Early Field Review Of AlgoForce E1500

[PhaseTech]

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. 

[Gold Catcher]

Thanks Nenad. Really interesting. I hope it will make it to the US eventually. But no match to the 6k or Axiom from what I understand.

GC

[phrunt]

It doesn't need to be better than a GPX 6000 or Axiom, at least by Australian prices as a guide, it's cheaper than a Manticore by a couple of hundred bucks, for what appears to be a good performing PI.  The Axiom is $7385 AUD, the GPX 6000 is sitting at $8999 AUD and the Algoforce $2275 AUD, granted the Axiom and GPX come with coils, headphones and other sweeteners the barebones Algoforce doesn't, but that's a bonus about the Algoforce if you ask me, I don't want to pay for more headphones, more coils that I'll never use, it's a big price difference.  Plenty of second hand GPX coils available for someone on a budget wanting to get going for cheap.

It opens up buying a PI to just about everyone, and is bound to impact the sales of high end VLF's for those considering them for prospecting, why bother, just get the Algoforce instead.

I'm a speaker person so I couldn't care less it doesn't have wireless audio, it has a loud speaker and that's all I need but it's not hard to use a LL transmitter.

Time will tell how it compares to the Axiom as it seems to share some similar traits? The 6000 sounds like it might be better for larger deeper targets, It's going to be interesting to see how it compares on smaller gold to the other detectors especially when used with a variety of coils.  I'd love to drop my little 10" spiral GPX X-coil onto it, it's the most sensitive older model GPX coil I've ever used.

It was easy to ignore your email Nenad, your email never arrived, perhaps you forgot to hit the send button ?

 

[Aureous]

I got quite excited about this detector...but then I saw Nenad's post and echoes of QED started to appear. A 'tiny gold only' machine and grab-only ground balance.... ?  Sounds like another typical 'egg head' genius electronics engineer with zero real-world understanding of the machine's use in the field, nor what gold prospectors actually want. It may still provide some benefit if it can detect tiny gold (sizes or shapes) that other PI's cannot hear, provided the ground balance system can cope. Its cheap price and sensible adaptability for coils and power supply is a nice step though.  I think I was praying that the holy grail detector was now on the market, but instead it sounds like a tin cup. Think I'll hang onto my 6000 and continue to patiently wait for Nokta to either surprise or disappoint. 

[karelian]

I hope this machine succeeds and the company goes on to bigger and better. It's price point does not challenge the leaders in the game, it is a much lower priced option. I'm old enough to remember when MInelab started out with VLF machines and then succeeded with their PI machines. Starting at a lower price is a smart move for a company given the dominance of the competition.  Ground grab is a step up for some of us on a PI, coming from older White's Tdi machines. Quality of manufacture, operational stability, accuracy of the ground balance, performance in the field are other factors and the real important questions for me. For operators of the latest Minelab machines this machine is a step back, but at this price point some of us are  still interested. For the money I do not expect a 'Holy Grail' detector, but I do like what I see and find myself interested in the potential.   It is what it is, not a Minelab.. Size, weight, power and coil options all combine to make a light weight budget PI. I for one can live without ground tracking if a ground grab function is stable and accurate. Very early days and looking forward to user experience and videos. As an Australian I hope we have another successful metal detector manufacturer following in the footsteps of Minelab. Healthy competition, local jobs and it is just all good for electronic prospectors to have more budget friendly options.

All the best.

 

[Tony]

1 hour ago, Aureous said:

I got quite excited about this detector...but then I saw Nenad's post and echoes of QED started to appear

I feel the same after Nenad's honest appraisal.......I don't think Minelab will be losing sleep over this.

With that being said, there is an awful lot to like with this detector and it will be a very good match for a lot of people.

For me personally, I just can't see myself using a machine biased towards small gold (at the expense of potentially bigger stuff)......I know of a few prospecting friends still consistently finding (deep) ounce+ pieces here in WA.

Looks like no "AlgaeSauce" for me ?

