Search the Community

A friend without Youtube filmed this video so I'm putting it up for him, he was playing around with his Algoforce and comparing it to the GPX 6000 and Manticore in some black salty sand and he did a good demonstration of how well the Algoforce can handle these difficult conditions that the GPX 6000 cannot handle at all. He's using a MK2 Sadie in the video, you can make it work even better and deeper with a less sensitive coil. I've had good results in my testing with the 11" Commander Mono in this sort of situation. I've never understood when someone says the GPX 6000 handles tough conditions well, just because the packaging says all gold, all soils, all the time doesn't mean it's true 🙂 The older GPX models were much better in very tough ground like this black sand. I've seen the same results as in this video around here, the 6000 fails badly in tough black sand conditions where the earlier GPX 4500/5000 worked much better and as you can see in this video the Algoforce also does very well and can even accurately Target ID accurately in the black sand. The GPX 6000 also fails in hot rocks around here that the Algoforce handles well. We have some of the worst black sand in the world in NZ at some of our West Coast beaches, I'm yet to take my Algo to the worst pure black sand beaches but the mixed sand and black sand beaches I've tried so far, it's worked remarkably well. I hope to get a chance to go to some of the really bad beaches soon as I'll have a good advantage over the previous attempts by people to detect them, I think, the Tarsacci that was touted as handling our beaches was a massive failure and didn't work well at all, I expect the Algo is going to do much better from what I've seen so far. I'll get some video when I make it to a good black sand beach showing how I go.

A friend without Youtube filmed this video so I've uploaded it for him, he was experimenting with the Target ID feature on the Algoforce, it's a good demonstration of how they work.

Not my video

I'm only new to the SDC having just got one, although it doesn't take a rocket scientist to use it 🙂 I find it quite a nice detector to use, I don't find its ergonomics bad at all, a little awkward with the coil the way it is but nothing that I wouldn't get used to, it feels quite light, obviously not near as light as an Algoforce but nothing I'd be worried about weight wise. I love how it folds up and will be taking advantage of that to put in a backpack to take places I wouldn't normally bother taking a detector due to the effort involved. Some may wonder why I don't bury the little jars, firstly, it's a waste of my time, these types of nuggets are found so close to the surface with both detectors and normally only found in shallow bedrock areas it's just not worth my time, and in my mild soils what I see in the air is what I see in the ground, there is very little difference if any on the inground and above ground results, with my soils being so mild. All I care about is outright performance, and the one that does best, as my inground results always mirror that. So far initial impressions are the Algoforce is slightly more sensitive to small gold even with both running a bundle wound coil, I'm yet to compare using a spiral on the Algoforce. It also benefits from having more settings such as for me the mild soil mode which gives it a bit of a boost over the SDC that's fixed in its timings. I hadn't used the SDC prior to this morning as we haven't had idea weather, now a big high has come over and it is becoming fine, our big high is pushing that cyclone over Brisbane which isn't good. Anyway, I made a mad dash down to the river behind my house this morning to compare the SDC to the Algo on some small nuggets, all in the 0.2 and under size, maybe the biggest one might be .4 and the smallest 0.03 , really can't remember most of their sizes as they're just recent finds I put into little tubs. To be fair on the SDC I used a bundle wound 10x6" coil on the Algoforce as it was the closest coil I had to the 8" round bundle coil on the SDC, I can't help but think if I left my 10" Spiral on the Algoforce the gap between the two detectors would grow quite a bit and the SDC would be left behind, that's something for another day. I was happy with the performance of the SDC, I found it very similar to the Algoforce with estimated depths on the nuggets with a slight edge to the Algoforce across the board I think, and that increased a bit when I switched to the mild soil mode on the Algoforce which lucky for me I can hunt in around here so for me at least, I'd prefer to take the Algoforce on a hunt than the SDC, in saying that I'm sure in different environments the SDC would be the most beneficial with its tracking and potentially better soil handling, I'm no expert on mineralized soils by any means so really don't know performance differences in that scenario, hot rocks are my issue and both the SDC and Algo so far appear to handle them similarly although the SDC doesn't see some at all that the Algo needed to balance over. Anyway, I did this little bit of a run over these nuggets for my own benefit so I could see how the difference was between them, you're seeing it as I saw it, I had not done the test before I started filming and had no idea what the results would be. I quite like the SDC so far, a pleasant surprise.

