Willy

We have proven that the AQ in normal operative conditions works well in salted water even if there were some doubts about that. There are now a number of AQ users operating the system in sea waters without any problem. Also, the sea water in Florida is not much different from other parts of US coasts and Northern Europe coasts. Thus, we must conclude that there is a specific problem on YOUR system (and maybe on another one, who knows?) . Making a diagnosis of a problem needs a systematic procedure to eliminate the potential sources one at a time. The one left is then the probable reason why it does not work. it is then still time to find the cure. Let's make an elimination procedure together:. 1. With the old coil, you have reported that the AQ was unstable even over wet sand. Do you confirm? 2. With the new coil, what is the behavior of the system over wet sand? Is it different from before? 3. Same when only the coil is submerged and swing in sea water? 4. Same when the coil connector and enclosure are submerged in sea water? 5. If the AQ responses in conditions 2 and 3 are good and the one in 4. is bad, then there could be a problem with the coil connector or its fitting. In order to confirm that, you could plunge the whole system in sea water for a few minutes, then take it out of water and immediately make a test with the coil connector in the air. If there was some salted water ingress in the connector, the system will also badly respond. 6. If the procedure 5. show that there was no water ingress in the coil connector, then there must be a problem with the system itself. It should be returned to FTP for further study. 7. If there was water ingress, the fitting of the connector was incomplete or the connector is faulty. In the latter cases, a 8" coil would not be a solution to your specific problem. 8. If the system makes faulty signals when slightly changing the coil height during the swing, there could be a fault somewhere in the ATS circuit. If the system re-calibrates too fast whatever the ATS setting, that triggers a constant re-adjustment. If the system does not re-calibrate fast enough, there are false detection's on every slight changes of ground conditions. In those cases, there is no other solution than returning the whole system to FTP. Do you see any change of system behavior when changing the ATS from minimum to maximum values?

Do not worry about that, in due time and if needed, you WILL get good support from us (euroteam)

YES, just the coil.

If you feel that you could get some EMI problems at your locations, you could try to change of pulse frequency at startup of the system. We think that Deborah has a problem specific to her own AQ system. Nothing to do with Florida waters. After reading her last (doubtful) report after exchanging her 12.5" coil, we do not know whether there is still a problem on her system (outside of the exchanged coil) or if it is a swing procedure problem. A PI system automatically re-calibrates when swinging with varying heights during the swing. It feels this as a change of ground conditions and adapts to it. Alexandre has clearly shown this on a specific video.

" I do realize this machine was designed for use in the wet salt sand at waters edge. the capability of the machine is limited when you enter the water with the 12.5 inch coil." This is a wrong assumption. If the AQ aggressively reacts with the coil in the sea water, the only conclusion is that there should be a fault in the system, most probably a shield discontinuity in the coil or in its lower cable plug. In that case, one has to report the case back to FTP.

Note that the average salinity of sea water around the world (with a few higher or lower exceptions) is between 34 to 36 ppt Also, note that there is no exceptional salinity conditions along any coast of USA or Northern Europe. The only places where the salinity is high are the waters closed for a long time as the Dead sea, Mediterranean sea and some heavily salted lakes as well as the ocean where there are constant large winds which evaporate the water (Northern and southern Atlantic and Pacific) Alexandre will show the reactions of the system in waters of 42.7 ppt.

Right!!! Prototype of the final version. Only change from the LTD version is the mechanical configuration of battery pod and enclosure. Electronic circuits, Coil assembly and Firmware code are strictly the same as on the LTD.

Note that the reactions in the surf are only when the coil emerges in the bubbles. This is a normal re-calibration reaction of the system. Also, large changes of height over the ground due to the surf trigger re-calibrations. Alexandre shows that in the third video.

The only issues in that condition have been reported by Joe and others, it is when the coil enters and leaves the surface of the water and also when the coil connector is partly submerged. When both are submerged, there is no problem.

Call it fully clockwise and that's it?

