New AQ Ltd $1300

[Joe Beechnut OBN]

Roger, just my opinion. I would set this one out. Being it is the first model made and issues are still there. Shipping back for warranty work, which it may happen in time, will cost to much. Plus you have the battery run time of 3.5 hours and a extra battery is 200.oo . To many Negative possible' s..

Perfect example what can happen. Got this today from a old friend in South America

Good afternoon Joe, I'm from Brazil and I'm using a fisher AQ. This is a headphone problem. If you need it below and send it to a technician to check, please ask if the connector has any resistors that may be defective. Can you translate and explain this problem?

[The_Stalker]

Steve,

  What is being offered by FT is the original Fisher Impulse AQ Limited.  No updates and all the warts of the original AQ Limited.  If you truly believe that an updated AQ will never be produced, I believe you should buy one now at a discount.  If an updated AQ is produced then maybe we can one day compete against OBN, but I doubt that anyone can compete against Joe.

[VicR]

Maybe you need a different thread listing all your requirements for a PI beach machine - much like was done for the the PI gold machine challenge and just wait for AlgoForce to fill a gap in the market again.

[The_Stalker]

This is what was delivered by First Texas and you can see it is an AQ Limited.

[Steve Herschbach]

On 4/11/2024 at 3:52 PM, The_Stalker said:

Steve,

  What is being offered by FT is the original Fisher Impulse AQ Limited.  No updates and all the warts of the original AQ Limited.  If you truly believe that an updated AQ will never be produced, I believe you should buy one now at a discount.  If an updated AQ is produced then maybe we can one day compete against OBN, but I doubt that anyone can compete against Joe.

Thanks for the advice, but no, I'll pass. I have plenty of detecting options and I am not competing with anybody. If I lived close to a shore it might be a different thing, but for me beach detecting is more an amusement for when I am not nugget hunting than the number one detecting priority. Sooner or later somebody will get it right, if not Fisher, then somebody else. I'll wait. But have fun with your new toy!!

[The_Stalker]

Steve,

  Thank you for the good wishes.  Currently just trying to retire and make it to the beach.

[Tony]

5 hours ago, The_Stalker said:

Steve,

  Thank you for the good wishes.  Currently I am trying to help my Mom in assisted living and trying to help her sell her property holdings in Pennsylvania.  Trying to help my wife's parents with dementia and limited mobility.  Selling my business and transitioning to my retirement and selling my home in Pennsylvania and building a new home in South Carolina.  Feeling a little overwhelmed, but moving forward.  Enjoying life and thankful of all my blessings.  Also grateful for this forum.  Thank you Steve for making it available.

 

Bill

Best to you Bill......sounds like you have a lot on your plate. "One day at a time, one bite at a time" and you'll be fine.......get that AQ purring on the beach and it will find the gold. Treat it gently.....avoid submersion if you can. Protect all battery, coil and headphone cables from mechanical duress. Get some appropriate electrical contact cleaner / protector and use it under the Potentiometers as best you can......if you can remove the knobs then so much the better (are they secured by a set screw or just friction.....possibly can't be removed) ??

Happy hunting,

Tony

 

Kudos to Fisher for including a free nail 🤪

[Tony]

8 hours ago, VicR said:

Maybe you need a different thread listing all your requirements for a PI beach machine - much like was done for the the PI gold machine challenge and just wait for AlgoForce to fill a gap in the market again.

You only have to look at what Eric built (Aquastar), Jim Pugh built (Barracuda), White's built (Surfmaster PI).....and even Garrett with their old Sea Hunter XL500......some common factors with these machines.

• Thick and clear walled Polycarbonate cases (Ikelite back in the day)
• Proven "Marine Grade" Potentiometers with stainless steel shafts
• Two or three external controls only
• Serviceable case and pot O-rings
• Pulse Delays from about 10uS to 30uS
• Internal Battery
• Robust and beefy cables

It's not really that hard.

*** Sigh ***

If I had had the money during those golden years (circa 2000).....I would have bought two or three of each !

This is the starting point......I introduced Blue Robotics to Eric and was subsequently Eric's first choice for the Aquastar 2.

 

[Steve Herschbach]

On 4/11/2024 at 4:00 PM, VicR said:

Maybe you need a different thread listing all your requirements for a PI beach machine - much like was done for the the PI gold machine challenge and just wait for AlgoForce to fill a gap in the market again.

The whole point of the AQ was to collect feedback to build it right. We did our part but so far Fisher has not done theirs.

It’s not rocket science. The AQ electronics are superb, it’s the physical housing that was a fail from the start. I think physical knobs should be avoided on underwater detectors. No matter how good they are a weak spot in any underwater design. We have better options these days. And all that was needed was an underarm drop in battery design. Gee, it might look like this. Just make the battery area under the arm longer to contain two or even three 26650 Rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries. Battery compartments do not have to end directly under the elbow.

 

[noob]

Has anyone tried using the AQ for gold prospecting? Just curious..

They're cheap now so I thought I might give it a go.