Hi Guys, Happy Australia Day!! Kind of cool to have another Aussie developed PI raising some eyebrows today. I should start by saying that unfortunately, FCC testing has not been done yet, so the product cannot be sold to the US at this point in time. But is available to NZ customers - so ignore my email Simon ? I have done a little testing on the E1500, and a few of my features/suggestions were added in, but the detector was already quite developed when I was approached for some feedback. There was a software update and then the user manual needed to be updated to include the changes. I've only had limited time on the latest version, but here's some info that will get you up to speed a little bit. 1. First of all, performance wise, this thing sits between a Gold Monster/Gold Kruzer and SDC2300. It is extremely sensitive to tiny targets, but depth won't match a 5000/6000 on large targets. I think the SDC2300 will remain superior in really bad soil conditions, but the E1500 is quite adjustable (broad sensitivity range), and obviously with different coil options, e.g. round/elliptical/semi-elliptical and flat wound/bundle wound, you can kind of dictate the performance a little bit. 2. It is for mono coils only, but works very well. Coil calibration feature is a nice touch, and optimises the electronics for any slight variations between coils. It will also tell you if you need to calibrate or not. 3. Current wise it draws about 700 ma on average, so a 10 AH power bank should run for about 13-14 hrs. Great for guys hiking into remote spots with no power. Just carry three power banks and you're good to go for days. 4. Tested on a 0.05g bit of gold and the E1500 was better than a 4500. With a Sadie coil it is super sensitive, and the tone modulation is very sharp. With an older Minelab 11" super gold search coil, depth is improved, but signal sharpness is not as good, but runs extremely stable. The 14x9" Evo seems to be a great coil for it. I think a Detech 8" mono, Minelab 8" Mono and NF 12x7" Advantage would be the pick of the coils for really hot ground, as they are bundle wound. Possibly add in the old Coiltek 11" round terracotta, and Minelab Commander and earlier Super Gold Search. But in average mineralised conditions, the Evo coils work great. 5. Hotrocks. A 6000 with 11" Mono is a little more immune to hotrocks than the E1500 with Sadie coil in Ultra Fine timing. With a slower timing, and larger coil, hot rocks are far less detectable as you'd expect. But, being a PI it is vastly superior to a VLF. 6. The shaft and hand grip feel great. 2 arm strap sizes is excellent and should cater for most people. 7. Buttons feel really nice. They have a very positive click about them. 8. The Auto ground balance works great, but is on the slower side. Slower than 4500. This is a ground balance reset only, i.e. after it has ground balanced, the ground balance is locked - just like a GP/GPX machine in Fixed. It is not continuously tracking like the SDC2300 or 6000. However, you can see when the ground balance is going out with the Ground Drift function - so it is sort of tracking in the background, but it's up to the user to reset it. 9. Interference with other detectors - I've only been out once with another prospector who was using a GPZ7000 with a 12" NF coil. We found that I needed to be about 10 metres away, that's with a Sadie on the E1500. Any closer and the GPZ would start to pick it up. 10. The Sensitivity range is great. I expect most people are going to run it in the low 20's, but in super quiet conditions, 26-30 are kind of like boost. I've got a lot more testing I'd like to do, and still playing around with headphone options, but having independent threshold and volume controls as well as adjustable tone, it should be able to adapt to pretty much any wired or wireless options. The target ID feature was demo'd to me, and appeared to be quite stable, but I haven't played around with it much at this point. So what is? It is a very well built PI machine, with a collapsible 3 pc shaft, has the benefit of being compatible with legacy 5-pin coils, a very well thought out user interface with a simple menu, and all the important functions you need. It is not waterproof, and doesn't have built in wireless, and comes as a bare bones kit, but all these things have allowed it to be offered at an attractive price point. It is not a deep machine. If you want depth on a budget, get a S/H 4500 or 5000 with a 20" mono or 25" DD. If you want to find small gold as well as specimens and reefy gold, then the AlgoForce E1500 is worth a look. Hope that gives you a bit of a better understanding of its capabilities. Yes, I plan on doing some videos so you can see how it behaves and what it sounds like.

Video is down now. GPX-5000 & Algo teamed up with the Nugget Finder New MK-2 [Semi-Flat Wound (Rectangular)] Coil

Well, it was a bit before I was going to, and it is used instead of new, but I bit the bullet and purchased an Algoforce. Many of you probably missed it as it was only up in the Forum classifieds for a few hours but Phrunt decided to sell his Algoforce. And the price was simply too good to refuse. Sorry @PhaseTech but you missed a sale. Probably hear from me shortly re: a Quest Wire Free Mate though 😉 I wanted something as a back-up detector for the 5000 and also something for friends/family to use as a few of them have started getting interested. Was thinking about a new Algo or waiting to see what the Nokta PI might be like but was swaying towards the Algo with the easy battery options and being able to use GPX coils I already have. So, I took it out for 1.5 hrs last evening for a little trial with the Sadie MK2. Went to a little area that I generally test new detectors when looking at what their 'tiny nugget' capabilities are. Found 3 bits, a tiny piece of lead shot, a few bits of tin, etc. 1 target that ended up being gold was actually a target that I knew was there and had left for a mate to see if he could hear it with his Gold Monster, but he's become disinterested in detecting. Originally had been found with the 6000 and the 11" mono. I had tried that piece with the modded 5000 in its 'smallest' setting and the MK2 Sadie and it couldn't hear it. The Algo heard it no worries at all which sort of did and didn't surprise me. It is designed for small gold so it makes sense, but I've also found some tiny bits with the 5000. Different gold make-up maybe? Settings were pretty easy and straight forward. I need to read up a bit more about the noise cancel and how to do it most effectively. Mostly ran about 25 Sensitivity. 27 was too much and 23 was a dead flat Threshold. Feels like a sturdy construction, obviously finds the tiny bits and should be really easy for family/friends to pick up and use knowing that they are a genuine chance of finding some yellow. Having been a QED owner I can't help but think this is the sort of final product that Howard was aiming for? A lightweight, easy to use, good value PI for the general hobbiest fossicker/prospector. Probably try the 12" round EVO next and will also put on the NF 11X7 Advantage that didn't seem to work well at all on the 5000 and see if it calibrates. Bit more learning and trial and error yet but thus far quite pleased with the purchase. Oh and P.S. - this is an original E1500 with a few of the newer bits blinged on. However, the speaker is the original and it is the only complaint I have so far - it is terrible. With a Quest and earbuds it will be fine but it is a shame they made it out of the design stage with such a poor speaker set-up.

I found this video interesting; I don't experience a lot of hot soil so it was good to see it in action on this ground. The guys just got an Algoforce and is doing his initial prospecting with it on old hunted out ground, while some stuff is a bit questionable like he found 3 pellets and said the 6000 missed them when it's very unlikely it did, more like he missed them 🙂 It's worth a watch for someone that's never seen the Algo in action on hotter ground, and also he shows the 00 on pellets and also a good demonstration of why you can't 100% rely on that as he finds a small specimen that's reading as 00 too. You would only use the 00 as a discrimination method in ground that's got a lot of pellets to help make dig decisions, not an area with 3 pellets and a history of plenty of gold. I found it interesting when he said he's tried the Sadie MK2 and Joey on it, I've got the Joey and tried it out and found it similar to the first version Sadie, I figured the second version would be better.