[Steve Herschbach]

On 1/26/2024 at 1:29 AM, Aureous said:

I got quite excited about this detector...but then I saw Nenad's post and echoes of QED started to appear. A 'tiny gold only' machine and grab-only ground balance.... ?  Sounds like another typical 'egg head' genius electronics engineer with zero real-world understanding of the machine's use in the field, nor what gold prospectors actually want. It may still provide some benefit if it can detect tiny gold (sizes or shapes) that other PI's cannot hear, provided the ground balance system can cope. Its cheap price and sensible adaptability for coils and power supply is a nice step though.  I think I was praying that the holy grail detector was now on the market, but instead it sounds like a tin cup. Think I'll hang onto my 6000 and continue to patiently wait for Nokta to either surprise or disappoint. 

QED was the right idea but poorly executed so it missed the bus and comparing the AlgoForce to the QED does it a disservice I think. And "tiny gold only" is nonsense. Of course it will detect larger gold. What is the GPX 6000 but an overpriced "tiny gold detector" and I'll point out the popular SDC 2300 as another "tiny gold detector." Yet the SDC has surprising punch on larger gold. AlgoForce is simply being smart in emphasizing what the vast majority of people are really going to be detecting these days - smaller nuggets, not one ounce plus gold.

I think it might be some of you who are surprised. It may not be what people who only care about cutting edge performance want, granted. But the Fisher Gold Bug Pro sold in huge volumes due to the simplicity of its ground grab system and the Monster also proves that regular folks want ease of operation. If this proves to be the Gold Bug Pro of the PI world they will sell piles of them. Most users here have little understanding of the wider retail world and the market that exists for a machine that has the right balance of features at a price normal people can afford. The pricing of machines like the 6000 and 7000 is completely absurd and impossible for far more people than the well to do members of this forum appreciate. Yeah, I can pop for a GPZ 7000 at the drop of a hat, but trust me, a minority of people are in that boat. The market for a detector like this is huge and has been waiting for the right company to open it up. I expected it to be Nokta but AlgoForce may have beaten them to the punch. Or not. We will see, but it will be a very interesting year or two ahead of us no matter what.

 

[Steve Herschbach]

5 hours ago, karelian said:

I hope this machine succeeds and the company goes on to bigger and better. It's price point does not challenge the leaders in the game, it is a much lower priced option. I'm old enough to remember when MInelab started out with VLF machines and then succeeded with their PI machines. Starting at a lower price is a smart move for a company given the dominance of the competion.  Ground grab is a step up for some of us on a PI, coming from older White's Tdi machines. Quality of manufacture, operational stability, accuracy of the ground balance, performance in the field are other factors and the real important questions for me. For operators of the latest Minelab machines this machine is a step back, but at this price point some of us are  still interested. For the money I do not expect a 'Holy Grail' detector, but I do like what I see and find myself interested in the potential.   It is what it is, not a Minelab.. Size, weight, power and coil options all combine to make a light weight budget PI. I for one can live without ground tracking if a ground grab function is stable and accurate. Very early days and looking forward to user experience and videos. As an Australian I hope we have another successful metal detector manufacturer following in the footsteps of Minelab. Healthy competition, local jobs and it is just all good for electronic prospects to have more budget friendly options.

All the best.

Totally agree, could not have said it better myself! 

[RONS DETECTORS MINELAB]

10 hours ago, PhaseTech said:

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. 

I really like the fact that the E1500 and a s/h 4500/5000 would probably be less expensive than a new SDC or a new Axiom.

HavIng both these detectors working together over a patch with their interchangeable coils is an outstanding option for covering most gold types and still retaining depth on more solid bits.

Hopefully the FCC goes quickly for the U.S., really looking forward to testing one out.

?

[phrunt]

I couldn't agree with Steve and Karelian more.  This whole has to be the best or shouldn't exist attitude is somewhat bizarre, we'd all be driving Lamborghini's or something if we followed that chain of thought through life, yet what do most people drive? very cheap cars by comparison.  It's the same with metal detectors, a majority of people aren't running the highest price models there is and a big hole was in the market where this detector slots right in are people that didn't even buy one as they were too expensive.  I've been hoping for something like this for a long time, I took on the QED and tried my best to have it fill that role but it really wasn't up to the standard of a professionally built metal detector, more of a DIY home built using parts from an electronics store, something that looks like it was slapped together from one of the electronics kits from the 70's and 80's and while it's performance was OK, especially on smaller shallow gold or on larger coins and possible gold that were quite deep depending on how you had the bias set on the detector it was missing too much to make it a viable choice for most.  The price was right, the product wasn't.

