and all the numbers are right there.

For folks who don’t check out the Reunion thread, they had and AQ and an Excalibur. The AQ found a bunch of gold rings in the space of a week. Alexandre’s email report of the trip stated that the Excalibur couldn’t detect a gold ring on the surface of the sand - (he said “above” the sand, but he meant on the surface - darned Google translate!). The sand from Reunion is the same stuff used in one of the bags in the now well known first video of the “Manta” at Hardelot beach in France. You have probably all seen it, bit in case not, here’s a link to my Vimeo site where I parked a copy with titles in English. The capability to cancel the salt while penetrating highly magnetic soil is very impressive. It remains to be seen how many beach hunters will find it superior on their beaches. Meanwhile, lots of folks will be tempted to try it on inland sites and I expect that as a relic machine it might be really powerful. Culpepper VA for example - where folks now mostly use ML GPX machines to get depth in that terrible red dirt. We will see. It wasn’t made for that, but still.... As a nugget machine, not so much, it is designed to not detect fly speck sized low conductors - the Impulse “AU” will deal with that.

The sites are back up

Apparently just some kind of internet issue - not connected with the new website

The AQ in its normal all metal or either of the discriminate settings cuts easily through black sand. In addition there is a Volcanic sand setting with special adjustments to operation parameters to cope with the most extreme conditions. The prototype I had in San Diego in October 2018 hit a buried nickel easily at 17” on Coronado beach with heavy stripes of black sand. The same spot with my Equinox - a very capable multifreak VLF - made about 8”. That was in Beach 2, Beach 1 was too noisy. Folks with white quartz sand may not find the AQ to be so dramatically superior to VLF multifreakers, need more folks out using them to tell. Lots of good info on the AQ’s capabilities in mineralized ground is in this thread here on this forum:

They have developed a new website., however I havE no information on their plans for implementing it.

I am holding off on announcing anything definite because Fisher has yet to send me full details. My unit is now - as I said - being used by a serious and respected beach hunter. He is very busy and his work product will be posted in due course. We intend to produce short, to the point videos, each demonstrating key performance capabilities and characteristics of the AQ. For now, I will give you a couple of snippets from his recent reports...all direct quotes... “I'm in Love...Two hours...submerged...no problems.” “...figured out PP on deep targets also..very easy...I'll explain better once I get a chance to show in a video..works perfect on deeper targets..” “I got one gold ring, one silver, and a war nickel..” “I want to get back out there ASAP..Love it..” The "AQ" is not for every beach but in the right spots it can wake a dead beach up... “...most of the targets I got today were in the range of 16 to 20 plus inchs easy.” “Thank You for the "AQ" ....A Master Piece!” "AQ" was very silent, with 8.5 delay and salt water. “ “The target (US Nickel) was about 20 inchs,” “By days end I was telling myself I need a pull handle on my scoop to help lift out of the deep holes.” ”I've used a just about every water Pi made in the lasted 20 years, one thing I disliked on everyone, noise. .............The "AQ" is a very silent running PI machine... allows one to hear the faint signals in All metal.”

I expect announcements soon. Some details still “up in the air”

It was replaced and after verifying that it performed to standard, I sent it to one of the most successful and respected water hunters in the US. He is currently putting it through an extremely thorough series of air and in water tests. His results are being recorded on videos and will be posted when completed.

They have approx. 25% of the workforce back. The AQ is impacted by the reduced rate, but it is moving forward.

They have folks back in, but I think it’s limited to 25% of the workforce.

Patience is a virtue and virtue is sometimes rewarded.

Mytreasurespot was a good place to look for used PI machines - folks would buy them for the "Digging in Virginia" paid hunts and then after a hunt or two either upgrade or exit. I bought a TDI will all of Reg Smith's mid there. Sweet steady threshold let all of the TDI's power work. Paul in CA has it now and I think he's happy with it.