Seems to be a ton of interest in it for sure. I plan on getting one, once the pros in the US have time to evaluate and report on it.

I've got two batteries for my Algoforce so far, both work great but I've discovered they make battery banks for a tough life, and well, at least for me that's hanging off the bottom of my metal detector and seeing I like my Algo so much I'm going to treat it to a tough battery Dark Energy Poseidon PRO Power Bank Portable Charger Kit - Survival Supplies Australia It's about double the price of a normal one, if not more, but it's made for the outdoors even being waterproof IP68 Poseidon Pro – Dark Energy It claims to hold a charge for 8 years. The video is funny, they blow it up, shoot it, drown it, you name it and it survives.... and all this and it's significantly cheaper than a Minelab battery ?

Firstly, the new firmware changes. Software V1.1.3 includes the following updates and improvements: 1. Enhanced Display Theme Switching: Previously, switching between dark and light display themes was only possible through the Miscellaneous settings menu. Now, users can switch display themes from anywhere by holding the Backlight/Theme button, providing greater convenience and ease of use. 2. New Audio Settings in Pinpoint Mode: Added 5 Tones Inv. and 100 Tones Inv. audio settings, offering an alternative feedback option. These settings take advantage of human sensitivity to high-pitched sounds to better target identification: 5 Tones and 100 Tones: Best for identifying highly conductive targets with higher target IDs. 5 Tones Inv. and 100 Tones Inv.: Ideal for detecting small items, such as gold nuggets, with lower target IDs, as higher-pitched tones are used to highlight these signals. _______________________ Something others may also be interested in, the E1500 plus is AVAILABLE in the UNITED STATES We are excited to announce the release of the E1500 Plus, our latest addition to the E1500 series, alongside the launch of Software Version 1.1.3. These updates underscore our dedication to continuous innovation and enhancing the metal detecting experience for all users. _______________________ E1500 Evolution: E1500 vs E1500 Plus The E1500 Plus maintains the outstanding detection performance of the original E1500 with thoughtful upgrades designed for improved usability: Enhanced Speaker Volume: Featuring a louder and crisper speaker, the E1500 Plus is perfect for environments requiring higher sound output. Optimised Headphone Connector Placement: While the E1500’s headphone connector is positioned at the rear of the control box, the E1500 Plus places it conveniently in the handle, with an extension cable secured along the upper shaft for easier user access. Availability: E1500: Available exclusively in Australia and New Zealand. E1500 Plus: Available in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. New User Manual New Firmware for E1500 and E1500 Plus.

And yet another video pops!

A friend recorded these videos, he doesn't have Youtube but I thought they were quite good videos and show the benefits of having a machine that handles EMI very well, which is the Algoforce. I found the SDC comparisons particularly interesting as the SDC is the Minelab PI detector I know the least about, never even turned one on. The first video is about EMI handling and how the detector performs on some small gold within the high EMI environment Here is his Part 2, which he compares the GPX 6000, SDC 2300 and Algoforce on some small gold, I found the SDC results particularly interesting, I've heard a lot of people say the Algoforce easily outperforms the SDC, it appears so in this video. I've never used an SDC so my knowledge on it is extremely limited.

NOTICE - Announcing AlgoForce E1500 Software Update V1.1.2 Software Version 1.1.2 was released on 23/08/2024. The v1.1.2 software update introduces Pulse Delay Options for Large Detection Mode, allowing users to optimize detection for various object sizes and reduce mineralization noise. It includes three Pulse Delay settings: Pulse Delay 1 (maintains previous performance), Pulse Delay 2 (filters very small objects), and Pulse Delay 3 (focuses on larger items). Additional updates feature a new settings menu access method, an independent pinpoint sensitivity setting, an optimized pinpoint user interface, and adjusted target ID mapping. These enhancements improve detection accuracy, stability, and user experience. What's New in v1.1.2? 1. Introduction of Pulse Delay Options for Large Detection Mode 1.1 What is Pulse Delay? The Pulse Delay Options allow users to select the time delay between the transmitted pulse and the reception of the return signal. After the primary pulse is transmitted, the detector waits for a short period before it starts to listen for the secondary pulse generated by the metal object. This waiting period is known as the pulse delay. Shorter Delay: Detects weaker signals from smaller objects. Longer Delay: Filters out signals from small, less conductive objects, focusing on larger items. Reduces mineralization noise in high mineralization areas for more stable and accurate detection. 1.2 Pulse Delay Options: Large (Pulse Delay 1): Maintains the performance of the Large Detection Mode in previous software versions. Large (Pulse Delay 2): Filters out signals from very small objects, focusing on larger items. Audio response is rounded and elongated. Large (Pulse Delay 3): Filters out signals from small objects, focusing on larger items. Audio response is rounded and elongated. Note: Large (Pulse Delay 2) and Large (Pulse Delay 3) can be used to ignore small lead pellets for nugget detecting or small foils for beach detecting. 2. Additional Updates in v1.1.2 2.1 Settings Menu Access To access the settings menu, briefly press the Return/Auto Frequency Scan Button in the Main Detection UI instead of the Right/Auto Ground Balance Button used in previous versions. To exit the settings menu, press the Return/Auto Frequency Scan Button again. This change prevents users from accidentally entering the settings menu when attempting to perform Auto Ground Balance. 2.2 Independent Pinpoint Sensitivity Setting An independent pinpoint sensitivity setting enables precise tuning specifically for pinpointing metal objects without affecting the main detection sensitivity. This separation ensures that while the main detection sensitivity is set for general detection, the pinpoint sensitivity can be finely adjusted for the accurate location of metal targets. 2.3 Optimized Pinpoint User Interface In Pinpoint mode, the detector now tracks the target signal peak. When the target signal reaches 90% of this peak, the pinpoint icon on the top center of the LCD screen will flash, helping users center on targets more efficiently. If the coil is moved off the target and the signal volume decreases, the flashing stops. Moving back over the target resumes the flashing. As in previous software releases, pressing the Left/Pinpoint Button retunes the detection threshold due to ground variation or temperature drift. In v1.1.2, pressing this button also resets the target signal peak to zero. 2.4 Adjusted Target ID Mapping Software version v1.1.2 restores the high target ID resolution for small targets that was slightly reduced in v1.1.1 compared to v1.1.0 and earlier versions. With target ID mapping based on the Ultra-Fine detection mode in v1.1.0, it delivers high resolution for small targets, helping users distinguish between lead pellets and small gold nuggets. Additionally, v1.1.2 ensures consistent target IDs across various soil types, detection modes, and pulse delay options. Please follow the Software Upgrade Instructions on page 16 of the user manual to upgrade the software. You can also watch Simon's demonstration on YouTube. IMPORTANT: After the software upgrade, it is crucial to perform a factory reset. You can download it, along with the new manual to suit here