Since then, I was hoping Garrett, Fisher or Nokta would be doing it, I've been trying to encourage Nokta to take it on knowing there is a big gap in the market, Nokta appear like they're well on their way but they don't yet have PI experience other than a pinpointer but they have a proven track record of excelling when they focus on a product.

Fisher is still tinkering away, well not so much Fisher as Alexandre although he may not even end up with Fisher and who knows if and when his AQ Gold will ever hit the market.  

Out of nowhere comes Algoforce with basically the product I've been hoping for, it ticks the boxes.

And the focus of detectors now is smaller gold with that being the reason the 6000 is so popular now, people are finding lots of little stuff and going home with something in their bottles, the 6000, the Axiom, they're not extremely deep machines, but are hot on small gold, if you want depth on big deep gold there are plenty of options, right back to the SD's or grab a GPX 4500/5000 and big coil.   For someone on a small budget they have the option now of owning something like a used GPX and an Algoforce and still have plenty of change in their pocket from a 6000 or 7000 purchase, between the two detectors they have most bases covered.

Something I will appreciate is the fixed ground balance, being in milder soils the 6000 and its tracking is a frustration.  I've complained about the lack of a way to "fix" the balance from the start so this to me is a bonus, the manual ground grab is fantastic for me, and something the QED has tried yet failed to have for years.  This machine is lightyears ahead of a QED and will likely be the final nail in the coffin for the QED, it's all the QED should have been, and professionally built to go with it and priced perfectly, with its GPX coil support I can't see any reason for anyone to buy a QED anymore.

I have now spoken to Ruifeng, what a great guy, very clued on and I can see their detector being a great success, He's as enthusiastic about their detector being as good as it can be as I am about it existing, all the gray nomads driving around in their Caravan's that want to have a go at looking for gold but can't justify or afford the price of a Minelab machine, they now have a great option, people like me that hunt a lot of small gold and would like fixed ground balance and have a good selection of GPX coils already, perfect!   Let's not forget, this detector is a high-performance PI for the price of a good VLF and will bring to life a lot of peoples old GPX coils sitting in their cupboards as it exceeds the GPX 5000 on small gold.

X-coils are open to producing GPX coils again now with this detector on the market, I can't wait to try my 10" spiral on it, I'll have a Algoforce as soon as I can.

It appears to have good Detection modes to find a variety of size nuggets.

Ultra-Fine Gold: This is the go-to choice for detecting gold nuggets of all sizes and is suitable for most situations. When used in combination with the Nugget Finder 8"x6" Sadie coil or similar-sized coils, it excels, even in highly mineralised soils. This combination is strongly recommended for locating small gold nuggets in various ground conditions.
 
Fine Gold: Fine Gold mode reduces sensitivity to mineralised soil and may not detect very small gold nuggets. When paired with the Nugget Finder 12"x8" Mono coil or similar-sized coils, this mode performs exceptionally well, even in highly mineralised soils. It's a top choice for finding small to medium gold nuggets in different ground conditions. 

Normal Gold: This mode decreases sensitivity to highly mineralised soil and may not detect small gold nuggets. When used with the Nugget Finder 14"x9" Mono coil or similar-sized coils, it delivers outstanding performance, even in highly mineralised soils. It is highly recommended for locating medium to large gold nuggets in various ground conditions. 

Large Gold: Reserve Large Gold mode for use in extremely mineralised soil with high levels of wet salt. When used with coils larger than the Nugget Finder 14"x9" Mono coil, this mode excels, even in highly mineralised soils. This combination is highly recommended for locating large gold nuggets in different ground conditions. 

Although the four detection modes are specially designed for detecting gold nuggets, they can also be used for finding jewellery, coins, and other treasures on the beach. With a small coil like the Nugget Finder 8"x6" Sadie, use Ultra-Fine or Fine Gold mode for fine treasures. For a large coil like the 14"x9" Evolution Mono, employ Normal or Large Gold  mode for deep beach discoveries. No ground balance is needed. As a PI detector, the AlgoForce E1500 naturally rejects seawater signals; the detection mode dictates the level of rejection, ranging from Ultra-Fine Gold to Large Gold, becoming more aggressive.