Badger-NH

Rick mentioned that here last week.

I just switch to a quiet frequency and problem solved.

I might take it. If not, I'm sure somebody will. Thanks for the kind gesture.

Nice looking rings. It's been a while since I've found any gold.

And now they're out of stock. 🙂

Wow, I can definitely see where some notching would help in that situation. I don't encounter many pull tabs or pull rings so I don't need deal with it much. As a relic hunter and beach hunter, I'm used digging anything non ferrous and never notch any specific targets. When I want discrimination, I just reject everything below 17.

I wouldn't really call that separation. I'd say it has more to do with target ID accuracy. If you want better iron ID, raise the bias. Lowering the setting will improve your non-ferrous signals but in doing so, iron targets might give off more high tones.

That doesn't sound right. Why/how would Iron Bias affect separation? The iron signal hasn't changed in relation to the targets around it. All Iron Bias does is change the tone of some iron by leaning one way or the other in relation to its conductivity. The masking of adjacent targets isn't affected at all. As you raise the IB, iron tones improve while non-ferrous tones get slightly worse. It's a trade off. That's why many keep it set at 0. Iron Bias means that as you raise the setting, the detector is more bias in favor of iron identification.

Why are you interested in aluminum nuances? Are you trying to avoid digging aluminum? That has always been a waste of time to me. If you don't dig the aluminum, you'll miss the gold and many other good targets. Also, those pull tabs could be masking even more good targets. My testing has shown 4 & 5 kHz to favor the high conductors. That could be why low conductors like pull tabs might have more of a sound variance in those frequencies.

I was on the list for months before I eventually withdrew and I haven't gotten a single solicitation from FT.

They said at the very beginning that they wanted input from the users. Where better to get that information than the forums? It would be crazy to not be interested in what people have to say about the product.

From the manual. - "Iron Bias is only available when the operating frequency is Multi."

Is the AQ loud by design, or loud because you have the volume set to be loud? I have very sensitive hearing and can't stand loud audio.

All detectors should have an audio shut off switch. It can get noisy when the coil rests on the ground while I'm digging. Also, some pinpointers can cause so much noise in the detector that you can't hear the pinpointer. It would be nice to just switch the sound off for a moment.

The silence and secrecy over this machine is starting to make me lose faith in the company. So many questions just go unanswered leaving everyone to speculate. Some might need reminding that this isn't Fisher. Fisher went out of business a long time ago. This is First Texas Products, a completely different enterprise trying to cash in on the Fisher name and doing a very poor job of it. Okay, we'll give them a break due to COVID but a little honesty and public relations skills can go a long way in maintaining a good reputation.

Maybe FT will scrap the entire project and sell/give the patents to another company more willing to put in the effort. The detector needs to be completely redesigned from the ground up. I'd love to be on that team.

Nope, not old enough to be a relic. It's a Navy practice mine. Inert means that it's not capable of producing an explosion. Reminds me of the mine that washed up on Gilligan's Island. I still love watching that show. Look at these neat training products you can buy online. https://inertproducts.com/

I lost interest in the Limited as the design flaws became apparent. The low life battery and poor wiring were a turn off. I also don't like having the control pod on top of the handle. With no screen to look at, I'd prefer all the electronics to be contained in a single box under my elbow. I have my doubts about whether the non-ferrous ID feature will go any deeper than a VLF in actual saltwater sand conditions. If that's the case, I would only be buying it for the all metal depth. I wouldn't mind having a super deep all metal machine but not this one for $2000.

So the coils require different lower rods. Why did they do that?

This is for the Limited I'm assuming?

Personally, I don't like the Minelab phones, the way they press against my ears. It can get a little painful after an hour or so. I much prefer my Tronds. That's a good idea to see if they will work wired or with the module. Then at least you'll know that it's either the battery or the charging system. You might actually like the module if you haven't used it before. To me it seems to provide better sound quality than Bluetooth. Just for kicks, you might also try a different USB cable and/or charger. That might be all that it is.

I made a really nice counter balance weight with a piece of carbon tube and some lead. It looked just as good as the one that you can buy. The trade off is yes the balance is better but now the detector is heavier. It just replaced one problem with another problem. If I had the big coil, I would go the bungee route like I did with my Explorer. The best material to use for the cord is surgical tubing which they sell at Home Depot and other stores.

I was referring to how the detector is carried when not being used. With the straight rod, the detector must be carried upside down which makes the control pod vulnerable if you trip or fall. Does the S-rod change that? Can it be carried right side up with the S-rod? Does the S-rod make it easier to carry? I often have to carry the Equinox long distances to get to detecting sites. That's why I'm asking.

Does the S-rod make it balanced enough to comfortably carry the detector right side up? Would you say it's easier to carry now or did it carry better upside down with the straight rod?

Just buy a third 600 for the 5x10. Then you'll have most of your bases covered. Actually, I think once you have the 5x10, you won't need the 6" anymore.