For those of you that have had the chance to run both, how would you compare them for gold ?

Algoforce is an ever-evolving detector, the Algoforce team are constantly improving it and the latest firmware is no exception. This one is something those of us that have mild soil parks and fields are really going to appreciate, along with those that intend to use the unit as a beach detector, it has a new ZeroGB mode that adds significant depth in milder soils, and a new beach mode that uses the same ZeroGB method to enhance beach detecting depth while ignoring the salt even with the coil submerged in salt water. I really like this new update; it benefits me a lot with my coin and jewellery detecting. The detector has evolved from a gold only machine to a very capable coin and jewellery detector for parks and beaches, and by having Target ID it makes that even better than you would think with a PI. I did a really basic video when I first tried it out by using my Algoforce on 16 sensitivity seeing I was in my front yard which has a lot of EMI, the maximum sensitivity is 30, the coin is a New Zealand $1 coin, and the buried depth is approximately 20 to 25 cm, 8 to 10 inches and I'm only using a little 10x6" bundle wound mono X-coil. I really have no idea how deep the coin is now as it's been there for years but it was initially buried about 20cm so I'm estimating 25 as with the soils here coins sink and sink deep. The Length of a pinpointer is about the average depth I find coins, some deeper especially the UK copper penny's which are quite large coins and tend to sink deeper. The depth of the coin doesn't overly matter for the video as the video demonstrates the difference when you're in mild soils and can switch into the new Mild soil ZeroGB mode. You'll note the pinpoint mode also benefits from the extra depth in mild soil mode, prior to switching to that mode I was unable to get a pinpoint target ID, after switching to ZeroGB the Target ID kicks in. Here's the quick video I did just after installing the firmware to try it out and see the depth increase myself. The detectors also had a hardware change to a new version 2 of the basic package with a new shaft and arm cuff with comfort cover and stand with a new battery holding method that improves upon the original release, I didn't personally find anything wrong with the original shaft package but the improved one seems great with enhancements over the original, I did point out the USA customers are going to get a very well refined unit by the time it reaches the USA market, as it's evolving quickly. You can see more on their website at www.algoforce.com.au Here is the information off their website Our team has been continuously working on improving the AlgoForce E1500. We have been developing new software with enhanced features to unlock its potential, and simultaneously designing a new shaft to further enhance its overall convenience and usability. We are excited to announce that the AlgoForce E1500 Basic Package has evolved from version 1 to version 2. Equipped with the new shaft, the E1500 Basic Package version 2 includes several improvements: a fixed coil yoke, a stable middle shaft, a protected USB cable with a right-angle connector, lighter weight, increased full extension length, and the same compact length as version 1. These enhancements boost both convenience and performance. For further details about the differences between version 1 and version 2, please refer to the product page and page 7 of the user manual. Additionally, we are releasing version 1.1.1 of our AlgoForce E1500 software. This update introduces the highly anticipated Soil Type Setting, allowing users to select between Mineralised, Mild, and Beach options to optimise detector performance in various environments. Other enhancements include increased backlight brightness, an optimised pinpoint user interface, and adjusted target ID mapping for greater consistency. What's New in V1.1.1? 1. Introduction of Soil Type Setting 1.1 What is the Soil Type Setting? The Soil Type Setting allows users to select the appropriate soil type for their detecting environment, optimising the detector's performance. The available soil types are Mineralised, Mild, and Beach. 1.2 Soil Type Options: Mineralised: This option maintains the performance of previous software versions, suitable for mineralised soils. Mild: This option utilises AlgoForce's ZeroGB technology, which disables ground balance to enhance sensitivity for nuggets, coins, and treasures of all sizes in extremely mild gold fields, parks, and fields. Users do not need to perform ground balance when using the Mild option. If the soil mineralisation indicator reads 00 or 01 when you pump the coil up and down, you can try the Mild option. However, if selecting the Mild option reduces sensitivity by 4 or more compared to the Mineralised soil type with proper ground balance, it is not suitable for the soil. In that case, please select the Mineralised soil type. Beach: This option also uses AlgoForce's ZeroGB technology, yet aggressively rejects seawater signals and provides smooth operation on dry sand, wet sand, and even with the coil submerged in seawater. This option offers high sensitivity to coins and treasures commonly found on beaches without the need for the user to perform ground balance. 2. Additional Updates in V1.1.1 2.1 Increased Backlight Brightness: Enhanced visibility with a brighter backlight. 2.2 Optimised Pinpoint User Interface: The target ID is now displayed in a larger font for better clarity and positioned separately from the mineralisation ID to avoid confusion. 2.3 Adjusted Target ID Mapping: Improved consistency of target IDs across different detection modes, regardless of which soil type is selected. Please follow the Software Upgrade Instructions on page 16 of the user manual to upgrade the software. You can also watch Simon's demonstration on YouTube. IMPORTANT: After the software upgrade, it is crucial to perform a factory reset.

