cudamark

Just for satisfying my demented mind......if a supposedly waterproof machine (of any brand) that is under warranty springs a leak, how do they know if it leaked at less than 10 feet, or, at more than 200 feet? A leak is a leak, isn't it?

Garrett who?....

Erik, it seems to me that the first and easiest way to see if your bone phones are working properly, is to have one of your mates with good hearing give them a go. If they report that they're plenty loud, like others have reported, you know it's your hearing situation, and not the phones.

I don't

I'm not saying that I haven't found targets with the AQ, it's just I haven't found anything good that my Equinox, Etrac, Excalibur, etc, wouldn't have found. Now, deep iron targets? Sure, I've found bobby pins and other iron junk 18+ inches down, but, so what? I usually hunt with all my machines set as hot as I can stand and dig everything except dead iron targets. In the case of the AQ, I dig everything. With my other machines, I average 1-2 rings every hunt. I have yet to find a ring with the AQ. Bad luck? I suppose, but, I would have figured the odds would have turned around by now having used this thing for over 200 hours. Since it's not a fun detector to use, I now just use it for specific hunts......mainly ones with deep targets in areas without much junk. Otherwise, I would rather use a machine that is fun to use and avoid the deep iron.

As a surface bobby pin, yes, but, in my experience, it doesn't double beep at depth.

The AQ tests pretty well in surface air tests and other tests using a brand new nail or similar. Do that same test with a rusty bobby pin down deep and see what happens. I don't find too many shiny new nails on the beach sitting on top of the sand.

Unfortunately, I think they're just the stewardesses.....

I didn't have any luck with T-Rex scoops. Without gussets in the upper corners, they would break there after only a few months use. The ones without the upper plate-to-handle bracket support struts also developed cracks in that upper plate. I admit that I'm fairly hard on scoops. I tend to dig full scoops of wet sand, especially out in the water. In trying to be easy on my arms and back, I tend to lever the basket out of the sandy bottom instead of lifting straight up. That produces strain on any weak points and causes metal fatigue when there is some flex in those areas. The stiffer you can make these areas, the less flex and fatigue you're going to have.

I'd like there to be a variety of coil choices at the time I purchase the detector, and let ME decide what comes with it. If I plan to use it for the beach or open fields (like most of my detectors) I want a BIG coil....15" or bigger. There's just too much sand to cover with a smaller one. I also get smaller coils as the need arises for turf hunting or trashy areas. I just don't understand why the optional coils aren't ready at launch. They know good and well that people are going to want them. I'd order a Deus 2 right now if a big coil was available as part of the package, and not some mythical future date.

The ad says it's a 6 foot scoop. I assume they mean 6 inch scoop, as in the diameter of the basket. It also doesn't have a removable handle, which might not work for the OP.

Great to hear from you Gary! I'm not even an XP owner yet, but, I still enjoy your videos. I too am hoping for a BIG coil for the D2. I hope to see a package with that included sometime soon before shelling out the cash.

I don't think you can find just one scoop to meet all your requirements.....especially both quality and cheap. When you say small, are you referring to the basket size? If so, most of the aluminum ones have smaller baskets, but, they aren't as easy to push into wet sand and much harder to push into shells, cobble, and rocks. If you just need something that will break-down to carry on a motorcycle, you can get a travel rod that comes in sections. Carbon fiber is the way to go here, both for strength and light weight. For wet sand, stainless steel works the best. If you go with an aluminum one, have a stainless lip put on the leading edge for easier penetration. As Steve mentioned, the size of the holes can vary between manufacturers. Measure your smallest coin there in Thailand and get one with holes a bit smaller than the coin. You get too small and it won't sift as well. Some manufacturers make a scoop with smaller holes in the bottom to help catch tiny objects. This can help with stud earrings and chains, but, it also slows the sifting process a bit. Speaking of which, no scoop is going to sift wet sand well unless you dunk the basket in the water. In wet sand, just dump the clump and spread it a bit to isolate the target. In the water or dry sand, just about any scoop will sift there okay. In looking at quality, ones with braces and gussets will hold up much better than ones without those features. If you're just dry sand sifting, they'll all work okay, but working in hard packed wet sand, shells, cobble, rocks, etc. is very hard on a scoop. Ones without these added supports will fail a lot sooner than the ones with them. I've tried and owned many scoops over the last 51+ years, and find that currently the Sunspot Stealth series and the Xtreme scoops are the best overall in stainless. There are some others that are fairly decent for the money, but, IMO, they just aren't in the same class quality-wise.

Having used a Gold Bug and a CZ, I was expecting a quality built Fisher detector that did what they said it would do. IMO, I got neither with the AQ Impulse. Good luck FT trying to sell me another machine.

It seems to me that it would be in the best interest of both of them. If you piss off your customer base, those responsible will get fired, or the company goes bankrupt.

I may be all wet, but, I find it hard to believe that a detector manufacturer would knowingly use shill yes-men to test their gear if they really wanted an honest appraisal, but I've been wrong before. Paying for a professional analysis would be in their best interest to get all the bugs worked out. All the yes-men will do is give them a false impression of the detectors' performance and piss off all of us that are lifelong detectorists, leaving a sour taste in our mouths about anything that the company may produce in the future. Believe me, there's no way I'll jump on anything Fisher comes out with until it's been out in the hands of the public and thoroughly thrashed in real life....and maybe not even then if another company has a similar product. The old "shame me once....." adage comes to mind here.

Yeah, I got one of Joe's batteries early on because of the pitiful 3 hours I was getting out of the factory battery. I too was hoping to use it for deep targets after some sand washout. That's pretty much what I use it for now....just areas with little iron and deep good targets. It's just too frustrating to use in areas with lots of junk targets, ferrous or non-ferrous.

My hearing is actually better than my eyesight, so, I must have missed that! 😄

As bad as the design of the AQ limited is, with very limited battery life, I could live with all that if it had some reliable discrimination that was touted from the beginning. Sadly, it's just a slightly overpriced, poorly designed, and temperamental dig everything PI machine.

You might also look into joining The Ring Finders .com. It's worldwide and might generate more requests for your service. 👍

Sorry, I couldn't resist! 😄 This is my gold finds since summer....1.20 ounces. It's about half or a little less of what I found for the whole year. My wife is wearing some of it and won't give it back for a weigh-in! It's a mix of 10, 14, and 18K and all found within a half hour of home. I hope everyone here finds a bunch more this coming year! Cheers folks, Mark

I'm the same way Steve. I've used full tones for so long that using anything else sounds boring, plus I get ear fatigue listening to the same tone over and over again. I think I get a better idea on what the target is too. I still dig everything non-ferrous at the beach, but, I think I do a better job of playing "name that tune" before the target is out of the hole, than by using fewer tones.

Beautiful dug coin! IMO it would probably grade XF45 on the safe side. I has just a bit too much obverse wear, and I don't think it has enough mint luster to make an AU grade. I could be wrong though, depending on which grading service you use. I personally think PCGS is the best, but, NGC is not far behind. The scratches on the reverse will affect the value a bit though, so, I wouldn't invest in the expense to have it conserved and/or slabbed if it were me. Whether you are going to keep it or sell it online, it just doesn't seem justified financially.

My experience with air tests vs. ground tests with Minelab machines, is that they don't air test well. I get much more depth in mild ground (especially damp ground) than I do with an air test.

Sure! Next time I'm in Florida.....