Are you planning to apply for a designer job at FTP?? Your proposal seems to re-invent the world. The delay and frequency control of the AQ is implemented as a rotary SWITCH, not as a rotary ENCODER, nor a POTENTIOMETER

That's a rotary switch with 10 well-defined positions

Probably, the same as the one used as coil connector on the LTD. (TE Connectivity)

In backward position, the button of the cell is also at the back of the cell and would not enter in the corresponding hole at the front of the shaft making the positive polarity. In any case, the BMS integrated in each cell should protect the system against putting the cells backwards. Also, we thought about people using NON-protected cells with buttons. Since they are shorter, there will not be any contact with the spring of the end cap making the negative polarity.

The pinch test should be made at low pulse delay (7 to 8µs)

Headphone connector --> same connector as coil connector but in plastic, will be located at the back of the enclosure in parallel with the coil connector I would suppose there will be a choice between 8" and 12.5" but not sure, I am not in the decision circles What I already know is that the 8" coil will be an option. 4 x 18650 battery cells. Can not tell about autonomy at this point.

If you are still not happy with the responses of the AQ after the repair of the potentiometer, you should report again about it to FTP (through Rick)

As Alexandre said in the previous post, the salt water issue reported by Deb is currently under close scrutiny. We still do not know whether it is a problem of shielding discontinuity on that specific coil or a more general problem (specific to Florida??). A smaller coil will probably better react under the sea water than a larger coil but it will also cover less surface per swing. It will also be more sensitive to smaller targets but less to larger targets. This is a general rule(well-known cake sentence!!). 'Cable Connector' is the COIL connector to the enclosure. This is indeed very specific to the coils designed for the AQ. No question about replacing these coils with other types, they would not work at all under the stringent conditions defined by the short pulse delays of the AQ. There is no problem related to the headphone connector. Yes, the Li-Ion protected battery cells (18650) will be inserted inside the upper shaft and replaceable by the users. The autonomy will depend on the modes of operation and on the TRUE mAh of the 18650 cells.

It could be but that would still not correct the problem on the 12.5" coil if it happens that there was one inside that coil; We think that this problem is not a general behavior of the system with whatever type of coil. That was thoroughly tested by Alexandre, Le Jag and Carl Moreland before in the same conditions. However, the tests at the end of the production chain are currently only made with the 'COIL PINCH' procedure and not in a real mass of salted water. We should know for sure if your coil is faulty. Thus, we have asked to send you a new coil and yours will need to be returned for further testings. NOTE that an 8" coil with the same internal default (incomplete shielding) would generate the same bad results.

Just use different pulse frequencies between the two users.

Given the few posts on this forum reporting about a unusable AQ system with the coil submerged in the surf of sea water even if the settings are as recommended by Alexandre, we need to poll a reporting from all the current users on that important subject. Could you please precisely describe the conditions and settings you are using and the results you get in terms of background noise. If you do not have too many troubles in the same conditions, please do report as well. Even if you do not usually go into the surf, please make a try to help us diagnose any potential problem. A supplementary test much easier to do is to set the system in full sensitivity and ALL metal and pinch several times the coil sides with your finger. if there is a default in the internal shielding of the coil, the system should react by a clear beeping else no problem. In the latter case, the coil should probably also not react under the salt water. As shown by Le Jag on the short video above, the system should not react at all when the coil is submerged in f moving sea water . If any one AQ reacts, it could be that its coil has a problem of inside shielding continuity. Rick, Can you help us gathering the results of this poll? Thanks

Given the various reports on this forum of noise generated by the dipping of the coil connector in salt water, there is a possibility that FTP decides to use the SOURIAU coil connector made (stainless steel) planned for the GOLD version also for to equip the final AQ version. Just an educated guess, I am not in charge of that decision.?

Good to know, I did not know that little detail. However, it seems that these cells are not protected and thus, not certified. They could not be used as such for any commercial system? With the BMS PCB, they would still be longer.

Those are flat-top. They need to be soldered together and not just dropped in the shaft. I do not know if there are some with button top.

Whatever iron target you use, execute the procedure I described to adjust the iron reject.