We have a new player on the field in the form of AlgoForce and their new E1500 detector. One thing that is not getting as much attention as I would expect from a PI - full range target conductivity id. From the owners manual: "For experienced PI users accustomed to estimating nugget size from audio cues, the AlgoForce E1500 can also help to estimate size or conductivity through its stable conductive target ID (0-99), even in highly mineralized soils. High single frequency VLF detectors typically struggle with signals on wet ocean sand, where PI detectors are far more capable of detecting through the salt mineralization. Capitalizing on its UltraFine pulse induction technology and stable conductive target ID (0-99), the AlgoForce E1500 excels on the beach, proving to be a versatile tool for searching fine jewelry, coins, rings, and other treasures." (Emphasis added) The discrimination feature kicks in when using the pinpoint mode. Again, from the manual: VIII. Pinpoint detected target (if needed) Enter the Pinpoint UI by pressing the Left/Pinpoint button in the Main Detection UI. In the Pinpoint UI, adjust Sensitivity with the Minus or Plus button. To retune the detection threshold due to ground variation or temperature drift, press the Left/Pinpoint button as needed. Perform Auto GB if needed by holding the Right/Auto GB button. Return to the Main Detection UI by pressing the Return/Auto FS button. Pinpoint is a non-motion mode where the coil doesn't have to move to indicate a target. The detection signal gets stronger as the coil approaches the target, causing the audio (if audio output is on) or vibration (if vibration mode is on) to intensify. The Conductive Target ID (0-99) displayed in the Pinpoint UI remains stable even in highly mineralized soils. A higher number indicates a larger or more conductive target. To obtain an accurate target ID, it is recommended to follow these steps: Move the coil away from but close to the target. Ensure the coil is resting on the ground surface and press the Left/Pinpoint button to retune. After that, slide the coil on the ground surface until the target is positioned just below the center of the coil. The target ID is also useful for assessing the target's shape. If the target ID fluctuates significantly when the coil is moved slightly off but still above the target, it likely indicates an irregularly shaped target, such as a bottle cap or a nail with a large head. Target conductivity is not the same as VLF discrimination in that both ferrous and non-ferrous are conductive. Stuff that is small or low conductive reads low numbers and stuff that is large or high conductive reads high numbers. Ferrous can read anywhere depending on various factors, so the usefulness of the system largely depends on the nature and mix of targets you are working with. Nowhere does the AlgoForce manual refer to ferrous versus non-ferrous discrimination. It specifically refers to the Conductive Target ID - in other words, a measurement of how conductive the target is whether ferrous or non-ferrous. Most GBPI users have savvied to the fact that the high and low tones give a rough indication of target size. A hi or hi-lo tone usually means small or low conductive targets and a low or lo-hi tone usually means large or high conductive targets. You get ferrous either way, just small ferrous on one side and large ferrous on the other. However, in certain gold locations concentrating on hi or hi-lo tones only can be remarkably effective at cherry picking gold nuggets out of a nail pit. Most gold I find almost always gives a hi-lo tone. Minelab employs a method where targets blank if ferrous, and Garrett the target grunts if ferrous. The Garrett method is preset, the Minelab method can employ a variable control depending on the model. What makes the AlgoForce different is instead of the "this or that", "yes or no" answer of two categories you get a full range indication, which with experience should lead to more nuance in what can be dug and what can be ignored. How is Algoforce doing this? Imagine is instead of an unmarked variable control like Minelab offers, the control had numbers on it, from 1-100. By turning up the control you could determine at what number various items are detected or ignored. All Algoforce is doing is revealing this hidden number to you. There is no new method being employed here and if there was, you would see a patent filed for it. My best guess is Algoforce is just refining existing PI discrimination by using digital processing to refine existing methods. There is however another possibility. I will refer you to a statement by famed metal detector engineer Dave Johnson. It is part of history now only available on the Wayback machine but has been in my mind for a long time: DS: Are TID pulse units the hobby future? Or, what do you think will be the next great advancement in metal detector technology? Dave: "About 1985 I built a real sweetheart of a discriminating PI unit, not very hot in air test, but it was simple, lightweight, powered by one 9 volt “transistor battery”, ran quiet in bad ground, had no bad habits, and you didn’t have to dig any trash. It morphed into a fully static TID machine which Fisher came close to releasing about 1989, but its reliance on fully static operation which was supposed to be an advantage, was in fact a fatal flaw for a TID machine. Stripped back down, it became the Impulse which was strictly all-metals. I always wondered why Fisher did not see the obvious, that a non-motion PI discrimination methos could be used as a pinpoint mode, where non-motion is the norm. That is exactly what is going on here with Algoforce and is a defining difference between what Minelab and Garrett are doing. Their methods require the coil is in motion. The Algoforce method requires the coil stop moving, just like Dave described many years ago. Has Algoforce rediscovered and employed the same method Dave discovered? Regardless of the method employed the main difference between PI and VLF discrimination remains. The key difference between PI discrimination and VLF discrimination is it is based on signal decay instead of phase angle. This means for ferrous small items read low numbers and large ferrous items read large numbers. So imagine a normal VLF target id scale with ferrous overlaid, small to large. With PI discrimination there is basically a ferrous target possibility for every non-ferrous possibility. There is no such thing as ferrous versus non-ferrous with a PI. The best you can do is cherry pick certain locations based on the overall target mix. In some locations with small ferrous only and coins you can pretty much dig the coins while avoiding the ferrous. If there are lots of large bent nails in the ground however they read high on the PI disc scale, and will be found in the same numeric region as coins. Conversely, if you are chasing small gold nuggets, you will find that small ferrous trash overlaps with small gold. In the most simplistic sense with PI discrimination small targets have small target ID numbers and large targets have large target ID numbers. Keep in mind that from a detectors perspective a low conductive target tends to being a small target, and a high conductive target is like a large target. Perhaps it is better to talk in terms of weak targets versus strong targets. Weak ferrous and non-ferrous targets deliver lower target id numbers while strong ferrous and non-ferrous targets deliver strong target id numbers. Again, I must emphasize PI discrimination is not the same as VLF discrimination. There are different aspects to it that require a savvy operator. There are a lot of half truths and incorrect statements tossed around by people who don't know much on the subject. One of the most common claims I hear is that PI disc only works at shallow depths, and that the things you have to do to implement it give up the extra depth that is the reason for using a PI in the first place. This is based on some versions of PI discrimination and so can be true, but also reflects that the person making such statements is not well versed in all aspects of the subject. You can indeed discriminate to full depth with a PI, and in fact that is the only way I have been doing it for over 20 years now. For more details on how pulse discrimination works see my long analysis at the thread below. No, it’s not VLF discrimination, but you’d be amazed what good PI operators can do with the capability they do have. Algoforce has certainly steeped up what is possible in that regard with an affordable hand-held metal detector. We have a winner in the Under 4 Pound, Under $2000 GBPI Challenge! AlgoForce E1500 Specifications and User Manuals Visit the new AlgoForce Metal Detector Forum

