Questions About AlgoForce E1500 PI Detector for Mineralized Soil and Relic Hunting

[TechBill]

I’ve been metal detecting for over 45 years, focusing primarily on Civil War sites and water detecting. I’m considering investing in a Pulse Induction (PI) detector for use in Southwest Missouri, where the heavily mineralized red clay soil poses significant challenges for VLF detectors. Some VLF models struggle to detect a .58 caliber bullet buried just 4 inches deep in red clay, whereas I understand PI detectors handle such conditions much better.

The AlgoForce E1500 has caught my attention after reading reviews and watching videos. However, I have a few questions. I’m not interested in gold prospecting or detecting small nuggets, so I’m more focused on locating larger targets.

From what I gather, the E1500 doesn’t come with a coil. Is it true that coils from other PI brands are compatible? Specifically, would a large, square, deep-seeking coil work with it? I’m particularly interested in searching for relics like cannonballs while minimizing detection of smaller items such as nails. What is the largest circular coil available that would be compatible?

I’ve also learned that PI detectors detect all types of metal, including iron and junk. Is it correct that the E1500 provides ferrous vs. non-ferrous identification on the screen? Can it be configured to detect only non-ferrous metals for water hunting?

Lastly, I’m curious about the ID functionality. Does it only work during pinpointing, or can ferrous metals be identified on the screen while swinging? Since I was born profoundly deaf, audio identification isn’t useful for me, so I rely heavily on visual cues.

I also noticed that the detector features vibration feedback in the handle. Can the vibration be configured to activate only for non-ferrous targets? This would be incredibly helpful for me during hunts.

 

Bill

[RONS DETECTORS MINELAB]

Bill,

The Algo has a good target to depth static pinpoint only target ID which gives only a conductivity number so small low conductors have small numbers and large targets have a high number. If the nails you’re trying to avoid are similar sizes it can give a similar ID number, so basically you could avoid digging those specific numbers. It cannot at this time tell ferrous from non-ferrous and the vibrate feature only gives a stronger vibration with larger target signals but still no differentiation of ferrous metals.

Some Pulse Induction detectors are able to handle very mineralized ground conditions that kill most VLF detectors.

The Algo uses the legacy coils from the GPX-5000 and prior series GP & SD, but the timings on the Algo are geared more for small and medium coils, so putting larger coils on it will not gain a huge performance advantage as opposed to using a different detector with timing designed for that particular reason.

The Algo is best described from the manual as:

The AlgoForce E1500 is a pulse induction metal detector that excels at locating small gold nuggets in often complex mineralised soils found in most goldfields, all at a remarkably reasonable cost.

 

https://algoforce.com.au/pages/downloads

 

[Chase Goldman]

I have not had the opportunity to swing an Algoforce, but I am aware of it's capabilities and features and how they relate specifically to relic hunting.  It is an outstanding gold machine at an outstanding value and with excellent ergonomics based on the folks I have talked to who have used one.

Ron has accurately described the Algoforce TID implementation, and while it provides some useful information to the user, there are other PI machines that have features perhaps more suited to relic hunting especially if having the capability to differentiate ferrous from non-ferrous is a priority.  To be clear, no PI can do what a vlf does in terms of ferrous discrimination, but If you need a decent implementation of a ferrous vs. non-ferrous differentiation feature in a capable PI because you need the depth advantage PI brings to the table in mineralized soil conditions, your best bet is probably either a GPX 4500 or GPX 5000 or the Garrett Axiom.  The GPX and the Axiom implement the ferrous differentiation feature somewhat differently (I can go into further details in another forum section (Detector Comparisons) or PM me, if desired).  As a relic hunter who utilizes PI detectors in highly mineralized CW relic sites in Virginia I have settled on the effectively equal performing but ergonomically superior Garrett Axiom (lighter, with a control module on a stick profile and without a separate battery/amplifier module to deal with, and wet weather resistant) after having used a GPX (for over 8 years) and the Garrett ATX for a couple years prior to adopting the GPX.  That all being said, neither come close to the Algoforce price point.

Another consideration is that Nokta keeps teasing the imminent announcement of their separate Relic and Gold focused Pulse induction machines.  We still have no timeline on when we will actually have concrete information on specs, form factor, and cost much less actual release dates, so it is somewhat of a unknown for those who need/want something now.  But I mention it because it has peaked interest amongst relic hunters and gold hunters alike because they are attempting to compete with ML and also Garrett, in this arena, and they have a track record for releasing excellent VLF detectors that complete well in terms of features and performance with the likes of the Minelab Equinox/Xterra lineups at very competitive price points.

[GB_Amateur]

6 hours ago, TechBill said:

Since I was born profoundly deaf, audio identification isn’t useful for me, so I rely heavily on visual cues.

I also noticed that the detector features vibration feedback in the handle.

29 minutes ago, Chase Goldman said:

Another consideration is that Nokta keeps teasing the imminent announcement of their separate Relic and Gold focused Pulse induction machines.

Yet another possible plus feature for TechBill is the fact that some Nokta (and their merged partner Makro) have in the past included vibration signals in their IB/VLF detectors.  Hopefully they will continue that trend in their upcoming PI's.

[Chase Goldman]

2 hours ago, GB_Amateur said:

Yet another possible plus feature for TechBill is the fact that some Nokta (and their merged partner Makro) have in the past included vibration signals in their IB/VLF detectors.  Hopefully they will continue that trend in their upcoming PI's.

And with respect to that, the Axiom provides a visual indication of high/low target conductivity and signal strength in addition to the target audio.  Unfortunately, the Axiom iron check feature is audio only, providing an audible low frequency buzz while sweeping across a suspected ferrous target with iron check engaged.

The GPX offers no visual target information.

[phrunt]

If you're not in a big rush I'd wait until Nokta release their models and see what they offer, a combination of the GPX 5000 and Algoforce would be your ideal detector, Nokta may just do that, fingers crossed anyway. 

It's unknown how far off it is, they are saying not too much longer, and one thing is for sure it's going to be cheaper than many current offerings, the Algoforce perhaps the exception.

[RONS DETECTORS MINELAB]

13 hours ago, phrunt said:

combination of the GPX 5000 and Algoforce would be your ideal detector,

Sounds like a GPX Pro model needs to be released, this combination would be a winner for sure.

[TechBill]

Thank you all for the detailed responses and insights! After considering your suggestions, I’ve decided to hold off on purchasing a PI detector for now and wait to see if Nokta releases more information about their upcoming PI models or the detectors themselves.

It sounds like their new lineup could potentially offer a great balance of features, especially with their history of including vibration feedback and competitive pricing. If Nokta’s new PI detectors can combine solid performance in mineralized soil with useful features like ferrous discrimination and vibration, they might be exactly what I’m looking for.

In the meantime, I’ll keep using my Minelab Manticore detector, which has been serving me well for most of my detecting needs.

Thanks again for the advice—it’s been very helpful!

Bill

[Fredneck]

Shoot put that Algo in 100 tone mode and let your ears and that thing in between your ears be the discriminator, a trued and tried method that has always worked. Can't wait to get my hands on one.