Is the Algoforce actually a Dual Detector, a P.I and a VLF, if so is it simultaneous or switching from one to the other, if switching is it manual or auto.? I seem to recall at least rumors of a Dual machine that Whites was working on, but never heard anything else about it.

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah zip-a-dee-a. My oh my, what a wonderful day. https://youtu.be/zDePvXpYhzA?si=1hV5JYM9muHOwM8x What’s that mean you ask? Gerry is Happy….and most of you should be too. Finally, we have a quality PI detector at an affordable price point. Finally, we have a team of people working for AlgoForce that are listening to the consumer. Finally, we have a PI detector without $500, $1000, $1500 coils, we get to use 100+ different coil options many of us already own. Finally, we don’t have to pay $100, $150 and $200 for a spare battery. Finally, we don’t have to buy brand specific headphones that are overpriced and not even durable for metal detecting needs. Who wants to add some Zip-a-dee-doo-dah zip-a-dee-a? It’s going to be happy times for so many.

I'm having a day off skiing today so thought I'd take the Algoforce out for a quick test of the new firmware, I've never found something I consider a relic before, for a start New Zealand is such a young country, so relics are few and far between, and realistically not very old compared to relics in Europe, or even the US. I wasn't sure it was anything unusual at the time other than I found a bottle, that's weird for me 🙂 I only found it because I dug an old New Zealand pre decimal shilling, unfortunately not a silver one and while digging the hole a clump of soil came out, and once the clump came out the bottles tip was exposed, so out of interest I recovered it. I just thought I was removing some junk and put it in my pouch and resumed detecting. I took a photo of the shilling as I thought it was pretty cool I found a coin I'd missed previously, nothing special about the depth of the coin or anything, other than the bottle in the hole with it, probably missed it in the past due to sloppy ground coverage, I've no idea. It's a 1967, really hard to read the date, a shame it wasn't a little bit older as it would have been silver. Today has remained frozen all day so I wasn't really out doing a big detecting mission, I just wanted to try out the new Algoforce firmware on a spot I've hit pretty hard to see if any new targets might pop up seeing it has new feature by way of a mild soil mode with a big depth increase over its normal mineralized mode in my milder soils. So, I had a quick swing over some of the area, it was by no means a serious detecting mission, just a little test out of the running of the machine in this high EMI location. It worked very well, nice and stable in 19 sensitivity. I took off home not long after as it was starting to get dark and pretty cold. Once I got home I home I cleaned up the bottle by running it through the dishwasher then took a photo of it Not a bottle type I've ever seen before, and it's made pretty dodgy, the glass isn't like you would see on a modern bottle, even the base of the bottle is a bit uneven, it wasn't until I took a photo of some writing on it I saw something weird, it says Property of W Gregg & Co Ltd Dunedin The writing is hard to read, but you can see in this photo how uneven the glass bottom on the bottle is. I can't find the same bottle on Google but I've found other old bottles from the same business, it seems you never owned your bottles back then, must have had to return them to get them filled up again. I found some information about the business. GREGG, W. AND CO., LTD. , Coffee, Spice and Starch Manufacturers, General Merchants and Importers Lower Rattray Street, Dunedin. This business was founded in Princes Street by the late Mr. Gregg, in 1861, and was removed some years later to the premises it now occupies. In 1897 the business was merged into a limited liability company under the style of W. Gregg and Co., Limited; Mr. Gregg, the founder, acting as managing director until his death in May, 1901, when Mr. William B. M. Fea assumed the management. Amongst the many specialties for which the company is noted, are its high class coffees, pure pepper and spices starch, soda crystals, flavouring essences, etc., etc. W. Gregg and Co., Limited, were the first in New Zealand to manufacture wax vestas and starch. Gregg's “Eagle” starch has been for the last fifteen years the leading brand in the colony, whilst the firm's “Club” coffee, (its special brand household word throughout New Zealand. Messrs W. Gregg and Co. make it a standing rule that not one ounce of anything adulterated leaves any of their factories, and the most modern machinery obtainable is used in the manufacture of their various goods. They have been awarded a gold medal, a special gold medal, and over fifty medals and awards for the excellence of their manufactures at the following Exhibitions:—New Zealand, 1865; Christ-church, 1872; Sydney International, 1879; Melbourne International, 1880–81; Wellington Industrial. 1885; New Zealand and South Seas, 1889–90; Wellington Industrial, 1896–97; and Otago Jubilee, 1898. The company's chicory farm of fifty-six acres, and drying kiln are situated on Inchclutha. Its coffee and spice mills, and warehouse, are in Lower Rattray Street, and its starch, soda crystals, flavouring essences and kindred manufactures are carried on at its extensive works at Pelichet Bay, convenient to rail and wharf. I found this old poster saying it was packaged in Faney Canisters 😛 Not sure the age of the poster though, probably newer than the bottle. What I found interesting about that is they were coffee merchants, and oddly, instant coffee was invented just over an hour drive from where I found the bottle and the Dunedin factory this bottle was from is just a couple of hours drive so maybe it's something to do with coffee or had coffee in it? Today the brand still exists, but it's just called Greggs and they still sell instant coffee. Here is about the instant coffee invention The man who invented instant coffee The invention of instant coffee, dissolvable in hot water, was credited to a Japanese chemist working in Chicago in 1901. Turns out, it was a Kiwi - more 10 years earlier. David Strang, who owned a coffee and spice works factory in Invercargill, applied (and got) a patent for soluble coffee powder in 1889 under the name Strang’s Coffee. But until recently it was a barely known fact until the Historic Places Trust registered the house owned by one of his sons, James. Strang was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1847, and one of his first jobs was in a coffee warehouse. He was only 16 when he boarded the Barwood to come to New Zealand in 1863, landing in Bluff. He worked in several trades until in 1872 he established a coffee factory in Esk Street, Invercargill. The business grew quickly, expanding into other foods including spices sold around New Zealand and Fiji. Strang’s products began winning awards around the country and in Australia. In 1889, he applied for the patent for soluble coffee, the first of its kind in the world and began selling it. With sharp marketing in mind, he sent samples to newspapers to get the word out. The Otago Daily Times reviewed the substance: "Strang's soluble coffee powder requires no boiling, but is made instantly with boiling water. Then, again, it can be made in a breakfast cup and requires neither the use of pots nor the employment of experienced cooks." He was also one of the first people to successfully claim a patent under New Zealand law. He said he used a ‘dry hot air’ process to make it, essentially blowing hot air over liquid coffee until it reduced to a solid. Strang also filed patents for a "coffee-roasting apparatus of novel design" and Strang's Eclipse Hot Air Grain Dryer. He was also credited with making mocha. He married Mary Jane Ramsey in 1877 and they had five sons and six daughters. Strang died aged 69 on July 19, 1916 and is buried in Eastern Cemetery in Invercargill with his wife Some years ago, I found an old bottle in my vegetable garden, I think it was thrown out, now I'm very interested to find out what it was, my wife can't even remember me finding it and I'd say she's guilty of throwing it out 🙂

I just went out to one of my local parks and checked the sand only. It is not a park I dig the grass unless there has been some rain on it. That means I'll only find recent drops. I've been on these same sands with the 800 several times and I think the Manticore so that would be two months ago. I'm sure others hunt this same area also. I've found one ring there in the past. I was a little bit surprised by the finds with the Algo/12" Evo. The new Mild setting worked well with reduced sensitivity to maybe 10 or so because this like some of the other parks I go to has equipment buried under it. One area gives my 800 fits. I have to listen through the noise. I went early so the number of kids there would be low but there was a guy who had a 3.5 year old, a 2 year old and a 6 month old! What a family. Mine are 6 and 3.5 so he really has his hands full. The things you see in the picture were found in about an hour. (I gave a couple of dimes to the older boys.) The compass is obviously a recent pocket drop. I was both glad and surprised to get the nails and wire out of the sand because most kids are barefoot when playing in this area. There was also a volleyball court. I think the nails were still there because they were mostly in the area with high EMI. I didn't spend enough time on the IDs of the targets. It was finding them to a depth of 8 inches or so but I don't want to dig much deeper than that anyway.

Nenad now has the Algoforce DD leather cover set available, in green and grey. It looks really good. I will probably have to order one of these in the near future, arm cuff, battery and cover pod covers set. $95 AUD.

Finally managed to score the 1st nugget with the Algo 1500. No, it's not the traditional "wow nugget" hanging off Gerry's chin, those big rare finds are actually easy to hear, provided you get the coil over them. This 1st Algo gold was a little flat picker nugget found at a high elevation hand workings site on the side of a steep mountain in Eastern Oregon. Even though it's only 1/10th of a gram (spot on), it's gold and the 1st while the Algo is in my hands. I’m hoping more will come with time? Back in the day, I was swinging this site in later 90's - early 2000's with VLF detectors. My recollection last time with a PI machine (Minelab GP-Extreme) was in 2003 while trying to score a few of those flat dense pieces of heavy metal gold. Then I changed desires and started focusing on bigger gold (like this monster my customer found only a few miles away at a different location) So abandoning the old sites with smaller nuggets and pickers, I did. Also, I realized I can always come back and get those bits with less value down the road. As the bigger gold is drying up I sometimes think of the small nugget sites with the new technology PI detectors. I've never used a GPZ-7000 or the newer GPX-6000 until this year when we had 6's on it recently. I'm not sure a 7000 would be a viable choice because of it's weight and the steepness of the mountain side. Maybe Doc's new Dalas system is a try next trip? The 2 GPX-6000’s were able to score gold as I had posted last week, so why not give the Algo a shot? After all, it’s sleek design and lighter weight will be a welcome to my arm in this steep terrain. Just maybe Algo and the smaller coil can get in between rocks/bushes/logs and sniff a nugget or 2. My detecting buddy was using a GPX-6000 that day. I noticed in the same area and we could get pretty close to each other, which is really nice for some of the mountain areas we swing. The workings can sometimes only have a small area to detect so being able to have 2 PI detectors powered ON at the same time and location is a big welcome. I estimate we were 25' with smooth operation. Maybe having 2 Algo detectors may even be closer, only time will tell. He had just recovered his 1st gold ever (on his own) without me being plugged in. It was a really nice flat 1.41 gram nugget and I was impressed with his skill. The nugget was a good 11 to 12" down and a very soft sound. He was not even sure it was a true signal until he'd removed 2", but the signal was just enough for him to catch "iffy needs scratchin". All the nuggets that have been recovered in this area are extremely flat and smooth, so their beauty is not glorious, but their gold. I was not able to hear this nugget with the Algo at surface depth but as soon as he removed about 4” soil, the Algo responded as expected. Part of this is due to the coil selection I had on the machine, a small Sadie 8x6” as he was running the stock 11” round. If the coil on the Algo was larger, I would probably had only 2” in depth difference on this particular nugget. The other aspect is the different detectors and their cost. Comparing Apples to Oranges on the side of a mountain on a couple pieces of gold at one location is in reality, not recommended and or fair. Not only 2 minutes later, my Algo is singing the soft PI wee-hoo of a small target. It’s in a slight divot and above my waist level. Sure could not swing a 7000 or older PI of weight in this position for any time. Notice, he's standing upright and his GPX-6000 is held at waist level with his arm almost 45 degrees. That's another reason I hate using the Manticore in areas like this, as the detector easily hears the lower CF shaft when moving coil around. Silly Minelab, what were they thinking? Anyways, the target recovered only an inch down and yes it was gold. I called my buddy over as he was only below me some 30 feet and he wanted compare his 6000. Here’s something we did not expect and he was a little confused as I? The 6000 did not respond very clean and when compared to the Algo (nugget laying there in the divot in eye site), the 6 struggled and the Algo sang praise. There again, probably the smaller coil on the Algo and all other gold capable detectors are designed to find smaller gold better than a larger coil. I’m not going to put any spins on my testing, since I know enough about detectors, coil sizes and different sizes/densities of gold can change the outcome. I do know this though for that location on that given day. Buddy with $6500 GPX-6000 found a deeper nugget that weighes more. Me using the sub $2000 AlgoForce 1500 with small coil also found a nugget but it weighed much less. I know this to be fact as well. There are more small nuggets still out there than big gold and having an option of a very simple to operate, light weight PI detector and better target identification system, all for under $2000 as an option is a very wise move for many. Below are some of the other nonferrous targets recovered that day with the flat yellow nugget in the middle. Hopefully I can get some time in the field again soon as we have a long weekend coming up (4th of July) and will report back. Until then, I really think the AlgoForce 1500 does in fact have it’s place for many, especially those 1st timers stepping up to a PI.

As some may know by now I have had an E1500 for some time. The main goal was to test for EMI issues with our power grid, which is not only different than the one in Australia but that also "leaks" a lot more than it should. The good news is that I am finding the E1500 to be in the upper tier of Pi detectors as far as stability and EMI resistance. It is perfectly useable here in urban scenarios where many other PI detectors would fail. I have been in contact with Alex offering some business based advice on how to get the detector into the U.S. market at the best price possible. A big part of that was focusing on reducing the size of the shipping box to allow for affordable master pack shipping to the states. It might mean ditching the included soft case but I am sure people will be fine with that if it means keeping the price as affordable as possible. Long story short all the steps needed to bring the AlgoForce to the U.S. have been looked at and are in progress. However, it is a matter of months away at the least, and since delays can happen for a multitude of reasons please do not set your watch according to this post or get grumpy if things do not go as fast as you imagine they should. They are going as fast as they can and that's the best Alex and company can do. The takeaway here should simply be that it is now confirmed as 100% being part of the plan as soon as it can happen. I want to close by saying that Alex is the biggest breath of fresh air I have experienced in the industry in a long time. He is incredibly responsive to feedback and suggestions, as shown by the several updates to occur already. The detector itself is a blast with several innovative design features never seen in a detector of this type before. Something as simple as the visual display of the current threshold level versus the live ground/target response is incredibly helpful in fine-tuning the detector. And those coils options!! The detector and the company itself are a true pleasure to work with, and I want to thank Alex for finally being the one to put my Under 4 Pound, Under $2000 GBPI Challenge to rest after seven years. I never thought it would take this long, but folks, we have a winner! My thoughts on AlgoForce E1500 vs The Rest I sent the detector to Andy Benson (abenson on the forum) to use for his impressions. His video below. The detector is now enroute to Gerry McMullen (Gerry in Idaho on the forum) for further testing and we should be hearing from him soon. I expect he will be getting it in the mail tomorrow.

Well looks like Simon beat me by a day, but I've got a video up showing the user interface in detail and cover most of the settings. AlgoForce E1500 Specifications & Settings